Tag: Italian

How To Express Your Creativity Through Cake Decorating

Cake decorating cam be a wonderful hobby and is a great way to express your creativity. Cake decorating is a lot of fun and very rewarding, if you feel you like it well enough you can turn it into a full time profession.

Cake decorating does take a measure of artistic skill. Anyone can master cake making with guidance and tutoring, along with fresh, new ideas and decorating tips. Cake decorating as an art form, will help you expand your imagination and your skills. This will make you proud and the recipient of your work ecstatic.

The are of cake decorating is rewarding to both the client and the decorator of the cake. There may be a level of stress when you are on a deadline but the end result is worth the trouble. When you are able to take your time and decorate cakes in peace, you will find the entire process very enjoyable. One way to cut stress in any situation, is to keep your mind on the design itself, and not let negative thoughts get in the way of your creativity.

When you begin Cake decorating, start off with simple designs and decorations. You can even start with cupcakes and cookies. You can also use stencils and edible marker kits. A stencil will allow you to dust your cupcakes with cocoa powder or powdered sugar over the top and make a wonderful, yet simple design.

You can use buttercream, royal icing, or fondant to create your cake decorating project. You can start by topping your cakes with icing and adding icing flowers, fruit or candy. You can also make cakes that look like other foods. Hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, and even cakes that look like fruit. You can do this by using a molded cake pan, or cutting the cake and piecing it together. You can also create character cake decorations. Make sure your cake is moist and not crumbly so it will stay together better when cut.

You need to eliminate crumbs in your cake icing, and create a smooth finish to create a beautiful cake decorating project. Icing the cake to a smooth, fine finish is considered to be one of the most important parts of cake decorating and should be fine tuned as your skills develop.

The use of fondant icing will add an air of elegance to your cake decorating. Fondant can be rolled out and draped over a cake with care. It can also be modeled into shapes and characters. It is available in vanilla (white) and chocolate and the white can be colored. Fondant may be a bit more difficult to work with, but it is most beautiful when the finished product is unveiled.

When cake decorating, learn the basics and pick up other cake decorating tips as you go along. Use the internet and cake decorating books to learn all of the tips and tricks you can. You can turn any topic or desire into a cake decoration, just use your imagination.

Cooking with Children

I am fairly certain that most of us have either seen or at the very least heard of the hit situation comedy “Married with Children” that dominated television for quite a few years and is still shown in syndication in many markets around the world. There are some wonderful insights that are shown by this often dysfunctional family and a few pearls to bring into your every day lives. The same can be said when it comes to cooking with children.

There is little on this earth that can teach you about yourself and the way your children view you as easily as cooking with your children. Of course, this is the perfect opportunity for many of us to let our hair down a little, relax, and have fun in the kitchen. Unfortunately, if you are anything like me, this is a difficult process to say the least. I am a bit of a control freak in my kitchen. It is my domain or sovereign territory so to speak. For this reason it is difficult to give up that little bit of control and hand over the reigns to any one of my children.

On the other hand, I know they are learning important skills that they honestly need to know in life. This knowledge of course doesn’t make it any less difficult when I’m scraping tomato sauce out of places I would never have thought to discover it on my own. If you are considering cooking with children you need to make sure you have the proper ingredients on hand before beginning. You certainly do not want to be caught without that cup full of patience you will be requiring nor do you wish to need to leave in the middle of things for a run to the local grocery store to pick up the missing ingredients.

Another great rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with children is the KISS rule. Keep it simple silly. This rule will help out more than you ever realize. First of all, most children have relatively short attention spans. While they want to learn and help mommy out, they also do not want to have enough time to get bored with the details. Use simple recipes when cooking with children and your chances for success will be much greater than with overly complicated or ingredient intense recipes.

As if this wasn’t enough to absorb another very important rule when it comes to cooking with children is to clean as you go whenever possible. Trust me on this. While there is part of you who will want to put off the task of cleaning the messes that are made until later, or wait till the end and only clean once, this allows the opportunity for messes to layer and compound themselves. Constantly clean throughout the process for the best possible results. You should enlist your children in the cleaning process as well. While it may be easier to do yourself, it is far more important to teach them the basics of cleaning as you go. Remember one day they will more than likely invade your kitchen while you’re not looking.

