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COOKERY TIPS, TRICKS ‘N’ THINGS

The Humble PARSLEY

• Arthitis: three of four cups of Parsley tea a day is the most advisable.
• Shiny Hair: Boil a handful of parsley in a little water. Leave to cool, and use as a rinse after shampooing. You’ll get a beautiful shine.
• An Appetite Stimulator: drink a cup of parsley tea before supper.
• Acne and other skin infections: Apply a parsey compress directly to the affected part and then cover with gauze. Keep the gauze damp with hot water.
• Indigestion: Chew on a couple of fresh parsley stalks. Or drink a ¼ cup of dried parsley in water. Or make an infusion of concentrated parsley, putting two cupfuls of parsely in a litre of water.
• Bad breath: Parsley is the only known way of removing the smell of garlic from your breath. It also neutralizes the smell of onions, tabacco and almost all other causes of bad breath.
• Insect bites and stings: chop up and crushin a glass or porcelain container, ( do not use metal as this produces an undesirable chemical reaction) Apply the paste directly to the bite or sting.
• Urinary Problems: drink several cups of parsley tea a day until the symptoms disappear. Parsley acts as a laxative helping eliminate excess liquids, and form an excellent kidney tonic.
• Cough: Drink a litre of parsley tea a day. The high vitamin “C” content also helps cure colds.

Pineapple:

There is evidence to support that pineapples were consumed in pre-Inca times, thus indicating that pineapples are native to Central and South America.

In 1535, pineapples were brought to Spain by way of the Spanish explorers that went to America. By the 17th century, pineapples were considered to be a food of the aristocrats of the general French public. Even Louis XIV had hothouses producing pineapples!

Puerto Rico began shipping pineapples to the United States in 1860 to begin growing them in Florida. This led to pineapples being canned in the 1880's.

By 1939, a machine called a ginaca could process 50 pineapples a day for canning purposes.
Today, Hawaii is the world's top producers of this delectable fruit!

There should be no sign of greening. If the pineapple shows signs of greening, do not buy this one. The pineapple must be picked ripe or the starches will not convert to sugar. The leaves should be crisp and green with no yellow or brown spots. The skin of the pineapple should give slightly to pressure, though soft or dark spots are indications of over-ripening. The average sized pineapple weighs 2-5 pounds.

• Cayenne: longer, more cylindrical with a golden skin. It has sharp leaves sprouting from a single location.
• Red Spanish: more compact with reddish brown skin. The leaves sprout from a variety of places in the actual fruit.
• Sugar Loaf: this is a green variety that is extremely rare in the United States.

RICE

Want to have rice as a side dish with dinner?
Should it be long, medium or short grain?
No matter which type of rice you prefer, rice is healthy:

• Low in calories, with just 160 calories in a 3/4-cup serving
• A non-fat food
• A great source of complex carbohydrates
• Cholesterol-free
• Naturally low in sodium
• And, the USDA recommended allowance of rice and other grain-based foods is 6 to 11 servings daily.

Long grain rice is just that, long and slender. When cooked, the grains remain separate and fluffy. Long grain rice is great when used as a side dish, main dish or in salad recipes.

Medium grain rice is plumper and stouter than long grain. And, when cooked, the grains tend to be moister and more tender than long grain rice. Medium grain rice is great when used in desserts (rice pudding), casseroles and oriental stir-fry dishes.

Short grain rice is almost completely round in form. When cooked the grains usually stick together. This rice is best in puddings and in some stir-fry dishes.

Brown rice is basically rice where only the hull as been removed. The bran stays intact. When it is polished, parboiled and/or pre-cooked it becomes white rice. When brown rice is cooked, it is slightly chewy.

Wild rice, grown in fresh water, is actually not a rice but rather strictly a grain. Cooked wild rice can stay fresh in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

SIXTY USES FOR SALT

Maybe you don’t realice it but simple table salt and baking soda has a large number of uses besides flavouring your food. The following list will give you MORE THAN 60 uses for salt, many of which were unknown:

• If a raw egg falls on the floor, cover it with SALT, leave it a while then sep it up. It will come up without leaving a mark.
• Leave stained hankerchiefs in soak in salty water befote washing them.
• Sprinkle SALT on shelves to keep ants at bay.
• Leave fish soaked in SALT water. The scales will come away much easier.
• Put a few grain of rice in your SALT shaker to keep the SALT drier.
• Add SALT to green vegetables to prevent them wilting.
• Test to see if egg are still fresh by placing them in a cup of SALT water. Fresh eggs will sink, bad ones will float.
• Add a little SALT to the water when you boil eggs. Those with a cracked shell will stay inside the shell, and it will prevent the other shells from cracking.
• A pinch of SALT added to whisked eggs will give them more volumn.
• Leave wrinkled apples in soak in water with a pinch of salt to freshen them up. – No. I haven’t heard if it works for wrinkled skin!!
• Put salt in the pancake pan and they won’t stick
• Use salt to clean a stained coffee pot.
• Leave new tooth brushes in soak in salt water before their first use, and they will last longer.
• Mix salt with turpentine to whiten the bath tub and toilet.
• Leave walnuts in soak overnight in salty water so that they come out of the shell whole.. just by tapping the tip of the nut with a hammer will open them up
• Boil clothes pegs in salt water before use will make them last longer.
• Clean bronce, copper and pewter with a paste made from salt and vinager, thickened up with a little flour.
• Add a little salt to the water of your cut flowers to make them last longer
• Put a small pile of salt on an ink stain in clothing or carpets, and leave the salt to soak up the satin.
• Clean off the bottom of your iron passing it hot over a sheet of white paper sprinkled with salt.
• Adding a little salt to the water of a double burner will help to cook faster.
• Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.
• To fill a nail hole in a wall, use a mixture of equal part salt and corn starch, with just enough water to form a stiff paste.
• Rinse out tired eyes with a little salt water.
• Water with a little salt is a good mouth wash. Use it hot with lemon for gargles when you have a sore throat.
• Sprinkle your toothbrush with a little dry salt to polish your teeth.
• Use salt to kill off weed in the garden
• Also to kill snails and slugs
• Neutralize excess foam for soap powder by sprinkling with salt
• A pinch of salt in a glass of warm milk is a relaxing drink.
• Before using new glasses, leave them for a while in warm salt water
• A pinch of salt improves the floavour of tea
• A pinch of salt improves the flavour of cooking apples.
• In winter, leave the washing line in soak in salt water so that clothing doesn’t freeze on it.
• Also add salt to the final rinse of clothing so that it doesn’t freeze in cold weather.
• Rub salt over cane furniture to prevent it from yellowing.
• Freshen up sponges leaving them to soak in salt water.
• Add a piece of raw potato to soups and stews that are too salty.
• Leave enamel pots overnight to soak in salt water, when something has burnt in them. Next day boil boil salty water in them to remove the burns.
• Wash green vegetables in salt water to remove the earth easily... ( and any bugs).
• Jelly will solidify faster if you add a pinch of salt when you make it.
• Fruit left in slightly salty water will not go brown once peeled
• The colours in clothing will be clearer if washed in salt water.
• Milk with stay fresher longer with a pinch of salt added to it Sprinkle salt in the oven before cleaning it,especially if something has dripped onto the oven floor.
• Leave stained glasses in soak in a solution of salt and vinager to remove stains and brighten them up
• Clean greasy pans with kitchen paper and salt.
• Eggs will boil faster (and will not crack) if a little salt is added to the water.
• Add a pinch of salt to whipped cream to thicken it up quicker.
• Sprinkle salt in pans that milk has burnt in to remove the smell.
• Boil slightly different coloured stocking in salt water to give both the same tone
• Salt and bicarbonate of soda will leave the fridge smelling sweet.
• Cover a wine stain of cloth with salt, rinse in lick warm water later
• Remove offensive smells from the cooker with a mixture of salt and cinnamon. To remove grease stains from clothing, use i part salt and 4 parts alcohol.
• Salt and lemon juice will remove mildew.
• Sprinkle salt in the crack of floor tiling to prevent weeds from growing there
• Polish up an old querosen lamp with salt to improve its appearance. I’ve no idea if a genie will pop out.
• Remove strong smells from drains with a strong solution of hot salty water.
• Unblock a drain with a generous handful of baking soda, and vinager. Leave for 20 mins or more, then wash down with abundant boiling water.
• If a tart of something bubbles over on to the oven floor, inmediately put a handful of salt on it. It will not smell and the satin will be dry and clean off easily once the oven is cold.
• For crayon marks on the walls, soak a cloth on a strong solution of baking soda and water, and with a little added elbow grease, it should come off.
• When finishing cross stitch, to clean it, place it in a bowl and pour on some table salt to cover it. Leave it in bowl for about 3-4 hours, take it out, and shake off any excess salt, then place in the dryer on low heat for about 15 minutes. The salt removes all oils and dirt that seems to accumulate while working on the project.

