" FISH &SHELLFISH "

At one time, fresh fish was enjoyed only in limited areas—along the
seacoast and, to a lesser extent, around lakes and rivers. Today, thanks
to modern refrigeration and freezing technology, fish products are
enjoyed much more widely.
For the cook, the difficulties of understanding fish and shellfish
are, in some ways, the reverse of those for meat. With meat, we are
presented with only a few animals, but a bewildering array of cuts from
each. With fish, we see only a few cuts but hundreds of species, each
with its own characteristics and cooking requirements.
For this reason, it is especially important that students learn the
basic principles of structure, handling, and cooking so they can utilize
the many varieties of seafood in a systematic way.
Fish products are divided into two categories: fin fish, or fish with
fins and internal skeletons, and shellfish, or fish with external shells but
no internal bone structure. Because they have many differences, it is
helpful to look at them separately....

" POULTRY & GAME BIRDS "

The versatility, the popularity, and the relatively low cost of poultry
items make them ideal for all kinds of food service operations, from
elegant restaurants to cafeterias and fast-food restaurants. Also, chicken
and turkey are popular among diet-conscious people because they are
lower in fat and cholesterol than other meats.
Game birds, such as pheasant, are also increasing in popularity and
availability because they are now raised domestically by many
producers. Farm-raised game birds are similar, in many ways, to
chicken, so learning techniques for cooking and handling chicken
teaches you a great deal about handling these other birds as well.
Learning about poultry is, in some ways, easier than learning about
meats like beef and lamb. Because chickens, turkeys, and other poultry
are much smaller, they are not cut up in such detail.
However, poultry has its own cooking problems, so it is important
to observe both the similarities and the differences between meat and
poultry.

"UNDERSTANDING SIMPLE, COMPOUND, COMPLEX, & COMPOUND COMPLEX"

Simple
Definition: A sentence with only one independent clause (also known as a main clause).

The simple sentence is one of the four basic sentence structures. The other structures are the compound sentence, the complex sentence, and the compound-complex sentence.
Examples:
(1) "Children are all foreigners."
(2) "Mother died today."
(3) "Of course, no man is entirely in his right mind at any time."
(4) "Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead."
(5) "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismograph."






CompoundDefinition: A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses.

Compound sentences can be formed in three ways:
(1) using coordinating conjunctions;
(2) using the semicolon, either with or without conjunctive adverbs;
(3) on occasion, using the colon.
Examples: 
(1) "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.."
(2) "The drought had lasted now for ten million years, and the reign of the terrible lizards had long since ended."
(3) "A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."
(4) "Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one."
(5) "Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time."




ComplexDefinition: A sentence that contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

"[D]ependent clauses cannot be sentences on their own. They depend on an independent clause to support them. The independent clause in a complex sentence carries the main meaning, but either clause may come first. When the dependent clause comes first, it is always followed by a comma."
"Complex sentences can offer dramatic development, extending a metaphor, as Melville's Captain Ahab reminds us: 'The path to my fixed purpose is laid on iron rails, on which my soul is grooved to run.'"
Examples:
(1) "Although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it by being a slave himself."
(2) "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."
(3) "I think we ought to have as great a regard for religion as we can, so as to keep it out of as many things as possible."
(4) "Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others."
(5) "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything."



Compound Complex
Definition: A sentence with two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

The compound-complex sentence is one of the four basic sentence structures. The other structures are the simple sentence, the compound sentence, and the complex sentence.
Examples:
(1) "In America everybody is of the opinion that he has no social superiors, since all men are equal, but he does not admit that he has no social inferiors, for, from the time of Jefferson onward, the doctrine that all men are equal applies only upwards, not downwards."
(2) "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."
(3) "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
(4) "We operate under a jury system in this country, and as much as we complain about it, we have to admit that we know of no better system, except possibly flipping a coin."
(5) "For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle; and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged."

"IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH"

There are many ways to improve your English.Start your own English language blog. Even for people who don't have to write in English, writing can be a great way of properly learning the kind of vocabulary you need to describe your own life and interests, and of thinking about how to stop making grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is that they don't know what to write about. One traditional way to make sure you write every day in English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular topics include your language learning experience, your experience studying abroad, your local area, your language, or translations of your local news into English.

