Todays Menu

LAdies fingers cooked in buttermilk and string bean poriyal


Take watered down buttermilk. Add salt, turmeric. Dump ladies fingers in. Let it cook.

Grind coconut, garlic , seerakam and green chillies. Dump them along with the ladies fingers.

Pour some thick buttermilk. Let it simmer and mix well

Shallow fry vendhiyam and mustard seeds in coconut oil. Add to mixture. Add some raw coconut oil.

That's it.

String bean poriyal

Shallow fry mustard seeds , ulutham paruppu and kadalai paruppu with a couple of red chillies. Add finely diced string beans. Add salt, maybe garam masala, Let the mixture shallow fry till beans are slightly crispy. Mince coconut, chillies and some paruppu podi. Add to mixture. Stir ocassionally. Remove as soon as beans are crispy to taste.

DURUM wheat - The pasta base

My pasta research continues ....


wheat

Wheat is the second most consumed cereal, next only to rice. Unlike other cereals wheat has more gluten, the protein that provides the elasticity necessary for excellent breadmaking.

The three major types are hard wheat, soft wheat and durum wheat.

Hard wheat is high in protein and gluten . So suitable for breads.

Soft wheat is low in protein and gluten . It is used for baked goods such as biscuits and cakes.

Durum wheat, is high in gluten, and is not good for baking. It is
most often ground into semolina ( coarse ground ). This forms an excellent base for pasta.



# posted by Lord : 12:01 PM
My very first Homemade Pasta

Pasta especially Italian ones are pretty expensive here. Half a Kg costs over Rs.130.

So tried my hand at home made pasta on this lazy sunday morning and it was delicious !

Here's how you do it.

You can make pasta from any flour. Atta ( Wheat flour), Maida ( Refined wheat flour) or just about any flour.

Make a mound of flour, make a well in centre, crack eggs ( or warm water and salt) into the centre and slowly mix them . When the dough is ready, keep covered with a bowl for half an hour, roll it into thin sheets and cut into desired shapes.

Let the water boil with a pinch of salt, drop the pasta into it. Fresh pasta coks in a minute. Drain it out and use it with your favorite sauce/veggies.

Here are some interesting shapes and fillings you can try..

Lasagne
Cut large squares. Half cook in boiling water, layer in a baking dish with a meat or vegetable sauce and white sauce, and bake to finish cooking.

Ravioli
Cut into long strips wide enough to be folded over . Place a little filling at regular intervals in a row along the top of the pasta strip; there must be enough space between them to fold the edges of the ravioli. Fold over the bottom strip, press down between each filling, then separate each raviolo by cutting with a pastry cutter. Press down on the edges with your fingers to close them well. Boil and remove with a skimmer, serve with butter or other sauce.

Tortelloni
Cut out disks with a glass or pastry shape. Place a little filling on one disk then place another on top and press down on the edges with your fingers to close them well. Boil and remove with a skimmer, serve with butter or other sauce.

Tortellini
Cut out 1 in. squares. Place a little filling in the middle of each and fold the pasta over diagonally to form triangles. Press down on the edges to stop the filling coming out during the cooking. Fold the two tips around the index finger and press them together with your thumb.

Tagliolini, tagliatelle, papardelle
Let the pasta dry a little. Roll it from the outside towards the middle to form two parrallel rolls. Cut the roll crosswise into strips whose thickness will determine whether they are tagliolini, tagliatelle or papardelle. Slip a long knife under the middle and lift up the strips so that they unravel. Lay them out to dry before cooking. This pasta absorbs the sauce wonderfully.

Maltagliati
Form a loose roll with the pasta sheet. With a sharp knife cut first diagonally and then horizontally, alternating. When you unravel the pasta it will form irregular rectangles. Often used for "pasta e faggioli" or with "minestrone".

Stuffings for Pasta
Stuffings for pasta can be either meat, vegetable, or fish-based, and can include a creamy cheese such as ricotta. Just make a kind of 'poriyal' fill up the pasta shape and boil the whole thing. Be creative. You can use just plain shredded vegetables or spiced up stuff or pure cheese or any other stuff you love. Go ahead and experiment !

# posted by Lord : 11:35 AM
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Grains Flours and Pasta
Grains are the seeds or fruit of cereal plants, used as food by humans and animals.

