Camp cooking can be as elaborate or
simple as you want it to be. If you
want to prepare quick and simple but
nutritious meals while you are camping,
camp cooking doesn't even have to
require a fire. But if you are
interested in fueling your camping trip
with a feast, camp cooking can allow you
to make hot, healthy foods that are as
good as you can make them at home in
your own kitchen.

Camp cooking does not have to be limited
to sandwiches and baked potatoes wrapped
in aluminum foil. Almost any cooking
method you use in the kitchen can be
duplicated around the campfire. For
example, use a dutch oven or pit cooking
to bake your food. You can also easily
fry foods in a pan over a grill, or
boil, braise and roast. What type of
camping cookware is best for you? Camp
cooking and clean-up can be easy or a
hassle, it all starts with great camping
equipment.

Some pots/pans come in sets that mate
together or "nest" for storage and even
allow you to tuck a canister of fuel
inside them. This comes in handy when
you're looking to save room while
camping.

Following are some camping items to take
with you if you are planning on
preparing some meals around the
campfire. These common kitchen items
will allow you to duplicate tasty meals
while you are out of doors.

? Salt and pepper

? Other of your favorite herbs and
spices

? Cooking oil

? Pot holder

? Hand-held can opener

? Aluminum foil

? Tongs and spatula

? Cutting knives

? Cutting board

? Mixing bowl

? Paper or plastic silverware, plates
and cups

If you have just a few campers and are
looking for some simple camp cooking,
try the easy and quick technique of tin
can cooking. All you will need is a
clean tin can - a one gallon size can
works well. Your source of heat can be
a small campfire, or if wood burning is
prohibited, a small buddy burner will
work well, which can be found at
sporting good stores or online. Place
your meal in the tin can and simply heat
the contents of your can over a flame.
You will have a hot meal ready in
minutes. This technique works great for
soups, beans and tuna fish.

A more time-consuming camp cooking
technique that also produces tasty meals
is pit cooking. Pit cooking is great
for items that can be wrapped in
aluminum foil to be cooked. It is also
a great camp cooking method if you are
using a dutch oven or cast iron
cookware. Pit cooking warms your food
by heating rocks and coals that are
buried in the ground. As the rocks cool
off, their emitted heat cooks the food.
To pit cook, first dig a hole that is
about three times larger than your
cookware. Line the pit with rocks and
build a fire in the middle. Once the
fire has burned rapidly for about an
hour, push the hot coals and rocks into
the center. Layer your wrapped food or
covered skillets on top of the rocks and
coals and place more on top. After a
few hours, you will have some delicious
camp food to enjoy.

Camp cooking can be as elaborate or simple as you want it to
be. If you want to prepare quick and simple but nutritious
meals while you are camping, camp cooking doesn't even have
to require a fire. But if you are interested in fueling
your camping trip with a feast, camp cooking can allow you
to make hot, healthy foods that are as good as you can make
them at home in your own kitchen.

Camp cooking does not have to be limited to sandwiches and
baked potatoes wrapped in...

London broil refers to a tasty and
special dish that can be prepared by
grilling and broiling. One of the
distinct characteristics of the dish is
that the meats used as ingredients were
marinated in a tasty sauce for at least
four hours. To know how to cook London
broil, it is can be helpful to have a
look at different simple recipes
featured below.

Dutch Oven London Broil

If you like to eat a satisfying and
delectable grilled dish, then you should
try this recipe. The ingredients include
four pounds London broil, two
tablespoons oil and a small pack of
onion mushroom soup mix. The other
ingredients are ?1/4 tablespoon pepper, ?1/2
cup flour and a cup water.

Set Dutch oven to medium heat. Pour the
oil in a baking dish. Add the meat and
drizzle pepper on the meat. Place the
meat inside the oven and cook for 15
minutes to 20 minutes. Add the onion
soup mix and return the dish to the
oven. Change the setting of the oven to
low heat. Cover the dish and return to
oven. Cook for an hour. Remove the dish
from the oven and transfer in a clean
plate.

When making the gravy for the dish, pour
?1/2 cup water in a small bowl and add the
flour. Stir constantly until the mixture
thickens. Pour the mixture in a small
pan and add the remaining water. Heat
the gravy. To add taste to the gravy,
you can add ?1/4 cup chopped onions while
heating the gravy. Serve the dish with
gravy.

