Dec 4, 2007
Where Does Coffee Come From? From Bean to Cup! by Linden Walhard
The coffee bean is my favorite variety of bean! It's grown on a tree which is grown in over 70 different countries. Considering the number of countries this tree is grown in, it's amazing how picky it is when it's growing! It needs very specific conditions to produce high quality beans.
Now the swat among you will point out that what we know as a coffee bean isn't actually a bean, it's a seed. But I'm sorry if you know that you should go out more! It's like the people that tell you a tomato is a fruit, does it matter?!
The coffee bean is actually the seed contained in a fruit which grows on very tall trees, these trees can grow higher than twenty feet quite easily. There are a number of wild varieties that will grow even higher. There are many different types of coffee tree all producing a different seed/bean.
Coffee production is at its most intensive around the equator as these provide the ideal conditions to grow perfect crops. Ideal temperatures for coffee are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall should be over six inches a month.
The trees also require quick draining soil and humidity helps to produce good crops. This is why coffee is commonly grown in elevated locations over 3000 ft to get the best crop possible. However coffee grown at these levels will be more expensive because there is less oxygen, which means the coffee takes longer to mature.
There are a number of different trees used to grow coffee, however the cultivated coffea canephora is the one in biggest use. This is because it can grow at lower heights above sea level, and it is also much more hardy. However if you are a bit of a coffee nut and have the anorak to prove it then you might enjoy the gourmet coffea arabica variety which is grown at higher altitudes.
Indirect light and light winds are beneficial and so sometimes these conditions are created by planting the trees in a sheltered area.
Once a tree is planted it takes around five years before it will yield its first fruit, then you can expect to get a crop for around 1kg of coffee per tree, that's nothing!
Two pounds worth of coffee is around 2,000 beans all of which are normally picked completely by hand. This is hard manual labor, however that does not mean it's easy. Harvesting coffee is a bit of a science as they have to know which beans they should discard, they do this looking at each one in turn. This is the reason why coffee is so darn expensive!
Coffee trees have large wide green leaves and have beautiful flowers that look a little like Jasmine. If the tree is grown along the equator then it can have ripe beans and unripe beans at the same time, this can make harvesting the crop much more difficult.
From flowering to being able to harvest can take up to nine months, but this does depend on the weather and where the tree is located. This will happen every year until the tree dies, it normally lives for 20-25 years. The best crop you can expect will be about 3,000kg to 4,000kg per hectare of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres if you wanted to know)
The trees are often grown in very inaccessible locations and so the berries (which contain the beans) are brought down by hand to be processed. Coffee is believe it or not the worlds second largest commodity.
Coffee takes a long time to get into your cup, give it some thought next time you sit down for your cuppa! It is expensive, but hopefully it's worth it.
The coffee bean is my favorite variety of bean! It's grown on a tree which is grown in over 70 different countries. Considering the number of countries this tree is grown in, it's amazing how picky it is when it's growing! It needs very specific conditions to produce high quality beans.
Now the swat among you will point out that what we know as a coffee bean isn't actually a bean, it's a seed. But I'm sorry if you know that you should go out more! It's like the people that tell you a tomato is a fruit, does it matter?!
The coffee bean is actually the seed contained in a fruit which grows on very tall trees, these trees can grow higher than twenty feet quite easily. There are a number of wild varieties that will grow even higher. There are many different types of coffee tree all producing a different seed/bean.
Coffee production is at its most intensive around the equator as these provide the ideal conditions to grow perfect crops. Ideal temperatures for coffee are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall should be over six inches a month.
The trees also require quick draining soil and humidity helps to produce good crops. This is why coffee is commonly grown in elevated locations over 3000 ft to get the best crop possible. However coffee grown at these levels will be more expensive because there is less oxygen, which means the coffee takes longer to mature.
There are a number of different trees used to grow coffee, however the cultivated coffea canephora is the one in biggest use. This is because it can grow at lower heights above sea level, and it is also much more hardy. However if you are a bit of a coffee nut and have the anorak to prove it then you might enjoy the gourmet coffea arabica variety which is grown at higher altitudes.
Indirect light and light winds are beneficial and so sometimes these conditions are created by planting the trees in a sheltered area.
Once a tree is planted it takes around five years before it will yield its first fruit, then you can expect to get a crop for around 1kg of coffee per tree, that's nothing!
Two pounds worth of coffee is around 2,000 beans all of which are normally picked completely by hand. This is hard manual labor, however that does not mean it's easy. Harvesting coffee is a bit of a science as they have to know which beans they should discard, they do this looking at each one in turn. This is the reason why coffee is so darn expensive!
Coffee trees have large wide green leaves and have beautiful flowers that look a little like Jasmine. If the tree is grown along the equator then it can have ripe beans and unripe beans at the same time, this can make harvesting the crop much more difficult.
From flowering to being able to harvest can take up to nine months, but this does depend on the weather and where the tree is located. This will happen every year until the tree dies, it normally lives for 20-25 years. The best crop you can expect will be about 3,000kg to 4,000kg per hectare of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres if you wanted to know)
The trees are often grown in very inaccessible locations and so the berries (which contain the beans) are brought down by hand to be processed. Coffee is believe it or not the worlds second largest commodity.
Coffee takes a long time to get into your cup, give it some thought next time you sit down for your cuppa! It is expensive, but hopefully it's worth it.
How to Prepare Excellent Soup by Jimmy Cox
Most good soups require a very long time to prepare. There are, however, a number of things one can do to already prepared soups to make them much better, and there are several ways of combining two or more commercial soups which will make the final product a thing of beauty and, if not a joy forever, at least a joy every time you taste it.
Cheese Soup - Serves 6
This is a rich, thick, full-bodied soup, ideal for luncheon on cold days, or for supper following an afternoon's skating or other cold-weather sport. It is also a fine dish to serve after a late party when the host, hostess, and a few favored guests sit down to rest and to a little snack before closing up the affair finally. If you wish to use it as a cream soup preceding a meal rather than as a meal itself, dilute it just before serving with a little hot milk. This soup is not for calorie counters.
3 pints mil 2 cloves garlic 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cups dry white wine 2 cups sharp cheese, grated
Scald the milk and gash the garlic. Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and blend into a roux, cooking over a low fire for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the scalded milk to the roux, blending it well to avoid lumps. Add the garlic. Have the water boiling in the lower half of the double boiler, place the top half over it, and cook covered for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat the egg yolks lightly with the cream or mix in a swirl mixer. Remove the garlic. Add salt, pepper, cumin, the white wine, and the grated cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Add the egg yolks and cream, and continue to cook and stir for three or four minutes. Serve in soup cups, each garnished with a small sprig of parsley.
French bread, a little dark as to crust, or crusty hot rolls should be served with the soup.
Clam Mongole - Serves 4
This recipe is a variation of and, I think, an improvement on a very well-known soup: Puree Mongole. Recipes for Puree Mongole vary but little, and are based on combining tomato and green pea soups in equal quantities. The use of condensed cream of tomato and cream of pea makes this a quick and easy dish for the harassed chef, or for one who is not. The combination is usually diluted by the addition of water, or water and consomme.
The result is a rich, filling, and pleasant brew which can be served as part of an elaborate meal, or will make, with the addition of a salad, an acceptable light luncheon. Clam Mongole is even better suited to the latter purpose, and is, at the same time, an unusual and appealing soup course for a dinner. The use of milk in the following recipe will give you a thicker and richer blend. You may, of course, control the consistency of the final product by varying the quantity of milk or water.
1 tin condensed cream of tomato soup 1 tin condensed pea soup 1 tin minced clams 1 cup water or milk 4 dashes scotch bonnet
Place the two soups in a saucepan, drain the clams, and add the juice to the soups. Over a low fire and using a wire whisk, stir the mixture until it is smooth. Gradually add the other liquid, stirring all the while. When the soup has reached the consistency you like, add the clams and bring to a boil, but do not let boil. Add the Scotch Bonnet, stir well, and serve at once, very hot. Carr's Table Water Biscuits make an ideal accompaniment.
Either of these soups will be a welcome addition to your table.
