Cranberry-Honey Spice Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup(s) sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup(s) cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
1/2 cup(s) honey
2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom, or allspice
2 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) whole-wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom, or allspice
1/3 cup(s) canola oil
3 1/2 tablespoon(s) butter, melted and cooled
1 cup(s) sugar
1/3 cup(s) honey
2 eggs
3 tablespoon(s) low-fat milk, plus more as needed
2 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon(s) almond extract

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Directions

1. To prepare filling: Combine dried and fresh cranberries, honey, orange zest, cinnamon and cardamom (or allspice) in a medium nonreactive saucepan (see Note) over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring, until the fresh cranberries burst and soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and puree. If the mixture seems dry, stir in up to 2 teaspoons water. Transfer the mixture to a nonreactive container and refrigerate while preparing the dough.

2. To prepare dough: Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom (or allspice) in a large bowl. In another large bowl, combine oil, butter, sugar, honey, eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat the wet ingredients with an electric mixer first on low speed, then on medium speed, until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, stir in up to 1 tablespoon more milk. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 to 45 minutes to reduce its stickiness.

3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch-long log. Working with one log at a time, center it on a 16-inch-long sheet of baking parchment or wax paper. Cover with a second sheet. Press and then roll into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle of even thickness, inverting the dough occasionally to roll out any wrinkles and patching it to make the sides as even as possible. Transfer the dough, in the paper, to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining log of dough and transfer to the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is slightly firm, about 15 minutes.

4. To prepare pinwheel rolls: Place one sheet of dough on a work surface. Peel off the top sheet of paper. Spread half the reserved filling evenly over the dough (it will be a thin layer). Working from a 15-inch-long side, tightly roll up the dough jelly-roll style, leaving the bottom sheet of paper behind. While rolling, slightly stretch out the center to yield an evenly thick roll. Wrap the roll in a clean sheet of wax paper, twisting the ends to prevent unrolling (see Tip). Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough and place on the baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 3 to 4 hours.

5. To bake cookies: Position racks in the upper third and center of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one pinwheel roll at a time, trim the uneven ends. Cut the roll crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices using a large serrated knife; periodically turning the roll to maintain a relatively round cookie shape. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to middle halfway through baking. Immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cut and bake the remaining pinwheel roll.

Sweet apple and potato soup for your holiday

Ingredients

1 3/4 pound(s) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
6 cup(s) vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
1 dash(es) apple cider
1 teaspoon(s) green Tabasco sauce
finely diced Granny Smith apple and minced parsle, for garnish

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the parsnip, garlic, olive oil and salt. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a blender, puree half of the vegetables with 3 cups of the stock; transfer to a large saucepan. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and stock. Add the apple cider and Tabasco and heat through. Season with salt. Serve with the diced apple and minced parsley.

How to Trim the Fat From Your Grocery Bill

1. Buy in bulk. It might make you feel like a seventies throwback, but buying grains, cereals, dried beans, nuts, and seeds in bulk can save you a whole lot of cash. Plus, it cuts down drastically on the amount of packaging you need to schlep home and eventually recycle.

Of course, proper storage is a must. Keep grains, nuts, and other dry goods fresh in airtight jars. This will keep pests out and will help prevent the food from becoming rancid. Foods rich in oil, like nuts, are better off stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight bag. If you can’t consume the nuts yourself, try making maple-spiced nuts as hostess gift to bring to holiday parties. Food co-ops and natural-food stores usually have a pretty good bulk selection, and you can also buy online.

My favorite new discovery is olive oil in a cask. Light, oxygen, and heat can break down oil and make it go rancid, but this packaging keeps the air (or at least most of it) out. Instead of buying eight 500-milliliter bottles of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for about $20-$25 a bottle (a total of up to $200), check out the Yellingbo 4-liter cask for $60. I know that sounds like a lot of dough to spend all at once, but if you use a lot of olive oil at home, it can be a huge cost-saver. Plus, instead of cleaning out and recycling all those bottles, you can just fold up the box, which is already made from recycled cardboard.

2. Clear out your freezer. Get rid of extraneous ice cube trays and finish up that gallon of rocky road. Look for bargain buys, and if you find a great deal on chicken breasts, for example, buy a bunch (make sure they haven’t passed the sell-by date) and either freeze in the original packaging or rewrap and seal using something like Reynolds Handi-Vac. Use a black marker to write the date you packaged them up and make sure to use them within two months.

3. Go whole. Yes, buying a whole head of broccoli or cauliflower is cheaper than buying the florets. And by the same token, you’re better off going for a whole chicken than skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Right now at Fresh Direct, the price of breasts is $10.99/pound, while a whole chicken is only $1.69/pound. You’ll probably need to buy at least a 7-pound chicken, but the savings are amazing and you’ll get more meals out of that one chicken.

Here’s how to get the most out of your chicken:

Day 1: Just rub a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on it (and push some fresh rosemary under the skin if you want to be fancy) and roast it for 70 minutes at 375º. Enjoy the chicken with some roasted red potatoes. When you’re done, pull the rest of the chicken meat off and store it in an airtight container. Don’t throw the carcass away! Wrap it in foil or put it in an airtight container.

Day 2: Take the chicken and either make chicken quesadillas or burritos with it, or dice it up with celery and grapes and mix with a little light mayo for chicken salad.

Day 3: Place that carcass in a large stockpot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Turn down the heat to a simmer, and skim again if necessary. Add a quartered onion, sliced parsnips, chopped celery, sliced carrots, parsley, and a few whole cloves of garlic, and simmer for about an hour and a half. Since the skin and most of the fat are gone, you can just serve the soup hot, or strain and chill. Make sure to add salt and pepper to taste. And, as an added bonus, water-based foods—like soup—can help you lose a few extra pounds.

KFC secret recipe

By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 9, 6:36 AM ET



LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pssst. The secret's out at KFC. Well, sort of. Colonel Harland Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was to be removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC's corporate offices for the first time in decades. The temporary relocation is allowing KFC to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country's most famous corporate secrets.

The brand's top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.

"I don't want to be the president who loses the recipe," KFC President Roger Eaton said. "Imagine how terrifying that would be."

So important is the 68-year-old concoction that coats the chain's Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their name or title, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.

Louisville-based KFC, part of the fast-food company Yum Brands Inc., hired off-duty police officers and private security guards to whisk the document away to an undisclosed location in an armored car. The recipe will be slid into a briefcase and handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl for the ride.

"There's no way anybody could get this recipe," said Dietl, a former New York City police detective. His security firm is also handling the security improvements for the recipe at headquarters, but he wouldn't say what changes they're making.

For more than 20 years, the recipe has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks in company headquarters. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet.

Vials of the herbs and spices are also stored in the secret filing cabinet.

"The smell is overwhelming when you open it," said one of two keepers of the recipe in an interview at company headquarters.

The biggest prize, though, is a single sheet of notebook paper, yellowed by age, that lays out the entire formula — including exact amounts for each ingredient — written in pencil and signed by Sanders.

Others have tried to replicate the recipe, and occasionally someone claims to have found a copy of Sanders' creation. The executive said none have come close, adding the actual recipe would include some surprises.

Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in the early 1950s.

Sanders died in 1980, but his likeness is still central to KFC's marketing.

"The recipe to him, in later years, was everything he stood for," said Shirley Topmiller, his personal secretary for about 12 years.

Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said the recipe's value is "almost an immeasurable thing. It's part of that important brand image that helps differentiate the KFC product."

KFC had a total of 14,892 locations worldwide at the end of 2007. The chain has had strong sales overseas, especially in its fast-growing China market, but has struggled in the U.S. amid a more health-conscious public. KFC posted U.S. sales of $5.3 billion at company-owned and franchised stores in 2007.

source : Yahoo

Blue plate specials - Book

Five menus are presented that are built around updated versions of these comfort foods: meat loaf, spaghetti, fish cakes, clam chowder and beef stew.

