Grilling your own steaks but need to serve up rare, medium rare, medium, and burnt well done cuts all at the same time? Let the Steak Station ($23) help you out. It features four color-coded probes that attach to a main digital display that ensures you'll get your meat cooked to perfection, or as close as you can get without some serious dry aging.
Everyone has a favorite when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. You can claim to like many of them, but at the end of the day, allegiance usually falls into one cookie camp. I’m on Team Thin Mint and have been since childhood. My loyalty was only cemented in college when my roommate introduced me to the wonder that is frozen Thin Mints. Clearly, I’m not alone in my love, since they’re currently the most popular cookie, monopolizing 25 percent of sales. (Sorry, coconut lovers: Samoas trail behind, at 19 percent.)
But, whether you live for Samoas (also known as Caramel deLites, depending on which of the two Girl Scout cookie suppliers—ABC Smart Cookie and Little Brownie Bakers—sells in your area) or hoard Tagalongs (aka Peanut Butter Patties), chances are, you feel quite strongly about them. So imagine how devastating it would be to find out they were put into retirement. Every year, old and often beloved cookies have to make way for newer kinds, much to the chagrin of Girl Scout cookie enthusiasts across the land. But though they’re no longer in production, certain varieties remain steadfastly in consumers’ memories—and hearts. (Some pictures approximated).
1. Lemon Coolers
These vanilla wafers had a touch of lemon zest and were dusted with powdered sugar. The sugar was replaced with lemon icing and the name changed to Lemonades, but hardcore fans still pine for the powdered variety.
2. Aloha Chips
Aloha Chips were around for only a couple of years in the early 2000s and sold only in certain areas of the country, but they’re still mentioned in online forums and articles dedicated to Girl Scout cookie nostalgia. They were dotted with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
3. Kookaburras
Some remember these as Kit Kats in cookie form. Kookaburras had layers of wafers and caramel that were coated in milk chocolate.
4. Scot-Teas
Shortbread cookies are one of three types that must be offered every year by Girl Scout troops. (The other two are Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Sandwiches/Do-Si-Dos.) But whether they’re called Shortbreads or Trefoils in your town, they lack the sprinkled sugar that endeared cookie enthusiasts to Scot-Teas.
5. Oxfords/Chalet Cremes
Back before the Girl Scouts organization focused on selling cookies you couldn’t get anywhere else (sneaky!), it offered what we know today as Oreos. These chocolate cookies with vanilla crème filling were sold back in the early fundraising days.
6. Ole Oles
Think of Ole Oles like Mexican wedding cookies with coconut. These powdered sugar cookies had pecans and bits of coconut and were sold between 2001 and 2003 before they got the ax.
7. Iced Berry Piñatas
Sounds like a fun name for party punch, but Piñatas were actually cookie versions of the Danish pastry. They were sugar cookies with berry jam at the center and icing drizzled on top.
8. Juliettes
Juliettes were supposedly named after the Girl Scouts’ founder, Juliette Low. In some parts of the country, they were called Golden Nut Clusters. With milk chocolate, caramel, and pecans, they developed a wide fan base during their run from the 1980s to the mid-’90s.
9. Double Dutch
Like Oxfords/Chalet Cremes, these chocolate cookies with chocolate chips weren’t unique enough for the Girl Scouts organization to keep them in rotation longer than a couple of years.
10. Golden Yangles
Technically, these aren’t cookies, but I found enough references to them on the Internet to warrant their inclusion. During the 1980s, the Girl Scouts tried to get into the cracker market with Golden Yangles, cheddar-flavored, triangle-shaped crackers. As far as I can tell, that was the first and last attempt, but fans still haven’t forgotten them.
I’d never heard of some of these prior to my research, but the way people talk about Lemon Coolers, Aloha Chips, and Juliettes, I can’t help but wonder what I’ve missed out on. Thin Mints probably won’t be discontinued anytime soon, but based on how many cookies the Girl Scouts have rotated through since they began selling in 1917, I’d better buy a few extra boxes this season, just to be sure.
Top 10 Steak Grilling Tips (From a Real-Live Chef!)
