Ask a Chef

When we hear the word, “mold” it often brings a cringe to our stomach because we think that they are a product of rotten or damaged foods or they are the questionable substance lurking in the inner dark side of our walls which could damage our houses. Often times, we may hear that they are toxins that could cause serious health problems and sometimes could cause death on animals.

Though we may hear lots of bad things about what could molds do to us and to our surroundings, there are certain benefits that we could get from molds because they are use on cheese making. The molds on cheese could sometimes be found especially to the kind which has unusual and more sophisticated cuisine uses such as Stilton, Brie, and Camembert.

What To Do

We all know that molds are used in making different kinds of cheese. However, it is completely a different story when you found molds on cheese especially when you know that they are not part of the process in cheese making. When you found molds on cheese, here are certain things that you should know in order for you to determine if they are still safe to serve and eat.

When you find molds on hard cheeses, what you could do is cut off all the parts that are affected since they are not part of making those kinds of cheese. You could cut off at least one inch around and below the mold spot while keeping the knife away from the mold spot so that your knife will not be contaminated. Once the molds on cheese are removed, it is still safe to serve and eat them.

When it comes to cheeses that were made with mold like Brie, Stilton, Camembert, Roquefort, blue, and Gorgonzola, discard the soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert if they have molds that are not part of the process, meaning molds that were not there when you first opened them. Repeat the process on hard cheeses in Gorgonzola and Stilton if you found molds on them that you know were not there in the first place.

If you have soft cheeses, yogurt, and sour cream and you found molds on cheese, what you could do is immediately discard them since they are said to be very dangerous to our health. Foods that contain high moisture level may contaminate the ones below the surface and always remember that moldy foods may also contain bacteria growing with the mold.

Bread is a very common household food. We usually eat bread for breakfast and sometimes for lunch and even dinner. As a food staple, bread is bought by the American people almost everyday. Sometimes, we forget to eat the bread past its expiry date and we see mold on bread. It is sometimes black or greenish or sometimes it manifests itself as whitish or a very light yellow tinge. Mold color sometimes depend on the organic matter they are eating.

Mold is microscopic fungi that live in moist or damp places. They prefer dark places where the sun does not shine directly on them and where the humidity is high enough for them to thrive. Mold on bread is a common occurrence when the bread is left too long without any activity of movement. Mold spores are in the air even as we breathe it in and when they land on areas with optimum condition for their growth they thrive. All molds need to thrive are water, humidity and food. Food in this case is any organic matter that was once living.

Dangers of Mold On Bread

Some mold can produce a deadly toxin called mycotoxins. These are deadly to humans and animas alike. When you see mold on bread, please do not attempt to touch it with your bare hands or even try to eat it. The mycotoxin is an almost non biodegradable substance that can withstand cooking and some colder temperatures. This can transmit itself to humans through the food we eat and the livestock which eat them. The best thing to do if there is mold on bread is to throw away the bread, uneaten.

Solutions to Mold on Bread

Mold on bread can be avoided by lessening the moisture content of the bread or adding preservatives to it. The problem with lessening the moisture content of the bread is it makes the bread hard and dry, making it less appetizing and much like crackers. This defeats the purpose of bread since bread is supposed to be soft and easy to eat.

Adding preservatives to the bread before cooking can make its shelf life longer but some preservatives are said to have side effects which are not desirable. Longer shelf life is desirable in bread since we do not have to be aware of the expiry date on it but it is still dangerous to assume that preservatives can help us in the long run.

Molds are microscopic fungi that live in very specific conditions. These conditions need moisture, humidity and food for the molds. They float around us as mold spores until they land of an area where they can grow. Conditions need to be optimum for them to thrive. These conditions are usually seen in dark places or maybe even where there is indirect sunlight but usually there is food and moisture. Mold on food occur when the food is exposed to mold spores in the air and the right conditions apply.

Mold sometimes lay dormant for several months before they grow when the right conditions are there. Houses which have been hit by water damage or flooded may sometimes be stable for a few months before mold damage appears. It could be that the mold have been dormant in the walls or floors and just then awaken when the water and humidity combines.

What Molds Like

Food for molds comes in many forms. They are organic materials or matters that are left inactive for sometime. This inactivity encourages molds to grow and to flourish. Mold on food are very common occurrences because food are organic matter that are often not touched unless we eat them. If they are left behind in the refrigerator or out in the open, mold colonies appear as spots and eventually grow to encompass the entire piece of food.