      Write a news diary. Another daily writing task that can work for people who would be bored by writing about their own routines in a diary is to write about the news that you read and listen to everyday. If you include your predictions for how you think the story will develop (e.g. "I think Hillary will become president"), this can give you a good reason to read old entries another time, at which time you can also correct and mistakes you have made and generally improve what you have written.Sign up for a regular English tip. Some websites offer a weekly or even daily short English lesson sent to your email account. If your mobile phone has an e-mail address, it is also possible to have the tips sent to your phone to read on the way to work or school. Please note, however, that such services are not usually graded very well to the levels of different students, and they should be used as a little added extra or revision in your English studies rather than as a replacement for something you or your teacher have chosen more carefully as what you need to learn.

       Listen to MP3s. Although buying music on the internet is becoming more popular in many countries, not so many people know that you can download speech radio such as audio books (an actor reading out a novel) and speech radio. Not only is this better practice for your English than listening to English music, from sources like Scientific American, BBC and Australia's ABC Radio it is also free. Listen to English music. Even listening to music while doing something else can help a little for things like getting used to the natural rhythm and tone of English speech, although the more time and attention you give to a song the more you will learn from listening to it again in the future.Read the lyrics to a song. Although just listening to a song in English can be a good way of really learning the words of the chorus in an easily memorable way, if you want to really get something out of listening to English music you will need to take some time to read the lyrics of the song with a dictionary. If the lyrics are not given in the CD booklet, you may be able to find them on the internet, but please note that some lyrics sites deliberately put a few errors into their lyrics for copyright reasons. Once you have read and understood the lyrics,  if you then listen and read at the same time, this can be a good way of understanding how sounds change in fast, natural, informal speech.

              Sing karaoke in English. The next stage after understanding and memorising a song is obviously to sing it. Although some words have their pronunciation changed completely to fit in with a song, most of the words have the same sounds and stressed syllables as in normal speech. Remembering which words rhyme at the end of each line can also be a good way of starting to learn English pronunciation.Write a film, music, hotel or book review. Another motivating and easy way to make yourself write in English is to write a review for a site such as Amazon or Internet Movie Database. Many non-native speakers write reviews on sites like this, and if you have some special understanding of the book, music or film due to your first language or knowing the artist personally, that would be very interesting for the English speakers who read and write reviews on the site.

          Only search in English. Switching your search engine to the English language version of msn, yahoo, Google etc. can not only be a good way of practising fast reading for specific information in English, but could also give you a wider choice of sites to choose from and give you an idea of what foreigners are writing about your country and area. Read a book you've already read or seen the movie of in your own language. Although most language learners under Advanced level would probably learn more from reading a graded reader or something from the internet than they would from reading an original book written for English speakers, for some people reading something like Harry Potter in the original can be a great motivator to improve their English. To make this easier for you and make sure that it motivates you rather than just making your tired, try reading a book that you already know the story of. This not only makes it easier to understand and guess vocabulary, but you are also more likely to remember the language in it. If you have not read the book before, reading a plot summary from the internet can also help in the same way.

            Read a translation into English. Another way of making sure books are easier to understand is to choose a book that was originally translated into English, preferably from your own language. Even if you haven't read the book in your own language, you will find the English is written in a slightly simplified way that is more similar to how your own language is written than a book originally written in English would be.Skip the first ten pages. If you have given up with a book in English or are reading it very slowly, try skimming through the first ten pages or skipping them completely. The start of most books tend to be mainly description and are therefore full of difficult vocabulary and don't have a clear story line yet to help you understand what is happening and to motivate you to turn the next page. If the book is still too difficult even after the introductionary part is finished, it is probably time to give that book up for now and try it again after you have read some easier things.

And others…..

FOLKLORE STORY "THE HUNTER"