If you think grilling a steak is as simple as slapping a piece of meat you bought at the supermarket on a grill and flipping it a few times, you’re missing out on what could be THE GREATEST STEAK OF YOUR LIFE.
Here are some grilling tips from an honest-to-goodness chef that’ll make your next steak meal your finest work ever.
1. Choose the right cut of meat — Some cuts of meat are better for grilling than others. I, personally, prefer to grill strip steaks over other cuts because you get a nice combination of fat and meat for a great flavor. Filet mignon, on the other hand, I prefer to pan sear because it is so lean and I can add fat and flavors in the pan. Experiment! Ultimately, no one can tell you what you like, you have to find it for yourself. Here are the pros and cons of each cut:
2. Choose the right quality of meat — Nothing ruins a good steak dinner like a bad steak. A lot of places sell poor quality meat, so make sure you choose a reputable supplier so you know you are getting your money’s worth. By law, all meats are inspected for wholesomeness so no one is selling you meat that will kill you, but grading is a voluntary system. Meats are graded on several categories, including the marbling of fat and the amount of connective tissue. Sure, it may be fit to eat but do you want to eat it? Prime is the highest quality, followed by choice and select. Choice meats are very high quality steaks and the most common steak used in the restaurant industry. Here are a few pointers to track down the perfect quality & cut of steak:
3. Season early — You should salt your meat even before you start your coals. If you throw salt on right before you put it on the grill you end up leaving salt all over the grill, not on your steak. So season your steaks about fifteen minutes before you put them on the grill. That gives the salt a chance to dissolve and evenly flavor your meat. Sea salt is all the rage now and chefs like to fancy up a plate by using specialty salts like Hawaiian Pink Salt or Fleur de Sel. Sometimes a little good salt is all that a steak needs.
4. Take ‘em out early — Let your steaks sit on the counter for at least twenty minutes. I know it doesn’t seem sanitary, but since steaks are whole muscles and you are cooking the outside well above safe levels, you won’t need to worry so much about food-borne illness. The problem with throwing your steaks on the grill right out of the refrigerator is that it will take them a lot longer to cook. Steaks at room temperature take seasoning better and will cook faster. Unfortunately, meat takes time to cook and if you are in too much of a hurry to cook it you are probably in too much of a hurry to really enjoy it. Take your time and learn to enjoy cooking your steak almost as much as eating it.
5. Use charcoal — Gas grills work great for cooking food but can sometimes impart a gas flavor to your meat. I like to use natural hardwood charcoal started in a chimney. Don’t use lighter fluid; it defeats the purpose of using hardwood charcoal. You want to smell the steak roasting over the coals – that is the best part! Some people swear by mesquite soaked in apple juice others say you cook your steak too fast to get any benefit. Wood chips can add flavor if you are smoking your meat but that usually takes a lot more time than it takes to grill a steak. My recommendation is that if you are curious, play around see if you can taste and enjoy the difference.
6. Hot coals — Set your coals up so that you have zones of cooking. Always start off on a hot spot. You want good color and flavor from the high heat. When you flip it, don’t put it down on the same spot as before — it will be cooler. Find another hot spot to continue getting good color and flavor.
7. Don’t touch it! — This is one of the biggest mistakes a home cook makes. Everyone wants to keep checking the food to see if it is done. Leave it alone. Know how thick your steak is and roughly how long it takes to cook. Flip it once and give it a quarter turn once on each side. The more you touch it the better chance you have of screwing it up. Check out this grilling chart as a guide on how to cook steaks:
Grilling Chart courtesy of www.kansascitysteaks.com
8. Make it pretty — Use the hot grill to create “cross-hatch” grill marks. Set your steak down at a 45-degree angle from your grill lines. About a quarter of the way through cooking, give it a quarter turn. Half-way through cooking, flip it once. Give it a final quarter turn for the last bit of cooking. When finished you should have a steak that looks like it belongs on a commercial. This might not be the most important thing in your day, but if you’re on a first date or trying to impress then try this!
9. Leave it alone — There’s nothing worse than taking a beautiful steak and covering it with other flavors. Sauces, rubs and butters are fine but if I’m going to eat a steak I like to taste steak. If you are using a lesser cut of meat or poorer quality, marinades are a great tool. But we are talking steak here and all it needs is a little salt, pepper and some heat to cook over. So refer to rule #2 and source and buy only good quality meat.