KITCHEN HINTS FOR TEA:

It started with an interest in health: Studies have long demonstrated the benefits of green tea — and there is growing evidence that all tea is beneficial. But as we settle into the 21st century, the appeal has transcended the good-for-us lure. "Now we're getting people who are interested in the taste [and] in the attitude that tea imparts," says Michael Cramer, owner of online store Adagio Teas. "Tea is the anti-coffee, the anti-rush."

Tea sales have soared over the past decade and a half, from $1 billion in 1990 to $6 billion last year. Hotels are hiring tea sommeliers to enhance their traditional afternoon tea service. Restaurants are offering a full selection of loose-leaf teas (rather than a basket of bags), complete with pot and infuser. We're discovering the differences between blends and single-estate teas, between greens and oolongs. We're learning the significance of water temperatures and ideal steeping times.

And the tea that inspires passion, poetry, treatises, Web sites — and sales — is loose-leaf tea, teas with exotic-sounding names like Assam, sencha, yunnan gold. "First and foremost, tea gives you a high, a buzz," says author James Norwood Pratt. "You don't notice it, because tea is subtle. At the same time, other constituents in the tea leaves are acting on the human system to calm you down. There is literally nothing else that we human beings have discovered that acts both to stimulate and to soothe at the same time."

All tea comes from one plant: genus Camellia, species sinensis. Its use can be traced back almost 5,000 years to China, where it is indigenous and has a long history of cultivation. Today, tea grows in India, Sri Lanka, and other parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. Factors such as elevation, climate, and soil content affect the growth and flavor of individual teas. Experts estimate that there are more than 3,500 varieties of tea.

Once the leaves are plucked, they are withered; that is they are left to dry for a few hours until they are limp. Some teas are then oxidized, (crushed slightly so that they are exposed to air for a few hours). Finally, most teas are roasted, which further dries out the leaf and halts oxidation. Following are general categories of tea:

Flavored: Teas flavored with oils, extracts, dried fruit, and nuts. Earl Grey uses oil of bergamot, a small citrus fruit.

Infusions, tisanes: Herbal "teas," which do not generally contain any actual tea or caffeine (South American yerba mate is an exception). Infusions include mint, chamomile, lemon verbena, hibiscus. The African tea Rooibos, sometimes called red tea, blends well with other flavors and has a woodsy flavor.

Decaffeinated: Tea that has had most of the caffeine removed. You can remove some caffeine yourself, as most of it comes out of the leaves during the first 30 seconds of brewing. Cover the leaves with a small amount of water for 30 seconds, discard, then brew. (This will also remove some of the subtleties of the flavor, however, as well as the beneficial antioxidants.)

There are a few key components to brewing tea: the temperature of the water, the duration of steeping, and the tea-to-water ratio.

The basics: Heat the water, steep the tea, strain, and drink. Experts recommend specific brewing times, but experiment and see what suits your tastes.

Use cooler, barely steaming water (160°F to 180°F) for white, green, and oolong teas (boiling water makes these teas bitter). The steeping time can range from 30 seconds to 3 minutes; some recommend more time for oo long.

For black tea, the water should come just to a boil. Steep the tea for 3 to 6 minutes, choosing a longer time if you're going to add milk.

Most experts recommend 1 teaspoon of tea per 6-ounce cup of water; some teas may need more or less. Again, experiment — tea can taste weak when using too much water. In tea parlance, a cup is 6 ounces, or 3/4 of a standard measuring cup.

The easiest way to heat water for tea is with an electric kettle, which offers the advantage of speedy heating and automatic shut-off when the water boils. However, if you're heating water for green tea, you'll want to remain nearby to turn off the kettle just as it begins to steam. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. A new alternative is the utiliTEA kettle, sold by Adagio Teas. It has a variable setting, allowing you to determine at what temperature you want the automatic shut-off option to kick in.

There are a variety of ways to steep tea. Tea balls and disposable tea bags or tea socks can constrict the leaves. A good-size infuser basket allows a greater surface area of the leaves to be exposed, as does steeping the leaves directly in a pot, then straining them into another pot or cups.

• Begin with cold water when brewing tea.
• Never boil tea.
• To prevent bitter tasting tea, remove tea bags after tea has steeped.
• Use simple syrup to sweeten large quantities of tea.
• When preparing iced tea for a crowd, vary the flavor by adding 6 ounces of frozen lemonade to 1 gallon of tea.
• Make ice cubes with leftover tea. These cubes added to a drink will not dilute the beverage. You can do this with ice coffee, soda, lemonade, all juices and even make cider ice cubes.
• Freeze fruit juice for ice cubes-add to tea ad garnish with springs of fresh mint.
• Ice tea requires half as much sugar if sweetened hot, rather than cold.
• Flavor sugar lumps for tea. Drop tiny bits of lemon juice on the sugar cubs to be used in the tea. Be careful not to dissolve the sugar. You can also try orange or lime juice.
• For extra flavor, store tea bags in a jar with a citrus peel, vanilla bean or cinnamon sticks.
• For varied punch flavors, try using decaf teas.
• Add your tea bags or loose tea to the compost heap after use

Coffee

Espresso: Using a drip coffeemaker, add 1 cup cold water and 1/3 cup French roast or espresso roast, ground as directed for your coffeemaker. Brew according to manufacturer's directions. (If using an espresso maker, use manufacturer's suggested amounts of ground coffee and water.) Pour into 4 demitasse cups or small cups. Serve with sugar cubes or coarse sugar. Makes four 2-ounce servings. Cappuccino: Brew 1 recipe of Espresso. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm 1 cup low-fat milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Transfer milk to a food processor bowl or blender container. Process or blend until milk is very frothy. (If you have an espresso machine with a steaming nozzle, heat and froth milk according to manufacturer's directions.) Divide espresso among four 5- to 8-ounce cups. Top each with the frothy milk. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated chocolate and serve with sugar. Makes 4 servings. Caffe Latte: Prepare 1 recipe Cappuccino as directed, except increase the low-fat milk to 2 cups. A typical caffe latte is mostly hot milk and has just a small amount of froth on top. Serve with sugar, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

USES FOR COFFEE GROUNDS

• In the garden for COMPOSTING:
  The most well known use for the grounds is for composting. As coffee grounds decompose, they add much needed nitrogen for your plants and increases the acidity of the soil. Use them in your garden or for your flower pots. If you add water to the grounds, you'll make a good liquid fertilizer. Plus, you can feed it to your friendly garden earthworms.
• In the yard as PEST CONTROL:OTHER USES:
  In case you've never thought of it....use your coffee grounds to:
• Dye fabric Brown is in this year, so recycle something by soaking it in some strong coffee. (Without the cream and sugar, of course!)
• Cover scratches on wood Form a paste by mixing a teaspoon of instant coffee with two teaspoons of water. Rub on the wood surface to hide the scratches.
• Absorb odors Place an open container of grounds in the freezer or refrigerator to absorb odors.
• Rinse your hair A quick dousing will bring out the shiny highlights!

Got some crude oil in your coffee pot? I bet you do! It seems that coffee has oil in it. Every time your brew a pot, some of this oil gets left behind, leaving a residue to build up in your coffee maker. If you don't clean off the residue, your coffee will taste bitter, and you may think you need a new pot, and you may spend money needlessly. So make your pot last, and give it good regular cleanings.

What's the best way to give it a good clean? Once a month, pour a solution of alcohol vinegar into the reservoir and run the machine through the brewing cycle. For hard water, do this twice a month to clean off the excess mineral deposits. Your coffee will always be good to the last drop

"Bannock

A simple type of scone was cooked in poineer days over open fires. Variations in flours and the addtional of dried or fresh fruit make this bread the simple choice of Canadian campers even today. Oven baking has become an acceptable alternative to the cast iron frypan. McKelvie's resturant in Halifax serves an oatmeal version similatr to this one. For plain bannock, omit rolled oats and increase the all purpose flour to 1 cup.... One of the earliest quick breads, bannock was as simple as flour, salt, a bit of fat (often bacon grease) and water.

