Tag Archives: food

The Barbecue Camping Checklist

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There are many elements that make up camping a blast, but perhaps none is more enjoyable than food. There something magical about being able to go back to the basics while preparing food surrounded by the wonders of nature. The fresh somewhere blends seamlessly with outdoor cooking and family time. These are the things that great family memories are made of, and you should spare no expense when it comes to what you eat on a camping trip. After all, how many other opportunities do you get to enjoy food like this? You should take every advantage of your surroundings and downtime to fully enjoy the experience. As any good camper nose, preparation and organization are keys to having a successful trip. Here is a quick barbecue camping checklist to ensure you are fully prepared for the experience of a lifetime.

A Good Cooler – it’s not about fancy gadgets or elaborate appliances when it comes to wholesome barbecue cooking. Stick with the basics and you’ll be fine every time. For camping, it starts with a good cooler so that you can ensure your ingredients they fresh until ready to cook. This is one area where you should definitely not skimp so make sure to spend enough on getting yourself a cooler (or two) that will serve you well. In general, filling your cooler with block ice works better than chips because it lasts longer. You can also pre-freeze certain items like soup or stew to act as cooling agents as well.

A Great Grill – one problem associated with portable gas grills is their flimsy nature and tendency to crumble under weight. This is why you might want to go with a larger model with a durable design. These days there are wonderful choices in terms of more portable grill to give you the same type of performance as a backyard model. Make sure that you understand how to operate your grill while maintaining it properly in the outdoors.

Ample Food – here is where the fun begins because it’s your chance to go all out with your menu planning. Just remember to stay organized so that you don’t run out of food before your trip ends. It’s a good idea to plan out each meal in advance while leaving room for extras at the same time. Don’t forget about peripheral elements such as beverages and snacks either.

A Backup Plan – one important aspects of camping is being prepared for any contingency. Hopefully everything turns out fine, and chances are they will. But in case of an emergency you should always have extra food rations on hand. These days you can find prepackaged emergency food that come in handy portable kits. You’ll likely never have to dig into one, but it’s nice to know you have reserves just in case.

Educate Yourself – information is your best friend when it comes to camping so don’t be afraid to explore different techniques and grilling basics. It’s not just about throwing food onto your charcoal grill and leading a cook until it’s done. There are exciting ways to make food tastier in addition to incorporating more health into your menu planning as well. In general, the more you know about basic cooking, the more you can expand your overall routine for exciting results.

Overall Safety – food safety is always a concern in outdoor environment because you don’t have the amenities of a modern kitchen. Remember to handle your food safely at all times especially when it comes to uncooked meat. If something has thawed, then make sure to cook it as soon as possible without trying to refreeze it. Also make sure that you preserve your campsite while keeping the integrity of the area intact. Keep a careful watch on your barbecue to avoid complications with forest fires or too much smoke wandering over to your neighbor’s campsite. When you take care of these basics, it allows you to have a lot more fun without having to worry about an accident or unforeseen event routing your entire trip.

Cooking: Indian curry influence and Japan

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Food is one of my passions and, when I have the time, I enjoy writing about it. Recently, while working on a project that involved finding the best autoresponder, I promised myself when I had a little time; I would share some fascinating information about the influence of Indian curry in Japan. We are all familiar with the idea that Indian country seems to have taken over as the national cuisine of Britain and the most popular dish in the country is the Indian “chicken tikka masala”.

Only recently did I find out that curry occupies a place in Japan in much the same level as it does in Britain. This is extremely unusual because Japan has no colonial ties with India and has its own unique and distinctive cuisine. The Japanese simply love curry and every food store in every shopping mall or railway station sells curry and rice which is locally known as karee raisu. And bakeries often offer a bread roll with curry sauce inside that goes by the name of karee pan.

Apparently, in 1982, schoolchildren chose curry as their favorite meal in the national program for lunch at school. In Japanese homes, the three most frequently cooked dishes for dinner are pork cutlets, stir fry vegetables and, believe it or not, curry. The Curry House Ichibanya, a nationwide chain with more than 300 outlets, serves curries with differing levels of spice. You can even find comic books where the leading characters seriously debate the best way of cooking curry.

The Japanese army found that curry and rice was an easy dish to cook in large quantities. Moreover they considered it as one method of feeding the troops beef which they believed would be strengthening. After the Second World War, curry and rice began to feature on school lunch menus. The introduction of pre-prepared curry roux made it easy for housewives who were tired after a day at work to cook curry at home.

Smoking Meats Adds Nice Variation To Your Diet

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Let me just start off by saying I love smoked Barbeque.  I grew up on a little farm and we always raised our own meat.  Then when I was in my teens I worked in a grocery store in the meat market and helped my uncle cut up beef on the weekends.  As you can imagine we always had a lot of meat to eat and I guess you could say, “I have meat in my blood.”

That is why I was so excited about getting started on a no carb foods diet in order to get rid of the spare tire that had developed around my middle.  Eating meat is the key to any good low carb diet but my problem was I always ate it with lots of potatoes, bread, and sweets.  That is a no-no and really packs on the pounds.

Since being on the diet for the last month I have lost almost 20 pounds and feel great.  One of the keys to my success has been varying the types of meals I have.  That is where my smoker comes in.  Every weekend I smoke a turkey and a ham then I can have these for lunches and dinners throughout the week.  The smoky flavor not only tastes good but I also think it helps to curb my appetite later on.  Of course we also use the smoker to cook hamburgers and steaks during the week.  I’ll tell you, a good steak with a salad and some grilled veggies really makes a great meal and I don’t even think about those fries or mashed potatoes I would have had to have just a few months ago.

I use a propane barbeque which a lot of people frown on but the reality is the ease of use is so nice that I don’t even think about briquettes.  My smoker has a tray to add flavor chips so I can smoke with hickory, alder, or mesquite without waiting an hour for the coals to get hot.  I just pour some chips in the pan and light the propane.  The chips will smoke the whole time I am cooking and I get that great wood smoke flavor without having to deal with the ashes later.

Benefits of fruits and vegetables in your diet

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Often, when you are engaged in stressful and hectic activity such as learning how to invest in the stock market, you simply forget to eat right because you are preoccupied. However, you should put a little time aside so that you can think about your diet. Fruit and vegetables have many beneficial effects on your health. For one thing, the high fiber content helps to control glucose levels in your blood and reduce the levels of cholesterol. They also contain large quantities of phytochemicals and antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease. The quantities of essential minerals and vitamins promote general well-being while providing protection against illness and disease.

Your recommended five portions daily of fruits and vegetables should come from a variety of different sources. If you eat the same fruits and vegetables every day, you will continue to be deficient in the vitamins and minerals that they do not possess. To get the maximum benefits from fruits, eat them whole and the peel as well wherever possible. Use fruit drinks or dried fruits in moderation because fruit loses a substantial amount of its fiber when it is converted to juice and as well as a lot of vitamin C in the drying process.

Your intake of vitamins should be divided between red and green vegetables and, generally, the more colors you eat, the healthier it is. As another rule of thumb, the darker and more colorful vegetables contain large quantities of fiber, minerals and vitamins. This is why spinach is more nutritious than lettuce. Balance the starchy vegetables such as potatoes and other root vegetables with non starchy vegetables like beans, spinach and broccoli. Overcooking your vegetables causes them to lose nutrients and the best way to retain the nutrition is to microwave or steam them. Homemade vegetable soup is an excellent way to meet your daily requirement and you can add lentils or barley to make it a complete meal.