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Barbecue 101: The Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Grilling

When it comes to grilling, there are basically no rules – it all comes down to your preferences. Charcoal or gas grill? Lightly seasoned or full of flavour? Meat well done or not? But having said this, there are still some basic guidelines that every griller should follow to have a successful barbecue session.

Keep in mind these top 5 do’s and don’ts of grilling to have a smooth-sailing barbecue:

DO – Practice safety

Grilling can be hazardous if safety precautions are not practiced. To protect yourself from flare ups or fire, wear barbecue gloves and use long-handled tools such as brushes and tongs. Have a fire extinguisher ready at all times. More importantly, only grill at an open space, away from anything that could easily catch fire.

DON’T – Use a grill cover when cooking over hot coals Continue reading “Barbecue 101: The Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Grilling”

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Yin and Yang Food – How Does it Affect You?

Did you know that Yin and Yang, the principle at the heart of Chinese philosophy, applies to Chinese food and cooking as well? In Chinese medicine, all food can be divided into four Qis: Hot, warm, cool and cold; or yang, mild yang, mild yin and yin respectively.

In general, yang food improves blood circulation and warms us up, but too much yang food (or eaten during the wrong season e.g. summer) will induce constant thirst, hot flashes, night sweats and constipation. In contrast, yin food quenches thirst, cleanses our systems and cools us down, but if eaten inappropriately it will lower our metabolism and weaken our bodies. In particular, according to traditional Chinese, pregnant women are traditionally advised not to eat yin food (e.g. crab, watermelon) as it may increase the chance of miscarriage.

So what are some examples of yin and yang food?

Grains and Beans

Continue reading “Yin and Yang Food – How Does it Affect You?”

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Smoking Meat For Beginners: 3 Expert Tips You Should Learn

If you love meat, you sure know how delicious smoked meat is. If you’ve never tried making one before and want to try your hand at it, there are a few things you need to consider and prepare before smoking your first piece of meat. It takes time, knowledge and experience to properly do it.

Here is a small guide for beginners – follow these expert tips on smoking meat at home:

Choose the right smoker

There are different types of smokers out in the market and each type has their own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right one for you depends on your own personal needs. Here is a quick list of the different types of smokers:

  • Wood – Produces the purest flavour for meats, but requires the most attention because a constant temperature is hard to maintain. Not ideal for beginners.
  • Pellet – Works similarly to a wood smoker but easier to use. Just load up the pellets into a compartment and will instantly do the work. However, these can be expensive.
  • Electric – Easy to use and the easiest to control in terms of temperature. However, they provide the least smoky flavour to food and is the most expensive out of all smokers.
  • Propane – Works similarly to an electric smoker but instead of electricity, uses a gas-fueled flame.
  • Charcoal – The favorite of many because it’s cheap and gives food more smokiness compared to the electric and gas varieties. The downside is you have to keep buying charcoal and also build and maintain a fire manually.

Choose the right type of wood

There are different types of wood you can use for smoking and each one affects your food differently. Some wood are better for certain proteins while others are used best with certain cuts of meat.

One popular type is alder, which is best used for any white meat. Maple works great for poultry and ham. Cherrywood is ideal for pork and other red meat. Oak is best for bigger and thicker cuts of meat that takes a long time to cook.

Choose the right cuts of meat

When choosing cuts of meat, go for the ones that would benefit the most from smoking. Those fatty cuts will cause beautiful marbling therefore ideal. Pork shoulder and beef brisket are good cuts of meat to start with if you’re a beginner.

Follow these 3 expert tips on smoking meat for beginners!



Source by Adrian T. Cheng

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Nigerian Foods, Tips and Cooking

Do you love travelling to beautiful places around the world? Are you a food blogger interested in African cuisines? Do you plan to visit Nigeria soon?. This article explores some mouth-watering Nigerian cuisines you should try on your next visit.

Nigeria is regarded as the largest black country in the world having over 150 million citizens and over 250 ethnic groups with 3 major ones. Each ethnic group has some peculiar cuisines associated with them. Below are some of these foods and how to prepare them.

1. Ofada rice with stew: Ofada is a small town in the South-Western part of the country. Its residents are known to be rice farmers hence the rice grown is named after the town. This rice is brownish in colour and sold across the country.

Ingredients: 2 and a half cups ofada rice, 5 cups water, 1 tsp. vegetable oil (optional), 1 tsp. Salt.