London Broil Italian Style

You can try this recipe if you are
planning to serve a healthy and
mouthwatering dish to your family and
friends. This dish contains two pounds
London broil, ?1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,
two tablespoons dry parsley, ?1/2 teaspoon
ground black pepper, ?1/4 tablespoon salt
and pepper as well as two ounces rye
whiskey. If you cannot find whiskey, you
can replace it with bourbon.

Place the meat on an oven pan. Sprinkle
the meat with garlic powder, ground
black pepper, salt and pepper as well as
the parsley. Pour the whiskey into the
pan and put it inside an oven. Make sure
that the oven was preheated to 325
degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the dish for 45
minutes to an hour. Remove the dish from
the oven and cut the meat into several
slices. Garnish with steamed carrots.
Serve while hot. This simple recipe
serves four individuals.

London broil is a special dish that is popular in North
American countries. The dish can be prepared by grilling or
baking. To learn how to cook London broil, it is
advantageous to look at recipes that use the meat as the key
ingredient.

From past experience it usually takes
about 72 hours after a disaster for help
organizations to reach the area, set up,
and get organized to handle the needs of
the emergency. Therefore it is important
that we have on hand, and at quick
access, a kit that will help us survive
those first few hours and days. This is
usually called a 3 Day or 72 Hour
Emergency Kit.

Remember a 72 Hour kit is for the
purpose of surviving. It cannot have all
the luxuries that we would sometimes
like, but it needs to have the items
necessary. Therefore an easy carrying
backpack is ideal. It will not allow you
to pack more than you can carry, but if
you plan well, there is enough room to
hold the necessary items to survive.

Each person needs to have his or her own
kit. It is possible that family members
could get separated, and each member
needs to have some supplies with them
personally. If walking, a child would
not be able to carry very much for a
very long period of time, but does need
to have some items that would help them
survive.

In making your emergency preparations,
there are ten areas that need to be
considered. Be careful that you don't
plan heavily in some areas and ignore
other areas. All are necessary for
survival.

FOOD

There are many alternative choices when
we consider food. A variety of food
preparations are important. It is
important that food can be kept for long
periods of time without refrigeration.
Choose foods that need minimal cooking.
Some good choices are bouillon cubes,
powdered drinks (hot chocolate, cider),
dried fruits and nuts, jerky, and candy
to suck on. These kinds of foods give
energy, nutrition, and help to boost the
morale.

WATER

Water can be stored in the home in
various sizes of containers, but small 1
or 2 liter sized containers for carrying
are very important. 2 liter pop bottles
are ideal. Collapsible containers are
handy for storing in a pack since they
can be folded when empty. Large clear
plastic bags are very useful in
collecting water from dew or rain. Water
can also be boiled, distilled, or
purified with purification tablets or a
water purification kit. All of these
methods should be included in your kit.

SHELTER & WARMTH

There are many products available in
this area. A tube tent is small enough
to fit into a pack and very versatile.
It is basically a ground cloth with tie
ropes that can be easily made into a
shelter, used as a ground cloth, or a
cover to keep a pack dry. Emergency
"space" sleeping bags and blankets and
emergency ponchos are also very good to
keep body heat in and wet weather out.
These are lightweight and take up little
space in a kit.

COOKING

With a bag of charcoal and a Dutch oven,
you can have warmth and cook just about
anything. However they are bulky and
charcoal must be used outside where
there is good ventilation. There are
several sizes of sterno or instant heat
that is available. A rack to sit over a
can of sterno takes up very little space
and can heat water, soup, and cook
simple meals. Waterproof matches, fire
starters, disposable lighters, and
compressed fuel tablets are only a few
items that can be very helpful.

LIGHT

There are many kinds and sizes of oil
lamps that are available to have in our
homes for when we lose electricity.
These are the easiest maintenance and
probably the safest. In a pack a
flashlight (store the batteries out of
the flashlight to last longer) is an
essential item. There are also special
flashlights that need no batteries or
flashlight radios that can run off
multiple sources for power including
solar and hand cranking.

COMMUNICATION

This is often one area that we forget to
include in our planning. There are a few
simple items that can be very helpful. A
whistle can be blown with less energy
and heard farther than your voice. Also
a mirror is excellent for signaling for
help. A radio with multiple source
possibilities for power is very
important also, to know what is
happening, where authorities are asking
people to go or what to do.

