In the kitchen with Elise

Happy New Year!!!  It's a new day and a new year, as you have your own personal new years resolutions; things or lists set in place to better yourself. Then why not add to it, to better your kitchen skills. This year dedicate more time to the kitchen and actually learn how to cook, better your cooking skills, or even learn new cooking tips and recipes. Eat healthier.  As I mentioned in my posts titled 'Your million excuses' and 'Taking time to cook' eating out all the time is not good, you need to develop the habit of cooking your own home cooked meals. Healthy ones at that. If your goal this year is to loose weight then do it,cook healthy foods yourself.                                     DEVELOP AN EXTRA TALENT. How many more years will you say "oh, I don't know how to cook" or "I only know how to make this style of food."It's  2012.......  Wake up and sm...

Here is a picture of my identical twin sister and I at our Culinary Arts school. I am the twin on the left, my beautiful twin is to the right with her name on her hat as LC. She also cooks very well and has a baking blog http://bakesomethingsweet.blogspot.com Today I am posting about the importance to have a variety when you cook; it is good for your health because each food carries its own proteins, vitamins and nutrition, if you are only eating one type of food out of the trillions the world has to offer you are only getting that one vitamin instead of getting a little of each vitamin for your body. For example bananas are high in potassium which is good for you but if that is all you eat you have potassium but fail to get vitamin c and fiber from another fruit such as apples. Get It?  I have heard and seen people on various occasions eat the same types of foods week after week, year after year; That gets boring. You need to change it up a bit. Some only eat chicken, not...

This dessert is well known in the Hispanic and Portuguese culture and is extremely delicious. For you who don't know what this dessert is. The only way that I can explain it to you is like a firm, creamy, carmel custard and 'oh' so good  :  ) Many people have tried to make this and as simple as it is messed up and it ends up tasting too eggy. If you know what I mean.... The trick to have a great flan is in the number of eggs you use. You can make it in various flavors regular just as it is, coconut, parmesan cheese (sounds gross but is really good) orange etc. You just add  a little of it to the mix. This dessert is really cheap and easy to make as it does not require much ingredients but if you were to buy it at a restaurant. (especially here in the USA) you are going to pay an arm and leg for a slice. I went to a restaurant about 2 months ago and was charged $9 for the tiniest, most microscopic piece of flan I have ever seen...      Yes, I felt r...

It gets me so annoyed to see how many people cannot cook and want to learn yet do nothing about it. Here you have a blog dedicated only to cooking tips and advice; you sit back read the blog and admire my posts yet create nothing of your own. Did you know one of... if not the biggest money making business in the world is in  the food industry. Why? because it is something completely necessary. Ever living being needs food in order to survive. If you don't believe that, try staying without food for a certain period of time and see how you feel. You would die. Food is all around us and something that we need way more than music, entertainment, fashion, beauty, cars and everything else in the book. Yet people take time to learn all of these sometimes irrelevant things and not how to cook. How can that be? Not only do people die because of not eating but also because of eating junk.  If you are not cooking for yourself you are either eating out or letting others cook your m...

For todays Lunch I made Sweet potato shepherds pie and collard greens. I decided to cook simple and healthy for my family today. Have your ever heard of shepherds pie? Well I made it except I used sweet potato instead of potatoes. It adds an interesting flavor and is really delicious. How to make it: Sweet potato shepherds pie (if you want regular Shepherds pie. Do the same except use regular potatoes) 5 sweet potatoes minced meat (I use turkey minced meat, it is way healthier and to me tastes better) diced garlic,onions and pepper 1/4 cup milk 2tbsp butter Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into big chunks. Boil it in water for about 15 - 20 minutes until it is soft. Mash it like mashed potatoes and put a little bit of butter and milk just to make it creamy. Set it aside. In a separate pot put some oil and add your garlic, peppers and onions. If you like this add a lot but if you don't like it as much add it still for flavor but put a little. Sautee it for a...