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Most Recent Articles
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- Open A Beer And Enjoy
Have you ever thought how many of our senses cooperate when we decide to consume a cooling bottle of beer? Well, just consider that we touch the cold bottle from the fridge or over the bar counter, we listen to the carbon dioxide that is released while the beer's foam develops, we see the amber color of the beer poured into our glass, we smell the aromatic substances that come from the snatch block and of course we taste the distinct bitter beer taste that is associated with the contained acids and wooden taste of tannins.
Enjoying a beer over a hot summer day watching our favorite sports game and cooking barbeque is one of the traditions Americans have become famous worldwide for. Blond or dark, beer is drunk cool or hot, depending on the liking, the traditions and a country's culture. Beer fanatics know well that the secret in drinking and enjoying the genuine beer taste at its best is to consume it fresh; that way the beer's aromatic substances are not yet destroyed and its carbon dioxide has not yet escaped. - Sugar Substitutes - What You Need To Know
A sugar substitute, or artificial sweetener, is a food additive which duplicates the effect of sugar or corn syrup in taste, but offers less food energy (calories). The latest dietary habits have introduced certain sweet, non-caloric substances, whose use has spread in the last few years. These sugar substitutes are considered as ideal by many people in order to control diverse metabolic disorders originated or aggravated by the ingestion of sugar, such as diabetes, obesity and arteriosclerosis. Moreover, the advantages of these substances are enormous, since they can replace sugar and quick re-absorption polysaccharides, making food more tempting without the extra calories of sugar.
The reason why the food and beverage industry is increasingly replacing sugar, or corn syrup, with artificial sweeteners in a range of products traditionally containing sugar, is actually rather simple. Although the profit margins on artificial sweeteners are extremely low for manufacturers, they still cost the food industry just a fraction of the cost of sugar and corn syrup-which once was introduced by the industry as a low-cost alternative to sugar. In the UK, for example, it is now almost impossible to find any non-cola soft drinks in supermarkets which are not sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and a variety of side foods, like ketchups, mustards and mayonnaise are artificially sweetened. - The Historic Roots Of Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked flat usually circular bread, covered with tomato sauce and cheese with optional toppings. All the basic ingredients of a healthy nutritional plan are used in this world-famous culinary product. From dining out to ordering in, pizza has evolved to one of the most loved food categories in the U.S. and around the globe.
The roots of modern pizza come from the ancient Greek colony of Naples in Magna Graecia, which is the part of southern Italy. As early as the 3rd century BC, Marcus Porcius Cato, the first historian of Rome, mentions that people in that area used to eat a flat round dough dressed with olive oil, herbs, cheese and honey. Even in the city of Pompeii, archaeologists have excavated shops that resemble modern pizzerias. Since the tomato was not yet known in Europe, the ingredients of the ancient pizza were somewhat different, but the concept remained the same. During the 16th century, when tomato was transferred from the Americas to Europe, the poor area around Naples begun adding this plant to their yeast-based flat bread covering it with mozzarella cheese. Soon, pizza gained tremendous popularity among the Italian people and in 1897 the first pizza was produced for the U.S. public by Antonio Totonno Pero who worked as an employee at Gennaro Lombardi's small grocery store in New York City's Little Italy. - Garlic Fights More Than Vampires
Closely related to onion, shallot, and leek, garlic has been known for more than 5,000 years for its special smell, taste and healing powers. Throughout all of recorded history, people have been using garlic for a variety of purposes; either culinary or medical. It come as a surprise to some, but apart from its legendary powers to "scare vampires away," garlic has been considered for centuries a natural health improver that originates from a simple perennial plant.
Due to its numerous components, garlic has been found to lower blood pressure and thus reduce the incidents of strokes, prevent hypertension, improve the human immune system, prevent heart disease -by enhancing the elastic properties of aorta in the elderly-increase the body's strength and energy levels, lower cholesterol levels and fight cancer-due to its high diallyl sulphide concentration. In short, garlic is one of the best natural healing herbs and culinary ingredients currently available. - Pairing Cheese And Wine
After taking my degree from the wine classes I have been following for a whole semester I do not consider myself to be an expert in wine consumption, but an amateur who likes to taste the unexpected. Our professor, a 35-years wine producer, was an extremely knowledgeable individual who managed to introduce a class of fourteen people to the proper wine drinking and the differences one should be aware of when tasting a new bottle of wine and tasting cheese. From the very first lesson, he served as wine and cheeses so as to familiarize us with the pairing of two ingredients that go so well together. In fact, as he supported, any season is appropriate for a cheese and wine party, particularly at this time of year where the need for a fast yet festive food and wine pairing is in order. But I was wondering which type of cheese should I serve with which wine?