Most good soups require a very long time to prepare. There are, however, a number of things one can do to already prepared soups to make them much better, and there are several ways of combining two or more commercial soups which will make the final product a thing of beauty and, if not a joy forever, at least a joy every time you taste it.
Cheese Soup - Serves 6
This is a rich, thick, full-bodied soup, ideal for luncheon on cold days, or for supper following an afternoon's skating or other cold-weather sport. It is also a fine dish to serve after a late party when the host, hostess, and a few favored guests sit down to rest and to a little snack before closing up the affair finally. If you wish to use it as a cream soup preceding a meal rather than as a meal itself, dilute it just before serving with a little hot milk. This soup is not for calorie counters.
3 pints mil 2 cloves garlic 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cups dry white wine 2 cups sharp cheese, grated
Scald the milk and gash the garlic. Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and blend into a roux, cooking over a low fire for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the scalded milk to the roux, blending it well to avoid lumps. Add the garlic. Have the water boiling in the lower half of the double boiler, place the top half over it, and cook covered for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat the egg yolks lightly with the cream or mix in a swirl mixer. Remove the garlic. Add salt, pepper, cumin, the white wine, and the grated cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Add the egg yolks and cream, and continue to cook and stir for three or four minutes. Serve in soup cups, each garnished with a small sprig of parsley.
French bread, a little dark as to crust, or crusty hot rolls should be served with the soup.
Clam Mongole - Serves 4
This recipe is a variation of and, I think, an improvement on a very well-known soup: Puree Mongole. Recipes for Puree Mongole vary but little, and are based on combining tomato and green pea soups in equal quantities. The use of condensed cream of tomato and cream of pea makes this a quick and easy dish for the harassed chef, or for one who is not. The combination is usually diluted by the addition of water, or water and consomme.
The result is a rich, filling, and pleasant brew which can be served as part of an elaborate meal, or will make, with the addition of a salad, an acceptable light luncheon. Clam Mongole is even better suited to the latter purpose, and is, at the same time, an unusual and appealing soup course for a dinner. The use of milk in the following recipe will give you a thicker and richer blend. You may, of course, control the consistency of the final product by varying the quantity of milk or water.
1 tin condensed cream of tomato soup 1 tin condensed pea soup 1 tin minced clams 1 cup water or milk 4 dashes scotch bonnet
Place the two soups in a saucepan, drain the clams, and add the juice to the soups. Over a low fire and using a wire whisk, stir the mixture until it is smooth. Gradually add the other liquid, stirring all the while. When the soup has reached the consistency you like, add the clams and bring to a boil, but do not let boil. Add the Scotch Bonnet, stir well, and serve at once, very hot. Carr's Table Water Biscuits make an ideal accompaniment.
Either of these soups will be a welcome addition to your table.
Vegetarian Recipes - A Way To Eating Healthy by Kelvin Hall
More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Subscribing to vegetarian magazines, scouring newspaper food sections, and visiting veggie websites will bring you a respectable number of recipes, but it's more convenient to have hundreds and hundreds in one place.
Including a few vegetarian recipes into your diet can quickly improve how you feel and can be part of an overall health plan that will improve your life. And contrary to popular belief, these recipes are full of the taste and enjoyment of many other foods you eat. Incorporating vegetarian recipes into any diet will bring variety and give healthy eating options. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. Such treats as squash with tofu, vegetarian paella, and baked figs with dried fruit and anisette may well convert some confirmed carnivores to part-time vegetarians. Many of these recipes cook faster than those made with meat.
As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.
Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new. Whether you are choosing to eat vegetarian dishes as a permanent diet or as part of a healthier lifestyle, Vegetarian Recipes is packed with ideas to tempt the most committed carnivore.
More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Subscribing to vegetarian magazines, scouring newspaper food sections, and visiting veggie websites will bring you a respectable number of recipes, but it's more convenient to have hundreds and hundreds in one place.
Including a few vegetarian recipes into your diet can quickly improve how you feel and can be part of an overall health plan that will improve your life. And contrary to popular belief, these recipes are full of the taste and enjoyment of many other foods you eat. Incorporating vegetarian recipes into any diet will bring variety and give healthy eating options. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. Such treats as squash with tofu, vegetarian paella, and baked figs with dried fruit and anisette may well convert some confirmed carnivores to part-time vegetarians. Many of these recipes cook faster than those made with meat.
As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.
Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new. Whether you are choosing to eat vegetarian dishes as a permanent diet or as part of a healthier lifestyle, Vegetarian Recipes is packed with ideas to tempt the most committed carnivore.
HOW TO EAT by Godstime Oge
HOW TO EAT It should be noted that not only must foods be chosen wisely, but they should be eaten wisely. Digestion of food can be greatly improved if the following rules are followed; 1 EAT REGULARLY Eat at least three times a day. Never skip a meal and more importantly eat a good breakfast. If you have to eat between meals, eat anything to quell your hunger without sugar or fat. 2 EAT SLOWLY Each mouthful should be chewed slowly and thoroughly without any rush or hurry. The taste of the food should be such that each mouthful can be enjoyed as a pleasure to be prolonged. 3 DO NOT DRINK WITH THE MOUTHFUL OF FOODS This habit has the effect of washing down unchewed food. Food in a lumpy state may damage the lining of the stomach. Drink also dilutes the gastric juices and so interferes with digestion. Iced drinks are especially bad in this regard. 4 RELAX YOUR BODY AND MIND The whole body and mind should be rested and relaxed during a meal. Digestion is interfered with if the person is physically tired or mentally agitated. Put your fork down between each bite. 5 THE SURROUNDING MUST BE ATTRACTIVE The table linen, crockery and cutlery should be clean and show contentment. Bad manners or dirty habits have a bad effect on people with any sense of decency.
A consistent use/or application of the above tips will help to aid proper digestion of the food you eat. For more information CLICK HERE
HOW TO EAT It should be noted that not only must foods be chosen wisely, but they should be eaten wisely. Digestion of food can be greatly improved if the following rules are followed; 1 EAT REGULARLY Eat at least three times a day. Never skip a meal and more importantly eat a good breakfast. If you have to eat between meals, eat anything to quell your hunger without sugar or fat. 2 EAT SLOWLY Each mouthful should be chewed slowly and thoroughly without any rush or hurry. The taste of the food should be such that each mouthful can be enjoyed as a pleasure to be prolonged. 3 DO NOT DRINK WITH THE MOUTHFUL OF FOODS This habit has the effect of washing down unchewed food. Food in a lumpy state may damage the lining of the stomach. Drink also dilutes the gastric juices and so interferes with digestion. Iced drinks are especially bad in this regard. 4 RELAX YOUR BODY AND MIND The whole body and mind should be rested and relaxed during a meal. Digestion is interfered with if the person is physically tired or mentally agitated. Put your fork down between each bite. 5 THE SURROUNDING MUST BE ATTRACTIVE The table linen, crockery and cutlery should be clean and show contentment. Bad manners or dirty habits have a bad effect on people with any sense of decency.
A consistent use/or application of the above tips will help to aid proper digestion of the food you eat. For more information CLICK HERE
A Modern Day Christmas Story - A Time For Giving by Donna Hager
I found myself daydreaming about past Christmas'. Remembering my two small boys, excitement filling their eyes, as we trimmed the tree and they talked about a visit from Santa, leaving cookies out for the jolly old man and carrots for his reindeer and shopping with their small savings for gifts for each other.
I remember Christmas morning in church and I remember always being surrounded by loved ones during the entire holiday season. How blessed I was to have my family and friends and God in my life.
This started me thinking about ways to "give back" for all the blessings I enjoyed. But what could I do?
Being a small restaurant owner left very little time for anything else in my life. My husband, one of my sisters who worked at the restaurant, my Chef and I got together to discuss ideas and finally we came to the conclusion that we could do what we did best and what we did everyday - serve food.
There were a number of homeless and needy people in my small town; a few even enjoyed a cup of our soup slipped to them while passing by the back door of the restaurant. A plan began to come together ...we could serve Christmas dinner to families who were having difficult times. If we closed the restaurant early on Christmas Eve, we could serve them a Christmas dinner and still have family time afterward!
