Three TLC Tips for Your Crock Pot

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Slow-cookers and crock pots can make life much easier for busy parents and anyone else who wants to cook healthy, wholesome meals without slaving over a stove. Despite their sturdy, indestructible appearance, however, crock pots and slow cookers do require some tender, loving care if you want them to last for years. The good news is that these simple "TLC" tips don't require much time or work, and if you follow them you'll get the most out of your slow cooker for a good, long time.

Here are my three favorite tips for caring for your crock pot or slow cooker:

1.  Avoid sudden temperature changes. This is essential for slow cookers with a crockery interior like that of Grandma Gert, our decades-old crock pot shown on the left. Never put cold food or liquid in a hot crockery cooker, or immerse the hot crockery in cold water. Likewise, if you want to add hot water to the crock pot, make sure the water is NOT at or close to boiling if the crock pot is cold (room temperature should be fine). Sudden temperature changes can crack the crockery.

2.  Fill promptly with warm, soapy water for easy cleaning . The easiest way to clean your crock pot is to add warm or hot (NOT cold) soapy water after you've removed the food from it. This will help dissolve any caked-on food. If your slow cooker has a removable cooking "pot" or receptacle that's washable, go ahead and remove it before adding the soaking water and let it soak while you eat. You should be able to wash it easily by hand after soaking while you ate.

3. Never use abrasive scouring pads or cleaners. Instead, use a soft cloth dipped in soapy water or a non-abrasive, non-scratching pad or sponge.

With a little TLC, your crock pot or slow cooker should last at least as many years as Grandma Gert, who's still kickin'.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Quick Kitchen Tips to Reduce Holiday Cooking Stress

Whether you're cooking for a crowd or for fewer than a handful of folks, these quick cooking tips will help you reduce your stress and keep everything going smoothly and efficiently in the kitchen.

1.  Have a Plan:  Before starting, read through every recipe you plan to make.  Make sure you have everything you need, including ingredients & cookware.  Have everything you need handy, or at least know where everything is.  Consider what you will make when, and which recipes or cooking steps can be "staggered" or combined for greater efficiency.

2.  Have Room to Work:  Clear off counters, tables, sinks, etc. of anything you won't need before you start cooking.  And once you get going, clean up as you go OR know where you're going to put dirty/used dishes & utensils until you're ready to clean up.

3.  For Cheese Grating or Shredding:  Cheddar and other cheese will grate or shred more easily if first chilled in the freezer for ten to twenty minutes.

4.  Room Temperature Eggs:  If a recipe calls for beating or separating eggs (or both), let the eggs come to room temperature first.  They'll separate more easily, and beat to greater volume.

5.  Making Muffins or Cupcakes?  Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins or cups more easily.

6.  Baking with Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Raisins or other Dried or Candied Fruit?  Toss these "add-ins" with a little of the flour from the recipe (NOT additional flour) prior to adding them to the batter.  This will keep them from sinking to the bottom during baking.

7.  Cutting Marshmallows?  Apply a light coating of butter to the blades of your kitchen shears to prevent sticking.

8.  Hardened Brown Sugar?  Soften it quickly by placing in a microwave-safe bowl with a slice of bread or an apple slice, cover, and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Merry Christmas to all of our Carolina Sauce Company customers, partners and friends who are celebrating Christ's birth!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Chef's Foolproof Trick for Perfectly Done Steaks

When cooking steaks at home, do you cross your fingers and hope that they won't turn out over- or undercooked?

Do you end up cutting into the meat or stabbing it with a meat thermometer to check for doneness, only to lose the flavorful juices as they drip out--and possibly also finding out that it's already overdone?

Are you tired of "guesstimating" if your homecooked steaks are cooked right, and ending up disappointed more often than not?

Here's a little trick used by professional chefs and experienced home cooks to tell when a steak is perfectly cooked to order, be it rare, medium, well-done or anything in between:

Use your finger and your face!

Here's how it works:

1.  Poke your cheek, without smiling or making a face:  That's what a rare steak will feel like when you poke it.

2.  Poke the end of your chin:  That's medium-rare (red center that's warm).

3.  Poke the end of your nose:  That's medium (pink center that's hot).

4.  Poke the area between your eyebrows, above the bridge of your nose:  That's medium-well (just a very thin line of pink in the hot center of the steak)

5.  Poke your forehead (not much "give" there!):  That's well-done (cooked through but still juicy, no visible pink in the center)

Go ahead and give this method a try the next time you cook a steak at home--or test it when you order steak at a restaurant.  With a little practice, you'll be cooking steak like a pro and wowing family & friends.  Just make sure your face and finger are clean, before and after!

