Top Luxury Microwave Ovens

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) presents Top Luxury Microwave Ovens.

Whether outfitting the kitchen in their restaurant or the one in their home, a person with cash to spare certainly has a high-end option available to them. The ovens below may or may not be the most expensive microwaves in the world, but they’re certainly among the most expensive available.

KitchenAid Architect Series II KBHS109SSS – $1,749

For the home kitchen, this 30” built-in stainless steel microwave is a 900 Watt oven with convection capabilities that can produce better results in less time than a traditional microwave. It has ten power levels, as well as soften, melt, defrost and reheat cycles to maximize the amount of control you have over the preparation of your food. The sensor steam cook cycle allows you to steam your food and it even has a function to keep your food warm while you wait to serve it to your guests.

Panasonic NE-3280 Sonic Steamer Commercial Microwave Oven – $3,099

 

This 3200 Watt commercial microwave, also stainless steel, features a sonic steamer and can hold up to two ½ table pans. The three-stage cooking device has five power levels and eight programmable pads that can hold up to sixteen programs. For larger fare, the center shelf is removable. It even has a self diagnostics to help ensure that it operates as well as the day it was purchased.

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World’s Most Expensive Blenders

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) presents World’s Most Expensive Blenders.

It’s probably no surprise to you that Blendtec, the appliance company whose founder promotes his products by blending non-food items from deodorant to smartphones in the infamous Will It Blend? videos, sells the most expensive blenders in the world. What may surprise you, however, is just how much one of these state-of-the-art blenders can cost.

 

The Blendtec Smoother Q-Series 20 Amp is their most expensive countertop option, and it has the features to justify the price. This blender isn’t just powerful; its copolyester sound enclosure and muffled motor stand ensure that it is also quiet. The blender can even be built into your countertop to reduce its height by 8 inches. This commercial blender can be had for a staggering retail price of $1,199.95.

 

 The most expensive blending appliance offered by Blendtec, however, is their enormous Megablender Frozen Beverage Machine. This blender dispenser is over 6 feet tall. The refrigerated system features paristoltic pumps that can dispense six different products into the jar. It also features a monitoring system that keeps track of the ice and product levels. This extraordinary machine has a retail price of $22,105.

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Most Expensive Toaster

The Lebanese Recipes kitchen presents the Most Expensive Toaster.

Have you ever looked at your toaster and thought, “This toaster just isn’t good enough for me”? If so, Dualit has the toaster for you. The British company’s Combi 2×2, the world’s most expensive toaster, is guaranteed to put your puny toaster to shame.

What can Dualit’s expensive toaster do that yours can’t? It has adjustable wire guards, for starters, that can accommodate any reasonable thickness of bread. It comes with sandwich cages that allow you to toast sandwiches with buttered bread, meats, cheeses (they recommend thinly pre-sliced cheese) or whatever else you can fit in there. It’ll even hold your toasted foods in place until you hit the ejector knob, keeping your food warm as long as the toaster is.

The most expensive toaster in the world comes in a range of colors, from retro colors like mint green and canary yellow to a more modern (and more expensive) polished finish. The Dualit Combi 2×2 costs £163 or £187 polished—$331 and $382 USD, respectively. Dualit also offers a slightly cheaper model, the Combi 2+1, which has three slots to the 2×2’s four and starts at $311 USD. US citizens can purchase Dualit toasters through Williams-Sonoma, though they don’t appear to offer the Combi models on their website.

Most Expensive Countertop Surface - Most Expensive Kitchen Range

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Most Expensive Countertop Surface

The Lebanese Recipes kitchen presents the  World's Most Expensive Countertop Surface.

Sure a marble or granite countertop is an attractive way to spruce up your kitchen, but is it the most luxurious? Typical stone surfaces range from $50 to $100 per square foot, so refacing your entire kitchen in stone can be quite costly. For a truly posh countertop, however, only one stone will do—enameled lava, the most expensive countertop surface in the world.

Enameled lava stone is produced mostly in France, where the stone is extracted from a volcanic crater and glazed with either a glossy or matte finish. The resulting material is lightweight, durable and requires very little maintenance.

Enameled lava stone, like the pictured Pyrolave surfacing, can cost up to $370 per square foot.