Each grain has the following

Germ - the embryo of the plant, rich in vitamins and minerals.
Endosperm - the starchy food which the germ needs to grow. Contains complex carbohydrates and some protein.
Bran - the tough outer coating which protects the grain until it sprouts. A good source of fibre.
Hull - an inedible protectove jacket covering some grains, such as rice, oats and barley.

Refined white flour is roller milled and sieved. This removes Bran and Germ. Has only Endosperm's stuff.

Whole grain has germ and bran, with their vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Stone-ground flour is slowly crushed between flat millstones, making a coarse flour. The low temperatures preserve nutrients and flavour.

Refined white flour has been roller milled and sieved to remove the bran and germ.

Bleached flour is treated with a bleaching agent ( benzoyul peroxide) and maturing agents (chlorine dioxide and acetone perioxide) to shorten production time. Oxidizing agents destroy vitamin E. Looks white and nice.

Fortified flour is refined flour with vitamins and minerals added to compensate for the loss of bran and germ.


Flour is made of finely ground grains, beans, or roots. Most western pastas are made from semolina flour milled from refined durum, the wheat highest in protein and gluten (Gluten is the high-protein element in flour that allows bread to rise. It contains two types of protein: gladins that make the dough stick together and glutenins that make the dough elastic. Kneading and stirring develop the gluten, allows the dough to capture carbon dioxide released by yeast, baking powder, or baking soda. High gluten flours make high, light loaves of bread. Low or non-gluten flour may be added to high gluten flours to vary the taste or texture of bread. Low-gluten flours also work well for making quick breads, where a tender crust is desirable.)

Flavored pastas are made with the addition of vegetable purees (often spinach, carrot, or tomato). The vegetable purees add colour and subtle taste.

Fresh pastas have not been dried. They are nutritionally equal to dried pasta but cook much more quickly.

Whole wheat pastas are made from whole wheat flour and have a chewy texture. They contain more fibre, vitamins, and minerals than white pastas.

Egg noodles are made with the addition of eggs and have a more delicate texture than other pastas. They contain more protein but are also higher in fat.

Wheat free pastas include brown rice, quinoa, and corn pastas. Because they do not contain gluten, they are delicate and must not be overcooked.


# posted by Lord : 7:55 PM
Pasta History

Pasta is bread. It is just unleavened bread cooked in boiling water. That's it. The bread can be fresh or dried, made from a variety of flours/starches/beans, with a variety of ingredients added to it.

Italy has elevated pasta to an art form, but pasta is native to various cuisines. The Chinese had it by the first century AD--and noodle shops were all the rage by the Sung dynasty (960-1280). Japan was making pasta squares, then switched to ribbon shapes in the 12th century Then, too, people in India and the Middle East were making them by 1200.

In the 18th century, entrepreneurs in Naples, Italy, began mass production by machine--and it virtually killed the fresh/home made pasta inductry.


1. ASIAN

Arrowroot vermicelli (made from arrowroot starch)--thinly cut ribbons
Cellophane noodles (made from mung bean starch)--ribbons cut in different widths, also known as "bean thread noodles)
Korean sweet potato vermicelli (made from sweet potato and mung bean starch
Rice noodles (made from rice flour)--cut into different sizes and shapes, including rice sticks and fine rice vermicelli (good for soup)--
Vietnamese Pho noodles (made from rice flour).
Japanese soba (made from buckwheat flour)--ribbon pasta, brownish-grey in color
Japanese soma (made from wheat flour)--thin pasta, like angel hair, and cream colored
Japanese udon (made from wheat flour)--cream colored pasta
Chinese wheat noodles--light yellow in color and cut into different thicknesses.