In gold rush days, dough was mixed right in the prospector's flour bag and cooked in a frypan over an open fire.

Indians wrapped a similar dough around sticks driven into the ground beside their camp fire, baking it along with freshly caught fish.

Newfoundlander's _Damper Dogs_ are small rounds of dough cooked on the stove's dampers while _Toutons_ are similar bits of dough deep fried. At a promotional luncheon for the 1992 Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Eskimo Doughnuts, deep fried rings of bannock dough, were served. It is said that Inuit children prefer these "doughnuts" to sweet cookies.

Red River settlers from Scotland made a frugal bannock with lots of flour, little sugar and drippings or lard. Now this same bread plays a prominent part in Winnipeg's own Folklorama Festival.

At Expo '86 in Vanocuver, buffalo on bannock buns was a popular item at the North West Territories ' restaurant. In many regions of Canada, whole wheat flour or wheat germ replaces part of the flour and cranberries or blueberries are sometimes added. A Saskatchewan firm markets a bannock mix, and recipe books from coast to coast upgrade bannock with butter, oatmeal, raisins, cornmeal and dried fruit."

Hot Cross buns have long been a symbol of Good Friday. Today they are sold in bake shops and supermarket bakeries throughout the Easter season. Each bun has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion.

Although they have been a Lenten and Good Friday tradition for centuries, Hot Cross Buns were not always associated with Christianity. Their origins lie in pagan traditions of ancient cultures, with the cross representing the four quarters of the moon. During early missionary efforts, the Christian church adopted the buns and re-interpreted the icing cross. In 1361, a monk named Father Thomas Rockcliffe began a tradition of giving Hot Cross Buns to the poor of St Albans on Good Friday.

In years that followed, many customs, traditions, superstitions, and claims of healing and protection from evil and were associated with the buns. In the 16th century, Roman Catholicism was banned in England, but the popularity of Hot Cross buns continued. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law banning the consumption of Hot Cross Buns except during festivals such as Easter, Christmas and funerals.

Chocolate know-how from BH&G-Australia

Store all unopened chocolate in a cool dry place. In summer store in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before using. A radical change in temperature or a change in sugar chemistry may produce a white 'bloom' on the surface, but this does not affect the chocolate, only the look of it.

Wrapped in foil or cling wrap, most chocolate keeps for several months even opened. You can freeze it for six months (but remember to label it with a date). Stale chocolate is dry and may have a bloom, so taste test it before using.

To assist chocolate in staying smooth and shiny, stir in solid vegetable shortening as directed in the recipe. Do not stir in butter, margarine, vegetable oil spreads or oil. Butter, margarine and spreads all contain water that will cause chocolate to tighten and become stiff and grainy. Do not use oil because this may prevent the chocolate mixture from setting up, or becoming firm again. This is especially important if the mixture is being used for a glaze.

• If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
• Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices & strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
• The problem:
  How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in hot car.
  The solution:
• Diet tip:
  Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.
• A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy?
• If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer.
  But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
• If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge.
  Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.
• If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?
  Don't they actually counteract each other?
• Money talks. Chocolate sings.
• Chocolate has many preservatives.
  Preservatives make you look younger.
• Q. Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous?
  A. Because no one wants to quit.
• If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated.
• I'd give up chocolate, but I'm no quitter!!! Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

Key to Good Food

• Whole grains lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
• Yellow-orange veggies, like carrots, have betacarotene - good for the skin and eyes.
• Cooked tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.
• Lean proteins (egg whites, fish, legumes, nuts and lean meats) have less saturated fat.
• Green veggies are filled with vitamins, minerals and healthy phytochemicals.
• Low-fat dairy products are a good source of protein and calcium, with less fat.

The color of your produce is a key to tell you about its nutritional value. By mixing these five colors into your diet every day, you can be sure to keep your body strong and immune system healthy!

OTHER GOOD SOURCES OF KITCHEN TIPS:

SAFETY RULES FOR THE KITCHEN, for Children

The outer most part of an orange, lemon or lime, zest adds an intense citrus flavor to dishes. When zesting a fruit, be very careful to get only a thin layer of skin and none of the white pithy parts, as this is very bitter. A grater or citrus zester can be used to obtain zest. For larger pieces of zest, simply use a potato or vegetable peeler.

COMMON COOKING EQUIVALENTS

• Apples...1 lb. (3 to 4 medium) = 3 to 3 ½ cups pared and sliced
• Bananas...1 lb. (3 to 4 medium) = 1 1/4 to 1 ½ cups mashed
• Beans, dried....1 lb. (2 ½ cups) = 6 cups cooked
• Bread...................1 slice = 1/4 cup crumbs
• Butter...................1 lb. = 2 cups
• 1 stick = ½ cup or 8 Tablespoons
• Cabbage................1 lb. = 4 ½ cups or 5 cups shredded
• Cake flour.............from all purpose flour = to make the equivalent of 1 cup cake flour, put 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch in a measuring cup, then fill cup with flour. Sift together 3 times
• Celery...................2 ribs = 1 cup sliced
• Cheese, Blue.........4 oz. = 1 cup crumbled
• Cottage Cheese.....8 oz. = 1 cup
• Cheddar or Swiss..1 lb. = 4 cups shredded
• Chicken.................3 ½ lb. Fryer = 3 cups cooked and diced
• Chocolate chips.....6 oz. pkg. = 1 cup
• Coconut, flaked or shredded ... 8 oz. = 2 ½ cups
• Coffee, ground.........................1 lb. = 4 cups or 64 Tablespoons
• 1 Tablespoon + 3/4 cup water = 1 cup coffee
• Currants...................................1 lb. = 3 cups
• Dates........................................1 lb. = 2 ½ cups
• gg white, large ...................... 1 = about 2 Tablespoons
• olk, large............................... 1 = about 1 Tablespoon
• Fish...........................................1 lb. = 1 3/4 cups cooked, flaked
• Flour, all purpose...................... 1 lb. = 4 cups
• Gelatin, unflavored.....................1 envelope = 1 Tablespoon
• Graham Crackers........................14 squares = 1 cup fine crumbs
• Ham...........................................1 lb. = 3 cups cubed
• emon.......................................1 medium = 2 to 3 Tablespoons juice
• 1 medium = 1 to 2 teaspoons grated rind
• Lime...........................................1 medium = 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons juice
• 1 medium = 1 teaspoon grated rind
• Macaroni, elbow.........................8 oz. (2 cups) = 4 cups cooked
• shell...........................8 oz. (3 ½ cups) = 4 cups cooked
• Noodles......................................8 oz. (4 cups) = 4 to 4 ½ cups cooked
• Nuts, in shell...............................1 lb. = 1 1/4 to 2 cups shelled
• shelled............................1 lb. = 4 cups
• Oil...............................................1 pint = 2 cups
• Onions.........................................1 medium = 3/4 cup chopped
• Orange.........................................1 medium = 6 to 8 Tablespoons juice
• 1 medium = 3 to 4 teaspoons grated rind
• Peas, dried....................................1 lb. (2 cups) = 5 cups cooked
• Potatoes.......................................1 lb. = 2 ½ cups cooked, cubed
• Raisins..........................................1 lb. = 2 ½ cups
• Rice, regular.................................1 cup = 3 cups cooked
• Rice, Instant..................................1 cup = 2 cups cooked
• Spaghetti.......................................8 oz. = 4 cups cooked
• Sugar, brown packed.....................1 lb. = 2 1/4 cups
• Confectioner (Powdered)...............1 lb. =3 ½ to 4 cups
• Granulated (white).........................1 lb. = 2 cups
• Tuna or crab..................................6 ½ oz. can = 3/4 cup flaked
• Vanilla bean...................................1 bean = 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla sugar..................................1 teaspoon vanilla extract per cup sugar
• Vanilla wafers................................24 to 25 = 1 cup fine crumbs Yeast, active dry.............................1 envelope = 2 1/4 to 2 ½ teaspoon
• Yeast, instant..................................1 envelope = 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