By Allan Dumbong

A strange thing happened, right in the middle of Keningau District high in the mountains; an old hunter lived in his little house. He was very proud of his bamboo house and was never tired of admiring the whiteness of his pandan mats and the pretty bamboo walls, which in warm weather slid back to allow the fragrance of the trees and wild flowers to come in.
One day, he was standing looking at the mountain opposite his home, when he heard a rumbling noise in the room behind him. He turned around and in the corner he beheld an old jar which could not have seen the light of day for many years. How the jar got there the old hunter did not know, but he took it up and looked it over carefully, and when he found that it into his kitchen. "That was a piece of luck," said the old hunter, smiling to himself. "A good jar costs money and it is always well to have second one in case of need. My jar is nearly worn out now, and the water is already beginning to leak trough its bottom."
Then he took the old jar away, filled the new one with water and put it back its place. No sooner was the water filled in the jar, then a strange thing happened, and the old hunter who was standing near, though he must be dreaming. First the neck of the jar gradually changed its shape and became a head, and the mouth grew into a tail, while out of the body sprang four paws and within a few minutes, the old hunter found himself watching, not a jar, but a living creature which the people of Keningau called a mangas.
It jumped off the spot and bounded about the room like a monkey, running up the walls and over the ceiling, till the old hunter wasin an agony lest his pretty room be spoiled. He cried to a neighbor for help, and between them they managed to catch the mangas and shut it up safely in a huge wooden box. Then, quite exhausted, they sat down and decided about what they should do with this troublesome animal. At length they agreed that it should be sold, and asked a farmer who was passing by to send them a certain village medicine man called Ragangkabang. When Ragangkabang arrived, the old hunter told him that he had something which he wished to get rid off, and he lifted the lid off the huge wooden box where he had shut up the mangas.
But to his amazement, the mangas was not there! There was nothing but the jar he had found in the corner. It was certainly very strange, but the old hunter remembered what had taken place inside his kitchen and did not want have the jar in his house anymore. After a little bargaining about the price, Ragaangkabang went away carrying the jar with him.
Now Ragangkabang had not gone very far before he felt the jar was getting heavier and heavier. By the time he reached home he was so tired that he was thankful to put it down in the corner of his room and then forget all about it. In the middle of the night, however, he was awakened by a loud noise in the corner where the jar stood and raised himself up in bed to see what it was. But nothing was there except the jar, which seemed quite enough. He thought he must have been dreaming and fell asleep again, only to be aroused a second time by the same disturbance.
He jumped up and went to the corner and, by the light of the lamp that he always kept burning; he saw that the jar had become the mangas which was running around after its tail. After it grew weary of that, the mangas turned several somersaults on the balcony from pure gladness of heart. Ragangkabang was much troubled as to what to do with the creature, and it was almost morning before he opened his eyes, there was no mangas, only the old jar he had left in the corner the night before.
As soon as he had tidy his house, Ragangkabang set off to tell his story to a friend next door. The man listened quietly, and did not appear as surprised as Ragangkabang expected, for he recollected that as a child, his father had mentioned something about a wonder jar. "Go and travel with it and display it," said Ragangkabang's friend, "and you will become a rich man. But be careful first to seek the mangas's permission. It would be wise also to perform the "Modsurung" (Magical) ceremonies to prevent it from running away at the sight of the people."
"Sazaw!" (Dance!) Said Ragangkabang, and the mangas did its steps, moving first on one side and then on the other, till the people could not stand still any longer and began to dance, too. Gracefully the mangas led a look dance and without a pause into a spring-floor dance, and it seemed as if it might go on dancing forever. And very likely it would have, if Ragangkabang had not declared that the mangas had danced enough and the booth must be closed.
Day after the booth was so full it was hardly possible to enter it. What the neighbor foretold came to pass, and Ragangkabang the medicine man was rich man. Yet he did not feel happy. He was an honest man and thought some of wealth he owned belonged to the old hunter from whom he had bought the jar.
One morning, he put two hundred gold pieces into the jar and hanging it on his shoulder; he turned to the old hunter who had sold it to him. "I have no right to keep it any longer," he added when he had told his story, "so I Have brought it back to you and inside, you will find two hundred gold pieces I have put there as the price for hiring it."
The old hunter thanked Ragangkabang, saying that very few people would have been as honest. And the magic jar brought them good luck; everything went so well with them until their dying days

" MEATS & GAME"

Meat is muscle tissue. It is the flesh of domestic animals (cattle, hogs,
and lambs) and of wild game animals (such as deer). As a cook, chef, or
food service operator, you will spend more of your time and money on
meats than on any other food.
It is important, then, to understand meats thoroughly in order to
cook them well and profitably. Why are some meats tender and some
tough? How can you tell one cut from another when there are so many?
How do you determine the best way to cook each cut?
In order to answer questions like these, it is helpful to start at the
most basic level of composition and structure. We then proceed to
discuss grading and inspection, basic cuts, and appropriate cooking and
storage methods. 

