Transgénicos

Monsanto

El uso de transgénicos en México

Artículo escrito por Raúl Mannise para ecocosas.com

trío tóxico

¿Es bueno pintar las uñas a tu hija?

13 de enero de 2014 - por: Crystal Honores
- See more at: http://serpadres.com/ninos/ninos-salud/lee-esto-antes-de-pintarle-las-unas-a-tu-hija


Algunos pediatras recomiendan no dejarlas hacerlo ya que algunas marcas de esmalte de uñas contienen sustancias que representan un riesgo para el desarrollo, que puede ser especialmente peligroso si tu hija se come las uñas.

Se trata del llamado “trío tóxico”: formaldehído, un agente cancerígeno, tolueno, un solvente que se halla en la gasolina, y dibutil ftalato, que es tan nocivo para el desarrollo y el sistema reproductivo que la Unión Europea ya lo ha prohibido. La buena noticia es que son varias las compañías que ofrecen esmaltes que no incluyen estos compuestos químicos. Entre éstas figuran Butter London, Scotch Naturals, Honeybee Gardens WaterColors, Zoya, y Piggy Paint, una marca diseñada especialmente para las niñas.

VICHYSSOISE

Más en http://elcocinerofiel.com/
Ingredientes:
1 cebolla, 3 puerros,
1 patata, ½ litro de leche,
50 ml de nata, 1 cucharada de mantequilla,
aceite de oliva virgen extra,
pimienta y sal.

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Vichyssoise ( /ˌvɪʃiˈswɑːz/ US dict: vish·ē·swäz′) is a thick soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. It is traditionally served cold, but can also be eaten hot.

The origins of vichyssoise are a subject of debate among culinary historians; Julia Child calls it "an American invention",^[2] whereas others observe that "the origin of the soup is questionable in whether it's genuinely French or an American creation".^[3]
Louis Diat, a chef at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City, is most often credited with its (re)invention.^[4] In 1950, Diat told New Yorker magazine:

In the summer of 1917, when I had been at the Ritz seven years, I reflected upon the potato and leek soup of my childhood which my mother and grandmother used to make. I recalled how during the summer my older brother and I used to cool it off by pouring in cold milk and how delicious it was. I resolved to make something of the sort for the patrons of the Ritz.^[5]

The same article explains that the soup was first titled crème vichyssoise glacée - then, after the restaurant's menu changed from French to English in 1930, cream vichyssoise glacée. Diat named it after Vichy, a town not far from his home town of Montmarault, France.
Earlier, French chef Jules Gouffé created a recipe for a hot potato and leek soup, publishing a version in Royal Cookery (1869).^[6]

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el arsénico en el arroz

Consumer Reports on Health: 12-2011

Una nueva investigación financiada por el gobierno federal entre más de 200 mujeres embarazadas que estaban recibiendo cuidado prenatal en el área de New Hampshire reportó que hay una conexión entre el consumo de arroz y elevados niveles de arsénico en la orina. Esto sugiere que “muchas personas en Estados Unidos pueden estar expuestos a niveles de arsénico potencialmente dañidos vía el consumo de arroz”, según el estudio realizado por investigadores del Centro de Salud Ambiental y Prevención de las Enfermedades del Hospital Infantil de Dartmouth.

phase-out of trans fats

Published on Nov 7, 2013

The Food and Drug Administration is requiring a gradual phase-out of trans fats in food. The artery-clogging additive is widely considered the worst kind of fat for the heart and can lead to heart attacks and death.

