Bruschetta

From the Italian word, bruscare meaning "to roast over coals", it refers to bread that is rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, then, salted and served. Today's versions are topped with an assortment of ingredients like vegetables, herbs and cheese.

Using a Thermometer in Cooking

A thermometer is the most accurate way of testing if food is cooked, especially meats and poultry. It is inserted at the thickest portion of the food avoiding fat and bone and the internal temperature taken to know if it is done.

Beef and pork are cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meat at 155 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can cok them to a higher temperature to ensure doneness but do not overcook or the food might burn or dry out. Be sure you are using thermometers designed for food and not glass or mercury-filled ones.

Buying A Fish

Pick the freshest fish from the bunch by making sure...

• Its eyes are bulging and clear, not cloudy or red.
• The scales adhere tightly to the skin of the fish.
• If the fish has slime, it should be clear.
• The flesh springs back to its original shape when you press the body with your thumb.

Yummy Fruit Pairs

Combinations:

• pineapple-mango
• pineapple-orange
• pineapple-watermelon-melon
• mango-banana
• kiwi-watermelon
• kalamansi-dalandan

Incredible Egg

Egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of any number of different species, consisting of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing, which acts to nourish and protect a developing embryo and its nutrient reserves.

Most edible eggs, including bird eggs and turtle eggs, consist of a protective, oval eggshell, the albumen (egg white), the vitellus (egg yolk), and various thin membranes. Every part is edible, although the eggshell is generally discarded. Roe and caviar are edible eggs produced by fish.

Eggs can be fried, boiled, poached or even roasted in fire, like in camping survival. Whether eaten by themselves or used as an ingredient, they are an excellent source of high-quality protein and choline. No wonder they dubbed an almost perfect food!

Cookies

The term cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekje meaning small cake. It was what the cookies were. Drops of the cake batter were used to test the heat of the oven. Cookies come in different shapes, sizes and textures. Down below are the different types of cookies:

• Bars - cookie batter is spread evenly in a shallow pan, then, baked. After baking, they are cooled, then, cut into bars.
• Drop - cookie batter is dropped by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
• Refrigerator - cookie dough is formed into log. Then, chilled. After that, it is thinly sliced and baked.
• Rolled - cookie dough is chilled for easier handling, then, rolled out with a rolling pin. Cut into various shapes and baked.
• Molded - cookie dough is shaped by hand after chilling or pressed into ready-made cookie molds.