The recipes include turkey meat loaf with sun-dried tomatoes, and beef stew with shiitake mushrooms and baby vegetables.

author: Kidd, Kristine, Kaplan, Karen
Publisher: Conde Nast Publications, Inc.Publication
Name: Bon Appetit
Subject: Food/cooking/nutrition
ISSN: 0006-6990
Year: 1996

Recipes and menus, Meat, Cover Story, Cookery (Pasta), Pasta products, Fish (Food product), Cookery (Meat), Cookery, American, American cooking, Cookery (Fish), Stews, Clams, Cookery (Clams)

Diet food recipes

The Atkins Diet started a revolution in the way that people looked at carbohydrates and the way that they went on diets. There are many diets in the world that advocate having a slim body but very few people have been able to achieve the weight that they wanted. With the Atkins Diet this changed and people who were on this program soon noticed a change in their body shape. To make sure that no bad foods were allowed to creep into the diet there was also an Atkins diet food List that you could see.

From this Atkins diet food List you can see that certain foods are forbidden for you to eat during the first stage of the Atkins Diet. During this stage you will re-educate your body to burn the existing stores of fat and lose weight. While this may sound as if you have nothing to eat there are interesting foods that are allowed.

From the Atkins diet food List youll find that in stage 1 you can eat meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. While the diet says that there is an unlimited amount of these which you can eat, it may be a good idea to eat only moderate servings of these foods. You should however stay away from processed meats as they could contain sugars.

Cheese types surprisingly, are allowed on the Atkins Diet food list. There are certain cheeses that you can eat while you are on this diet. These are full-fat, firm, soft and semi-soft cheese. The Atkins diet food List also includes aged cheeses as well as cheddars, and cow, sheep or goats cheese.

You will also find Gouda, Mozzarella, Swiss and Roquefort cheeses on the Atkins Diet food list. In addition other cheese varieties like the Blue cheese types can be consumed and can be found on the Atkins Diet food list.

With this food list handy as you progress through your diet, youll find that youll also be learning new and inventive ways to cook these foods as well. Whereas earlier you might have found that your staple foods and main dishes consisted of mainly high carbohydrate foods, with the help of the Atkins Diet food lists, you can be sure to eliminate these from your meals.

And even if you fall off the wagon while youre on your diet, you can just jump right back on, and your Atkins Diet food lists can help you to regain your lost footing. So you caved and went to the nearest Italian restaurant you could find and filled up on your favorite authentic pasta dish.

Chicken; What we can eat?

This is recipe with chicken...

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Chicken Salad Recipes Thai Glazed Chicken Lettuce Wraps Chicken Salad Grilled Chicken Caesar Tomatoes stuffed with Chicken Salad Classic Cobb Salad Pasta Salad with Arugula Pesto, Grilled Chicken Breasts, and Feta Chicken Kebab Salad Curried Chicken Salad Chinese Chicken Salad Strawberry Toasted Pecan Chicken Salad

Chicken Soup Recipes The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Chili Gumbo Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup Quick Chick and Noodle Soup Chicken Stew with Biscuits Emeril's Favorite Tortilla Soup Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken and Rice Soup

Quick and Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes Parmesan Chicken Roman-style Chicken Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables Chipotle Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice Teriyaki Chicken Thighs Spicy Orange Chicken Lo Mein Green Coconut Shrimp and Chicken Curry Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken, Asian-Style Sweet & Sour Chicken with Brown Rice Sesame Noodles with Chicken Chop Suey

Healthy Chicken Recipes Oven Fried Chicken Tandoori Chicken with Tomato-Cucumber Raita Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce Dijon-Baked Chicken with Rice and Broccoli Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce Fennel & Chicken Flatbread Roasted Chicken Tenders with Peppers & Onions