HYGIENE & SANITATION

There is nothing better that a few
simple hygiene items such as a comb,
tooth brush, razor, or shampoo to boost
morale. Small versions of these items
can fit into a pack easily. Some kind of
"porta potty" is a must.

FIRST AID

Of course a First Aid Kit is a must for
any emergency situation. Basic items and
a simple first aid instruction sheet
needs to be included in every kit.

CLOTHING & PERSONAL ITEMS

A change of clothing, especially extra
socks, underwear, and a jacket need to
be added to your kit. A hat, gloves, and
hiking shoes would also be very helpful.
Other personal items such as feminine
items, baby diapers, medications, extra
glasses or sunglasses, "comfort toys",
book, writing material, and card games
are needed and very helpful.

IMPORTANT PAPERS & MONEY

It is very important to have a packet of
copies of all your important papers such
as: insurance and other legal papers,
wills, birth certificates, marriage
certificate, bank account numbers,
family photos and other documents. If
someone has become separated it is very
helpful to be able to give the
authorities a recent picture of who you
are looking for. Be sure to include some
money in your kit, both small change and
larger amounts.

There are many other items that could be
added to an emergency kit.

All of the above needs have been
carefully considered in organizing items
to be included in our complete 72 Hour
kit. We have tried to include items of
most importance and are necessary to
help you survive in an emergency. Our
four units of 3-Day Food, Basic,
Personal, and First Aid, along with a
one Gallon Water pouch, packed in a back
pack is designed for you to survive with
for three days. Remember some items need
to be rotated. It might be a good
practice once a year when you change
your clocks to daylight savings time,
and change the batteries in your smoke
alarm, to also rotate and update any
items in your 72 Hour kit that need to
be changed. That way it will always be
updated and ready for an emergency.

From past experience it usually takes about 72 hours after a
disaster for help organizations to reach the area, set up,
and get organized to handle the needs of the emergency.
Therefore it is important that we have on hand, and at quick
access, a kit that will help us survive those first few
hours and days. This is usually called a 3 Day or 72 Hour
Emergency Kit.

Remember a 72 Hour kit is for the purpose of surviving. It
cannot have all the luxuries that we would sometimes...

Whether it's January 1 or September 1,
people love black-eyed peas. These lucky
fellows are traditional on New Year's
Day, but that shouldn't stop you from
serving them in a variety of ways beyond
the first of the year.

Long after you've broken your
resolutions and the celebrating is over,
black-eyed peas have much more to offer.
You can find them canned, frozen, fresh
or dried, and they remain a relatively
inexpensive food. Black-eyed peas are a
wonderful source of iron and contain
some protein, so keep in mind that they
are a healthy choice year round.

Here are some new ways that you may cook
up the lucky black-eyed pea:

Black-Eyed Peas and Smoked Sausage

1 package of smoked sausage (turkey is
good!)

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 (10 oz) package frozen black-eyed peas

Brown sausage in skillet and drain. Add
water and seasonings, and bring to boil.
Add peas, and return to a boil. Cover,
reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.
Serves 8.

Tex-Mex Black-Eyed Peas

1 (16 oz) package dried black-eyed peas

5 cups water

1/4 lb. smoked ham hock

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

2 tbsp onion soup mix

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Wash black-eyed peas and place in a
large Dutch oven. Cover with water 2
inches above peas and let soak
overnight. Drain peas. Add 5 cups water
and next 6 ingredients. Bring to boil,
cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
Remove jalapeno pepper. Serves 8.

Rosie's Black-Eyed Pea Skillet Supper

1 lb ground beef

1 1/4 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

2 (16 oz) cans black-eyed peas, drained

1 (16 oz) can chopped tomatoes,
undrained

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cook beef, onion and green pepper;
drain. Add remaining ingredients; bring
to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30
minutes, stir often. Serves 6.

Whether it's January 1 or September 1, people love
black-eyed peas. These lucky fellows are traditional on New
Year's Day, but that shouldn't stop you from serving them in
a variety of ways beyond the first of the year.

Cooking with a Dutch oven can be a
little intimidating for those who have
yet to approach it. The good news is,
it's not as difficult as it may seem,
and with a little instructional
guidance, you'll be serving up family
favorites at your campsite in no time
flat.

The Dutch oven can handle all types of
cooking techniques and cooking styles.
It can boil as well as it fries and it
can steam as well as it bakes.....even
bread! So start with the basics and work
your way forward.

Dutch oven recipes are simple and easy
to follow, so there's not a lot to
learn. Once you're mastered one recipe,
moving onto the other doesn't seem so
scary. Whether you're looking to whip up
a quick breakfast or serve your family a
pot roast this is a simple oven to use.
So, pick a stew, breakfast or other easy
camping recipe to get started.

Dutch ovens come in as many
configurations as there are people to
cook food in them. There are bonuses and
downfalls to each, but overall finding
the perfect Dutch oven to suit your
tastes isn't all that difficult. They
vary in size based upon diameter and
number of quarts that each holds.

Here's a handy chart that shows the
capacity of the various oven sizes.

Dutch Oven Size Chart

Dutch Oven Size - Capacity - Campers
Served

8" 2 quarts 1-2

10" 4 quarts 4-6

12" 6 quarts 12-14

14" 8 quarts 16-20

Remember that you will be using open
flame when cooking with a Dutch oven,
thus a pair of heavy leather gloves that
can resist the serious heat the fire can
put out is highly recommended. And don't
forget a pair of long-handled tongs that
can be used to safely move the coals
around and remove them from the fire and
place them around your Dutch oven.

Getting your oven ready will usually
require nothing more than a solid
washing with soap and water. Once dried,
cover it with cook oil (every surface,
the legs....every where!) and put it in
your oven at 350? F for an hour. Once it
has cooled, it is pretreated and ready
for use!

Whether you're roasting, baking,
broiling, or boiling, your hot coal
placement will vary. For some, starting
with one cooking method until it is just
right and moving to another makes good
sense. For others, variation is the name
of the learning game. Even the lid can
be used for excellent griddle style
foods! With one step at a time, Dutch
oven cooking can become second nature
well before the end of the camping
season.

This amazing 200-year-old oven is simple to use a great
addition to your camping cookware. Discover easy steps to
preparing winning camping meals.

Corn on the cob and grilling are two
summer favorites. Grilled corn on the
cob is a great addition to any grilled
meal and is easy to do. There are two
main ways to grill corn on the cob, the
first is with the husk off, and the
second with the husk on.

One of my favorite ways is to husk fresh
corn on the cob, rinse with water, brush
butter or margarine on the corn with a
pastry brush, sprinkle with salt and
pepper, wrap in aluminum foil, and put
on the grill. Turn every 10 minutes and
cook for a total of 30 minutes. The
water helps steam the corn and the
butter, salt, and pepper give the corn a
delicious buttery moist taste as it is
grilled.

A different way to grill corn with the
husk off is to husk the corn, rinse, and
then boil until just done. Then put the
corn directly on a hot grill and brush
with melted butter. Broil the corn
until the tips of the kernels just start
to brown. Brush with melted butter
again when done and season as desired.
This method allows you to start the corn
cooking while grilling the main course,
and then to finish the corn off on the
grill, giving it that distinctive
grilled flavor.

A slightly different method is to pull
back the husks but leave them attached.
Remove the silk and rinse as before.
Gather the husks at the end of the cob
(where they are attached) and tie them
together to form a handle. Brush
butter and seasonings on the cob. Put
the cobs on the grill with medium heat,
cooking for 10-12 minutes. A piece of
foil placed under the husk handles will
keep them from burning. The corn will
be a golden brown color when done.

Grilling corn directly in their husks is
the other way to roast corn. In this
method, peel back the corn husks,
without removing them, remove the silk,
and then rinse the corn. Replace the
husks and secure them with twine. Soak
the cobs in water for 1-2 hours. After
soaking, place the corn on hot coals or
on the grill for about 30 minutes. Turn
each cob as its husk turns to white,
yellow, and then brown. The moist husks
will steam the corn and keep the corn
from burning. You can also brush butter
on the cob and add seasonings after
soaking in water and before replacing
the husks. This method will give the
corn a very strong roasted flavor that
is a favorite of many. A variation of
this method is to leave the silk on and
then remove after grilling is done.

Each of these methods work very well,
and you should try each to see which one
is your favorite. You can also use a
variety of seasonings in addition to, or
instead of salt and pepper. These can
be mixed with the butter prior to
brushing on the corn, or can be
sprinkled on the corn after brushing it
with butter. Seasoning possibilities
include minced garlic, basil, cilantro,
oregano, garlic powder, onion powder,
chili powder, lemon pepper,
Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, or
any of your other favorite seasonings.
Each will give the corn a very
distinctive taste.

