It's time for new cooking tips!

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#1: Which egg is which?
You are confused about which eggs in your refrigerator
are hard boiled, and which ones are still raw.
How do you figure out which ones are which without breaking them?
That's easy! Simply spin the egg on the countertop
(be careful it doesn't spin off the edge!)
The egg that is hard boiled will spin much more quickly than the one that is still raw.

#2: An UNwatched pot never boils...
The next time you boil water, lie a long wooden spoon across
the top of the pot, keeping it in the center between the two rims.
This will prevent the water from boiling over the top.
(You will notice that the water will bubble up and hit the spoon,
but never actually boil over the edges!)

#3: Have you ever floated in the Dead Sea?
Tired of cracking your eggs every time you drop them into a pot of water?
Next time salt your water slightly before dropping the fragile egg in.
The now salted water will buoy the egg up and keep it afloat--much like the Dead Sea!

#4: Café au Chocolat: Good Morning Lover!
Serotonin, a mood lifting agent found naturally in the
human brain, is also found in Chocolate. When consumed,
chocolate can mimic feelings of love by making you feel
good. So for Valentine's Day, mix a little cocoa powder
with the coffee grinds before brewing your coffee.
The chocolate powder will create a nice mocha flavor,
as well as a smile for that special someone :)

#5: A Sticky Situation.
Do you find that when you add water to your flour,your dough often gets too sticky?
Try using icy cold water, and add it a little at a time, only as needed.
Warm temperatures "melt" the flour,causing your dough to be too glutinous to handle.

#6: Tastes Great. Less Fat.
Want to cut down on your fat while baking?
Next time cut a potato in half and use that to brush the bottom of the baking pan
instead of butter or oil.

#7: THE Smell of Cheese...
Love the taste of those aged, ripe cheeses,
but not the smell? Next time place a few
thyme leaves with your plate to cover the strong smell.

#8: Bulge-Free Burgers.
When grilling hamburgers, use your thumb to make a
small indentation in the middle of each side of the patty.
This helps to prevent the burger from swelling in the middle,
and even helps them to cook more evenly!

#9: Ice-Cubing Your Iced Coffee
Love your iced coffee in the summer, but hate how the ice cubes water it down?
Next time freeze your leftover coffee in your ice cube tray and use these
frozen cubes to chill your coffee instead of plain water ice cubes.
It will keep the rich coffee flavor without watering it down.
(This works as well with ice tea cubes!)

Tip #10: Sweet As Honey: The Many Health Benefits
Per tablespoon, honey contains 18 more calories than
regular white sugar. If using honey in place of sugar,
reduce liquid by 1/4 cup per 1 cup honey used in your recipe.

HEALTH BENEFITS:
-Mix with ground almonds for a facial scrub
-Mix 2 tablespoons with 2 teaspoons whole milk for moisturizing face mask
-Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 4 cups warm water for shiny hair rinse
-Dark honey contains higher levels of antioxidants than light
-Can help with calcium absorption in body
-Local honey can help prevent some seasonal allergies
-Contans amino acids
-Acts as antibacterial and antifungal agent for scrapes & burns

Tip #11: Pumpkin Tricks & Treats!
-Word "pumpkin" comes from Greek "pepon" for large melon
-One of many foods used by Native Americans
-Good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium
-The oil from the seeds good source of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids
-Helps prevent hardening of the arteries, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks
-High in fiber, which can also decrease appetite
-Using pumpkin puree in muffins and cakes is a great and healthy way
of keeping them moist without using extra oil or butter

Tip #12: All Fowled Up: Turkey or Indian Bird?
The domesticated turkey that has become the symbol
of the annual Thanksgiving holiday in North America,
is an ancestor of a similar bird originally found wild in Mexico.
So why is it then called a "turkey"?