TURKEY TIPS

A Child Size Serving

• Freeze left-over coffee in cubes. When you want a cup of coffee, heat a few cubes in a cup in the microwave. Especially like to do this with flavored coffees.
• To chop onions the easy way, start by cutting off the stem end,then peel the skin back to the root, KEEPING THE SKIN ATTACHED. Holding the skin to steady the onion, cut in half nearly to the root end, then at right angles to the first cut, 3 or 4 more cuts nearly to the root end. Next, still holding the root end by the skin, slice finely across the onion from the stem end, the result will be nicely chopped onion. And it takes longer to explain than to do it!
• Keep a dry mix of 1 part cornstarch and 2 parts flour in a container to use for making gravy. Just scoop out amount needed and mix with cold water. Also make gravy in the microwave, boil off drippings from the pan and put it in a 2 cup or 4 cup measure and make in microwave stirring several times.
• When cooking ground beef for Tacos or other Mexican dishes, cover the meat with water in a saucepan, break up with a fork, or potato masher, season well with beef and chicken boullion, and garlic powder, when cooked, drain off fat and water and you've got tasty meat without all of the fat. (You won't miss the good taste of the browned meat, promise.) Add a can of fat free refried beans and use just a little of the water from the meat to moisten, then our Mexican Dishes are bean and beef ready. Enjoy!
• Rub a cut white potato over your hands to rid your hands of onion odor.
• Freeze ground meat in 1 pound portions and place into freezer storage bags. Flatten out to the edges of the bag and remove all the air before zipping and sealing, then freezing. These flat bags of ground meats stack neatly laid flat or standing on edge in the freezer. If you want a smaller amount it's easy just to break it off then reseal the bag. The meats also thaw quicker when stored this way.
• BUY CHEAP PLASTIC WRAP AND COVER YOUR COUNTER WHILE COOKING WITH MESSY STUFF.AFTER YOU ARE DONE PEAL IT OFF WITH THE MESS.
• Use your pizza cutter to cut bar cookies. It does a nice job.
• Use a sandwich bag when buttering a dish or making rice crispy treats and the mess won't stick on your hands!

HERBS AND SPICES

More than any other ingredients, herbs and spices conjure exotic places and bring the world into our kitchens. Using them is one of the great joys of creative cooking and without them eating would be a dull experience!

The art of using herbs and spices is learning how to combine flavours and how much to use.

• strong flavour: bay leaf, cardamom, curry, ginger, pepper, mustard, rosemary, sage.
• Sweet flavour: cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, cardamom, anise, fennel, mint.
• Savoury flavour: oregano, tarragon, chives, dill.
• Peppery flavour: red pepper, mustard, black pepper, paprika.
• Medium flavour: basil, cumin, dill, fennel, tarragon, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano, savory, thyme, turmeric.
• Delicate flavour: chervil, chives, parsley.

Most herbs can be grown easily in a kitchen garden, or in pots, hanging baskets, window boxes or balcony tubs, providing a ready supply for cooking as well as a fragrant display. They need sunlight and good soil.

Some herbs like more sun than others; some grow well from seeds, others can be propagated from cuttings. Buying a small plant and repotting or planting out will give good results.

The fragrant leaves of herb plants can be used either fresh or dried. The best time to pick herbs is just before they flower. Discard any damaged leaves and gather in the morning after the dew has evaporated, but before the sun has dried the plant.

When picking fresh herbs, don't strip the plant of leaves if you want it to survive - a good rule is to remove not more than 10 per cent of growth. Handle herbs carefully as bruising will release the volatile oils and diminish the flavour.

Buy healthy herb sprigs with a strong fragrance, avoiding any with dried ends, discoloured leaves, wilted stalks or a musty odour. Fragile herbs like mint and parsley are best used fresh.

When it comes to buying spices, aroma is a good indicator of quality. Spices should also be bought in small quantities as they lose their potency within 6-12 months.

Herbs can be dried either in a conventional oven or in a microwave, or hung in a warm, dry, airy place for up to two weeks (except in humid weather).

Sprigs of fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for a week. Wrap in a damp tea towel or damp paper towel, then enclose in a plastic bag and expel the air before tying securely. Alternatively, stand herb sprigs in a jug of water, place a plastic bag over the top and refrigerate. Spices should be stored in an airtight container away from heat and light.

Dried herbs and spices lose their potency after 6 months or up to 12 months, so there is no point hoarding those little bottles in the cupboard! Buy in small quantities and use a soon as possible for that unmistakable depth of flavour.

To substitute fresh herbs for dried in a recipe, use 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herb for each teaspoon of dried herb suggested. Crush whole fresh leaves to release the flavour before adding to a dish.

How much or how little herb or spice flavouring to use is a matter of individual taste, although cold food generally needs more flavouring than hot. Use recipes as a guide, but don't be afraid to experiment!

Taste dishes throughout the cooking process, then again at the end. Adding flavourings at the end of cooking to compensate for blandness risks overwhelming the dish, as the herb or spice will not have had time to integrate fully with the other ingredients. In some dishes, however, this effect is deliberate, and some delicate herbs will lose flavour if they are cooked for too long.

• To test herbs or spice combinations in soups or stew, remove 1/2 cup of food from the pot and mix in chosen herb or spice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes then taste.
• Crushing or grinding whole herbs and spices provides much more flavour than just using the whole form or ground varieties. However whole spices are best for slowly simmered dishes, as some ground spices can turn bitter after prolonged cooking.
• Add herbs near the end of cooking for more distinct flavour or at the beginning for more blended flavours. -
• To reduce salt in cooking, use savoury or biting herbs and spices as an alternative. Similarly, use sweet spices to reduce the amount of sugar you use. -
• To easily remove whole herbs or spices after cooking, place them in a cheesecloth or muslin and tie into a pouch or just use kitchen string to tie them together.

A bouquet garni is a small bunch of fresh herbs used to flavour stocks, soups, stews and sauces. Tie together two sprigs of parsley, a sprig of thyme and a bay leaf. Remove and discard the bouquet garni once the dish is cooked.

Use fines herbes in small quantities in vegetable, egg, chicken and fish dishes, or in soups, salads and sauces. Add to the end of cooking to retain the fresh flavour. To make fines herbes, finely chop equal quantities of chervil, chives, tarragon and, if desired, parsley.

10 New Uses for Olive Oil

“Olive oil is a good lubricant because its molecules easily slide past one another, thereby helping solid objects to overcome friction,” says Wolke. “Its film also fills up microscopic rough spots in surfaces, making them look polished and shiny.”

GARLIC

There probable isn’t a better known or more studied medicinal plant than Garlic (Allium sativum). It has been used since historical times in a number and variety of ways. For example, an Egyptian papyrus dating over 3,500 years contains over 200 hundred recipes based on garlic for different health problems. Garlic has effects on a number of different organs in our bodies and on different aspects of our wellbeing. The problem with garlic is the smell it lets off, and can be sensed from several meters distance with those who use it.

• Helps to combat a large number of bacteria, viruses and fungus
• Reduces blood pressure and Cholesterol
• Helps reduce blocked arteries and to repair damage caused by arteriosclerosis
• Acts as an anti-inflammatory
• Prolonged use helps to prevent certain types of cancer.
• Helps to raise the level of insulin in the body, thus reducing sugar levels in the blood
• Certain studies appear to show that it slightly increases the level of serotonin in the brain helping to combat stress and depression.
• By rubbing a garlic clove on your nails every day, will help strengthen them and make them less breakable, especially if you like them long.

Garlic has been around since pre-biblical times, and has been the subject many a tale. It is an annual plant with an oniony and... well...garlic taste. It adds aroma and taste to pretty much every dish imaginable - except desserts - and is a favorite seasoning herb in cooking. It has also been used in folk remedies for a plethora of physical difficulties through time.

Garlic originates in southern Europe, but various garlic species have been known world-wide for centuries. The Indians used wild garlic extensively before the settlers brought cultivated varieties into the mix. It can be started in the home garden by seeding or cloves.

Garlic cloves or seeds can be planted in early spring for a fall harvest, and in more moderate climates can even be planted in the fall for harvesting the next fall. Cloves from the grocery store, if still reasonably fresh, will grow nicely in most gardens. Planting cloves rather than seeds is the preferred method, because it is MUCH faster. Garlic is quite cold-hardy and survives low winter temperatures in all but the harshest winter areas. The plants develop leaves while the days are short and cool, and develop bulbs in the warmer and longer days of summer.