"LIFE IS LIKE CUP OF COFFEE"

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guest coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups, procelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive and exquistite.
He told his guest, to help themselves to the coffee. After everyone had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:
"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive, and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. But you can consciously went for the best cups.. and then you began eyeing each other's cup to see who had the best one. Now consider this..Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position society are the cups.  They are just tools to hold and contain life and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Speak kindly. Care deeply. Love generously."

that's the video we watch in the class. yeah it's inspiring and motivate us that live is simply but we make our live complicated. we should speak kindly but our situation make us didn't speak kindly. and the most important things is care deeply and love generously. for me everything is important in our lives but care and love is important because without two of them we're nothing. we are alone and doesn't know anything in our lives. we can see that our parents, teacher, and friend are the example where we can find the care and love.
but sometimes, we forgot to live simply. enjoying our live because of our job, studying, money and position society. why do we need to live stress because of that?? we just need to enjoy our lives, and think positive.

How To Wash Your Hands

 

 

A proper hand washing routine is an essential measure for preventing cross-contamination and limiting the spread of bacteria that cause food poisoning. But what's the best way to wash your hands? It's not enough to simply splash some water on your hands and call them clean. To be safe, you really do need to take the time to do it right.

 

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 1 minute

Here's How:

1. Rinse your hands under the hottest running water you can stand — at least 100°F.
2. Soap up your hands — preferably using soap from a soap dispenser but bar soap is OK. The key is to generate a good lather. Use an anti-bacterial soap if possible.
3. Scrub for at least 30 seconds, making sure to soap up your wrist and lower arm areas.
4. Since you might be digging your fingers into ground meat or kneading dough, you should also clean under your fingernails. Keep a nail brush by your hand-washing sink, and use it.
5. Rinse thoroughly, again, for at least 30 seconds but longer if that's what it takes to fully rinse off the soap.
6. Use a clean paper towel to turn off the faucet. Throw that towel away and use a new paper towel for the next step.
7. Dry your hands using a clean paper towel — not a dishtowel or other cloth. Why? Dishtowels hang around the kitchen and get wiped on everything, making them the ideal vehicle for spreading bacteria from one kitchen tool or surface to another — or onto your freshly washed hands.

Tips:

1. Wash your hands after using the restroom, before and after touching raw food, after sneezing or coughing, after taking out the trash or using any type of cleaning product — or in a word, frequently.
2. Don't use another body part, such as your upper arm or elbow, to shut off the faucet. You'll just contaminate your elbow that way. Use a clean paper towel, and throw it away afterward.
3. Avoid, if possible, those hot-air hand dryers. They can sometimes harbor bacteria, which are then blown onto your nice clean hands. Not good.
4. Don't go around with wet hands, either. Wet hands are more easily contaminated than dry ones.

What You Need:

• Hot running water.
• Soap, preferably from a soap dispenser, and the anti-bacterial type if possible.
• Nail brush (or a toothbrush) for cleaning fingernails.
• Clean paper towels.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/safetysanitation/ht/handwashing.htm

The Anatomy of a Chef's Knife

Chef's Knife 

 

 

 

 

The chef's knife is probably a cook's most important tool. And given the amount of time it spends in your hand, it's definitely worth making sure you have a good one.

A lot of people suggest purchasing "the best knife you can afford." But that's not much help unless you know what makes one knife better than another. Otherwise, you're just buying the most expensive knife you can afford.

The best knives are forged from a single piece of steel that runs the entire length of the knife. Read on for a quick tutorial on the various parts of a chef's knife, what they do and why they're important.

 

 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/knivescutlery/ss/anat-knife.htm

Cooking Classes for Kids

 

Culinary Classes For Kids

The popularity of the culinary arts isn't just confined to grown-ups. These days, more kids than ever are discovering an interest in food and cooking. If you're looking for reputable organizations that offer culinary classes for kids, here are a couple of great resources:

Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI)

Launched in 2006, the Junior Leagues' Kids In The Kitchen initiative offers cooking lessons and demonstrations featuring local chefs and nutritionists in more than 250 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The group operates a website featuring recipes, nutrition and fitness tips, as well as an online nutrition game. Visit the Kids In The Kitchen website for information on dates and classes near you: AJLI Kids In The Kitchen Program

