Art of the Month- Crafting!!

A very happy new year!!!

So lets talk about the Art of the new month now.....
This month we have Crafting as our Art of Month!!!

Lets learn so many new crafts and decorate our home,office,surroundings.....and make them look more beautiful.....By using our Art of the Month and that is Crafting...

Chocolate raspberry brownies

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate , broken into chunks
• 100g milk chocolate , broken into chunks
• 250g pack salted butter
• 400g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 200g raspberries

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.
2. Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Sieve over the flour and cocoa, and stir in. Stir in half the raspberries, scrape into the tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 mins or, if you prefer a firmer texture, for 5 mins more. Cool before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Basic Kitchen Checklist

This checklist has all the essential equipment needed to outfit a kitchen.

Setting up your first kitchen, or even editing the kitchen equipment in your home to make sure you have the essentials, this checklist includes everything you'll need for most basic cooking tasks.

Cutlery

Don't be lured by big knife sets, even if they seem to be a great value. You really only need a few pieces of cutlery for the majority of tasks. The most essential kitchen knives are:

• Chef's knife or Santoku knife: Choose the size that's most comfortable for you (between 6 and 8 inches is the most popular). A Chef's or Santoku knife (which is basically a Japanese-style chef's knife) can be used for chopping vegetables, cutting up or slicing raw or cooked meat, mincing garlic and herbs, among other tasks.
• Paring knife: With a blade of 2 to 4 inches, the paring knife is good for smaller mincing and slicing tasks, such as cutting up a small amount of herbs or a clove of garlic or slicing cheese, or for hand-peeling fruit.

• Serrated knife: Pick a straight, longish blade (8 to 10 inches) and use this knife for slicing meats, bread and soft fruits and vegetables like tomatoes or melons.

• Kitchen shears: A pair of scissors dedicated to the kitchen is a must. Choose a pair of shears specifically designed for the kitchen; it comes apart for easy cleaning and often has added features like a nut cracker or a bottle opener. You can use kitchen shears for snipping herbs, cutting open food packages, snipping string, trimming fat from meat and chicken, even cutting pizza into slices.

Cookware

As with cutlery, it's better to buy a few basic pieces of cookware and build from there as you determine what else you need. Choose the best-quality cookware you can afford so that it'll perform beautifully and will last a long time. The most versatile choice is uncoated (not nonstick) stainless steel cookware that is oven-safe. That way you can use it both to cook on the stove but also in place of, say, a roasting pan or a casserole dish for oven recipes.

• Nonstick Skillet: Essential for making egg dishes and stir-frying. Try to find an oven-safe version so that you can use it for frittatas or tarte tatins. A 10-inch diameter is a versatile size for households of 2 to 4 people. A good alternative to a nonstick skillet is a seasoned cast iron skillet.
• 2- or 3-quart saucepan with lid: Use this for heating soup, cooking vegetables and grains and making sauces or custards.
• Large pot or Dutch oven with lid: A size of 7 to 9 quarts is just right for boiling pasta or potatoes, making soup, stews and stocks, and braising meats.

Cutting Board

Epicurean

Choose one large cutting board for all your chopping needs; a good rule is for the board to be at least 3 inches wider than your longest knife. Wood or bamboo is the least damaging to knives, but plastic can go in the dishwasher. Another good option is the Epicurean line of cutting boards, which are sturdy, lightweight and dishwasher safe.

Wooden Spoon

A wooden spoon (or two or three) can be used for stirring just about anything. As an alternative, look for a bamboo, heatproof plastic or silicone spoon. A spoon with a deeper bowl can be used for scooping up food.

 

Ladle

Essential for scooping liquids, whether it's portioning pancake batter onto the griddle, serving up soup or stew, or spooning stock into risotto. The most useful ladle are ones whose bowls measure a specific amount, such as 4 ounces (half a cup), because then you can also use the ladle to roughly measure ingredients or portions. If you can't find this type of ladle in a kitchenware store, look for one in a restaurant supply store.

