*Five Spice Powder

1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground cloves
1 tsp Fennel seed
1 tsp Star anise
1 tsp Szechwan peppercorns

*Italian Herb Seasoning

1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Sage

*Cinnamon Sugar

7/8 cup Granulated sugar
2 tbsp Ground cinnamon

*Chili Powder

3 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Ground cumin
2 tbsp Oregano
1 tsp Red or cayenne pepper
½ tsp Garlic powder

*Seafood seasoning

1½ tsp Celery salt
¾ tsp Paprika
¾ tsp Dry ground mustard
1/8 tsp Ground hot pepper (cayenne)

*All Purpose Seasoning*
The all time classic spice. No kitchen is complete without it.

1 Tbsp ground bay leaves
2½ tsp celery salt
1½ tsp ground mustard seed
1½ tsp black pepper
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
1½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp red pepper
¼ tsp ground mace
¼ tsp ground cardamom

-Combine and store in an air-tight container.

Notes: Use on seafood, poultry, salads, meats, and more. Makes delicious boiled crabs and shrimp. Try it on French fries with vinegar.

Ingredient Substitution List:

• 1 teaspoon baking powder = ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk or ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 cup sifted cake flour = 7/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 1-2 tablespoons

• 1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 cup honey = 1 to 1¼ cups sugar plus ¼ cup liquid

• 2 large eggs = 3 small eggs

• 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks plus 1 tablespoon water (for baking)

• 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks (in custards or cream fillings)

• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 1 square or 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

• 6 squares or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted = 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (as thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour or 2 teaspoons quick tapioca or 2 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = ½ to 1 teaspoon dried herbs

• 1 small garlic clove = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 pound fresh mushrooms = 3 ounces dried or 6 ounces canned

• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped = 2 cups thawed whipped topping

• 1 cup whipping cream as liquid = 1/3 cup melted butter plus ¾ cup milk

• 1 cup light cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter plus ¾ cup milk

• 1 cup ricotta cheese = 1 cup cottage cheese, liquid drained

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt, stirred, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice stirred into milk to make 1 cup; let stand 5 minutes to make soured milk for baking only (never use sour milk that's been in the fridge too long; it's actually spoiled)

• 1 cup whole milk = 2 teaspoons melted butter plus 1 cup fat-free milk (or water) or equal parts evaporated milk and water or 1 cup nonfat dry milk plus 2 teaspoons melted butter

• 1 cup sour cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter stirred into 7/8 cup buttermilk, soured milk or plain yogurt

• 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt (but it will taste less rich from the missing fat)

• Pecans = walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts

• Chunky peanut butter = creamy peanut butter (or grind roasted peanuts in a blender with a little peanut oil)

• 1 cup bread crumbs = ¾ cup cracker crumbs

• 1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil or 7/8 cup butter-flavored shortening

• 1 pound lard = 2 cups shortening

• 1 cup sugar (in baking bread) = 1 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda

• 1 cup sugar (in baking) = 7/8 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda

• 1 cup sugar (in main dishes) = ¾ cup honey

• 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup white sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses

• 1 cup molasses (in baking) = 1 cup sugar (omit baking soda; use baking powder)

• ½ cup dry red wine or white wine = 2 tablespoons sherry or port

• ¾ cup maple syrup = ¾ cup maple-flavored syrup, corn syrup or 1 cup sugar and increase liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice = ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 pound tomatoes = 3 medium or ¾ cup sauce (6 ounces) or ¼ cup paste (2 ounces)

• 8 ounces tomato sauce = 2/3 cup water plus 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 3 cups tomato juice = 2½ cups water plus 6 ounces tomato paste plus ¾ teaspoon salt, dash of sugar

• 1 large marshmallow = 10 mini (dust off cornstarch from their surfaces or it might overload a recipe)

• 1 cup granulated sugar = 1¾ cups powdered sugar for uses other than baking

• ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger = 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 2 teaspoon minced crystallized