American Culinary Federation (ACF)

With more than 230 chapters and 20,000 members across the United States, the American Culinary Federation is the largest professional chefs' organization in North America. And through its Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989, various local chapters offer hands-on cooking classes for kids taught by professional chefs and cooks. Visit the ACF website to locate the nearest local chapter to you, then contact the chapter directly to find out about Chef & Child events near you: American Culinary Federation Local Chapter Listings http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryschools/qt/childchefs.htm

5 Tips for Choosing a Culinary School >->

 

Find the Culinary School That's Right for You

If you're interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts, at some point you'll no doubt be faced with the decision of whether or not to go to culinary school. A lot of old-school chefs will claim that real-life restaurant experience is more valuable than anything you can learn in a classroom. And industry experience is important. But with so many of today's most successful chefs holding culinary degrees, a pattern of success begins to emerge. The bottom line is, more and more of the top chefs in the top kitchens are culinary school graduates — and they're the ones doing the hiring! So there's a good chance they'll be looking at that "education" line on your resume to see if you've got a culinary arts degree. Once you've decided that culinary school is the right choice for you, the question becomes which culinary school? Here are five things to look for when choosing a culinary school:

1. ACF Accreditation

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is the top professional chefs' organization in North America and is the organization responsible for regulatory oversight of culinary schools. Schools seeking ACF accreditation must undergo a thorough evaluation of their curriculum, facilities, student-teacher ratios, certification of instructors and more. ACF accreditation is like a seal of approval from the culinary industry, so you can be confident that an ACF-accredited culinary arts program is going to adhere to a uniform standard of instruction and provide a top-quality culinary arts education.

2. Cost

While you're working toward your dream of success in the culinary industry, the reality is that entry-level foodservice jobs aren't exactly high-paying. And since it's not uncommon for some culinary schools to charge $40,000 or more, that often means incurring a large amount of student-loan debt. Fortunately, many local community colleges offer ACF-accredited culinary programs at prices that are incredibly affordable. For instance, the culinary program at any of the community colleges in California will cost state residents around $1,300. When you consider that ACF accrediting ensures a standard level of quality (not to mention the fact that many programs that charge upwards of $40,000 have no accreditation whatsoever), an excellent culinary education does not need to be an expensive one.

3. Age of School

The popularity of cooking reality shows such as "Top Chef" has led to increased interest in culinary schools. To meet this increased demand, more privately operated culinary schools come into existence. But newer schools aren't necessarily better. For one thing, ACF accreditation doesn't come overnight. It takes a consistent track record of excellence to receive the ACF's seal of approval, and many newer schools just aren't there yet. Something else to remember is that the longer a school has existed, the broader its network of alumni will be. And that translates into jobs. If a school has been around for 50 years or more, chances are that hundreds of its graduates are working in kitchens throughout the area and beyond — many of whom may be the executive chefs or sous chefs who do the hiring.

4. Modern Facilities

The flip side of the age of the school is the state of its facilities. Community colleges may have been around longer, but their budgets may also be relatively small. That makes it tougher for them to purchase new equipment or outfit modern classrooms and kitchens. On the other hand, the newer schools with the higher tuitions often boast newly constructed, state-of-the art facilities. Then again, not every restaurant out there is going to have state-of-the-art facilities, so taking classes in the comfort of a shiny new high-tech kitchen may not adequately prepare students for the gritty realities of the culinary industry.

5. Hands-On Instruction

A good culinary program should have some sort of student-operated restaurant that allows them to get a sense of real-world restaurant service — and in fact, most of them do. The question is, how realistic is the experience it offers? If students are only serving 20 or 30 guests per day, it's probably not enough to approximate the pressures and demands of a real restaurant. At the other end of the spectrum, culinary arts students at Los Angeles Trade-Tech College serve more than 800 guests daily in three separate dining facilities. Of course, there's no substitute for real restaurant experience. Some programs encourage or even require some sort of internship or "externship" whereby students earn course credit through work in a local restaurant.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryschools/a/5culischooltips.htm

Blueberry Muffins Recipe

 

