Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Nesco American Harvest FD-1020 Gardenmaster 1000-Watt Digital Food Dehydrator

Top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the heater chamber. Expands to a giant 20 trays so you can dry large quantities all at once! 1000 watts of drying power means you can dry more, faster.

These Gardenmaster Accessories Included FREE!
  • No-Spill Fruit Roll Sheet. Perfect for drying semi-liquids: soups, sauces, fruit rolls. Has exclusive "no spill" lips.
  • Clean-A-Screen. Flexible screen, allows easy drying of small items such as herbs, spices, and potpourri.
  • Jerky Spice Packet and Cure - Make your own jerky at home!

    Features and Benefits
  • Digital Timer is Programable for up to 48 Hours of Drying Time
  • 1000 watts of drying power!
  • Patented Converga-Flow®.
  • Adjustable Temperature Control.
  • Includes 52-page recipe and instruction book, 1 solid sheet, 1 mesh sheet, and 1 packet jerky spice to make great tasting beef jerky or venison jerky.
  • 4.5" Fan, 2400-RPM Motor, Adjustable Thermostat, 1,000 Watts.
  • Dries in Hours, not days. Fruit rolls 3-6 hours, Beef Jerky 4 hours, Apples 4-6 hours, Bananas 5-8 hours, Pineapple 4-6 hours.
  • Opaque Vita-Save® Exterior (blocks harmful light).
  • Expandable to 20 trays. No Tray Rotation, 1 Sq. ft. Per Tray


    Before foods are cooked, and often after they are cooked, they are subject to a number of different procedures: peeling, slicing, chopping, kneading, folding, mashing, and more. Without a good understanding of these terms, cooking can be a difficult matter. And without some practical experience in these mechanics, cooking would be a chore. Even the simple task of us icing a vegetable is not the first time you try it. Let's take a look at some of these procedures:

    Mixing

    The process of mixing consists of stirring two or more ingredients in a bowl or saucepan by moving them around with a spoon or a fork. A fork can sometimes produce a lighter mixture than a spoon which is more likely to mash the ingredients.

    Blending

    Blending consists of mixing thoroughly, without beating, by stirring well until all the ingredients are mixed. It is best to use a wooden spoon of the proper size. This term is also used to describe the action of an electric mixer or blender.

    Whisking

    Whisking is the process of agitating the ingredients with a light rapid motion. This causes foods such as eggs and cream to incorporate as much air as possible during its mixing. The wire whisk is normally used for this although an electric mixer can be used as well.

    Folding

    This term describes the process of combining air-filled ingredients, such as beaten egg whites or cream, with a heavier batter. This must be done very carefully so that none of the air is lost from the whipped ingredient. Folding is usually done by using a spatula which makes it easier to cut through the air-filled ingredient without flattening it.

    Beating

    This is the kind of mixing in which ingredients are completely blended together so that each of them loses its individual identity to become part of the whole. A rotary hand mixer or electric mixer can be used for this type of mixing. An electric blender can also be used.

    Mashing

    Usually, mashing refers to cooked foods such as potatoes, but we also use it for crushing a garlic clove with the flat side of a knife to release the flavor of the garlic more quickly in cooking.

    Grinding

    Though grinding is more often used for grinding coffee in modern times, it used to be a term that was used more often for grinding wheat or spices with a mortar and pestle. You can also grind meats with a meat grinder.

    Cutting

    Cutting is actually a general term used for cutting different types foods. "Cutting" is usually used when a food is cut into chunks before cooking. The different types of cutting are slicing, julienne, sliver, dice, shred, and mince.

    All of these terms can describe the mechanics of cooking. Most meals cannot be cooked without using at least one of them. So, knowing these terms and practicing the use of them will help you get your meals to the table quicker.

    Visit LearnHomeCooking.com and subscribe to "Learn Home Cooking Tips" to receive our new report, "Freezer Cooking for One" as our gift.

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