• 1 head fresh dill = 2 teaspoons dill seed

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish = 2 tablespoons bottled

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard = 1 tablespoon prepared mustard or ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• ¼ cup rum = 1 teaspoon rum extract plus liquid to make ¼ cup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 inch vanilla bean, split and simmered in liquid of recipe

• 1 cup wine = 13 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar or a little less than 1 cup apple juice plus lemon juice

• 1 cup dry bread crumbs = 3 to 4 slices bread, torn and blenderized

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk = 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry milk powder plus ½ cup warm water plus ¾ cup sugar and dissolve

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar = 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar

• 1 tablespoon maple sugar = 1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus a dash of maple extract

Straight Conversions:

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)

1/16 cup = 1 tablespoon

1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons

1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons

1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons

1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons

1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons

2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons

3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons

1 cup = 48 teaspoons

1 cup = 16 tablespoons

8 fluid ounces (fl oz) = 1 cup

1 pint (pt) = 2 cups

1 quart (qt) = 2 pints

4 cups = 1 quart

1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts

16 ounces (oz) = 1 pound (lb)

1 milliliter (ml) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

U.S.–Metric Cooking Conversions

U.S. to Metric

Capacity

1/5 teaspoon - 1 milliliter

1 teaspoon - 5 ml

1 tablespoon - 15 ml

1 fluid oz - 30 ml

1/5 cup - 47 ml

1 cup - 237 ml

2 cups (1 pint) - 473 ml

4 cups (1 quart) - .95 liter

4 quarts (1 gal.) - 3.8 liters

Weight

1 oz - 28 grams

1 pound - 454 grams

Metric to U.S.

Capacity

1 milliliter - 1/5 teaspoon

5 ml - 1 teaspoon

15 ml - 1 tablespoon

100 ml - 3.4 fluid oz

240 ml 1 cup

1 liter = 34 fluid oz = 4.2 cups = 2.1 pints = 1.06 quarts = 0.26 gallon

Weight

1 gram - .035 ounce

100 grams - 3.5 ounces

500 grams - 1.10 pounds

1 kilogram - 2.205 pounds = 35 ounces

When baking it's always important to mix the wet ingredients separate from the dry ingredients. This allows all ingredients to be properly mixed which eliminates the chances of flour clumps in home made cakes or loaves. This applies to almost every recipe you are making involving flour.

When mixing the wet & dry ingredients, it's best to use separate bowls. When it comes time to add them together, it's important to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. This allows you to mix it all together evenly, as apposed to dumping them all at once. Dumping could lead to lumps and air bubbles in cakes...which could lead to a firm cake. You want a nice, moist, fluffy cake.

Also, to decrease the chances of burning what you are cooking, grease then lightly flour the pan evenly over the grease, especially when cooking with older pans.

If you do burn a pan, just put some baking powder and a little water in it and let it sit. You may have to do it more than once, depending on how bad it is.

*Refrigerated Storage*

Ground beef can be kept in the fridge for 1 day from the “packaged on date” on label or purchase time at the butcher’s counter. Fridge temperatures should be set at 4°C (40°F) or colder. Place the ground beef package on a plate positioned on the bottom shelf so meat juices won’t drip onto other foods. If you won’t be using the meat within a day of purchase, cook or freeze it for longer storage.

Vacuum packaged ground beef can be kept longer – follow the package “best before date” for refrigerated storage times. Once the package is opened, the meat should be used within 1 day, just like other packaged ground beef.

*Freezer Storage*

Your freezer should be keep temperatures at -18°C (0°F) or colder. If the ground beef is labelled “previously frozen”, it needs to be cooked before being frozen.