In the late 1400s, while trying to find an alternative route to India, Columbus reached the South American mainland by sea. Thinking that it was part of Asia, he (and Europeans in general) mistakenly referred to the area (including Mexico) as the "Spanish Indies" or "New Indies," and the Native Americans, therefore, as "Indians". During this time was probably when this particular type of fowl (slightly larger than a goose) was also discovered and brought back to Europe. As a result, many languages (other than English) came to know
this fowl as the "bird of India" (i.e., "hodu" in Hebrew, literally meaning "India,"
refers both to the bird and the country itself; Likewise in French, "dinde"
also refers to the bird itself, while "d'inde" means "from/of India").

So now you are probably still wondering how the name of this delicious tasting bird came to be known after a different country in English? Around 1530 this bird was first introduced into England by Levantine merchants working in (what was then) the Ottoman or Turkish Empire. This bird then became known to the English as a "turkey bird" or "turkey cock", meaning of the Turkish merchants. British colonists settling in New England and Virginia, were surprised to find that this wild bird had already been living here as a proud citizen of North America.

To add further confusion to irony, this very same bird was only introduced about a hundred years later to India itself by Spanish travelers traveling from the East Indies.
When it arrived the Portuguese colonialists (of India) then improperly called it the
"Peru bird", even though there were never these kinds of birds in Peru!

Tip #13: Chanukah: The Festival of Lights
Did you know...?

Chanukah means “dedication” in Hebrew from Chanu (“they rested”)
+ Kah (composed of Hebrew letters for “25” or “Kof–Hay”)
which refers to the 25th day of Kislev, 164 BCE
when the Maccabeans entered the temple in Jerusalem, disovered the oil
(that burned for 8 days straight) and redicated the temple.

Tip #14: Before Popping that Cork on New Year's Eve,
How About a Little History About Champagne?
True champagne comes from the Champagne region in Northeastern France, mainly in the cities of Epernay and Reims (pronounced "Rahns"). The story goes that it was invented by Monsieur Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, who as a cellar master in 1715 experimented with stronger bottles and corks to prevent his various champagne blends (usually consisting of pinot blanc, pinot noir, and chardonnay grapes) from exploding, but this is a myth.
His real innovation was in combining these three types of grapes before pressing,
which prevented a second fermentation (that often caused the bottles to break).
Moet & Chandon introduced their first bottle attributed to Dom Pérignon as late as 1936.
Another fun fact:
Epernay also happens to be the home of my husband David (pronounced "Dah-Veed")!

Aphrodisiacs

Tip #15: Spice Up Your Night!
Aphrodisiac Foods for Valentine's Day
Throughout history, certain foods have been considered to be fertility enhancers.
Although modern science has yet to prove that these claims have any truth to them, various cultures continue to use foods and natural herbs in order to stimulate libido and fertility:

Ancient Egyptians/Middle East:
Bulbs, eggs, snails. sparrows, anise, basil, carrot, orchid bulbs,
carrots, coriander, fennel, figs, honey, Mead (fermented drink made from honey),
(Avoid: Dill, lentils, lettuce, watercress, water lily), pomegranate, date palm, cardamom

Africans:
Coffee, saffron & rosemary (North Africans)

Greeks & Romans:
Aniseed, oysters, truffles, pine nuts

Aztecs/Mexicans:
Avocado, chocolate, vanilla, agave

Indians:
Honey mixed with ginger and pepper, milk mixed with crushed almonds and
pepper, garlic, rock salt, fennel juice, ghee, licorice, cloves, asparagus

Chinese:
Licorice, nutmeg, ginseng

South Asians:
Basil, ginger, pepper

General:
Asparagus, almonds/marzipan, arugula, asafetida, wine,
bananas, basil, mustard greens, dark coffee, garlic,
ginger, mustard, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries

Legumes

Tid Bit #16: Good Luck Foods
Throughout history various cultures all over the world have used and consumed food representing prosperity, health, love, fertility, birth, and happiness. These "good-luck" foods are served during special occasions such as the first of the new year, births,
and other special anniversaries. The following are a few different types of foods and dishes.
Who knows, maybe they will work for you? Good luck!

AMERICAN SOUTH
Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas with rice): prosperity
Collards/Greens: dollar bills

TEXAS
Cabbage (common slang term for "money"
in 20th Century)

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH
Saurkraut & Pork (New Year's Day)

ITALY
Lentils (money)
Grains/Risotto (abundance)
Cotechino Sausage (abundance, richness)

AUSTRIA
Pork (pigs forge ahead)
but NO LOBSTER (which move back)

CHINA
Noodles (longevity)
Whole Chicken (family togetherness)
Clams & Spring Rolls (resembling gold bricks & bars)
Lettuce Wrap (sounds like "rising fortune" in Chinese)
Tangerines & Oranges (sounds like "luck" & "wealth" in Chinese)
Pomelos (sounds like "to have" in Chinese)
Fish (sounds like "wish" and "abundance" in Chinese)
Sticky Rice Cakes (rich, sweet life, round shape symbolizes family gathering)

DENMARK
Boiled Cod Fish

GREECE
Vasilopita (orange-lemon-brandy cake with coin baked-in for good luck in new year; receiver of coin gets good luck

HOLLAND
Doughnuts (shaped link ring symbolizes good fortune; continuous circle of life)

JAPAN
Unbroken Soba Noodles (longevity)
Omochi (rice cakes offered to gods then eaten for wealth)

FRANCE
Crepes (prepared on La Chandeleur–the celebration of light–on February 2nd.
For good luck: flip pancake in air with frying pan while holding a coin in opposite hand;
Bad luck to drop on floor)

GERMANY
Herring, Carp (fish's scales sometimes also kept in wallets
to ensure good financial luck)

HUNGARY
Roast Pig with 4-leaf Clover in Mouth
BAD LUCK: Chicken or Fish (will swim away with money)

INDIA
Boiled Rice

ISRAEL/JEWISH TRADITION
Apples with Honey (sweetness of new year)
Whole Fish (head leads into new year)
Round Challah Bread (continuous circle of life)
Legumes, Grains (prosperity, abundance)
Pomegranate Seeds (prosperity, good deeds/mitzvot)

SPAIN
Eating 1 grape for each of the 12 strokes of midnight
on New Year's Eve

SWITZERLAND
Whipped Cream (dropped on floor to show surplus of wealth)

SYRIA
Black-eyed Peas (seeing into new year)
Black-eyed Peas with Veal (for Jewish New Year)
Black-eyed Peas with Swiss Chard

Asparagus
Tid Bit #17: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH OF MAY?
Spring is finally here, and with that, more and more of a variety of delicious vegetables and fruits to choose from. Below is a list of those that are now in season for the month of May:

Vegetables
• asparagus, Haas avocados • green beans, beets, carrots, corn
• arugula, dandelion greens, lettuces, mustard greens • new potatoes, squash, zucchini

Fruits
• apricots, peaches • blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries
• cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon

Watermelon
Tid Bit #18: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH OF JUNE?
Now in season for the month of June:

Vegetables
• green beans • corn • cucumbers • garlic • eggplant • summer squash • tomatoes

Fruits
• Black Mission figs • grapes
• cantaloupe • honeydew • watermelon • nectaries • peaches

Oranges

Tid Bit #19: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of July:

Vegetables
basil • cucumbers • eggplant • okra • bell peppers • tomatoes

Fruits
currants • grapes • Asian pears • Bartlett pears • plums • Valencia oranges

Pumpkin
Tid Bit #20: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of November:

Vegetables
* Bell peppers * Brussels sprouts * Chicory * Greens (cooking) * Leeks
* Lettuce (leaf and head) * Okra * Parsnips * Pumpkins * Shallots
* Sweet potatoes * Turnips * Watercress * Winter squash

Fruits
* Apples * Cranberries * Dates * Grapes * Kumquats * Pears
* Persimmons * Pomegranates * Star fruit * Tangelos * Tangerines

Grapefruit

Tid Bit #21: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of December:

Vegetables
* Brussels sprouts
* Chicory * Greens * Leeks * Parsnips * Shallots * Sweet potatoes * Winter squash

Fruits
* Apples * Cranberries * Dates * Grapefruit
* Kumquats * Pears * Persimmons
* Pomegranates * Oranges * Tangelos * Tangerines • Star fruit

Tid Bit #22: OLD WIVES' TALE? KEEPING YOUR CHAMPAGNE BUBBLY.
Have leftover champage from New Years Eve andwant to keep the fizz for your
New Year's Brunchmimosas? Try hanguing a silver spoon in the bottle,
then store in the refrigerator.
If this doesn't work,then the best thing to do is to finish it quickly!

