Food tips and guide

Barbecue is as American as apple pie. It's aroma evokes memories of baseball games, swimming and family vacations. Mouths water when the grill is fired up. Preparing meat for the barbecue is just as important as the cooking itself. Marinating infuses flavor into the meat, ensuring a delicious family meal that will not be easily forgotten.

Marinating is the process of steeping meat in a mixture of an acid (i.e. vinegar, lemon juice, or wine) and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, and herbs.) The acid tenderizes the meat causing it to hold more liquid, making it juicier and more flavorful. Care must be taken when making the marinade, as too much acid will toughen the meat. When marinating poultry, poke holes in the meat with a fork, or use a needle injector. Removing the skin allows the marinade to fully penetrate the meat. (Leaving the skin on compromises the flavor.) Poultry can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days in a marinade. (Meat should always be covered in the refrigerator.) The time for marinating depends on the size of the pieces as well as the kind of meat. Chicken breast takes longer than steak because it is firmer. To reduce the amount of time needed for marinating cut the meat into smaller pieces. You can also pound chicken flat to cut time.

There are a variety of containers appropriate for marinating. Metal, plastic, and glass bowls all work. My favorite containers, however, are plastic bags. When a bag is used a smaller amount of marinade is needed because the air can be squeezed out. The meat is covered completely which allows for the flavors to be infused more quickly and evenly. Plus, the bag can be tossed when the job is done, making clean-up fast and easy.

There are a few safety tips to remember when marinating poultry, meat and seafood. Raw meat and fish contain juices which may harbor harmful bacteria. To avoid contamination never reuse a marinade. Do not reuse containers without carefully washing them with dish soap. Don't marinate meat past the grocer's "use-by" date. And finally, always marinate in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.

Italian Chicken Marinade - Place 2 lbs. sliced chicken in a plastic bag. Add 8 oz. Italian dressing, the juice of 1 fresh lemon, a few turns of fresh pepper, and a little salt. Marinate a few hours in the refrigerator. Remove from the bag and place on a heated grill. During the last few minutes of grill time, lay thin slices of lemon over the chicken. Serve the grilled chicken with a small amount of the unused Italian dressing.

5 c All-purpose flour, divided

2 pk Active dry yeast

1/2 c Sugar

1 ts Salt

1 ts Ground cinnamon

1/4 ts Ground cardamom

1/4 ts Cloves

1/4 ts Nutmeg

1 1/4 c Milk

1/2 c Butter

2 Eggs, beaten

3/4 c Currants or raisins

1/3 c Candied orange peel (opt)

1 Egg yolk mixed with 2 tb Water

1. Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, heat milk and butter to very warm (120 to 130ø). Add to flour.

2. Beat on medium speed of mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs. Beat another minute. Stir in currants, orange peel and enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Place in a buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

4. Punch down dough; turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half; divide each half into 9 pieces. Form each piece into a smooth round ball. Place balls of dough in two buttered 8-inch square baking pans. Cover;let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brush lightly with egg yolk mixture.

5. Bake rolls in preheated 375 degree oven, 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans. Cool on wire rack.. Drizzle frosting across the top of each bun in the shape of a cross. Makes 18 buns. Cream Cheese Frosting: 3 oz Cream cheese, softened 1 c Confectioner's sugar 1 ts Milk Beat cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 teaspoon of milk or just till the frosting is a good consistency for drizzling.

Create a Family Heirloom Cookbook

Almost every family has a treasured recipe, handed down through generations, that is not only beloved because it's delicious, but because it evokes memories of favorite family get-togethers.

A family heirloom recipe book is a wonderful way to combine favorite dishes and family folklore. According to Cheryl Wolf, a performance artist and graphic design instructor at The New England Institute of Art, "Family recipes are a valuable resource for a family history. I have built an entire performance around my family's recipes and the stories they evoke! "Breaking bread" together is life-affirming. What better way to reach back and bring personal history to the present?"

Wolf adds, "A family recipe is also a family history, and can be a wonderful work of folk art." For example, she says, take the opportunity to not only write down family recipes for generations to come, but include famous family stories (every family has them), photos and memorabilia as well.

But how to turn family culinary gems into actual recipes? Chef Peter Adams of the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago has a few tips: "Start with a family letter, asking everyone to send back one or more of their 'specialties' by a particular date. Ask those who can to reply by email so you can cut and paste recipes right into your final document."

If you have a relative who never writes down recipes (it seems like all the best recipes are never written down), but rather cooks by "a dash of this, a little bit of that," consider having someone in your family be the "helper," and prepare the dish along with them. Adams suggests the "helper" measure, guesstimate, and generally keep track of how the dish is prepared, including cooking times and temperatures. The "helper" should also be sure to ask about consistency, color, texture and doneness. According to Adams, "This last bit of information is always the most important part of passing along a recipe." Once you have a written recipe, prepare it again according to the directions, and adjust the recipe as necessary to get as close as possible to the original.

When you're asking for recipes, provide everyone with a similar format. For example, ask family members to list the ingredients to be used in order, together with the quantities. Lay out the steps that are needed in order to make the item, and always add little comments about what to look for as the dish is prepared, and when it is done. It can be a lot of work, especially with recipes that were never written down. But, says Adams, ultimately it's worth it because you'll be saving an important -- and delicious bit of your family's history.

Once you have the recipes, you'll want to create a look for your cookbook that reflects your family. A simple way to do this, says Meryl Epstein of The Art Institute of Phoenix, is to include family mementos or old photos, along with the recipes. A simple way to share one-of-a-kind memorabilia is to take them to a local copy center and make color copies.

"You can use the color copies you make as background, and print a recipe over the photo, or have the recipe on one page, and a photo on the facing page. You can also create a collage using items such as blue ribbons (won for a cooking), tickets stubs or airplane tickets from a favorite trip that produced a great recipe," says Epstein.

For text, use simple fonts like Times Roman or Arial so that they are easy to read for all ages. Save decorative fonts for recipe titles or chapter headings. Consider creating a box -- with shading and borders -- for the recipe itself so that there is enough contrast between the recipe and any background artwork you use.

Epstein suggests writing an introduction about the cookbook, its organization and how family responded to the project. Be sure to date the book and have a table of contents so family and friends can easily find a favorite recipe. Here are a few of her suggestions for organizing recipes:

* by category, for example, appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts

* by family, for example, grandmother, aunt and uncle, or cousin recipes

* by holiday, for example, favorite dishes for the 4th of July, Thanksgiving or Labor Day

To keep recipes easy to read and clean, consider putting them in plastic sleeves (available in craft and office supply stores) and then in 3-ring binders. Says Epstein, "This way, you can add a new recipe every year."

Don't have the money to make delectable dishes?

Or just don't know the secrets of flavoring with spices and herbs, and making food stretch?

The former is never right no matter what your income is.

If you have the money to buy enough food to at least feed your family then you have enough money to make whatever you feed them enjoyable, even if it's a vegetable dish.

Yes, with the right spices or herbs, and recipes, the children in your family will come to love vegetables. My family has several favorite veggie dishes, that our kids like so much they want seconds. And the main secret to them are the different spices we use.

These dishes range from ratatouille, eggplant parmigiani, to stewed tomatoes and stuffed zucchini (for info on these or other recipes feel free to email me at sweetstuff245@hotmail.com).

Just as they do with vegetables; spices, herbs, and sweeteners are the secrets to making all foods delicious.

These three food miracle workers can be relatively inexpensive if you know where to look.

In most health food stores (and in select supermarkets in growing numbers) there is a wondrous invention called a BULK section.

I'm sure everyone knows what this is, but in case you don't I'll explain:

It's a section of a store that has all types of different flours, beans, cereals, spices, herbs, and much more.

Each of which are in separate containers or large plastic buckets with a scoop, that allows you to buy as much or as little as you want of what ever spices or other food they carry.

The store provides you with bags and twist ties, for your convenience.

Spices are an excellent example of how cheap it can be to shop in bulk. Most small jars of spices or herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc... cost any where from two dollars a bottle to four ninety nine (which is technically five dollars a bottle). In a bulk section you can buy these same spices, getting twice as much (or more) for less than a dollar or a little over.

Talk about savings! Herbs and all kinds of spices are much cheaper bought this way than paying the extravagant prices you are charged for a pre packaged bottle of the same spices.

Flour and other cooking and baking necessities are also much cheaper if bought in a bulk section

Note: buying in a bulk section does not mean you have to buy a lot of everything! You could buy only one cup of flour in a bulk section if you wanted to or one tablespoon of any spices or herbs.

Ideally you should shop around at whatever different stores in your area have bulk sections, and compare prices to make sure you're getting the cheapest price.

Bring a calculator to the store and be prepared to do a little brain work to figure it out.

Another money saving trick is to substitute ground turkey for ground beef in recipes. Here you might prefer the taste of beef but in terms of the money you save it will certainly taste heavenly to your budget.

You can spice up bland omelets, scrambled eggs, soups, meat patties and more with the correct spices, and herbs.