*GROUND BEEF STORAGE - REFRIGERATOR*

Fresh Ground Beef 1 day
Cooked Ground Beef 2 days
Ground Beef Patties 1 day

*Freezer Know-How*

Freeze small quantities of food at a time--don’t try to freeze more than 10% of your freezer’s capacity at once (no more than 2-3 lb of food per cubic foot capacity of the freezer should be frozen in 24 hours). Freeze as fast as you can, placing the meat in the bottom of the freezer (where it is coldest) until frozen solid.

*GROUND BEEF STORAGE - FREEZER*

Fresh Ground Beef 3 months
Cooked Ground Beef 3 months
Ground Beef Patties 3 months

*Wrap it Right*

Divide bulk packs of ground beef into family-sized meal portions before freezing. Use plastic freezer bags -- squeeze out as much air as possible, seal and label with the freezing date. Alternately, use a freezer container or suitable wrap -- wrap meat snugly, forcing out air and seal tightly -- try the Freezer Fold for sealing wraps.
If freezing meat in the store package, first over-wrap it in heavy foil or place the package in a plastic freezer bag.

*The Feezer Fold*

1. Place food in centre of wrap; bring 2 edges over the top of food.
2. Fold edges over 2-3 times, until wrapping fits food snugly.
3. Fold ends of wrap under food tightly, securing with freezer or masking tape.

All wraps are not created equal – here’s what does and doesn’t work:

*GOOD WRAPS*

Plastic freezer bags (sealable is great!)
Heavy freezer aluminum foil
Freezer grade plastic wrap
Freezer and parchment paper
Sealable freezer containers

*BAD WRAPS*

Thin plastic bags, grocery bags
Butcher paper
Thin/stretch plastic wrap
Waxed paper

*Defrosting Demands*

Meats should never be thawed at room temperature.

Ideally, thaw meats in the fridge, allowing 12-15 hours per lb (26-33 hours per kg). Place meat on a plate on the bottom shelf of the fridge.

~*Microwave-thawed ground beef should be cooked immediately.*~

If meat that has been kept in the fridge and is still full of ice crystals, can be safely refrozen. Once thawed, ground beef needs to be cooked before it can be refrozen.

**The Last Chapter…Cook Ground Beef Safely**

Don’t rely on the ‘colour test’ to know when ground beef is done – burger patties can be brown in the centre before being cooked to a safe temperature.

To know when burgers are done, check patty temperatures with a digital rapid-read thermometer.

For the best temperature reading, remove patty from heat, insert 1½ inches (4 cm) of the thermometer stem sideways into each patty for 30 seconds.

Always wash the tongs, plate and thermometer stem used in checking partially cooked meats before using again.

-Plentiful fall vegetables and a slight nip in the evening air herald the return of hearty stews. These slow cooked favourites are just what your family needs to refuel before an evening of homework, hockey, or dance classes.
Beef cut from the blade, cross rib or shoulder is in plentiful supply. You can buy a roast and cube it yourself or pick up a package of precut Stewing Beef Cubes. Slow cooking – on the stove, in the oven or in a slow-cooker – makes all these cuts deliciously tender.

Use home-cooked stews as one of the cornerstones in your “cook once-eat twice” repetoire. Like fine wine, stew flavours mellow with time. When you have time to cook, on the weekend or during the evening, double or triple a stew recipe for 'make-ahead' dinners. Beef stews will keep for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer.

~*STEWING KNOW-HOW*~
Parslow provides the following timely stewing tips:

- Browning beef cubes before adding liquid improves both the colour and flavour of a finished stew.

- Lightly coating the beef cubes with flour, before cooking is optional – it can increase the amount of browning and helps to slightly thicken the broth.

- After browning, be sure to scrape up all the flavourful browned bits from the bottom of the pan, while adding the liquid.

- Use enough liquid to just cover the meat. As a rule of thumb, count on 4 cups of liquid for every kilogram (2 lb) of beef.

- For instant beef stock, use canned beef broth, consommé or bouillon cubes dissolved in water.