Do you have a foolproof way for telling when a steak is cooked to perfection?  Please share by leaving a comment here.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  For those seeking more flavor, here are some excellent steak sauces to choose from.  One of my personal favorites is Marie Sharp's Exotic Sauce, an inspired blend of tropical ingredients with a dash of hot pepper flair.  YUM!

PPS:  Want to get those impressive steak-house sear marks on your home-grilled steak?  Simply use a GrillGrate on your grill!

Top 10 Safety Tips (& Video) for Deep-Frying a Turkey

Deep-frying a turkey is perhaps the best--and certainly the most dangerous--cooking method for juicy, succulent and flavorful turkey.  If you plan on deep-frying a turkey this Thanksgiving, here are my Top Ten safety tips to ensure a safe and fire-free Thanksgiving:

1.  ALWAYS use a real outdoor deep-fryer such as the Bayou Classic Bayou Classic Fryers With Rack 32 Quart Stainless Steel Turkey Fryer, with the right tools for lifting/immersing the turkey into the oil and a deep-frying thermometer.  Don't improvise or attempt to build your own fryer.  And for heaven's sakes, read the instruction manual and actually follow it.

2.  NEVER deep-fry a turkey indoors, or in your garage.  That's just asking for trouble.

3.  DON'T set up your deep-fryer on a wooden deck, or near anything flammable.  You want a flat, fireproof surface like a concrete sidewalk or paved driveway.

4.  DON'T overfill the fryer with oil, or else it will splash or spill over when you add the turkey, causing a grease fire.  That would be disastrous.

5.  DON'T try to fry a turkey that weighs over 12 lbs, because it will end up burnt on the outside before the inside has time to fully cook.  Nobody likes charred or raw turkey.

6.  NEVER fry a stuffed turkey--no one likes salmonella--and don't forget to remove the giblets and any plastic trussing or pop-up doodad before frying (no one likes melted plastic, either).

7.  NEVER fry a frozen turkey.  It will explode.  People will get hurt. 

8.  NEVER let the temperature of the oil get above 350°F.  Oil can ignite at 375°F.  That's no fun.

9.  ALWAYS have a grease-fire-approved fire extinguisher handy (never use water to try to extinguish a grease fire).  Kitty litter is also useful to absorb any spilled oil.

10.  NEVER leave the fryer unattended, and keep kids and pets away.  Deep-friers tip over with frightening ease.

But why listen to me, when you can listen to William Shatner instead?




Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Carolina Sauce Company Newsletter: Turkey Tips, Coupon Sale & Gift Baskets

Earlybird Coupon Sale

           

Our annual Earlybird Christmas & Holiday Coupon Sale is back, and this year we're extending the savings through the end of November!  Use coupon code FALL2011 to save 7% off your product total at the Carolina Sauces online store, good on ALL products including on-sale items, hot sauce gift sets, and, of course, the newly-arrived J.T. Pappy's Gator Sauces.  This coupon is good through the end of November, and will expire at midnight on November 30th, 2011.

           

Add zest to your holiday menu and get a head start on your Christmas shopping with these tasty sauces, seasonings and gift ideas:

           

J.T. Pappy's Gator BBQ Sauces:  These rich & savory mustard-tomato BBQ sauces are finally back in stock, and they're bigger and better than ever!  Now in 18oz glass bottles instead of the small plastic 10oz bottles, JT Pappy's is great for marinating, grilling and cooking meat, poultry, veggies, seafood & more.  Available in original mild Gator Sauce, medium Flamin' Gator, hot Gator Grenade, extra hot Termigator, and smoky-mild Hickory Heaven.

           

Toad Sweat Cranberry Dessert Hot Sauce:  This North Carolina original is perfect for the chilehead who wants to spice up his or her serving of Thanksgiving turkey, and for jazzing up leftovers or even pouring over cheesecake.  For a unique sweet & spicy gift, there's the Toad Sweat Mini 4-Pack with a bottle of each of their award-winning dessert hot sauces.