Most Expensive Kitchen Range

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Most Expensive Kitchen Range

The Lebanese Recipes kitchen presents the  Most Expensive Kitchen Range.

If you want to get the most out of your kitchen range, and aren’t afraid to spend a lot of money, La Cornue’s Grand Palais 180 is the range for you. It’s the most expensive kitchen range in the world and it has the features to justify the cost.

The range features an electric and a gas oven, both vaulted, as well as two large hot plates and four large brass burners in the stainless steel top. That’s only the standard configuration, however, as La Cornue will gladly produce a custom Grand Palais with additional electric or gas ovens, burners or hot plates in place of features you think you’d be less likely to use. Other options include a lava rock, a teppanyaki grill or an induction plate.

This expensive range is available in sixteen different colors of porcelain enamel and each is assembled by hand. The La Cornue Grand Palais 180 is priced at roughly $48,000.

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Five Uses for a Food Processor

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about  the Five Uses for a Food Processor. 

Most of us have a food processor sitting on a shelf somewhere in our kitchen. Many have been gathering dust for years because we are not quite sure how it is used. There are so many convenient uses for a food processor that once you have realised just how handy they can be, your appliance will take pride of place on your bench top.

Along with the multitude of inserts and parts you will notice the huge booklet that usually comes with one of these kitchen appliances. That is because there are so many individual uses for this not so humble machine. 

Chop
This one is pretty obvious, you can use a food processor to chop things quickly and into small pieces. However depending on the blade you use you can dice, slice and shred either finely or thickly and you can also julienne. This can apply to all sorts of vegetables and other hard foods like cheese for coleslaws, soups, stews, salads and baking. While it might not be convenient to go to the trouble for a small meal, a food processor can save a lot of time if you are cooking for a crowd or preparing a lot of food.

Grind
Bet you didn’t know your processor could grind things. Well it can. Common uses are for things like nuts and seeds, but how about spices or meat or dried fruit. A food processor is usually built for pretty tough treatment and grinding could not be done in your blender or with a wand. A food processor would be the only kitchen appliance, aside from an actual mincer that could grind meat. And grinding spices in a mortar and pestle is time consuming and often messy.

Puree
I think we all knew about this one, and frankly, our blender or wand can also puree things. However, the speed and cleanliness would most likely be a lot more impressive when using a food processor to puree your baby food, soups or fruit. If this machine can grind nuts and seeds, imagine how easy it would puree cooked fruits and vegetables.

Juice
Depending on your machine, most processors come with juice inserts these days. A simple part that looks like a normal manual juicer is fitted to the spinning tool and voila you have your own automatic juicer that not only juices lemons, oranges and grapefruits in a pinch but also has a strainer that removes pith and seeds from the juice.

Whipping
By fitting a special whipping insert to your food processor you can also whip cream in record time. Not only is whipping cream in a food processor extremely quiet (if you have a quiet machine of course) but is also a lot less messy that using a bowl. Cream does not go flying off the beaters, it is kept nice and tidy in the container, ready to be spooned out when it’s done.

So keep your food processor on the bench top, because it can be used for so many different kitchen duties.

10 Best Flavour Sensations for the Ice Cream Maker - 10 Best Foods for Deep Fryers - Top 5 Coffee Makers

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10 Best Flavour Sensations for the Ice Cream Maker

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about  the 10 Best Flavour Sensations for the Ice Cream Maker.

Everyone loves ice cream, but not everyone makes their own ice cream, especially with the fuss and mess involved. However, with an ice cream maker any family or home ice cream connoisseur can become an expert in no time. With an ice cream maker, you can get creative with the flavours you know you’ll love and experiment with flavours you have never tried before.