Other than food, molds prioritize moisture as well. Any damp area of the house is open to mold infestations since they thrive in areas where there is moisture. Mold on food thrive because most of our food usually have high moisture content. Foods with lesser moisture content than aW 0.85 have lesser chance of getting infested by molds.

Mold on food come in different colors, the colors sometimes actually depend on the type of matter the molds have grown on. Mold on food grow even on a fruit’s shiny surface as the fruit itself grows stale. The humidity that molds thrive in differ a lot and they can actually just wait out a cold spell before they grow when hit by the right combination of humidity and moisture.

Getting rid of mold on food is easy. You just throw away the moldy food item and disinfect the areas it has been touching since some moldy particles or spores may have been left there. It is also best to wear gloves and a mask when the moldy food is being disposed of.

Gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, nausea – not fun stuff. For many, the making of over the counter tablets and pills was a major breakthrough in lessening their digestive difficulties. But reliance on pills has its price. These medicines can often have harsh side effects on your stomach lining if taken regularly over years.

There is a much gentler, natural way of getting relief. Try these easy to find, inexpensive herbs for digestion difficulties. You can by dried herbs, fresh herbs or ready made herbal teals. The action of the hot water and the herbs for digestion make a soothing bath inside your body. They often taste quite good, too, especially if you add a little honey or brown sugar.

Peppermint

Ever wonder why fine restaurants give after dinner mints with the check? Because they know you’ve eaten too much, or that you might have eaten very rich food as a treat that your body isn’t used to. The after dinner mint helps you digest your meal. Anything peppermint flavored is a quick, tasty and effective curing or lessening of bloating, cramps, gas and nausea. Peppermint is an antispasmodic that helps all the muscles in your digestive system to relax. It also helps you to burp, which greatly relieves any internal pressure. Peppermint is one of the best and most widely available of the herbs for digestion problems.

Ginger

One of the most reliable herbs for digestion problems is ginger, which is a very funny looking root referred to as “hands”. Candied ginger is an ancient remedy for motion sickness and nausea. Even ginger snaps can help motion sickness, mild nausea and act as after dinner mints. Ginger works in cooking, teas, dried powders, essential oils or capsules.

Fennel

Usually any fennel tea is made from the seeds. Drinking fennel tea not only helps you with any digestion difficulties, but is also said to make your loose weight (by helping your body get rid of toxins and excess water). It is also available in capsules. Some people get relief from chewing fennel seeds. This is another easily available herb for digestion, as the fennel sold in the spice aisle of your supermarket is just as effective as fennel bought in health food stores.

Chamomile

Chamomile tea is versatile and a cure-all. Not only is chamomile tea (made from the heads of chamomile flowers) one of the best herbs for digestion problems, but it helps calm you down and, when cooled, makes an excellent wash for sore eyes for an antiseptic wash.

Herbs and spices are products of plants that are used to add flavor or aroma to food. Herbs and spices generally come from plants that are grown in the more temperate climates or in countries with warmer climates.

Herbs are usually the leaves and seeds of plants. Examples of common herbs are sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and marjoram. A sub group of herbs have onions, chives and other strongly flavored vegetables belonging to it. Spices, on the other hand, have a stronger flavor than herbs. Spices can be classified under several types; namely, berries, roots, bark and other dried plant parts like seeds.

The Uses of Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices were used long ago, even before there were records of them in written documents. They have been used in medicines, cosmetics and mainly put flavor and aroma in food. Several herbs and spices were also utilized in superstitious beliefs and magic. Garlic is believed to repel some evil spirits and other forms of monsters while thyme was said to give an individual courage.

Other than in food, herbs, and also spices, were often effectively used as medicines and other remedies for illnesses and other conditions. In ancients Europe, monks would cultivate herb gardens and use the herbs to produce medicines and some beverages.

The Spice Trade

Before the early 1200’s, Europeans did not know where the herbs and spices came from until the famous traveler, Marco Polo, wrote of his travels around most of Asia and China. He wrote of the spices which he encountered in various parts of Asia. The Arab traders who brought the spices to Europe had kept the secret of where they had gotten the unique herbs and spices which can not be grown in the cold climate of Europe before.

Upon Marco Polo’s revelation of where the spices come from, many ships were sent to Asia to acquire the coveted herbs and spices. Sailors braved the seas and high winds just to bring home with them several barrels and boxes of the spices from the Spice Islands, which is now part of Indonesia.