2. GERMAN

Spatzle--made from wheat flour, homemade soft noodles

3. ITALIAN (almost always made from durum semolina wheat flour)

Acini di peppe (peppercorns)--tiny balls
Agnoletti (priests' caps)--small stuffed crescents
Anellini--tiny pasta rings
Bavettine--narrow linguine
Bucatini--hollow strands
Cannaroni--wide tubes (also, zitoni)
Cannelloni (large reeds or pipes)--round stuffed tubes
Capelli d'Angelo (angel hair)--long, fine strands (also, capellini)
Capelveneri--very thin noodles
Cappelletti (little hats)--stuffed hats
Cavatappi--short, thin, spiral macaroni
Cavatelli--short, narrow, ripple-edge shells
Conchiglie (conch shells)--shells (also, maruzze)
Coralli--tiny tubes, generally used in soup
Ditali (thimbles)--small macaroni
Ditalini--smaller ditali
Elbow macaroni--small to medium tubes
Farfalle (butterflies)--little bows
Farfallini--smaller farfalle
Farfallone--bigger farfalle
Fedelini (little faithful ones)--very fine spaghetti
Fettucce (ribbons)--flat wide egg noodles, about 1/2-inch
Fettuccelle--flat narrow egg noodles, about 1/8-inch
Fettuccini--flat medium egg noodles, about 1/4-inch
Fideo--thin, coiled strands that unwind in cooking into vermicelli
Fusilli (little springs)--spiral-shaped noodles
Gemelli (twins)--short 1 and 1/2-inch twists
Gnocchi--small, ripple-edge shells
Lasagne--long, broad (2-3 inches) noodles, straight or ripple-edge
linguine (little tongues)--narrow, long ribbons
Lumache (snails)--large, stuffed shells
Macaroni--tubes
Maccheroni--all types, sizes, and shapes of macaroni
Mafalde--broad, fat, ripple-edge noodles
Magliette (links)--short, curved tubes
Manicotti (little muffs)--very large stuffed tubes
Margherite (daisies)--narrow flat noodles with one rippled side
Maruzze (seashells)--any size of shells, from tiny to jumbo
Mezzani--very short curved tubes
Mostacciioli (little moustaches)--2-inch tubes
Occhi di lapo (wolves' eyes)
Orecchiette (little ears)--tiny disk shapes
Orzo--rice-shaped grains
Pappardelle--wide noodles with rippled sides
Pastina (tiny dough)--little bits used in soups
Penne (pens or quills)--diagonally cut tubes, smooth or ridged sides
Perciatelli--thin, hollow pasta strands (like bucatini)
Pezzoccheri--thick, buckwheat noodles
Quadrettini--small flat squares
Radiatore (little radiators)--thick rippled boxes
Ravioli--stuffed squares
Rigatoni--big, ridged macaroni
Riso--rice-shaped grains (like orzo)
Rotelle (little wheels)--small, spoked wheels
Rotini--short spirals
Ruote de carro (cartwheels)--spoked wheels
Semi di melone (melon seeds)--tiny, flat seed shapes
Spaghetti--long, thin, round strands
Spaghettini--thin spaghetti
Stiraletti (little boots)
Stricchelli (bows or butterflies)
Tagliarini--long paperthin ribbons (also tagliolini)
Tagliatelle--long, thin, flat egg noodles, about 1/4-inch wide
Tortellini (little twists)--small stuffed bows
Tortelloni--big tortellini
Trenette--narrow, thick tagliatelle
Tripolini--small bow ties with round edges
Tubetti (little tubes)--tiny, hollow tubes
Vermicelli (little worms)--extra thin spaghetti
Ziti (bridegrooms)--slightly curved tubes, from 2-12 inches long


# posted by Lord : 7:41 PM
Today's Recipe

Take tamarind water. Add salt, vellam, Turmeric powder

Boil cut eggplant, raw shelled groundnuts

shallow fry coriander seeds, kadalai paruppu, ulutham paruppu, dried red chillies. Grind it. Add it to the boiling tamarind water. Keep stirring.

Grate coconuts, put them in a pan and stir to dry them, add to boiling mixture

Shallow fry Mustard seeds, curry leaves, ulutham paruppu in coconut oil . Add to the mixture.

Eggplant Rasavangi is ready !

Did it today morning and tastes delicious !!

Different methods of cooking :

Bake : Cook in an oven

Bake in a bag - also called baking 'en papillote', to place something( normally fish) in a sealed foil or paper bag with seasonings and a littlel iquid and baking it in the oven until cooked.

Baste - to spoon hot fat or stock from the roasting tray over whatever you're roasting to moisten it and to encourage caramelisation

Bat out - to bash a piece of meat with a wooden mallet or a metal meat baton even a saucepan to make it thinner, before cooking.

Blacken - to coat a piece of fish or meat in a mixture of seasonings and cook in a hot pan without oil so the surface burns and turns black giving a charred flavour.

Blanch - to immerse briefly in boiling water either to cook (for vegetables) or to remove fat or salt (for meat)

Boil - to cover with cold water, bring to a rolling boil and cook until tender.