But who would help prepare the food and serve the food and do the dishes and cleanup ...all on Christmas Eve?
We posted a letter to the restaurant staff titled "A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" explaining our plan and asking for their help. In a matter of a couple of days we had more than enough volunteers to help prepare the food and serve it, wash dishes and clean up! "A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" had the employees excited and eager for the chance to give of themselves during the holiday season!
The next obstacle was how to obtain a list of people to invite and how to get the word out about the Christmas dinner.
Many of the restaurant customers attended local churches and those churches sponsored a free meal for the needy every Thursday evening. The restaurant always donated food or money to help with those dinners. Could they help us put together a guest list?
I met with the person in charge of those Thursday night dinners and was told they would be delighted to help with our Christmas dinner plan. The churches would put together a guest list and get the word out to the needy at their Thursday dinners.
When we received the guest list early in December, we found that many children would be among our dinner guests. My sister said, "We have to have gifts for the kids." She and some friends held a charity party every year to raise money for needy families and they decided to give part of that money for gifts for "our kids." The guest list included the age and sex of every child, so Sis was able to purchase appropriate gifts for each one.
Those that volunteered to serve Christmas dinner also asked if their children could help. Who could deny them the pleasure of serving others! The kids had the time of their lives serving the Chef's scrumptious roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie for dessert.
When every appetite was satisfied and folks lingered over coffee, my sister and her helpers presented wrapped gifts to every child. Every one of us was blessed when we saw each child's eyes light up with surprise and happiness. It is a very special feeling to bring a moment of joy and a full tummy to those in need.
The restaurant continued this Christmas Story - A Time For Giving every year thereafter. We never lacked for volunteers. Unfortunately we never lacked for needy guests, either. But it is a fabulous experience to have people in the community stop by or telephone to offer their help every year. As it turns out, there are many caring people who want to "give back," to share in a celebration of God's blessings to others.
"A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" is simply people helping people. It is what Christmas is really all about.
I found myself daydreaming about past Christmas'. Remembering my two small boys, excitement filling their eyes, as we trimmed the tree and they talked about a visit from Santa, leaving cookies out for the jolly old man and carrots for his reindeer and shopping with their small savings for gifts for each other.
I remember Christmas morning in church and I remember always being surrounded by loved ones during the entire holiday season. How blessed I was to have my family and friends and God in my life.
This started me thinking about ways to "give back" for all the blessings I enjoyed. But what could I do?
Being a small restaurant owner left very little time for anything else in my life. My husband, one of my sisters who worked at the restaurant, my Chef and I got together to discuss ideas and finally we came to the conclusion that we could do what we did best and what we did everyday - serve food.
There were a number of homeless and needy people in my small town; a few even enjoyed a cup of our soup slipped to them while passing by the back door of the restaurant. A plan began to come together ...we could serve Christmas dinner to families who were having difficult times. If we closed the restaurant early on Christmas Eve, we could serve them a Christmas dinner and still have family time afterward!
But who would help prepare the food and serve the food and do the dishes and cleanup ...all on Christmas Eve?
We posted a letter to the restaurant staff titled "A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" explaining our plan and asking for their help. In a matter of a couple of days we had more than enough volunteers to help prepare the food and serve it, wash dishes and clean up! "A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" had the employees excited and eager for the chance to give of themselves during the holiday season!
The next obstacle was how to obtain a list of people to invite and how to get the word out about the Christmas dinner.
Many of the restaurant customers attended local churches and those churches sponsored a free meal for the needy every Thursday evening. The restaurant always donated food or money to help with those dinners. Could they help us put together a guest list?
I met with the person in charge of those Thursday night dinners and was told they would be delighted to help with our Christmas dinner plan. The churches would put together a guest list and get the word out to the needy at their Thursday dinners.
When we received the guest list early in December, we found that many children would be among our dinner guests. My sister said, "We have to have gifts for the kids." She and some friends held a charity party every year to raise money for needy families and they decided to give part of that money for gifts for "our kids." The guest list included the age and sex of every child, so Sis was able to purchase appropriate gifts for each one.
Those that volunteered to serve Christmas dinner also asked if their children could help. Who could deny them the pleasure of serving others! The kids had the time of their lives serving the Chef's scrumptious roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie for dessert.
When every appetite was satisfied and folks lingered over coffee, my sister and her helpers presented wrapped gifts to every child. Every one of us was blessed when we saw each child's eyes light up with surprise and happiness. It is a very special feeling to bring a moment of joy and a full tummy to those in need.
The restaurant continued this Christmas Story - A Time For Giving every year thereafter. We never lacked for volunteers. Unfortunately we never lacked for needy guests, either. But it is a fabulous experience to have people in the community stop by or telephone to offer their help every year. As it turns out, there are many caring people who want to "give back," to share in a celebration of God's blessings to others.
"A Christmas Story - A Time For Giving" is simply people helping people. It is what Christmas is really all about.
Holiday Cooking: Traditional Christmas and Fourth Outdoors Ideas by Irene Maseko
Christmas is a time of year that brings friends and family together who may not have the pleasure of one another's company at any other time throughout the year. While family ties may be a bit difficult to maintain in the world in which we live today, the traditions of Christmas for many families is what keeps us grounded and in touch with one another no matter how far apart we are geographically. The problem is that if one person is doing the cooking for all, that person tends to spend endless hours in the kitchen and misses out on the joys of the company of others year after year. One way to avoid this is by rotating locations for the festivities from one year to the next. Another way, a much simpler way, is to delegate items of contribution from all guests in attendance each year so that the cooking and meal preparation duties are shared among the masses.
Turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas I've ever seen was lasagna. It was a Christmas Eve tradition but a delicious tradition just the same. There are "no right or wrong" traditions, only those traditions that work well for you and your family. If you feel the need to change a long-standing tradition for a large extended family by all means discuss it with everyone involved. Otherwise it is your tradition and you should feel free to make it your own.
And of course the great and almost perfect thing about Christmas traditions is that we pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don't have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family.
Make lists. Lists are wonderful things. If you learn to live by your lists you will wonder how on earth you ever got anything done without them. When you are planning your Christmas dinner right down everything you plan to have, who is bringing what, what you are making, and what ingredients will be needed to complete each and every single dish. Go through your pantry and see which items you have in abundance and which items you will need to prepare the meals. Head to the store at least a week ahead of the big day and purchase all but the fresh ingredients you will need in order to prepare your Christmas feast.
You should also make a list of decorations, invitations, and gifts or games you may need to purchase for the day too. You want your day to go as smoothly as possible and you want everyone to fill wanted, appreciated, and anticipated. It may be a great idea to pick up a couple of generic gifts for a male or female in case someone unexpected shows up (you really never know) and have extra wrapping paper and supplies on hand in case someone has an emergency rewrap (as in a kid opened a gift intended for someone else). Most importantly plan to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy as much of the festivities as possible.
Fourth outdoors ideas
It is fairly safe to say that for most of the country the weather on the fourth of July is going to be a little bit on the warm side. While there are exceptions to every rule this is the general rule of thumb. For this reason you should prepare your menu according to that and avoid foods that are going to melt quickly or will not look as appealing in warm weather. You should also take proper precautions for storage and keeping things from spoiling by leaving them out in the elements too long. Store as much of the food as possible until it is time to serve.
Foil packet meals are also excellent choices for your Fourth of July cookouts. These leave little mess, little fuss, and more often than not taste great. Dishes such as Hobo Stew and Creek Bank Potatoes are very popular and quite savory for the average cook out. They are also rather simple to prepare with few ingredients. This makes them an excellent choice for cooking on a grill or even in a Dutch oven if you have one at your disposal, which I highly recommend not only for Fourth of July meal preparations but also any time you are cooking in the great outdoors. You might find that you love it so much you don't want to do without it.