Herbs and spices are generally used to increase the personal enjoyment of foods nowadays. They are much easier to come by than ancient times and they have other uses also instead of just flavoring for food. Stronger flavored herbs like basil, oregano and sage add zest to cooked food. Whole spices are also used in dishes that require longer time in cooking.

To this very day, India and some parts of Southeast Asia still supply the most quantities of spices to the world.

Thailand a small country located in Southeast Asia has some of the most wonderful foods. As with most regional foods Thai cuisine has many influences, with India and China having the biggest impact. Even with the influences of other countries on their food Thai cuisine has its own uniqueness.

[ad#ad-1]

Thailand as with most Asian cuisine is centered a round rice. “Gkin kao” a Thailand phrase used to let be people know it is time to eat means “time to eat rice” and “ghap koa” means “things eaten with rice”. On a ordinary day meals with go something like this: for breakfast a rice that is cooked with twice the amount of water is eaten and may have small pieces of chicken, pork, fish or eggs added to it, lunch will be lighter meal either noodles or fried rice, dinner is always the more substantial meal of the day.

Thai cuisine is focuses on two main ideas. First is that use of quality ingredients and second is the use of the five flavors to add layers of flavor and aroma.

Five Flavors:

Salty-This is used to bring out the natural flavors and enhance the other ingredients. Unlike other styles of cooking adding salt more through salty ingredients then adding table salt. Most common items fermented fish, a salty shrimp paste, light soy sauce, and Thai oyster sauce.

Sweet-Most Thai food will have a subtle sweetness to it. This is not a desert type of sweet but just a hint to help balance that dish. Most common sweetening agents are palm sugar, coconut sugar, sweet black soy sauce, sweet pickled garlic and honey.

Sour-This is used not only to balance flavors in Thai cuisine but it also helps to tenderize meats. Most commonly this is done with limejuice, sour tamarind, and a few vinegars are used as well.

Bitter-The bitter flavor is most of the time served as one of the main ingredients in the dish so it must balanced out by the other four flavors. Most common items are dark green vegetables or herbs.

Hot-Thai cuisine has a reputation of being hot but it should not be overpower the other flavors. Most communal this done with the use of chilies either fresh, died or in pastes/sauce.

These five flavors are key to Thai cuisine. If they are kept in mind while cooking the dish will be wonderful.

Dill weed has been around for thousands of years. Both ancient Egyptian texts and the Bible have references to dill in them. Romans believed dill to be a good luck symbol and in medieval Europe dill oil was known for its medical properties. Now days people most associate dill with pickles, but it is a great herb that match well many items and can be found in a lot recipes.

What is dill weed?

Anethum Graveolens is the botanical name of the plant and it is a member of the parsley family. The plant can grow up to 2 feet tall. Dill weed is the feathery green leaves that are found on the top eight to ten inches of the plant (the flower and seed can be eaten as well). If you are a gardener dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow just being careful because the seed are toxic to birds.

Fresh dill weed is remarkably better the dried and can be found year round in most supermarkets. When buying fresh dill do not worry if the leaves are a little wilted this is very common dill weed is very fragile.

What does dill weed match well with?

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sour cream
Cream cheese
White sauces
Melted butter
Seafood
Salads

One of my favorite ways to use dill weed is very basic:

Two large Tomato cut into wedges
1 Cucumber cut into wedges
2-3 tablespoons of fresh dill weed
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
As needed salt and pepper
As needed mixed salad greens

1. In a small bowl combine the Dill weed, oil and vinegar. Mix together with a fork.
2. In an another bowl combine tomatoes and cucumbers season with a pinch of salt and pepper and then add oil and vinegar mixture. Toss together and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Serve over a bed of mixed salad greens (drizzling some of the liquid in the bowl over the mixed greens)

How to marinate is very simple. Any type of meat, poultry, fish and vegetables can be marinated. There are many reasons to marinate a product but the main two are to tenderize the meat and to add flavor.

The three main ingredients that are used in a marinade.

Acid-this is used to tenderize the product; common items used are vinegars, citrus fruit juice and wine.

Oil-this is used to coat the product, any types of cooking oil can be used just remember stronger flavored oils like olive oil may over power the marinade.

Aromatics-this is where the flavor is going to come from, any type of herbs or spices can be used.

How to Marinate

First step-is to gather all the ingredients for the marinate, any large items should be roughly chopped then place in a food processor a few quick pulses and it ready. (I always recommended the use of a food processor to make a marinade; it is the fastest and easiest way to incorporate all ingredients.)

Second step-you want to taste the marinate before you add the product to be marinated to make sure it is the flavor you a looking for.

Last step-is to completely cover the item you are marinating with the marinate cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. The amount of time something need to marinate will depend on the product itself, boneless chicken breast for about 30 minutes, a steak for about 2 hours, vegetables about 30 minutes and for large cuts of meat or whole chicken 1 to 2 days.

How to marinate is very simple and can be done in almost no time at all. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds of ingredients in your marinate, if it sounds good give it a try. One of my favorite marinates, which I have used on all types of meat, fish and chicken (I’ve even used it as a salad dressing) I use orange juice, sesame seed oil, ginger, garlic, and just a touch of cayenne pepper.

A surefire benefit to using herbs for cooking is that herbs have many healing properties that will benefit your health in a positive manner. Once you use herbs for cooking you will naturally incorporate their healing powers into your meals, and there is a good possibility that you are already either knowingly or unknowingly using herbs in the food that you are consuming. Herbs such as basil and thyme are useful as they add taste to your dishes and at the same time improves your general well-being.

No Different To Using Dry Herbs

When you use fresh herbs for cooking, it will not be any different to using dry herbs. All that you need to do is to cut a small portion of the herb and then season it according to your taste. However, fresh herbs for cooking mean that you will need to use twice as much of the fresh herbs as compared with using dried herbs. And, if you want your dishes tasting fresh and crisp make sure that you wait while your dishes are being cooked, and then only add herbs after about twenty minutes of the cooking.

Herbs for cooking allows you to add flavor to your dishes and they are commonly used in pasta sauces, as well as in soups, eggs, oils as well as sometimes even in desserts and drinks. The herbs that you use can either be grown at home or are purchased fresh from grocery stores. When you use your home grown herbs, it would be necessary to first freeze them and dry them in a dehydrator for best use as well as for using them later on.

Some of the possible combinations of foods that you can use when using herbs for cooking include eggs and dill, pesto with basil, adding mint in your tea or punch, parsley with salad, rosemary and thyme along with roasted potatoes, and finally basil and sage added to flavor your butter. Herbs for cooking are also helpful in case you have a particular condition or illness and you may want to add a small amount of herbs for taste and thus realize their health benefits without needing to take pills or drugs.

In any case, using herbs for cooking will afford you with the many benefits that can be derived from these versatile plants that have many medicinal benefits and are also much appreciated because of the wonderful flavors that they give to a dish.

Herbs and spices are products of plants that are used to add flavor or aroma to food. Herbs and spices generally come from plants that are grown in the more temperate climates or in countries with warmer climates.

Herbs are usually the leaves and seeds of plants. Examples of common herbs are sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and marjoram. A sub group of herbs have onions, chives and other strongly flavored vegetables belonging to it. Spices, on the other hand, have a stronger flavor than herbs. Spices can be classified under several types; namely, berries, roots, bark and other dried plant parts like seeds.

The Uses of Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices were used long ago, even before there were records of them in written documents. They have been used in medicines, cosmetics and mainly put flavor and aroma in food. Several herbs and spices were also utilized in superstitious beliefs and magic. Garlic is believed to repel some evil spirits and other forms of monsters while thyme was said to give an individual courage.

Other than in food, herbs, and also spices, were often effectively used as medicines and other remedies for illnesses and other conditions. In ancients Europe, monks would cultivate herb gardens and use the herbs to produce medicines and some beverages.

The Spice Trade

Before the early 1200’s, Europeans did not know where the herbs and spices came from until the famous traveler, Marco Polo, wrote of his travels around most of Asia and China. He wrote of the spices which he encountered in various parts of Asia. The Arab traders who brought the spices to Europe had kept the secret of where they had gotten the unique herbs and spices which can not be grown in the cold climate of Europe before.

Upon Marco Polo’s revelation of where the spices come from, many ships were sent to Asia to acquire the coveted herbs and spices. Sailors braved the seas and high winds just to bring home with them several barrels and boxes of the spices from the Spice Islands, which is now part of Indonesia.

Herbs and spices are generally used to increase the personal enjoyment of foods nowadays. They are much easier to come by than ancient times and they have other uses also instead of just flavoring for food. Stronger flavored herbs like basil, oregano and sage add zest to cooked food. Whole spices are also used in dishes that require longer time in cooking.

To this very day, India and some parts of Southeast Asia still supply the most quantities of spices to the world.