Cooking with children can be an incredible way to have a fun day if you are able to let go of the control that you too often hold over the kitchen. Give over the keys to your kingdom for a day of fun and frolicking among the flour and sugar and see just how many wonderful memories you can make with your little ones along the way.

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Learn to Cook Italian Food on Vacation

It used to be that vacations were all about site seeing and relaxing. Well, not anymore. Today the hottest trend in travel is taking courses to learn new things while on vacation. Nowhere is this more evident than in the cooking classes that have sprung up all over the world specifically for tourists. Many people travel to Italy on vacation in order to enjoy Italian food. Now though, many people not only want to enjoy Italian food while away, they want to learn how to cook it. Instead of bringing back souvenirs tourists are bringing back skills that they can put to use in their kitchens at home to whip up authentic Italian food.

If you like Italian food then you may want to consider taking some classes to learn how to cook Italian food while in Italy. There are many resorts today that offer Italian food classes to their guests. There are even whole vacation packages focused around learning how to cook Italian food. You can take a tour through Italy and in each city or region that you stop in learn to make the local Italian food from the people who know it the best, the locals, not some tour guide or American teacher. If you decide during your vacation that you would like to try out a cooking class then ask the concierge or front desk at your hotel. They should be able to point you in the direction of some Italian food classes. Often resorts will have their own world class Italian food restaurants and it’s not uncommon for them to open their doors to travelers who want to learn to make a dish from the menu. Be sure to ask the front desk at your resort about possible Italian food classes. Resorts don’t always advertise these classes because they often fill up just on word of mouth.

If you are feeling a little nervous about learning to cook Italian food on your vacation, relax. The classes are typically very small so you’ll be able to get one on one help. This is truly a great opportunity to expand your knowledge of preparing Italian food from actual Italian chefs. Don’t worry if you don’t know the first thing about cooking. These classes are structured to accommodate people with little to no knowledge of Italian food or even cooking for that matter. If you would like to take a more advanced or intermediate class then ask about those options as well, but the majority of classes will be for beginners. These Italian food classes for vacationers will teach you how to make easy dishes that look more complicated than they actually are. They’re not going try and teach you something complicated that will only end up frustrating you. They know that it can be intimidating learning to cook Italian food from professional chefs so they will keep things simple. On the other hand, they also understand that you probably want to go home and impress your friends with an Italian food dish that seems really fancy, so they will teach you dishes with a certain “wow” factor.

The next time you plan a vacation to Italy, try to step off the beaten path and learn how to cook some authentic Italian food. The skills and memories you bring home will outlast any souvenir you could buy. Vacationing in Italy is not just about enjoying Italian food; it’s about bringing Italian food home with you.

What Kind of Cakes Are in Mexico

Mexico has their share of sweets. You can find sweet drinks, to candies and chocolates, and of course cakes. One cake that is popular and simple to make is the Mexican Chocolate Pound cake. What makes this cake a classic is the addition of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon. It is simple to make and very tasty!

If you crave for something lighter, Tres leches cake is perfect. Translated into English it means “cake of three milks”. It is a butter cake that is soaked with three different types of milk; condensed, evaporated, and whole milk. Because the cake doesn’t usually include butter in the milk, it contains a lot of air bubbles. The top of the cake can have fruit such as raspberries to add extra flavor. This cake is common many parts of Latin America. The origin is not surely known, but is thought to be between Nicaragua and Mexico, where the cakes were found the earliest. Tres leches cakes are great at parties and other special celebrations.

As you know, Mexico loves its spices. Chili and jalapenos are sometimes added to chocolate cakes. You might think it would taste weird, but it adds a unique flavor. The Mayas used chili with cocoa for many years. One particular cake that has a touch of spice in it is Chocolate Jalapeno cake. Every ingredient is typical to what you would see in other chocolate cake recipes but this particular cake calls for finely chopped jalapenos.

Another popular cake that is made in Mexico is called Rosca. You will have to wait until the holiday season to find it though because it is a cake that is made around December until February. It is made into a circle shape that represents the crown of the three kings. The cake is flavored with lemon and orange zest and contains almonds. The top of the cake usually is colorful with fruits. Inside of the cake is one of two miniature statues of the baby Jesus. A party that is held on the three kings day includes this cake. Everyone will cut the cake hoping they are not the one who finds the doll, because it they do, they have to make foods for another celebration that is held in February. The cake can be bought at local bakeries, or made from home, with the baker putting the dolls in themselves.