Corn on the cob tastes great when cooked on the grill. This
article gives the secrets of having great tasting grilled
corn on the cob.

In order for any kitchen to be
considered well-stocked in the way of
kitchen tools and gadgets, there are a
few "must have" items that every cook
(or aspiring cook) needs. These cooking
accessories are truly the staples of any
kitchen and no cook should be without
these items when preparing delicacies of
any kind. Cooking accessories and
kitchen tools are the basics for any
recipe and a great way to build up a
truly amazing kitchen. You will be able
to achieve all the classic recipes that
Mom taught you and even more!

The Cast Iron Skillet

While for some this may be an obvious
essential cooking accessory, many people
do not have a cast iron skillet in their
kitchen! A cast iron skillet is one of
the most basic cooking accessories
available. Around for decades, cast iron
skillets are so versatile (yet
incredibly heavy) they can be taken from
the stovetop to the oven to the grill to
the campfire. You can cook anything,
anytime, anywhere with a cast iron
skillet. In a cast iron skillet you can
make traditional cornbread, scrambled
eggs, or even a restaurant style steak!
Also, if you have a small cast iron
skillet, you can use it as a Panini or
bacon press without spending the extra
money!

The Dutch Oven

No kitchen should be without a Dutch
oven. In fact, one or two ovens in
different sizes are an ideal addition to
any kitchen. The possibilities of what
a Dutch oven can be used to make are
absolutely limitless. A good Dutch oven
is bottom-heavy and is typically used to
make baked beans, sauces, soups, chili,
stews, and even chicken and biscuits.
To get the most out of your Dutch oven,
be sure to get one that can go from the
stovetop to the oven to the table. Some
of the best Dutch ovens, especially
those made of cast iron covered in
porcelain, cost a pretty penny but will
last you the rest of your life!

The Food Processor

The food processor is one of those
essential cooking accessories that every
cook, especially a busy cook, should
have. A food processor can be an
incredible time saver. A good quality,
heavy duty food processor should last a
long time. Food processors with plenty
of power can be huge advantages when
preparing food, especially if you are
pressed for time. A food processor can
help chop nuts in an instant, make salad
dressings, dips, and so much more. In
fact, most recipes these days assume
that the kitchen is stocked with a food
processor and include such instructions
in their details.

The Roasting Pan

Another item no cook or kitchen should
be without a basic roasting pan. This
cooking accessory is a classic and a
must-have in any kitchen. A good
roasting pan will be made with durable
materials and have sturdy handles for
those heavy roasts and turkeys. You
will be able to prepare the best turkey,
hams, and roast beefs with your roasting
pan, there is no need to buy more than
one. They are versatile and a good
quality roasting pan can last you for
years. Furthermore, you can use them on
the stovetop to sear meats before
roasting or to make gravy. Stay on the
lookout for a roasting pan that comes
equipped with a rack.

The Knives

Go ahead and splurge on a set of good
quality knives, you will be thankful in
the coming years. No matter what recipe
you choose to make, chances are there
will be a fair amount of slicing,
dicing, and chopping. The best kitchen
knives are made of forged metals -
usually steel. Forged knives simply
have the blade go all the way to the
bottom of the handle so no ugly mishaps
with falling blades occur. To go with
your knife set, be sure to get a good
quality knife sharpener to keep them
razor sharp everyday!

The Butcher Block and Kitchen Cart

If your kitchen has the space, invest in
a butcher block and kitchen cart. Most
nice kitchen carts come with a butcher
block right on top. The benefits of
this combination are two-fold. You have
the ultimate cutting surface right on
the top (with a lot of extra work and
prep space) as well as additional
storage for your kitchen. Even the most
basic kitchens can benefit from such a
set up.

The Cookbooks

Whether you consider yourself a seasoned
chef or a cooking novice, a set of good
cookbooks is an essential kitchen
accessory. Not everyone knows how to
make everything. Every kitchen should
be the home to a cookbook that shows how
to make basic sauces and dishes - along
with pictures so that you know what it's
supposed to look like! A good cookbook
can be a lifesaver, even to the
experienced cook when he or she runs out
of ideas for the week.

Cooking accessories and kitchen tools are the basics for any
recipe and a great way to build up a truly amazing kitchen.
If your kitchen has the space, invest in a butcher block and
kitchen cart. Most nice kitchen carts come with a butcher
block right on top. The benefits of this combination are
two-fold. A good cookbook can be a lifesaver, even to the
experienced cook when he or she runs out of ideas for the
week.