           

Bone Suckin' Seasoning & Rub:  If you're smoking a turkey or if you're still using your grill outdoors, get yourself a bottle of this all-purpose BBQ seasoning for finger-lickin' flavor the whole family will love.

           

Cheesecake in a Jar:  This lusciously decadent and creamy dessert sauce is fabulous for dipping fruit, cookies or other sweet stuff; for spooning over pie, cobbler and even sweet potatoes; or using as cake frosting.  Makes a great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for your favorite cheesecake lover!

           

Bone Suckin' Sweet Hot Mustard:  Sweet and sassy (not fiery), this dipping & spreading mustard will make turkey sandwiches and turkey salad sing.  It's also mouthwatering as a ham glaze and in casseroles calling for mustard.

           

Kosher Products:  Looking for full-flavored Kosher products for Hanukkah?  We have what you need!

           

Themed Hot Sauce Gift Sets:  If there's someone on your gift list that enjoys hot & spicy foods, give them a unique gift they can use year-round on all their favorite foods.  These hot sauce gift sets are specially-priced to save you money, and include an amusing Lawyer's Gift Set, an intriguing Pepper Variety Gift Set, a super-fiery Ultra-Hot Gift Set and more.

           

If you're cooking or shopping for folks with special dietary needs, we have Gluten-Free products, Low/No Carb items with no more than 1 gram of carbs per serving, and Low/No Sodium products with no more than 35mg of sodium per serving.

           

Use coupon code FALL2011 when you order any of the above from us to save 7% off the product total!  Remember, coupon expires on 11/30/2011.

             

***Please note, the Fall2011 coupon doesn't apply to products purchased from our partners.***

Gift Baskets & Gourmet Coffee

                       

Gourmet Gift Baskets and Gift Boxes are now available at the Carolina Sauce Company website!  We've selected these beautifully assembled and bountifully stocked gift baskets and boxes from our partners for their inspired selection of fine specialty foods from around the world.  Whether you need a gift for an experienced home chef or for someone who's exploring international cuisines, for a chocoholic or a bacon fanatic, for a loved one or a business colleague, you'll find what you're looking for when you visit our brand-new Gift Baskets & Boxes page.  From there, you can click on any listed item to get more information on it and also to browse through that partner's complete selection of gourmet gifts. 

           

And here's good news for coffee addicts:  Our newest partner is Hunter Bay Coffee, award-winning gourmet roasters trained by European masters.  They begin with premium beans and slow-roast them daily in small batches, ensuring the freshest possible flavor.  In addition to amazing coffee blends, they also offer organic coffee, fine tea, monthly coffee clubs, coffee accessories and coffee gift baskets.

           

The Secret to Succulent Turkey

           

Regardless of whether he roasts or smokes our Thanksgiving turkey, and regardless of how big or small the bird, Greg always manages to make the juiciest, most succulent and flavorful turkey.  Family and friends always want to know his secret.  His answer?  Brining.  Below is his secret recipe for the perfect turkey brine.  Don't worry about the salt or sugar content: the cooked bird won't taste sweet or salty because those ingredients merely serve to facilitate osmosis, the process that will allow the flavor elements (citrus, herbs, spices) and a little water to penetrate the bird to season it and keep it moist.  To brine a turkey, you'll need a cooler that's big enough to submerge the whole bird, and enough water to cover it.  For a fresh or defrosted bird, brine for 24 hrs prior to cooking.  You can brine a frozen bird if you put it in the brine 3 days prior to cooking.  To keep the brine cold enough, add ice in sealed plastic bags so as to not dilute the brine.

           

Without further ado, here's Greg's Secret Turkey Brine Recipe:  For every gallon of water add 1 cup Kosher salt, 1 cup sugar, the juice, pulp & rinds of 1 orange and 1 lime and 1 lemon, 1 head of garlic (crushed), 1/4 cup black peppercorns (crushed), 1 to 2 Tbs red pepper flakes, 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, several sprigs of fresh thyme, several sprigs of fresh sage.  The water-salt-sugar ratio is the most important part of the recipe; feel free to adjust the other seasonings.  Mix up enough brine to completely submerge your turkey, and add sealed bags of ice to the cooler as needed to ensure safe refrigeration.  Discard brine once you remove the turkey for cooking.