The key to making great muffins is not overmixing the batter. Once the liquid ingredients are added to the dry, mix the batter by hand just until the flour is moistened, for no more than about ten seconds. Too much mixing can cause the muffins to be dry, tough or misshapen. And if you want to spruce your muffins up a little bit, here's a recipe for a simple streusel topping you can mix up in just a few seconds.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and carefully drained
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or 2¼ cups pastry flour, sifted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg (or 2 medium)
• 4 oz butter (½ stick) or shortening

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Unwrap the butter and heat it in the microwave, in a microwave-safe bowl, for about a minute, until it's thoroughly melted. Set it aside at room temperature to cool, but don't let it solidify again.
4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then add the sugar, milk and vanilla to the eggs.
5. Thoroughly grease and flour a muffin pan (or use paper muffin liners).
6. Pour a tiny bit of the melted butter into the egg-vanilla-milk mixture and stir it in. Repeat 3-4 more times, adding a slightly larger amount of the liquid butter each time until it is all incorporated. IMPORTANT: Don't add hot melted butter to the egg mixture as the heat from the butter would cook the egg, and that's not what you want to do!
7. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix no more than ten seconds. The batter should be visibly lumpy, and you may see pockets of dry flour. That's OK! It's extremely important not to overmix the batter, or the resulting muffins will be too hard.
8. Fold the blueberries into the batter, then gently pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake immediately. TIP: The dry and wet ingredients, respectively, can be mixed in advance, but as soon as the wet and dry ingredients have been combined with each other, the liquid will activate the baking powder and the batter must be baked right away.
9. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/blueberrymuf.htm

French Toast Recipe . . .

 

French toast is traditionally made from day-old bread, and it's actually better made with stale bread than with fresh, because stale bread will absorb more of the custard mixture than fresh bread will. But if all you have is fresh bread, try toasting it very slightly beforehand. This basic French toast recipe can be modified and enhanced by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest -- even rum or brandy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tsp sugar
• 8 slices regular white bread
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°F.
2. Beat eggs thoroughly. Whisk in sugar, half and half and vanilla.
3. Pour the custard mixture into a shallow glass dish. An inch deep should be fine.
4. Heat your griddle to medium-low, and melt the butter on it.
5. Soak a couple of slices of bread (but only as many your griddle can accomodate at once) in the custard while you count to ten. Flip them over and repeat.
6. Carefully remove the soaked slices from the custard, letting the excess liquid drain into the dish, and transfer the bread to the griddle. Flip when the bottoms are golden brown. When the other sides are also golden brown, remove from the griddle.
7. Serve French toast right away, or transfer it to a dish in the oven to keep warm.

Serves 4 people.

 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/griddledspecialties/r/frenchtoast.htm

Home Fries Recipe

 

Home-fried potatoes, or "home fries," may be thought of as a breakfast accompaniment, but it's the potatoes that really make a great breakfast. This recipe for home fries features red potatoes, onions, and red and green bell peppers.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large red potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Kosher salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat.
2. Melt the butter, then add the onion and garlic and sauté until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes;
3. Add the diced red and green peppers and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but still firm.
5. Season to taste with paprika and Kosher salt.

Makes about 4 generous portions of home fries.

 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/potatoes/r/homefries.htm

Irregular Verbs

In contrast to regular verbs, irregular verbs are those verbs that fall outside the standard patterns of conjugation in the languages in which they occur. The idea of an irregular verb is important in second language acquisition, where the verb paradigms of a foreign language are learned systematically, and exceptions listed and carefully noted. Thus for example a school French textbook may have a section at the back listing the French irregular verbs in tables. Irregular verbs are often the most commonly used verbs in the language.
In linguistic analysis, the concept of an irregular verb is most likely to be used in psycholinguistics, and in first-language acquisition studies, where the aim is to establish how the human brain processes its native language. One debate among 20th-century linguists revolved around the question of whether small children learn all verb forms as separate pieces of vocabulary or whether they deduce forms by the application of rules. Since a child can hear a verb for the first time and immediately reuse it correctly in a different tense which he or she has never heard, it is clear that the brain does work with rules, but irregular verbs must be processed differently.
Historical linguists rarely use the category irregular verb. Since most irregularities can be explained historically, these verbs are only irregular when viewed synchronically, not when seen in their historical context.
When languages are being compared informally, one of the few quantitative statistics which are sometimes cited is the number of irregular verbs. These counts are not particularly accurate for a wide variety of reasons, and academic linguists are reluctant to cite them. But it does seem that some languages have a greater tolerance for paradigm irregularity than others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregular_verb

http://www.google.com.my/imglanding?q=irregular+verbs&hl=en&sa=X&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=SN1Bfi7LkIS27M:&imgrefurl=http://hectorcarpio.com/regular-verbs-list&imgurl=http://cdn1.grupos.emagister.com/documento/irregular_verbs_alphabetical_list_57681_t0.jpg&w=386&h=500&ei=g0yuTaXrEMm8rAfbuIiJCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&oei=g0yuTaXrEMm8rAfbuIiJCg&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=112&start=0&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&biw=1259&bih=813