If you have had the painful experience of attending the pairings of the uninformed and well intended, you know that boxed wine does not lend itself to a satisfying experience, even with those American cheese slices. In the chemical additive competition, it would be hard to determine, in fact, which one of these produced that post-party headache. But wine and cheese go together for more reasons than meet the eye. First of all, both are products of fermentation-wine is fermented grape juice and cheese is made from fermented milk. Second, both can express "terroir," or the taste of the place from which they come-wine expresses the roots of grapevines, while cheese the milk of animals. If one adds their shared ease of preparation, wine and cheese indeed go hand in hand -one hand holding the wine glass and the other the piece of cheese to accompany it. - Help The Planet While You Eat
Eating healthy and at the same time contributing in sustainable development, is not a notion that cannot be succeeded with today's vast choices of food consumption. Actually, the people's need to grab something to eat, enjoy every bite and at the same time help the planet, has evolved over the last decade into a multimillion dollar business, as U.S. grocery chains, like that of Whole Food Markets, are offering organically cultivated and fresh products at considerably lower cost than before.
"Green" convenience foods, which promote themselves as environmentally friendly, are now well-priced and their assortment of fresh or canned products are extremely tasty. Ready to cook pizzas, pesto sauce in glass containers, a variety of handmade pasta and chili, and apple pies are just an example of the choices a consumer has to taste the unexpected thrill of being environmentally conscious and stay within the household grocery budget. These kinds of stores have introduced another type of culinary experience and some carry their own brands that are well-prepared and approved by the FDA. Meals created with the use of organic ingredients that come in recycled packaging, offer to customers the opportunity of spending their income on foods that not only are healthier and tastier, but also environmentally friendly. - The 10 Fullest Foods
Let's begin by stating that there are no "good" or "bad" foods. No food exist that can make you thinner or fatter because you simply decided to try it. But what is true is that there are certain types of foods that have to be consumed in larger quantities due to their low concentration of fat and because they are rich of nutritional substances, in comparison to those that contain higher percentage of fats and low percentage of nutritional substances.
The foods included in the following list were selected based on their nutrition levels and the amount of vitamins and minerals they contain. - Some Facts On Bread
During a recent trip to San Francisco I came across the most famous sourdough bread made in the U.S.; the San Francisco Sourdough. This bread has remained in production for nearly 150 years and combined with an amazing soup that is placed inside the bread, it constitutes today one of the most popular dishes of the West U.S. Coast.
In general, bread has been around for centuries. Experts believe that its origins started nearly 12,000 years ago. As one of the oldest prepared foods, bread is dating back to the Neolithic era. The first breads produced were probably cooked versions of a grain-paste, made from ground cereal grains and water and shaped into loaves that were laid on heated stones or baked by covering with hot ash. Descendants of these early breads are still commonly made from various grains worldwide, with the Mexican tortilla, Indian chapati, Chinese poa ping, Scots oatcake, North American johnnycake, and Ethiopian injera all being examples. However, the earliest documentation traces bread to the Middle East, where Egyptians cultivated grains. They baked flat breads, which are still eaten today, for many centuries until the discovery of fermentation at least three thousand years ago. - Southern Us Cuisine
If you've never tasted Southern food , then you don't know what you're missing. But truth be told, chances are you already have enjoyed Southern food but just didn't know it.
There's a distinct cuisine in the Southern United States that is best represented by Soul food, Creole, Cajun, Tex-Mex and Floribbean. Naturally, this food was heavily influenced by the cuisine of many groups that have inhabited the area throughout history, including African-American, Native American, British, Irish, French and Spanish cuisine. - Food Is Innocent
Any organism needs to be fed in order to grow and survive. Just like any animal, humans need food in order to receive the necessary energy with which they will grow and continue to function properly. But food has lately been blamed as the cause of obesity, and has been accused to be linked to a number of diseases and eating abnormalities. Fortunately for human beings, these accusations are far away from the truth. In fact, what mistakenly people consider to be the enemy is not. Food is not to be blamed because none of the food substances have a negative outcome if people do not oversize their food portions or eat without any control. Thus it is important to understand what food is and what can we do to balance our eating habits, without loosing in taste or variety.