Roast Chicken and Grilled Chicken Recipes Lemon And Herb Roasted Chicken With Baby Potatoes Perfect Roast Chicken The Deen Brothers' BBQ Chicken Drunken Chicken The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken Beer Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce Grilled Chicken Paillards on Arugula Salad with Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Breasts with Spicy Peach Glaze

Chicken Comfort Food Recipes Chicken Pot Pie Fried Chicken Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie Chicken and Dumplings Chicken Cordon Bleu Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken Crispy Chicken Fingers Chicken Kiev

Asian Chicken Recipes Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry Chipotle Cashew Chicken with Brown Rice Teriyaki Chicken Thighs Spicy Orange Chicken Lo Mein Green Coconut Shrimp and Chicken Curry Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken, Asian-Style Sweet & Sour Chicken with Brown Rice Sesame Noodles with Chicken Chop Suey

Italian Chicken Recipes Chicken Parmigiana Chicken Marsala Chicken Piccata Chicken Florentine Chicken Cacciatore Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina Chicken Marsala Chicken Saltimbocca Chicken Scaloppini

Mexican Chicken Recipes Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas Chicken Enchiladas Mexican Chicken Chili Suizas Bake Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas with Gooey Jack Cheese Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas Mexican Lasagna Chicken and Green Chile Chilaquiles Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

Slow-Cooker Chicken Recipes Slow-cooked Chicken Slow Cooker Jambalaya Slow-Cooker Chicken Gumbo Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs Jamaican Rice and Peas

Chicken Casserole Recipes Cowboy Chicken Casserole Chicken and Rice Casserole Chicken Divan Chicken Tetrazzini Chicken Boudine One Pot Chicken Dish over Cheesy Rice

Food culture and religion

Food is an important part of religious observance and spiritual ritual for many different faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The role of food in cultural practices and religious beliefs is complex and varies among individuals and communities. The following article is not all-encompassing. It is an introduction to a diverse and complex topic, and includes some of the ways in which various religious groups include food as a vital part of their faith.

Christianity
The various faiths of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The regulations governing food differ from one to the next, including some faiths that don’t advocate any restrictions. Selected facts include:
The ritual of the transubstantiation (changing) of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ is believed to occur at communion.
Roman Catholics fast for at least one hour prior to communion.
Fasting is sometimes considered to be ‘praying with the body’. It is believed to improve spiritual discipline - by overcoming the sensations of the physical world and focussing on prayer and spiritual growth. It may serve as a way to respect those people around the world who regularly face starvation or malnutrition.
Self-denial (of food) can help Christians to remember that having what you want is not always the path to happiness.
Variations of fasting or abstinence are observed by some Roman Catholics on such occasions as Lent or Good Friday; for example, some may strictly avoid meat at this time.
Most Protestants observe only Easter and Christmas as feast days, and don’t follow ritualised fasting.
Mormons avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages.
The majority of Seventh Day Adventists don’t eat meat or dairy products, and are likely to avoid many condiments including mustard. Those that do eat meat don’t eat pork.


Judaism
Judaism can be Liberal or Orthodox, based on the degree of adherence to the Jewish laws. ‘Kashrut’ refers to the laws pertaining to food in the Jewish religion. ‘Kosher’ means that a food is permitted or ‘clean’, while anything ‘unclean’ (such as pork and shellfish) is strictly forbidden. The Jewish ‘food laws’ originated more than 2,000 years ago and contribute to a formal code of behaviour that reinforces the identity of a Jewish community. Food forms an integral part of religion in life for a practising Jew. Other selected facts include:
Foods must be prepared in the right way in order to be kosher; for example, animals that provide meat must be slaughtered correctly.
The consumption of certain foods, including dairy products and fish, is subject to restrictions; for example, there are rules forbidding the mixing and consumption of dairy products with meats.
Ritualised fasting is also included in Judaism. Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - for example, is a Jewish fast that lasts from, approximately, dusk till dusk.
Jewish feast days include Rosh Hashanah and Passover.
The Passover commemorates the birth of the Jewish nation. The food eaten helps to tell the story of the Exodus; for example, bitter herbs recall the suffering of the Israelites under Egyptian rule.

