When you soak rice and urad dal for idlis and dosas, wash everything thoroughly before soaking. Later use the soaked water while grinding. If you wash rice and dal after soaking you will lose most of the vitamins. Excess salt in any dish can be brought down by adding diced potatoes, tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar. When you are making vadas, if the batter is watery - you will have the problem of oil splattering when you fry it. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the batter and your problem will be solved. Don't salt meat before you cook it. Always salt meat halfway through cooking. (little less than what is required). Then taste the meat when it is done and then add salt as needed.

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This low-fat, easy and fresh-tasting pudding is perfect for feeding a crowd on a budget 1. Put the sugar, honey, jelly and tea bags into a big saucepan with 600ml water and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the pear halves, then cover and simmer for 12-15 mins until the pears are just tender - poke them with a skewer or the tip of a knife. 2. Lift out the pears, then turn up the heat, throw in the cranberries and boil for a few mins until syrupy. Discard the tea bags. Serve the pears with the warm syrup poured over and a spoonful of crème fraîche or yogurt.

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Homemade bread is simple to make and far better tasting than most store bought varieties. It can also be a more economical approach. Additionally, when you read the labels of most major bread manufacturer’s loaves, it can be a little scary. It seems like the balance is slowly shifting towards a majority of ingredients that suggest heavy processing and preservation. Baking your own bread allows you to take control of exactly what goes into your food. For health conscious consumers, there are high fiber, whole wheat flours sold at health food stores that contain little or no extra additives. However, for those of you simply looking to make fresh loaves of bread, a trip to your local supermarket for prepared dough will be just fine.

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I typically seek out "early" carrots with the bushy green tops still on. The leaves should be fresh and not wilted, and the carrots should have vibrant color. If they feel rubbery, pass on them. I pass on bagged carrots or the big, woody ones - the early carrots often have a much sweeter flavor.

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In a small mixing bowl combine raisins. In a 1 cup measure, micro-cook Irish Cream, uncovered, on HIGH 45 seconds or until warm; pour over raisins. Let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for custard, in a microwave safe 1-1/2 quart casserole, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cream. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 7 to 9 minutes or till bubbly, stirring every 2 minutes until slightly thickened, then after every 30 seconds. Cook, uncovered, for 1 minute more. Gradually stir about half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to casserole. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 30 to 60 seconds more or until edges of mixture are bubbly, stirring once. Stir in vanilla.

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The need for an alternative source of energy was never as important for mankind as it is today. Fossil fuels, which are being used since thousands of years, are about to get exhausted. More importantly, they are contributing to various hazards on the planet, prominent ones being global warming and pollution. In such a scenario, searching for an alternative source of energy, which is a clean, efficient and renewable energy, has become the utmost priority for mankind. One such source of energy is solar energy. Before we move on to how solar energy works, we need to know what is solar energy and whether it's the right alternative source of power.

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We took all the the great flavor of a traditional crunchy Chinese Chicken Salad and loaded it with garden-fresh ingredients. Prep and Cook Time: 45 minutes. Total: 45 minutes Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

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Prepare what you need before you start. It’s how the pros do it and it simplifies the process when you are scrambling to put it all together. When using a broiler to cook steaks, pre-heat oven until it's really hot. This will sear the outside of the meat and keep the juices in. And don’t use a fork to turn the steaks, use thongs or a spatula to prevent juices from leaking out. Buy yourself a potato ricer for mashed potatoes. It a great gadget to have in your kitchen, it looks like a giant garlic press, costs about six bucks, but there’s nothing better for smooth airy mashed potatoes. A folding steamer platform that sits in almost any pot works great for your steamed veggies. Important, be careful not to overcook the broccoli, you want it to be crisp but tender.

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Heating With the Sun's Energy Solar thermal (heat) energy is often used for heating water used in homes and swimming pools and for heating the insides of buildings ("space heating"). Solar space heating systems can be classified as passive or active. Passive space heating is what happens to your car on a hot summer day. The sun's rays heat up the inside of your car. In buildings, the air is circulated past a solar heat surface and through the building by convection (meaning that less dense warm air tends to rise while denser cool air moves downward). No mechanical equipment is needed for passive solar heating. Active heating systems require a collector to absorb and collect solar radiation. Fans or pumps are used to circulate the heated air or heat absorbing fluid. Active systems often include some type of energy storage system.

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Solar thermal power plants use the sun's rays to heat a fluid to very high temperatures. The fluid is then circulated through pipes so it can transfer its heat to water to produce steam. The steam, in turn, is converted into mechanical energy in a turbine and into electricity by a conventional generator coupled to the turbine.

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Photovoltaic Cells Convert Sunlight into Electricity A photovoltaic cell, commonly called a solar cell or PV, is the technology used to convert solar energy directly into electrical power. A photovoltaic cell is a nonmechanical device usually made from silicon alloys.

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Solar energy is by far the Earth's most available energy source. Solar power is capable of providing many times the total current energy demand. But it is an intermittent energy source, meaning that it is not available at all times. However, it can be supplemented by thermal energy storage or another energy source, such as natural gas or hydropower.

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Energy from the Sun The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the sun’s rays (solar radiation) that reach the Earth. This energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. In the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel famously used a solar thermal collector box (a device that absorbs sunlight to collect heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Today, people use the sun's energy for lots of things.

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