Christmas is a time of year that brings friends and family together who may not have the pleasure of one another's company at any other time throughout the year. While family ties may be a bit difficult to maintain in the world in which we live today, the traditions of Christmas for many families is what keeps us grounded and in touch with one another no matter how far apart we are geographically. The problem is that if one person is doing the cooking for all, that person tends to spend endless hours in the kitchen and misses out on the joys of the company of others year after year. One way to avoid this is by rotating locations for the festivities from one year to the next. Another way, a much simpler way, is to delegate items of contribution from all guests in attendance each year so that the cooking and meal preparation duties are shared among the masses.
Turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas I've ever seen was lasagna. It was a Christmas Eve tradition but a delicious tradition just the same. There are "no right or wrong" traditions, only those traditions that work well for you and your family. If you feel the need to change a long-standing tradition for a large extended family by all means discuss it with everyone involved. Otherwise it is your tradition and you should feel free to make it your own.
And of course the great and almost perfect thing about Christmas traditions is that we pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don't have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family.
Make lists. Lists are wonderful things. If you learn to live by your lists you will wonder how on earth you ever got anything done without them. When you are planning your Christmas dinner right down everything you plan to have, who is bringing what, what you are making, and what ingredients will be needed to complete each and every single dish. Go through your pantry and see which items you have in abundance and which items you will need to prepare the meals. Head to the store at least a week ahead of the big day and purchase all but the fresh ingredients you will need in order to prepare your Christmas feast.
You should also make a list of decorations, invitations, and gifts or games you may need to purchase for the day too. You want your day to go as smoothly as possible and you want everyone to fill wanted, appreciated, and anticipated. It may be a great idea to pick up a couple of generic gifts for a male or female in case someone unexpected shows up (you really never know) and have extra wrapping paper and supplies on hand in case someone has an emergency rewrap (as in a kid opened a gift intended for someone else). Most importantly plan to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy as much of the festivities as possible.
Fourth outdoors ideas
It is fairly safe to say that for most of the country the weather on the fourth of July is going to be a little bit on the warm side. While there are exceptions to every rule this is the general rule of thumb. For this reason you should prepare your menu according to that and avoid foods that are going to melt quickly or will not look as appealing in warm weather. You should also take proper precautions for storage and keeping things from spoiling by leaving them out in the elements too long. Store as much of the food as possible until it is time to serve.
Foil packet meals are also excellent choices for your Fourth of July cookouts. These leave little mess, little fuss, and more often than not taste great. Dishes such as Hobo Stew and Creek Bank Potatoes are very popular and quite savory for the average cook out. They are also rather simple to prepare with few ingredients. This makes them an excellent choice for cooking on a grill or even in a Dutch oven if you have one at your disposal, which I highly recommend not only for Fourth of July meal preparations but also any time you are cooking in the great outdoors. You might find that you love it so much you don't want to do without it.
What Do You Know About Italian Pasta and Pizza? by Penny Maseko
There are two main categories of pasta used in Italian food, dried pasta and fresh pasta. Right now there are over 350 different shapes and varieties of dried pasta being used in Italian food. Some varieties are common and others are specific to a certain regional area. The shapes used in Italian food can range from the classic tubes and strands to butterflies or bowties and even unique shapes such as tennis rackets. Italian food is taken very seriously in Italy and by law all dried pasta is required to be made with pure durum semolina flour and water. This standard is adhered to by most pasta makers all over the world and only this type of dried pasta is used in good quality Italian food.
The other form of pasta used in Italian food is fresh pasta. All pasta actually starts out as fresh pasta but certain pasta recipes require that the pasta be eaten fresh and soft, not dried. Fresh pasta is often made with slightly different ingredients than dried pasta. In the northern parts of Italy fresh pasta is most often made with all-purpose flour and eggs. However, the southern parts of Italy make their fresh pasta with semolina and water. It should be noted that different recipes can call for different variations. These different recipes give a distinct flavor to the Italian food of different regions. Some types of pasta are meant just to be eaten fresh, while others are meant to be dried. There are also some types of pasta that can be fresh or dried; it depends on what Italian food dish is being prepared.
When a variation of pasta can be either dried or fresh it is sometimes argued that the fresh style is best. Making fresh pasta is a point of pride for many Italian households and is reflected in the quality of the Italian food that they prepare.
Italians eat pasta then any other country in the world and is considered the cornerstone of Italian food.
On pizza
Italian food is unique amongst world cuisines in that it has birthed not one, but two international sensations. Of course I'm talking about pasta and pizza. Pizza is one of the most widely eaten foods today. While most people think of pizza in America as Italian food, it really is not like the pizza of authentic Italian food. It is said that with one taste of pizza made in the style of authentic Italian food, you will never go back to the Americanized version. Even when eating at Italian food restaurants it is hard to capture the distinguished taste of true Italian pizza.
So for real Italian food pizza it is necessary to step out of the confining ideas of just a few types of pizza and open your mind to the different possibilities. Italian food is full of variety and you could literally spend a year in Italy just trying all the different styles of pizza that made Italian food so universally popular.
There are two main categories of pasta used in Italian food, dried pasta and fresh pasta. Right now there are over 350 different shapes and varieties of dried pasta being used in Italian food. Some varieties are common and others are specific to a certain regional area. The shapes used in Italian food can range from the classic tubes and strands to butterflies or bowties and even unique shapes such as tennis rackets. Italian food is taken very seriously in Italy and by law all dried pasta is required to be made with pure durum semolina flour and water. This standard is adhered to by most pasta makers all over the world and only this type of dried pasta is used in good quality Italian food.
The other form of pasta used in Italian food is fresh pasta. All pasta actually starts out as fresh pasta but certain pasta recipes require that the pasta be eaten fresh and soft, not dried. Fresh pasta is often made with slightly different ingredients than dried pasta. In the northern parts of Italy fresh pasta is most often made with all-purpose flour and eggs. However, the southern parts of Italy make their fresh pasta with semolina and water. It should be noted that different recipes can call for different variations. These different recipes give a distinct flavor to the Italian food of different regions. Some types of pasta are meant just to be eaten fresh, while others are meant to be dried. There are also some types of pasta that can be fresh or dried; it depends on what Italian food dish is being prepared.
When a variation of pasta can be either dried or fresh it is sometimes argued that the fresh style is best. Making fresh pasta is a point of pride for many Italian households and is reflected in the quality of the Italian food that they prepare.
Italians eat pasta then any other country in the world and is considered the cornerstone of Italian food.
On pizza
Italian food is unique amongst world cuisines in that it has birthed not one, but two international sensations. Of course I'm talking about pasta and pizza. Pizza is one of the most widely eaten foods today. While most people think of pizza in America as Italian food, it really is not like the pizza of authentic Italian food. It is said that with one taste of pizza made in the style of authentic Italian food, you will never go back to the Americanized version. Even when eating at Italian food restaurants it is hard to capture the distinguished taste of true Italian pizza.
So for real Italian food pizza it is necessary to step out of the confining ideas of just a few types of pizza and open your mind to the different possibilities. Italian food is full of variety and you could literally spend a year in Italy just trying all the different styles of pizza that made Italian food so universally popular.
How many a day? by Janet Gomez
The inspiration for this article came from a reader who asked the following quick questions:
I often hear that about 7 servings of fruit and vegetable per day, but sometimes it is said 7 servings of fruit and 7 of vegetables, and sometimes 7 of both together.
7 servings of fruit and vegetables per day is an average that is recommended but if you can manage to eat more, that would be even better. However, there's more, much more. The British* talk about aiming for a target of 5 a day whereas the Canadians** recommend 7 and more a day for teenagers and adults.
Also, how much is one serving? One apple? A whole salad dish?
One serving is considered to be about 80g. For example, 1 apple or 2 plums or small fruit, a cereal/dessert bowl of salad or 3-4 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables. A glass of juice is also considered to be one portion although I would prefer to eat the fruit. And one portion of beans a day is also counted so if you're a vegetarian you're already automatically ahead. The British and Canadians agree on the portion sizes.
So if the portions are the same does this mean that the British are being encouraged to eat less healthily than their North American cousins or just less?
My comment would be that it depends on the quality of your fruit and vegetables. If you're growing them yourself or getting them for a local organic source you'll be getting more nutrients than if they are non-organic produce from the supermarket. These figures are general guidelines and should be treated as such.
