Try Wonder Cooker

Wonder Cooker

2007-08-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Wonder Cooker is one of those as seen on tv products where they try to upsell you more things like knifes, special contraptions for making onion rings or some other super product. I know it sounds stupid but I kind of go for these things and I would love an all in one cooker. The only reason I haven’t bought one is because they only deliver to the US and Canada. That counts me out.

I’ve been looking for something similar here because I don’t have an oven and am sick of cookingo on a cooktop. I need to be able to cook properly and knowing that the Wonder Cooker can do roasts is a big plus for me. I want one. They must sell similar things here. I just need to look harder.

British Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:44:00.003-07:00

Modern British (or New British) cuisine is a style of British cooking which emerged in the late 1970s, and has become increasingly popular since. It uses high-quality ingredients local to the British Isles, preparing them in ways which combine traditional British recipes with modern innovations, and has an affinity with the Slow Food movement.

It is not generally a nostalgic movement, although there are some efforts to re-introduce pre-twentieth-century recipes. Ingredients not native to the islands, particularly herbs and spices, are frequently added to traditional dishes (echoing, perhaps not always intentionally, the highly spiced nature of much British food in the medieval era).

Much Modern British cooking also draws heavily on influences from the cuisines of the Mediterranean and, more recently, South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. The influence of northern and central European cuisines is significantly slighter.

The Modern British style of cooking emerged as a response to the perceived poor quality of British cuisine following the Second World War, and the resulting popularity of foreign cuisine in Britain in the decades that followed. Modern British cuisine has been very much influenced and popularised by television personalities such as Fanny Cradock, Delia Smith, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver.

German Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:44:00.001-07:00

Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with pork being the most popular by a substantial amount. The average person in Germany will consume up to 67 pounds of meat in a year. Among poultry, chicken is most common, although duck, goose, and turkey are also well enjoyed. Game meats, especially boar, rabbit, and venison are also widely available around the year. Lamb and goat are also available, but are not very popular.

Meat is usually pot-roasted; pan-fried dishes also exist, but these are usually imports from France. Throughout Germany, meat is very often eaten in sausage form. There is said to be more than 1500 different types of sausage in Germany. Certain families may also make their own sausage for personal consumption.

Portuguese Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:43:00.001-07:00

Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavoured dishes and is a prime example of Mediterranean diet. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is clear, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These include piri piri (small, fiery chilli peppers), as well as cinnamon, vanilla and saffron. There are also Arab and Moorish influences, especially in the south of the country. Olive oil is one of the bases of Portuguese cuisine both for cooking and flavouring meals. Garlic is widely used, as are herbs such as coriander and parsley.

Spanish Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:42:00.002-07:00

A significant portion of Spanish cuisine derives from the Jewish and Moorish traditions. The Moors were a strong influence in Spain for many centuries and some of their food is still eaten in Spain today. However, pork is popular and for centuries eating pork was also a statement of Christian ethnicity or cleanliness of blood, because it was not eaten by Jews or Muslims. Several native foods of the Americas were introduced to Europe through Spain, and a modern Spanish cook couldn't do without potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and beans. These are some of the primary influences that have differentiated Spanish cuisine from Mediterranean cuisine, of which Spanish cuisine shares many techniques and food items.

The essential ingredient for real Spanish cooking is olive oil, as Spain produces 44% of the world's olives. However, butter or lard are also important, especially in the north.

Daily meals eaten by the Spanish in many areas of the country are still very often made traditionally by hand, from fresh ingredients bought daily from the local market. This practice is more common in the rural areas and less common in the large urban areas like Madrid, where supermarkets are beginning to displace the open air markets. However, even in Madrid food can be bought from the local shops, bread from the panadería, meat from the carnicería, etc.

One popular custom when going out is to be served tapas with a drink (sherry, wine, beer, etc.). In some places, like Granada, tapas are given for free with a drink and have become very famous for that reason. It should be noted that almost every bar serves something edible when a drink is ordered, without charge. However many bars exist primarily to serve a purchased "tapa".

