Clipmarks | sweetsfoods's 'cooking' clips

13 Mexican ingredients that changed the world…

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:24:55 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

13 Mexican ingredients that changed the world…

…or are changing the world. First I want to explain that when I say Mexican ingredients I am talking about ingredients native to the part of the world where now Mexico sits. When these ingredients were discovered/engineered/domesticated there was not a place called Mexico. That would come many centuries, and thousands of years, later. So here they are, 13 Mexican ingredients that changed the world:

Let’s start with my favorite one, cocoa. Can you imagine a world without chocolate? I wouldn’t like to live in a place like that.

Maize (Corn, Maíz) was first domesticated in what is now known as Oaxaca, Mexico, almost 9,000 years ago (according to some scientists).

vanilla

Tomatoes

Squash and all its varieties (zucchini, pumpkin, chayote, etc.)

chillies

beans

Papaya was cultivated in Mexico and Central Americ

Nopal

Annatto

Tobacco is not a food ingredient

Now it is time to introduce to you one of the best kept secrets of Mexican cuisine: huitlacoche

Tags: mexican, ingredients, food, recipes, chocolate, cooking

Apricot Bars: Are They for Breakfast…Or Dessert?

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:03:28 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: thepioneerwoman.com

Apricot Bars: Are They for Breakfast…Or Dessert?

You know, I’d prefer to think of the food I gobble not in terms of the neat, tidy roles they fit into. I don’t like to slap labels on my food: This is BREAKFAST. This is LUNCH. This is my 4:56 SNACK, not to be confused with my 5:03 SNACK. No, I like to be more open than that, more accepting. I like to give my food a chance to be all that it can be and span the hours of the day and be at home in any situation.

These Apricot Bars are a little more forgiving, though, and make a delicious dessert OR snack OR breakfast. They’re about as wholesome as it gets: oats, brown sugar, butter, flour, and an interesting use of jarred Apricot Preserves. Mmmm…they just feel good goin’ down, no matter what time of day you choose to eat seven of them. OH! Did I just say that? No matter what time of day you choose to eat one. Unless you’re me, then you eat seven.

Tags: food, recipes, desserts, cooking, cookies, bars

Donuts - The glorification of nature's most perfect food.

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:48:36 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: www.worth1000.com

Day of the Donut 5

The glorification of nature's most perfect food.

Tags: donuts, chocolate, food, cooking, cookies

Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:23:16 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: bakingbites.com

When St. Patrick’s Day comes around every year, I usually follow a little tradition that involves making up a batch of soda bread, a dish involving cabbage or corned beef, and maybe drinking a bottle of Guinness, too. Nothing fancy and pretty standard, as far as celebration goes. This year, I didn’t want to get stuck in that rut, but I did want to do a little something to acknowledge the holiday in my own way - with baked goods, of course. A quick look through my cabinets uncovered my bottle of Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream and I knew what I wanted do make.

Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Chocolate Mint Bailey’s Irish Cream
(or regular Bailey’s + 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Tags: cake, chocolate, cooking, food, cupackes

Exquisite, Virtuous Vegan Parisian Chocolate Mousse Cake

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:13:10 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: www.prettytastycakes.com

Exquisite, Virtuous Vegan Parisian Chocolate Mousse Cake

Speaking of authors, pioneering pasty chef Fran Costigan, whose vegan baking class I took last year at ICE and whose cake recipe I used as a basis for this cake, also had this to say: “…thank you for taking what you learned and creating a masterpiece that reflects your creativity and skill”.

he recipe is an experimental, culinary collage culled from various photos and recipes. The assembly process is vaguely that of a French style gateaux, the inspiration for its physical appearance and components comes from epicurious.com, the cake recipe is adapted from a class I took with Fran Costigan.

Chocolate Mousse
2 12 ounce boxes silken firm tofu (such as Mori Nu)
10 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons agave (or maple syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tags: cake, sweets, chocolate, cooking, recipes, food

In pictures: From edible to incredible

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:51:10 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

In pictures: From edible to incredible

Incredibly, everything you see in this image can be found in the kitchen. Photographer Carl Warner has painstakingly captured all kinds of food in a series of still lifes.

Tags: optional. separate by commas., cooking, food

Which Cooking Oil do we Use

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:51:01 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods

Clip Source: www.thaigirl.in.th

With so many different oils on the market, some people are uncertain about which one to use for shallow-frying, stir-frying, or even salad dressings. Therefore we going to try to explain the different oils and their best use.

One important tip to match the oil with the dish's origins when cooking. For example, don't make a curry using olive oil or coconut oil when making a pasta sauce. The oil you use for deep-frying should have a high smoke point, which means it can handle high heat without burning. For frying over really high heat, peanut, canola (rapeseed) or rice bran oils are the best choices, as they have particularly high smoke points, but this oils also come at a higher price tag. Refined safflower and regular sunflower oils are also good for frying.

Tags: cooking, food

Raspberry Mega Scones

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:01:22 GMT

clipped by: sweetsfoods
clipper's remarks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/raspberry-mega-scones-recipe.html

Clip Source: www.101cookbooks.com

We're going to wrap up 2007 with a buttery-sweet bang. The theme: scones. I'm sure many of you will agree, a good scone recipe is an incredibly useful thing to have - crumbly sweet scones in the morning, savory scones dunked in soup later in the day. They're hard to beat. And while I'm sure plenty of you have baked scones, I'm betting very few of you have delved in the realm of the mega scone.

Tags: scones, food, recipes, cooking