Blair Hot Sauce - Too Hot to Handle?
That the Blair Hot Sauce is hot is a gross understatement. Even a drop of it will conjure up visions of Hell. Such is the intense heat generated by it. When the Blair Hot Sauce claims to be the hottest hot sauce that is around, it means business.Blair's hot sauces come in two varieties, Death and Heat. The etymology could not have been more apt. While Heat Sauces range from the lukewarm to the flaming hot, the Death Sauces guarantee blistering heat, enough to scorch your tongue.Blair's Hot Sauce set the ball rolling for the Blairs. This original Blair creation was the recipient of the prestigious Golden Chili Award for the Best Overall Sauce. This sauce now seems conventional when compared to Blair...
BBQ sauce is generally a basic mixture of tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Tomatoes used can be in various forms such as tomato sauce, paste, puree and even ketchup. Sugar adds sweetness to the barbecue sauce and can either be corn syrup, honey or molasses. The addition of vinegar, on the other hand, lends a sour flavor to the bbq sauce and can be in the form of beer, white or flavored vinegar, wine or citrus juices. In general, bbq sauces can be used throughout the barbecue process from preparation to cooking. However, be careful with sugar based bbq sauces when cooking as they can easily burn while cooking and ruin the flavor of the meat.The combination of these three ingredients makes up the basic...
Online cooking is pleased to present online chef Jon Salonga from Calgary, Canada. In this interview, Chef Salonga discusses his love of food and the inspiration for his self-produced cooking show "Chic Magnet."OC: How did you get into cooking and what inspired you to do your own cooking show?JS: I worked as a server during high school and thought it'd be a fun idea to become a chef. After that idea tanked when I learned just how stressful it actually is, I dropped out of the cooking arena after successfully completing my culinary education. A few years after that I just decided it would be fun to make my own cooking show.OC: How do you come up with your show ideas?JS: I get a lot of questions...
How to Make Beef Jerky
Have you been wondering how to make beef jerky? If you love to cook and you love jerky, then you have every reason to want to learn how to make beef jerky! There is no reason why you should spend all your money at the store on different types of jerky when you can make your own at home!One of the best things about learning how to make beef jerky is that you can make your jerky taste exactly how you want it to taste. It also makes great gifts...
The Art of Simple French Cookery
In preparing delicious french food, it really is worth the effort to spend the little extra money, time and trouble in buying and cooking just the required amount of top-quality food, instead of playing around with an unnecessary amount of the second-best. It should be borne in mind that the presentation of a carefully prepared dish is of considerable importance. For example, it can make a great deal of difference as to how a dish is arranged and set on the table. It can easily be made to look both attractive and appetizing. Lack of interest or imagination will result in the opposite, distressing, effect.In a recently rediscovered gem of a book - "The Art of Simple French Cookery", a few recipes...
Kansas City ribs are serious business when it comes to BBQ. True to tradition, barbeque in Kansas City is dry rub-spiced, smoked with hickory and coated with a KC style sauce. For Kansas City sauce means a thick, rich and tangy tomato based sauce with molasses and sometimes a hint of vinegar. The meat is seared, slow cooked and mop basted with sauce until the meat is tender and a nice crust has formed on the outside. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for sauce that you enjoy getting under your fingernails...
The Lazy Cook's Secret Ingredient
Have you ever found yourself wondering how to give a new lift to old favorites? Or worrying over how you can tempt those picky eaters?Try keeping sheets of frozen puff pastry in the freezer.Puff pastry is one of the most versatile, and at the same time one of the most overlooked, weapons in a cook's armory. It gets less exposure than it should because many people are nervous of using it. If you are one of those who tremble at the thought of getting it right, read on. You are about to become an expert.Frozen puff pastry is one of the food industry's great success stories. From the cook's point of view it's easy to handle, requires no preparation and, even more to the point, it works every time.On top...
We've all been served great sauces in our favorite restaurants and would love to recreate them in our own kitchens but we are not sauciers. (French term for sauce chef) Professional chefs go to culinary school for years to learn the secrets of making classic French sauces and the more modern sauces derived from them. So what are we supposed to do?Yes, there are some sauces that require strong cooking skills. Making a Hollandaise sauce with butter and egg yolks is difficult because so many things can go wrong but with a little practice and a lot of focus, anyone can make a decent Hollandaise.Mayonnaise is another emulsion sauce that many cooks imagine is too hard or two much work to prepare but...
Restaurant Quality Sauces at Home
We've all been served great sauces in our favorite restaurants and would love to recreate them in our own kitchens but we are not sauciers. (French term for sauce chef) Professional chefs go to culinary school for years to learn the secrets of making classic French sauces and the more modern sauces derived from them. So what are we supposed to do?Yes, there are some sauces that require strong cooking skills. Making a Hollandaise sauce with butter and egg yolks is difficult because so many things can go wrong but with a little practice and a lot of focus, anyone can make a decent Hollandaise.Mayonnaise is another emulsion sauce that many cooks imagine is too hard or two much work to prepare but...
Persistent Heartburn: Get Relief Now!
If you regularly suffer from heartburn, you know that there is not much worse in life than the pain of an acute attack. Perhaps you have paid your druggist a visit in search of help or you have seen your doctor, yet you still suffer intermittent attacks. What more can you do to get relief? Overhaul your diet! You may not need to make extreme changes in what you eat, but you must be attentive to which types of foods can trigger an attack. The following list underscores which foods may trigger an attack:Beverages: Beer, colas, and nonalcoholic wines are some causes of heartburn.Dairy: Yogurt, frozen yogurt, milk, certain types of cheeses, and cottage cheese.Fats and Oils: Ketchup, especially spicy...
Spicy Spaghetti with Pecans
SPICY SPAGHETTI WITH PECANSIngredients:16-ounces Pecans, chopped 2-tablespoons Butter 6-tablespoons Italian style bread crumbs 4-cups Tomato paste 2-cups Water 2-cups Tomato sauce 1-medium Onion, chopped 1-cup Mushrooms, fresh sliced 1-cup Black olives, sliced 1-clove Garlic, minced 1-teaspoon Salt 1-teaspoon Pepper 1-teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes 2-teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed 1-pound Angel hair spaghetti, uncooked 1-cup Parmesan cheeseInstructions:Brown onion, salt, pepper garlic powder, butter and mushrooms in large skillet. Pour onion mixture in large pot and add remaining ingredients except for pecans, pasta and parmesan cheese; let simmer for 2...
Busy people tend to fix the same meals day after day. What's more, busy people may panic at the thought of having guests for dinner. You may be one of these people. Worry no more, because these sweet and savory sauces turn basic food into restaurant fare. Better yet, you can make these sauces in minutes.I made up the Warm Apple-Cinnamon Sauce recipe when my grandkids were coming for dinner. "This tastes like apple pie without the crust!" my grandaughter exclaimed. My teenage grandkids liked the sauce so much they ate dessert twice. Instead of maple syrup, you could serve this sauce with whole grain pancakes and waffles.The Rum Sauce With Raisins is perfect for the holidays. Serve it over...
SPICY SPAGHETTI WITH PECANSIngredients:16-ounces Pecans, chopped 2-tablespoons Butter 6-tablespoons Italian style bread crumbs 4-cups Tomato paste 2-cups Water 2-cups Tomato sauce 1-medium Onion, chopped 1-cup Mushrooms, fresh sliced 1-cup Black olives, sliced 1-clove Garlic, minced 1-teaspoon Salt 1-teaspoon Pepper 1-teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes 2-teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed 1-pound Angel hair spaghetti, uncooked 1-cup Parmesan cheeseInstructions:Brown onion, salt, pepper garlic powder, butter and mushrooms in large skillet. Pour onion mixture in large pot and add remaining ingredients except for pecans, pasta and parmesan cheese; let simmer for 2...