Braise - to cook meat or veg slowly, in a pot with a little liquid and a lid on until tender, either in the oven or on the stove

Broil - To grill

Brown - to fry or roast something in fat until it caramelises on the outside

Caramelise - to get the sugar on the surface of something to turn into caramel by frying, roasting, grilling or even blow torching in the case of tarts, poached fruit, meringues or crème brulees.

Ceviche - thinly sliced fish marinated in lemon or lime juice to partially cook it before eating. A method of cooking without heat.

Char - to burn part or all of the surface of whatever you are cooking until it turns into carbon

Chargrill - to cook something on heavy iron bars above a charcoal or gash eat. The surface of the food touching the bars chars and gives a smoky barbecue flavour

Cook down - to cook an ingredient or mixture of ingredients in a pan with the lid off until it reduces in volume

Deep fry - to immerse in hot oil and cook until crisp

Emulsify - to combine fat or oil and other liquids to make a stable suspension, often using egg yolks (mayonaisse)

Fry - to cook by placing in hot shallow pan with a little fat. Whatever you are cooking should end up slightly crisp and caramelised.

Grill - to cook by placing under a hot electric or gas element

Infuse - to immerse aromatic things like lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods or bunches of herbs, in hot liquids so that the liquid will take on their flavours.

Marinate - to immerse meat or fish in a seasoned liquid (a marinade), possibly containing oil, lemon juice or vinegar, spices, herbs and sometimes wine to tenderise and flavour it before cooking.

Par boil - to cover ingredients (normally vegetables) with cold water, bring to the boil and drain, to part cook them, often before roasting.

Poach - to immerse in hot liquid and simmer gently until cooked and/or tender

Pot roast - to roast in a pot with the lid on or off, with a little liquid added to baste the roast, keeping it moist and helping it caramelise.

Puree - a very smooth vegetable mash usually passed through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Reduce - to boil a liquid in a saucepan without a lid so that it evaporates, reduces in volume and concentrates in flavour.

Refresh - to immerse in ice cold water after blanching to preserve colour( in vegetables), and stop the cooking process.

Render - to cook a piece of fat, or meat with fat around it by a frying, steaming, boiling or roasting so that the fat melts and can be either discarded or kept for cooking purposes.

Rest - to take a piece of meat out of the oven once it's finished cooking and keep it warm for 10 minutes or so before serving. The fibres of the meat which are tensed up by the heat of the oven relax and the meat becomes more tender.

Roast - to cook in the oven with fat to help whatever you're cooking caramelise and crisp.

Roux - a mixture of butter and flour fried together to thicken a sauce (like Bechamel), stew or soup.

Rub - mixture of herbs and spices which is rubbed on food before cooking to give it a tasty crust.

Sear - to fry in very little oil, briefly on a fierce heat.

Season - to flavour with salt and pepper before or after cooking.

Simmer - to boil very gently so only a few bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid .

Slowcook - to roast, simmer, braise or stew very gently for a long time.

Soak - to immerse dried things like beans, lentils, salt cod or mushrooms in water until they're ready to be cooked.

Steam - to place ingredients in a pot or basket with small holes in the bottom over a pan of boiling water so they cook in the steam.

Stew - to cook meat or veg slowly, covered with liquid, in a pot either in the oven or on the stove.

Sweat - to cook vegetables, gently, in a pot until they are soft and squashy without any colour. A lid and a cartouche help this process by keeping any steam generated inside the pot.

Tray bake - a method of cooking where the meat or fish and the accompanying vegetables are all cooked in the one tray in the oven.


# posted by Lord : 8:48 AM
Creamy Rice !

A new recipe from the naked chef which teaches how to cook rice differently.

Principle :
Semi fry rice in oil and wine and keep adding stock in small quantities to slowly let the rice absorb it. Add cheese and butter and remove rice and keep it covered for a couple of minutes. This makes the rice creamy and oozy. Yummy !


Stage 1
Heat the stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil, add onions, garlic and celery, and fry slowly for about 4 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

Stage 2
The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add wine and keep stirring - it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.

Stage 3
Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch from the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice - is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully.

Stage 4
Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Stir gently. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture.