Here is a list of the ten best flavours to try next time you get out your ice cream maker;

1. Rocky Road
Rocky Road is a flavour that is open to interpretation. Traditionally rocky road includes marshmallow, nuts and candied cherries. However, these days rocky road can mean any combination of flavours as long it includes nuts and marshmallow. You can use almonds or hazelnuts instead of peanuts. You can used flavoured marshmallow over the conventional vanilla. You keep the original ingredients and simply add things like coconut or Jaffa flavoured mallow, you could use a white or dark chocolate base instead of milk chocolate. You could berries instead of candied fruit, or mixed peel for a more mature pallet. As you can see, the possibilities are endless.
2. Coffee
You could be satisfied with a simple coffee flavoured ice cream but you could also get a little creative and do things like add some chocolate flavour to make mocha. Perhaps you could try adding traditional coffee flavours like hazelnut, caramel or toffee for a sweeter, more complex flavoured ice-cream. Or perhaps you could try experimenting with the strength of the coffee flavour and make something dark and strong, for mature tastes.
3. The Usual Suspects
It seems too easy to give chocolate, vanilla and strawberry three positions on the list, so we’ll count them as one. But you can definitely play around with these old favourites. You could have dark, milk or white chocolate, or a mixture of all three! You could include other berries in your with your strawberry or you could try using real vanilla bean to flavour your home made vanilla.
4. Chocolate and friends
Chocolate goes with so many other flavours, you could mix it with orange to make Jaffa, or mint to make choc mint, you can mix it up with coconut, or coffee or throw in some nuts for crunch.
5. Honey, toffee and malt
This combination of flavours might appear at your local gelataria and it is well worth trying it for yourself at home. It might sound too sweet, but with the right balance of honey, toffee and malt you can make a flavour that you will want to make again and again.
6. Natural flavours
Ingredients that we find in nature often make the most lovely flavoured ice creams such as honey, coconut, ginger, licorice or honeycomb.
7. Nuts
So many flavours of ice cream have come from the humble nut. There is hazelnut, almond, pecan, walnut and pistachio.
8. Peanut Butter
Do not underestimate the power of this simple sandwich spread. Peanut butter ice cream is a taste sensation that you will love. It can be mixed with chunky pieces of peanuts or perhaps with chocolate flavour or chocolate chips.
9. Dessert Flavours
There are some things in life that taste better in ice cream form, and desserts may just be one of those things. Imagine a cheesecake flavoured ice cream? Or better yet, a raspberry cheesecake ice cream, or blueberry cheesecake ice cream. Perhaps a pumpkin and maple syrup ice cream might make you think that all-american classic, pumpkin pie.
10. Fruit
Kiwi, mango, pineapple, rhubarb, banana, raspberry, any berry, orange. You get the idea. Blending these fruits with the creamy taste of ice cream will always end in a winning combination.

So when you are looking in your cupboard packed full of small appliances, don’t forget about the ice cream maker. Everyone loves ice cream all year round and now is the time to get creative with your home made ice cream flavours. 

Top 5 Deep Fryers - 10 Best Foods for Deep Fryers - Top 5 Coffee Makers

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Top 5 Deep Fryers

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about  the Top 5 Deep Fryers. 

A deep fryer may not be considered an essential home appliance by many people, but it can be a God-send for busy people who love to eat fried food in the comfort and control of their own kitchens. Families with children will benefit from having deep fryer that can be used in a hurry and safely for that low-effort Friday night dinner. Home chefs will love the professional results only a deep fryer can give. So which deep fryer is right for you? Take a look at this list of top 5 deep fryers to find out which one will suit your needs and budget. This selection ranges from lowest price to highest. 

1. Kambrook KDF350 Deep Fryer
This is the cheapest, bottom of the range deep fryer on the market. It would suit people who might not fry foods all that often, but still want to have the choice to be able to deep fry in their kitchen. With a small oil capacity, this machine will only allow smaller batches to fried at one time. With the standard safety and cleaning features, this machine will do the job. 

2. Breville BDF300 Deep Fryer
At just a few dollars more, this machine has a much larger oil capacity, which will allow for more food to be fried. With a stylish brushed stainless steel exterior, this deep fryer comes with all the standard safety and useability features.

3. Delonghi F14522 Deep Fryer
When you go above the $100 mark, you start getting products that go that extra mile and provide extra safety features and cleaning features. Cleaning is not something to be taken lightly with a deep fryer. Dirty oil and grease build up is a concern for all home fryers. This mid range machine will fry up to 1.2kg of food which means the oil capacity is quite large. It has a patented ‘easy clean’ system that allows for easy oil draining and collecting. 

4. Tefal Actifry FZ7000 Deep Fryer
The Tefal Actifry jumps a big way in price, however, Tefal is a very reputable brand and this machine delivers performance per cost ratio. With many great safety and cleaning features this machine is compact, requires no pre-heating and has dishwasher safe parts for easy cleaning. 

5. Birko Deep Fryer Singe 5litre
The Birko looks great with the brushed stainless steel exterior, and works the same way as a commercial fryer with the lift and set basket. With a giant 5 litre capacity, this deep fryer can make a small job of any amount of food and would suit people who like to entertain regularly, or perhaps large families who enjoy fried meals. Birko represents the top end of the market, with this fryer coming in at three times the cost of most brands.

With many of the well-known and reputable brands represented on this list, you can use this selection as a guide of the types of machines available on the market today. Ranging from the cheap to the very expensive, basic features to the highest quality construction.
 
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Top 5 Coffee Makers

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about  the Top 5 Coffee Makers.

Coffee Makers are those shiny, heavy machines that can transform coffee grinds and milk into Australia’s favourite drink. I think everyone would love one of these appliances on their kitchen bench. But before you go ahead and part with the money, you have to decide which machine best suits your needs. Obviously your budget is going to impact on your choice and then you have to consider how involved in the coffee process you really want to be.

There are two major points to consider before you buy a coffee maker.

Budget – there are coffee makers to suit every budget. Granted you won’t get an automatic machine for under $100, more likely you will have to choose from percolators or French press coffee makers. Once you do you wander into the automatic range you will notice there is a huge range of prices and brands available.

Level of Involvement – just how much you want to be involved will affect greatly your choice of machine. Some machines will do it all for you, and some will let you make your very own cup just like in a café.

Here are 5 Great Coffee Machines to suit all needs and budgets;

1. SUNBEAM PC4700 AROMA COFFEE DIGITAL 12 Digital
This is the least money you can part with and still have a pretty decent coffee in your own home. The Sunbeam is more or less a percolator, but it has a high pressure (15 bar, like a domestic coffee machine) pump and an Italian designed ‘Crema System’ that will deliver perfect coffee for just over $50.

2. BIRKO COFFEE PERCOLATOR 20lt
This massive percolator can make up to 100 cups of quality coffee and is ideal for people who entertain a lot or perhaps organisations or businesses who need to provide morning and afternoon teas for many people. With functions that ensure perfect temperature and brewing, you cannot go wrong with this machine. This would be the best percolator available from a domestic range, with a price tag to match.

3. DELONGHI EN165B CITIZ NESPRESSO COFFEE MACHINE
This stylish looking machine, with vintage design elements is a fully automated coffee maker. You don’t need to worry about buying beans or grinding coffee or steaming your milk this machine will do it all for you. With a very high pressure pump of 19 bar, this Delonghi will produce café quality crema on your coffees. With autmomatic capsule ejection, there is no need for fiddly cleaning or replacing coffee stock. Sitting on the higher end of the price bracket, this model comes in single or double cup versions.

4. SUNBEAM EM4800C CAFE CREMA COFFEE MAKER
Sunbeam, as with all of their appliances, have machines on all ranges of the spectrum. This one is a compact, classic style coffee machine. With a standard 15 bar pump, you will get great, café like quality crema and will be able to steam your own milk like a pro at home.

5. GAGGIA CLASSIC
The Gaggia Classic is exactly that – a classic. This machine has been on the market well before coffee making at home became a popular past time. With a classic, simple design that has not changed since it first came on the market, you can choose from brushed stainless steel, a warmer brass or the polished stainless steel.
This machine, while having the standard 15 bar pump, will make café quality coffee with it’s excellent design and performance. This machine is heavy, which makes it perfect for ease of use as you will soon discover when you are making own coffees at home.
 
10 Best Foods for Deep Fryers

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10 Best Foods for Deep Fryers

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about  the 10 Best Foods for Deep Fryers.

Deep fryers can be a convenient way to cook many types of food. Mid-week meals like schnitzel and battered fish or chicken are a great way to get dinner on the table as quick as possible. Some of these ideas for the best foods to deep fry will add some variety to your standard menu.

1. Fruit
I know when one is deep frying, one is not trying to eat the most healthy meal possible, so why then are people deep frying fruit? Why? Because it tastes good. Bananas, apples and pineapples make the most wonderful dessert or snack when dipped in batter and deep fried to perfection.