- Adding tomato juice, paste or stewed tomatoes helps tenderize the meat and gives the stock a rich colour and tangy taste. Red wine, sherry or beer are upscale alternatives.

- Once the liquid reaches a boil, reduce the heat so the stew simmers, not boils, for about 1½ hours. To maintain a constant heat, and to reduce the risk of scorching the bottom of the stew, try oven stewing. Using an overproof casserole, simmer stew in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1½ hours.

- Firm vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, should be added in the last half hour of cooking. Softer vegetables, such as peas, should be added in the final 5-10 minutes. When doubling the recipe, don’t add the vegetables to the entire batch. Instead, add variety to your menu by using different vegetables at the time of reheating.

- If the stew is headed for the freezer, omit potatoes as these may become mushy when frozen. Serve the reheated stew over rice or instant mashed potatoes.

- It’s easy to remove fat from the surface of a chilled stew because the fat rises to the surface and hardens. Lift off the excess fat and discard.

“By simply varying the vegetables and seasonings, you can completely change the personality of a basic stew,” explains Parslow. “For me, stew is a perfect meal – economical, convenient and with flavour variations to suit every palate.”

***Beef Stir-Fry Takes on Many Flavours***(Canadian Beef Info site.....There is a link on our 'Favorite Links' page)

~If the stir-fry concept had been part of Old Mother Hubbard's recipe repertoire, bare cupboards would not have been cause for concern. When the cupboard holds a little of this, and the crisper contains a bit of that, stir-frying these odds and ends results in a tasty, nutritious supper.

~The real bonus with a stir-fry is that you don't need to follow a recipe. You only need to know the basic steps to create successful stir-fry dishes every time.

What to buy:

· Use ready-cut Beef Stir-Fry Strips or cut your own stir-fry strips by slicing steaks - Grilling Steaks (e.g. Top Sirloin or Strip Loin) or Marinating Steaks (e.g. Round or Flank) - thinly across the grain.

· To make slicing easier, cut steaks while still partially frozen, or place steak in the freezer until it begins to get firm.

· Consider Ground Beef for stir-fry - no cutting required! Just cook thoroughly and drain before combining with vegetables.

The basic steps:

· Season or marinate beef stir-fry strips before cooking. This will enhance flavour and tenderness. For 1 lb (500 g) Round or Flank strips, toss strips in a mixture of 2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch and ½ cup (125 mL) marinade (such as salad dressing or teriyaki sauce); refrigerate for 15-30 minutes - just enough time to prepare ingredients and cut the veggies.

· Heat the pan over the highest heat and then add the oil. Flavour the oil by adding such aromatic ingredients as garlic, gingerroot, chili peppers; cook briefly. Add the beef strips, cooking in batches. Remove cooked strips to a plate.

· Cook the vegetables (start with the firm vegetables such as carrots and broccoli first), adding some water to the pan if necessary.

· Return the meat to the pan and finish the stir-fry with a sauce. Quickly heat through and garnish with toasted nuts, seeds or chopped fresh herbs.

Tips for success:

· Be organized - have all your ingredients prepared and measured before you begin to cook. Use the prep time to marinate the beef strips.

· Use a high heat and cook strips in small batches so that the pan temperature doesn't cool down too much.

· Remove strips from the pan as they cook. Beef strips that 'stew' in their juices will toughen. Likewise, once the sauce is added to the meat, just heat and serve - avoid boiling the meat.

· Avoid scorching tougher vegetables (like broccoli) by adding water or broth to the stir-fry pan; cover and steam briefly. Alternatively, steam these vegetables before stir-frying.

· A stir-fry waits for no one - once it's ready, serve.

~With a little creativity and a selection of seasonings and sauces, a stir-fry supper can be different every time. And it need not always be Asian-flavoured. Use Cajun spices for a taste of Louisiana. Ginger, cinnamon and coriander give a Moroccan touch. Or add classic stroganoff ingredients for a European flavour.