The devastating floods that affected the Philippines look like repeating again this weekend. My beautiful girl has lost Christmas cards, letters and gifts, all material i know, but nonetheless items that are so important for sentimental reasons. The impending sense of fear at yet another flood devastation, the tragic life loses and hundreds of thousands of people displaced with no where to live.

I cannot begin to fathom the deep emotions that are running.

Please spare a moment when you sit down to a hot meal, a beer or wine and when you take a hot shower, play with your kids, turn on the tv and then crawl into a comfy bed. There are hundreds of thousands tonight that dont get to do that, some wont ever get to play with thier kids ever again, I know I will be forever changed by this tragedy. Keep praying please.

Here are some useful substitutions for common food ingredients in case you’re ever stuck in a jam (we’ve all been there before right?). Most of these are pretty standard and we’ll be adding more to the list as often as possible. As always, your suggestions  are welcome!

When ordering a cup of cappuccino or caffe latte at the coffee house, you can easily tell if the barista truly has a passion for making a great cup of brew with a simple look. How? If the barista has taken the time to create an attractive design with the foam, such as the popular leaf design or even a heart or an apple, it shows that he or she has taken the time necessary to perfect the craft. If you want to create a cup of latte that looks just as appealing as the ones you buy at the coffee shop, follow these simple steps for beginners and you will soon find your creativity and the latte flowing.

Step 1: Get the Proper Machine

You don’t have to go out and spend big bucks to purchase a top machine in order to engage in the craft of latte art, though a machine such as the Bialetti stovetop will not work because it does offer the possibility to steam milk. Almost any espresso machine will work if it has milk steaming capabilities. Still, having a top end machine or using a product such as theBreville Café Roma certainly can help make it easier to learn the secrets of latte art. Regardless of the machine you use, however, you will need to remove your turbo nozzles before getting started.

Step 2: Preparing the Milk

Next, you need to pour enough milk to make one cup of latte into the steam pitcher. Then, place the steam wand at the bottom of the pitcher and turn on the steam. Raise the steam wand until it is almost to the top of the milk while lowering the pitcher at the same time. The trick here is to avoid stretching the milk too much or making bubbles appear, as you want your milk to be smooth and velvety. In order to avoid overstretching, it is important to only use cold milk to start the process.

Step 3: Achieve the Right Temperature

Once the milk hits 80 degrees, tuck in steam wand while spinning the pitcher in a counterclockwise direction so you can create a whirlpool. Continuing moving the pitcher until the milk reaches 150 to 160 degrees. Once it reaches this temperature, you can shut it off.

Step 4: Start Swirling

You are now ready to start swirling the milk. Continue swirling for about 20 to 30 seconds as the espresso is pouring. You are now ready to start pouring in the milk.

Step 5: Make a Pattern

The most common pattern is the flower design, which you can create by pouring the milk in at the bottom of the cup. When the cup is half full, begin shaking the pitcher in a back and forth motion as you slowly move it backward. You will notice the flower design forming in a forward direction. After it reaches the top, pour additional milk through the middle.

With a little practice, you will eventually be able to create a great flower pattern. Once you have this basic design down, let your creativity go wild and see what else you can design!

Ginger was first grown in Asia where it is used for medicine as well as food, but is commonly found in India and has been used for centuries. It is used primarily as a spice in cooking but can be eaten whole as a delicacy and is considered the world’s most popular spice. It is the underground stem of the ginger plant, though it is commonly thought of as a root and sometimes referred to as ‘ginger root’.

Ginger is used in a variety of different cuisine, but is especially common in Asian and Indian cooking. It can be eaten fresh, pickled (sushi ginger), candied or ground up. It is essential to oriental and indian cooking and is used to make stir fries, sushi, chutneys, satays and pastes. In Western cooking, it is used for making all kinds of cakes, breads and desserts such as gingerbread and ginger cookies. Ground up and powdered, it is used to flavor any number of dishes. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams and preserves and in beverages to make ginger tea, ginger ale and even ginger beer. Pickled ginger is pickled with vinegar and in Japan is known as ‘gari’ and served with sushi. Candied or crystallized ginger is ginger cooked in sryup and then rolled in sugar to be used as a candy or sweet treat.

Ginger does not have a lot of nutrients partially because it is used in such small amounts, but it does have potassium which is good for your muscles and heart. It is known to help ease a stomach ache and to help with stomach related problems such as nausea and irritable bowels. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory for use with arthritis, muscle spasms and joint pain.

Fresh ginger should be knobby and have a shiny skin. If it is wrinkled or cracked, it is generally older and not as favorable. Fresh ginger has a light green color, while dried ginger can be nearly black, with the skin left on, or white, with the skin peeled off. Fresh ginger can be kept for several weeks in the salad drawer of the refrigerator and you should store dried and powdered ginger in airtight containers.

friend of mine asked me for some advice for making french fries as every time she tries to make them in her fry daddy, they come out soggy and do not crisp up no matter how long she cooks them. I gave her some advice on making french fries from fresh potatoes and decided to share them.

Making the Perfect French Fry:

1. Use Russet potatoes as these make the best fries in my opinion. Russet Nugget potatoes also make excellent fries. The Russet variety has less moisture and will crisp faster.
2. The first step is to thoroughly scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt and deposits. This should be common knowledge for any dish when using potatoes.
3. Peel the potatoes. Some people like to leave a little skin on, but I recommend taking off the skin as the oil does not penetrate well. This is more of a personal preference though.
4. Soak the potatoes overnight in water. This will remove the the starch from the potatoes, allowing them to cook faster and makes them crispier.
5. Cut the potatoes lengthwise about a half an inch in thickness to make a steak fry cut. Cut thinner if you want the typical Shoe String french fry, but be careful how long you cook them. Most importantly, make sure to keep your cuts even so that all of your french fries cook evenly.
6. Pre-heat the oil in a deep pan or a deep fryer (if you have one) to 190c and use a thermometer to make sure the temperature reaches this point. This is the most important step – if the oil is not hot enough, the water cannot escape from the potatoes and will not crisp up, leaving them soggy.
7. Some time before serving, blanch in oil at 190c until slightly firm. Allow the potatoes to drain and dry and keep them in the fridge.
8. When ready to cook, drop in oil at 190c until golden brown. Do not overload the pan or fry basket!

You might be wondering what the best kind of oil to use for deep frying and this can be more of a personal choice due to taste but here are my suggestions:

• For the highest heat and best flavor, use Peanut Oil or Grapeseed Oil (expensive).
• Soybean Oil also will provide a lot of heat, but can add a different flavor.
• Canola Oil will fry well, but it leaves a distinctive taste that some do not like. It is the healthiest type of oil to use however, so if you are going for healthier french fries, use Canola, but try it with a small batch first to make sure you like the taste.