2. Cheese
The Belgians serve cheese balls on their menus, served with tomato concasse. The French have Camembert, crumbed and fried for a creamy, cheesy snack. In the US they like to fry up cheese curds or Mozzarella. Cheese can be crumbed or battered, and can be served with any tomato style sauce, or perhaps a nice chutney.

3. Potatoes
Yes, I think we all know where this is going. Chips, fries, pommes frittes, they are delicious no matter what you call them. People each have their own methods to produce the perfect chip, such as pre-boiling the potato, double frying or beer battered. Chips can be seasoned with anything from plain salt, to chicken salt or spicy salt, or how about a lovely seasoning of paprika, salt and just a little sugar.

4. Chicken
Chicken can be battered as in classic southern fried chicken, or it can be crumbed like the European family favourite, schnitzel. To make the perfect fried chicken is a quest many are on, and many have succeeded. Some prefer to cook the bird in a high pressure cooker first up, to retain maximum moisture and prevent dryness. Some like to fry their chicken in bacon fat or lard to ensure the best flavour possible. Some swear it’s the perfect blend of herbs and spices.

5. Ice Cream
We have all come across this unusual dessert at our local Chinese restaurant but I’m not sure if trying this at home is such a good idea. But with a little practice, a really cold freezer and plenty of clean oil, fried ice cream is a tasty dessert too good to leave to the restaurants.

6. Doughnuts
Whether you prefer yours dusted lightly in cinnamon and sugar or iced with a sweet slick of colour, stuffed with mock cream and iced or dipped in pineapple glaze, there is a doughnut to please everyone. If you don’t have the means to make the world’s holiest dessert, perhaps try making doughnut holes.

7. Fritters
Fritters are the little morsels of tasty food that go around at a dinner party. You can have blue cheese and apple fritters, zucchini and feta fritters, sweet corn and bacon or cheese and mushroom fritters. The limit is only your imagination!

8. Onion Rings
This is a classic restaurant entrée that is so easy to make in your own home. All you have to do is cut and onion, batter or crumb and deep fry to perfection.

9. Tempura
Using a light Japanese batter, you can deep fry vegetables such pumpkin, snow peas and zucchini or go straight to the main and go with prawns. The light, crunchy batter of tempura is best served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

10. Seafood
Prawns, scallops, yabbi, oyster, fish, squid and octopus are simply sensational when battered or crumbed and thrown in the deep fryer. The key is not to over cook, as seafood, as with anything can become dry or chewy if fried for too long. Serve with tartar sauce or seafood sauce, lemon juice or plum sauce.

So you thought you could live with out the deep fryer ever making an appearance in your kitchen appliances cupboard? Think again, after reading this list of top ten foods to deep fry, you will be running out to buy one today.

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Cooking with an Electric Stove

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about Cooking with an Electric Stove and learn How Cook with an Electric Stove.

You may think that cooking with an electric stove is the same as cooking with a gas stove. On some level, it is, since the ultimate result is a cooked meal. However, you must keep in mind that an electric stove delivers a higher cooking temperature than a gas stove. Also, the heat is more consistent so that the heat is more evenly distributed.

Here are a few things to remember when cooking with an electric stove:

• Be mindful of the dials. One of the biggest mistakes that people is not turning on the correct knob to turn on the stove. Follow the illustrated code on the control panel of the stove before trying to turn on the stove. You may accidentally turn on a different heating plate instead of the one you want to use, and mistakenly think that the stove is not working. This may pose a safety hazard, especially if place a cover or other objects in the other heat plate.
• Don’t use high heat. Compared to a gas oven, an electric stove is able to heat a pan much faster. If you preheat your pan using the highest heat setting, you risk burning the pan. When cooking with an electric stove, it’s safest to keep the setting at low to medium heat.
• Use the right pan. Avoid using aluminum pan since these tend to absorb heat rather quickly. If this happens, as soon as you place the item you are cooking on the pan, it will sear and burn immediately. It’s better to use a cast iron pan or copper coated pan. You may also use Teflon coated pans when cooking with an electric stove. These pans tend to distribute heat slower but at a more even rate. If you want to achieve a grilled look on your vegetables and meats that you can get by cooking directly on an open flame, use a cast iron grill pan instead.
• Use the right utensils. Because an electric stove can reach very high temperatures quickly, you must always use cooking instruments that can withstand high heat. Wooden spoons and other heat resistant spatulas are a good choice. If you use a metal spoon, it may conduct heat too quickly. If you use plastic cookware, it may melt. Check the maximum temperature threshold of the cooking utensil before using it. Also, avoid leaving the spoon or instrument inside the pan while cooking or the handle may melt or burn.
• Conserve energy. In the last few minutes of your cooking process, you may turn off the heat and let the remaining heat cook the rest of your food. You may do this for stews and stir fry dishes, but not for deep frying.
• Bake in an electric stove. If you have it, baking with an electric stove is better than using a gas oven. Because of its heat consistency, you won’t have any heat spots inside the oven. This means that the food will be cooked at an even rate inside, regardless of where it is inside the oven.