Another traditional favorite is the churro with a mug of thick hot chocolate to dip churros in. Churrerías, or stores that serve churros, are quite common. The Chocolatería de San Ginés in Madrid is especially famous as a place to stop and have some chocolate with churros, often late into the night (even dawn) after being out on the town. Often traditional Spanish singers will entertain the guests. [1]
Assorted tapas from a bar in Seville
Assorted tapas from a bar in Seville

As is true in many countries, the cuisines of Spain differ widely from one region to another, even though they all share certain common characteristics, which include:

* The use of olive oil as a cooking fat in items such as fritters. It is also used raw.
* The use of sofrito to start the preparation of many dishes.
* The use of garlic and onions as major seasonings.
* The custom of drinking wine during meals.
* Serving bread with the vast majority of meals.
* Consumption of salads, especially in the summer.
* The consumption of a piece of fruit or a dairy product as dessert. Desserts such as tarts and cakes are typically reserved for special occasions.

It is sometimes said that in the south they fry, in the centre they roast (meat), but in the north they cook!

Lebanese Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:42:00.001-07:00

Lebanese Cuisine,(Arabic , المأكولات اللبنانية ) or foods from Lebanon, are considered a Mediterranean delicacy consisting of a variety of fresh vegetarian recipes, salads and stews all seasoned with a flavorsome combination of herbs and spices. One of the most world known Lebanese specialties is called the Maza, also written "Mezze", which is a selection of appetisers: olives, cheeses, Labanee, or small portions also known as muqabbilat (starters).

As with most Mediterranean cuisines, Lebanese cuisine is considered to be a very balanced, healthy diet.

The cuisine of Lebanon is the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. It includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten it is usually lamb. It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil-nary a meal goes by in Lebanon that does not include these two ingredients. Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sauted in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used other than in a few desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. While the cuisine of Lebanon doesn't boast an entire repertoire of sauces, it focuses on herbs, spices and the freshness of ingredients; the assortment of dishes and combinations are almost limitless. The meals are full of robust, earthy flavors and, like most Mediterranean countries, much of what the Lebanese eat is dictated by the seasons.

Greek Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:41:00.002-07:00

Greek cuisine is the cuisine of Greece and of the Greeks . It is typical of Mediterranean cuisine[1] accompanied by commonalities with the cuisines of the Balkans, Anatolia, and The Middle East.

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cooking is olive oil, which is present in almost every dish. It is produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, eggplant, potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly flower-honey from the nectar of fruit and citrus trees (lemon, orange, bigarade trees), thyme honey, and pine honey from conifer trees. Mastic is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.

Greek cuisine uses some flavourings more often than do other Mediterranean cuisines: oregano rigani, mint dhiosmo, garlic, onion, dill, salt, and bay laurel leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Many Greek recipes use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews. Greek flavour is often characterised by the use of mint and nutmeg. Other typical ingredients are lamb, pork, kalamata olives, feta cheese, grape leaves, zucchini and yogurt. Dessert items are dominated by nuts and honey.[1]

The terrain has tended to favour the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common, especially in coastal regions and the islands. A great variety of cheese types are used in Greek cuisine, including Feta, Kasseri, Kefalotyri and Mizithra.

Some dishes use filo pastry. Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine, though recent trends among Greek culinary circles tend to favour a somewhat more refined approach.

Italian Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:41:00.001-07:00

Although Italian cuisine does have defining features that are found throughout the country, it is composed of highly varied regional cuisines. The cuisines reflect the cultural variety of its regions and its diverse history with culinary influences from numerous civilizations. The cuisine is highly seasonal and the dishes of each region reflect this diversity of the seasons. Some of the ingredients that have become key to Italian cuisine were only introduced after the discovery of the New World, such items include ingredients as tomatoes, maize (used for cornmeal), bell peppers, and potatoes. Prior to the discovery of the New World though, items such as bread, pasta, wine, olive oil and cheese were already important components. Coffee and more specifically espresso culture have become highly important to the cultural cuisine of Italy.

Mexican Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:40:00.002-07:00

Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Mexican culture and food is one of the richest in the world, both with respect to diverse and appealing tastes and textures; and in terms of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Some people consider Mexican cuisine to be the second most varied and vast in the world (after Chinese cuisine).

When Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (the ancient city on which Mexico City was built), they found that the people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chiles and herbs, usually complemented with beans and squash. The conquistadores eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico, including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey. The totopo (a salted corn tortilla cooked in a fire oven) may have been created as part of this cuisine.

