yield: Makes 6 servings

Preparation

For herbed salt:
Rub first 6 ingredients in small bowl to crush herbs finely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; store at room temperature. Stir in peel before using.

For turkey:
Rinse turkey inside and out (do not pat dry). Pull any fat pads from main cavity and neck cavity of turkey; wrap, chill, and reserve fat for roasting. Place turkey in roasting bag; sprinkle inside and out with herbed salt. Close bag. Place on baking sheet; refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.

Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat very dry. Stir chopped onion and next 5 ingredients in small bowl. Divide onion mixture between main and neck cavities. Fold neck skin under and secure with skewer. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Spread butter all over turkey. Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in pan; pour in 2 cups Golden Turkey Stock.

Roast turkey 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, basting every 45 minutes, adding stock or water to pan if dry, and tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly, 3 to 3 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter; tent very loosely with foil and let rest 30 to 45 minutes. Reserve roasting pan with juices for gravy.

For gravy:
Remove turkey neck, heart, and gizzard from roasting pan. Pull meat off neck; chop neck meat, heart, and gizzard and reserve for gravy, if desired. Pour pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat from surface, reserving 1/2 cup fat. Add enough turkey stock to degreased pan juices to measure 5 1/2 cups total.

Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup reserved fat and shallots; sauté 1 minute. Whisk in flour. Cook until roux is light brown, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in wine, stock mixture, mustard, and fresh rosemary. Bring to boil, whisking to blend. Boil until gravy coats spoon, about 3 minutes. Add neck, heart, and gizzard, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

Bon Appétit | November 2008

by Rick Rodgers

The French Culinary Institute offers various part-time/full time culinary courses. FCI is reckoned among the topmost community of culinary schools in our country, and received “The Award of Excellence for Vocational Cooking School” in April 2006, from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).

Here are five interesting facts about the exciting experience of being at FCI. You can hone your craft and shape your dreams with the intense training program of FCI.

1. Top-class international chefs and food experts take both day and night classes which are intense and small with 12 students per batch and makes your training exciting, fast and more intense. These inspiring instructors comment, support and correct you at every step giving you their total attention.
2. Their new ‘Total Immersion’ approach, ensures that you learn the maximum in 6 to 9 months, after which you graduate as fully-trained chefs. FCI also provides you with powerful professionals of world’s high raking restaurants who hire fresh and creative talent either internship or even full-time positions.
3. Learn from the legends themselves as the curriculum is designed by famous chefs of the world, for instance, Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner, Jacques Pepin, Cesare Casella, Jacques Torres, and Alan Richman.
4. Now students can also live in New York with several secure and beautiful low-cost housing options available near The FCI. The housing options include Roosevelt Island apartments and EHS Clark of Brooklyn Heights and various other apartments in New York City. The apartments are available on first come first served basis. Many of these places are just a subway ride away from the FCI.
5. The French Culinary Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Students may obtain information regarding availability of comparable programs, including tuition, fees, and program length from the ACCSCT.

With these 5 interesting facts about the French Culinary Institute, you can certainly count on having an intense and knowledge gaining experience while learning your culinary arts at this institute.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erik_R_Johnson ]]> http://theculinaryarts.net/2009/09/5-facts-about-the-french-culinary-institute/feed/ http://theculinaryarts.net/2009/09/turkey-chili/ http://theculinaryarts.net/2009/09/turkey-chili/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:37:03 +0000 admin http://theculinaryarts.net/?p=128

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yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

active time: 20 min

total time: 45 min

Preparation

Cook onion and peppers in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Add spices and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with back of a spoon, then add beans, water, and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.

Stir in turkey and let stand, covered, until heated through, 5 minutes.

Gourmet | November 2008

by Melissa Roberts

The general rule of thumb, which many people, even the novice wine drinkers know, is that red wine goes with red meat and white wine with white meat. This means that meals where the central focus is a steak, lamb chops, or another rich red meat should be served with red wine. Likewise, meals where the main course includes white meat, such as poultry or fish, or a meat substitute are best with a white wine. However, this is a very simplistic rule for choosing an appropriate wine; those who are better versed in the culinary arts have a slightly more complicated set of rules for choosing the perfect wine for a meal.

Essentially, the intensity of flavoring in your meal is best complemented by a wine with an equally intense taste. In other words, meals that are heavier and richer, such as steaks, lamb chops, and other red meats, go best with the full-bodied flavors of most red wines. Meals that are lighter go best with the lighter tastes in most white wines. Once you understand this rule, you will understand why, for a true connoisseur of wine and the culinary arts, a red wine can be paired with a heavily spiced poultry dish, and a white wine may be used to complement a red meat dish with a mild taste.

Another way of determining the perfect wine judges by the taste of the wine, rather than its color. Wine contains two very different types of tastes: the acidity level of the wine, and the sweetness level of the wine. In general, a wine should be chosen to match these levels in the wine with those in the food. This guideline makes it possible to choose wine for meals, snacks, and even desserts that do not include meat. For instance, fruit and cheese are two types of food that are often paired with wine. Fruit, which contains high levels of both sugar and acid, is often paired with a sweet wine that has a high acidity level. Likewise, cheese best brings out the taste of a wine with low levels of sugar and acid. Food that is heavily spiced, on the other hand, may be best with a wine that has a low sweetness rating but a higher acidity level. Dessert is best served with a dessert wine; a wine that is very sweet but has a low acidity level.

Naturally, there are always exceptions to the rules, even in the culinary arts. For instance, pizza and fast food can be difficult to select a wine for, especially when trying to use the above rules. Many experts in the culinary arts suggest that rather than trying to match the acidity level of your wine to low acidity levels present in fast food and pizza, you select a wine with higher acidity levels. A more highly acidic wine complements pizza and fast food not by its similarities to the food, but by balancing the tastes present in the food. However, the sweetness levels should still be matched. A wine that is not sweet enough will taste bitter when paired with a sugary food, such as hush puppies or Hawaiian pizza, and a wine that is too sweet will seem shocking and syrupy if it is served with a salty or sour food, such as French fries.

An understanding of the culinary arts is an important part of planning a meal. Everything from the various different foods you service down to the wine available with each meal needs to be carefully chosen, so that all of the flavors complement one another. A badly chosen food or wine will clash with all of the other tastes present in the meal, disrupting or even ruining the experience. Any good host or hostess will pay close attention to the teachings of the culinary arts when choosing a wine to accompany his or her meal.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

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yield: Makes 4 servings

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and brown for 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until liquid reduces, 15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and 4 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon into a 9×9-inch baking dish.

3. Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain; mash with butter and milk. Spread mash over the meat mixture. Bake in a 400°F oven until brown, 30 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro.

PARADE | September 2009

by Sheila Lukins and Laurie Griffith

Source: http://www.articlestreet.com

1. Rosemary
Rosemary has been used as a brain tonic in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years. Rosemary contains volatile oils that help stimulate brain activities and increase brain alertness. One compound it contains, cineole, has been found to enhance the ability of rat to navigate mazes. So skip the harsh coffee and spice up your energy level with rosemary. Other benefits? Rosemary also aids in digestion and perks up your immune system. Steep it as tea, use in your poultry dishes and soups–or just crush some up to fill your home with an energizing scent.

Growing tips: Rosemary needs to live in a very sunny window and may even need supplemental light. It is sensitive to overwatering so keep it on the dry side.

2. Mint
Peppermint, spearmint, and other mint-family plants are considered one of the most versatile herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Peppermint has many well-documented properties: It increases healthy gastric secretions, relaxes the intestines, soothes spasms, settles the stomach, and alleviates gas. In a culture marked by poor diet and digestion–and the heartburn that comes with it–peppermint can be your best friend. Additionally, peppermint is rich in antioxidants that support good vision and also cleanses your liver, helping to eliminate harmful toxins from your body. Steep peppermint as a tea and drink it a half an hour after mealtimes for untroubled digestion.

Growing tips: Mint is an easy-to-grow herb that is invasive, so be sure to grow it in its own pot.

3. Oregano
When you’re suffering from cold or flu, steep oregano in a pot of water and inhale the vapors, which are antibacterial, antiviral and decongesting. This immunity-enhancing herb also settles digestion and prevents bloating.

Growing tips: Oregano needs a lot of light to grow so find a window with direct light or grow out-of-doors.

4. Sage
Chinese traditional medicine has long used sage to help prevent the loss of mental function that comes with age. Sage has been found to increase oxygen to the brain cortex and to help improve concentration. Sage is easy on the digestion. Cook it up in soups and poultry dishes.

Growing tips: Sage can be a bit difficult to grow. It is very sensitive to overwatering because it is more susceptible to mildew than other herbs.

5. Chives
A member of the garlic and onion family, chives have been used throughout history for natural healing because they contain a substantial amount of vitamin C as well as essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and folic acid. In Chinese medicine they are used to clear stuffy noses, prevent bad breath, ease stomach aches, strengthen the lower back, and improve poor circulation that gives you cold hands and feet. Some serving suggestions? Chop up chives and add them to stir-fries or mix in with ground poultry to stuff ravioli or dumplings.

Growing tips: Chives are fairly easy to grow because they don’t require as much light as other herbs.

6. Basil
A favorite herb in Italian cooking, basil’s scent can perk up your energy level and it is filled with luteolin, a bioflavonoid that studies have shown to be the best protection of cell DNA from radiation.

Growing tips: Basil can be more difficult to grow. Your best bet is to grow it during warm, bright summer months.

7. Cilantro
Cilantro is an energy tonic that can boost your immune system and smooth out your digestion. Use it in your cooking to get its health benefits.

Growing tips: Cilantro, the name for the stems and leaves of the coriander plant, can be hard to grow. Sow the coriander seeds in a thick concentration in a shallow tray.

8. Parsley
Parsley is used in a Chinese folk remedy for cooling the liver and clearing the eyes. Parsley is packed with luteolin, and there is some evidence that this helps protect the eye from UV radiation damage and from glycation, a process in which sticky sugar molecules bind up protein, potentially damaging the retina. The age-old folk remedy recipe for vision protection is a juice blend of celery, peppermint, and Chinese parsley, made fresh daily.

Growing tips: Parsley doesn’t need very much sun, but it is a slow grower, so don’t expect a high yield.

Herbal Tea Recipes
Aside from use in cooking, all of the above herbs can be used to make aromatic potent teas. You may use the herbs individually or experiment with combinations. For example, to make a tea that soothes digestion and prevents bloating: Steep 1 teaspoon each of mint, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, sage and basil and in a cup of hot filtered water for five minutes.

Other herbal teas that can bring big benefits to your health are my specially formulated Ancient Treasures tea and Internal Cleanse tea, which will gently cleanse your body of toxins and bring you emotional tranquility.

Grow Your Own
To grow your own herbs, all you need is some terra cotta pots with drainage holes, high-quality organic potting soil, and a window sill that gets at least six hours of light per day. A southwestern-facing window is your best choice for good light. If this isn’t possible, you can get a few clamp-on reflector lights with compact fluorescent bulbs and place them about six inches away from the plant. Keep in mind that overwatering is the biggest mistake people make when trying to grow herbs inside. The rule of thumb is to let the herbs dry out completely, and then water. Beginning with baby plants will be less troublesome than starting from seed. With practice, you will learn the best ways to grow and care for your indoor herbal garden.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni