There's something about southern barbecue that just makes your mouth water at the very words. Southern style means slathering on the barbecue sauce nice and thick - don't be shy!

You're going to love this recipe, because you don't even need to fire up the grill. All you need is a few ingredients and a large frying pan. Rain or shine, this barbecue dinner will put a smile on your face.

The main ingredients in this dish are chicken breasts, rice, corn on the cob and barbecue sauce.

Make sure you wash your hands before beginning.

In a large frying pan, combine one and a half cups of water, one cup of uncooked rice, three quarter cups of your favorite barbecue sauce, and four frozen packaged chicken half breasts. Bring all to a boil.

Cover the pan and turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer rice and chicken for twenty-five minutes. Add in six frozen half ears of corn on the cob, then cook for another fifteen to twenty minutes until the chicken juices run clear. You can also use a meat thermometer, and cook until chicken reaches 170 degrees.

Spoon one fourth cup of barbecue sauce over the cooked chicken. Remove pan from heat and let it sit for at least five minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

Dish up the meal on plates and serve with homemade cornbread.

Makes four servings.

Bonus Recipe: Ginger Apple Crisp

To make this recipe you'll need: corn flake crumbs, firmly packed brown sugar, all purpose flour, crystallized ginger or dried ginger, melted butter, 6 cups peeled apples - thinly sliced, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla ice cream.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup corn flake crumbs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger; mix well. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and mix until well blended.

Place the sliced apples into the prepared baking dish. Add in 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice; toss to coat well. Sprinkle apples with the crumb mixture; press crumb mixture gently into apples.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the apples are tender and the crisp mixture is bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Who wouldn't love having breakfast with a cup of coffee, a toast, and a perfectly rounded shaped sunny side up egg? Eggs are considered very healthy and are prepared and cooked in many ways. And one of these is cooking it "sunny-side up" style; which means the egg is cooked directly on the pan preserving the round yellow yolk with the egg white, looking like the sun in all its shining glory. However, cooking an egg this way requires a lot of practice and attention especially when you want your egg to be perfectly round. But for those people who do not have time to practice and learn this artistic method, a simple utensil will aide you achieve the perfect rounded sunny-side up egg called the egg ring.

The egg ring is a simple utensil made of silicone or Teflon-coated aluminum ring where you will put the egg preserving its perfectly round shape when cooking

Here are the steps in cooking a sunny-side up egg using an egg ring:

1. Preheat the pan in low flame with a little coating of vegetable oil. Be sure not to overheat the pan to avoid charring. In order to tell if the temperature is at its optimum level, sprinkle a drop of water on the pan and see if it immediately sizzles and evaporates. If it does, the pan is hot enough to cook the egg properly.

2. Keep the heat on low level. Break the egg carefully with the one edge of a spoon/fork and place it right inside the egg ring.

3. Let it sit for around 3-5 minutes in low flame or heat or until you achieve the desired consistency of the yolk. Use a pan cover in order to circulate the heat inside the pan to ensure the top part of the egg is cooked.

4. If you want the yellow part of the egg to be "nicely done," cook the egg for around 3-5 minutes then flip the egg carefully to cook the other side for around a minute or two.

5. Remove the pan from the heat source, then remove the egg ring using its handle and serve your hot perfectly round sunny-side up egg together with a toast and a hot cup of coffee and enjoy a healthy breakfast.

Tips:

1. Always keep the flame on low setting in order to avoid over-cooking or charring the egg.

2. Use a wide non-stick Teflon-coated frying pan and spatula in order to flip the egg easily without deforming the egg. You could also cook 2-3 eggs simultaneously.

3. You can also use butter for an extra yummy taste

A time like now when the holiday season is just around the corner, we really rush to buy a roasting pan so as to cook something special for our families. Am sure you may be planning to get one soon. Well, you need a few tips so as to get the best quality out there. Stainless steel with porcelain enamel does magic when it comes to roasting, in fact some come with serving trays.

Their prices will normally vary from one manufacturer to another and so is the quality of the design. They're mostly used in roasting meat though can also be used to prepare large desserts and special cakes. The overall sizes varies and generally you get to choose the size that suits you. However, for the depth you need at least a pan that is three inches deep so that drippings can accumulate safely.

Advanced roasting pans normally include special covers that traps the flavor inside and definitely the meat is amazing. Though a bit difficult to clean, the non-stick are the best pans. Their special coating does not allow food to stick or scorch. However, they can only be cleaned with plastic sponge made of nylon.