So given the amounts it should be quite easy to meet these targets. How are you doing? Download my food sheet at http://www.nutrijyoti.com/links.htm (normally only given out to consultation clients) which has a fruits and vegetables section to help you keep track.
Finally, here are a couple of ideas for you to increase your fruit and vegetable intake
- Healthy snacks - fruit instead of biscuits or crisps (chips in North America). What's more, most nutritionists agree that fruit should be eaten away from meals rather than with meals. So all the more reason to have it as a snack.
- Having a portion with each meal breakfast - raisins or other dried fruit lunch - cooked vegetables and/or salad and/or beans/pulses dinner - cooked vegetables and/or salad and/or beans/pulses
Sources * Websites of National Health System and Department of Health**Websites of Public Health Agency of Canada
Copyright © 2007 Janet Gomez All rights reserved
The inspiration for this article came from a reader who asked the following quick questions:
I often hear that about 7 servings of fruit and vegetable per day, but sometimes it is said 7 servings of fruit and 7 of vegetables, and sometimes 7 of both together.
7 servings of fruit and vegetables per day is an average that is recommended but if you can manage to eat more, that would be even better. However, there's more, much more. The British* talk about aiming for a target of 5 a day whereas the Canadians** recommend 7 and more a day for teenagers and adults.
Also, how much is one serving? One apple? A whole salad dish?
One serving is considered to be about 80g. For example, 1 apple or 2 plums or small fruit, a cereal/dessert bowl of salad or 3-4 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables. A glass of juice is also considered to be one portion although I would prefer to eat the fruit. And one portion of beans a day is also counted so if you're a vegetarian you're already automatically ahead. The British and Canadians agree on the portion sizes.
So if the portions are the same does this mean that the British are being encouraged to eat less healthily than their North American cousins or just less?
My comment would be that it depends on the quality of your fruit and vegetables. If you're growing them yourself or getting them for a local organic source you'll be getting more nutrients than if they are non-organic produce from the supermarket. These figures are general guidelines and should be treated as such.
So given the amounts it should be quite easy to meet these targets. How are you doing? Download my food sheet at http://www.nutrijyoti.com/links.htm (normally only given out to consultation clients) which has a fruits and vegetables section to help you keep track.
Finally, here are a couple of ideas for you to increase your fruit and vegetable intake
- Healthy snacks - fruit instead of biscuits or crisps (chips in North America). What's more, most nutritionists agree that fruit should be eaten away from meals rather than with meals. So all the more reason to have it as a snack.
- Having a portion with each meal breakfast - raisins or other dried fruit lunch - cooked vegetables and/or salad and/or beans/pulses dinner - cooked vegetables and/or salad and/or beans/pulses
Sources * Websites of National Health System and Department of Health**Websites of Public Health Agency of Canada
Copyright © 2007 Janet Gomez All rights reserved
How To Lose Weight Naturally by Melinda Grossman
Many people want to learn how to lose weight naturally. There is new interest in finding ways to help the body help itself without the use of harsh drugs and pre-packaged programs.
There are a few examples of how to lose weight naturally that are common sense. People who eat breakfast usually eat less during the day. Make it a high fiber and low fat breakfast, and you have made it more natural. Drinking water is also good for dieters, as everyone knows, but you may need more than 64 ounces (some studies seem to contradict this, but generally, more water is better).
Then there's your choice of foods. For natural weight loss, one place to start is with foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. You should eat fruits and vegetables in variety and abundance. Generally, whole grains are better than "refined" anything, but be sure to check the label for other "non-natural" additives like high-fructose corn syrup.
Other methods of losing weight naturally are not well known outside of "alternate health" circles. For example, some studies show that dieting can slow the functioning of the thyroid gland in some people. Sea vegetables such as kelp, which are rich in iodine, can correct this problem.
For those learning how to lose weight naturally, there are many herbs and supplements to help. According to the latest research, three of them - St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, and evening primrose oil - signal the production and release of serotonin. This suppresses the appetite and lifts the mood.
Some supplements that enhance metabolism are L-Carnitine, L-Glutamine, L-Tyrosine, and L-Phenylalanine. Your metabolism will also be boosted by cayenne, mustard, ginger, or horseradish. The key here is natural herbs, spices and supplements, not chemically-engineered ones (read the label!).
Speaking of supplements, there are several that, according to some studies, can promote increased health and functioning of the liver, which plays a major role in metabolizing fat. You can help detoxify the with bee pollen and sarsaparilla, and milk thistle extract has been shown to renew liver cells.
No matter which natural weight loss program you follow, one common ingredient to be avoided is sugar. Sugar causes a rapid production of insulin that lead to fat storage. If you find yourself craving sweets, a natural alternative is the herb gymnema sylvestre, which, when placed in the mouth, reduces the taste of sugar. Chromium can also improve the way insulin works in your body and help control blood sugar.
When you're looking for ideas on how to lose weight naturally, be sure to look beyond diet. For example, how much stress are you experiencing daily? Stress triggers a release of adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones cause your body to send all the fuel into storage. That means more fat. You can stop this process by dealing with the stress - either by eliminating the cause(s) or finding coping strategies.
As with any weight loss program, consult with your doctor. In addition to practical guidelines to follow, he or she may be able to recommend a good nutritionist who can help you in your quest to lose weight naturally.
Many people want to learn how to lose weight naturally. There is new interest in finding ways to help the body help itself without the use of harsh drugs and pre-packaged programs.
There are a few examples of how to lose weight naturally that are common sense. People who eat breakfast usually eat less during the day. Make it a high fiber and low fat breakfast, and you have made it more natural. Drinking water is also good for dieters, as everyone knows, but you may need more than 64 ounces (some studies seem to contradict this, but generally, more water is better).
Then there's your choice of foods. For natural weight loss, one place to start is with foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. You should eat fruits and vegetables in variety and abundance. Generally, whole grains are better than "refined" anything, but be sure to check the label for other "non-natural" additives like high-fructose corn syrup.
Other methods of losing weight naturally are not well known outside of "alternate health" circles. For example, some studies show that dieting can slow the functioning of the thyroid gland in some people. Sea vegetables such as kelp, which are rich in iodine, can correct this problem.
For those learning how to lose weight naturally, there are many herbs and supplements to help. According to the latest research, three of them - St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, and evening primrose oil - signal the production and release of serotonin. This suppresses the appetite and lifts the mood.
Some supplements that enhance metabolism are L-Carnitine, L-Glutamine, L-Tyrosine, and L-Phenylalanine. Your metabolism will also be boosted by cayenne, mustard, ginger, or horseradish. The key here is natural herbs, spices and supplements, not chemically-engineered ones (read the label!).
Speaking of supplements, there are several that, according to some studies, can promote increased health and functioning of the liver, which plays a major role in metabolizing fat. You can help detoxify the with bee pollen and sarsaparilla, and milk thistle extract has been shown to renew liver cells.
No matter which natural weight loss program you follow, one common ingredient to be avoided is sugar. Sugar causes a rapid production of insulin that lead to fat storage. If you find yourself craving sweets, a natural alternative is the herb gymnema sylvestre, which, when placed in the mouth, reduces the taste of sugar. Chromium can also improve the way insulin works in your body and help control blood sugar.
When you're looking for ideas on how to lose weight naturally, be sure to look beyond diet. For example, how much stress are you experiencing daily? Stress triggers a release of adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones cause your body to send all the fuel into storage. That means more fat. You can stop this process by dealing with the stress - either by eliminating the cause(s) or finding coping strategies.
As with any weight loss program, consult with your doctor. In addition to practical guidelines to follow, he or she may be able to recommend a good nutritionist who can help you in your quest to lose weight naturally.