Whisk

Used for mixing thin batters, beating eggs, emulsifying vinaigrettes, stirring sauces or custards. It is also handy for stirring dry ingredients together for a baked good – because it can break up big chunks and aerate the dry mixture, it is a quick (though not as thorough) substitute for sifting. Metal balloon whisks are the most classic, although silicone coated versions are nice if you think you'll be making sauces or custards in a nonstick pan.

Vegetable Peeler

Most chefs and experienced home cooks like the Y-shaped peelers, which are comfortable to hold and give good leverage for the most efficient peeling.

 

Measuring Cups

Pick a sturdy set made of metal or hard plastic, with a flat bottom so that they can stand on their own. Some sets have a line marking the halfway, so that you can use a one-cup measuring cup to also measure half a cup. Basic sets include 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes; some sets also include 3/4 cup and 2 cup sizes, both of which will come in surprisingly handy.

 

Set of Mixing Bowls

Choose a nesting set of at least three mixing bowls that are attractive enough to double as serving bowls. Bowls that come with lids are even more useful because they can also be used to store leftovers or transport salads and other dishes to a picnic or party. While mixing bowls come in a variety of materials, you can't go wrong with stainless steel bowls, which are inexpensive, lightweight and virtually indestructible.

 

Multi-sided cheese grater

A box grater will let you make fine or thick shreds, and some even have a rasp side ideal for grating garlic, nutmeg or chocolate. Another helpful feature is a grater with a built-in compartment at the base which collects and measures the grated food.

 

Baking Pan

For casseroles, sheet cakes, lasagna, and roasts. If you only buy one, tempered glass is probably a more versatile option as it will cook thick, saucy dishes like casseroles more evenly than thin metal. The classic size that's most common in recipes is 9 by 13 inches. You'll need one for making brownies, cornbread or smaller casserole recipes. An 8- by 8-inch pan in metal will suffice.

Can Opener

Find a handheld version that is sturdily made and easy and intuitive to use. Many can openers have a magnet on them, which makes lifting the lid easier. A bottle opener on the handle is a bonus.

How to Store Leftover Cooked Pasta

To store cooked pasta:

• While pasta is still warm, toss with 1-3 teaspoons of plain vegetable oil so the strands don't stick together when they cool.
• Place the pasta in a food storage bag and set it, unsealed, in the refrigerator.
• When the pasta is cool, seal the bag and lightly toss the bag to make sure the pasta is not sticking together.
• Use the pasta cold if the recipe calls for it. You can also reheat the pasta by dropping into a pot of rapidly boiling water for 30-60 seconds, just until hot. Do not leave the pasta in the water for longer than one minute! Continue with the recipe.

Cooking at High Altitude

Cooking at High Altitude

Cooking at high altitudes is different from cooking at sea level. Recipes that are otherwise reliable may not turn out properly when prepared at high altitudes. The reason for this has to do with differences in atmospheric pressures.

Higher Altitude, Lower Boiling Point

The higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure. Lower pressure in turn causes water to evaporate more quickly, and water actually boils at a lower temperature.

If it's hard to grasp the fact that boiling water is actually cooler at high altitudes than at sea level, that's because it's really, really weird. In theory, if you were high enough, a glass of water would boil at room temperature. So "boiling" — where we see the steam and rolling bubbles normally associated with the word, is really more a function of air pressure than temperature.

The effects are incremental, if not actually noticeable. In general, each 500-foot increase in elevation translates into a 1°F decrease in water's boiling temperature. So at 500 feet above sea level, water will boil at 211°F instead of 212°F. But the difference is so slight, you'll never notice it.

High Altitudes: 3,000 Feet and Higher

Where you will start to notice it is at elevations higher than about 3,000 feet. There, water will boil at around 207°F instead of 212°F. At 5,000 feet it will boil at around 203°F, and at 7,500 feet, it boils at 198°F. That's a significant enough difference where it will definitely affect how long it takes to cook something.

