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Sunday, August 21, 2016

How To Make Georgian Cheese Bread

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 4 ounces mild Cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated and then finely chopped
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, well crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 1 large egg

For the dough:

  • 3 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea or kosher salt
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • Oil for baking sheets
  •  
  • Preparation

  • Place an oven rack at the lowest position. Preheat to 450 degrees.
  • To make the cheese filling, blend all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt, and stir well. Continue stirring in more flour until the dough has lost its stickiness and can be worked with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and slightly elastic.
  • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Keep the remaining pieces covered with a cloth while you work with one piece of dough at a time.) Flatten a piece of dough with the lightly floured palm of your hand. Then, either stretching the dough or using a small rolling pin, flatten it out to a round 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center.
  • Pinch the edges of the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Fold each side in, still leaving the center of the filling uncovered. Then, pinch around the new outer edge of the dough. Stretch the flaps inward so that the filling is covered completely, pleating excess dough as necessary. Pinch the pleats closed, and then, with the lightly floured palm of your hand, gently press down on the top of the mound to flatten it. Turn the bread over, and gently press down again on the bottom. This will push the filling out into the edges of the bread; it should be 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
  • Lightly oil the baking sheets. Place a filled bread on a prepared sheet, and continue making breads until the first baking sheet is full. Bake the breads for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the oven, slide into a basket lined with a cloth, and cover to keep warm. Prepare the remainder of the breads while the first batch bakes, and then bake in the same fashion.

Best Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Barbeque Sauce In The US

Ingredients

Servings: 8

Brine

  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 5 ounces kosher salt (½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup Morton)
  • ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 3½–4-pound chickens, cut into 8 pieces each

Assembly

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • teaspoon ground fennel or finely ground fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Vegetable oil (for frying; about 6 cups)
  •  

Special Equipment

  • A deep-fry thermometer
  •  

    Preparation

    Brine

    • Toast mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds in a large pot over medium-low heat, tossing often, until fragrant and mustard seeds are starting to pop, about 1 minute. Add salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove pan from heat and add 8 cups ice water, then chicken pieces. Cover pot with plastic wrap and chill chicken at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

    Assembly

    • Place 2 cups flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk cornstarch, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, fennel, 1 Tbsp. or 1½ tsp. salt, and remaining 4 cups flour in another shallow bowl to combine. Whisk eggs and buttermilk in a third shallow bowl to combine.
    • Remove chicken pieces from brine and pat dry; discard brine. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in plain flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer chicken to bowl with seasoned flour and coat, packing all around chicken and firmly into cracks and crevices; shake off excess. Place chicken on 2 wire racks set inside rimmed baking sheets. 

    • Pour oil into a large pot to come halfway up sides. Fit pot with thermometer and heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Working in 4 batches, fry chicken, turning often with tongs and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165° for dark meat and 160° for white meat, 10–14 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to clean wire racks and let rest 10 minutes. 

    • Serve fried chicken with barbecue sauce and pickles.

    • Do Ahead: Chicken can be dredged 2 hours ahead. Chill uncovered on rimmed baking sheets. Chicken can be fried 2 hours ahead. Let sit uncovered at room temperature. Reheat in a 250° oven if desired.
  • Preparation

    Brine

    • Toast mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds in a large pot over medium-low heat, tossing often, until fragrant and mustard seeds are starting to pop, about 1 minute. Add salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove pan from heat and add 8 cups ice water, then chicken pieces. Cover pot with plastic wrap and chill chicken at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

    Assembly

    • Place 2 cups flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk cornstarch, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, fennel, 1 Tbsp. or 1½ tsp. salt, and remaining 4 cups flour in another shallow bowl to combine. Whisk eggs and buttermilk in a third shallow bowl to combine.
    • Remove chicken pieces from brine and pat dry; discard brine. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in plain flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer chicken to bowl with seasoned flour and coat, packing all around chicken and firmly into cracks and crevices; shake off excess. Place chicken on 2 wire racks set inside rimmed baking sheets. 

    • Pour oil into a large pot to come halfway up sides. Fit pot with thermometer and heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Working in 4 batches, fry chicken, turning often with tongs and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165° for dark meat and 160° for white meat, 10–14 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to clean wire racks and let rest 10 minutes. 

    • Serve fried chicken with barbecue sauce and pickles.

    • Do Ahead: Chicken can be dredged 2 hours ahead. Chill uncovered on rimmed baking sheets. Chicken can be fried 2 hours ahead. Let sit uncovered at room temperature. Reheat in a 250° oven if desired.

    Preparation

    Brine

    • Toast mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds in a large pot over medium-low heat, tossing often, until fragrant and mustard seeds are starting to pop, about 1 minute. Add salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove pan from heat and add 8 cups ice water, then chicken pieces. Cover pot with plastic wrap and chill chicken at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

    Assembly

    • Place 2 cups flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk cornstarch, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, fennel, 1 Tbsp. or 1½ tsp. salt, and remaining 4 cups flour in another shallow bowl to combine. Whisk eggs and buttermilk in a third shallow bowl to combine.
    • Remove chicken pieces from brine and pat dry; discard brine. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in plain flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer chicken to bowl with seasoned flour and coat, packing all around chicken and firmly into cracks and crevices; shake off excess. Place chicken on 2 wire racks set inside rimmed baking sheets. 