The Atkins Diet

A Low Carb, High fat Diet

Instead of blaming fat for the weight problem, Atkins claims fat consumption has actually declined the past few decades. He blames the increase in refined carbohydrate consumption

His diet, the Atkins Diet focusses on the consumption of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods and nutrient supplements. It restricts intake of processed/refined carbohydrates, like high-sugar foods, breads, pasta, cereal and starchy vegetables


Atkis claims it works because because people are generally less hungry and are less obsessed with food because

1. By cutting the carbs, you'll maintain a more even blood sugar level throughout the day. Stable blood sugar throughout the day ensures that you will have fewer food cravings or false hunger pains.
2. The food you eat (meat, fish, cheese, nuts, eggs, low sugar/starch vegetables and fruit, etc.) is less processed and more nutritious.
3. Many of the toxins you take into your body are stored in your fat cells. By getting your body to burn stored fat, you allow it to clean itself out

Atkins claims in absence of carbohydrates, the primary energy source, your body starts burning fat for energy


The Atkins diet is highly personalised and is not for everyone.A person who performs a lot of aerobic exercise and who doesn't have a weight problem has no reason to be on a low carb diet

Why store food ?
Research has shown that the average American household has less than a week’s supply of food on hand. This is also the case with the average American supermarket. An adequate food supply for your family is a major part of economic security, and could possibly be the key to survival. Most local relief organizations will take approximately three days (72 hours) to get back on their feet to be able to help you. A 72 hour kit is a big step in the right direction

Mistakes in Food storage
1. Not having a good supply of the spices you like to cook with.
2. Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and "store bought" canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast and powdered eggs.
3.Not storing Vitamins - Vitamins are important, especially for children. Becasul ( multi-vitamin tablets) and vitamin C ( Suc-cee tablets) are the most vital.
4. Not storing Psychological Foods. These are the `goodies' - Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - you should add to your storage
5. No Balance. Don't invest in a all wheat or all rice schedule. Variety is the key.
6.Not using proper containers - Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers.
7. Not using Your Storage - people store food and but don't know what to do with it.

Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintanence
"What's really angering about instructions of this sort is that they imply there's only one way to put this rotisserie together -- their way. And that presumption wipes out all the creativity. Actually, there are hundreds of ways to put the rotisserie together and when they make you follow just one way without showing you the overall problem, the instructions become hard to follow in such a way as not to make mistakes. You lose the feeling for the work. And not only that, it's very unlikely that they've told you the best way."

O'Reilly had quoted this paggage in his blog on the philosophy of open source movement. This fits in well with the cookbook I'd been contemplating.
Another phrase Pirsig uses is something close to my heart ". ..they make you follow just one way without showing you the overall problem, the instructions become hard to follow in such a way as not to make mistakes Stating the problem and letting the listner appreciate it as a problem leads to increased creativity.

Les say the problem is " How to make flour edible" and not how to make 'proper chappatis'. If the problem is restated this way, the following experiments may occur...

1. I might try adding just salt and pepper + water and try eating the dough raw
2. I might experiment with various liquiods for mixing diff kinds of oil, ghee, honey, cream, buttermilk etc etc.
3. I might try various baking methods.. or even try frying or microwaving.

Now all these would give rise to whole new classes of dishes. SUre, a majority of them will not be edible, but the process would sure be fun. And the jackpot is you might genuinely hit upon a combination which is lip smacking !

Basic Foods for Home Storage
(Per adult for one year. )



Grains
(wheat, rice, spaghetti)(180 kg) = Rs.3600
Legumes
(dry beans, peas, lentils)(30 kg) = Rs.1200
Powdered Milk 16 pounds (7 kg) = Rs. 420
Sugar (30 kg) = Rs.900
Cooking Oil (10 liters) = Rs.500
Salt (4 kg) =- Rs.50
Alcohol : 12 Full bottles

Water( For 2 weeks) (50 liters) Rs.30*27 =1200
total cost per adult per year = Rs. 7870= Rs. 20 a day

( It is impractical to store a year's supply of water. 50 litres per person is a suggested minimum reserve)

Storing and using water:
An adult needs 2 Litre per day per person for drinking, 2 Litres for other purposes.

water that tastes flat can be aerated by pouring the water back and forth between the container and a clear bottle

To increase the shelf life of water stored in translucent containers , group the containers together in dark plastic bags to keep out the light. Store the water supply away from gasoline, kerosene, pesticides or other chemicals. Plastic water storage bottles can allow the vapors from these chemicals to enter the bottle and contaminate the water.

There are two ways of treating water: boiling or adding bleach. If the water looks cloudy, filter it before purifying. First, let the water sit undisturbed so that all suspended particles settle to the bottom. Then filter the water through layers of clean cotton or paper towels, cheesecloth, or coffee filters.

Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Place the water in a clean saucepan or other cooking container. Bring the water to a rolling boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking, keeping it covered during cooling.


Other stuff to store in emergencies :

Add packets of seeds for Living storage

Other stuff to store in an Emergency :
Matches, candles, lanterns, flashlights, and battery-operated lighting equipment
A battery-operated radio
Knives, a hatchet, a shovel, and other tools
Medicine, blankets, and a first-aid kit
Mess kits or paper cups, paper plates, and plastic utensils
A manual can opener
Wheat grinder
Plastic garbage bags and a plastic bucket
Soap, tooth brushes, toothpaste, and supplies for dentures and contact lenses
Toilet paper and sanitary items
Money
Books or games for children


Food storage tips :

Protect food storage from heat. Store all products away from heat and sunlight

Protect food from moisture. Store products on shelves or raised platforms, rather than directly in contact with concrete floors or walls

Protect products from rodents and insects

How long do foods last ? (when stored in a cool, dry place under ideal conditions)

Sugar 20+ years
Wheat 20+ years
Fruit Drink Mix 8-10 years
Dry Beans 6-8 years
Spaghetti 6-8 years
Macaroni 6-8 years
Chopped Dry Onions 6-8 years
Hot Cocoa 3-4 years
Rolled Oats 4-5 years
White Flour 5 years
Soup Mix 4-5 years
Rice 3-4 years
Nonfat Dry Milk 2-3 years

Storage Tips :
All food contains bacteria and mold spores, and most food contains insect eggs. Given the right environment, these microorganisms will start to grow and destroy the food. The main conditions that can cause insects and microorganisms to grow are moisture and heat.

If products are not properly packaged, they can absorb moisture out of the air. When the moisture reaches a level of 12% to 18%, product breakdown will accelerate. Make sure to store food in a dry place.

Heat is also a major cause of deterioration in food quality. Store all products away from heat ducts, clothes dryers, sunlight, chimneys and other sources of heat.

Oldest products should be used first to maintain freshness


Storing Petrol/Diesel/Kerosene

Kerosene is normally processed to remove compounds that form sticky gums, thus extending its storage life.

Petrol and petroleum vapour is highly flammable. Even a small spark from a light switch or mobile phone is enough to ignite fumes from the fuel and cause a fire or explosion.

All containers in which petroleum spirit is kept must be of metal or plastic. Metal containers should not exceed 23 litres capacity . Plastic containers should not exceed 5 litres capacity .These containers should be designed for the purpose and must be fitted with a screw-cap or closure to prevent leakage of liquid or vapour. Empty containers must be securely stoppered and kept in a safe place

The storage place must be well ventilated

Always have a fire extinguisher, sand for absorbing spillages, snd no naked fire capable of igniting inflammable vapour.

Diesel requirement : 1 litre a day = 400 litres per year for car = Rs.10000

Petrol 1 litre a week = 52 litres/year for the bike = Rs. 1500

Petrol vapour can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and exposure to high concentrations, particularly in confined spaces, can cause dizziness and unconsciousness. Do not swallow petrol or attempt to use the mouth to siphon it This can result in petrol entering the lungs or stomach, which can be fatal.

Petrol vapour does not disperse easily and may also travel long distances. It tends to sink to the lowest possible level and may collect in tanks, cavities, drains, pits, or other enclosed areas, where there is little air movement

Cook book glossary defined in the form of The Devil's dictionary
Example :
Risoto >> Means rice in Italian. An important term for the chef to know as he is most often judged by how many foreign names he drops than what he cooks. And important for the amateur cook too as he can conveniently rename his botched up fried rice as Risoto and no one will be the wiser. Also see Sushi, Basmati

Sushi >> If you have added too much water to your rice dish and have made it all clumpy and sticky, here's a easy way to save it. Just call it sushi. Japs for some weird reason like their rice sticky ( and expensive) .

Pulao >> If you have added too little water and the rice is not yet fully cooked, just call it plain pulao. A pulao ( Indian rice dish) is supposed to have separate grains.

This trick of renaming botched up reciped to exotic foreign names is one of the easiest tricks you need to master.