Cultivate the soil deeply for garlic and enhance it with generous amounts of compost. For the largest bulbs, plant in full sun, but garlic will also mature in partial shade. Garlic has beautiful flowers, so be sure to plant enough to let a few of the plants go to seed (the flower heads are unique additions to flower arrangements). Otherwise, when the plants start to flower, cut the flower stalks back so that they will put their energy into the bulb. When the tops eventually bend and start turning brown (mid-to late summer if all has gone well), knock the plants down and leave them for a few days. Then pull the plants and let them dry on a screen in the shade. Once they are dry, shake the dirt loose and store.

Storage for garlic is about the same as for onions. Put it in a cool, dark, dry spot. If you want to get fancy, you can braid the leaves into a rope, as you would onion, or you can put the bulbs without leaves into a nylon stocking with a knot between each bulb. Then, hang in a convenient place, and cut the bulbs from the bottom as needed.

Garlic is well-known in the pest control arena. It is a proven companion plant and is thought to deter many different garden pests.

Garlic is bound to Mars and fire. It has been thought to possess magical properties for centuries, and is widely used in charms and spells. Most of the believed magical properties of garlic are related to speed, strength, and endurance, and for protection and to ward off evil.

It is said that if you carry a garlic clove with you when traveling over water, it will prevent you from drowning. Peeled garlic cloves can be placed in doorways and around the house for protection from illness and to keep evil at bay - especially in new homes. Try placing a clove of garlic under the pillows of children to protect them while they are sleeping. Legend has it that one can rid oneself of a lovesick former lover by placing a garlic bulb with two crossed pins stuck in it at a road intersection. Lure the lover until he crosses it, and he will lose interest.

Eating and carrying garlic is believed to enhance speed, strength, courage and endurance, and soldiers throughout history have used it for these properties when going into battle. Garlic was also given to slaves in the past to protect them from disease and enhance their strength.

To absorb a skin disturbance, rub a cut clove of garlic on the affected area, then place it under running water to signify the washing away of the ailment in question.

Garlic is an important medicinal herb. It is also readily available everywhere, unlike some of the other herbs. It is one of the safest herbs, and as such can be taken often. It does, however, have it's drawbacks, as we all know. Bear this in mind when using remedies (especially internal ones), and cut back when family and friends start avoiding you.

Garlic does indeed have scientifically-proven medicinal properties. It contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. It appears that cooked garlic weakens the anti-bacterial effects considerably, however, so don't count on cooked garlic with meals for much in the way of a curative.

Garlic appears to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The list is long when it comes to it's uses as a remedy. This list includes wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu, athlete's foot, some viruses, strep, worms, respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, blood thinning, cancer of the stomach, colic, colds, kidney problems, bladder problems, and ear aches, to name a few. It is believed to cure worms in both people and animals - try giving the dog a clove of garlic daily (but he's not gonna like it).

For most internal problems, eating garlic raw is probably the most potent way to take it. However, due to the obvious lingering odors associated with this, a tincture can be made by soaking 1/4 pound of peeled and separated garlic cloves in 1/2 quart of brandy. Seal tightly and shake every day. Strain and bottle after two weeks of this, and take in drops - 25-30 a day, if desired.

For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, make a cough syrup out of garlic. Slice 1 pound of fresh garlic and pour one quart of boiling water over it. Let sit for 12 hours, then add sugar until you reach the consistency of a syrup. Add honey for better taste, if desired.

For sore throat, make a garlic tea by steeping several cloves of garlic in half a cup of water overnight. Hold your nose and drink it.

Externally, garlic is a known anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent. An interesting use for ear aches is to slice a garlic clove, heat briefly in a small amount of virgin olive oil, and let cool. Then use a drop of two in the affected ear (strain the mixture beforehand, of course).

Make an ointment out of garlic (use cloves instead of leaves, stems, or flowers as described inointments) for wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any other external skin irritation, fungus, or infection. Also, try a few drops of oil on a toothache for pain relief.

HONEY

Kitchen Clip: To retain honey's flavor, always store it at room temperature in an airtight container--never in the refrigerator. Honey will keep this way for up to a year. If it has crystallized, you can re-liquify it by placing the jar in warm water or microwaving it on HIGH for 1-2 min., depending on the amount of honey, stirring intermittently.

Scrapes and abrasions happen often in an active family, but good home treatment can reduce scarring and help prevent infection. While honey is a useful treatment for minor scrapes or burns, serious wounds should always receive professional treatment. For the everyday bumps and scrapes, a few steps will bring relief:

• For scrapes, wash the area with soap and water to remove any dirt. For burns, hold the injured area under cold running water until it feels better.
• Apply honey directly to the scrape or burn to help prevent infection
• Use a bandage to cover the area.
• Reapply honey and bandage for several days.

Honey boasts many medical benefits. Honey has aided in bad coughing spells for years. An effective mix for coughing is to peel and finely chop one pound of onions. Add two ounces of honey and ¾ of a pound of brown sugar. It is also a mild laxative. People have also boasted that chewing the thin wax cappings sliced from the comb of honey once a day for one month in two pints of water. Simmer gently over low heat for three hours. When cool, put in an airtight container and take four to six tablespoons a day. As in any illness, it is best to consult a doctor before the start of the hay fever season greatly reduces hay fever symptoms. Chewing these cappings has also helped sinus sufferers.

Honey and beeswax are used in the beauty industry to soften and heal the skin tissue and help attract moisture to the skin. Most lipsticks are made with a beeswax base. Honey can be used in making effective facials. Mix one or two tablespoons of honey with one-third cup finely ground oatmeal. Oatmeal can be ground in a blender. The amount of honey used depends on your thickness preference. Blend in a teaspoonful of rose water or tap water. Clean face thoroughly. Spread facial mixture evenly over face. Relax for ten minutes to one half hour. Remove with a soft washcloth and warm water. Rinse with cold water or use an astringent. Use this facial once a week for improved softness in the skin. This treatment also works well for oily complexions.

Honey has powerful antimicrobial properties, which can soothe your raw tissues. Pour a teaspoon of honey into a large serving spoon and then top off the spoon with lemon juice. Swallow the concoction (without water) every few hours until symptoms clear up. Some people add a pinch of black or red pepper to increase blood circulation to the throat.

If you're constipated, try stirring 2 teaspoons of honey into a large glass of warm water. Drink the potion on an empty stomach and you should have relief in about half an hour.

Honey contains a number of natural sugars that can quickly give you a boost of energy and help you recover faster from strenuous exercise. Mix a tablespoonful into a glass of water a half an hour or so before your next workout, and drink up.

MEATS

Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread (along with Amish Cinnamon Bread) is the chain letter of the baking world. The idea is very simple: a friend gives you a cup of yeast culture (also known as "starter") and a copy of instructions. Following the instructions, you add sugar, flour and milk and it rises. Eventually, you end up with 4 cups of the starter. You use one to make bread (the instructions provide you with a recipe), keep one to start a new cycle and give two to your friends. Each of your friends also gets a copy of the instructions for what to do with the yeast starter. The latter part makes it somewhat like a chain letter. Of course, Amish Friendship Bread does not come with any promises of riches for those who spread it on or curses for those who don't.

Bread made following the traditional Amish Friendship Bread recipe is sweet and tastes more like a cake. You can use the starter to make lots of different types of bread.

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends. To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.

On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.

Days 6 thru 9; stir only.

Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.

Dissolve 1 tablespoon dry yeast and 2 tablespoons honey in 2 cups warm water in a glass, plastic, or crockery bowl. Stir in 2 cups unbleached white flour; cover with a towel and let sit in a warm place for several days, or until foamy and soured. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

The sourdough starter is the basic ingredient for everything you will make that's called sourdough whatever. Sourdough is simply home-grown yeast! Given the hosts of flour and warm water, the yeast spores break down the starch into sugar, permitting fermentation to take place. In bread baking, the sourdough acts primarily as the leavening or raising agent. The sourdough base is often called a sponge and from it springs bread, biscuits and flapjacks. The sponge has also been used to heal burns and wounds and even make a kind of hooch. Sourdough fed generations of miners, trappers, mountain men and pioneers--and, later on, farm and city families.