BBQ vs Grilling
BBQ'ing and grilling are words that are often used when speaking in general terms of cooking outside on the back patio. The definitions of these words however is quite different, defining the two styles of cooking meats. To BBQ means a low and slow cook, under 250 degrees farenheit, usually incorporating wood to impart a smoke flavor. Grilling, on the other hand is a high temp method of cooking, like is done on pork chops or steaks.Fatty meats such as beef briskets, pork (hams, ribs, butts, shoulders etc) and others benefit from the long slow cooking of the BBQ method. Given time at low temps, much of the fat renders and connective tissues are broken down. This is generally done when the...
White Barbecue Sauce - Sweet, Sour, Tickling...
BBQ sauce is generally a basic mixture of tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Tomatoes used can be in various forms such as tomato sauce, paste, puree and even ketchup. Sugar adds sweetness to the barbecue sauce and can either be corn syrup, honey or molasses. The addition of vinegar, on the other hand, lends a sour flavor to the bbq sauce and can be in the form of beer, white or flavored vinegar, wine or citrus juices. In general, bbq sauces can be used throughout the barbecue process from preparation to cooking.Bechamel sauce or White Barbecue Sauce has a long and illustrious history. It has been a pet of the French food connoisseurs, since 1651. One of the mother sauces of French cuisine, the white...
Low Carb Barbeque Sauce
Is there such a thing as low carb bbq sauce recipes? The answer is yes! You can enjoy all that barbequing has to offer with several different low carb barbecue recipes.The main item in BBQ sauce that causes the high carb levels is of course sugar, so you should look for recipes that do not have any sugar or substitute the sugar with a substitute like Splenda. You can make your sauces sweet if you like, but not all barbeque sauces have to sweet to be delectable.Try this one on...
Condiments are substances applied to food to improve or enhance flavor. They usually come in the form of powders, spreads and sauces. A condiment is typically squirted, sprinkled or smeared, with commercially prepared condiment products often packaged in plastic or glass containers. Some are served as single-serving packets too as what is common in cafeterias and airlines. Of course, BBQ parties and cookouts are never complete without a steady supply of condiments.Some of the more common condiments include ketchup, mayo, pickles, mustard, wasabi, vinegars, salad dressings and salt. Barbecue and hot sauces are other popular condiment choices used to complement or add flavor to dishes. Since people...
Restaurant Quality Sauces at Home
We've all been served great sauces in our favorite restaurants and would love to recreate them in our own kitchens but we are not sauciers. (French term for sauce chef) Professional chefs go to culinary school for years to learn the secrets of making classic French sauces and the more modern sauces derived from them. So what are we supposed to do?Yes, there are some sauces that require strong cooking skills. Making a Hollandaise sauce with butter and egg yolks is difficult because so many things can go wrong but with a little practice and a lot of focus, anyone can make a decent Hollandaise.Mayonnaise is another emulsion sauce that many cooks imagine is too hard or two much work to prepare but...
Here's a great recipe for a toner/astringent that I love to use every summer- it's especially great for combination skin. It helps clear pores from sweat, dirt, and other ickies, yet still offers some nice moisturizing benefits for a nice glow. It also feels really nice and refreshing!1/2 cup witch hazel1/4 cup water (Tea, especially green or chamomile, is even better!)1/4 cup lemon juice5 drops natural vegetable glycerine5 drops lavender essential oil2-3 drops peppermint essential oil Just shake it all up really well in a small bottle. When you're ready to use it, just dab some on a cotton ball and gently wipe your face clean. Couldn't be easier!You can adjust the essential oils to more or less...
Camping Meals That You Can Cook Around The...
Citrus Trout3-4 lb lake trout 1 orange 1 lemon 1 lime salt & pepper butter & oilHow to Prepare: Gut fish and remove head. Thinly slice the lemon, orange and lime. Lightly rub the cavity of the fish with salt. Place fruit slices in cavity with a couple of dabs of butter. Lightly oil the outside of the fish and wrap in tin foil making sure of a good seal. Cook on each side for about 10 mins. Fish will flake off the bones.Camping Cassarole2 cartons Egg Substitute (approx. 10 oz. each). 1 can evaporated milk (low fat or fat free). Low fat sausage (such as Jimmy Dean's 50% less fat). You can also use a little bacon or both. 6-7 slices bread (any kind). 1 - 1 1/2 cup Low fat shredded cheddar...
Every family has its own meat loaf recipe and many of them start with a soup mix. However this family recipe, given to me years ago by my mother-in-law, is made-from-scratch meat loaf. I'm not talking about the mushy, mystery meat loaf you may have eaten at restaurants. No, I'm talking about all beef meat loaf with ketchup and brown sugar topping.Quality ingredients are what make this meat loaf so good. First of all, the recipe calls for only one kind of meat - ground beef. The bread crumbs are fresh, not something from a can. The onion is also fresh, though I've used dehydrated in a pinch. As for the topping, it makes every mouthful of meat loaf extra delicious.To make the meat loaf...
Nutrition - Meat. It's What's For Dinner
This series of articles has been taking a look at nutrition, and any look at nutrition just wouldn't be complete without examining meat. Long considered the ultimate staple of the American diet (meat and potatoes anyone?), meat is the usually the centerpiece of our meal.High in iron, zinc and protein, meat is important (or should be important) to all of us. The question is, what kind of meat is healthiest and which is most affordable?Some meats are simply too high in saturated fat for regular consumption. Examples include most beef steaks, fatty pork chops, and of course the traditional breakfast meats (sausage and bacon). There are, however, quite a few meats that deliver all the good nutrition we...
We've all been served great sauces in our favorite restaurants and would love to recreate them in our own kitchens but we are not sauciers. (French term for sauce chef) Professional chefs go to culinary school for years to learn the secrets of making classic French sauces and the more modern sauces derived from them. So what are we supposed to do?Yes, there are some sauces that require strong cooking skills. Making a Hollandaise sauce with butter and egg yolks is difficult because so many things can go wrong but with a little practice and a lot of focus, anyone can make a decent Hollandaise.Mayonnaise is another emulsion sauce that many cooks imagine is too hard or two much work to prepare but...
Making the Right Fast Food Choices
Every now and then, even with the best of intentions, we find ourselves looking to a fast food restaurant for lunch or dinner. Maybe a lack of time or a lack of planning is to blame for forcing this upon us. Maybe something came up beyond our control that is making us resort to this as a last minute meal decision. Whatever the reason, you will be ordering your next meal by talking into a plastic clown from your car window.The problem with this is, you know that fast food is notorious for very high fat content and very high calorie count while at the same time being very low in nutrition. Well, as luck would have it, there are actually some things that you can order from a few of the popular fast...
Spicy Crab Cakes
Good golly, these seafood specialty delights pack such a ferocious taste wallop that once you start popping them, you'd be hard pressed to stop! My zesty crab cake wonders make the perfect New Year's party appetisers or family gathering fillers, so by all means dig in liberally, to welcome 2006 with a bang...SPICY CRAB CAKES2 lg. eggs1/2 lb. fresh lump crabmeat1 c. ricotta cheese1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos3 tbsp. snipped chives3/4 c. fine seasoned dry bread crumbs1/4 c. salad oil1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained1/3 c. mayonnaiseIn medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Stir in crabmeat, cheeses, chives and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Form heaping tablespoonfuls of...
International FoodsInternational FoodsCategory: International Serves: 6 Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutesQuick Tip:If you do have a kitty sibling in the house, encourage animal harmony and let them share the roll! Otherwise they will be fighting your canine friend and stealing the food. You can even sprinkle a bit of catnip into your cats portion.Ingredients: 1 can tuna fish15 ml (1 Tablespoon) Mayonnaise1 sheet nori seaweed360 ml (1 1/2 cups) sushi rice Preparation & Cooking: Grab a bowl and put both the Tuna and Mayonnaise in it. Then get your hands in there and mix the Mayonnaise through the Tuna really well.Grab the nori sheet and place it on to a bamboo sushi...
Sauted Eggs with Pork (Mu Xu Rou)
Mu Xu Pork is a kind of dish served by rolling it into very thin pancakes (Mu Xu pancakes) after frying eggs, pork and other Chinese vegetables. This is a very tasty Northern dish in China and favored by most families. It tastes the best when served with pancakes along with the special sweet seafood sauce (known as Hoysing (Cantonese) sauce in America, though it really should be called Hai Xian sauce you meant to say it in Chinese); it is also favored by many people as a side dish when eating with rice or congee. It is full of unique fragrance. Adding enough chopped raw scallions when you eat can bring out the best flavor.Of course, depending on your preference, you may replace the pork with other...