Quiz: Food Safety and Sanitation

Test Your Knowledge of Food Safety and Sanitation HERE ! ! !

http://culinaryarts.about.com/library/quizzes/foodsafety/blquiz.htm

Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Pasta Carbonara Recipe 

Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the most popular Italian pasta dishes. This version combines cream, eggs, cheese and bacon. The traditional Italian version omits the cream, but most people in the states are accustomed to having a bit of cream in their carbonara, so we're happy to oblige.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 4 eggs
• ½ lb bacon, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese (parmesan may be substituted)

Preparation:

1. Fill a large soup pot with cold water and add a handful or so of Kosher salt. Stir and taste; it should taste like seawater. Cover the pot and heat the water until it boils.
2. Add the diced bacon to a cold sauté pan and cook slowly over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions, about 6 to 9 minutes or until al dente, or tender but still firm to the bite.
4. While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs, cheese, cream and olive oil in a bowl and beat with a whisk until completely mixed.
5. Drain pasta, toss with the egg and cream mixture, then add the cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Serve right away, with additional grated cheese if desired.

Serves 4

 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/pastanoodles/r/carbonara.htm

 

Basic Omelet Recipe >>>>>

 

Basic Omelet Recipe

Many people are intimidated by omelets, but if you can make scrambled eggs, you can make an omelet. Omelets should always be cooked in a nonstick sauté pan. An 8" omelet pan is the best choice, but any nonstick pan will do as long as it's round and between 6 inches and 10 inches in diameter. Also, you should always use a heat-resistant rubber spatula.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. whole milk
• 2 Tbsp clarified butter or whole butter
• Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Add the milk to the eggs and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here. If you're not up for that, you can use an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whatever device you use, you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.
4. When the butter in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.
5. With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left.
6. Your eggs should now resemble a bright yellow pancake, which should easily slide around on the nonstick surface. If it sticks at all, loosen it with your spatula.
7. Now gently flip the egg pancake over, using your spatula to ease it over if necessary. Cook for another few seconds, or until there is no uncooked egg left.
8. If you're adding any other ingredients, now's the time to do it. (See note.) Spoon your filling across the center of the egg in straight line.
9. With your spatula, lift one edge of the egg and fold it across and over, so that the edges line up. Cook for another minute or so, but don't overcook or allow the egg to turn brown. If necessary, you can flip the entire omelet over to cook the top for 30 seconds or so. Just don't let it get brown.
10. Gently transfer the finished omelet to a plate. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs if desired.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/eggsdairy/r/omelet.htm

How To Roast A Chicken ? ? ? ?

 

Roasted Chicken Recipe

Roasted chicken is one of the tastiest, most satisfying dishes you can make. This simple tutorial will show you how to roast a chicken. NOTE: This roasted chicken tutorial also includes the procedure for making gravy, starting with Step 9. If you're interested, here's more on how to make gravy.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 1½ hours

Here's How:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Remove the neck and giblets (heart, gizzard, liver) from the chicken's body cavity and pat the bird dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
3. Smear the outside and inside of the chicken with butter, then season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — both inside and out.
4. Truss the chicken securely with cooking twine. This step is optional, but it will help your roasted chicken cook more evenly.
5. Roughly chop about half an onion and a single celery stalk and a single medium carrot. Scatter these chopped veggies (known as mirepoix) at the bottom of a roasting pan.
6. Set a roasting rack over the chopped veggies and place the chicken (breast-side-up) onto the rack.
7. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and roast the chicken for an hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (depending on size) or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165°F. Don't poke too many holes with the thermometer, though — you don't want the juices to leak out.
8. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, carefully lift out the rack with the roasted chicken on it and transfer the bird to a clean cutting board. Let it rest there, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving. NOTE: The optional steps that follow are for making gravy.
9. Place the roasting pan over a medium heat on the stovetop to brown the mirepoix.
10. Drain off any excess chicken fat (which you can use for making the roux in the next step), pour about 2 cups of chicken stock or broth into the pan and simmer until reduced by about a third.
11. To thicken the gravy, add a small amount of roux, or combine 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold water to make a paste (called a slurry) and stir this into the stock.
12. Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for a minute or so or until the mixture thickens, then strain through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
13. Season the gravy to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.