There are two ways of getting sourdough starter: make it or else get some from a friend. Starter can easily be maintained for years if treated properly. Sooner or later you'll do something stupid and lose your starter. No need to fret, my friend, just mix up another new batch. Keep the working starter in any kind of a coverable container, crock, mason jar or the like, but don't ever store the starter in a metal container. Before using the crock, mason jar, etc. scald the container well to kill unwanted bacteria spores. Old timers say that in cold weather the starter will lose some of it's potency so revive it with a tablespoon of pure cider vinegar. The lid to the container should never be tightly closed or sealed in order to permit yeast spores to be attracted from the surrounding air...and allow the sponge to vent gas to the atmosphere

The real sourdough starter, like the old timers used, did not use yeast! The less yeast used the richer and headier the sourdough becomes but the trickier the recipes are.

Here's a recipe for sourdough starter made from scratch without using yeast: Mix two cups of all purpose flour with enough lukewarm water to form a thick batter. Let this stand uncovered for four to five days, or until it begins working. This basic recipe requires storage in a well scalded container. An alternate is to use warm milk in place of the lukewarm water.

Somewhere along the trail I picked up the following method for making the sourdough starter: mix one cup of flour with one cup of room temperature water. Cover the mixture and let stand in a warm place overnight. Next morning add one cup of flour and about a cup of room temperature water. Mix well, cover and let stand in a warm place for up to twenty-four hours. Repeat the adding of flour and water at least one more time then let the mixture stand and work in a warm place for a day or so until you see a lot of foam and bubbles on top of the starter. The starter is now ready to use.

In times gone by, most people made their starter by mixing enough flour with water in which potatoes had been boiled to make a thick batter... let stand a day or two or else until it smelled right.

Here's another method of making starter: Mix four cups of flour, two tablespoons of salt, two tablespoons sugar, four cups lukewarm potato water in a crock or jar and let stand uncovered in a warm place for several days.

And finally, let one cup of milk stand uncovered a day or so at room temperature then add a cup of flour, mix well and let the mess stand a couple of days at which time it's ready to use.

If starter is normally kept in the refrigerator take it out several hours in advance of use or until it is at room temperature.

After each use be sure to replenish the starter by adding enough flour and water to restore the mixture to its original consistency and let the sponge work in the container at least a day before storage back in the refrigerator. Note: a teaspoon of sugar may be added to the starter during the replenishment.

(Special thanks to Sports Afield for their article printed September, 1972 and based on "The Complete Sourdough Cookbook" by Don and Myrtle Holm, Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho (c) 1972.)

Here's another starter recipe called "Herman" as passed on to me by Mrs. Kim Kendall of the Peeples Valley community in Arizona. Dissolve I pkg. of dry yeast in ½ cup of warm water. When the yeast and water begin to foam mix in 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey, 2-1/2 cups flour and the remaining water [2 cups]. Store in a sterilized large glass jar (crock or plastic jar are OK too). Cover with clear plastic wrap. No Metal is ever permitted to come in contact with the starter.

Keep at room temperature for 24 - 48 hours. The mixture will bubble up and should be stirred down and then placed in the refrigerator. Stir daily with wooden or plastic spoon. On 5 th day feed Herman: 1 cup flour, 1 cup of milk and ½ cup sugar and stir well. On 10th day take out 2 cups of the starter for baking , then feed same ingredients as on 5th day to keep starter going/working.

This entire process will take about 11 days to create a fully activated, ready to use starter. You can bake your first batch of bread on the 12th day.

You will only need to go through the CREATE STARTER process ONE TIME. After you create your starter, you will maintain your starter (keep it "alive") by feeding it regularly. A batch of sourdough starter provides enough starter to bake a batch of bread and to feed for "next time."

Assemble: 4-cup size (or larger) glazed crock, glass bowl, or plastic container, a wooden spoon, and plastic or glass measuring cups and spoons. DO NOT USE ANY METAL BOWLS OR UTENSILS!!!

CREATE STARTER: In a glazed crock, glass jar, or plastic container, combine about HALF of all ingredients (but use ALL the yeast ). Stir slowly with a wooden spoon until most of the flour lumps are gone. Add remaining ingredients, stir slowly until smooth. DO NOT WHIP. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes.

COVER LOOSELY! Your new starter must be able to breathe and let off gas. If the top to your crock has a rubber gasket, remove the gasket. If the lid to your jar or container screws or snaps on, place the lid on slightly cock-eyed. A tightly sealed crock, jar, or container will result in an explosion of starter---and believe me...it is an UGLY MESS!

Leave your new starter on the kitchen counter, out of the way, overnight. Remember to leave it loosely covered.

Sometime during the day, stir the new starter with a wooden spoon. The starter should be slightly "bubbled" or "pock-marked" on the top. You will notice that the starter may have started to "separate" a little. If so, then you will see a film of liquid (called "hooch") just below the surface of the starter. If you see this liquid, be sure you get all the liquid stirred back into the pasty mixture.

The starter should have a bit of a "sour" odor---if it smells like yeasty, spoiled milk, then everything is coming along just fine! Loosely cover your starter and return it to its cozy little place on your kitchen counter for another night.

If your starter does not look even slightly bubbly on top, then it could be that the milk you used to create the starter was not at room temperature (or warm enough to activate the yeast). If this is the case, dispose of this batch of starter and go back to Day #1. Remember that "room temperature" means the milk has been sitting out for at least 4 hours.

This is the general process that you are going to follow for the next several days. Add ingredients one day, stir the next, add ingredients the following day, etc.

First, thoroughly stir the starter just as you did on Day #2. Measure and set aside 1/2 cup of starter in measuring cup, dish, or jar, and then DISCARD the remaining starter. Yes---put it down the garbage disposal or into the trash.

Wash your crock, jar, or container. Return the 1/2 cup starter to your clean container. Add half of the CREATE FEED ingredients to the starter and stir slowly, getting out most of the flour lumps. Add the remaining CREATE FEED ingredients, and stir slowly until the lumps are gone. DO NOT WHIP.

NOTE: If you don't have any hooch at all by this time, it is unlikely that you will get any. At this point, you will need to "jumpstart" the starter. Instead of proceeding to Day 9, go back to Day 5 and add 1/8 teaspoon of yeast to the Create Feed ingredients. Then proceed to Day 6, 7, and 8. You should have hooch now.

Follow the same general directions as before, except this time measure 1 cup starter and then return it to a clean container (you will be discarding only a very little bit of the "Create Starter" mixture).

Remember to leave it loosely covered. It would be best to put your sourdough container in the back of the first shelf in your refrigerator. You should not notice any smell in your refrigerator. If you do, put the entire container, still loosely covered in a plastic bag. Seal the bag, but poke a couple of small holes in it near the top, enough so that your starter will continue to breathe.

Your starter is ready to be used for your first batch of bread. Remove the starter from the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature. Measure 1 cup of starter to bake bread, and one cup of starter to feed (use the STANDARD FEED ingredients).

You must now begin to keep your starter "alive" by feeding it at least once each week. Use the ingredient list above for "STANDARD FEED Ingredients." A full batch of starter is just a little more than two cups. This gives you 1 cup to bake bread and 1 cup to feed (and replenish the starter), and you will be discarding a minimal amount of starter (1/4 cup or less).

Ideally, the starter is meant for someone who bakes bread on a regular basis, but if you are not going to bake once a week or even once every other week, then you will need to feed the starter in order to keep it active. I recommend that you feed it at least twice a month, at minimum.

If at any time you want to bake MORE than ONE BATCH of bread on a single day, plan ahead and "grow" more starter. You do this by increasing the Standard FEED ingredients proportionally ( i.e., if you feed 2 cups of starter, then multiply the Standard FEED ingredients by 2. This will give you almost 4 1/2 CUPS of starter, or enough to have 1 cup to feed and 3 cups to bake THREE batches of bread).