Custard

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 can evaporated milk 12 oz / 354 ml
1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz / 396 ml
1 can media crema 7.6 oz / 225 ml OR you could use sour cream mixed with a little milk to thin it just a little bit
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

NOTE** I recommend baking only 1 hour and checking it, it needs to be jiggly in center when taking out of oven









Easy instructions on how to make classic creme brulee from the Culinary Institute of America

artificial dyes can trigger hyperactivity in children

Did you know that M&M’s candies contain harmful, petroleum-based, artificial dyes that can trigger hyperactivity in sensitive children? I believe eliminating these dyes did wonders for my family’s health. M&M’s are already made without most of those dyes in Europe so I don’t understand why they are being made with cheaper, controversial ingredients in North America? Please sign my petition asking for M&M’s to be made without artificial dyes.
I’m a mom to two kids, and we like having some sweets around the house like most people do. Several years ago our little Trenton (now 9 years old) was having some behavioral problems. He was having trouble in school, at hockey practice, and at home with tasks as basic as falling asleep. He'd often have nightmares, and the slightest disappointment would set him off. As I did some research, I found out that parents all across the country have been struggling with similar hyperactivity issues. I also found out that many families were using an “elimination diet” to isolate and remove harmful ingredients -- particularly artificial dyes. By removing dyes like those found in M&M's, they were able to delay, reduce, and sometimes eliminate the need for medication.
Some of the latest info from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that more than 1 out of every 10 school-aged child has received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder! My understanding is that’s a 41% percent increase in the past decade, and that’s why I’m so interested in trying to find simple solutions that will help make our families healthier.
I’m not trying to keep my kids from being kids.  They can have treats.  But they don’t need petroleum-based dyes.
Just two days after deciding to eliminate artificial dyes from Trenton's diet, we saw dramatic improvements! His nightmares stopped and he was able to sleep through the night. Trent changed from a child who would have a meltdown if he didn’t get his way during playtime to a calm student who could share and do his schoolwork. When Trenton returned to hockey camp, the coach couldn’t believe he was the same person, calling him "smiling, eager to participate, and a joy to have on the ice.” Trenton’s teachers and coaches all know him for his sense of humor, wit and contagious positive attitude. Trenton excels in academics and sports, and this has been possible since our family figured out the harmful effects of the dyes.
We did this without medication and by eliminating harmful dyes like the Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40 found in M&M’s. When M&M’s are sold in Europe, different dyes are used because otherwise they’d be required by law to place a label on the packaging that says “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
With Halloween coming up, I’ve decided to work with the experts at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) on this campaign. Their review of scientific studies shows that artificial dyes including Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40 can stimulate hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children.  CSPI has recommended that these additives be prohibited from use in foods. I was present at a 2011 hearing where even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged that “Exposure to food and food components, including artificial food colors and preservatives, may be associated with adverse behaviors” in children.
M&M’s used to be one of Trenton’s favorite candies, but we’ve found products in the United States like SunDrops, Yummy Gummies, and Unreal that don’t use these dyes. And they taste great! I don’t believe anyone should be eating cheap, harmful, unnecessary dyes when safer alternatives exist and already are used in M&M’s in Europe! Please join us in asking Mars Inc., manufacturer of M&M’s, to replace artificial dyes with natural coloring.

Sign Renee's Petition

Pumpkin Pie

You probably take pumpkin pie from canned pumpkin for granted. You're there, the can is there, there's a pumpkin on the label... open it and mix it up with spices to make a pie, right? Ah, but a pumpkin pie made from a fresh pumpkin tastes so much better than the glop that was processed last year! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and fully illustrated. And it is much easier than you think, using my "patented" tips and tricks! This makes a light, fluffy pumpkin pie with a fresh, traditional pumpkin pie taste. I can assure you that this will be the best pumpkin pie you've ever made! This is also a great thing to do with your kids! Children just love pumpkins: growing them, carving them, and making a pie from them! And who cares if Libby's says there will be a shortage of canned pumpkin this year? As long as you can find a pumpkin or a butternut squash, you can make a BETTER pumpkin pie!

pumpkin pie recipe

You will need
850 g pumpkin, chopped
350 ml cream
190 g brown sugar
Half tsp salt
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp cinnamon
quarter tsp nutmeg
quarter tsp allspice
the zest of 1 lemon
1 short-crust pastry base, ready made
1 roasting tin
1 spoon
1 fork
1 pie mold
1 jug
1 hand blender
aluminium foil
parchment paper
about 500g of beans to weigh down the crust
Step 2: Preheat the oven
Set the temperature to 180ºC or gas mark 4.