Some time we just pick items off the shelves and buy them. If you want to purchase a good roasting pan, please do not do this. You ought to consider some few things like; do you need it for slow or quick roasting, is the weight of the pan okay with you, do you want a pan with a handle and if you do, how is the handle attached to the pan? Basically take a good look at the pan and ensure it suits you before buying.

If the grill is out of gas or the weather is bad, you can still make delicious hamburgers. If you have made a tasty southern fried chicken recipe in a pan before, you can apply the same technique to your burgers and cook them on the stove. They will be full-flavored and really juicy. When you pan fry burgers, it is best to make them half an inch thinner than if you were grilling them.

Most people will not be able to taste the difference in flavor between grilled patties and pan fried ones and the texture of each is good too. Obviously if you grill them over a charcoal grill, the patties will take on a nice, smoky texture but if you fancy burgers and cooking outdoors is not possible at least you have the option of making them on the stovetop.

The Recipe - Step by Step

The following recipe makes four small hamburgers, which are fine for kids. An adult could probably eat two of these. You can adjust the seasonings if you want to. Maybe you would prefer to leave out the chili powder or perhaps you want to add a dash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor. Some minced onion instead of onion powder is another idea.

Serve these pan fried burgers in buns with ketchup, mayonnaise, or mustard. A slice of tomato and some lettuce is also good and you can add a couple of pickles too if you want to and maybe a slice of cheese. The following recipe can also be used to make burgers for grilling outdoors but if you are going to grill them, make them a bit thicker.

You might prefer to finish off the burgers in the oven, in which case you should sear the patties for a minute or two on each side, then put them on a wire rack over a baking pan and bake them at 350 degrees F for about thirty five minutes or until the internal temperature is between 140 and 160 degrees F

What you will need:

1 lb ground sirloin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

How to make them:

Put the meat in a bowl. Combine the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper, and chili powder and sprinkle this mixture over the beef. Combine everything well. Divide the mixture into four balls and flatten each one into a thin patty. Heat the oil over a moderate heat, and then add the patties.

Cook each side for about four minutes, using a big, wide spatula to flip them over. Use a plastic or silicon spatula instead of a metal one, to protect the surface of your pan. Check the internal temperature of the burgers to see if they are done. An internal temperature of 140 degrees F is medium rare and 160 degrees F is medium well.

We all know that fried food is not particularly good for us, but that doesn't stop us craving the occasional crispy, crunchy golden brown something or other. Because frying means food comes into contact with hot fat all the flavour and nutrients are sealed in which makes it tasty. In moderation it isn't the worst thing in the world, especially if you follow a few simple healthy eating guidelines to make sure that it doesn't carry too much fat into your system.

First of all you should choose the oil you are going to use with care. Hard fats such as lard, margarine and butter are not good as they are high in saturated fats, as are many blended vegetable oils which contain coconut or palm oil. For best results it is advisable to use pure vegetable oils - sunflower, corn and safflower are good. Olive oil is a beneficial and nutritious oil but does not survive high temperatures so it is not good to use for very hot frying. Smoking temperature is important when frying, if the oil has a slight blue smoke or haze rising from it then it is too hot and will begin to break down which makes it indigestible. Sunflower and Corn Oil have the highest smoking temperature, and are probably the best to use unless you have a particular reason to use anything else.

There are a number of ways in which you can fry food. Deep frying means the food is completely immersed in the hot oil and is probably the least healthy method especially if too much food is placed in the fryer at once. This cools the temperature and causes the food to absorb oil rather than seal. If you must deep fry then be sure to drain the food on kitchen paper, turning it a few times to drain off as much oil as possible.

Shallow frying quickly seals the surface of the food and. As it is generally small items that are shallow fried, very little more cooking is required. If you do need to cook it more than turn the heat down once everything is sealed and allow to cook more gently. A healthier method of shallow frying is to dry fry. Using a good quality non-stick pan, heat it to a high temperature and drop the food in. It will then seal quickly and cook in any fat that it releases itself. This is particularly good for browning minced or ground meats, bacon and sausages. Again you should always drain everything on kitchen paper before serving. Shallow and dry frying are often used to brown off whole pieces of meat before putting them into a casserole or other type of dish and it can be very successful in removing any fat from the meats.