An electric stove is standard in most high rise buildings or multi unit residential places as a safety precaution. You can make a variety of delicious meals using an electric stove.

How To Buy Vegan Food - How To Use a Kitchen Vacuum Sealer - How To Compare Food Sealers

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How To Use a Kitchen Vacuum Sealer

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about Kitchen Vacuum Sealer and know How To Use a Kitchen Vacuum Sealer.

Vacuum sealers have become handy tools around the home. They are invaluable for the purpose of preservation for all sorts of materials. In the kitchen is where vacuum sealers can shine the most. Economically, it makes sense to extend the shelf life of the food you pay for and not have it go bad before it can be eaten.

With a vacuum sealer, the investment is worth it as it can last a long time. It can store and preserve your food longer than usual food storage systems. There are various ways to use a kitchen vacuum cleaner.

1. Basically, a kitchen vacuum sealer is used to preserve and maximize or extend the life of food and items that might become rotten or spoiled. This is especially useful for perishable food like fruits and vegetables. To use it as a storage item, just place the food or the items inside the canister, but be sure to remove the vacuum packaging first. After setting it in place, connect the canister to the accessory hose and press the corresponding button to draw out the air that can cause spoilage reactions.

2. For fruits and vegetables, a kitchen vacuum sealer can be a big help to maximize their life span especially if they are in their prime. For vegetables, it is preferable to have them blanched to retain their freshness and crispness. Blanching is a cooking process done by quickly cooking the vegetables in boiling water or simply steaming them before plunging them into cold water. Vacuum tillia sealer plastic bags are better options for storing vegetables. Simply put it in and seal. Be sure to place it in a location that will not cause further spoiling.

3. Aside from fruits and vegetables, other delicate items such as cereals, biscuits and cookies can be prevented from being crushed by storing them in a kitchen vacuum sealer. Food vacuum bags or canisters can be used for such.

4. For meat products such as beef, chicken or pork, vacuum sealer bags can be a great buddy. It would be better to separate them into serving sizes and freeze them in vacuum sealer bags.

5. A vacuum sealer can also be used to extend the shelf life of nuts for two to three years. Simply apportion the nuts in smaller sizes and seal them in a bag.

6. If you want to save time, a kitchen impulse sealer can be a big help. You can make ready- to-eat meals such as snacks or lunch and freeze them inside vacuum sealer bags. If it's time for you to eat it, just pour it in a bowl, attach the needed hose and press the right button to draw out the air.

7.Vacuum sealers can also be used for leftovers. If the food is moist, it's better to freeze it first using cookie sheets before placing it in sealers.

In conclusion, a vacuum sealer is a great kitchen aid that you can use in various ways. Be sure to choose the best one that you can afford so you will experience excellent quality and performance. 

How To Compare Food Sealers
 
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Food Sealers - How To Compare Food Sealers

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read about food sealers and know how to compare food sealers.

Most housewives nowadays resort to freezing poultry, meat, fish and other food supplies in large amounts in order to lessen their grocery trips. Freezing foods for later use, however, entails proper techniques and tools to maximize their storage life. One technique in storing food is by using food savers. Food savers come in various forms: canisters, glass jars, containers with plastic covers and covered tins. The most widely used in households now are zipped bags, freezer bags, food saver rolls, plastic bag sealers, and tin sheets.

The use of food saver bags, tin sheets and plastic bag sealers has become popular among U.S. households. But with long storage, food may become stale and freezer-burned if they are not stored correctly. Thus vacuum food storage with the use of food sealers was introduced to remove the air in plastic bags and then to seal them tight so the food stays fresh in the freezer longer.