Step 3: Roast the pumpkin
Tip the chopped pumpkin into the roasting tin and cover it tightly with aluminium foil. Put the tin on a low shelf in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes (this is the first stage of creating the pumpkin puree).

Step 4: Prepare the pastry base
Gently lay the pastry crust on the pie mold and carefully press it down to form the shape of the pie. Remove any excess pastry from the edges. Now using a fork, lightly jab the bottom of the base various times. This will prevent the pastry from rising.


Put the parchment paper over the top of the pastry and pour the beans on top to weigh it down.

Step 5: Bake the pastry
Place the pie mold in the oven with the pumpkin and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from the oven
When the pastry crust is golden brown, take it out of the oven. Test the pumpkin to see if it's done by piercing it with a fork. It needs to be completely soft to make the puree. Remove it from the oven and discard the foil. Take the beans off the pastry and leave it and the pumpkin to cool.


Finally, raise the temperature of the oven to 210 degrees centigrade or gas mark 6.

Step 7: Make the pumpkin puree
Spoon the cooked pumpkin into the jug and using the hand blender, blend into a puree.

Step 8: Prepare the pie filling
In a large bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon zest and salt. Now, whisk the eggs, add them to the other ingredients and stir. Pour in the pumpkin puree and cream and stir well.

Step 9: Bake
Pour the filling into the pastry crust, almost to the top. Carefully place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 160ºC and bake for a further 35 minutes.

Step 10: Remove from the oven
When the pie is fully cooked remove it from the oven and allow it to cool and set.

Step 11: Serve
The pie can be eaten warm or cold and served dusted with icing sugar and with a dollop of whipped cream.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

Published on Mar 5, 2013

SIGN THIS PETITION NOW: http://change.org/kraftyellow Hi - This is Lisa Leake from http://100daysofrealfood.com and Vani Hari from http://foodbabe.com

We recently discovered that several American food products contain harmful additives that are not used -- and in some cases banned -- in other countries. One of those products is an iconic staple that almost every American, us included, has had at one time or another: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the US contains the artificial food dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. These dyes are not in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in other countries, including the UK, because they are considered harmful overseas and were removed due to consumer outcry. It's time we demand the same here in the US!

We are petitioning Kraft to remove all artificial food dyes from their line of macaroni and cheese products.

Kraft, which is an American company by the way, has already removed this unnecessary - yet potentially harmful - additive from their products overseas but still serves it up to their fellow Americans. Here are the reasons we are asking Kraft to remove Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from their entire line of Macaroni and Cheese:

Artificial food dyes...

- Are man-made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum (a crude oil product, which also happens to be used in gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar).

- Require a warning label in other countries outside the US.

- Have been banned in countries like Norway and Austria (and are being phased out in the UK).

- Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 specifically are contaminated with known carcinogens (a.k.a. an agent directly involved in causing cancer).

- Cause an increase in hyperactivity in children.

- Have a negative impact on children's ability to learn.

- Have been linked to long-term health problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and migraines.

- Add absolutely no value to the foods we are eating and are used solely for aesthetic purposes.

- To prove this last point we personally tested both the US and UK versions of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and found little difference in color and virtually no difference in taste (see for yourself in the video below).

So please...

1. Go to our petition page and sign your name - http://change.org/kraftyellow

2. Share our petition with your family and friends

We both grew up eating this product - Lisa used to feed it to her kids years ago - and it's available at almost every grocery store across the country. Our kids deserve the same as our friends overseas!

Kraft Foods is the largest food company headquartered in the United States. If Kraft changes their Macaroni and Cheese, we know this could inspire other food companies across the US to finally eliminate dangerous artificial food dyes once and for all.

Join us and demand this change by signing this petition now.