There are many different kinds of
cookers on the market today. The top
brands of quality cookers have gained
their reputation by providing quality,
style and diversity in their cookers and
other appliances. Some of the top brands
of the most popular cookers are worth
some research to ensure that the
functions and uses you have in mind are
available in the style and price you
wish to pay.

When it comes to slow cookers and crock
pots, some of the best brands to choose
from are Kitchenaid, Cuisinart, Rival,
Proctor Silex, Breville and Westbend.
These spectacular brands offer a variety
of sizes ranging from a small cooker
suitable for preparing a meal for one to
a family sized meal. Many feature
carrying totes and some even have heated
bottoms that can double as a griddle
cook surface.

Pressure cookers work by creating a
pressurized cooking environment inside
the pot. Great dishes can be prepared in
a fraction of the time it would take to
cook them otherwise. Today's top brands
in pressure cookers include Fagor, Kuhn
Rikon, Prestige, Aeternum, Lagostina,
Presto, VTG, Mirro and Burpee. Many of
these cookers are eco-friendly by
keeping heat inside them and consuming
less energy.

Gone are the days when rice has to be
boiled in a conventional dutch oven pan
with a lid. Today's top rice cookers are
great for steaming rice to perfection
every time. Some of the best brands are
Sanyo, Krups, Cusinart and Zojirushi.
These stylish cookers not only look
great on the counter when it use but
perform with excellence. Many have a
variety of functions available in
addition to steaming which include slow
cooking and warming.

Electric cookers are nearly in a
complete class by themselves. Vintage,
Redhots, Cuisinart, Presto, Deni,
Sunpentown, Focus Electrics and
Zojirushi are recognized as some of the
top brands in electric cookers. Reliant
on an electric outlet for their power
supply, these types of cookers provide
quick heat and steady power to complete
cooking from start to finish. Electric
cookers are a great alternative to
heating up a stove because they confine
the heat to a small space on a
countertop.

Not to be outdone by the major brand
names here, there are many store brands
that are viable contenders when it comes
to quality cookers. It pays to give
these store brands some consideration
when you are conducting your research.
One of the best benefits of choosing a
store brand is that you have the benefit
of the store location when it comes to
requiring repairs or replacement parts.

Maytag, Sears, JCPenney's, K-Mart and
many others have their own brand of
quality cookers that are comparably
price and provide many of the features
of the top brands listed here. Choosing
a store brand can allow you to watch the
store advertisements for local sales and
promotional coupons that can add up to
significant cost savings. In the spirit
of competition, some store brands even
offer to beat their competitor's price
and extend in-house credit privileges to
those who qualify to buy now and pay
later.

There are many different kinds of cookers on the market
today. The top brands of quality cookers have gained their
reputation by providing quality, style and diversity in
their cookers and other appliances. Some of the top brands
of the most popular cookers are worth some research to
ensure that the functions and uses you have in mind are
available in the style and price you wish to pay.

The history of the biscuit follows that
of sugar and it seems that the first
biscuits were baked in Persia during the
7th Century BCE. It wasn't until the
Moorish conquest of Spain and the
crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries
that Arabic cooking practices slowly
came to Europe.

The modern biscuit, however, is a French
invention, and by the 14th century it
was possible to buy little fruit-filled
wafers on the streets of paris. The name
of these comes from a corruption of the
Latin bis cotum (baked twice) which
became biscuit in English and biscotti
in Italian. Traditionally, such biscuits
are hard and dry in texture and they're
know (and commonplace) from recipe books
going back at least to the Elizabethan
era.

In contrast, cookies are Dutch in
origin. The name itself derives from the
Dutch word 'koekje' (small or round
cake) which represents the small pieces
of dough that Dutch bakers used to place
in their ovens to test the temperature.
However, the classic cookie, the
'cocolate chip cookie' was only invented
in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield
(1905-1977), of Whitman, Massachusetts,
who ran the Toll House Restaurant. This
type of cookie didn't reach nationwide
fame until 1939 when Betty Crocker
popularized it in her radio show. Today,
however, the chocolate chip cookie is by
far the commonest baked and eaten cake
in America.

Below you will find a recipe for a
classic British biscuit and a classic
American cookie so that you can bake
these for yourselves and appreciate both
the similarities and the differences
between these classic baked goods.