The way food affects our life by Omid Jaffari
You do not need to be a scientist to be aware of the influence science has on our daily lives. Science has made us aware of what we are made of and how we live with this everyday. Science, or more specifically, biochemistry, has shown us that the human body is made out of: the four elements, the majority being water, and that all these elements are natural products of nature. The ways these substances and elements interact affect our physical and emotional feelings. What this means is that our emotions, passions, desires are interwoven with how we feel: and feelings and thought run along the same path. Our actions and behaviours affect our decisions in everyday life, and we create our world through interacting with our surroundings. Then our surroundings reflect back our actions, which in turn influences the way we feel, which impacts our thoughts, which influence what decisions, we make!
Lets go back to how we feel, since feelings play an important role in how we react and communicate not only with our selves, but also within the society and our environment. Lets just say for the moment that our feelings are like the way a scientist experiments with chemistry. The chemist pours a little bit of this and a little bit of that and we get a certain type of pattern called short temper (of course this is a very complex, interwoven theory and it is beyond the scope of this article), and he does it again using a different substance and he gets tolerance...
We could say these are the type of substances (food and beverages) that we pour into our body constantly everyday. These substances (food and beverages) when eaten as nature intended, greatly influence the way we feel... especially when we eat food that is genetically modified, due to high demand and multi-national corporate strategies.. This affects our natural balance (homeostasis) and therefore plays a vital role in how we feel. Then it becomes simply rational to say that one need not be a scientists to know that what we eat, becomes part of us, part of our feelings and part of our decisions, The result leads to our behaviours and actions. Simply put " We are what we eat" and our lives reflect what we put into our mouths.
P.S. Food for thought!
With best wishes,
Omid
(If you want to change your chemistry...check out my new delicous no-fuss raw, mostly raw recipe book Chop to Impress at www.triedtastedserved.com)
You do not need to be a scientist to be aware of the influence science has on our daily lives. Science has made us aware of what we are made of and how we live with this everyday. Science, or more specifically, biochemistry, has shown us that the human body is made out of: the four elements, the majority being water, and that all these elements are natural products of nature. The ways these substances and elements interact affect our physical and emotional feelings. What this means is that our emotions, passions, desires are interwoven with how we feel: and feelings and thought run along the same path. Our actions and behaviours affect our decisions in everyday life, and we create our world through interacting with our surroundings. Then our surroundings reflect back our actions, which in turn influences the way we feel, which impacts our thoughts, which influence what decisions, we make!
Lets go back to how we feel, since feelings play an important role in how we react and communicate not only with our selves, but also within the society and our environment. Lets just say for the moment that our feelings are like the way a scientist experiments with chemistry. The chemist pours a little bit of this and a little bit of that and we get a certain type of pattern called short temper (of course this is a very complex, interwoven theory and it is beyond the scope of this article), and he does it again using a different substance and he gets tolerance...
We could say these are the type of substances (food and beverages) that we pour into our body constantly everyday. These substances (food and beverages) when eaten as nature intended, greatly influence the way we feel... especially when we eat food that is genetically modified, due to high demand and multi-national corporate strategies.. This affects our natural balance (homeostasis) and therefore plays a vital role in how we feel. Then it becomes simply rational to say that one need not be a scientists to know that what we eat, becomes part of us, part of our feelings and part of our decisions, The result leads to our behaviours and actions. Simply put " We are what we eat" and our lives reflect what we put into our mouths.
P.S. Food for thought!
With best wishes,
Omid
(If you want to change your chemistry...check out my new delicous no-fuss raw, mostly raw recipe book Chop to Impress at www.triedtastedserved.com)
The Most Popular Fruit in the World by Jim Scherrer
It's probably safe to say, that when asked which fruit is the most popular fruit in the world, the majority of Americans and Canadians would respond with apples or bananas. That response would be normal, but far from accurate.
To the astonishment of most North Americans, mangoes are consumed worldwide by a factor of three to one over bananas and ten to one over apples. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; often being referred to as "the king of the fruits". Evidently, those in the many far corners of the world have learned something that has yet to be discovered in North America!
There are over 2,000 different varieties of mangoes ranging in size from a few ounces to as much as four pounds. One thing they all have in common is their nutritional value; mangoes are a fantastic source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta carotene which converts to vitamin A in the body.
The fresh, ripe mango is a very juicy and sweet fruit with a unique and delicious taste. Some mangoes have a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh similar to that of a cantaloupe.
Mangoes are widely used in chutney, fruit bars, cereal products, juices, pies, ice creams, and even milk shakes. Although a little messy due to their high juice content, they can be enjoyed simply by slicing the fruit as you would a peach or pear.
Okay, now that we know what the most popular fruit in the world is, we must determine from where in the world these mangoes come. Mangoes are grown throughout the tropics but India is by far the largest producer and consumer of mangoes in the world. In fact, for more than 6,000 years, mango trees have been a status symbol in India. Behind India are other areas within South Asia and parts of Australia. It wasn't until the 19th century that mangoes were introduced to parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii, and Mexico.
For years, India has been unsuccessfully negotiating the exportation of mangoes to the US, however just recently some agreements have been finalized, clearing the way for exportation of mangoes from India to the US. In return, they will allow the US to export peas, beans, almonds, and would you believe, Harley Davidson motorcycles to India. Of those mangoes that currently make their way to the US and Canada, approximately 80% come from Mexico with the majority being grown in the Mexican state of Nayarit which is on the same latitude as Hawaii.
Nayarit, one of Mexico's 31 states, is located along the Pacific Ocean having its southern border with the state of Jalisco. The beautiful tourist destination and retirement community of Puerto Vallarta lies at the border of these two states with its downtown area or El Centro located in Jalisco and Nuevo Vallarta located in Nayarit. Puerto Vallarta is located at the northern end of the Mexican Riviera and just recently, Fonatur, the National Tourism and Development Board of Mexico, has coined the term Riviera Nayarit for that section of pristine and majestic Pacific shoreline in the state of Nayarit. As a note of interest, Fonatur has recently earmarked billions of dollars for a 15 year development program that will include more than 20,000 new condos and villas with the associated infrastructure. This entire area is surrounded by mango orchards where approximately 1.5 million metric tons of mangoes are grown annually, making Mexico the third largest producer of mangoes after India and China.
After vacationing in Vallarta two or three times a year for 15 years we decided to move there in 1997 and make Vallarta our permanent retirement destination. We bought our dream villa on the mountainside with a panoramic view of Banderas Bay in an area known as the Beverly Hills of Vallarta. One of our first projects was to landscape the ½ acre mountainside lot. With an abundance of tropical flowers and fruit trees available, the choice of plants was difficult and somewhat overwhelming.
After living in the States for 55 years, we were virtually oblivious to the qualities that mangoes had to offer. However, due to their abundance in the local supermarkets, we decided to give them a try. To our surprise, they were absolutely delicious; perhaps better than any fruit we'd ever had! A decade later, after enjoying a constant supply of mangoes for ten years, it's hard to imagine that we went a lifetime without enjoying mangoes and that so many other North Americans have also missed out on this experience.
Okay, back to the landscaping project. Since we were introduced to the numerous beneficial qualities that the mangoes offered, we decided to plant some mango trees and were directed to a nursery in Nayarit, about 10 miles from home. The nursery was located on the edge of a huge mango orchard where mangoes grew as far as the eye could see.
The owners of the orchard / nursery gave us a short presentation on mangoes, briefly outlining the differences between the varieties grown there. After the presentation, they asked us why we were buying mango trees. We informed them that we loved the taste of mangoes and were landscaping our new yard and thought it would be nice to have fresh mangoes available. As is so typical in Mexico, rather than selling us some mango trees, they suggested we save the time, hassle, and money and just help ourselves to the mangoes. They pointed out to the orchard and indicated that there were millions of mangoes and that we could have all that we wanted for free; they would even help us fill up the car if we needed help! We never did buy those trees but do have an unlimited supply of those delicious mangoes!
That was one of our first lessons learned in Vallarta as it pertains to the Mexican hospitality. It's no wonder that Puerto Vallarta was selected as the friendliest resort destination in the world by a recent survey of Conde Nast readers. One of the reasons for the friendliness of the area is probably due to its perfect climate. Not only perfect for mangoes, but with an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months of the year, it's perfect for its residents.