There are many food sealer products in the market and almost all of them prove to be reliable kitchen gadgets. Here are some of these products for you to study and compare.

1. Deni food sealer. Manufacturers of Deni food sealer are proud to present their latest product called Freshlock Vacuum Sealer. This food sealer tool can cut a plastic bag and adjust its size to the quantity of food to be stored. With just the right size of plastic bag, there is less air inside and vacuum is minimized. Deni food sealer is said to lock in the flavor, nutrients and freshness of food two to three times more than other methods.

2. Tilia food saver vacuum sealing system. With its latest food sealer design, Tilia food saver can hold food in its fresh state five times longer than ordinary food sealer models. It has a seal perfection feature and new vertical design and is available to buyers in cash or three payments.

3. Rival food sealer. Very easy to use, this food sealer has only two knobs – the vacuum and the seal buttons. The vacuum knob expels the air from the bag while the seal knob seals the bag as soon as the air goes out.

4. Foodsaver V840. Recommended to those who habitually buy in bulk, Foodsaver V840 is a wise buy. It is durable as well as it seals, locks out the air and protect food from bacteria, molds and spoilage because of its efficient vacuum seal feature.

5. Foodsaver v2490. Noted for its durability, Foodsaver v2490 can last for many years. Many users of this food sealer product profess that it effectively prevents freezer burn because of its efficient vacuum sealing feature.

6. Reynolds Handi-VacSealer. When you mention the name “Reynolds” the things that come in mind are aluminum foil, cling wraps and other food saver goods that people have been using for a long, long time now. Well, Reynolds does it again with its Reynolds Handi-VacSealer. Very affordable at just ten dollars, this device runs on batteries and is very handy.

With the prevalent use of food sealers, you have nothing to complain about anymore with your kitchen work. Take note though that even with the use of food sealers you must also practice how to prepare food properly in such a way that it will not spoil easily when stored in food sealers. 

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Tagine - Moroccan Tagine

What is a tagine?

Tagine is the Moroccan word that refers to both the unique glazed earthenware vessel with a distinctive conical lid and also the food prepared in it.

Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers for making stews, usually containing meat, the tagine is used for both cooking and serving, but care should be taken to protect your table when using the tagine as a serving dish as the base will be very hot.

Cooking principles

The conical shaped lid helps preserves moisture in the food as the steam condenses on the inside of the lid.  The shape of the lid also creates circulation within the dish, infusing the food with spices and flavors.

The low indirect heat produces a rich, aromatic flavor as the food slowly simmers for hours and the resulting meat becomes meltingly tender.

Most tagines involve slow simmering of less-expensive meats.  Very few Moroccan tagine recipes require initial browning, making them ideal to cook in the oven.

Types of tagine

Tagines come in two types those that can be used for serving only and those used for cooking. 

Serving tagines

These Moroccan tagines are often highly colored and patterned, but are not suitable for cooking and are not dishwasher safe.

Cooking tagines

Traditional Moroccan tagines: These are made in Morocco of glazed terracotta and ideally require seasoning before use.  They can be used in the oven and over a low gas flame preferably with a heat diffuser.  These are not dishwasher safe, please wash by hand in warm soapy water.

Other cooking tagines: Ceramic tagines which come in variety of colors and patterns.  These are fully glazed and do not require seasoning before first use.  They can be used in the oven but not on the hob, and are dishwasher safe.


Moroccan Tagine

Tagines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised  at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. They are traditionally cooked in the tagine pot, whose cover has a knob-like handle at its top to facilitate removal. While simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of a mitten, enabling the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, mix the contents, or add additional braising liquid.

Most tagines involve slow simmering of less-expensive meats. For example, the ideal cuts of lamb are the neck, shoulder or shank cooked until it is falling off the bone. Very few Moroccan tagines require initial browning; if there is to be browning it is invariably done after the lamb has been simmered and the flesh has become butter-tender and very moist. In order to accomplish this, the cooking liquid must contain some fat, which may be skimmed off later.[1]

Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a medley of ingredients or seasonings: olives, quinces, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts, with fresh or preserved lemons, with or without honey, with or without a complexity of spices. Traditional spices that are used to flavour tajines include ground cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, pepper, as well as the famous spice blend Ras el hanout. Some famous tajine dishes are mqualli or mshermel (both are pairings of chicken, olives and citrus fruits, though preparation methods differ), kefta (meatballs in an egg and tomato sauce), and mrouzia (lamb, raisins and almonds).