Stir frying is not really frying at all. It is generally used for vegetables and meat which have been finely chopped to allow for quick cooking. A tiny amount of oil is used, personally I put a little oil on a piece of kitchen paper and just wipe the inside of the Wok or pan that I am going to use. Once the pan is really hot I drop the food in, turn it quickly to seal and then add the cooking liquid I am using. It might be a well flavoured stock, a little Soy or Fish Sauce or even just water. The food then steams as the liquid flashes off. This is one of my favourite methods of cooking as it seals in all the nutritional elements, you can add all sorts of flavours and it cooks quickly as well as being very tasty.

Whilst frying is not really in accordance with healthy eating guidelines we have to accept the realities of life - we like fried food. Given that if you use some of the methods outlined and don't indulge too often, the occasional 'fry up' won't do too much damage.

According to the statistics, there are more Chinese restaurants in the country than any other type of ethnic restaurant combined. This is an astonishing fact, when you think about all the pizza joints and Mexican restaurants that are around, but if you think about it for a couple of minutes, you can probably name at least a handful of Chinese restaurants in your area right off the top of your head. Everyone loves to eat exotic dishes of fried rice, Szechuan Beef, and sweet and sour pork from their local favorite, but doing so can be detrimental to your health. By learning a few basic tips, you can learn to cook low calorie Chinese recipes in your own home.

First, let's look at why eating at or getting takeout from your favorite eating spot is not a healthy option for you in most cases. One of the things that you will notice when eating at most Asian restaurants is that the food is extremely oily. This is because deep frying plays a central role in the preparation of many dishes. Have you ever wondered why the meat at your favorite Asian eating spot is always more tender and succulent than when you try to recreate dishes at home? It's because these establishments use a technique called oil blanching. Oil blanching is a process in which the meat of your choice (chicken, beef, seafood, etc.) is marinated in a mixture of seasonings and cornstarch and then deep fried at a low temperature. What happens during this process is that the hot oil seals in the juices into the meat and also causes the cornstarch on the surface of the meat to gelatinize, leaving the cook with a piece of juicy, tender meat. While this cooking technique yields flavorful meat, it also renders inherently low calorie foods into fatty bombs. Oil contains approximately 120 calories per tablespoon and when you deep fry, particularly at the low temperatures needed for oil blanching, the food that you are frying tends to absorb a copious amount, causing you to ingest hundreds of unnecessary calories.

In addition to oil blanching, a lot of dishes depend on traditional deep frying to get the desired textures and results that the cook wants. For example, common dishes like sweet and sour pork or Szechuan beef are often laden with oil from the deep fat fryer. Even dishes like fried rice and stir fried vegetables can become greasy, fattening dishes in the hands of an unskilled chef.

Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use at home in order to slash the calories from your favorite Asian dishes. Not only will you help your waistline, but you will also help your bottom line since cooking at home is much more economical than getting takeout. If you want to have succulent and tender meat like you would get from the oil blanching technique, you can duplicate the results by using a water blanching technique, a process which is very similar to blanching vegetables. First, you will need to marinate your meats in a mixture of egg whites, salt, and cornstarch. Then, bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the meat into the pot and cook for about thirty seconds, or just until the raw color of the meat has disappeared. After that, remove the meat from the pot and allow it to drain well. From there, you can proceed with your favorite Chinese stir fry recipe.

Another tip that you can use is to cook with non-stick cookware. A non-stick surface will allow you to cook Chinese dishes at home without having to use a lot of oil to prevent sticking. Instead of using tablespoons of vegetable oil to lubricate your pan, which will add hundreds of calories to your Chinese food, you can use a couple of sprays of cooking spray, which is less than 15.

Finally, substitute some of the meat in your dish with vegetables to create a low calorie Chinese recipe. By weight, meat contains far more calories, fat, and cholesterol than vegetables, so by substituting some of the protein with additional vegetables, you can help to slash your caloric intake. Think of using vegetables as the centerpiece of your Chinese dish and the meat as one of your seasoning elements.

By knowing a couple of easy tricks, you can cook low calorie Chinese recipes in the comfort of your own home. Since you control the quality of the ingredients and the cooking techniques, your final dish will be much healthier and cheaper than anything you can order at your favorite Asian eatery.

Deep-frying means cooking food in hot oil. Unlike with sauteing or pan-frying, the food is totally submerged in the oil when you deep-fry. This cooking method can be traced back to exotic European and Asian roots, when the fat was rendered from meat and used to cook foods faster than with roasting or stewing. There is a lot of cholesterol in animal fats, so a lot of people prefer to cook with vegetable fats like canola oil.