Devon Flats

These are a classic and simple biscuit,
native to the Devon region of south-west
England. They are a light and crumbly
biscuit, traditionally used as an
accompaniment to tea.

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

100g caster sugar

100ml clotted (or double) cream

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp milk (approx)

Method:

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl
then stir-in the cream and egg. Add just
enough milk for the ingredients to come
together as a stiff dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured
surface (if it's a little sticky cover
in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30
minutes) and roll out unitl about 8mm
thick. Cut into biscuit circles using a
7.5cm pie cutter and place these to
greased baking sheets. Transfer to an
oven pre-heated to 220?C and bake for
about 8 minutes, or until they're
coloured a light golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the
baking tray then transfer to wire racks
and leave to cool completely.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is a close relative of the classic
chocolate chip cookie recipe of 1937 in
that it uses a mix of plain and brown
sugar, the only difference is that a
chopped block of plain chocolate is used
rather than pre-made chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

60g toasted pecan or walnuts, chopped

225g unsalted butter

210g light brown sugar

50g granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

180g plain chocolate (I prefer very dark
chocolate, at least 80% cocoa solids,
but use whatever you like), chopped into
coarse chunks

Method:

Cream together the butter and sugar
until light and fluffy then add the egg
and beat to combine thoroughly before
adding the vanilla extract and beating
to incorporate.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour,
baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add
this to the butter mix and stir until
just combined (do not over-work). Now
add the chocolate and nuts and stir to
distribute evenly.

Cover the mixture then set aside in the
refrigerator to chill and firm for at
least an hour. When ready drop about 2
tbsp of the mixture per cookie onto a
lightly-greased baking tray, allowing at
least 8cm between each cookie for them
to spread. Place in an oven pre-heated
to 190?C and bake for about 12 minutes,
or until golden brown around the edges.
Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes
on the baking tray before transferring
to a wire rack to cool completely.

I hope that you have learnt something
about biscuit and cookie baking and that
you will now want to know more about
these baked goods.

Learn a little about the origins of British biscuits and
American cookies and how these classic baked goods differ
from one another. Also presented is a recipe for a classic
American chocolate chip cookie and a traditional British
tea-time biscuit.

The Farberware and the anodized cookware
sets are both priced similarly on the
market today. They are not the least
expensive sets on the market nor are
they the most expensive. These sets are
usually found to have a lifetime
warrantee on them since they are made
from long lasting materials and can
withstand years of use in the home every
day. The Farberware cookware sets will
range in price from a Kmart set that is
nine pieces and costs about fifty-five
dollars to a set that is a vintage set
costing one hundred fifty dollars.
These sets are made of the same
materials and the difference is usually
in the amount of pieces in the sets and
what the sets look like in their design.

Options

One of the sets in Farberware cookware
is made to look like a vintage cookware
set, meaning it looks like it is made in
an older style of cookware. However,
the materials that are used in this
Farberware cookware set are modern so
that it meets the standards that
consumers expect from Farberware. This
set is a nine piece set, which can be
misleading to first time consumers
buying a cookware set. The nine pieces
count the lids and other things that
come in the set, not just what type of a
pot or pan is being sold.

This set is a great one for newly weds
to use since it contains the pieces that
are most used in the kitchen for every
day cooking. There is a one, two and
three quart saucepan in the set, each of
which has a lid to go with it. There is
also an eight quart stock pot that also
has a lid to go with it. A ten inch
frying pan completes the set which is
made from stainless steel as well as an
aluminum core. The aluminum core is
valuable because the aluminum helps to
distribute the heat evenly throughout
the pan, rather than keeping the heat
directly over the area where the burner
is on the stove.

The Farberware cookware sets come with a
limited lifetime warrantee and are
dishwasher safe. In another set in
Farberware cookware, there are thirteen
pieces and the set costs about eighty
dollars. This set comes with all the
pieces that are listed in the other set
with the addition of a five quart Dutch
oven and an eight and ten inch skillet.
There are rubber handles on all of the
items in the set so that they stay cool
and are easy to grip. The pieces are
also made to be oven safe so that they
can be used in several different ways.

The Farberware and the anodized cookware sets are both
priced similarly on the market today. They are not the
least expensive sets on the market nor are they the most
expensive. These sets are usually found to have a lifetime
warrantee on them since they are made from long lasting
materials and can withstand years of use in the home every
day.