If you have a love with crepes, why not try them Mexican-style? The crepes are topped with Cajeta, which is Mexico’s version of caramel sauce. The crepes are also topped with toasted pecans. Other toppings can be added if desired.

If ever having a fiesta, try baking a cake. Some cakes have tropical fruits in them, while others are richer and contain cinnamon. Whatever you enjoy in other cakes, you will find in Mexican style ones. To make sure the cake is authentic, purchase actual Mexican cocoa and follow the recipe accordingly. It is sure to be a big hit at your next celebration!

Coffee Maker Style Guide

According to some statistics, 52 percent of Americans are coffee drinkers. This translates to more than 100 million people who drink coffee daily. Americans are a diverse population and far from unanimously agreeing on what makes a good cup of coffee. Fortunately, there are several different styles of coffee makers available today.

Coffee lovers can choose the brewing machine that fits their preferences. Common coffee maker styles include Automatic Drip, Automatic Espresso, French Press, Percolator, Stovetop Espresso, and Vacuum style. Each has its own pros and cons and gives the user varying control over the end result.

Automatic Drip Coffee Maker

Automatic drip coffee makers are probably the most popular choice for Americans. They are easy to use and are inexpensive to purchase. Most operate on the same principle. Inside the coffee pot is a filter basket where a paper filter holds the coffee grounds. Cold water is poured into the reservoir where it is heated before being poured over the grounds. The resulting coffee flows into a carafe. The brewed coffee is kept warm by the hot surface beneath the carafe.

Those who don’t like to use automatic drip coffee makers complain that they do not make a good cup of coffee. Keeping the coffee maker and carafe clean, using quality coffee and disposable paper filters will help ensure a better result.

Automatic Espresso Coffee Maker

Automatic espresso coffee makers come in semi-automatic, fully automatic and super automatic versions. Semi-automatic models tamp the coffee grounds, brew the coffee, fill the cup and eject grounds. Fully automatic models also grind the coffee. Super models offer a wide variety of features, including built in water filters.

French Press Coffee Maker

French Press coffee makers are also known as press pots or plunger pots. The pot is a glass or porcelain cylinder which contains a stainless, mesh plunger that works as a filter.

The user measures coffee grounds into the pot and adds nearly boiling water. The plunger is put in place but not pushed until the coffee has steeped a few minutes. After steeping, the plunger is pushed and the coffee is ready.

There is no hot surface to maintain coffee temperature so the coffee must be served immediately or placed into a thermal carafe of some sort.

Percolator Coffee Maker

Percolator coffee makers are available in stove top styles and in electric styles. Most modern ones are both electric and can be programmed. Some models make only one cup of coffee, others can make 12 cups at a time. The large coffee urns used by many organizations work on the percolation principle but brew more than 100 cups of coffee at a time.

Percolator coffee makers are not used as often as they used to be. These machines continuously run the water over the grounds and the water is boiled. Many coffee lovers claim that both actions violate the laws of making good coffee.

Coffee made via percolator tends to be stronger and often bitter tasting than coffee made with other brewing methods.

Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker

Stovetop espresso coffee makers are simple to use and can be made anywhere there is heat, whether on a stove or over a campfire. Water is put inside the bottom boiler. The funnel filter is then placed in the boiler and filled with coffee. The top is screwed on lightly and the unit is placed over the heat source.

Once the top of the boiler is filled with brewed coffee, the coffee maker is removed from the heat source and the coffee is served.

Vacuum Coffee Maker

Vacuum coffee makers look more like chemistry lab equipment than coffee machines. This type consists of two overlapped containers that are connected by a syphon tube. There is a filter in the bottom of the upper container.

The user places water in the lower container and coffee grounds in the upper container. The machine is then put on top of the stove where the heated water vaporizes and passes through the syphon tube into the upper container.

A brewing cycle lasts approximately three minutes. When the unit is removed from heat, the vapor turns back to water and is forced through the filter and back into the lower container. Farberware created the first automatic vacuum coffee maker model while Sunbeam made the first truly automatic modern one.

There are few companies making vacuum coffee makers these days. Antique stores and auction sites such as eBay carry the traditional Silex and Sunbeam machines.

Coffee lovers can choose from a wide variety of coffee makers. From inexpensive stove top coffee pots to high end super automated coffee makers, there’s a coffee maker for every preference as well as every budget.