Oil Smoke Points

When deep-frying, the oil you choose affects the quality and flavor of the finished dish, so it is important to know about the best oil for deep-frying. Peanut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and safflower oil are good examples of oils for deep-frying because they have high smoke points. This means they will not break down at high temperatures. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil starts to decompose and give off smoky fumes.

Each time you fry, you lower the smoke point of the oil. If the smoke point of your oil is about 375 degrees F (the normal deep frying temperature), the smoke point will drop a few degrees after the first use.

This makes it useless, so you should choose an oil with a smoke point of 400 degrees F or more, like safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, canola, peanut or sesame oil.

There are a few things that will decrease the smoke point of your oil, including the temperature you heat it to, the presence of salt, if the products you are frying contain vegetable oils, the amount of time the oil is heated for, how many times it is used, and the storage conditions of the oil.

Remember that when most oils reach 600 degrees F, that is the flash point, or when it is in danger of catching fire. If this should happen, smother the flames with a sheet of aluminum foil or a tight lid. Never use water on an oil fire because it will make the oil spatter.

Recipe for Deep Fried Battered Shrimp

This recipe is very simple and makes enough battered shrimp to serve six people. There are lots of different foods you can deep fry. One of the most popular is chicken and there are literally hundreds of deep fried chicken recipes you can choose from.

What you will need:

1 1/2 lbs raw, de-veined, and peeled shrimp 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup cooking oil 3/4 teaspoons seasoned salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 beaten egg Oil for deep frying How to make them:

If you are using frozen shrimp, thaw them. Combine the egg and cooking oil, beating the mixture well. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed together.

Preheat the deep frying oil to 350 degrees F. Dip each shrimp in the batter, then drop them in the deep frying oil and fry for thirty to sixty seconds, or until the batter is golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. Serve hot with a dip.

Who hasn't eaten this at least once in their lifetime? If you said, "I haven't" then you are missing out on some good eats my friend!

This is another thing I ALWAYS eat when I go to an Asian buffet. And boy oh boy is it good! Juicy tender chicken in a thick, savory, sweet, and not so spicy sauce - it's the quintessence of American Asian buffet food!

General Tso's Chicken

1½ cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
1½ tsp minced garlic
1½ tsp minced ginger root
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup soy sauce
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup cooking wine
1½ cup hot chicken broth
3 lbs deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups sliced scallions
16 small dried hot peppers

Mix ½ cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, and chicken broth. Stir until sugar dissolves.

In a separate bowl, mix chicken, remaining soy sauce, and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add remaining cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Add 1 cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Place a small amount of oil in wok (or sauté pan) and heat until wok/pan is hot. Add scallions and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir the cornstarch, water, garlic, ginger mixture and add to wok/pan. Place chicken in the sauce and cook until sauce thickens. Serve this alongside a heaping bowl of hot fluffy rice and enjoy!

They are part of life in all cultures around the world and have been passed from generations to generations. They're mostly made of cast iron, tinned copper and aluminum. Just like in the old days, frying pans are used today in cooking basic dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Am sure just like me, you're all aware of unhealthy properties of food prepared in this manner but they're incredibly delicious and irresistible.

In mid 50s Teflon was discovered and all through, it has been used in coating frying pans so as to prevent food from sticking. This has done a major deal in ensuring that food does not loose its taste, looks and aroma due to sticking to cooking surface.

Non-stick pans are amazingly comfortable in cooking with but on the other hand, any cook has to avoid using metal spatulas or cutlery in direct contact with the frying surface so as to avoid scratching or the coat getting marred. Efforts to counter this problem was introduction of electrical frying pans in the market. However, their limitations hindered their success. Actually most people prefer the ordinary pans.

As much as they're responsible for the delicious dishes in most of our kitchens, they are still considered to make unhealthy food ever. It's a fact that even if fat is burned whether from vegetables or not, it's still extremely dangerous for our health. In fact, it should be avoided as much as possible. Nevertheless, this pans can be used for searing and other types of cooking.

Gioacchino Rossini "I know of no better occupation than eating, eating well that is. Appetite is to the stomach what love is to the heart. Our stomach is the conductor to the grand orchestra of our passions".

This quote of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) helps us understand the devotion of the Italian master to food.

His biographers write that already as a boy, one of his joys was to be an altar boy so that he could drink the sacramental wine left over from mass! Before becoming famous, and consequentially rich, he is said to have been always short on money because he could not resist the temptation of a good restaurant or bottle of fine wine.