Remember, too, that at any given altitude, the boiling temperature of water is as hot as water will get. You can't get it hotter by turning up the flame beneath the pot. So at 7,500 feet, you can't get water any hotter than 198°F.

What that means, then, is that you're going to have to cook foods a little bit longer than you would at sea level. Cooking pasta, for instance, which might take seven minutes at sea level, could take nine or 10 minutes at 3,000 feet.

Keep the Lid On

In addition to adjusting cooking times, you should also make sure that you keep a tight-fitting lid on the pot when you're cooking at high altitudes. This is standard procedure when preparing braised dishes, but it's a good rule to follow at high altitudes because water evaporates so much more quickly.

High Altitudes, Dry Air

Because the reduced atmospheric pressure of high altitudes affects the boiling point of water, it's moist-heat cooking techniques that are affected the most. Dry-heat cooking techniques like roasting or grilling are not affected in the same way because high altitudes don't alter the way air is heated. So a roasted chicken recipe shouldn't require any adjustment at higher elevations.

On the other hand, since water evaporates more quickly at high altitudes, meats cooked on the grill will tend to dry out more quickly than when cooked at sea level. Note that the temperature isn't affected, just the moisture content of the food. So a grilled steak might be more dry at high altitude than at sea level — even if it's not overcooked temperaturewise.

There's not much you can do about that, other than to make sure that you give grilled and roasted meats a chance to rest before serving them.

Cooking Eggs at High Altitudes

You'll also find that eggs will take a bit longer to cook at high altitudes, because they naturally have a lot of water in them. But since fried eggs or scrambled eggs are cooked with dry heat rather than moist, take care that you don't compensate by using a hotter pan. That will just result in burnt eggs. When it comes to eggs, cook longer, not hotter.

Baking at High Altitudes

Another difference caused by the lower atmospheric pressure is that leavening agents such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda will have more rising power. That's because the thinner air offers less resistance to the gases created by the leavening agent. Therefore, you should use less leavening (about 20 percent less at 5,000 feet) as your elevation increases.

And because of the faster evaporation described earlier, you may need to increase the amount of liquid in batters and doughs. You can do this by adding an extra egg, or using extra-large eggs in place of large.

Microwaves and High Altitudes

You may also notice a difference in how microwave ovens work at higher altitudes. That's because microwaves cook by exciting the water molecules in food. Therefore, when using a microwave oven you'll likely want to allow extra cooking time as well.

Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

A fresh and colorful pasta salad that is brightened by the addition of a tangy Greek yogurt dressing.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 kg. pasta, (your choice, I used Rotini) cooked, drained, and cooled
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 kg. cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters depending on size
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 kg. Feta cheese, cut into bite sized cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. dill pickle relish
• 1 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it is cooking, you can chop the vegetables and herbs.
3. Combine all the salad ingredients except for the pasta and Feta cheese in a large bowl. Toss lightly and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. When pasta is cooked, drain well and rinse under cold water to cool.
5. Add the pasta to the salad ingredients and mix in the dressing.
6. Lightly toss the pasta until nicely coated with dressing and ingredients are well distributed. (Use as much dressing as you enjoy). Add the Feta cubes last and toss lightly to avoid crumbling.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Seves 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Low fat Winter Vegetable Soup

For people who want to resist the temptation to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie fare.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped leeks, white parts only
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
• 1 cup rutabaga or turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into pieces
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth, divided
• Salt and pepper as desired

Preparation:

1. Heat oil on medium heat in a large pot. Sauté garlic, celery, leeks and carrots for 5 minutes.
2. Add chopped rutabaga, and potatoes, followed by canned tomatoes and 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
3. In two or three batches, puree soup with in a blender , or use an immersion blender. Add extra cup of broth to thin the soup a little.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Per 1 ½ cup serving: Calories 113, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 168mg, Carbohydrate 20.2g, Fiber 4.1g, Protein 4.1g