Most of today's Mexican food is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. Quesadillas, for example, are a flour or corn tortilla with cheese (often a Mexican-style soft farmer's cheese such as Queso Fresco), beef, chicken, pork, and so on. The indigenous part of this and many other traditional foods is the chile pepper. Foods like these tend to be very colorful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chili peppers, green peppers, chilies, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes) and meats in Mexican food. There is also a sprinkling of Caribbean influence in Mexican cuisine, particularly in some regional dishes from the states of Veracruz and Yucatán. The French occupation of Mexico also yielded some influences as well: the bolillo (pronounced bo-lee-yo, with the "o" as in "bore"), a Mexican take on the French roll, certainly seems to reflect this.

Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef production and meat dishes. Southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. Seafood is commonly prepared in the state of Veracruz.

There are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan style, with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, and even some kinds of insects. This is usually known as comida prehispánica (or prehispanic food), and although not very common, is relatively well known.

A distinction must be made between truly authentic Mexican food, and "Tex Mex" (Texan-Mexican) cuisines. Mexican cuisine combines with the cuisine of the southwest United States (which itself has a number of Mexican influences) to form Cal-Mex and Tex-Mex cuisine. Another style of cuisine that is commonly mistaken for Mexican food is New Mexican cuisine, which is, of course, found in New Mexico, USA.

Chinese Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:40:00.001-07:00

Chinese cuisine (Chinese language) is the general term given to the various cuisines from different regions of China and abroad. Authentic Chinese cuisine are not referred to as such, but rather, the name of the region that the cuisine originated (eg. Chuan-cuisine , Xiang-cuisine , Yue-cuisine , etc.) Contemporary Chinese cuisine has spread to many other parts of the world and are localized — from East Asia to India, North America, Australasia and Western Europe.

French Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:39:00.003-07:00

French cuisine is considered to be one of the world's most refined and elegant styles of cooking. The national cuisine known today has evolved from centuries of social and political change. The Middle Ages brought lavish banquets to the upper class with ornate, heavily seasoned food prepared by chefs such as Guillaume Tirel. The era of the French Revolution, however, saw a move toward fewer spices and more liberal usage of herbs and refined techniques, beginning with François Pierre La Varenne and further developing with the famous chef of Napoleon Bonaparte and other dignitaries, Marie-Antoine Carême.

French cuisine was codified in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine. Escoffier's major work, however, left out much of the regional character to be found in the provinces of France. Gastro-tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to bring people to the countryside during the 20th century and beyond, to sample this rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of France. Basque cuisine has also been a great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws.

Australian Cooking History

2007-08-14T04:39:00.001-07:00

Australian cuisine is some of the most diverse available anywhere, due to the many cultural influences. Modern Australian cuisine has been heavily influenced by the country's South-East Asian neighbours, and by the many waves of immigrants from there, and all parts of the world. Similarly, Greek, Lebanese and Italian influences are very common with many of these influences arriving in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s. Fresh produce is readily available and thus used extensively, and the trend (urged by long-term government health initiatives) is towards low-salt, low-fat healthy cookery incorporating lean meat and lightly cooked, colourful, steamed or stir-fried vegetables.

Austalia's wide variety of seafood is also popular and barbecues are common at weekend family gatherings. Barbecues are also common in fundraising for schools and local communities, where sausages and onion are served on white bread with tomato sauce. These are most often referred to as "Sausage Sizzles".

Some English trends are still evident in domestic cuisine. Among these is the widespread tradition of having roast turkey, chicken and ham with trimmings followed by a plum pudding for Christmas lunch or dinner, despite the fact that Christmas is at the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Australian Cuisine

2007-08-14T04:37:00.000-07:00

Historically Gages cuisine was based on traditional British cooking brought to the country by the first settlers. This generally consisted of pies, roasted cuts of meat, grilled steak and chops, and other forms of meat generally accompanied by vegetables (the combination known colloquially as "meat and three veg").

These origins have been mostly overtaken by the growing multicultural emphasis of Australian culture over the last forty to fifty years, with Australian cuisine now influenced by a variety of Mediterranean and Asian foods originally introduced by immigrants. British traditions still persist to varying degrees including in the takeaway food sector, with pies and fish and chips remaining popular.

A native Australian cuisine movement has also emerged, evolving out of the Australian themed restaurants of the mid-1980s. The discovery of the spice-like qualities of many native Australian plant ingredients formed the basis of a gourmet cuisine. This contrasted with the Bush tucker or foraged food unfamiliar to gourmets.