    • Pour oil into a large pot to come halfway up sides. Fit pot with thermometer and heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Working in 4 batches, fry chicken, turning often with tongs and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165° for dark meat and 160° for white meat, 10–14 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to clean wire racks and let rest 10 minutes. 

    • Serve fried chicken with barbecue sauce and pickles.

    • Do Ahead: Chicken can be dredged 2 hours ahead. Chill uncovered on rimmed baking sheets. Chicken can be fried 2 hours ahead. Let sit uncovered at room temperature. Reheat in a 250° oven if desired.
       

      Ingredients

      Servings: Makes about 1½ cups
      • 1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s)
      • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
      • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
      • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Texas Pete)
      • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      • 4 teaspoons sugar
      • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
      • ½ teaspoon onion powder
      • ½ teaspoon hickory smoke powder (optional)
      • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

      Preparation

      • Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsp. water in a medium bowl just to combine.

      • Mix sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and hickory smoke powder, if using, in a small bowl, then whisk into mayonnaise mixture. Season sauce generously with salt and pepper.

      • Do Ahead: Barbecue sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
       
     

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Vacuum Cleaner Myth Debunked

You would be hard pressed not to find this noisy, electrical and often-underused mechanical device in any home, apartment or business.

What is it? The vacuum cleaner. You know, that silent sentinel in your closet that comes to life when you plug it in and push the power button, and it buzzes all over the carpet as you chase it around the house.

The problem with the vacuum cleaner is we trust it too much. No, we’re not saying you shouldn’t vacuum your carpet. You should vacuum once per week per occupant, on average, for the main areas.  You might vacuum the bedrooms less frequently. We all know that proper vacuuming is important in caring for the carpet.

But some feel that vacuuming the carpet is equal to carpet cleaning. That’s a myth and it is simply not true. Professional carpet cleaning removes so much more than a vacuum can remove. Yet it has been reported that consumers feel that frequent vacuuming removes the dust and grime from their floors and they can either skip or prolong regular carpet cleaning.

That’s not the case.

A good vacuum, no matter how powerful or advanced, removes only dry soil. The stuff that is tracked in every day and should be removed every day, as well. Vacuums don’t remove the sticky, greasy soil stuck to the carpet fibers. You need professional cleaning to remove those soils. Plus most people fail to take their vacuums to a repair shop for an annual tune up service. So in most cases, their vacuum cleaners aren't working properly.

Compare this to washing your car with a dry rag… or brushing your hair and skipping the shower and shampoo… or — well, you get the point. You need quality organic cleaning,  to get your carpet thoroughly cleaned.

Do yourself a favor. Keep that vacuum cleaner working, use it all the time, but call us for  professional organic carpet cleaning that dries in about an hour.   Plus most residential work is guaranteed one full year. So if you're spots come back, then so do we. When it comes to the best carpet cleaning in  Hamilton, Princeton, Yardley and surroundings area, give us a call..   We know  what it takes to remove ALL the dirt! Plus you must be happy or it's free.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Should You Wash Your Couch Cushion Covers?

It’s a very easy thing to do… you notice your sofa cushions are a little dingy, which is perfectly normal with kids, pets and normal usage.

So you decide to do-it-yourself and wash the cushion covers. They come out looking nice. But you also notice a little problem. The colors aren’t as bright as they used to be, and it takes a lot of effort to get the covers back over the foam cushions themselves. In fact, for one cushion, you can’t even get it zipped up all the way.

The reason is that cushion covers are not designed to be washed like normal laundry. “But it has zippers!” you exclaim. That’s for the convenience of the furniture manufacturing company or the upholsterer.

Keep these points in mind if you are tempted to wash your cushion covers:
 

  1. When you wash the cushion covers, there is some danger in fabric shrinkage and dye loss. If this happens, not much you can do to fix it.
  2. 2. Shrinkage typically occurs in the drier, so if you are tempted to wash your own cushion covers, hang them to dry (but remember there is always risk).
  3. 3. Dyes are funny things. The dyes on your favorite t-shirts are pretty tough and durable and last a long time, but on upholstery they can bleed or fade. 
  4. 4. Putting cushion covers in the laundry can also cause problems with the integrity of the fabric, such as any latex backing that could be present; delamination, or the separation of the face fiber and backing, can occur.

So while you may do this, remove your cushion covers for laundering, keep these points in mind and be very careful with your valuable furnishings! Do your furniture and all upholstery fabric a huge favor: Call us today because we clean upholstery the other cleaners turn down.  That's why we are the most experienced and trusted  upholstery cleaner in Hamilton , Princeton, Yardley and surrounding areas.