The Devil's cook book
Cooking for cynics
The guaranteed no-fail cookbook
My first cook book
Boiled water chef's cookbook

Making Indian Bread
Almost all Indian breads are made from Atta( Whole wheat flour), refined wheat flour (Maida), Chickpea flour (Besan), or Corn flour (Makki),

Atta is divided into
Hard wheat ( Requires healp of yeast to break it down. Most breads, Indian breads made from this. ( high in gluten, protein)
Soft wheat. Used to make biscuits, pastries etc,
Durum > Used for pasta ( high in gluten, protein)
Proteins support fermentation.

Naan
250 g Atta
30 ml natural yoghurt
5 ml salt
115 ml lukewarm water

Naan is made in a tandoor, but you can achieve a simar effect with two unglazed tiles inside your oven and preheating them. The space between them simulates a taandoor.The temperature inside a tandoor is around 600 F.

Method
Place flour, yoghurt and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix in water, a little at a time, using your hands. Add just enough water to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead lightly for 30 seconds, then place in a greased bowl.

Missi Roti
a) 1 1/2 cup Atta
b) 1/4 cup Kadalai mavu (Besan)
c) pinch of salt.
d) 2 Tablespoon of butter.
e) 1/2 cup warm water.

Mix dry ingredients and sift. Knead in butter. Knead using warm water. Let stand about 1 hour. Heat a flat griddle. Make a ball about the size of a golf ball (1" diameter). Roll it in to a 6" diameter flat round pancake

Kulcha
a) 2 cups soft-wheat flour (Maida)
b) 1 cup Atta
c) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
d) pinch of salt
e) 1/3 cup Ghee
f) 1/2 cup yogurt Dahi
g) 1/4 cup warm water

Step 1: Sift dry items a) through d)
Step 2: Cut the butter in the flour well
Step 3: Knead in yogurt.
Step 4: Continue kneading with warm water.
Step 5: Let stand about six to eight hours at room temperature.
Step 6: Make a ball about 2" diameter and roll it out about 7" diameter. Heat a griddle to medium heat. Cook on the griddle about two minutes. Turn over, it should be lightly brown. Cook another minute or so. Kulcha is ready. Optionally, butter the bread on one or both sides. Serve hot.


Naan >> Recipe 2

Naans are supposed to be moist and thin.

a) 1 pinch of dry yeast
b) white sugar
c) cup warm water
d) egg, beaten or Yogurt or milk
f) salt
g) Atta
h) cup Ghee
Mix them, allow them to rise and bake them.

Sandwiches


Easy to make, Easy to eat
Sandwiches are hard to beat

Filling and spread, covered with bread
Can be eaten without the slightest dread !

Sandwiches are one of the most idiot proof foods you can make.It takes a real smart idiot to screw up a sandwich.

Step 1: Choose the bread
Step 2: choose fillings and spread
Step 3: Cover with bread and eat.


What makes sandwiches special is they are so versatile and impossible to screw up. There are huge varieties of bread and fillings to choose from. They can be grilled, baked, foil cooked, eaten raw, fried , microwaved or subjected to any cooking process known to man.

A mound of different breads, a million different fillings, thousands of spreads all whoch can be cooked in a variety of ways translate into a few million sandwich recipes. Use your imagination and dream up combinations which appeal to you.

The easiest sandwich is of course the one with no filling. Eat bread and wash it down with water. Don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity. You can make very fancy sandwiches too. All you need is large dollops of imagination and willingness to make mistakes and experiment.

History
The earliest recorded sandwich recipe comes from the 1 century BC. Nuts, apples and spices between two matzos( A brittle, flat piece of unleavened bread , eaten during passover )

18th century gives birth to modern sandwich when an ardent gambler Earl asks for bread, cheese and meat to be brought so he can continue gambling. He holds the food -- bread outside and other ingredients inside -- in one hand and keeps playing cards.

USA discovers sandwich a century later and starts off on a good note with a ham sandwich. Mass production of Sliced
white bread make sandwiches very popular. Soon after GI's during WWII combine bread, peanut butter and jelly from their meal-kit rations to make the famous PB&J sandwich.

Tips

1. Experiment with different textures, shapes and flavors, and slice them to the thickness you prefer

2. Try making it complex by grilling the bread or the filling or both

3. Try marinating the meat/vegetables before using them

4. Make sandwiches more interesting by using sandwich spreads. Look beyond mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup. Dream up fancy chutneys or any other gooey stuff you fancy. If you like melted chocolate with tuna sandwich.. go ahead ! It is your life !