In the span of time between his first opera "Demetrio e Polibio", which he wrote at 14, and his last "Guillaume Tell", written at 37, Rossini claimed to have "known all of the most famous chefs on the continent." He spent the last 40 years of his life largely in Paris, enjoying the company of his friends and the comforts of good food.

Antonin Carême, the most famous chef of the century, held that no one on earth understood his cuisine better than Rossini. A close friendship between the two "maestri" arose. Many dishes were dedicated to Rossini by Carême and the chefs of the numerous fashionable restaurants where there was always a table reserved for Rossini and his friends. Upon entering a restaurant, it was Rossini's habit to greet and shake hands with first the maitre and the sommelier and then all of the waiters. Before sitting down, he visiting the kitchen to greet the chef and see what was cooking. There are two stories about the tournedos Rossini. One holds that it was the chef Casimir Moisson from the Maison Doree restaurant to have dedicated it to him. The second instead holds that while at the café des Anglais in Paris, Rossini insisted upon going into the kitchen to see the chef while cooking. Since he kept on interfering with the chef's work, the poor chef dared voice his objection to the constant interruption and so the maestro responded "et alors, tournez le dos!" (So then, turn your back!).

Serves 4

4 slices white bread, without crusts and trimmed to the size of the tournedos

150g butter

4 slices of fois gras

4 120g tournedos fillets

2 spoons of olive-oil

salt and pepper

12 slices of black truffle

The sauce:

3 spoons of Madeira

1 lean spoon of Maizena

200ml of chicken broth or surrogate

salt and pepper

Cut the slices of bread in such a way so that they have more or less the diameter of the fillets, fry them in 50g of butter on both sides and keep them warm.

In a non-stick pan, pan-fry the fois gras in another 50g of butter on both sides over a low flame. These warm as well. In the same pan add 2 spoons of olive oil and the remaining butter, cook the 4 fillets over a high flame, 2 minutes on each side, so that they become medium-rare. Add salt and pepper and set the fillets on the bread slices. Pan-fry the truffles in the leftover juices from the fillets and then set both the fois gras and the truffles on the fillets. Always in the same pan, dissolve what is left at the bottom of the pan with 2 spoons of Madeira, then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Thicken the sauce by adding the Maizena and the remaining Madeira. Top it off with a pinch of salt. Mix the sauce well, pass it through a strainer and then pour it onto the fillets.

Cooking utensils are the basic things needed in a kitchen. Some of cooking utensils needed are as follows:
o Pans
o Pots
o Spoons
o Ladles
o Spatulas
o Spoons
o Bowls
o Plates
o Stove

Other utensils necessary inside the kitchen would include a food processor. It is used for chopping, slicing, grinding and mincing. Another would be a so-called "state-of-the-art microwave" which can cook, heat, bake and grill food. Then, there are the blenders and misers that can make up interesting concoctions; plus, of course, a fridge.

It is really important to choose cookware with utmost care. You can go for pans that are non-stick. Aside from being the latest kitchen innovation, it can help you cook foods without further hassle.

Other utensils are as follows:
o Stainless steel ladles
o Wooden spatulas
o Ceramic and colorful tableware
o Elegantly styles tea cups
o Bright coffee mugs

In India, cooking utensils were considered sophisticated many years ago. Even so, the foods prepared from these traditional kitchens were aromatic, flavorful and delicious. These traditional kitchens even have very distinct yet simple kitchenware.

Hence, a lot of these traditional utensils are still a part of Indian kitchens. This would include the following:
o Kadhai or the wok - The round one is used for stir-frying, sautéing and for cooking curries that has lots of gravy.
o Degchi - An essential Indian utensil that is deep, broad-rimmed, and round pan used for cooking lentils or Daals, rice pudding or Kheer, and other delicacies tha has a liquidized base.
o Haandi - A type of vessel that has a round bottom having a broad rimmed opening used for cooking pilafas as well as meats that are under pressure or Dum Phukt. Due to this, the Haandi's mouth is being covered w/ a plate; plus, the edges are actually sealed with a thick and single layer of dough.
o Ghara and Kalash - These are vessels that are broad and round bottomed. These are used for storing grains and water.
o Lota - This is a miniature version of the Kalash. It is used as a tumbler when you drink water as well as wash your hands.
o Karchi - This is type of ladle that has a long handle. It is also used for actually "doling out" curries, lentils and gravies.
o Palta or the Khunti - This is a teal type of spatula that has either a triangular or square headpiece as well as a long handle. It is very convenient for turning fish meat and vegetables, as well as for stir frying in an open pan.
o Bonti - This is crescent shaped, sharp edged blade that is being screwed onto a rectangular and solid piece of wood. This is common not only along the coastal areas but also in the eastern parts of India as well. It can be used for chopping, peeling, slicing vegetables, deveining prawns and making fillets.
o Thalis - These are large platters that go hand in hand with bowls or "Katoris", particularly used in serving food. In Indian culture, the bowls and plates of the rich are made out of silver, while it is either clay or brass for the commoners. There are also those who use the Banana plant's leaves or the Saal trees'. These serve as disposable, hygienic and bio-degradable plates. It is still being used during community meals.