Thank you for all your support - together we can make a difference.

http://change.org/kraftyellow

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The potential health effects of artificial colors such as cochineal, a food dye derived from crushed insects.



The effects of artificial colors on impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity among young children.

apple pie

Does anything smell better than an apple pie baking in the oven? Lauren Chattman from Pillsbury shows how to make the perfect apple pie. It's so good you don't even need the ice cream (but we'll understand if you have some anyway).

Recipe: How to make apple pie

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll one refrigerated pie crust into a 9 inch glass pie plate.

2. Mix 6 cups of thinly sliced apples, preferably a firm variety like Granny Smith, 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt. Pour entire mixture into the pie shell.

3. Take the second pie crust and roll it right on top of the apples. There should be a little bit of the pie crust hanging over the pie plate. Tuck the edges under for a thick crust.

4. To finish the crust with a scalloped edge, place your index finger and thumb on a section of the outside edge of the pie crust. With your index finger on the other hand press into that section from the inside of the pie crust to make a scalloped edge all the way around.

5. Cut four to six slits in the top of the pie for ventilation. This lets the moisture escape and ensures your apple pie has a crisper top crust.

6. Place a pie shield, or aluminum foil strips, over the pie crust edges to prevent burning.

7. Bake the apple pie for 40 to 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before the pie is finished, take the pie shield off to let the edge brown up.

8. After baking, the apple pie should cool for two hours so the juices are reabsorbed into the apples. Your willpower will pay off because you'll be able to cut beautiful, neat slices.

Pillsubry's apple pie recipe serves 6-8.

sashimi

cutting fish at Kikka Sushi Bellevue, WA

un ambiente de asepsia

La excesiva higiene y otros factores como la alimentación o la contaminación incrementan el número de casos de niños alérgicos cada año, y ya suponen uno de cada cinco, según los expertos reunidos en el Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergia y Asma Pediátrica (SEICAP), que se celebra desde este jueves en Ávila. Tan sólo en el caso del asma el número de niños se ha duplicado en las últimas tres décadas, según datos de la SEICAP.

25 May 2013 | REDACCIÓN, LAFLECHA

Cured Lemons

Roast beef

typically use a rump roast when making roast beef. You can also use a round roast or a sirloin tip with these instructions. This slow roasting method at low heat is good for tougher cuts of beef; the lower heat prevents any gristle from getting too tough. This method should not be used with choice or prime grades of beef, or the more tender cuts, as slow cooking more delicate cuts will make them mushy.

Roast beef made this way is easy, relatively inexpensive, and you get great leftovers for roast beef sandwiches.

Roast Beef Recipe

Cook time: 3 hours
Add to shopping list
INGREDIENTS
3 to 3 1/2 lbs (1.3 to 1.6 kg) of Boneless Rump Roast (pick an end cut with a layer of fat if you can)
Olive oil
8 slivers of garlic
Salt and pepper
You will need a meat thermometer

For the gravy:

Red wine, water, and or beef stock
corn starch
METHOD
1 Start with the roast at room temperature (remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking - keep it wrapped). Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2 With a sharp knife make 8 small incisions around the roast. Place a sliver of garlic into each incision. Take a tablespoon or so of olive oil and spread all around the roast. Sprinkle around the roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast directly on an oven rack, fatty side up, with a drip pan on a rack beneath the roasting rack. This arrangement creates convection in the oven so that you do not need to turn the roast. The roast is placed fat side up so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire roast in its juices.




3 Brown the roast at 375°F (190°C) for half an hour. Lower the heat to 225°F (107°C). The roast should take somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours additionally to cook. The shape of the roast will affect the cooking time, by the way. So if your roast is on the long and narrow side, versus a more round shape, it may take less time to cook. So keep an eye on it. When the roast just starts to drip its juices and it is brown on the outside, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Pull the roast from the oven when the inside temperature of the roast is 135° to 140°F (57°C to 60°C). Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes, tented in aluminum foil to keep warm, before carving to serve.