Other ingredients for a tajine may include any product that braises well: fish, quail, pigeon, beef, root vegetables, legumes, even amber and agarwood.[2] Modern recipes in the West include pot roasts, ossobuco, lamb shanks and turkey legs. Seasonings can be traditional Moroccan spices, French, Italian or suited to the dish.

Seasoning your tagine for first use

This is not essential but will remove any earthenware 'taste' and strengthen your tagine.

1.  The new tagine needs to be submerged in water for at least 1 hour.

2.  Rub the inside of the base and lid with olive oil.

3.  Put in a cold oven and set temperature to 150C (gas mark 2) and leave for 2 hours.

4.  Remove from oven and leave to cool.

5.  When completely cool, wash in warm soapy water and dry with a clean cloth.

6.  Your tagine is now ready to use.
 
Tagine Recipes

Tagine is perhaps the most frequently served dish in Morocco.  There are literally hundreds of variations of this exotic Moroccan stew. 

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Moroccan Beef Tagine with Green Olives 

Moroccan Duck Tagine

Moroccan Fish Tagine

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Mortar Pestle

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix substances. The pestle is a heavy bat shaped stick whose end is used for pounding and grinding, and the mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, marble, clay, or stone. The substance is ground between the pestle and the mortar.

How to use a mortar and pestle

• Place the food in the mortar (bowl) in small quantities.
• Use some downward pressure over the food with the pestle (pounder).
• With hard foodstuffs, like peppercorns and even pills, move the pestle back and forth over it with some pressure until it breaks up.
• Turn the pestle in a circular motion around the mortar, maneuvering it back and forth with a bit of pressure over still unbroken pieces.
  

It doesn't take long to get used to using a mortar and pestle.

Whether it's to grind some peppercorns, or your coffee beans, or avocadoes for guacamole, a mortar and pestle set can be a handy non-electric kitchen tool.

• Choose the least absorbent materials when you need purity in what you crush.
• Choose the most absorbent when you want the flavor to carry on to the next batch that you grind.
• Choose the size based on the size and quantity of the ingredients.
  

Marble is very hard and a favorite for all around use. It has medium resistance to the absorption of odors and moisture, depending, to a great extent, on the density of the stone used to fashion it.



Porcelain is the least likely to stain and it does well with foods that contain moisture. Can be easily cleaned and is dishwasher safe.




Vitrified Ceramic is fired to a temperature where all the molecules in the clay completely fuse together thus forming a fully sealed non porous solid. The finish of the piece may be safely left matt for better grip and to aid grinding


Stoneware (ceramic) unit use ridges for better grip. Wash well and dry thoroughly to reduce staining and absorption of flavor by the unglazed interior. A stiff nylon-bristle brush helps clean between the ridges.



Wood is best when used with the same flavored food, since it does absorb. We don't recommend using it with moist food.





Iron is great with harder ingredients. If you don't use it too often, keep it lightly oiled. (Food grade mineral oil is tasteless, odorless, and doesn't go rancid.) With proper care, this set will last a long, long time.



Lava Stone, in the form of the molcajete, is great for all types of tasks, especially in preparing large quantities. The stone needs to be seasoned before first use, to stabilize its surface.



Granite, like lava, will also absorb to some degree, based on the density of the stone used to fashion it, and it may also, as a result, trap food in its pores. Usually quite hard, and good for larger and harder ingredients.




Notes of interest:

• The Japanese call it a suribachi (also a volcanic bowl at Iwo Jima) and suricogi (wood pestle).
• The Mexicans call it a molcajete (seasoning bowl) and tejolote (from stone doll) for the pestle. It seems they originated the design, over 5,000 years ago, while the mortar and pestle appeared in Europe a mere 500 or so years ago.
• If using your mortar & pestle as a pill crusher, we recommend porcelain (or glass, brass, or stainless steel) when used for more than one type of pill, because of their ease of cleaning without leaving residues. Wood is the least desirable material for pill crushing, because it is highly absorbent.
  

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