Tips:

1. You can stuff the bird with fresh herbs or other aromatic items. Thyme, rosemary and marjoram are good choices, but any fresh herbs will do. A couple of lemons or oranges cut into wedges or some fennel fronds are also good for stuffing the chicken. But remember, these items aren't to be eaten. They're for adding flavor and aroma only. And of course, whatever you choose to stuff the chicken with, just be sure to do it before you truss the chicken!
2. For an even juicier roasted chicken, push lumps of butter under the skin before roasting it.
3. Add a few peeled cloves of garlic to the carrot-celery-onion mixture before roasting.
4. Don't worry about basting the chicken. You let the heat out of the oven every time you open the door, and that's not good. Also, drizzling hot liquid from the roasting pan over the chicken breast merely accelerates the cooking, thus drying out the meat more than if you just left it alone.
5. Instead of mirepoix, just lay a few slices of bread at the bottom of the roasting pan. As the chicken roasts, the drippings will soak into the bread and the bread itself will turn all toasty and delicious.

What You Need

• One whole chicken, about 4 to 5 lbs
• Roasting pan with rack
• Butter, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Carrots, celery and onion
• Chicken stock or broth
• Butter and flour for making a roux, or cornstarch for making a slurry
• Instant-read thermometer
• Mesh strainer with cheesecloth
• Optional: Garlic, fresh herbs and citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges
• Optional: About three feet of kitchen twine for trussing

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/chickenturkeymore/ht/How-To-Roast-A-Chicken.htm

How to Use A Chef's Knife ? ? ?

Proper Chef's Knife Grip

Proper Chef's Knife Grip

Proper Chef's Knife Grip

This tutorial will cover the correct way to hold a chef's knife, and how to grip the food with your other hand to avoid cutting yourself. You may want to review The Anatomy of a Chef's Knife before getting started.

This photo illustrates the proper chef's knife grip as seen from the inside or thumb-side of the cutting hand. The thumb grips the knife around the top of the blade, with the hand wrapped around the bolster of the knife.

While beginners find that this takes some getting used to, it definitely provides extra control over the blade.

Proper Chef's Knife Grip

Proper Chef's Knife Grip

Proper Chef's Knife Grip: Outer View

Here we see the same grip from the opposite side. Note how the index finger is wrapped fully around the blade. The index finger and thumb should be opposite each other on either side of the blade while the remaining three fingers are sort of loosely curled around the handle.

Note that you should be gripping the knife mainly with the thumb and forefinger. If you find that you're tightly clutching the entire handle of the knife, just relax and loosen up. With practice you'll get used to this grip, and soon any other grip will feel very unnatural.

 

Secure the Food With the Guiding Hand

Secure the Food With the Guiding Hand

Secure the Food With the Guiding Hand

Now that the your knife hand knows what to do, we need to make sure your other hand does, too. Your non-knife hand is called your "guiding hand," and its job is to hold the food to keep it from sliding around on the cutting board. This puts it in a uniquely dangerous position. With the knife blade flying up and down, you need to keep those fingertips tucked safely away, while still being able to firmly hold the food.

The grip shown here is called the "claw grip" and as you can see, by keeping the fingers curled inward and gripping the food with the fingernails, the fingers stay out of harm's way. The side of the knife blade actually rests against the first knuckle of the guiding hand, which helps keep the blade perpendicular to the cutting board.

Alternate Claw Grip

Alternate Claw Grip

Alternate Claw Grip

In this modified version of the claw grip, the first knuckle of the guiding hand rests flat on the food product, with the fingers again curled inward safely. And this time the knife rests against the second knuckle rather than the first.

Each of these claw grips is acceptable, so use whichever one you feel comfortable with.

 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/knifeskills/ss/knifegrips.htm