Here is a recipe for deliciously spicy eggs, that won't dent your wallet:

For scrambled eggs try using 1/4 teaspoon thyme and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano, and 3 eggs. Mix the eggs, spices, and herbs together in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat until very hot, then add your oil (preferably olive oil or coconut oil) to the pan. Wait a few seconds until the oil starts to smoke, then pour the eggs from your bowl into the pan.

Have a fork in your hand ready to scramble the eggs with, because they'll start cooking instantly. Scramble the eggs for 30 seconds to a minute. Then use a spatula to scoop them out onto a plate.

Do yourself a favor and follow these tips to start saving money today.

Another day, another dinner to prepare. Are you having a difficult time finding easy to prepare meals that can satisfy your growing family?

You want to give your family the best, but time is in short supply and preparing a healthy meal has become a chore. Too often take out or frozen dinners have to do. Is there a way to combine healthy eating with convenience?

Healthy Family Meals - Better for Children, Easier for You Yes! Quick and easy recipe, new methods of cooking and easy to prepare staples can change your eating habits and lead to a better eating style for your family. According to the 'Kid's Health' Program created by the Nemours Foundation, family meals are an important part of developing healthy habits in your kids. Eating as a family will encourage your kids to eat healthy foods like whole grains and vegetables. It will discourage unhealthy snacking and even make them less likely to try smoking, alcohol or marijuana.

But how do you plan healthy family meals on a tight schedule? Here are some ideas to start:

Does your family love lasagna? Maybe you thought that it was a labor intensive dish that just doesn't fit your lifestyle. Cheesy and full of fat, perhaps it's not even a wise choice. However, lasagna is actually one of the most versatile meals to prepare - and with instant (no boil) noodles, it doesn't even have to be a big job.

There are lasagna recipes for vegetarians, low-carb, low-fat and even diabetic diets. Lasagna noodles now come in instant, no-cook preparations that cut time and energy when making this hearty dish.

For lasagna or other pasta dishes, try using whole wheat pasta and shredding carrots or zucchini into the meat sauce for an easy way to up the nutritional value. Using lean ground beef or even substituting with ground turkey or chicken can make for a surprising, yet nourishing result. Buy bottled pasta sauces for even faster preparation - many grocers carry a wide assortment that will add variety to your dishes.

Looking for an elegant chicken dinner? Don't forget about frozen skinless chicken breasts. Baked in the oven with a dollop of salsa and shredded cheddar on top makes for a healthy alternative to frying or heavy sauces.

Need ideas for a side dish? Why are you wasting time cutting and washing lettuce when you can pick up a prepackaged bag at the grocers? Not to say it's the cheapest method, but it definitely helps busy families put nutrition ahead of convenience when planning a meal.

Have you ever tried steaming vegetables in the microwave? Fresh or frozen veggies make for another easy side dish when they're popped into the microwave for a few minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of water and cover with a paper towel, an easy AND healthy alternative to frying or boiling.

We're all concerned about our children eating healthier foods. Regular family meals will encourage kids to develop healthy eating habits - an important key to good health later in life. By making meal time less stressful you can focus on the joys of spending time together instead of the hassles of preparing healthy family meals.

New age health conscious consumers comprise a growing niche segment which marketers have been quick to tap into which customised health-food products. More and more supermarkets are, increasingly, boasting separate health food counters that stock a wide range of products, rangeing from low-calorie biscuits to fibre-based cholesterol-free breads, Cheese for Health to even sugar free rice. The popularity of these counters can be gauged from the fact that the products are being lapped up quickly by a growing breed of health conscious consumers. This segment of the health food market in India is now displaying almost all the characteristics of a niche market. Marketers are, thus beginning to see immense potential in this growing niche. In fact, chances are that this niche segment may be transformed into a mass segment over a period of time, considering the fast pace at which more and more Indians are falling prey to hectic lifestyle. FritoLay, the leading foods major, launched its new breakfast cereal Quarker Oats across India recently. Sucheta Govil, marketing director FritoLay India said, "Over the past few years the urban Indian consumer has become more aware of an ideal diet as well as an active lifestyle. It has been FritoLay's endeavor to provide its consumers with a variety of choices and that meets the needs of today's consumer. The launch of Quaker Oats in India addresses thjis rapidly growing health trend".

When it comes to energy drinks in india the market still its infancy, would be gulping it more at nightclubs than at the gym. So when a new energy drink like Effect trries to make place for itself in the nascent market it will have to look at these clubs though first, the strategy would be to position it as a functional health drink. Looking at the growing health consciousness as an opportunity to expand Coke is aiming to increase its presence in the Indian health market and gain wider accept ability. It has decided to add a punch of health to its India portfolio possibly by early next year. Scientists in India, SriLanka, UK the US, Japan and Germany have come out with findings on tea that could have a positive health benefit to the consumers. But there has hardly been any campaign to promote tea as a health beverage. Barring the individual cases requring specific medical advice, by now there are plenty of research results in both the tea gowing and consuming countries to hail tea generally as a safe health drink. More and more companies in India are seeing in health food products a major marketing opportunity and from launching healthier options and innovative variants to putting the product in the right places with the promotions they have tried a variety of strategies. Therefore it will not be surprising if there are a slew of product launches aimed at this niche market. So the next time you enter a supermarket, don't be surprised if the health food counter too is decked with new offerings.

Many people don't realize how easy it really is to produce beer yourself, at your own home. For this reason, many people are missing out on a great opportunity to impress friends, family, and save lots of money. Brewing your own beer can cost as little as $6 a gallon! You can even bottle it yourself and sell it to make a profit.

One of the easiest ways on how to make beer is by purchasing a kit that has all the tools you need. Most kits come with a brew keg and tap, as well as the ingredients (usually hops) and possibly containers. It really contains pretty much everything you need to get started! For that fact, it is definitely easy to get started and hard to stop. These kits usually go for around $20 to an upwards of a few hundred dollars. It really depends on how much beer you want to brew at one time, and how advanced you are.

By knowing how to brew your own beer, you will be able to create a delicious beer that tastes just how you like it, and in addition it's a great hobby to pass on and tell others about. Wouldn't it be nice to come home from work and have a nice ice cold beer, especially one that you have made yourself?

One of the key factors to take into consideration after you decide you want to know how to brew beer is that you need to make sure you follow the directions carefully and ensure that you are taking the correct measurements. Often times, if you measure the wrong quantity of ingredients just by a little bit, your beer can have a totally different taste than the last time you brewed.

If you are interested in taking up the hobby or learning how to brew your own beer, than you should make sure to find a great source of information on how to do it. There are a lot of variables that come into play when you brew your own beer and you want to make sure that you have each one set correctly.

A trip down the baking aisle in a grocery store presents the pastry chef with more options for chocolate than the candy counter. But if you're stuck in a pinch, is it okay to substitute semi-sweet chips with a bittersweet bar? What can a glimpse at the list of ingredients tell you about a chocolate bar? Besides color, is there any real difference between white chocolate and milk chocolate? And why does European chocolate feel different in your mouth than American? After reading this article you will be able to answer these questions. However, we can't guarantee that you'll make a better chocolate mousse!

There are six basic kinds of chocolate. While all six are products of the cocoa bean, they differ immensely in flavor and purpose. Knowing how the cocoa bean is processed and used to make chocolate will explain the different kinds of chocolate, and also reveal why some brands are better quality than others.

Cocoa beans come from trees grown in the tropics of South and Central America and Africa. Pods containing the beans are harvested, and the beans together with the surrounding pulp are removed and placed in bins to ferment. After three to seven days the fermented pulp is dried quickly to avoid molding. Then the beans are roasted, graded and ground into a liquid called cocoa liquor. From the liquor, a fat called cocoa butter is extracted, leaving cocoa powder. These are the raw ingredients used to make chocolate.

Most people are surprised to learn that pure cocoa is very bitter. Cocoa must be sweetened with sugar, and sometimes vanilla and milk to produce that ever-popular chocolate flavor. The amount of cocoa in the blend determines the type of chocolate. Unsweetened or Baking Chocolate is the solid form of chocolate liquor. It is used in baking, when sugar or other sweeteners are called for in the recipe. Similarly, Bittersweet chocolate is primarily used for baking, with a minimum of 50% cocoa liquor. A third type of chocolate used in baking is Semi-Sweet, with a minimum of 35% cocoa liquor. Semi-sweet morsels are best known as the key ingredient in chocolate chip cookies.

While bittersweet has a stronger chocolate flavor than the sugary semi-sweet chocolate, these can sometimes be used interchangeably in recipes. In fact, since the amount of sugar is not regulated, what one manufacturer calls semi-sweet may be called bittersweet by another. Europeans, whose regulations are higher than Americans, tend to use more bittersweet. As a general guideline it's best to note that the higher the content of chocolate liquor, the richer and more flavorful the chocolate.

Both bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate are considered Dark Chocolate, which is any chocolate that does not contain milk or milk solids. American regulations set a minimum at 15% cocoa liquor in dark chocolate (European rules 35% minimum); however the finest dark chocolate has between 60-70%. There has been hype in recent years that the antioxidants present in dark chocolate may protect the heart; however, much of the processing destroys these healthy properties. Also, the high fat content in chocolate largely negates the benefits.

When milk solids are added to the blend, you get creamy Milk Chocolate, which has at least 10% cocoa liquor. Finally, White Chocolate, made with cocoa butter, milk, and sugar is usually made without any cocoa solids at all.

While chocolatiers have their own blends, the best quality chocolate is that made with high cocoa content. Cheaper blends may use fats other than cocoa butter, and many inferior mass-produced chocolates have less than 7% cocoa! Checking the ingredients list is a good idea if you are searching for a high-quality chocolate. Other than that, the feel of the chocolate in your mouth and the best flavor are largely a matter of personal taste. It is recommended you taste test different brands until you find the chocolate you like best--a task that will hardly be a burden to anyone!

Breakfast Casserole

6 -8 slices of bread, without the crust 1/2 lb. sausage, cooked & drained, use mild Jimmy Dean 3/4 lb. shredded mild or sharp cheddar

8 eggs 1/2 t. dry mustard 2 c. milk 1/2 t. salt dash pepper

Grease 9 x 13 pan. Layer bread, meat & the cheese. Mix together rest of ingredients and pour over the bread, meat & cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

I have enjoyed this recipe for entertaining guest. I usually serve it with a tray of fruit Danish rolls, a tray of fresh assorted fruit (slices of fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, oranges, grapes & kiwi), coffee and orange juice. It will serve 6 - 12 people.

This is one of my favorite recipes of Jean Charrier, attorney's wife and good friend of my home church in New Orleans, La.

Spring has sprung, Easter is nearly here. One of the most enjoyed holidays is Easter and part of the reason why this holiday is loved is the food associated with it. If you are hosting an Easter meal with your friends or loved ones this year, here are some excellent tips for some savory Easter recipes.

Maple Syrup Ham and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows One of the most loved types of food to eat at Easter is ham and you can sweeten up the taste of ham by adding some delicious maple syrup. While your store bought maple syrup should work, try to purchase maple syrup that is 100% pure and not made from corn syrup. Adding pure maple syrup will add a sweet, delicious taste that your friends and loved ones will love.

You can simply complement your maple syrup ham with some tasty sweet potatoes smothered in miniature marshmallows. Sweet potatoes can be your maple syrup ham's best friend. For an extra treat, add miniature marshmallows and you will definetly get some smiles from children and adults alike.

Easter Bunny Cookies Although chocolate bunnies are pivotal to Easter, cookies can also be a desired treat. Just like Christmas cookies are fun to make and delicious to eat, so are Easter Bunny cookies. Most grocery stores, discount stores, and craft stores offer Easter Bunny cookie cutters to create your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookie into some exciting Easter Bunny shapes.

Easter Egg Cup Cakes Easter Egg cup cakes are a wonderful way to add excitement to the holidays for your kids. Easter Egg Cupcakes are an easy and fun way to add color to any Easter dinner dessert. Instead of using cup cake holders, try to use small waffle cones to hold your cup cake mixture. Once baked, add coloring, sprinkles, candy, etc. to your creation.

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake Easter Bunny carrot cake is an awesome way to add color and excitement for the whole family. What goes better with bunny rabbits than carrots and a delicious carrot cake goes with an Easter dinner. You can simply purchase a carrot cake and decorate the top yourself. Many people create their own icing adding food coloring to color the carrot cake to look like an Easter egg.

Easter Cocktails For those adults that like to top off their dinner with a delicious alcoholic libation, there are many tasty cocktails that can go with the atmosphere of an Easter dinner. For example, certain liquors come in several colors such as grenadine for crimson, blue Curacao for aqua and mixing clear liquor with assorted fruit juices for multicolored Easter drinks. For those that like a cocktail sans the alcohol, it's easy to add color to your supper with a host of fresh fruit smoothies, just by adding fresh fruit with cream or milk. Some people even add some yogurt to the mix.

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy your Easter this year, take a look at the previously mentioned Easter recipes.

You have just recently brought yourself a good quality espresso machine but what else is there that you can possibly buy to provide you with a more profession touch when producing your espressos at home. In this article we will look at a number of different espresso bar accessories that can be readily brought online.

1. Espresso Tamper This is an essential accessory for either the professional barista or a person who is serious about brewing the perfect cup of espresso. The tamper is used to "tamp down" or "compress" the fine ground coffee into the espresso machine filter basket. You need an espresso machine filter basket in order to produce an authentic espresso that is both rich and thick with crema. You should look to purchase a tamper that is just slightly smaller than the filter basket inside diameter and will provide a comfortable and secure grip in your hand in order for you to exert the required amount of downward pressure to compress the coffee correctly.

2. Brew and Frothing Pitchers These are an extremely useful accessory for when you want to produce professional quality cappuccinos or lattes for friends and family in your own home. You can get various different sizes of pitchers starting at 12 oz and going up to 24 oz. Although you may find that a 12oz is more than adequate for your home. You may even decide to use these pitchers to serve cold milk instead with your coffee.

3. Coffee and Espresso Cups This may well be one of the most important espresso bar accessories that you could need. Having these will allow you and your guests to enjoy fine coffee. Often the espresso cups are typically sized between 2 and 3 ounces and are ideal for those people who prefer to drink theirs straight. Also you can purchase a much larger style of coffee cup normally between 6 to 8 ounces in size and these are great for using when you want to make cappuccinos or latte's.

4. Demitasse Spoons The Demitasse or Espresso spoon is much smaller than a normal teaspoon and may be a fine compliment to the espresso cups that you have. These kinds of spoons will be the perfect finishing touch when you are serving fine coffee, espresso or tea to your guests.

Above we have provided you with just some of the many different types of espresso bar accessories that are now readily available both online or in your local department store. There are even some coffee companies such as Starbucks who will sell their products to their customers through their coffee shops.

Here are three recipes for making delicious chocolate confections.

CHOCOLATE ROCKS

5 ozs. sweet chocolate 1/2 pint (1 cup) thick cream 2 tablespoonfuls hot sugar syrup 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1/2 teaspoonful almond extract 1 lb. sweet grated chocolate 1/2 oz. melted cocoa-butter 1/2 teaspoonful rose extract

Melt the grated chocolate over hot water to a smooth paste. Remove it from the hot water, beat for a few minutes, adding gradually the rose extract and the melted cocoa-butter. Stir occasionally until quite cold; then rub through a wire sieve on white paper underneath.

Put the sweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate into a saucepan, and melt the mixture to a smooth paste; then add the cream, hot syrup, the extracts, and stir over the fire until well mixed. Remove from the fire, and beat until the mixture becomes cold and a lighter color. Mold it into round centers; then roll them in the sieved chocolate.

Serve in paper cases.

CHOCOLATE NOUGATINES

1/2 lb. (1 cup) sugar 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 1/4 lb. (1 cup) blanched almonds, or walnut meats or ground almonds 1 tablespoonful honey Melted chocolate

Chop the almonds and toast them a pale brown in the oven.

Put the honey into a saucepan and stir until dissolved; then add the sugar and allow it to melt and get quite liquid. Now add the almonds, stir over a moderate heat until all turn a light brown color, then add the vanilla extract, and pour on a buttered slab. Roll out thin and cut into squares. Allow to dry on waxed paper and dip in melted chocolate when quite firm.

Another method is to put three pounds of sugar into a dry, clean saucepan, and melt over the fire, without using any water.

When dissolved, add as much chopped nuts as the batch will take up. Pour out on an oiled slab and roll out thin; it may be cut in oblong pieces and coated with chocolate, or broken fine and mixed with the chocolate and dropped on a tin.

CHOCOLATE DATES

1 lb. best dates 1/4 lb. unsweetened chocolate 4 ozs. (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoonfuls boiling water 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla extract

Wipe the dates, slit them lengthwise with a silver knife, but only far enough to extract the kernels without bruising the fruit.

Grate the chocolate into a small saucepan; add the sugar, boiling water, and the vanilla extract, and stir over the fire until quite smooth. The mixture must not boil.

Then put the small saucepan inside a larger one half filled with boiling water, just to keep the chocolate fluid until all the dates are filled. Take up a little of the mixture in a teaspoon, press open the date, and pour it in neatly.

When about a dozen are filled, gently press the sides together. The chocolate should just show a shiny brown ridge in the middle of the date. Place on a board in a cool place to harden.

A mouthwatering pasta dish with steak is the wonderful combination that is a huge hit among people who love to eat steak. All of us eat food, but there are some people who relish what they have and are particular about the food they eat. They will not eat the food till it is served properly with all the right combinations. Well who would like to eat food that does not have the correct combination and has not been cooked properly? Cooking steak can be a tough job, but if you really want to eat the food but do not know how to cook it steakhouse pasta NYC can be the ideal destination for you to head to. In a steakhouse you can find all these combinations if you go to a good one.

You will be spoilt for choice whether it is in NYC or any other city or state in the United States. Here what you have to do is get smart and make a wise choice. Certain things can aid you in making the correct decision and you must take care of all these aspects. It goes without saying that the steakhouse pasta must service you wonderfully well cooked steak and pasta as well. After all you are going there to enjoy a good dinner or lunch with your family, friend or may be your business associate so everything must be just perfect. If you are really passionate about the food that you eat and want things to be done in the correct way as far as food is concerned what you need to do is find out a good steakhouse ion your city NYC and enjoy eating there.

Ideally a dish of steak contains steak, crunchy side dish like potato or pasta and an accompanying drink. When you are looking for a good steakhouse in your city make sure that you find out the drink that is being served in the steakhouse. Well imaging that you have the steak cooked in just the way you like to eat, wonderfully well cooked pasta and suddenly you find that the drink that is serviced does not go with your food or is not your favorite, you are bound to feel upset about this. For many people pasta may be just other type of noodle but if you really love to enjoy eating then you know what eating pasta is all about, and specially eating pasta combined with perfectly cooked steak.

When we eat out it is with the intention that we eat the best food without having to worry about nay other thing. After all, who does not want to have a great eating out experience and spend some wonderful time with family and friends? Do not forget to book the tables well in advance, you surely do not want to land up in your favorite steakhouse to eat steak and pats with your fiends and find that there is no place for you. This is one of the most annoying things that can happen and so you must avoid this at all costs.

What's for dinner? We have the answer to the dreaded question when you're busy and out of ideas - chicken, an easy recipe that is guaranteed to get you out of the dinner time rut and start your creative juices flowing. Well this recipe is just the thing to add interest back into your dinnertime. This Chicken Breasts Glazed with Hot Pepper Jelly recipe can be on the table in under 30 minutes, even less if you pound the breasts for quicker cooking and tenderness.

This is a different presentation of chicken, an easy recipe. You can use a pepper jelly that is mild or extremely hot, according to your taste. The sweet and spicy flavors of the jelly and mustard compliment the chicken breast, and the celery adds a visual and textural interest. This recipe serves 2, but you can increase the amounts to serve more easily.

Chicken Breasts Glazed with Hot Pepper Jelly Sauce

2 Tablespoons hot-pepper jelly
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 chicken breast, halved, boneless and skinless
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium celery ribs, cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped celery leaves

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.
2. Combine the pepper jelly and the mustard, set aside.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until they are browned, approximately 3 minutes per side.
5. Pour off most of the fat. Add 1 tablespoon of water and stir to loosen the browned bits on the bottom.
6. Push the chicken to one side, add the celery matchsticks and cook stirring for 1 minute.
7. Add the jelly mixture and the lemon juice and shake to coat the chicken with the sauce.
8. Cook until the sauce is reduced to a glaze, about 20-40 seconds.
9. Transfer the chicken to a plate or platter. Spoon the matchsticks on top and garnish with the chopped celery leaves.
10. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

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The market for loose leaf tea in the United States is growing strongly as tea drinkers from all walks of life rediscover the taste, health benefits and value of loose leaf tea.

But one must ask the question: why is loose leaf tea less popular in the United States than in the rest of the world? The answer lies in the combination of the political and economic history of our country and the presence of the low quality tea bag.

The Colonies Reject Loose Leaf Tea

Although tea drinking originated in China, consumption of tea based on good taste, health benefits and the sense of well being one achieved by tea drinking spread to the western world. The American colonies embraced the habit of tea drinking after tea was introduced by Dutch traders in the 17th and 18th centuries and became one of the largest tea drinking regions in the world on a per capita basis. Colony consumption of tea dwarfed that of the parent country England.

The French and Indian War, or Seven Years War, after which the British ruled supreme in most of North America, represented the decisive turning point in British-colonial relations however. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ratified Britain's undisputed control of the seas and shipping trade, as well as its sovereignty over much of the North American continent east of the Mississippi River (including French Canada).

But the British expected the Colonies to pay for the war (the British borrowed heavily from European Bankers to finance the war) and this fact planted the seeds of rebellion.

During the years leading up to the American Revolution, Britain, through a policy of salutary neglect, had allowed the colonies by default the right to manage their own affairs. The subsequent efforts on the part of royal officials to rectify this deficiency and collect unprecedented amounts of revenue violated what many American colonists understood as the clear precedent of more than a century of colonial-imperial relations.

New world institutions of self-government and trade, having matured in an age of salutary neglect, would resist and ultimately rebel against perceived British encroachment. Taxation policy became a central point of contention, because it tended to threaten both the prosperity and autonomy of colonial society.

Between the Seven Years War and the Revolution the British enacted a series of heavy handed taxation and other policies that attempted to raise revenue and regain control over the wayward colonies. Many of the acts focused on tea and the result was revolution. On the night of December 16, 1773 Massachusetts Patriots disguised as Indians illegally boarded the Dartmouth, a cargo ship bearing 342 chests of East India Tea valued at about £10,000. In defiance of Governor Thomas Hutchinson and British tax authority in general, the intruders dumped the entire shipment into Boston Harbor, precipitating a crisis that would lead to revolution.

The Boston Tea Party was an act of uprising in which Boston residents destroyed crates of British tea in 1773, in protest against British tea and taxation policy. Prior to the Boston Tea Party, residents of Britain's North American 13 colonies drank far more tea than coffee. In Britain, coffee was more popular. After the protests against the various taxes, British Colonists stopped drinking tea as an act of patriotism. Drinking of loose leaf tea in the United States is only now recovering.

Replaced by coffee and the convenient tea bag, consumption of loose leaf tea would remain dormant until the start of the 21st Century.

Enter the Tea Bag

During World War II, tea was rationed. In 1953 (after rationing in the UK ended), Tetley launched the tea bag to the UK and it was an immediate success. The convenience of the tea bag revolutionized how Britons drank their tea and the traditional tea pot gave way to making tea in a cup using a tea bag. The success of the tea bag accelerated in the United States as well and soon came to dominate the tea drinking market.

In a tea bag, tea leaves are packed into a small (usually paper) tea bag. It is easy and convenient, making tea bags popular for many people today. However, the tea used in tea bags has an industry name, called "fannings" or "dust" and is the waste product produced from the sorting of higher quality loose leaf tea.

What is Good About the Tea Bag?

About the only thing good about the tea bag is the convenience factor. In the past, many Americans were willing to sacrifice taste and quality for convenience. This trend is now changing.

It is commonly held among tea drinking experts that the tea bag provides an inferior taste and tea drinking experience. The paper used for the bag can also be tasted, which can detract from the tea's flavor. Because fannings and dust are a lower quality of the tea to begin with, the tea found in tea bags is more tolerant when it comes to brewing time and temperature. But the taste suffers in quality.

The main difference between loose teas and bagged teas is the size and quality of the leaves . Tea leaves contain chemicals and essential oils, which are the basis for the wonderful flavor of tea. When the tea leaves are broken up, those oils can evaporate, leaving a dull and tasteless tea as well as losing many of the health benefits of loose leaf tea. There is also the space factor. Tea leaves need space to swell, expand and unfurl. Good water circulation around the leaves is important, which doesn't typically happen in a tea bag.

Loose leaf tea comes in greater variety than bagged tea when one considers the multitude of blends and flavors that are loose leaf tea offerings. There is at least one or more tea blends for the palette of any individual tea drinker.

Additional reasons why bag tea is considered lower quality include:

* Dried tea loses its flavor quickly on exposure to air. Most bag teas contain leaves broken into small pieces; the great surface area to volume ratio of the leaves in tea bags exposes them to more air, and results in stale tea.

* Loose tea leaves are likely to be full formed and larger and are robust for multiple infusion of the leaves. This results in a lower cost per cup.

* Breaking up the leaves for bags disperses flavored oils and other oils that support health benefits.

* The small size of the bag does not allow leaves to diffuse and steep properly.

The Reemerge of Loose Leaf Tea

Every day more tea drinkers are realizing the benefits of loose leaf tea: high quality, fresh taste, better health and well being and greater variety offered. As a result the popularity of loose leaf has grown tremendously among discriminating tea drinkers. Loose leaf tea is now enjoyed by millions of tea drinkers throughout the United States who are looking for a beverage that offers significant health benefits combined with good tasting varieties and a low cost per cup.

Is Loose Leaf Tea Expensive?

The answer is no because high quality loose leaf tea can support multiple infusions. Many tea drinkers look at the cost per tin of loose leaf tea and conclude it is expensive. However when viewed on a cost per cup, loose leaf tea is as economical as bagged tea and you receive higher quality tea. Much of the cost for bagged tea is a result of the bagging process and the packaging of the bags.

What About Storage?

Tea in bags has a shorter shelf life than loose leaf tea because the fannings in bagged tea tend to dry out faster.

Loose leaf tea has a longer shelf-life that varies with storage conditions and type of tea. Black tea for example has a longer shelf-life than green tea but all loose leaf tea, properly stored, will maintain freshness for a long time. Tea stays freshest when stored in a dry, cool, dark place in an air-tight container. Black tea stored in a bag inside a sealed opaque canister may keep for two years.

So, join the loose leaf tea drinking revolution for good taste, health and well being. It is something that even the British Empire can not stop!

Corporate airline caterers are not that common and so it is imperative to know the services they ought to provide and whether they cover the ones you are looking out for. While ordering, you should ask for information on all the services provided. This is because irrespective of what they say, most caterers fall short of their promises. In order to avoid any embarrassment, you should go through the menu and all the services covered in detail, before placing the contract.

Always ensure proper checks before the food reaches the customers. Some of the common complaints received have been with regards to the quality of the food supplied. At times the food quality has been found to be below par. Other popular complaints received were regarding the food packaging, size of servings or if the food was left uncooked.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has a number of sections set up to manage the various fields of corporate aviation. One of these sections is the Flight Attendants Committee and the NBAA catering subcommittee has the responsibility of reporting back to it. The subcommittee provides a Caterer Mentoring Program, which enables the participants to visit the kitchen on a one on one or a group basis. They can thereby observe and gather information on designing the menu, placing orders, food presentation, packaging and other aspects. This is extremely beneficial as it provides a hands-on experience to see the caterers at work, the materials they use and the levels of hygiene practiced.

There are many websites created with the purpose of enabling flight attendants and aviation caterers to share their views. This promotes an information exchange from all corners of the world. You can also post in views anonymously. Here, you will be able to experience the glitz, glamour as well as the dirt associated with jet catering. Private flight attendants have a separate resource for catering and related information. In flight Services is a forum that has proved to be very influential in this regard. Here, you will see flight attendant posting stuff and sharing tit bits on food serving, food, beverages and other related information.

These corporate jet caterers may not always be easily available though, especially in the not so well known regions. Collaborating with five star hotels is the next best option. A successful flight attendant will be able to successfully discuss and plan the meals and services expected by the passengers.

If you're hosting Easter this year, I'd like to share a few tips with you that have helped me keep my sanity when I have hosted this holiday.

1. Cook and bake as many dishes as you can in advance. I have an Easter baking recipe that I share with you below that is easy and can be done up to a week in advance. I highly recommend baking your Easter desserts the day before. It really helps me cut down on the stress on Easter day.

2. Organize your kitchen into baking/cooking stations the night before. I know this might sound crazy but I have found it helps me whenever I am making a holiday meal. I put out all of the ingredients for each Easter recipe that do not need to be refrigerated. I put the recipe out and put all of the ingredients that go into that recipe right next to it, along with any pans or measuring cups or spoons I may need for it. I also try to organize them from longest to shortest cooking time so that I know what to start with first.

3. Select the Easter recipes that you want to use a week in advance. This helps me make a grocery list of all the ingredients that I need. That way I can get to the grocery store and get everything that I need well in advance of the day itself.

4. Use or borrow appliances to help make the job easier. I still remember the first Easter I hosted at my house. I must have spent at least half an hour slicing potatoes. If I had just asked to borrow a food processor with a slicer from a friend, it would have made that day so much easier. If you do not have the right appliance for the job or cannot borrow it, find a different recipe.

5. Enlist helpers! The friends and family who have come to your Easter feast are usually more than happy to help out with any small last minute things. My husband has become the official potato masher for all of the holiday gatherings we hold at our house! Those last 30 minutes before your meal is ready can sometimes get a bit crazy. It is okay to ask for help.

Bonus Easter Recipe: Chocolate Easter Nests

These have been a favorite Easter baking recipe of mine for as long as I can remember. I loved helping mom put jelly beans in these for the "eggs."

1 box shredded wheat cereal (10-12 biscuits) 1 - 12 ounce package chocolate chips 3/4 cup peanut butter

Crush the biscuits so they are fairly fine. Melt the chocolate chips in bowl in the microwave until they are soft. Add the peanut butter to the melted chocolate. Mix together, put into a large bowl, and add the shredded wheat. Put mixture by tablespoon on a piece of waxed paper. Shape each into a nest. Chill until firmly set. Store in the refrigerator. When you are ready to set them out, put a few jelly beans in each nest. It is a cute, tasty Easter treat.

More than 3 million people in America have a peanut allergy which translates into 1 out of every 90 people or 1.10% of the population. The peanut allergy problem continues to grow.

Peanuts are a dietary protein that's very cheap and generally in its purest form is peanut butter. Yet it has become one of the most common foods for allergies. Unfortunately peanuts are finding there way into many different foods and trace amounts are also entering the food chain from varying angles which is making the peanut allergy problem worse.

Because of the seriousness of these allergies foods are not warning that trace amount of peanuts may be in the product while other products are going for the market based on the peanut allergy problem and proudly announcing there are no peanuts in their products so relax and enjoy.

Anaphylactic shock is one allergic reaction. It can move rapidly becoming fatal in just a couple of minutes. It requires epinephrine as the earliest signs. Symptoms include apprehension, flushing, hives, swollen mouth, eyes, or tongue, itching, tightness in the throat and chest, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, sudden fatigue, chills, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and on the most serious end loss of consciousness and death. The personal allergy problem should not be ignored.

So with the peanut allergy problem being such a problem how come so many still get caught. Sometimes it is a result of incomplete labeling of the packaging, it can also be ignorance of food allergies at schools or restaurants. Some medications can actually cause a peanut reaction, and traces of peanuts aren't always marked on packages.

Although things are improving the peanut allergy problem is enhanced because often food labels aren't carefully read. As consumers we are also not trained to question the contents our food where it is prepared and does not have label packaging such as in restaurant take out. Sharing utensils can even be dangerous to someone with a peanut allergy. And taste testing just a tiny bit can be deadly.

The peanut allergy problem also has an identity issue. Many are not aware that just trace elements can kill. We also have a tendency to minimize or deny the allergy even if we have recognized previous symptoms. Failure to tell someone when an allergic reaction is occurring is also a big problem and the biggest problem is not wearing a medical bracelet that warns of a peanut allergy.

The peanut allergy problem has sees a great deal of failure in the treatment end. Many peanut allergy sufferers do not carry epinephrine sold as Epi-Pen®, Ana-Kit ®. They should have it on them at all times and they do not. And of those that carry it on them many do not use it faster enough. They also do not carry two epinephrine doses on them and they should because the second one is often required. Lastly failure for the individual to be taken to hospital can cause death.

Lifestyle changes, better awareness, better packaging, better training in dealing with a reaction, and faster medical intervention are all ways that will help reduce the peanut allergy problem.

Coffee is grown in over seventy countries, from Indonesia to Brazil. Yet the total production of coffee is relatively small because it is such a fussy plant. Even though we call it a coffee bean, this is a misnomer. The little pod that is roasted, ground and brewed is actually the seed of the fruit that grows on the coffee tree. The coffee tree grows to twenty feet as a rule, but can reach heights of 45 feet. Most of these seeds come in pairs. There is one, called the pea berry, that looks like a cranberry with a sweet pulp and covered with a silvery membrane. Coffee grows in a band of about 25 degrees to the north and to the south, near the equator that encirlces the world. The reason for the concentration in this area is because coffee requires temperatures between 60F (15C) and 70F (21C) and a rainfall of six inches per month or more. In addition, coffee needs a specialized soil that is loamy and well drained. High humidity, found in mountain areas is also ideal. Diffused light and light breezes are also part of ideal conditions. Since oxygen is scarce at these altitudes, the trees mature slowly. All of these conditions cause the output of coffee to be low.

There is a coffee bean that can grow in lower altitudes, robusta, or coffea canephora, and it is also disease resistant. For these reasons, it is used for the majority of coffee. But coffee gourmets will insist on high altitude coffee arabica.

A coffee tree will take five years to produce its first crop of coffee, and a single tree only yields about 2,00 beans, about two pounds of coffee.

The beans have to be manually harvested by coffee pickers. This is a highly specialized skill, since pickers need to be able to differentiate between the good beans and the bad beans. They choose each bean individually. No wonder coffee is expensive.

Coffee trees have broad dark leaves and produce a flower that blossoms over a six to eight week period. This long blossoming period, the longest being in the areas closest to the equator, such as Kenya or Colombia, means that beans are ripening at different rates and mature beans can be right next to immature ones. The coffee picker has to be careful.

From first blossom to final harvest can take as long as nine months for coffee. This cycle will repeat over and over for the life of the tree, 20 to 25 years. Even under the best conditions of cultivation, a hectare will yield only between 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg) and 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg). Then the beans have to be brought down from these inhospitable growing areas to the processing areas and shipped out at a rate that makes coffee the second largest volume commodity.

You will no longer wonder why that delicious cup of coffee that came out of your expresso machine costs so much when you consider the journey it took.

Interestingly enough most people picture expresso machines steaming away next to coffee makers either in the comfort of a kitchen or at the local coffeehouse. Ethiopia gave birth to the coffee craze that has flooded across worldwide borders. It still produces coffee from wild treed forests its sub-tropical environment. Coffee can only be grown in that environment or in the world's tropical regions, where they get plenty of sun and needed rain.

Coffee growth is restricted to a narrow ring from 23° North to 25° South A Turkish proverb describes it as '... black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love...' In fact coffee is a commodity that is 2nd only to the oil industry in dollar for volume production. Over 70 countries now supply it.

The largest coffee production is found in Brazil - 28% of the world total. Columbia produces only 16%. Indonesia provides only 7%, and Mexico follows closely with 4%.

The best beans are grown in higher altitudes, but many varieties have acclimatized to other regions. Brazilian coffee plantations cover huge areas. Hundreds of laborers are employed to tend the young plants. Columbia is more mountainous, but it is restricted to mule or Jeep transportation to get it to major centers.

In Hawaii, coffee plantations benefit from Mauna Loa's volcanic soil. Volcanic ash is combined with volcanic rocks. However the sunshine is strong and the area gets its ample share of tropical rains.

In the former Dutch colony of Indonesia, coffee has been produced on its 1000's of islands since the 1600's. However, despite all the best technology being used worldwide, the best coffee climates are the damp and warm ones found around the hundreds of small farms on Sumatra, Sulawesi and Java. They provide at least a third of the world's coffee.

The famous Altura beans of the higher altitudes of Mexico can be found growing in Chiapas, Veracruz and Oaxaca. The rest of the country is dotted with 100's of thousands of these tiny farming plantations.

Over the past years Vietnam has been resurrecting its Tonkin region after a long time of misuse and is now rivaling Indonesia for third place. French missionaries planted the famous aribica coffee trees in the middle of the 1800's. It is now home to the robusta plant.

The African countries of the Ivory Coast and Kenya have become renowned for their darkish big beans that produce a mild and fruity flavored coffee. Their production is relatively small in comparison the other producers, but the coffee that is grown at the foot of Mount Kenya and the expresso beans from the Ivory Coast, the world's largest robusta expresso producers are becoming more well known now in North America, despite their popularity in Europe for many years.

Coffee continues to rival tea for dedicated and devout fans worldwide. The array of varieties is seemingly endless, even coming from as far away as Indian or Tanzanian, or as close to home as Costa Rica.

The legendary cup of cappuccino seems like just a mere drink that brings up maybe a romantic gathering with some old boyfriend, but who would think that real romance and a massive industry would revolve around it. Coffee's warm, dark and aromatic fluid has drawn many a person into a coffeehouse, not just recently, but from its very early beginnings.

There are countless legends as to its origins, but the most historically reliable is 500 BC, from Ethiopia. Travelers were so intrigued with its stimulating properties that they transported it to the Saudi Arabian Peninsula. It was in Arabia that the mysteriously delicious drink would be named - coffee.

The commercialization, mass production and distribution of coffee were born in the Renaissance. It became known as the 'heatherish liquid'. By the 1700's, in Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and Asia, coffee had infiltrated every level of society.

Even medicinal properties were attributed throughout history. Coffee could do miraculous things. Men's sperm could reach super speeds, swim longer and farther in liquid infused with coffee. This was thanks to caffeine. Harvard University did a major study for 20 years, and concluded that coffee could help diabetes. Some found a lowering of cirrhosis in the liver and a decrease in the severity of asthma.

There were many claims made about coffee's antioxidants. Coffee kept hearts far healthier, but the debate about that is still going on. Coffee is claimed to be a diuretic and helps you urinate more frequently. I personally do not agree with that one. However, other studies show coffee as the degenerator of the nervous system, and an insomnia drug. Apparently, it is supposed to make a good insecticide.

Whatever its attributes, good or bad, coffee is not going away. Coffee is second only to the oil industry as a commodity in dollar volume production. It is a major economic booster all round.

Coffee, the 'black gold' of the world stock markets is growing ever popular. Over 400 billion boiling cups of it are drunk each year. It is traded on all the major exchanges, including New York, London, Lima and Hong Kong. If you add to that the economic boom from what we buy in coffee daily - beans, roasters, grinders, cups and brewing machines.

The coffee business future is good. It continues to rise as a basic commodity and there are so many special retail prices going now. Special shops deal in just coffee in such variety of blends and types. If you want an espresso, then you can buy different grades of brewers and roaster, which were invented in 1901. Home coffee brewing allows for single, straight, double, and long shots. What about cappuccino, latte, or mocha? Every ingredient required can be accessed by a quick button push. Flavored blends are as numerous as wines and so easy to prepare. Add additional flavors caramel, fruit or vanilla. With flavors and money combined, it is not surprising that coffee is what legends are made of.

Food preservation is a good housekeeping art which has been with us for hundreds of years. The following tips and advice will show you how best to prepare fruit and vegetables for drying.

1) When picking fruits and vegetables for the drying process it is important that you choose fresh produce, otherwise the decomposition of the food itself may have already gone too far.

2) When you are happy with the choices you've made with regards to the food itself, it is time to wash, peel and deseed them. Whilst you're doing this it's a good idea to scour each piece of fruit or vegetable for any damaged patches. If you do find any - and the likelihood is that you will - just cut them out with the peeler. When you are completely happy move on to step three.

3) Step three of this food preservation process is where you cut the individual fruit/veg in small pieces of roughly a ¼ of an inch. These small pieces will improve the efficiency of the process; this is due to the small surface areas of the pieces, the smaller the surface area, the less moisture they'll contain, thus they'll dry out quicker.

4) If you are drying vegetables then the fourth step you'll need to follow to achieve the desired affect is to boil them in water. This will help kill off those enzymes which causes the vegetables to rot, along with creating the added affect of adding colour and flavour to them

When you are drying fruit, step four is slightly different. The fruit you choose will have to submerged in a lemon juice and water solution. Doing this will stop the fruit from losing their colour and turning brown

5) When the four - above steps - have been followed, it's time to place the fruit and/or vegetables on a drying rack and dry them out.

What is in your wine cabinet or wine cellar? What do you collect and how many bottles of wine do you collect? Wine collecting and drinking can be a form of art that many people take seriously as well they should. Think about how many hobbies exist in the world is wine drinking any different? Yes and no would probably be the most appropriate way to answer that. Wine collecting is a hobby but it also represents a life style and that life style is what you make it.

Your wine collection defines who you are by what you make it out to be. If you are a serious collector and panic if someone even touches your collection or if you break a bottle by accident and don't care that is still who you are. You could collect every bottle of wine from an individual winery or the top 100 wine list for any given. Although I still hope that you are drinking some of your collection and not just hording it so that one day it will be useless. What good is a bottle of wine if you cannot enjoy it at one point. There is however a sweet reward in drinking a wine that has aged longer than some of our children because its been groomed and nurtured for its life and is ready. Now I'm not saying you should kill your wine collection every week either by drinking 80% of your stash but to drink it in moderation or if an event calls for such a bottle opening. There is also no wrong way to collect wine again stating that your wine is yours and it is who you are. Make the most of your collection and do what you love to do with it. I myself love to come home at the end of the day or if I'd been gone all day and enjoy a fine wine and typically most of the bottle as I hate storing wine after its been opened because it damages the quality the longer it sits after being exposed to air. I know some people are fine with it but I am picky when it comes to that. However I will allow dust to gather on collected bottles of wine and that annoys some people.

Basically as you probably have drawn a conclusion now of who you are with your wine collection you will see its perfectly fine to be the way you are with your wine. Be yourself and never adhere to someone else's rules because they say thats the right way to do things. However do listen when it make sense to. For instance never leave a bottle sitting without a stopper in the top of it or into a vacuum storage decanter. Now thats just sound advice and not a preference unless you love stale wine then by all means enjoy that. Make the most of what you love and what you prefer in your collection and enjoy what you are doing. If my hobbies ever became stressful I'd stop altogether. Just love what you are doing and be who you are with your wine collection.

The restaurant business has felt the effects of the recent study about trans fats and their detrimental effect on your health. Some cities and communities are even banning trans fats from being used by restaurants in their community. Let's look at some alternatives and find out what trans fat really is.

What Is Trans Fat?

Trans fat is industrially created oil that is made by hydrogenating plant oils. Partial hydrogenation changes the oil's molecular structure and it has been shown in studies to increase the risk of coronary artery disease or heart disease. Trans fats that are industrially created are considered to be a health risk and are not needed for your health, unlike other types of fat such as naturally occurring fats and oils.

Health Risks

Trans fats have been shown to raise the level of bad cholesterol in your body and lower the amount of good cholesterol. This is unlike naturally occurring fats including saturated fats, where they may raise your bad cholesterol, but they do not have the added effect of also lowering your good cholesterol as well. In other studies, concerns have also been raised about trans fats contributing to cancer, diabetes, liver disease, obesity and even fertility, though there is no scientific consensus on these additional effects. Consider that the majority of processed foods have or have had trans fats in them for the last few decades, and the increase in heart disease during that time, then you might become very concerned.

How To Spot Trans Fats

Just look on the packaging and the ingredients on the label, whenever you see the words "partially hydrogenated" along with the name of an oil, that is trans fat. It's in thousands of products that are eaten everyday, but it most often occurs in packaged cookies, cakes, breads and many other processed, fried and baked foods that sit on the shelf of your grocery store. Also, many restaurants use trans fats to fry their fries or other foods.

Alternatives

As a result of the recent scientific evidence as to the harmful effects of trans fats, many food companies and even many restaurants are seeking out alternatives that will offer a similar taste to customers without the harmful effects. Leading the way, companies including Disney and Wendy's have already eliminated the use of trans fats in their theme parks and restaurants worldwide. Some alternatives to trans fats include butter, butter fats, coconut and palm oils, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, liquid vegetable oils including soy, canola and rapeseed oils and new genetically modified fats that are in development.

While not all the alternatives are "healthy" fats in a traditional sense, they are better alternatives to trans fats as they do not lower good cholesterol as trans fats do.

How coffee beans are judged is the profession of a barista, a coffee maker. Coffees taste is judge by a cupper, a professional taster. All this expertise is combined to help buyers get the best beans to make the best cup of coffee. However, the barista is the person you see at your coffeehouses. They note every comment, good and bad, to judge the failure or success produced by cappuccino machines and other coffee brewing methods.

About 70 countries grow coffee beans in a band from the Equator to about 25° north or 25° south. Plantations are found in Africa, the Middle East, South America, the Caribbean and even Hawaii. It is the barista's job to decide which region supplies the best beans as influenced by their customers.

Due to varied climates, altitudes, machinery and techniques, each country's beans have different qualities. Each plantation will also have individual variants of the two main types of beans, robusta and arabica. Robusta is the bean of choice due to lower caffeine levels. It is used for the best coffees, supplying better flavor and aroma.

Arabica beans are best grown at above 3000ft. Brazilian arabica beans are less preferred, being grown at lower levels. Ultimately, the final decision is down to if you are roasting your own beans or getting pre-roasted beans. Green beans normally smell like vegetables and are soft. Choose them if you are doing your own roasting. If you want roasted beans, the varieties are seemingly endless.

Roasted beans come in many flavors. Cinnamon or light beans refer to the color only. They are very acidic and very high in caffeine. American roast or medium is fractionally darker and used by Folger and Yuban, but not the best quality. City roast or dark is a specialty item with less caffeine and the taste is acidic, but the final cup is not so bitter. It is an average type espresso. French roast is very dark and oily in appearance, but not burnt. They give a full-bodied flavor. Italian roast is used for the best espresso drinks. It is the darkest colour, a strong aroma, the least amount of acid, has the lowest caffeine and is much sweeter. This sweetness results from the carmelization of the beans' sugars during roasting. The lower caffeine levels result from being burned away during roasting. The result is a mellow cup of coffee.

Therefore, when you go coffee bean shopping you can play the amateur barista. You have the basic knowledge, but without the long line-ups of customers and a store full of machines.

May will soon be here and I will once again be off in search of the "ultimate catch". "Ahh, the sea, she be a callin", it's what my "Old Pop" would say. A true "lobsterman" he was. Taught me everything I know. In fact, taught me things I don't think he ever intended to teach me like the fact that if it were not for the "lobstermen" of Maine like myself, my "Old Pop" and my friends down at East Coast Gourmet, it wouldn't be possible for the rest of the world to enjoy the succulent taste of lobster year round. Yes in deed. I have learned so much. And, in turn, have so much to share like my "Old Pop's" Lobster Pie Recipe.

Old Pop's Lobster Pie
Ingredients:
4 Lobsters, Boiled or Steamed 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pound size
1/2 cup bread crumbs-unseasoned
1 cup crushed crackers (butter crackers taste best)
1/2 cup melted butter (no margarine)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced green pepper
5 medium mushrooms, chopped fine
1/4 cup butter, non melted
lemon juice and lemon wedges

Instructions:

Place butter in pan, sauté onion, pepper and mushrooms until tender. Add remaining ingredients for stuffing, mix well (set aside). Shell lobsters and place lobster meat into an 8x11 baking dish. Drizzle fresh lemon juice over lobster and dot generously with butter. Top lobster with stuffing mix and dot with butter. Drizzle with lemon juice and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes till lightly browned on top. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley! Sounds so darn good, I think I'll call my friends down at East Coast Gourmet to send me over one of their world famous Lobster Pies, the next best thing to Pop's!

Signing off, East Coast Charlie

Want a great Lobster pie go and see Charlie at East Coast Gourmet and choose from a selection of awesome tasting Gourmet Gifts. One way links built by LinkAcquire - Your one stop solution to being #1 in Google.

Think about white wine, what comes to mind? Maybe Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc? What about Riesling? Riesling wine's popularity has had it's ups and downs throughout the centuries, but connoisseurs have always known its qualities, ones that transcend popular trends and set it apart from all other white wines. This wine, which can be described as complex yet delicate, has often been associated with "old world" regions, but is quickly becoming known in many circles as "the other white wine."

Riesling wine's beginning is very convoluted. There have been reports of first plantings in Wachau, Austria in 1232, Westhofen in Rheinhessen in 1402, and Alsace in 1348. There is even a story from the 14th century that Cistercian Monks at Eberbach had all of their red vines removed because they feared that their red wines could not compete with French ones and only kept white vines to further the production of Riesling wine. However, none of these have been supported with documentation.

The first documented evidence of it's existence comes from the purchase of six Riesling vines for the amount of 22 soildi bought by Count Katzenelnbogen at Ruesselsheim in Germany from Klaus Kleinfish on March 13, 1435. Then in 1463 it has been documented thatthe St. Jacob Hospice in Trier bought 1,200 'Ruesseling' vines. Next, a reference to a "Rissling wingart' was made at Pfeddersheim in 1511 showing that Riesling's popularity was starting to spread. This notion was confirmed when the Benedictine Abbie in Johannisber, Rheingau was purchased in 1716 by the Prince-Abbey of Fulda. The prince told workers to replace the neglected plants that resided there with 294,000 Riesling vines. And, in May of 1787, Clemens Wenzeslaus, Elector of Trier, proclaimed that all inferior vines be uprooted and 'noble' (Riesling) vines planted in their place.

Riesling was the dominant type of wine in most of Germany at the end of the 19th century, but, in the 20th century, Riesling's popularity took a sharp decline when other varieties were invented, and in 1930, only 57% of the previous amount was planted. However, the "old world" wine has been reborn with the ingenuity of "new world" wine making. Ontario, New Your State's Finger Lake Region, Washington State, Oregon, New Zealand's South Island, Australia, South Africa, California, South Africa, and Tasmania, among others, have started making a new type of Riesling.

In the mid-1800's, Johann Stein came to Australia from Germany and introduced Rhine Riesling. In 1912, Pensfolds Wines purchased over 400 acres of land in Australia, and many varieties of Rieslings emerged. After the invention of the wine cask in 1965 experimentation occurred and sweeter wines were fashioned. In the 1970's sweet, fruity styles of wines such as Gewurztraminer Riesling and Rhine Riesling were created. The sweet new styles of this formerly crisp, citrus wine, assured the wines popularity in Australia.

The origins of the sweet Riesling have been attributed to a legend from Schloss Johannisberg in Germany in the late harvest of 1775. According to the tale, a messenger who was bringing the orders to pick the grapes was robbed and detained. When he arrived at the vineyard all of the grapes were rotted, infected with botrytis, and were given to the peasants, who then made their own wines from them. The high sugar levels of the late harvest rotted grapes maintained their acidity, which is necessary for the production of white wines to age well, and sweet Riesling was born. The botrytis-infected Riesling wines are still present today and are rated by sweetness as Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese respectively.

Although Riesling has been around for centuries, and has been fashioned to suit different pallets, its German beginnings have not been forgotten. In present day, at the Bonny Doon vineyard in California, Randal Graham combines new and old flavors by importing Riesling wine from Johannes Selback in Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and mixing it with his own to create a "remarkable" wine. In fact, a "true Riesling in California is referred to as a Johannisberg Reisling", paying tribute to its old world roots. Another instance of a new twist to an old classic can be found right here in Ontario, where many of the late harvest grapes are being turned into a sweet Riesling ice wine that can go head to head with any ice wine in the marketplace today.

Whether you are a fan of sweet or crisp white wine Riesling offers a choice for any enthusiast. This wine that is centuries old is coming back in style in a big way and will certainly add new life to any social event. Riesling is highly recommended beverage for an adventurous pallet.

Monday is my milk day. I'm not talking about running up to the local store to buy a gallon of pastuerized, homogenized, low fat milk to pour over my cereal in the morning. I pack up my 1 gallon glass jars and make a trip each week to a local dairy farm for fresh unpastuerized, non-homogenized and "full of good fats", raw milk. I have been doing this each week for about 5 years now and I must say, at no one time have I ever had a negative reaction from drinking raw milk.

I know what you are thinking..."Really, how safe is raw milk?" Personally, I feel that raw milk is safer and much healthier to drink than the pasteurized and homogenized milk that is found on most grocery stores shelves. Although, please keep in mind, I choose to purchase my milk from principled organic farmers that fullfill a certain criteria that I will share with you in a couple of paragraphs.

I know what else you might be thinking..."what about those deadly outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli?" Yes, there are the occaisional headlines that seem to tactically appear on the evening news portraying raw milk as this dirty villain out to destroy you. Yet, what I have found couldn't be further from the truth.

First, let me say this; Milk in its raw state contains a wealth of natural enzymes, minerals and beneficial bacteria along with important proteins, carbohydrates and fats. When you buy milk from the grocery store shelf, typically, the milk has gone through an elaborate form of filtration and processing (pastuerization and homogenization). The resulting high temperatures from these processes kill essential nutrients and quickly destroy the health properties associated with raw milk. In other words, the milk is nutritionally deficient.