Food is any substance, usually comprised primarily of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that are consumed by all animals-including humans-for nutrition or pleasure. It is also widely known that almost all foods come from plants or animals-except water, salt, baking soda, fungi, and processes foods-and humans as omnivorous animals are able to consume everything. After developing agriculture and becoming hunters, humans managed to add to their dietary habits different tastes that came from mixing and matching a variety of ingredients to improve the final culinary result. But recently, the once healthy portions of food people used to eat have dramatically increased and due to lack of time and focus people are now battling with their dietary habits against diseases and various types of illnesses. - Do Aphrodisiac Foods Exist
Many of us have heard that sea-food excite the human senses or that walnuts and honey are the best aphrodisiac. But do certain types of food affect the human erotic impulse? Can specific food categories be the cause of the increase or decrease of male or female libido? Is there any scientific evidence that suggests some types of foods can help the sex life of today's individuals, or all these are just a legend that goes back to the ancient times? Although a balanced diet is considered today to be the best aphrodisiac, this article can help you spice up your life and answer some of your questions on the subject of aphrodisiac food materials.
- What is the role our brain plays? - Food On Tv
For some time now I have been watching an Emmy-winning television personality and author who hosts at least four different programs on U.S. cable television's Food Network. Rachael Domenica Ray, has become one of my favorite culinary experts as her energetic personality and her smile have been enough to keep me in front of the TV screen to watch her teach simple recipes that she claims can be prepared in thirty minutes or less.
Being an amateur cook myself, I was pleased to discover that she shared the same view that I have in relation to food measuring. As she emphasized, "it takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking." Her "eyeball it" expression has stayed with me every time I am about to experiment with something new and taste my efforts. Even though she has been heavily criticized for her appearance, her voice, her gestures and her energetic manner, I declare to be one of her funs, at least in relation to her recipes. - Choosing The Right Meat
To a person that does not commonly purchase meat, the deli counter can be a very intimidating place to be. There are so many selections to choose from when you are trying to find red meat, and many people don't know where to look when it comes to purchasing good cuts of meat. In this article, we'll discuss some of the common features of steaks to look for when purchasing beef so that you can know how to choose the right cuts for you and your family.
First off, you need to understand the USDA's grading system when it comes to steak. There are three grades of beef sold under the USDA guidelines - Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime is the most expensive cut of beef, and it is usually from younger cows and features extensive marbling. Marbling is an aspect of beef that is important to understand. When small levels of fat permeate through the meat, causing it to have a ‘marbled' appearance like the stone of the same name, the beef is often very tender and consequently highly desired. It can be tough to find Prime USDA beef outside of restaurants, with only specialty butchers usually carrying the meat. The next step down in the quality of beef is Choice. Choice beef is the most commonly found grade in the marketplace, and while it has less marbling than Prime beef, it still tends to be desirable. Select is the lowest grade of beef, featuring limited marbling throughout the beef, usually resulting in tough meat that isn't very juicy. - Make Eating Healthy Foods Fun
Children everywhere in the world have an on-going love affair with junk food such as hamburgers, pizza, candy, soda and salty foods like potato chips and french fries. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a single child who has these same strong feeling for the healthy food that they need such as grains, vegetables, fruits and foods reach in nutrients such as meat, beans, fish and nuts.
Fortunately, there is one tied and tested strategy to make kids eat the kind of healthy food that some of them may not want -- that's by making it fun. - Delicious Cocktails To Please Your Guests
When having a dinner party, a large aspect of its success is determined by the cocktails that you make available. You can really turn your party into a night to remember if you can expose your guests to some delicious drinks that they'll never forget. In this article, we'll relay some cocktail recipes that can surprise and impress your guests.
