Food Tips

Love to eat Pasta? Here's a great tip for you

How to cook a Perfect Al Dente Pasta

I personally love to cook different pasta dishes particularly our favorite Spaghetti. We like to prepare it at home since we know different styles of preparing it. A perfectly cooked pasta is firm to the bite but not too soft. This is what they called the term 'Al Dente' in Italian meaning "to the teeth."

Nevertheless some pastas I've cooked before turned out to be over cooked. It's too wet and soft. It's definitely not appealing to eat. Following the package instructions is suggested but the best thing to do is to taste it so you know if it's well done or not. Cook your pasta over boiling water with 2 tbsp of salt into it. Don't put oil into it as this will only result in sliding of the sauce over the pasta. Twirl it with tong occasionally so the strands won't stick together. Begin to taste test your pasta when 7 or 8 minutes has passed, try to bite a piece when its still crunchy and stiff then it means it's still under cooked. It should be firm to the bite. When it's well done drain the water well and immediately serve it with your favorite sauce while it's still hot.

From rotten to fresh

Best ways to store tomatoes

My mom won't miss buying tomatoes from the local market as she always use tomatoes in some of her fine dishes. But some of it turned out to be over ripe and some have rotten so she always keep it cooled in the fridge along with the other vegetables. The cold temperature prolongs the shelf life of the tomato. But once it is sliced and some of its juices have lost and its flesh have gone pale, Better keep it on a room temperature for it to preserve its natural flavors. But if you always make it a habit to store your tomatoes in the fridge just like what we always do, before using it just put them out of the room temperature for at least an hour to revive its flavors. Another thing is, to avoid an over ripe and rotten tomato, remove its stems and store them upside down, in this way you prevent the air from getting into where the stem used to be. That are some of the very easy tricks to store your tomatoes.

How to prevent Apples from Browning

One of my favorite fruits is Apple. They say an Apple a day will definitely keep the doctors away. I absolutely agree with it. It's loaded with Vitamin C and dietary fiber essential for a smooth flow of our digestive system. Apple can also be an alternative healthy snack when you're craving for some potato chips or crackers. It's very low in Sodium and Saturated fat. However, the downside of it is once exposed to an open air, it develops what is called 'oxidation,' a process wherein apple will turn into brownish in color. The fruit has an enzyme that reacts to the oxygen. When that happens, this fruit is not appealing but it's still good to eat. The good news is, there are ways you can prevent apple from turning brown. here's a list you can try:

1. Soak apple in Lemon juice. The citric acid in Lemon will prevent the apple from Oxidation. Mix 1 tbsp of Lemon juice to a cup of water and soak it for about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Salt is also a good way of preventing your apples to turn brown. Just put some 1/2 tsp in 4 c of water.
3. Apple cider Vinegar can also be used. Just pour 1 to 2 tbsp in a cup of water. I put it in the fridge for an hour. I like my apples to be cooled. It's more appetizing to me. 
4. If you don't have a Lemon, Pineapple juice is a good substitute for soaking your apples.
5. Lemon Carbonated Soda will also work but this is not a healthier option.

Is it safe to eat expired chocolates?

The answer, is a big yes! But that still depends on how you store your chocolates and some factors may affect its flavor. for example, when it is exposed in air for a long period of time, chocolate develops a white caoating called 'bloom', this happens when fat melts and rises on top. Its still fine to eat but in some cases, depending on the product, the chocolates starts to taste waxy. Still, the best part of eating chocolate is to enjoy it before the printed date of expiration. So what's the best thing to do to store your chocolates to extend its shelf life? Generally, chocolates have a low melting point when exposed to room temperature so if you got lots of chocollections (collections of chocolate) at your home, the proper way of storing it is put it in a sealed container or plastic wrap right in your fridge to keep the moisture and contaminants away. At the end of the day, your sense of sight and smell is still the best judge whether your sweet temptations has gone bad. 

Uses for Mint

Pepper mint

Mint makes a very delicious addition to every meal, an attractive garnish to every dessert and has a healthful and soothing effect in teas. There are more than 20 species of mint leaves in botanical world. Peppermint is one of the most common mint used in Culinary, Commercial and Medicinal products. Mint is an easy to grow herb, just planting it in a container makes its pleasing aroma a very good addition to your garden or right to your kitchen's window. Mint is usually added to drinks to create an aromatic and interesting flavor. This herb is also mixed into side dishes and also used for seasoning meats. Mint can also be added to water for a more refreshing effect. 

The Difference between 'sea salt' and 'table salt'

Sea salt

  

Table salt

Salt is one of the most needed mineral on earth. It's a must have in every kitchen. It is commonly used in preparing food and in cooking. The sea salt and table salt are two of the commonly used salt worldwide. But do you know the differences between these two varieties of salt? The general distinction of sea salt and table salt is its texture and their taste. Sea salt is obtained in sea water evaporation. Sea salt doesn't contain iodine compare to the table salt but its mineral content gives a more different taste and a stronger flavor. The table salt also known as Iodized salt is mined from mineral deposits. It's basically high in Iodine an essential mineral for maintaining a normal thyroid function. Both salt have 40% of Sodium content.

How would you know if an 'Egg' is fresh?

Eggs are widely consumed around the world making the Chicken eggs as the most common and the largest mass produced egg worldwide. But how would you know if the egg you bought from the market is fresh? Just fill the bowl with water, then add the egg to the bowl. If it sinks then that means it's fresh. But if it floats, it's not. That's because when the egg ages, it develops a larger air pocket in its shell. It's an important to determine the freshness of eggs so we are assured we absorb its important nutritional value to our health.