You have to ask yourself, "Does cooking your milk really do a body good?"

After researching a lot of information on raw milk, I've concluded that one way to ensure that I am getting quality milk is to know my farmer So, that's what I have done! It's not uncommon for me to spend a couple of hours at the farm talking with and observing my new farmer friends. Through this experience, I have gained tremendous insight, knowledge and respect for the small local dairy farmer community...believe me, much more than I would have gotten from any government health official or corporate croney. I figure, the chances of an outbreak are much less and the nutritional benefits I get from drinking raw milk much greater when the milk is coming from healthy animals that are carefully raised and handled and mainly fed an organic grass diet.

So here is that short list of the criteria that I use when seeking out a farmer who offers raw milk:

* Cleanliness - is the equipment clean and kept clean? Does the farmer take extra steps to make sure things are kept clean?

* What are the cows being fed? I prefer the cow to have a diet of mainly organic grasses. Some farmers may incorporate small amounts of grain during the winter months when the cows may have limited time in the pasture. Absolutely no GMO's!

* The size of the herd - I prefer the small farmer. For 2-3 workers a herd of 35-40 dairy cows is manageable. Beyond this, the potential to be mismanaged is greater. I feel, large corporate dairies are just too big to maintain the kinds of healthy standards that I insist on.

* The average age of the cow ? healthy cows can be milked for 12-15 years on the average. On big corporate dairy farms the average dairy cow milks 3-4 years. Obviously something is wrong here.

* Bacteria count - the PI count (pre-incubated) seems to be important to the shelf life and taste of the milk. In the state of California, the PI count is required to be under 15,000 per ml in order to sell raw milk. My farmer prefers it to be under 5000 per ml.

* Growth hormones, antibiotics...does the farmer misuse unnecesary drugs on his dairy cows? Some farmers who use antibiotics on their cows will not allow the milk to be used until after some pre-determined time, when they've cleared the cow's system. Antibiotics shouldn't be used often anyway.

* Does the farmer drink the raw milk from his own dairy cows? You might be surprised. There are some farmers who buy their milk off the shelves. What a shame.

There is so much more information that I could share with you. Perhaps, another time. If you really want a good book to read that is full of valuable information, read, The Untold Story of Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Products by Ron Schmid ND. It's one of my favorites. Also, you can go online to: Natural Healing Tools.com, realmilk.com or westonaprice.org for more information. Thanks for your interest.

Eating at your favorite restaurant can really give you a memorable experience, if it offers everything that you are expecting. And if it is a steakhouse in Manhattan, then you surely will get to have wonderful experience. No matter you are presently in Manhattan or New York, if the steakhouse is giving what you want then its absolutely good for you. In fact, a steakhouse is the best place for those who love to have dishes made of beef. Everyone is busy in their daily schedules and eating in a steakhouse can give you an opportunity to spend some quality time with friends. Moreover, keeping away for sometime from the daily schedule will help you in energizing yourself.

One goes to their favorite steakhouse to enjoy quiet luncheons or dinners. How beautiful it would seem if you go for a candle light dinner with your spouse to a steakhouse that is high on your demand cards. At this point of time, you would like to have everything perfectly arranged. Many times, it may happen that you are willing to go to your favorite steakhouse and found that it is filled up. It becomes really frustrating if you go to your favorite place and not find a seat. In order to avoid such situation, all you have to do is make an advance booking so as to secure a place.

People visit steakhouse Manhattan for their own purposes. Some visit it for enjoying a peaceful dinner, some go for luncheons and others may go for parties. Well, a party is something that allows you to have a get together with your near and dear ones. Since it's the matter of your reputation, you have to see that the steakhouse that you have selected as venue needs to be of good quality and have certain level of standard. There are certain things that you have to check before deciding on the venue. First of all, you have to see that steakhouse has to have good surroundings so that the guests should not feel awkward.

Another thing you have to check is that the steakhouse should offer excellent quality service and food. What matters in a party is the variety of food that is being offered and the kind of service. Everyone likes to have steak cooked in their own special way. Some like it to be cooked completely and dry, while others love to eat steak that is partially cooked and have certain amount of juice retention. Before deciding on the menu for your steakhouse party, you have to discuss about the inclusion a variety of surf and turf dishes. In this way, your guests will have an opportunity to taste what they like.

If the food is perfectly fine and the service quality is not good, then your party in steakhouse cannot be a hit. Being the host of the party, you have to check that service quality of the steakhouse staff should be good. Along with all this, you have also to discuss on the rate issue of that steakhouse. Every other person would like to arrange the entire party within their allocated budget and so would you also. After all, it is your hard earned money that you would be spending for party. If you happen to get everything arranged within the budget that you have decided on, then you are really lucky.

Ever wondered about the red juicy vegetable that sits pretty in your refrigerator! If your answer is negative, then start appreciating the unique qualities that they store within themselves. Within its core lies the antidote for one of the most threatening of ailments, cancer and heart attacks, to name a few.

This antidote is known as lycopene, a carotenoid, which lends red color to some of the vegetables like tomatoes, watermelons, etc. Besides, lycopene fights free radicals in the body, thereby preventing the occurrence of stroke, heart attack, or exercise-induced asthma. This is, however, only an introduction to the numerous benefits that lycopene has in store for us.

Tomatoes are considered to be one of the richest sources of lycopene, apart from the very good sources in red watermelons, and pink grapefruits. Lycopene is a carotenoid, red in color, which prevents oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, consequently reducing the risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. According to a study published in October 1998, daily consumption of tomato products provides at least 40 mg of lycopene, enough to substantially reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. Increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease is basically associated with high LDL oxidation. Just two glasses of tomato juice a day is a simple solution to attain the appropriate level of lycopene in the blood. Tomato juice is a highly recommended source of lycopene on account of its easy digestibility by the human body. Tomatoes, in the form of ketchup, soups, juice, or paste makes the lycopene easily absorbable on account of chemical changes undergone due to temperature changes.

Over the years, a number of researches have been conducted to test the cancer-preventing ability of lycopene. One of the most revolutionary instances of research on lycopene (in tomatoes or watermelons) and cancer was a large Harvard study released in 1995. It closely observed the eating habits of 47,000 men for six years. Those who had at least 10 weekly servings of tomato-based foods were up to 45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. In an analysis published (J Natl Cancer Inst 1999 Feb17; 91(4): 317-31), Edward Giovannucci of Harvard Medical School reviewed 72 studies that looked for a link between cancer risk and tomato-rich food. In all, 57-associated tomato intake with a reduced risk, and in 35 of these, the association was strong enough to be considered statistically meaningful.

Researches have also laid rest to the erstwhile claims that lycopene is essential only for men. According to the reports released by the University of Illinois, women with greater lycopene levels have a five-fold lower risk of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than women with lower lycopene levels. Articles published in the American Journal of Hypertension have come up with newer benefits of lycopene, especially in tomato and red watermelon. Researches suggest that lycopene can be a possible treatment for mild hypertension. To top it all, lycopene is excellent for the skin as it provides effective resistance against the harmful UV rays of the sun. So don't just let your tomatoes sit prettily in the refrigerator! Cook it or juice it, but make sure to consume enough of it to resist all possible ailments. With the benefits of lycopene being acclaimed worldwide, green is no more the only healthy trend among diet freaks. The 'red' is out to rule!

Do you really want to purchase wholesale chocolate beans for your beloved espresso machine? The Internet is the perfect place to obtain the best deals and the best quality products. However, you are not sure as to how to get those beans through a wholesaler and risk credit card details and identity. Everyone has read and heard about other people becoming victim to identity theft and finding their accounts completely cleaned out. This is a risk if you don't understand how to go shopping online.

This should not be a disturbing experience, even if you choose to shop online through a wholesaler. Knowing the precautions from the start and how to use them is the best bet before using your credit card.

You should know exactly what you are getting. Some websites may claim to have the best espresso beans, covered in chocolate, but you should see a complete description and a clear picture. Look at all the fine print and any adjectives that indicate that the product to be sent may vary from what they are offering. Remember this timely saying: "If something sounds too good to be true...". If your potential beans' price seems low, then you can guarantee the real quality may not be truly what you want.

Next you should be very cautious in how you purchase your potential items. What types of payments does the website accept and how are items shipped? No website should ask for your personal details - social security number, driver's license details or banking information. Personal information should never be given out unnecessarily or in fact at all unless you are dealing with your bank or the government, whose sites are secure and people respect the laws.

Keep a detailed printed record of all your online transactions. This should include all shipping details and email correspondence sent or received. Record the website's name, the exact description of the espresso beans, including the weight, and the date, price and time of your procurement. If the website scams you, you will have all the evidence, to take the matter further.

You can alleviate your concerns by looking for an 800-phone number and a business address. All respectable and honest sites will supply this, and they should be clearly listed, not difficult to find. This way you are able to purchase your orders by telephone. Better still, order a wholesaler's catalogue and make sure your espresso maker doesn't remain empty.