Recipe Collection

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Supporting Local Flavors

by: Scott Schirkofsky

In the last 10 years Americans have seen a boom in local food markets and for good reason. While Americans continue to buy more fast food, they still expect perfect ingredients and they are finding them.

So why are they turning to their local markets more and more? In a nutshell they want fresh, healthy produce with great flavor. There are numerous other benefits to buying local products and it would seem Americans are now rediscovering what their local growers have to offer.

FRESHER
Care for fresher ingredients? Locally grown items are usually harvested 1 or 2 days before hitting the market making them significantly fresher then traditional store bought ingredients. For those folks lucky enough to live in rural areas, many of your local ingredients may be available to you the same day they are harvested. Produce flown in from other parts of the country or world is considerably older given that on average they travel 1,500 miles to get to your dinner table. These products may be harvested before they are ripe because of the delay in getting the product to market. Given that produce loses nutrients quickly, a recently harvested crop is preferred for its ripeness alone.

SAFER
Local food is often safer, too. Even when it�s not organically grown, small farms tend to be less aggressive than large factory farms about using chemicals. While biotechnology companies have long been experimenting with genetically altered produce, small local farmers do not have access to these seeds and most would not use them even if they did have access to these seeds. For those consumers opposed to using genetically altered produce, locally grown produce will offer the best product.

BUILDS COMMUNITY
When you go to a local market you get a chance to see the grower and talk to them eye-to-eye. You get to see their reaction when you ask them if the use chemicals. You get to see how proud they are of what their hard work has produced. And you get to see that happiness in their eyes when you support their farm with a purchase. This opportunity to meet the growers in person goes a long way in creating a sense of community and maintaining tradition in addition to supporting local growers financially.

BENEFITS OPEN SPACE & LOWER TAX DOLLAR SPENDING
As we have become wrapped up in the conveniences of the corner grocer, we seem to have forgotten how valuable our farmers are to our local communities. If you grew up in a rural area, you most likely remember the vast open space and picturesque countryside the crops created. As long as the small local farms exist this open space will not be developed into commercial property. Why is this important? Aside from maintaining the beautiful landscape, it is also most cost effective for the region, supports a cleaner environment and affords wildlife a greatly desirable sanctuary.

On average almost four times as much tax revenue is spent on services for a residential area then is spent on services for farms, forest or open space. For instance for every $1 collected in taxes from a residential area, almost $1.20 is spent on services to support that area. Conversely, only $.34 is spent to support rural area for each dollar collected. Because farms contribute more taxes then they require in services, local farmers make for a surplus in tax revenue. In addition to the lower cost needed to support rural areas, they also help to clean 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry.

By continuing to support local growers today, you are ensuring that they will be around tomorrow. In fact more and more non-chain grocers are carrying locally grown products. They must, it�s what consumers are demanding.

Try buying local flavors. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

About the author:
Scott Schirkofsky is the chef and owner of At Home Gourmet. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, spice blends, food and beverage articles on his highly recommended website: and

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

Soup to Nuts� Holiday Entertaining Guide

Recipes and Tips for a Seasonal Buffet with a T...

Master A New Skill - Bread Baking

Barbeque Basics

Make School Lunches Fun and Nutritious

Champagne raspberry punch

Cowboy Themed Parties Ring in Fall with a Yee-haw

A Simple Approach to Entertaining

Cooking for a Holiday Crowd Made Easy (Peasy)

Sandwich Rolls

Plan the Perfect Wedding Shower

Plan a Chinese New Year Party to Ring in the Ye...

Create a Family Heirloom Cookbook

Get in the �Spirits� for Holiday Celebrations

Cook from the Heart, Not by the Book

Affordable Gourmet-style Recipes

Holiday java = festive coffee!

