Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases Types of Bacteria Bacteria are all around us, in the air, water, ground, on our skin and in our bodies. They are classified in a variety of ways, but for our purpose we can categorize them in a more basic way. Harmless bacteria – Most bacteria...
Christmas Cookie Decorating 101
Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well thats a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you...
Converting a Stovetop Recipe to a Crockpot Recipe
Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100 degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees.
Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for use in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking times will be a...
Give a Swiss Fondue Party A Fondue Party is ideal for an informal evening with friends. This popular dish comes from Switzerland where villagers in the mountains had to rely on local produce, like cheese, wine and home baked bread during the long winter month. The name...
In Grandma's Kitchen (Part I)One of my fondest childhood memories is being in the kitchen with my Hungarian grandmother. I loved watching her chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and leaning over bubbling pots in a kitchen that was always filled with wonderful aromas. Id...
How to cut a cake
Have you ever wondered how to cut a cake? I have had a lot of practice. When I turned 16 and requested a Spider Man sheet cake I busily honed my cake cutting skills by making concentric rectangles and then served up the master piece. My family all refused to eat stating lack of presentation skills. Since that time my skills have, thankfully, been refined. Here are tips to cutting a round layer cake.
First select a knife you are comfortable holding. A long slender knife works best. Begin the first cut about two inches from the edge. Cut along the entire edge of the cake keeping the knife in about two inches. Your cake will now have an outer ring two inches wide.
Next cut the outer ring into two inch wide slices. This outer ring is perfect for those who enjoy a
lot of frosting. To serve use a cake spatula and easily lift each slice from the outer ring of cake.
Follow these same steps with the center of the cake. This technique will give you uniformed attractively displayed slices every time.
By serving the outer ring to those who enjoy the frosting this leaves the moist inner cake to those with less of a sweet tooth.
About the Author
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com