EVERYDAY SOURDOUGH BREAD (for five loaves) The night before baking, mix in a very large bowl a batter made of: 2 cups sourdough starter 4 cups lukewarm water 5 cups flour Mix well, although there may still be small lumps. Cover lightly and leave overnight at room temperature. The next morning, stir down the batter and return 2 cups to your permanent sourdough container. Add: 3 cups lukewarm water 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 cup powdered milk 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted and cooled (1/2 stick) or vegetable oil flour (white, whole wheat, or a combination thereof; up to 10% other flours may be used) Stir in about 5 cups of flour and beat well. Add about 5 or 6 more cups gradually, until too stiff to stir, then turn out and knead well, adding flour as necessary until the dough is smooth and stands about 1/3 as high as it is wide when resting, or more. Place in a greased bowl, let rise until double. Punch down, let rest 15 minutes. Shape into 5 loaves, place in greased bread pans (9 x 5 x 3). Brush tops with 1 tablespoon melted margarine or butter. Let rise until tops are almost even with top edge of pan. Bake 45 minutes at 375. Turn out immediately onto racks. For a soft crust, rub with hard butter or margarine while still hot. Freeze in plastic bags when cool. For one or two loaves, you may use the following amounts, per loaf: 1 cup fresh starter 1/2 cup warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons dry milk powder 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted shortening flour to make a stiff dough (2 - 3 cups) I always weigh my dough before shaping, to make sure the loaves are equal. The dough for one loaf should weigh 28 ounces (1 pound 12 ounces) for a perfect-sized loaf.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD Combine 1 1/2 cups fresh starter, 1 cup lukewarm water, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 4 to 5 cups flour (preferably "bread" flour or hard wheat flour), kneading well until dough is smooth and very stiff. Let stand, covered, until double. Shape into two round or oblong loaves. Place on greased cookie sheets. Let rise until double in size. Slash the tops with a very sharp knife. Bake 35 minutes or until done at 425 F. During the first half of the baking time, spray the oven every ten minutes with water (or leave a pan of water in the oven while baking).

HAMBURGER BUNS 2 cups fresh sourdough starter, room temperature 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 egg yolk (or 1 egg) 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 to 6 cups flour Mix all ingredients except flour together. Add half the flour, beat well. Gradually add remaining flour until too stiff to stir, then knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep from sticking, until dough is smooth and about 1/3 as tall as wide when allowed to rest. Place in greased bowl, turn, cover lightly to rise until doubled. Punch down, let rest 15 minutes. Pinch off balls about the size of a medium lemon (or divide dough into 20 equal pieces), shape each piece into a smooth ball, and flatten until about 3/4 inches thick. Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Let rise until almost the desired size. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 375 F. Makes about 20 buns. For hot-dog buns, pinch off pieces the size of a medium egg or lime. Shape to the length of a hot-dog, and about 3/4 inch thick. (Use a wooden cutting board with a handle as a roller, rolling the dough between the board and the table top, holding the board perfectly parallel to the table.) Place 1 inch apart on the greased cookie sheets. Makes about 24.

SOURDOUGH MUFFINS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with paper cups for 12 muffins. Combine in a large bowl: 1 cup white all-purpose flour 1 cup of any combination of flour, oatmeal and/or bran 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup dry milk powder 1 teaspoon baking soda (1/2 cup chopped, pitted dried prunes, blueberries or raisins) (1/2 cup chopped walnuts) (1/4 teaspoon powdered coriander, cardamom or cinnamon) Combine in another bowl until well blended: 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1 cup fresh sourdough starter Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients gradually, stirring only enough to moisten and bring to an even consistency. Spoon evenly into the muffin tins. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until done. Remove immediately from the tin. For cranberry muffins, omit the dry milk, use orange juice instead of water, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup, and use 1 cup raw cranberries instead of the fruit and nuts.

SOURDOUGH BISCUITS This recipe makes eight very flaky biscuits. Sift twice to combine well: 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons dry milk powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda With a pastry blender, or two knives, cut in 1/3 cup shortening. Add: 1 cup fresh starter 1/2 cup flour, or more to make the dough kneadable When blended, knead two or three times. Roll out or pat until 1/2 inch thick. Cut in half, place one half over the other and roll out again. Repeat this about eight times. Cut out biscuits, place on ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, brush tops with oil or melted butter. Let stand 30 minutes. Bake 30 minutes at 375 F or 10-12 minutes at 450 F. For dessert shortcakes, increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons and add one egg.

SOURDOUGH BAGELS 1 cup fresh sourdough starter 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup warm water 2 teaspoons salt 2 1/2 cups flour Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Divide into eight portions, and form each into a smooth ball. Punch a hole in the centre of each and stretch evenly until about 3 or 4 inches across. Place on a floured surface and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the bagels (four at a time if the pot is large enough) 3 minutes on each side. Drain and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes at 450.

SOURDOUGH PIZZA Combine 1 cup fresh starter, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 cup (olive) oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in 2 to 3 cups flour, or enough to form a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Let rise until doubled. Roll out or gently shape with hands until about 14" across and about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a greased and floured 14" pizza pan (or you can shape it to fit a rectangular jelly-roll pan). Let stand about 1 hour. Prepare the sauce by combining one 7 or 8 oz. can tomato sauce, 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon crushed dried basil leaves, (1/4 teaspoon ground fennel). Preheat oven to 425. Just before baking, spread sauce on dough, cover with desired toppings (1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms, 1/4 lb. cooked sausage, sliced salami, etc., 1/4 to 1/2 lb. grated mozzarella, sliced olives, sliced peppers, etc.). Sprinkle top with grated parmesan and/or Romano cheese and a few dried parsley flakes. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until done.

SOURDOUGH CINNAMON ROLLS Combine 3/4 cup fresh sourdough starter, 1/4 cup warm water, two eggs, 3/4 cup sugar (granulated or brown), 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted and slightly cooled. Stir in gradually 2 to 3 cups flour, or enough to form a slightly stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Let stand, covered, until double. Roll out into a large rectangle, about 18" by 15". Melt 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, spread over the dough. Combine 1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar, 1 table- spoon ground cinnamon (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander or other spice). Sprinkle evenly over the dough. (Sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped nuts and/or raisins over the dough). Roll up tightly, starting at a long side. Seal the edge. Slice evenly into twelve slices. Place, cut side down, in a large greased baking pan. Let rise. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 400. Cool on a rack. Drizzle with icing made from 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (or lemon juice), 1 tablespoon milk, enough additional confectioner's sugar to make the right consistency.

SOURDOUGH DEEP-FRY BATTER This batter can be used to deep-fry fish, prawns, vegetables or any other food which requires a batter for deep-frying. Combine 1 cup fresh sourdough starter, 1 egg yolk, 1 T oil, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in enough flour to make the batter the right consistency (when poured from a spoon, it should form a triangle off the edge of the spoon before dropping rather than forming a steady stream). Beat well for one or two minutes. Let stand an hour or so.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES Any pancake batter is simply a flour batter with milk, eggs, sugar, salt and liquid fat, with some kind of leavening. Use your favourite recipe, but substitute starter for most of the flour and liquid, and omit baking powder (or use a small amount of soda instead). Allowing the batter to stand for half an hour may make it lighter. If you don't have a pancake recipe, try the following: For about a dozen 4" pancakes, combine: 1 cup starter, preferably freshened the day before 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup powdered milk dissolved in 1/8 cup warm water 1/2 teaspoon soda 2 egg yolks (dash of ground cinnamon or ground cardamon) Let stand half an hour or more, if convenient. Just before baking, fold in gently 2 egg whites, beaten until peaks form. Bake on a lightly greased griddle or large frying pan, heated until a few drops of water immediately form balls and dance around. Turn once, when the bottoms are golden brown.

Another recipe for pancakes. Makes a dozen pancakes. 1 1/2 cups fresh starter, fairly thick 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons dry milk powder Combine all ingredients. Just before baking, stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water.

SOURDOUGH BELGIAN WAFFLES Combine and let stand overnight: 1 cup starter 1 cup water 1/2 cup powdered milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup oil or melted butter or margarine 4 egg yolks 1 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Just before baking in a Belgian waffle iron, beat 4 egg whites almost stiff and gently fold in. Makes 8 or 9 7" waffles, using 7/8 cups batter each.

