Culinary Recipe Cooking Articles >>Aga Cookers
by John Crook
The Aga cooker has emerged as an icon of the UK with its solid performance and cast-iron reputation built over 70 glorious years. It is the undisputed queen of British kitchens that has conquered many a heart across the Atlantic as well.
An invention of a Nobel-winning physicist, the Aga is unique because it cooks with radiant heat, locking in the natural juices and tastes of the meals in its cavernous belly. In every home with an Aga cooker, the kitchen invariably becomes the heart of the house as the family is drawn to the toasty warmth it radiates.
The Aga range cooker was the brainchild of Sweden's Nils Gustaf Dalen, who won the Nobel Prize in 1912 for automating lighthouses. When an industrial accident blinded Dalen, the genius spent a lot of time at home and became convinced that his wife's conventional cooker was inefficient. His decade-long efforts at improving it gave birth to the Aga, whose first model was patented in 1922. Named after Dalen's firm Akteibolaget Gas Accumulator, the Aga relocated to the UK in 1928.
Powered by a single burner, most Agas run on either propane or natural gas. Some models also come with electric ovens. Because they are always on, Aga cookers save you the bother of preheating the oven before cooking. And you could put a dish in before rushing off to work in the morning and find it warm and ready -- never burnt -- when you return home. When entertaining, you could cook a fancy many-course meal simultaneously.
The flagship of the Aga cooker family, the four-oven Aga, has separate ovens for baking, roasting, simmering and warming. The four ovens maintain different temperatures for their disparate tasks. The four-oven Aga cooker also comes with a hotplate, a warming plate and an optional gas cook-top. Made of cast iron coated with vitreous enamels, this legendary cooker is available in 14 colours ranging from the conservative black or white to the exciting claret or aubergine. And it boasts a life of 100 years!
Aga cookers, which also sell widely in the US and Canada, have become a way of life, even a legacy handed down generations. Among proud celebrity owners of this wonder cooker are the Prince of Wales, Hollywood stars Sharon Stone and Ben Kingsley, singers Paul McCartney, George Michael and Billy Joel as well as the American goddess of good living, Martha Stewart.
Bring home an Aga cooker and gain an ally for a lifetime. Visit www.rangeaway.co.uk for information if you want to buy or sell an Aga.
http://www.rangeaway.co.uk
Holiday Entertaining 101
by News Canada
(NC)—The holiday season is the time of year filled with entertaining, parties and social gatherings. Whether planning a small, intimate gathering or a large family affair, it is often the host's attention to detail that impresses guests the most. Creating a festive atmosphere, planning ahead and preparing delicious dishes will ensure guests have a memorable experience. This holiday season, follow these simple tips, guaranteed to delight visitors and simplify holiday entertaining.
Create Atmosphere
• Limit the size of the gathering, consider several intimate parties rather than a large open house
• Add distinctive touches that guests will remember. Creative centre pieces, colourful drinks, special serving dishes and bright napkins will al 
Holiday Entertaining 101
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Twisted Sisters
by Nathan Tyree
I tried not to lean against anything. Leaning, I Feared, would give the wrong impression. It could seem too casual. Sitting was also not an option. I also did my level best not to make eye contact. This was harder than it sounds. When you are surrounded by people with dentition that resembles broken picket fences and forearms adorned with jail house style tattoos (some apparently made by carving shapes into the skin then pouring India ink into the wound) it’s very difficult to look anywhere other than their eyes. Fear causes this.
The name of the bar was “Twisted Sisters.” I’m serious. I wouldn’t lie about something this deep. The place was run by two little old ladies with deeply wrinkled faces and Tom Waits voices. When they handed you a mug Twisted Sisters
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Finding the Best Recipes
by Keith Kingston
Trying to find a dynamite recipe to wow guests or cook up a special supper for your special someone? Finding the best recipes is simple. First, perform a careful analysis of the situation for which you are cooking to narrow down the search. Cookbooks are very specific, so whether you are a hometown soup cook, a college student, or a soon-to-be fine cuisine artist, there is a cookbook for you. Find your niche, and get cooking!
Weight loss cookbooks are currently all the rage among dieters. There is a cookbook for every new fad diet around, be it South Beach, Atkins, or Weight Watchers. These cookbooks contain ideas for recipes that help you forget you are on a diet. Magazines like Cosmopolitan and Shape also contain delectable, yet guilt-free Finding the Best Recipes
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