Other cooking utensils in India are either made from:
1. Metals
o Iron
o Alloys (Brass and Bronze)

2. Earthenware

One of the most delicate meats ever are the scallops. They are beautiful and have a great flavor.

There is nothing better in how to cook sushi. The shortest cooking times are required by the scallops. Even more, if you overcook them it's bad. Overcooking the scallops results in loss of flavor Also the meat will get tough. And your dish won't taste as good as it's supposed to.

The portions depend on how to cook scallops. If you will use this method then it's basically the same as in how to cook sushi. The delicious way. About 5 scallops per person should suffice.

The first thing you will need is a pan. As we are about to fry these scallops. It's very easy. So just prepare the pan. Washed really well. Os it doesn't copy the tastes from previous foods. The scallops should be well dried I some kitchen paper. This is a very important step. Salt and pepper are highly important. After you have dried the scallops really well season with salt and black pepper.

Coat the pan with fine fresh vegetable oil. And leave it on fire until the oil gets really hot. The hotter the oil, the better the scallops afterwards. If the oil is hot they will get coked in the oil, and not in their own juices. This is very important when learning how to cook scallops or how to cook sushi.

Once this step is complete and the oil is hot enough just place the scallops in the pan. Finish everything by adding butter over the scallops. Let the butter turn brown. And then remove all the scallops from the pan. There is nothing tastier than the scallops fried in hot oil with nice butter.

You are ready to serve the scallops you just learned how to cook.

My wife and I tend to get disappointed when we dine out anymore. Other than a choice few restaurants we dine in the vast majority of the time. We do this a lot because I know I can make it better and healthier at home in my own kitchen. Having managed Italian restaurants in the past, I have come to enjoy simple Italian cooking and have come up with what my wife, family, and friends consider to be the best eggplant Parmesan recipe ever! Couple this recipe with a simple roasted red pepper sauce and a simple pasta side dish and I guarantee a meal better than most of the Italian restaurants in town!

Parmesan Ingredients
1 -- Eggplant. You are looking for the best cylindrical shape you can here.
2 -- Large Eggs
1 and half -- Cups Italian Bread Crumbs
1- Cup all purpose flour
18 -- Slices Mozzarella Cheese (the fresher the better)
2 -- Tablespoons water
1/2 -- Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 -- Cup Parmesan Cheese

Sauce Ingredients
1 -- Red Bell Pepper
1 -- 16oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1/4 -- Cup Chopped, Fresh Basil
2 -- Teaspoons Dried Oregano

Putting it All Together
Halve and deseed the red bell pepper. Brush the surface of both halves lightly with olive oil. Place under a broiler until the skin starts to char (do not blacken!) and bubble.

Roughly chop the pepper and place in a blender with the diced tomatoes, half of the basil, and the oregano. Blend until well mixed and then place in a sauce pan, covered under low heat.

Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan until hot enough to pop a small drop of water (safely). Preheat oven to 425. Wash and slice the eggplant into quarter inch or thinner rounds. Vigorously mix the eggs with the water to make a "wash". Put flour and bread crumbs into separate, "dredgeable" pans (I use pie pans).

Dredge the eggplant first through the flour, egg wash, and the bread crumbs (follow this order). Fry the eggplant in the hot olive oil and set aside on paper towels when lightly browned.

In a baking dish put a light coat of the sauce you were heating on the bottom. Stack the eggplant and the Parmesan alternately (Should be about 3-4 rounds high with eggplant on top). Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bubbly.

Serve lightly covered with sauce and garnished with Parmesan and basil. You should be able to yield 6 servings and have some eggplant left over that you can slice thinly, fry, and toss with freshly grated Parmesan as an appetizer later.