How-To Of Herbs And Shrimp

THE trend for those wiser folks in the first years of the XXI century is to stay away from the corporate profit-minded agro-businesses. Those wiser consumers go back to a healthier food by supporting local farmers. They'll cook not only healthier food, but they enjoy much tastier meals when using locally grown and fresh produce.

I'm a French-trained Chef. I will give you such critical advice on two issues that I can tell people are not fully aware of. One has power to give you benefits of superb taste in a meal, and healthy nutrients. The other is meant to retain the nutrients found in shrimp.

healthy cooking always includes herbs

I recommend to dry herbs. They give meals a heavenly taste which is one of the French people secrets. You may find sources of information telling you that there are 3 ways to dry herbs. Ignore ways forcefully accelerating the drying process. It does kill herbs' qualities. The ONLY way to create desirable results ~and to preserve natural quality~ is to do it "naturally."

Follow these steps, and you will not regret it:

Locate dark, warm, dry area ~if possible~ but with reasonably good air circulation. Use a clean window screen to place on top of a layer of bricks or one wooden table. Gently wash leaves, and pat dry. Cut healthy leaves from stems, and lay them on the screen in one layer. Periodically, turn leaves over so that both surfaces of the leaf are exposed to air. In approximately 7 to 12 days, the leaves should be dry. Do NOT cut them up. Store them whole in glass jars. You cut them up in smaller pieces shortly before you use them.

The purpose is to keep the leaves' natural oils and nutrients until ready to go in a meal.

In case of long stems, you also wash them and gently pat them dry. Then, tie together several of them and hung them up in the same area as above. In other words, you do not use the window screen. Just tie several stems together, and hung them up.

What you just read is the easiest and most efficient way to get herbs that will give you what the mastermind behind Mother Nature intended for us to benefit from.

get the most out of shrimp

My first recommendation is to buy the freshest shrimp with the heads and shell still on. Both assure you that your shrimp has never been frozen, or otherwise, the innards of the head turn into a white goop. The head and shell is the part of the shrimp loaded with healthy Collagen. Use both as if you were making broth.

In addition to healthful part of it, that liquid gives flavor and structure to a Shrimp Sauce and heavenly flavor to Shrimp Cocktail as well as when cooking fish. Do as I and French do, and stop throwing away the heads and shells of the shrimp you just cleaned.

All of the above is just one of the easy ways to eat healthier. Trust me.

About Author Chef Tom Stafford

Mr. Tom Stafford is a Chef who received his training in Paris, France. He is also owner of a well-known restaurant in the U.S.A. No further information was supplied.

• fountain of wisdom - wiser cooking •