In summarizing, if you're interested in sampling some of the most popular fruit in the world, you might just want to visit the most popular resort destination in the world, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and have some real fun while sipping your mango margarita!
It's probably safe to say, that when asked which fruit is the most popular fruit in the world, the majority of Americans and Canadians would respond with apples or bananas. That response would be normal, but far from accurate.
To the astonishment of most North Americans, mangoes are consumed worldwide by a factor of three to one over bananas and ten to one over apples. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; often being referred to as "the king of the fruits". Evidently, those in the many far corners of the world have learned something that has yet to be discovered in North America!
There are over 2,000 different varieties of mangoes ranging in size from a few ounces to as much as four pounds. One thing they all have in common is their nutritional value; mangoes are a fantastic source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta carotene which converts to vitamin A in the body.
The fresh, ripe mango is a very juicy and sweet fruit with a unique and delicious taste. Some mangoes have a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh similar to that of a cantaloupe.
Mangoes are widely used in chutney, fruit bars, cereal products, juices, pies, ice creams, and even milk shakes. Although a little messy due to their high juice content, they can be enjoyed simply by slicing the fruit as you would a peach or pear.
Okay, now that we know what the most popular fruit in the world is, we must determine from where in the world these mangoes come. Mangoes are grown throughout the tropics but India is by far the largest producer and consumer of mangoes in the world. In fact, for more than 6,000 years, mango trees have been a status symbol in India. Behind India are other areas within South Asia and parts of Australia. It wasn't until the 19th century that mangoes were introduced to parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii, and Mexico.
For years, India has been unsuccessfully negotiating the exportation of mangoes to the US, however just recently some agreements have been finalized, clearing the way for exportation of mangoes from India to the US. In return, they will allow the US to export peas, beans, almonds, and would you believe, Harley Davidson motorcycles to India. Of those mangoes that currently make their way to the US and Canada, approximately 80% come from Mexico with the majority being grown in the Mexican state of Nayarit which is on the same latitude as Hawaii.
Nayarit, one of Mexico's 31 states, is located along the Pacific Ocean having its southern border with the state of Jalisco. The beautiful tourist destination and retirement community of Puerto Vallarta lies at the border of these two states with its downtown area or El Centro located in Jalisco and Nuevo Vallarta located in Nayarit. Puerto Vallarta is located at the northern end of the Mexican Riviera and just recently, Fonatur, the National Tourism and Development Board of Mexico, has coined the term Riviera Nayarit for that section of pristine and majestic Pacific shoreline in the state of Nayarit. As a note of interest, Fonatur has recently earmarked billions of dollars for a 15 year development program that will include more than 20,000 new condos and villas with the associated infrastructure. This entire area is surrounded by mango orchards where approximately 1.5 million metric tons of mangoes are grown annually, making Mexico the third largest producer of mangoes after India and China.
After vacationing in Vallarta two or three times a year for 15 years we decided to move there in 1997 and make Vallarta our permanent retirement destination. We bought our dream villa on the mountainside with a panoramic view of Banderas Bay in an area known as the Beverly Hills of Vallarta. One of our first projects was to landscape the ½ acre mountainside lot. With an abundance of tropical flowers and fruit trees available, the choice of plants was difficult and somewhat overwhelming.
After living in the States for 55 years, we were virtually oblivious to the qualities that mangoes had to offer. However, due to their abundance in the local supermarkets, we decided to give them a try. To our surprise, they were absolutely delicious; perhaps better than any fruit we'd ever had! A decade later, after enjoying a constant supply of mangoes for ten years, it's hard to imagine that we went a lifetime without enjoying mangoes and that so many other North Americans have also missed out on this experience.
Okay, back to the landscaping project. Since we were introduced to the numerous beneficial qualities that the mangoes offered, we decided to plant some mango trees and were directed to a nursery in Nayarit, about 10 miles from home. The nursery was located on the edge of a huge mango orchard where mangoes grew as far as the eye could see.
The owners of the orchard / nursery gave us a short presentation on mangoes, briefly outlining the differences between the varieties grown there. After the presentation, they asked us why we were buying mango trees. We informed them that we loved the taste of mangoes and were landscaping our new yard and thought it would be nice to have fresh mangoes available. As is so typical in Mexico, rather than selling us some mango trees, they suggested we save the time, hassle, and money and just help ourselves to the mangoes. They pointed out to the orchard and indicated that there were millions of mangoes and that we could have all that we wanted for free; they would even help us fill up the car if we needed help! We never did buy those trees but do have an unlimited supply of those delicious mangoes!
That was one of our first lessons learned in Vallarta as it pertains to the Mexican hospitality. It's no wonder that Puerto Vallarta was selected as the friendliest resort destination in the world by a recent survey of Conde Nast readers. One of the reasons for the friendliness of the area is probably due to its perfect climate. Not only perfect for mangoes, but with an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months of the year, it's perfect for its residents.
In summarizing, if you're interested in sampling some of the most popular fruit in the world, you might just want to visit the most popular resort destination in the world, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and have some real fun while sipping your mango margarita!
Gourmet Coffee - Drink to Your Health by boake moore
When the Ink Spots sang "I love the java jive and it loves me" in 1940, they could not have known how right they were.
Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday.
Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.
Story continues below â†" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- advertisement
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The findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.
"The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think," Vinson said in a telephone interview.
Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.
Vinson said he was researching tea and cocoa and other foods and decided to study coffee, too.
His team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person’s diet.
They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily.
That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables.
"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.
Dates, cranberries, red grapes Dates, cranberries and red grapes are among the leading fruit sources of antioxidants, he said.
The antioxidants in coffee are known as polyphenols. Sometimes they are bound to a sugar molecule, which covers up the antioxidant group, Vinson said.
The first step in measuring them was to break that sugar link. He noted that chemicals in the stomach do the same thing, freeing the polyphenols.
"We think that antioxidants can be good for you in a number of ways," including affecting enzymes and genes, though more research is needed, Vinson said.
"If I say more coffee is better, then I would have to tell you to spread it out to keep the levels of antioxidants up," Vinson said. "We always talk about moderation in anything."
His findings were released in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington.
In February, a team of Japanese researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that people who drank coffee daily, or nearly every day, had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank it. The protective effect occurred in people who drank one to two cups a day and increased at three to four cups.
Diabetes risk Last year, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.
Men who drank more than six 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their risk by nearly 30 percent, compared with people who did not drink coffee, according to the study in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said she was not surprised by Vinson’s finding, because tea has been known to contain antioxidants.
But Liebman, who was not part of Vinson’s research team, cautioned that while many people have faith that antioxidants will reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and more, the evidence has not always panned out. Most experts are looking beyond antioxidants to the combination of vitamins, minerals other nutrition in specific foods, she said.
I am sure you’ve heard all about this before. I wouldn’t be surprised if coffee companies start producing TV commercials promoting the health benefits of coffee because of antioxidants â€" they probably have! In any case, how true is this? Is coffee really good for our health because of the amount of antioxidants it contains? There have been different studies about this matter but here is one done by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. According to his study: "The average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily." What’s this again â€" in English, please? Coffee does contain a high amount of antioxidants. The question that remains is whether the antioxidants are enough to offset some of the possible negative effects of coffee. Don’t get me wrong â€" I can’t survive without coffee. But I also know that too much coffee (I don’t want to admit that there is something such as too much coffee, really) can induce hyperacidity, among other things. Some people feel jittery. Others (naturally) have a hard time falling asleep. The effects are different with different people. I am no scientist but at this point, if they say coffee has antioxidants and that it can be good for you, I take it as a good thing. Whether or not it has antioxidants, I still love this drink, don’t you?
When the Ink Spots sang "I love the java jive and it loves me" in 1940, they could not have known how right they were.
Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday.
Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.
Story continues below â†" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.
"The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think," Vinson said in a telephone interview.
Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.
Vinson said he was researching tea and cocoa and other foods and decided to study coffee, too.
His team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person’s diet.
They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily.
That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables.
"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.
Dates, cranberries, red grapes Dates, cranberries and red grapes are among the leading fruit sources of antioxidants, he said.