Chocolate Heart

Tid Bit #23: Health Benefits of Chocolate
Chocolate containes flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and
protect the body from aging. Dark chocolate is the healthiest form of chocolate
because it contains a greater amount of antioxidants. Studies have linked dark chocolate
to the reduction of both blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol.
Other benefits are that by consuming a piece of dark chocolate each day you will
increase your levels of serotonin which acts as an anti-depressent.
In addition, even though chocolate may be high in fat, it contains Oleic Acid
which is a healthy fat also found in olive oil. If you do decide to eat a little chocolate
each day, try to eat one that is 65% pure cocoa/dark chocolate or higher,
and no more than 3 1/2 ounces/100 grams.

Dates

Tid Bit #24: "Wann'a Date?": The Health Benefits of Dates
Dates have been a staple of the Middle Eastern diet for thousands of years, and not only because they taste good, but because their high nutritional content provides medicinal value as well. They are high in fiber, as well as calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, copper, manganese, and magnesium, to name a few. Some even consider it to be such a perfect food that it is eaten as a way to stave off hunger. Because dates digest quickly and are high in sugar, they are perfect for a quick and healthy way to obtain energy. As a way of breaking their fasts, Muslim Arabs have been known to eat a date, while Middle Eastern Jews may do something similar for Yom Kippur.

Below is a list of some medicinal uses for dates:
•Nicotinic content good for intestines *Helps in growth of friendly bacteria in intestines
*Helps those who suffer from constipation •Dates soaked in water help hangovers
•Some research has shown that regular consumption of dates
helps to prevent abdominal cancer

Brown Egg

TID BIT #25: Behold the Egg:
Perfect Food,
Perfect Shape,
Perfect Symbol.

Will An Egg A Day Keep the Doctor Away?
Despite the bad press over the years about eggs being too high in cholesterol, nutritionally the egg is in fact very near to a perfect food, containing the most basic nutrients necessary for sustaining the life of an embryonic chick. The white part of the egg contains a very high quality protein. The yellow or yolk part of the egg contains high levels of Vitamin A, B12, D, E, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorus, Selenium, and Choline, as well as Vitamin K. So enjoy an egg as it may be one of the most natural multi-vitamins that you can eat!

Pancake Time!
Because the consumption of eggs were usually forbidden during Lent, it was common to find ways of using up the extra eggs before the fast began. As a result, extra eggs were consumed on Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") which was the last day that meat and dairy products (including eggs, fat, and butter) could be eaten. This day is also known as Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday, where dishes using these ingredients are made into pancakes and consumed before the fast begins. Eggs can then be once again eaten on Easter,
when Lent has officially ended. The Ultimate Embodiment of Fertility!

For the Jewish Passover Seder, a roasted or hard-boiled egg is dipped
in salt water to symbolize sacrifice, fertility, and new life.

In Eastern European countries, such as Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and Poland, eggs are a symbol of new life. The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz,
their New Year celebration, which falls on the first day of spring.

The Ultimate Design...
In ancient Egypt, Rome, China, and Persia the egg symbolized the universe
with its perfect spherical shape.

God-Like Powers?
The Pagans, believing that the egg had special powers, buried them under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil spirits. In Roman times, pregnant women would carry eggs to determine the sex of thir unborn child. Before entering their new homes after marriage, young brides in France would first step on an egg for good luck. In Christianity, the egg is a symbol of resurrection, promising the new life that waits to break out of its shell.