           

If cooking isn't on your agenda this Thanksgiving but you really want to serve smoked turkey, our partner Johnston County Hams will deliver their delicious ready-to-eat North Carolina smoked turkey (available whole or breast-only) to your home! 

Recipes, Coupons, Product Reviews, Zesty News & More 

The Carolina Sauce Facebook Page is your source for Carolina Sauce news, interesting food articles, and exclusive Facebook-only coupons. For access to these special coupons and the latest zesty news, simply visit our Facebook page and click on the "Like" button to become a Fan. You can then click on the Coupons tab and access special offers. And if you're looking for new recipes, grilling tips, product reviews, and the occasional chuckle, visit this blog on a regular basis. Here's where we post delicious recipes, review new products as soon as they arrive, announce any discontinued or unavailable products, warn of possible product shortages, run special sales and discounts, and provide other useful information. Subscribe to our free RSS feed or NetworkedBlogs feed and you won't miss a single zesty thing! Just fill in your RSS subscription info in the spaces provided in the left-hand column of this blog, or click on "Follow My Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs icon at the bottom of the left-hand column.

Never miss another issue of our free Monthly Newsletter with coupons & specials when you sign up here.

Follow SaucyGlo on Twitter for the latest food news, pithy culinary observations & for sharing zesty tips!

Zestfully yours,

Gloria

6 Special Bargains for Home Chefs & Coffee Lovers

If you love cooking or appreciate a fine cup of coffee, here are six amazing bargains from our partner, Cooking.com:


10-Cup Grind and Brew Thermal Coffeemaker by Cuisinart with $30 rebate!
This 10-cup coffeemaker delivers the freshest coffee flavor possible by automatically grinding the beans right before brewing.  The thermal stainless steel carafe will keep your coffee hot and fresh for hours at a time.  
Special price:  $128.95 

REBATE OFFER:  Purchase this Cuisinart Grind and Brew Thermal Automatic Coffeemaker and mail in to receive a $30 Rebate check directly from Cuisinart.  Offer does not apply to orders shipping internationally.  Offer valid through December 31, 2011. 


Save $50 on the 7-oz. Burr Coffee Grinder by Kitchenaid
The Pro Line® Series burr coffee mill delivers the finest coffee and espresso possible by combining professional performance with an elegantly compact design, letting you store it easily on your countertop or in a cabinet.  

Regularly $249.99;  ON SALE for only $199.95
 



Save $100 on 2-piece Nonstick Tri-Ply Skillet Set by Del Rey with Bonus Skillet!
Unlike other cookware that features a metal disc on the bottom, these skillets have three layers of metal throughout the entire body of each pan:  An aluminum layer, which is a great heat conductor, is sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel, which is non-reactive with food and easy to clean. Regularly $199.99; ON SALE for only $99.99 




Save $114 on 4-qt. Round Cocotte by Staub with Bonus Mini Cocottes!
The cast iron cocotte (Dutch oven) features an all-enamel interior and exterior to resist corrosion, and comes with a matching lid.  BONUS ITEMS:  When you purchase this 4-qt. Dutch oven you'll receive four 8-oz. mini cocottes free!  
A $314.00 value for only $199.99 
 


Save $25 on Coppertail Cutlery Set with Bamboo Case by Rachael Ray/Furi
The Füri RR East/West Coppertail is two knives in one:  a chef's knife shape for classic rocking and sawing action (ideal for heavy professional work), and a fine chopper shape for fast vertical chopping (perfect for softer vegetables).  With no handle gaps or joins, there's nowhere for germs to hide, making Füri Pro one of the easiest knives to keep clean.
Regularly $125.00, you pay only $99.95



Nonstick Roasting Pan by Maverick with Bonus Thermometer!
Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, this versatile, heavy-gauge aluminum roaster with removable v-rack can be used for roasting turkey, beef, chicken and other meats.  Comes with bonus Roasting Alert Thermometer.  Only $39.95!!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If you're looking for other bargains, make sure to visit the Carolina Sauce Company Facebook page and click on the Coupons tab in the left margin -- you'll find lots of money-saving offers and coupons available only to our Facebook Fans!  Not yet a Carolina Sauce Company fan?  Just click on the "Like" button to the right of our name at the top of our Facebook page.