QUICK BLENDER WAFFLES (added 10/8/05) Makes 2 large servings or 3 medium servings. These are especially tender waffles because of the sourdough, but the soda removes the sour taste. Use the whole wheat flour and Splenda for a healthier breakfast. You can also use oat flour to reach the desired consistency. The recipe could be made in a bowl with a whisk. In the blender, process: 2 whole eggs 1/3 cup powdered skim milk 1/4 tsp salt 2 packets Splenda (use 2 tsp sugar if you're not watching carbs) 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional) Add, but blend only until mixed: 2 cups sour dough starter extra flour to achieve desired consistency Add, but only bend a second 1/2 tsp soda Pour directly into hot well-seasoned griddle (if not certain about how well-seasoned it is, spray lightly with no-stick spray such as Pam)

SOURDOUGH CARROT CAKE Grate two medium carrots, or enough for 1 cup. In a small saucepan, add just enough water to cover, and simmer about 20 minutes. Cream 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth. Mix in a dash of salt, 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup starter, 1/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups flour and the cooked carrots with their cooking water (to make 1 cup). Add 1/2 cup raisins and/or chopped nuts, if you wish. Combine all ingredients well. Grease the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan, line its bottom with wax paper and grease the paper. Pour the batter into the pan and bake about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven until it tests done. For Applesauce Cake, substitute 1 cup applesauce for the carrots.

SOURDOUGH GINGERBREAD CAKE Mix and let stand overnight: 3/4 cups starter 1 cup milk 1 cup flour Next day, cream together 3/4 cups butter (1 1/2 sticks, 6 oz.) 1 cup sugar Add 1 cup dark molasses 2 eggs the starter mixture Combine and add: 3 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake one hour at 325 degrees F.

SOURDOUGH CROISSANTS (makes one dozen) (Although the time for preparation from start to finish is quite long, the actual working time required is short, and these croissants are as flaky and tender as any you can buy at the pastry shop. And they cost only a fraction as much!) Combine well: 1/2 cup starter 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup warm water 3/4 cup flour (preferably bread flour) Let stand three hours or overnight, until expanded to about 2 cups. Slice 2 sticks of cold butter (no substitutes!) into quarter-inch slices. Place side-by-side on a sheet of waxed paper, forming a square. Dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper and roll or press the butter between the papers until the slices are combined into a single slab of butter about 9" x 9". Chill the butter about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Mix into the starter to form a soft dough: 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup cold milk 1 cup flour (preferably bread flour) Knead a few times on a well-floured surface, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour as necessary. Cover and chill about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator. On a well-floured surface, quickly roll out the cold dough into a rectangle about 15" x 10". Cut the cold butter in half and place one slab of butter across the centre one-third of the dough. Fold one end of the dough over the butter, and then place the other half- slab of butter on it. Then fold the last third of the dough over the butter, forming a package of dough-butter-dough-butter-dough, about 10" x 5". Pinch the edges together so that there is no butter showing. Quickly roll out this package of dough and butter into a rectangle about 10" x 15". Fold it again into thirds, forming a package about 10" x 5" and chill in the refrigerator at least an hour. Repeat the previous step once more (roll out to 10" x 15", fold in thirds, roll out and fold again, chill). Prepare two large jelly-roll pans by lining them with waxed paper and grease the paper lightly. (Do not use rimless cookie sheets.) Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 10" x 15". Cut the dough into six 5" x 5" squares, then cut each square diagonally forming twelve triangles, 5" x 5" x 7". Flatten each triangle to about 1/8 thick- ness, by rolling from the longest side to the point, stretching it until the point is about 8" from the longest side. Starting at the longest side, roll it up tightly. Turn so that the point is underneath the roll, then bend the two ends so that they curl around toward the point. Place each croissant on the pans. Let rise in a warm place about one hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the croissants 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and let them sit in the warm oven an additional 10 minutes. (If you bake both batches at the same time, one on an upper shelf and one on a lower shelf, you might want to reverse their positions half-way through the baking time.) (If you wish, you may glaze the croissants, just before baking, with a glaze made of 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk.)

SOURDOUGH PUMPERNICKEL BREAD Combine: 1 cup fresh starter 1/4 cup warm water 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp dark molasses Add: 2 tbsp gluten flour 1 tbsp baking cocoa 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp dry milk powder 1 tbsp ground caraway 1 cup rye flour 1 cup whole wheat flour Knead well (at least ten minutes!), shape into a loaf, place in a greased loaf pan 7.5 x 3.5 x 2.25 inches. Grease the top lightly. Let rise until almost doubled, four to six hours. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 375 F. For one large loaf, double the recipe, use a regular size loaf pan, and increase the baking time by ten to fifteen minutes.

SOURDOUGH PASTRY (PIE CRUST) For a 9" double-crust pie: Sift together: 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Cut in 2/3 cup shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh starter, just until all ingredients are moistened. Add a few drops water if too dry, a spoonful more flour if too moist. Cover or wrap and let stand 30 minutes. Roll out, use and bake as for any pie crust.

Baking Terms 101

• Beat
  To combine ingredients vigorously with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, hand beater or electric mixer until the ingredients are smooth and uniform.
• Blend
  To combine ingredients with a spoon, wire whisk, or rubber scraper until very smooth and uniform. A blender or food processor may also be used, depending on the job.
• Boil
  To heat a liquid until bubbles rise continuously and break on the surface and steam is given off. For a rolling boil, the bubbles form rapidly and will not stop forming even when the liquid is stirred.
• Fold
  To combine ingredients lightly while preventing loss of air by using two motions: Using a rubber spatula, first cut down vertically through the mixture. Next, slide the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the side, turning the mixture over. Repeat these motions after rotating the bowl one-fourth turn with each series of strokes.
• Grease
  To rub the inside surface of a pan with solid shortening, using a pastry brush, wax paper or paper towels, to prevent food from sticking during baking. Nonstick cooking spray may also be used; do not use butter or margarine (especially in a baked recipe) because sticking may occur.
• Grease and Flour
  To rub the inside surface of a pan with solid shortening before dusting it with flour, to prevent food from sticking during baking. After flouring the pan, turn it upside down, tapping the bottom to remove excess flour. If the batter to be added to the pan is chocolate, HERSHEY'S Cocoa may be used in place of flour to add a rich brown coating to the final product.
• Heat Oven
  To turn the oven controls to the desired temperature, allowing the oven to heat thoroughly before adding food. Heating takes about 10 minutes.
• Mix
  To combine ingredients in any way that distributes them evenly. This can be accomplished using a hand utensil or an electric mixer.
• Soften
  To allow cold food, such as butter, margarine or cream cheese, to stand at room temperature until no longer hard. Generally this will take 30 to 60 minutes.
• Stir
  To combine ingredients with a circular or "figure 8" motion until they are of a uniform consistency.
• Whip
  To beat ingredients with a wire whisk, hand rotary beater or electric mixer to add air and increase volume until ingredients are light and fluffy, such as with whipping cream or egg whites.

Cookery Techniques

• General Hints
  Choose a cool, dry day to melt chocolate for chocolate coating. Humidity in the air or even in the kitchen will cause chocolate to tighten up or become stiff and grainy, a condition known as "seizing."
• Only use very dry utensils when melting chocolate. Wet utensils (even with two or three drops of water) can cause chocolate to seize.
• Break chocolate into small pieces to speed the melting process.
• Chocolate can scorch easily. Stir melting chocolate periodically to help blending and discourage scorching.
• Steam, condensation, or water droplets may cause chocolate to become lumpy and grainy. If during the melting process the chocolate product begins to tighten or become lumpy, it is advisable to add a small amount of solid vegetable shortening (not butter, margarine, spreads, oil, water or milk) to the chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate squares, or other baking pieces. As an emergency measure only, stir in 1 level tablespoon solid vegetable shortening for each 6 ounces of chocolate you are melting. (6 ounces is equal to 1 cup baking chips or 6 1-oz squares of baking chocolate.

• The freezing procedure for each type of ice cream maker differs so always read the owner's manual and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.
• Ice cream expands as it freezes so don't overfill the container. Fill the container to no more than two-thirds or three-fourths of its capacity. (Check the manufacturer's directions.)
• Ice cream needs to sit for an hour or two in the freezer after making. This is called "ripening" and allows flavors to develop and blend.
• Because homemade ice cream has no stabilizers or emulsifiers and less air than commercial ice creams, it will not keep as well and will freeze to a harder state. You may need to allow it to soften slightly before you can serve.

• Store ice cream in the coldest part of your freezer. Melting and freezing causes ice crystals to form.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to air by covering the ice cream tightly and returning it to the freezer immediately after serving.
• To help prevent the formation of ice crystals, press plastic wrap or wax paper on ice cream surface before replacing lid.
• Do not store ice cream next to any uncovered food in your freezer. Flavors could be transferred to the ice cream.