To make the gravy:

Remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat. Note that if you are pulling the roast out early, for rare or a medium rare level of doneness, you may not have a lot of drippings. Hopefully you will have some. If not, you may want to leave the roast in a little longer at even lower heat, 175°F, to ease some more drippings out of it. Add some water, red wine, or beef stock to the drippings to deglaze (loosen the drippings from the pan). Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add to the drip pan. Stir quickly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping. You can add a little butter if there is not a lot of fat in the drippings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

Beignet

Beignet (pronounced /bɛnˈjeɪ/ in English, /bɛˈɲɛ/ in French; French, literally "bump"^[1] ), synonymous with the English “fritter”, is the French term for a pastry made from deep-fried choux paste^[2]. Beignets are commonly known in the U.S. as a dessert served with powdered sugar on top, however, they may be savory dishes as well and may contain meat, vegetables, or fruits.^[2] They are traditionally prepared right before consumption to be eaten fresh and hot.

Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally, however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French. In the U.S., beignets have been popular within New Orleans Creole cuisine and are customarily served as a dessert or in some sweet variation. They were brought to the Louisiana in the 18th century by French colonists^[3], from “the old mother country”^[4],and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking, variations often including banana or plantain--popular fruits in the port city ^[5][6]. Today, Café du Monde is a popular New Orleans food destination specializing in beignets with powdered sugar (served in threes), coffee with chicory, and café au lait^[7]. Beignets were declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986 ^[8].

The tradition of deep-frying fruits for a side dish dates to the time of Ancient Rome, while the tradition of beignets in Europe is speculated to have originated with a heavy influence of Islamic culinary tradition^[9]. The term beignet can be applied to two varieties, depending on the type of pastry. The French-style beignet in the United States has the specific meaning of deep-fried choux pastry^[10]. Beignets can also be made with yeast pastry^[11], which might be called boules de Berlin in French, referring to Berliner doughnuts which have a spherical shape (i.e. they do not have the typical doughnut hole) filled with fruit or jam.

In Corsica, beignets made with chestnut flour (Beignets de farine de châtaigne) are known as fritelli.

people sick more often from imported foods

People in the United States are getting sick more often from imported foods in recent years, and seafoods and spices from Asia are the most common culprits, US health authorities said Wednesday.

After reviewing cases of reported outbreaks from 2005 to 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 2,348 illnesses were linked to imported foods, with half of the cases occurring in 2009 and 2010.

Fish-linked outbreaks were the most common source and nearly 45 percent of all imported foods causing sickness came from Asia, said the CDC report, presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fish caused 17 of the 39 outbreaks, and spices were the next most common with six outbreaks, including five linked to fresh or dried peppers.

"As our food supply becomes more global, people are eating foods from all over the world, potentially exposing them to germs from all corners of the world, too," said lead author Hannah Gould, an epidemiologist in CDC's division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases.

"We saw an increased number of outbreaks due to imported foods during recent years, and more types of foods from more countries causing outbreaks."

US food imports have grown from $41 billion annually in 1998 to $78 billion in 2007, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Up to 16 percent of all food eaten -- and 85 percent of all seafood -- in the United States is imported.

However, officials suspect that there are more food-linked outbreaks than reported because often people are unaware of what has made them ill.

"We need better -- and more -- information about what foods are causing outbreaks and where those foods are coming from," Gould said in a statement.

"Knowing more about what is making people sick, will help focus prevention efforts on those foods that pose a higher risk of causing illness."

Some 48 million illnesses from food strike the United States each year, with the stomach-ailment causing norovirus being the most common followed by salmonella.

According to the latest data for 2008, there were a total of 23,152 sicknesses that year and 22 deaths.
The CDC defines a foodborne disease outbreak as two or more similar illnesses resulting from the same type of food.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are not so much a recipe, as they are a mythology. Secret knowledge passed down from generation to generation, mother to child, blogger to people like you.