10. Make all your condiments early — One trap many people fall into when they grill meat is trying to cook the rest of the meal at the same time. Your kitchen is inside; your grill (if you are following tip #5) should be outside. Don’t try to run between the two. You will only end up ruining your steak or your side dish — or both. Plan your meal to get your extras done early so you can focus solely on your grilling. I mean, it deserves it, doesn’t it? I like a simple compound butter made of softened, unsalted butter, garlic, a little red wine and some cracked pepper. Mix it all together, (in a mixer, if you can, so it is smooth), roll it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge up to two weeks before you cook your steak. One pat on top of each steak can be a nice treat.
a nifty new feature for any cooks out there. When you search for a food item, Bing will now show recipe results that involve the item. So if I search for macaroni, I’ll see a tab to the left of results that will show me “Macaroni Recipes.” and Epicurious.com. Each recipe will result will show the source or name of the site, user ratings, and a measure fat and of calories. You can filter recipes by convenience, type of cuisine, occasion, ratings, course and main ingredient. Unfortunately, the recipe feature doesn’t show up for every query. I typed in macaroni and cheese as well as spaghetti and meatballs, I didn’t get the recipe results for either search term. and Foodnetwork.com often, I am a big fan of this addition to Bing.
By Marye Audet
Lancaster, TX, USA |
Marye Audet
There are many food items that people regularly buy that they could make at home; healthier, cheaper, and tastier.
In days past people did not run to the store every time they needed catsup or baking powder, they made what they needed themselves from basic materials. You can do the same. How many of the following items have you made from scratch?
Condiments and Ingredients
1. Baking Powder
2. Vanilla Extract
3. Homemade Vinegar and Flavored Vinegars
4. Mustard
5. Catsup or Ketchup
6. Mayonnaise
7. Grape Jelly
8. Dill Pickles
9. French Dressing
10. Peanut Butter
11. Nutella
12. Sweetened Condensed Milk
Meat and Proteins
13. Bacon
14. Tofu
15. Tempeh
16. Sausage
Dairy
17. Goat Milk Ricotta
18. Mascarpone
19. Mozzarella
20. Yogurt
21. Kefir
Spices and Herb Blends
22. Smoke Your Own Chipotle Peppers
23. Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
24. Harrissa
25. Herbes de Provence
Breads and Cereals
26. Sour Dough Starter
27. Brown and Serve Rolls
28. Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
29. Homemade Corn Flakes
30. Pita Bread
31. Graham Crackers, Animal Crackers and Saltines
32. Whole Wheat Pasta Dough
Snacks
33. Homemade Thin Mints
34. Sea Salt Caramels
35. Chocolate Covered Cherries
36. Tie Dyed Tortilla Chips
37. Fudgesicles
38. Butterfingers
39. Peanut Butter Cups
40. Homemade Candy Corn
41. Fruit Roll Ups
Beverages
42. Flavored Vodka
43. Hard Cider
44. Roast Coffee Beans
45. Chai Mix
With the easy access to information on the Internet a couple of words typed in to Google can result in hundreds of recipes for everything from corned beef to homemade wine. Next time you run out of an ingredient check the web for information about making it yourself.
There is something very satisfying about being able to make your own ingredients.
recipepuppy.com — Want to impress your date with any dish? There's a website for that.: How To Make Any Food Ever
Have a lot going on in your kitchen? Master the art of the one-handed egg crack to save time, avoid messes, and increase your culinary cred.
Most of us have the two-handed egg crack down pat. Tap the egg gently on the egg of the bowl, use the tips of the thumbs as slight leverage to widen the gap, and dump the contents of the egg into the bowl.
The one-handed egg crack, however, is not usually seen outside the realm of professional kitchens and cooking shows. Check out the video below to learn how to practice the one handed crack without wasting a bunch of eggs in the process:
For some extra pointers, check out the full post at FoodWishes. Have a kitchen time saver? Master of the food hacks? Let's hear about your favorite tricks in the comments.
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