Category: Culinary

Making macarons is not easy – anyone that tells you otherwise has either never trued making them or is lying for some reason. If some of the world’s greatest chefs admit that they often struggle to make perfect macarons, how can any of the rest of us claim otherwise?

However, the good news to come out of all this is that making decent macarons you don’t in fact intend to serve to members of the aristocracy or sell to the public doesn’t have to be an unmitigated nightmare. The basic recipe is pretty simple and so too is the process of putting the ingredients together – tasty and pretty macarons do not demand a degree in the culinary arts.

So, you may ask, why are you coming out with pure garbage pretty much every time you try? Well, the simple answer is that you’re most likely making once of a few extremely common mistakes and not even realizing it. So if you happen to be guilty of any of the following, you probably have your answer as to how and where you’re going wrong:

1 – Fresh, Cold Eggs The most common pitfall of all that’s happening all over the world right now as you’re reading this is the use of fresh eggs straight from the fridge. Any good recipe will tell you that it is preferable to use fresh egg delivery that have been -aged’ for a few days to get the right texture for your batter. It will also tell you that using eggs that aren’t at room temperature is inadvisable. Of course, some see it as easier to ignore the rules than to delay their baking any longer, so they end up with a batch of bothersome biscuits they have no use for. Ignore this tip and you’re wasting your time.

2 – Weak Whisking If you don’t give your egg whites enough time and attention with the whisk, your batter will be a disaster. This is pretty much the be all and end all of your macarons after all, so be prepared to really go for it and not stop until you know you’re on the money – even if you’re getting sore and bored. Just to coin a comparison, you’ll know you’re heading in the right direction if and when the mixture looks similar to shaving foam.

3 – Timing the Sugar Call it dull and boring all you like, but if you don’t time the adding of the sugar exactly, you’re in for a disappointment. You need to add the icing sugar – NOT icing mix – after you’ve been beating the egg whites for about 30 seconds-no more and no less. This timing is essential to ensure the right consistency, so don’t ever overlook its importance.

4 – Oven Issues About half way through the cooking process, you should open the oven door and rotate the baking trays. Why? Two reasons – one being that you need to let the excess moisture escape from the oven and the other being the importance of even cooking across the board. Ignore either and you may end up with half your macarons fit for a king and the other half not fit for the dog.

Medicinal herbs are quite a common trend in todays era. Though there are a number of manufactured medicines, there are people who would want to take in something more natural. Many of these natural medicinal bulk herbs have several benefits aside from its curative properties. Some have been widely used as culinary components as well as part of a concoction creating helpful and effective solutions.

Sage leaf is one common natural medicinal herb. These are small shrubs located in Mediterranean regions. Leaves are green with strong citrus scent. These small herbs are commonly added into culinary masterpieces. It can add flavor to most poultry and meat dishes, cheeses and even wines. Others may find it appealing if these sage leaves are combined with bread and butter.

Not only does this sage leaf a quality supplement to dishes and drinks, it has useful properties of curing meats and preserving other foods such as labiatic acid and carsonic acid. Moreover, it suppress fish odor. However, these sage leave do not stop its use for culinary purpose only. A sage leaf can also take away some pain and sickness in a person when taken in. It is extensively for fevers, pains, coughs and matters of digestion.

Clinical studies show that sage leaf can pacify digestion problems such as indigestion and stomach cramps. As preferred, these leaves are boiled to create a nice hot tea good for drinking. Chinese strongly believe in the efficacy of medicinal herbs in providing solution for their digestive problems as well as other sickness. The oil of sage leaves can also cure stomach ulcers instigated by bacteria.

Sage leaf is a good remedy for treating excessive sweating. Body temperatures are regulated through sage leaf oil and reduce sweating of the body. These are of good use for people living in deserts to lessen body sweating due to too much heat. With this unique property, sage leaf is also a good element in creating deodorants.

Sage leaves are also great elements in making powerful mouthwash and gargles. It can strengthen teeth and gums as well as clean the whole mouth for lesser bacteria causing infection. It is also superb in enhancing memory and making our senses work faster.

These few but efficient properties are proofs of how useful a simple leaf can be. Both medicines artificially manufactured and natural medicinal herbs aim to cure many sickness.

It is not everyday that a person can take up or get an education on something he or she loves and then build it into a career. But in the case of culinary arts, it is possible. Those people, who have the passion for cooking and the gift of good taste, have a brighter future in the food service industry if they wished to.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in the field of culinary, then you should think about making a career out of it. But, you should know first what you will be getting into. The things you should be familiar with include the definition of culinary arts and According to the definition of culinary arts and the nature of the job. It would be best if you know the overview what culinary arts is all bout so that you can weigh things down whether to pursue a career on that field or not.

According to the web definition of culinary arts, it is the practice or manner of preparing food or the food so prepared. Considering the definition of culinary arts, it may sound easy to do. Maybe it is simple to you if you are used to cook your own dinner or party. Yet, you have to remember that in the world of culinary arts, you are to work longer hours. The nature of the work is very physically demanding. For example, requiring you to keep you on your feet, lifting heavy kitchen stuff, mixing large food vats, rolling pounds and pounds of dough, and only those who work in the real kitchen know what other things happen inside. Also, the working schedule is unusual. In other words, you are to work on weekends, holidays, and evenings which can mean not much time for social life.

But then again, as the definition of culinary arts implies, you are not to do all those things. Just don’t ignore the possibility, though, that you will have to do them someday, if the situation calls for it. Despite the negative aspect of a career in culinary arts, there is still a high level of satisfaction according to those who are already in the field. In fact, they commented that what they have for a career is a very rewarding profession. Who can argue with that if you are doing the thing you most enjoy performing add it up with customer’s satisfaction of what you’ve prepared – truly a rewarding job!

Each one of us has always dreamed of having a career that will give us the kind of life we wanted, but having one that will make you utilize your passion and expertise is another story. The story applies to culinary arts and to all those who have the talent for cookery and pursue a career in the food service industry. You can never be happier to be in a job you love doing, can you?