This deceptively simple recipe can come out a million different ways with some very minor variations on the ingredients and amounts.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into thin slices, chilled in freezer
3/4 cup cold buttermilk

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I tried to make biscuits with some leftover plain yogurt and they would have been perfect but I used too much baking soda. Therefore, nothing is critical in this recipe but there are limits and the cook's hand will show.

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2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus more for dusting the board (if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder (use one without aluminum)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , very cold
1 cup buttermilk (approx)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
4. If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
5. Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
6. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
8. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
9. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
10. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
11. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
12. If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
13. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
14. Do not overbake.
15. Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
16. The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
17. I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
18. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
19. Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
20. Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
21. When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-buttermilk-biscuits-26110#ixzz1gX1dWGN3

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Great Northern Beans

Ingredients:

2 (32 oz.) cans of Great Northern Beans, drained or 1 lb uncooked beans
1 ham steak cut into 2 inch cubes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lg. sweet onion, chopped
2 (14 oz.) bottles of ketchup
1/3 to 1/2 c. of prepared mustard
3 c. of packed brown sugar

Instructions:

Quick soak:

Rinse and sort beans in a large pot.
Add 6-8 cups hot water to 1 lb of beans (about 2 cups).
Bring to rapid boil; boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Cover and let stand 1 hour.
Drain soak water and rinse.

Overnight soak

Rinse and sort beans in a large pot.
Add 6-8 cups hot water to 1 lb of beans (about 2 cups).
Let stand overnight or at least 6-8 hours.
Drain soak water and rinse.

Cooking Directions:

Add 6 cups of hot water to drained and rinsed beans.
Simmer gently with lid tilted until desired tenderness is reached, about 11/2-2 hours.

GREAT NORTHERN BAKED BEANS

Combine ingredients. Cook in a uncovered crock pot 8 to 12 hours or overnight on low heat.

References

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1650,154185-251193,00.html

Coleslaw

Pommes de Terres Soufflées

Emmanuel Renaut, chef 2 étoiles, nous dévoile la recette des pommes soufflées


La recette des pommes soufflées est une des plus difficiles qui soit. Découvrez la vraie technique avec un cuisinier du restaurant d'Emmanuel Renaut à Megève : il faut tailler les pommes de terre en tranches fines avec de les plonger 10 minutes dans un bain de friture à 130°C. Lorsque des petites bulles apparaissent autour des pommes de terre, le cuisinier explique qu'il faut les sortir de la friture et les tremper dans un second bain à 180°C pour produire un choc thermique et faire souffler les pommes de terre.

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Pommes Souffles (puffed potatoes or souffleed potatoes)

According to Larousse Gastronomique, the story goes that they were accidentally discovered in 1837 at the inauguration of a new railway line from Paris to Saint-Germain-en-Lay. There was to be a lunch for the dignitaries at the restaurant in the new station. The train was had problems making it up a steep slope at the final approach to the station. The chef prepared some sliced fried potatoes at the appointed time, but when the guests didn't arrive on time, he had to remove the half cooked potatoes and allow them to drain and cool. After several attempts the train finally made it, and caught by surprise at the unexpected arrival of the guests, the chef plunged the potatoes quickly into very hot oil and to his amazement, saw them puff up.

Souffle potatoes must be cooked twice. Once at a low temperature (325) and a second time at a high temperature (375).
At the second high temperature cooking the surface of the potatoes crisp instantly and form a waterproof skin, which will cause them to swell as the moisture inside turns quickly to steam causing the slices to puff up.

The age of the potatoes is important. New potatoes have too much moisture and will not puff, and old potatoes that are soft will not puff.

Cut potatoes in slices 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick, and soak the sliced potatoes in ice water for at least 25 minutes.

Drain them thoroughly and dry them thoroughly.

Have 2 pans with oil on the stove, each with about 3 inches of oil. Heat one to 325 degrees and the other to 375 degrees.