Gourmet Cooking Made Easy: Holiday Party Ideas

Pan-Frying, Shallow-Frying, Saut�ing

Make Your Own Gourmet Gift Baskets

Holiday Candy Canes Are Festive and Fun

Best Recipes: Classic Jello Milkshake

Best Recipes: Eggnog Milkshake

No Bake Cookies Are Easy to Make and Fun to Eat

Best Ever Apple Pie Recipes

Making Hamburger Recipes is Easy and Fun

Give Me French Fries with that Shake

A Chicken Recipe for Every Occasion

Chocolate Cake Recipes We Love

Best Recipes: Classic Vanilla Milkshake

Best Recipes: I Love Strawberries Milkshake

Best Recipes: Old Fashioned Chocolate Milkshake

Coffee club membership is a joy for coffee lovers

Frugal Cooking With Herbs

Spanish Food: How To Make The Perfect Paella

Shake Things Up With Fun Milkshakes

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Experience

Smooth Refreshing Smoothies

Spanish Food - How To Make The Perfect Paella

Spanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones

More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

14 Easy Cooking Tips for Meat and Poultry Slow Cooker Recipes
by: Anjali Dawson

The first Christmas we spent with my in-laws in their new country home, my mother-in-law wisely gave me a slow cooker. Her thoughtful gift helped Dan and I enjoy the most convenient of all cooking methods, even with our long work days and commute.

I'll always treasure the memories of delicious aromas wafting through the front door as we stepped into the house after a long day at work and a nerve-jangling commute in heavy traffic.

Most of the slow cooker recipes I used were based on meats and poultry. Here are 14 easy tips to make your slow cooker recipes tasty and safe:

Tip # 1 - According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food are killed at a temperature of 165�F. Meats cooked in the slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170� in beef and as high as 190�F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process.

Tip # 2 - It is best not use the slow cooker for large pieces like a roast or whole chicken because the food will cook so slowly it could remain in the bacterial "danger zone" too long.

Tip # 3 - Always defrost meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker.

Tip # 4 - Meats generally cook faster than most vegetables in a slow cooker.

Tip # 5 - Trim all fat from meat and poultry. Fat can increase the temperature of the liquid in the slow cooker and decrease the cooking time. This will cause the food t be overcooked. Fats will also melt with long cooking times, and will add an unpleasant texture to the finished dish.

Tip # 6 - Cooking at higher temperatures will generally give you a tougher piece of meat. for all day cooking or for less-tender cuts of meat, you may want to use the low setting.

Tip # 7 - The slow cooker recipes are best used with the tougher cuts of meats.

Tip # 8 - For the best color and texture, ground beef is best browned before using, except in meatloaf or other similar dishes.

Tip # 9 - It is not necessary to brown meat before slow cooking, but it gives more depth of flavor in the food and removes some of the fat, especially in pork, lamb and sausages. If the meat is lean, well trimmed and not highly marbled, it doesn't need to be browned.

Tip # 10 - For roasts and stews, pour liquid over meat. Use no more liquid than specified in the slow cooker recipes. More juices in meats and vegetables are retained in slow cooking than in conventional cooking.

Tip # 11 - Dark meat takes longer to cook, so if a whole cut up chicken is used, put the thighs and legs on the bottom.

Tip # 12 - The slightly coarser texture of corn-fed, organic or free-range poultry is ideal for slow cooker recipes.

Tip # 13 - Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Use cheaper cuts of meat - not only do you save money, but these meats work better for slow cooker recipes. Cheaper cuts of meat have less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking. Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.

Tip # 14 - Farberware FSC600 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker oval design accommodates oversize roasts, whole chickens, hams, and/or ribs. It features a large, 6-quart capacity stoneware liner, which nests inside a chrome slow cooker base and the auto setting switches to a lower 'keep warm' setting after cooking food.

For those who are not concerned about cooking in aluminum the West Bend Versatility 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker will work well to cook meats. It has a removable aluminum insert that can be used on the stovetop to brown meats and caramelize onions before slow cooking. The bottom unit can also be used on its own as a small griddle. Its dishwasher-safe insert has a nonstick interior and an included roasting rack.

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor