Top 6 Soul Food Seasoning Mistakes

Posted on May 20, 2012 by admin

Food seasonings not only act as flavor enhancers, they also make food more fun to eat and cook. But unfortunately I’ve noticed six mistakes many cooks, new and experienced make when trying to add flavor to their dishes. Not knowing how to flavor your dishes can make the difference between a successful meal and a meal thrown in the garbage can.

Here’s the 6 mistakes. Are you making any of them?

1. Over-Seasoning

This one of the biggest mistakes of new cooks, to make up for a badly cooked dish or a lack of cooking confidence many new cooks overcompensate by over doing it. This not only mutilates the taste of the dish, it can also prove unhealthy for the person who eats it. The biggest mistake is to drown the natural flavor of the food with spices. This not only ruins the food, wasting money, it also waste the potential positive eating experience.

2. Under-Seasoned

This is another mistake many people make, under seasoning food fails to bring out the natural flavor and juices of the food making it bland and boring. Under enough in the food can also prove unhealthy because it forces people to automatically reach for the salt shakers to help give the food taste. The better you season the food the less people will reach for the unhealthy alternatives or salt shakers.

3. Using Unhealthy Flavorings Instead of the Healthier Versions.

Many cooks make the mistake of using unhealthy spices and flavors in the name of taste. This is a personal choice, but I feel the price is too high. Especially when their are natural ways to season your food . I use salt sparingly if at all in most of my soul food dishes. I find using acids like lemon juice, vinegar, onions, and citrus fruits can help fill the no-salt gap. High blood pressure, diabetes an strokes are a huge problem in the African American community, so finding ways to eliminate or reduce salt is essential for healthier living.

4. Doing it at the Wrong Time.

Another mistake I often see, even among experience cooks is seasoning at the wrong time. For example, some foods flavor is enhanced by seasoning before the cooking process and other flavors are enhance best by seasoning after the cooking process. For instance, you should season chicken, beef, pork, lamb, before you cook them to enhance the flavors. You should season vegetables after the cooking process to best enhance the flavors.

5. Not Tasting the Food as You Season It.

This is one of the simple mistakes many cooks make especially when they are rushed or disorganized in the kitchen. It’s a small but a serious mistake most cooks are guilty of making at one time or another. One of the most embarrassing situations I recall is when the executive chef would taste my food and ask me if I tasted it, and feeling awkward as I said no. I meant to but in the rush of a busy restaurant kitchen I forgot. He would always remind me that a good cook is always the first to taste his own dish, not others. Why? Because you never want others to be the first to taste your mistakes.

6. Using The Wrong Seasonings for the Specific Food Item.

This was one of my biggest mistakes when I first began cooking, to know what seasoning go best with what item. Many manufactures now put suggestions on the back of the bottles or packages to solve this problem. For a quick source try this free soul food seasoning dictionary

Posted in Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Careers in Food Technology

Posted on May 19, 2012 by admin

The growing consumerism and a fast paced lifestyle have led to a greater demand for packed and processed food. The challenge most food processing units face today is to produce food items which contain minimal amount of chemicals and preservatives yet have optimum appeal and shelf-life. And this has raised the demand for food technologists in the food processing sector. Food technology has become a lucrative career option for the talented youngsters, thanks to a growing demand for packaged and processed food.

What does a food technologist do?

The primary job of a food technologist is to check the raw materials, maintain clean and hygienic conditions and quality of the food. They examine the food, conduct checks for contamination and adulteration and certify the nutritional value of food. The food technologist should devise improved techniques for processing, conservation and preservation of food items. They must also analyze current consumer trends and latest technologies to develop new product ideas.

What is food technology?

Food technology is the study of production, storage, preservation, canning, packaging and distribution of food products. It covers all areas of food processing and includes all types of foods like meat, fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish, egg, milk, spices etc.

Required skills:

Aspiring food technologists should have a scientific bend of mind, power of observation, intelligence and an interest in health and nutrition. They must be able to work well as part of a team and must have effective communication skills. A genuine interest in the scientific and technological development of food and high standards of cleanliness are other required traits.

Eligibility:

Candidates who have studied physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology at the 10+2 level can seek admission to short term certificate and diploma courses in food technology. Students who have done B.Sc in physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry or a B.tech in food technology can seek admission to an M.Sc course in food technology. Those who have done graduation in home science, nutrition, dietetics and hotel management are also eligible for higher studies in food technology.

Job prospects:

Food technologists with professional qualification have ample job opportunities. You can find jobs with food processing companies, food research laboratories, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions, government bodies and catering establishments. Public sector undertakings employ food technologists as food inspectors or health inspectors. With experience, one can work as a freelance consultant or health doctor in school/colleges. The sector also offers great entrepreneurial opportunities in the form of dynamic delivery networks and home catering services.

Posted in Food | Tagged | Leave a comment

Does Vacuum Food Storage Actually Work

Posted on May 18, 2012 by admin

Because many people fear things that are unfamiliar and new, the new waves of home vacuum food storage products, like vacuum sealer bags, have been met with a certain amount of undue suspicion. The thinking often goes that if the big food companies use these methods, food vacuum storage can’t possibly be cheap enough to be affordable for casual home use. Certainly, the machines used by large companies are indeed very expensive and powerful, but the differences between them and the home machines are mostly just a matter of scale. Industry vacuum sealers can seal more food away more quickly than home sealing machines and products.