Carefully drop the slices into the 325 degree oil and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, either shaking the pan or moving the potatoes around with a long handled utensil The potatoes should begin to blister after about 5 minutes and rise to the top - continue cooking for an additional 1 minute.

Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, remove the potatoes and drain on paper towels until they begin to soften.

At this point the potatoes may be cooked the second time or held at room temperature for several hours for later service.

To cook the second time, return the potatoes to the 375 degree oil - they should swell instantly. DO NOT PUT TOO MANY POTATOES IN THE 375 degree oil at once - the oil MUST remain very hot for the potatoes to puff. Cook until golden brown, moving them around in the oil - remove and drain on paper towels, discarding any slices that have not puffed.

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Antoine's Cookbook:
Antoine's Restaurant since 1840 Cookbook

by Roy F. Guste, Jr., Reissue 1989, W. W. Norton & Co.
(our copy -  Roy F. Guste, Jr., 1979, Carbery-Guste, Legacy Publishing)


“The most famous of all our vegetable dishes is Pommes de Terres Soufflées, or Puffed Potatoes. The story of their creation and the secret of their preparation was given to Antoine by the great chef Collinet, during Antoine’s apprenticeship at the Hotel de Noailles in Marseilles.

The story goes that the occasion was the first run of the railroad from Paris to St. Germain-en-Laye. Louis Philippe, then king of France, was going to ride the train on its inaugural run to St. Germain-en-Laye, where there would be a great celebration and feast.

Chef Collinet, who was preparing the feast, had a messenger waiting for the train’s arrival. As soon as the messenger could see the train approaching, he rushed to Collinet to inform him. The great chef threw his potatoes, which he had cut for frying, into the oil to cook. Louis Philippe had a penchant for fried potatoes and insisted on having them at every meal.

Unfortunately for Collinet, the king was not on the train. The king’s advisors had at the last minute forced him to ride in a carriage alongside of the train as they feared for his life on this unproven track.

When Collinet realized that the king was not on the train, he removed the potatoes from the oil and set them aside. What a dilemma! There were no more potatoes to cook and the king would be furious!

So, Collinet waited, and some time later Louis Philippe finally arrived, and the banquet began. Collinet’s only chance was to reheat the cooked potatoes. Back into the grease, which had become extremely hot from sitting on the fire, they went, and to the amazement of everyone, they puffed up into small balloon shapes. The king was both thrilled and amazed and showered Collinet with compliments.

Antoine brought the recipe with him to New Orleans and Pommes de Terres Soufflées have been served here ever since.”

2 pounds large potatoes
Oil
Salt

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut lengthwise into slices 1 1/4 inches wide and one-eighth inch thick. Soak the potato slices in cold water to remove excess starch.
Have two pots filled with oil, one at a moderately hot temperature (275 degrees F) and the other at a very hot temperature (400 degrees F). Drain
the potatoes and dry them carefully. Put a single layer of potatoes into a frying basket and lower the basket into the moderately hot oil. Keep
moving the potatoes around, dipping the basket in and out of the oil until
the potatoes begin to brown and to puff. The partially cooked potatoes
may be set aside for awhile before the second stage, or may be finished immediately.
Put the partially cooked potatoes in a basket and dip the basket into the pot
of very hot oil. Again be careful to cover only the bottom of the basket with potatoes and to keep them moving around in the oil until they are golden brown, well puffed and crispy.
Remove from the oil, drain on absorbent paper and sprinkle with salt for seasoning. Serves 6.

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1 Large Starchy Potato

1 Mandolin

Canola Oil (high smoke point)

Deep Fry Thermometer

Sea Salt

Choose a Starchy Potato, (Long starchy potato, Idaho, russet,baker)

Peel and wash potatoes.

Using a mandolin slice potatoes in circles, like potato chips, store in lemon cold water to prevent oxidizing.

Dry potato slices on clean kitchen paper towel/tea towels.

Heat Oil on medium blanch potatoes at 130 Celsius 6 minutes , keep oil temperature constant.

heat oil to 160 and fry till souffle and golden, done.

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