Continue reading “Nigerian Foods, Tips and Cooking”

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Tasty Cold Soup Recipes To Try For a Refreshing Meal

A hot bowl of soup is soothing on a cold night, but when the weather is warm, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite soup! Cold soup is equally delicious and filling, not to mention refreshing.

The Cool Cucumber

What you need:

  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/3 cups plain yogurt
  • 1 1/3 cups sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped dill
  • 1/2 cup chopped mint

Continue reading “Tasty Cold Soup Recipes To Try For a Refreshing Meal”

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Hearty Barbecue Rice Bowls That Are Worth The Try

Delicious rice bowls are what you need if you want to have a fulfilling meal. It is a complete meal by itself with rice, meat, vegetables and all other good stuff. It’s also a nutritious option for those who are healthy eaters. So for a warm hearty meal with your family, try these barbecue rice bowls!

Korean Style Beef Barbecue Rice Bowl

What you need:

  • 1/2 kilogram beef roast in au jus, heated
  • 1/4 kilogram jasmine rice, cooked
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Korean barbecue sauce
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root

Continue reading “Hearty Barbecue Rice Bowls That Are Worth The Try”

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3 Amazing Slow Cooker Recipes To Try Now

Slow cooking is a great way to prepare incomparable home-cooked meals without too much work. Everyone wants to come home to a warm dinner and enjoy it with family. So ditch the microwaveable meals or ordering fast food, take your crock pot out and try these amazing slow cooker recipes!

Tasty Tropical BBQ Meatballs

What you need:

  • 1/2 bag frozen meatballs, preferably cooked
  • 2 1/2 cups pineapple chunks (with juice)
  • 2 1/4 cups barbecue sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

Continue reading “3 Amazing Slow Cooker Recipes To Try Now”

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3 Amazing Grilled Breakfast Sandwiches To Start Your Day Right

Who says you can’t cook breakfast food using a grill? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and if you’re having a tasty meal fresh off the grates, you’re sure to have a nice day ahead of you! Try it on the weekends – get your grill out and have breakfast with your family out in the yard!

Try any of these 3 easy grilled breakfast sandwiches:

Cheesy Bacon and Egg Grilled Sandwich

What you need:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 slices Canadian bacon
  • 2 slices American cheese
  • 2 slices sourdough bread
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • Salt and pepper

Continue reading “3 Amazing Grilled Breakfast Sandwiches To Start Your Day Right”

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Top 5 Tips For Hassle-Free Winter Grilling

Most people would pack up their grill when the cold weather starts to set in. Contrary to popular belief, grilling is not only for the summer time – it can be enjoyed year round. Some would even say that winter is a great time for a barbecue because nothing will warm you up better than a sizzling piece of grilled steak!

Here are 5 useful winter grilling tips to try for some nice cold weather barbecue:

Find a good spot to grill

When you grill during winter, you not only need to fight the cold, but the winds, too. On the day you are grilling, identify the direction that the wind blows most often and find a good spot that would protect you from it while you’re cooking, ideally near your house or a structure. Another good spot would be near where your supplies are (like your kitchen) to lessen the number of steps you have to take from there to your grill.

Have extra fuel Continue reading “Top 5 Tips For Hassle-Free Winter Grilling”

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Do You Really Want to Reduce Cooking Time?

Cooking is probably one of the oldest activities or maybe chores that man has been doing. It is my guess that man would have introduced the concept of cooking when he was a hunter and had to eat meat. In my mind, thousands of years ago, cave man would have spent days hunting and trying to get food so he could survive. His life would have been around thinking of ways by which he could feed himself so he could live. As he evolved, the barter system must have come in where he could exchange and hence get some time to do other things. In the present day, food is widely taken for granted and it is a minuscule part of one’s life. The way it is today, I am not quite sure if it is considered an important part of life. I think we have taken the concept of outsourcing and barter a bit too far where we expect someone to nearly prepare our meal and we either finish it up or even worse, just heat it. We have found several other things to do and lost focus on the most important aspect of life – food. Well, I am not a food-aholic but reason I believe food is a very important part of one’s life is because it determines the state of health of your mind and body. As they say, health is wealth, and this is best appreciated when unhealthy! Continue reading “Do You Really Want to Reduce Cooking Time?”