Archive for November, 2007
Diabetic Diet
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 by The Cooking GuyDiabetics can not produce or regulate their own insulin supply. As a result they are faced with high blood sugar. Instituting healthy eating habits can help reduce the amount of blood sugar. Diabetics must regulate their sugar levels to prevent the complications that can arise from diabetes.
Having diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to follow a strict diet or eat special foods. People that have diabetes need to eat a variety of foods in moderation and follow a scheduled meal plan.
Food Choices
One of the crucial parts of managing diabetes is building a healthy diet plan and sticking to it. Diabetics need to start by choosing foods that fit their lifestyle as well as taking care of their health needs.
This means choosing a diet full of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It is a healthy eating plan that is rich in nutrients and low in fat. This is actually a healthy eating plan for anyone, diabetic or not, who wants to develop and maintain good health.
There are several factors that can help someone with diabetes stay healthy. Here is a list of suggestions:
- Limit sugar intake
- Eating frequent meals
- Limit carbohydrates
- Limit Fat intake
- Limit alcohol consumption
Planning Meals
- Plan a routine for eating meals and snacks at the same time everyday.
- Choose healthy foods in the right amount
- Choosing healthy foods and eating at the same time everyday will help keep your blood sugar under control. If don’t keep a schedule, overeat or choose unhealthy foods, your blood sugar can not be regulated.
- Eating too many carbohydrates can cause a spike in your blood sugar. Likewise, eating too few can cause your levels to plummet. If you take insulin, counting carbohydrates can be a useful meal-planning tool. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, beans and starchy foods.
- Some diabetics find it useful to use the glycemic index when planning what foods they are going to eat especially if they are going to consume carbohydrates. Foods that rank high on the glycemic index tend to increase blood sugar levels while foods low on the scale help to maintain a healthy level. Foods low on the index are not necessarily healthier because they tend to have more fat.
It is best to work with a health care professional when determining your specific dietary needs.
Diabetic Meal Choices
As mentioned before, diet is the key in managing diabetes. Choose foods that are low-carb and sugar free without sacrificing taste is a good way to go. If you are not used to these types of dietary restrictions, it may take some time to get used to.
Depending on the type of diabetes you have, you will need to incorporate foods that fit your dietary needs.
There are many great resources to help you plan and incorporate wonderful, healthy and great tasting recipes into your diet. Head to your local book store, check out books from the library or search the Internet.
Although you may have to adjust your diet to fit your specific needs, having diabetes does not mean you have to give up food that tastes good.
Classic Knife Cuts
Sunday, November 4th, 2007 by The Cooking GuyHere are some basic techniques for chopping various foods including meats, vegetables and herbs.
These cuts work best when you use a good sharp chef’s knife.
Tip: Always tuck your fingertips under while holding the food to keep them from getting cut.
Chop- Chop food in large, irregular pieces, while using a quick and heavy rocking motion. To cut food this way does not require precise or uniform pieces.
Slice-Cut food into flat, thin pieces.
Julienne- Cut vegetables into long thin even match stick strips. First slice food into thin strips about ¼” thick. Then stack and cut into 1/8-inch-thick spears.
Dice- Cut into small cubes or squares ranging form ¼ to ¾ inch.
Brunoise- Cut food into a very small dice. First you would begin by cutting your foods into thin strips known as the julienne cut. Then you would group the thin slices in a pile and slice crosswise into small squares or dices.
Mince- Finely chop food into very small irregular pieces, using the same technique as for chopping. This cut does not require precise or uniform cuts.
Chiffonade- Finely shredded or chopped into ribbons or strips of things like herbs or vegetables commonly used in soups, salads and stews. To Chiffonade herbs, stack several herbs on top of one another with the largest on the bottom and roll them up lengthwise. Use a sharp knife, to cut the roll at an angle into very thin slices.
Although some of these cuts state precise measurements, you do not need to get out your ruler to measure. Use your best guess and keep practicing
Buying the right Knives
Thursday, November 1st, 2007 by The Cooking GuyMade to last: Knives are made to last a lifetime. If you buy a quality set, you will never have to buy another set.
Cost
The cost of knives varies significantly between different type and brands. Buy the best knife you can afford. A good knife or set is well worth your investment. If you can not afford the top of the line, that is okay. You can still buy a good quality knife that will last.
Sets or individual: Knives can be purchased alone or in a set. The more practical way to purchase a knife is in a set. Sets usually come with wood blocks which hold the knives to keep them safe. Sets provide you with the basic types of knifes commonly needed in chopping, paring or slicing. You may find you want to add additional knives if you need two of the same kind or if you want to add specialty knives to your collection. Either way, you can purchase knives as a set or individually. This is an individual preference.
When choosing knives to purchase, there are many aspects to consider, such as which knife is right for the job, handling, sharpness, durability, comfort and price.
Decide which knives you will need for the type of cooking you do. What will you are using them for?
Must Haves
There are only a few knives that should be considered as must haves. The rest can be considered luxury. 
A Chef’s Knife (sometimes referred to as a cook’s knife) is the probably the most important knife to have in your collection. The blade is between six and ten inches long and is used primarily for chopping. Although, it can be used for anything you want to do.
A Paring Knife is somewhat smaller and resembles a chef’s knife. Its blade ranges from two to four inches long. It’s great for tasks where a larger blade would get in the way. Paring knives are ideal for peeling, coring or trimming things like vegetables.
A Serrated Knife is commonly used for cutting bread. It can even slice tomatoes and meat.
Serrated knives are useful for foods that have different textures that require a sawing back and forth cutting motion. For example, a hard-crusted bread or peach. A longer serrated knife will help to minimize the amount of sawing necessary.
There are many different types of knives that go beyond the three must haves. As you evaluate your cutting needs, you may need to purchase additional types of knives.
Other knives include:
- Utility
- Slicing
- Butcher
- Cleaver
- Steak
- Boning
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