The antioxidants in coffee are known as polyphenols. Sometimes they are bound to a sugar molecule, which covers up the antioxidant group, Vinson said.
The first step in measuring them was to break that sugar link. He noted that chemicals in the stomach do the same thing, freeing the polyphenols.
"We think that antioxidants can be good for you in a number of ways," including affecting enzymes and genes, though more research is needed, Vinson said.
"If I say more coffee is better, then I would have to tell you to spread it out to keep the levels of antioxidants up," Vinson said. "We always talk about moderation in anything."
His findings were released in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington.
In February, a team of Japanese researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that people who drank coffee daily, or nearly every day, had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank it. The protective effect occurred in people who drank one to two cups a day and increased at three to four cups.
Diabetes risk Last year, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.
Men who drank more than six 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their risk by nearly 30 percent, compared with people who did not drink coffee, according to the study in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said she was not surprised by Vinson’s finding, because tea has been known to contain antioxidants.
But Liebman, who was not part of Vinson’s research team, cautioned that while many people have faith that antioxidants will reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and more, the evidence has not always panned out. Most experts are looking beyond antioxidants to the combination of vitamins, minerals other nutrition in specific foods, she said.
I am sure you’ve heard all about this before. I wouldn’t be surprised if coffee companies start producing TV commercials promoting the health benefits of coffee because of antioxidants â€" they probably have! In any case, how true is this? Is coffee really good for our health because of the amount of antioxidants it contains? There have been different studies about this matter but here is one done by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. According to his study: "The average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily." What’s this again â€" in English, please? Coffee does contain a high amount of antioxidants. The question that remains is whether the antioxidants are enough to offset some of the possible negative effects of coffee. Don’t get me wrong â€" I can’t survive without coffee. But I also know that too much coffee (I don’t want to admit that there is something such as too much coffee, really) can induce hyperacidity, among other things. Some people feel jittery. Others (naturally) have a hard time falling asleep. The effects are different with different people. I am no scientist but at this point, if they say coffee has antioxidants and that it can be good for you, I take it as a good thing. Whether or not it has antioxidants, I still love this drink, don’t you?
Choosing the Perfect Cutlery by Kitchen Toolz
Cutlery is a term used to incorporate both kitchen knives used in food preparation and tools used for eating, most commonly known as silverware or flatware. In both cases, good quality is essential for durability and duration. You should choose your everyday kitchen and cooking knives for preparation with function in mind, and buy better quality knives, even if it means you may have fewer of them. When choosing tableware you should consider both style and quality. While many kitchen tools are important to any cook, cutlery is perhaps one of the most essential tools any cook needs. Good cutlery will not only speed up your time in the kitchen, but it will also help increase the quality of your food and preparation. The right tools for the job make all your kitchen tasks, from chopping an onion to dicing a tomato, easier and more practical. Every kitchen has knives, but fine cutlery is an investment, and with thought and care will be one that will last you for many years to come.
Quality cutlery for your table can be made of sterling silver, silverplate, or stainless steel. While silverware is traditional, it requires significantly more care and maintenance, and may be more suited to occasional use. Most people choose high quality stainless steel flatware for daily use due to its simplicity and low maintenance. It is easily cared for, dishwasher safe, and most importantly affordable.
Quality cutlery can make your food preparation chores faster, easier, and more efficient, as well as keeping your table lovely and your food service comfortable. Choose pieces that feel comfortable in your hand, suit your personal needs, both functionally and aesthetically, and fit within your budget. Care for your cutlery well, and it will last you for years to come. I don’t know about you but as much as I love to cook I am not always in the mood any tools that make my job easier and more efficient are tools I want in my kitchen, cutlery included.
Cutlery is a term used to incorporate both kitchen knives used in food preparation and tools used for eating, most commonly known as silverware or flatware. In both cases, good quality is essential for durability and duration. You should choose your everyday kitchen and cooking knives for preparation with function in mind, and buy better quality knives, even if it means you may have fewer of them. When choosing tableware you should consider both style and quality. While many kitchen tools are important to any cook, cutlery is perhaps one of the most essential tools any cook needs. Good cutlery will not only speed up your time in the kitchen, but it will also help increase the quality of your food and preparation. The right tools for the job make all your kitchen tasks, from chopping an onion to dicing a tomato, easier and more practical. Every kitchen has knives, but fine cutlery is an investment, and with thought and care will be one that will last you for many years to come.
Quality cutlery for your table can be made of sterling silver, silverplate, or stainless steel. While silverware is traditional, it requires significantly more care and maintenance, and may be more suited to occasional use. Most people choose high quality stainless steel flatware for daily use due to its simplicity and low maintenance. It is easily cared for, dishwasher safe, and most importantly affordable.
Quality cutlery can make your food preparation chores faster, easier, and more efficient, as well as keeping your table lovely and your food service comfortable. Choose pieces that feel comfortable in your hand, suit your personal needs, both functionally and aesthetically, and fit within your budget. Care for your cutlery well, and it will last you for years to come. I don’t know about you but as much as I love to cook I am not always in the mood any tools that make my job easier and more efficient are tools I want in my kitchen, cutlery included.
Choosing the Perfect Cutlery by Kitchen Toolz
Cutlery is a term used to incorporate both kitchen knives used in food preparation and tools used for eating, most commonly known as silverware or flatware. In both cases, good quality is essential for durability and duration. You should choose your everyday kitchen and cooking knives for preparation with function in mind, and buy better quality knives, even if it means you may have fewer of them. When choosing tableware you should consider both style and quality. While many kitchen tools are important to any cook, cutlery is perhaps one of the most essential tools any cook needs. Good cutlery will not only speed up your time in the kitchen, but it will also help increase the quality of your food and preparation. The right tools for the job make all your kitchen tasks, from chopping an onion to dicing a tomato, easier and more practical. Every kitchen has knives, but fine cutlery is an investment, and with thought and care will be one that will last you for many years to come.
Quality cutlery for your table can be made of sterling silver, silverplate, or stainless steel. While silverware is traditional, it requires significantly more care and maintenance, and may be more suited to occasional use. Most people choose high quality stainless steel flatware for daily use due to its simplicity and low maintenance. It is easily cared for, dishwasher safe, and most importantly affordable.
Quality cutlery can make your food preparation chores faster, easier, and more efficient, as well as keeping your table lovely and your food service comfortable. Choose pieces that feel comfortable in your hand, suit your personal needs, both functionally and aesthetically, and fit within your budget. Care for your cutlery well, and it will last you for years to come. I don’t know about you but as much as I love to cook I am not always in the mood any tools that make my job easier and more efficient are tools I want in my kitchen, cutlery included.
Cutlery is a term used to incorporate both kitchen knives used in food preparation and tools used for eating, most commonly known as silverware or flatware. In both cases, good quality is essential for durability and duration. You should choose your everyday kitchen and cooking knives for preparation with function in mind, and buy better quality knives, even if it means you may have fewer of them. When choosing tableware you should consider both style and quality. While many kitchen tools are important to any cook, cutlery is perhaps one of the most essential tools any cook needs. Good cutlery will not only speed up your time in the kitchen, but it will also help increase the quality of your food and preparation. The right tools for the job make all your kitchen tasks, from chopping an onion to dicing a tomato, easier and more practical. Every kitchen has knives, but fine cutlery is an investment, and with thought and care will be one that will last you for many years to come.
Quality cutlery for your table can be made of sterling silver, silverplate, or stainless steel. While silverware is traditional, it requires significantly more care and maintenance, and may be more suited to occasional use. Most people choose high quality stainless steel flatware for daily use due to its simplicity and low maintenance. It is easily cared for, dishwasher safe, and most importantly affordable.
Quality cutlery can make your food preparation chores faster, easier, and more efficient, as well as keeping your table lovely and your food service comfortable. Choose pieces that feel comfortable in your hand, suit your personal needs, both functionally and aesthetically, and fit within your budget. Care for your cutlery well, and it will last you for years to come. I don’t know about you but as much as I love to cook I am not always in the mood any tools that make my job easier and more efficient are tools I want in my kitchen, cutlery included.
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