5. Sandwiches need not be flat. Roll em up, wrap em and use them in any shape you fancy.

6. Cut sandwiches in strips, bite sized pieces, rounds, ovals. Think and be creative !


Bread ideas
Use any bread like sliced white bread, Middle East Pita bread, Indian Chappati/Nan/roti/poori, French Baguette, country bread, wheat bread Mexican tortillas Italian focaccia etc etc


Filling ideas
Most vegetables/Fruits, Meat/Seafood, Grilled eggplant, broccoli , asparagus, onions, Pea shoots, horseradish, crisp lettuce ,rings of sweet yellow or red peppers, or long, thin slabs of crisp cucumber . Fruits like mango , pineapple , Seafood like grilled salmon, smoked salmon, seared tuna, crabcakes , meats like beef, pork and chicken, bacon, sliced salami, Leftover sliced steak, sliced boiled Egg smoked salmon, sliced red onion , Leftover roast chicken, Fried egg, sliced tomato , Smoky baked ham, Sardines etc etc

Spread ideas
Use any gooey stuff like Apple butter, butter, peanut butter, cheese spreads, mayonnaisse, mustard, ketchup, any of the hundreds of chutneys, melted cheese, pureed vegetables/fruits etc etc.,


Cooking ideas
After assembling the sandwich, you can opt to cook it by Grilling, Frying (ex : Dip sandwich in egg batter and fry). In addition you can microwave or foil cook, toast or use almost any cooking process known to man . Eaxh method changes the taste, texture and flavor and let you generate a load of recipes from each sandwich !

Experiment and have fun !

To can or not to can ?

Contrary to popular belief, some canned foods are as nutritious and more hygienic than 'fresh' food.

Reason ? You never know how 'fresh' fresh is. Fresh foods start losing vitamins as soon as they are picked. And there is invariably a long delay before they end up in your skilet. Also many 'Fresh' fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ready to be eaten.

But many canned foods are harvested at their peak of ripeness and normally cooked and processed from the source within hours, thus preserving more vitamins than their fresh counterparts.

Most canned fruits and vegetables use no chemical preservatives, but are preserved via natural heat methods

Tips:

Never use canned food if the can is dented, misshapen, or leaking,

With a permanent market Date-stamp the expiry date on canned stuff as soon as you buy them

Use older cans first.

Most canned foods can last up to 2 years when properly stored.

Canned foods have already been cooked once, so don't overcook them.

The liquid in the can is a semi soup as it includes nutrients, so whereever possible use the canning liquid.

Fruits packed in their own juices are a better choice than those with syrups


Playing with fire

It is not always great recipes that make your reputation as a great cook. People easily fall for gimmicks like chopping onion like a buzz saw or flipping pizza dough a mile high. Though these take time to master, you can try a easy to learn gimmick to make your reputation as a great chef. By setting fire to food !

Nothing attracts attention as much as a flaming dish or a cocktail on fire. These are HOT. Use them wisely !


Core idea :

Pour alcohol over food and set it on fire.That's it !


Idiot proof recipe ideas


Cook some butter and brown sugar in a skillet till sugar dissolves.

Arrange some pineapple rounds in the syrup in a single layer,cook for a couple of minutes, trun over and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Add any alcohol set it on fire. Apart from making heads turn, it also imparts a nice flavor to the dish.

You can use bananas or other fruits instead of pineapple.


Pour alchohol over stir fried meat/chicken. Light it and enjoy the show !

Now, lets do the same trick with cocktails

Mix your favorite cocktail in a separate glass, but skip the alcohol. Pour alcohol in a separate glass and ignite it. Pour the flaming liquid into the cocktail glass.Cover the glass to extinguish fire.

Idiot proof recipes

Pour rum on top of your favorite cocktail and set it alight.


Pour rum in a glass. Beer in another. Light the rum and pour it into beer.

Pour vodka in a glass, pour some rum on top, and light the rum.

Shake Campari and lemon juice in a cocktail mixer with some ice. Pour into a glass. Heat some brandy until warm. Pour brandy into the glass, holding a match in the stream to create a blue flame, then gulp the lot. The longer the stream, the more impressive the flame, the more solid your reputation becomes.

Pour tequila into shot glass. Place lemon slice on top. Sprinkle with tbsp of white sugar. Pour a small amount of rum over lemon and sugar. Set on fire.