Islam
In Islam the concept of ‘Halal’, meaning ‘lawful or permitted’, is applied to all areas of a person’s life including regulations surrounding food. Prohibited foods are called ‘Haram’. It is thought that the Creator turns a deaf ear to a Muslim who eats Haram foods. Other selected facts include:
The list of Haram foods includes pork, alcohol, foods that contain emulsifiers made from animal fats, frozen vegetables with sauce, particular margarines, and bread or bread products that contain dried yeast.
Gelatine can be made from pig and, since pork is Haram, products containing gelatine are forbidden.
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee are sometimes considered Haram.
Certain religious dates demand fasting from dawn till dusk.
Some Muslims choose to fast on Mondays or Thursdays or both.
The month of Ramadan requires mandatory fasting during sunlight hours, as do particular dates of religious significance, such as the ninth day of Zul Hijjah.

Hinduism
People who practice the Hindu religion don’t eat meat from animals. They also avoid foods that may have caused pain to animals during manufacture. ‘Karma’ is believed to be the spiritual load we accumulate or relieve ourselves of during our lifetime. Animals are believed to have spiritual awareness. If a Hindu consumes animal flesh, they accumulate the Karma of that act - which will need to be balanced through good actions and learning in this life or the next. Depending on the level of adherence to this belief, in many cases beef is forbidden, while pork is sometimes restricted or avoided. Selected facts include:
‘Food is God (Brahman)’ is a common Hindu saying. Food is thought to be an actual part of Brahman, rather than simply a Brahman symbol.
Foods contain energies such as sound waves that can be absorbed by the person who eats them - the Hindu religion takes literally the maxim ‘You are what you eat’.
According to the Hindu religion, violence or pain inflicted on another living thing rebounds on you (Karma).
In keeping with the aim to avoid violence or pain to any living thing, vegetarianism is advocated, but not compulsory.
Prohibited animal products tend to vary from one country or region to the next; for example, duck and crab may be forbidden in one geographical location, but not in another.
Foodstuffs such as alcohol, onions and garlic are thought to inhibit the Hindu’s quest for spiritual enlightenment by exciting the body and leading to acts which may have Karmic impact, and are therefore avoided or restricted.
While beef is forbidden, dairy products including milk, butter and yoghurt are considered to enhance spiritual purity.
Fasting depends on the person’s caste (or social standing) and the occasion; for example, rules regarding fasting depend on whether the day has religious or personal significance.

Buddhism
The dietary rules of Buddhism, which is more of a life philosophy than a religious doctrine, depend on which branch of Buddhism is practiced and in what country. Selected facts include:
In his lives on Earth, Buddha cycled through various animal forms before he took on the form of a human being - this is why most Buddhists are vegetarian.
Similarly to the Hindu concept of Karma, Buddhism proposes that violence or pain inflicted on others will rebound on you, further strengthening the need for a vegetarian lifestyle. Some Buddhists believe that the cause of human aggression is violence against animals.
Some Buddhists avoid meat and dairy products, while others only shun beef.
Religious dates vary from one region to the next. Mahayana Buddhism, for example, celebrates three festivals for the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, while Theravada Buddhists observe all three events on a single day.
Buddhist monks tend to fast in the afternoon.
Buddhist monks and nuns aren’t allowed to cultivate, store or cook their own food; instead, they must rely on ‘alms’, which are donations from believers. This sometimes includes meats, as monks and nuns aren’t allowed to ask for specific foods.
Traditionally, meat from bears, dogs, elephants, horses, hyenas, lions, panthers, snakes and tigers are strictly prohibited to Buddhist monks and nuns.

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