A commonly-used twist on a classic drink is known as the "Purple Haze". Based off of the Long Island Iced Tea recipe, the drink gets its name from the famous Jimi Hendrix song since it is purple in color. While the drink shares many of the same ingredients as a Long Island, it features a distinct taste that provides a good dose of alcohol while still tasting delicious. To make a Purple Haze, you're going to need the basic liquors that go into a Long Island - tequila, rum, vodka, and gin. In addition, you're going to need the secret ingredient that gives the Purple Haze it's color - Chambord, which is a raspberry-flavored cordial. You'll also need a lemon-lime flavored soda and sweet and sour mix. - Put Pasta Back On The Table
Pasta has existed since the days of the Roman Empire and remains one of the most versatile cooking ingredients, as no storage room or cupboard should be without it. It can be combined with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, or even a simple herb sauce to create a mouthwatering and nutritious meal within minutes.
Most pasta is made from durum wheat flour and contains protein and carbohydrates. It is a good source of slow-release energy and has the additional advantage of being value for money. - Drinking Tea
The second most consumed beverage behind water is tea. Interestingly enough the 3,200,000 tones of tea produced worldwide come from only one plant species, named "camellia sinensis." But how a plant becomes a beverage? Tea is made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush in hot water for a few minutes, a great variety of tea tastes, aromas and colors can excite even the more skeptical drinker. If you do like tea drinking, but simply never had the opportunity to learn more about it beyond the fact that you enjoy it, you should know that there are thousands of kinds of tea offered on today's market. Shades in flavor derive from the region of cultivation and the method of processing the tea leaves. It is the processing techniques that produce the four simple tea categories are considered the art of tea making. In its most basic form, processing is the taking of the raw green leaves and deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation) should take place before drying them out. Oxidation is the reaction of the enzymes contained in tea leaves when they are broken, bruised or crushed.
The first category is that of black tea. Black tea is nothing more than the leaves of the camellia sinensis after being exposed to 8-24 hours of open air. After the leaves are picked up they are spread out to let the water they contain evaporate. You have probably witnessed it happening to a flower that is left without being watered. The foliage curls up and begins to dry. After this part of the process, the tea leaves are balled into rolls that encourage oxidization. When fully oxidized, the leaves turn into a rich black color. Tea producers then put the tea leaves into the final drying period before sorting and packaging them. - The Chocolate Fantasy
Chocolate is produced from the beans of the cacao tree, which originated in South America, and now grows in Africa, the West Indies, the tropical parts of America, and the Far West. Used as the main ingredient in numerous recipes, chocolate constitutes one of the most loved materials known in today's food world. Children and adults both appreciate chocolate's unique aroma, taste, color and texture and prefer it in comparison to other foods.
The cacao beans, from which chocolate is produced, are large pods -once harvested, both the pulp from the pods and the bean are allowed to ferment in the sun. The pulp evaporates and the bean develops its chocolaty flavor. Later, the outer skin is removed and the beans are left in the sun for a little longer or roasted. Finally they are shelled and the kennels are used for making cocoa and chocolate. - Health Food
Does your kid often eat junk food? Chances are, the answer to that one is a resounding yes because, as all parents know, children everywhere in the world absolutely love junk food such as hamburgers, pizza, candy, soda and salty foods like potato chips and french fries. Like most parents, you probably want to wean your child away from junk food (or at least lessen his intake of it) and reinforce his diet with healthy food such as grains, vegetables, fruits and nutrient-rich foods such as meat, beans, fish and nuts.
Here are some tips to help you achieve just that. The basic strategy is to make eating healthy food fun for the kids. You probably can even think of more ways to use this strategy when feeding your child. - The Iron Chef
Do you remember that old television series about cooking called “Iron Chef” which ran from 1993 to 2002? Since over 300 episodes of that show have been aired (and are still actually in syndication today), I’m pretty sure that anyone remotely interested in the culinary arts will remember that show. So, who was your favorite chef on that landmark cooking program? Chances are, you will select Chen Kenichi, better known as Iron Chef Chinese. Kenichi was the only Iron Chef to be on the show from start to finish. In addition, Chen won the Iron Chef competition 67 times and is now widely regarded as one of the great chefs of the world.
Born on January 5, 1956, Chen is actually the son of another great chef, Chen Kenmin, who is known in Japan as the father of Sichuan cuisine.
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