But that doesn’t mean the casual products are useless! Rather, they’re merely scaled down versions that utilize scientifically proven methods for food preservation on a level that families and bachelors can make practical use of. Still cautious? Maybe you won’t be once you learn how these products work. Whether you know it or not, you use similar packaging techniques almost every day of your life. If you’ve ever stored food away in any kind of container, you’ve used a limited form of the principles at work in vacuum storage. Ordinary containers and even plastic wrap seal out bad air to keep your food fresh. This, of course, only works for a limited period of time, and that’s because the containers and wraps don’t remove the air that’s already inside during the sealing process.

It would therefore be accurate to say that home vacuum food preservation products such as vacuum sealing bags and the like are different simply because they do a more thorough job of getting rid of the bad air. Through a pump or a small home-sized vacuum sealing machine, the air present in the container is removed and then the container is sealed up efficiently without allowing any more air to get in. In the better products, this creates an FDA-approval level of sterility in the internal storage environment that allows food to be preserved in its initial packaging state for much longer. It has many times the effectiveness of an ordinary non-vacuum sealed container in a refrigerated environment, keeping the food just as you want it until it’s time to enjoy.

Vacuum food preserving bags, cans and jars are also generally sturdier, tougher, and more precise than the non-vacuum counterparts used by most people. They do a better job of preventing freezer burn and other issues that result from flimsy packaging techniques. If you’ve never tried it before, you may be surprised at how large the difference is between vacuum storage and non-vacuum storage. Look at it this way: it’s good enough for almost every major food production company to use it on an incredible scale, so why wouldn’t it be good enough for your much smaller home? Anyone who’s tried it knows that it works, so long as you buy a good quality product from a company with a trusted name in the industry.

Posted in Food | Tagged | Leave a comment

Food Allergies and Its Associated Symptoms

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

Quite a number of people suffer from allergic reactions. There are countless of possible allergens and they can bring about the onset of symptoms when one develops a reaction. One of the conditions in which many people suffer from is food allergies. With food allergies, one has a hypersensitivity to food, or one of its components. There are many symptoms of this allergy and they are of varying degrees as well. This is of course dependent on the severity of the allergic reaction. One of the less common symptoms of food allergies is migraine. A migraine headache due to allergy is actually brought about by other of its symptoms.

But before furthering into the details, one should well gain knowledge first of what food allergy is. As implied, it is a reaction to food which upsets the balance of the immune system. The immune system acts as the body’s defense, and when it recognizes a foreign element in the body, it would fight back. As the immune system attacks the foreign element, other systems in the body would react, too. Chemicals in the body would be released to fight the antibody and this would trigger allergic symptoms to set in. These reactions can be in the form of swelling and hives, breathing difficulties, dizziness, fever and the dangerous anaphylactic shock.

At times, migraine headaches would occur. And what causes this certain symptom of food allergies- migraine? This is usually associated with the other allergic manifestations such as dizziness, fever and difficulties in breathing. One would usually experience pain on either side of the head, dizziness, light sensitivity and other discomforts when they have migraine. This has to do with building up pressure in the head and around the eyes. There are patients with food allergies as well who experience runny nose and coughing. These, too, can lead to the migraine symptom. One can resort to certain measures to alleviate the discomforting symptoms.

For instance, one could take epinephrine which can deliver relief. So is antihistamine which would minimize the reaction and can help one do away with the headache. Alleviating the allergic reactions most often helps with the headache, as the latter is associated with those cluster of discomforts. On the overall, however, one should seek medical attention when an allergic reaction arises. Many people think that such a condition is merely all about hives and itching. They are unaware that an anaphylactic shock can occur and this is dangerous. One should then take time to mind their allergies, and to be careful to avoid the allergen.

It does take some limitations and restrictions when one is hypersensitive, but measures ought to be taken to live with it and cope. A lot of people have conditions to live with, and it is essential for them to make modifications in their lifestyle. That’s how it is when one has a hypersensitivity, too. Living with it not only entails treatment but prevention as well. That way, whatever health havoc or detriment can be done away with. One can then ensure their safety and well-being.

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Food Problems

Posted on May 16, 2012 by admin

If you are suffering from food problems then I recommend taking a thorough look at the food intolerance symptoms you are experiencing. One way to do this is to conduct a food elimination diet. Resources to assist you with this are available via the link at the bottom of this article.

Food intolerance symptoms can vary dependent on the type of food, the amount of a particular type of food consumed within a time frame, the severity of the reaction and the time delay of the reaction. We all have a threshold when it comes to naturally occurring chemicals in food and food problems can be linked to how sensitive your body is to certain substances in food. Problems can arise with naturally occurring chemicals in food; for example, amines, salicylates and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) are sometimes the cause of food problems.

Those with leaky gut syndrome will most definitely find they are sensitive to certain foods and also food colors, additives and preservatives.The best first step to reduce food intolerance symptoms is to remove all additives and preservatives from your diet. Once you have done this, wait two weeks to see if there is an improvement to your health. If you are still experiencing food problems then the next step is to look at your food intolerance symptoms with regards to the naturally occurring chemicals. I provide an example of a free food diary you can use during your elimination diet via the food elimination diet article on my blog.

An important point to remember is that your food intolerance symptoms can get worse while you make changes to your diet. Don’t give up if you are feeling worse for the first two weeks as you should see an improvement there after. This is also the case when you are conducting your elimination diet. It will help you to know what your food problems or triggers are so you can then take steps to heal your body. By restricting your diet initially, you can reduce the symptoms while you focus on what it is your body needs to get well. I believe in using food to heal your body so that you are not as prone to food problems in the future. Another important point is that a long term goal of incorporating more raw food into your diet will assist in keeping your body in top condition.

Posted in Food | Tagged | Leave a comment