Puerto Rican Cuisine
Puerto Rico is an island nation that is officially a territory of the United States. Puerto Rican cuisine has evolved from several strong influences, including those of the original peoples, such as the Tainos, and the Spanish conquerors that drove most of the natives out and enslaved the remaining. African and Caribbean influence is also reflected in the cuisine of the island, which has also been shaped significantly by its climate and geology. Cocina criolla, one of the main cuisine styles particular to the island has deep roots, extending far back to the native Tainos and Arawaks. Their culinary traditions were based tropical fruits, native vegetables, seafood, and corn. With the Spanish came a...
Buffalo wings were born in 1964 when Anchor Bar (in Buffalo, New York) co-owner Teressa Belissimo decided to fry up a batch of chicken wings, mix them with a secret wing sauce and serve them to her son Dominic and his friends. The dish was an instant hit and soon formed part of the bar's regular menu. Ideally, chicken wings are crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and coated in a rich wing sauce and served with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing. When you want chicken that's loaded with flavor, the wing parts are your best bet. The chicken skin might not be a heart surgeon's idea of the perfect health food since it's got a lot of fat, but when it comes to great taste, you can't go wrong...
Why is everyone fired up about hot sauce? Where did it originate, and why is it so darn popular today? Depending on your version of how to make hot sauce, here is some heated debate on the subject. Hot sauce became known in the US around 1807, when cayenne sauces appeared in Massachusetts. In England, the infamous Tabasco sauce was imported to the US and debuted in 1849. Obtained from a Tabasco pepper in Mexico, it is touted as the original and only sauce of its kind today. However, most homegrown hot sauces into the US are coming from the South; specifically within the Cajun cuisine ethnic foods. The timeline and sauces include: * 1860: a Bird Pepper sauce was introduced out of New York City...
A Guide to Buying Australian Wine
Why buy wine? In Australia, wine has become the new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. Moreover, Australia has developed an enviable reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the world over. au can help you make the right selection of wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on our website, you will find some of the most celebrated labels and award winning wines and you can make a selection based on reviews, price and supplier, regardless of why you want to purchase wine. There are essentially three reasons that we can think of why you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social occasion, to give as a gift, or as an investment with a realisable future. Buying...
Safety First When it Comes to Storing Food
Keeping food fresh longer is imperative to both your health and your wallet. If you allow food to spoil your grocery bills will skyrocket as you throw away spoiled food. If you eat food that has passed its expiration you may get sick and this defiantly is not a good thing.Here are seven simple tips to help you keep your food as fresh as possible for as long as possible...
After more than 30 years of practiced shopping to save money, My wife and I can truly claim victory. Having produced 3 boys early, we had to find ways to feed all five of us with the best food for the least amount of money, since my wife stayed home with the children (most of the time), so there was only one paycheck.A few basic suggestions:1- Buy "store brand" name whenever possible.2- buy as little "prepared" foods as is possible.3- Keep stock of these low-cost and high nutritional value foods:Pasta, dried beans and rice.4- Also, purchase "keepers", such as Sweet and White potatoes.5- Set some time aside for bulk meal preparation that can be frozen for later use when time is more critical.How...
Celebrity Chefs Mix Food and Science
Food has become a cultural phenomenon in the United States and around the world. Food TV is bigger than ever, and chefs are now celebrities. Building on this new food culture is a surprising trend the fuses food with science. That is right; increasingly, both celebrity chefs and at home cooks are paying attention to the science that is involved in the preparation of food.The trend seems to either have been started by or at least popularized by the idea that people can learn about a process better if they understand the why. For instance, in his show Good Eats on the Food Network, Alton Brown uses science to explain why foods are prepared the way they are. This deeper understanding through science...
The Art of the Marinade
It's a sad fact that these days it has become almost essential to marinade most cuts of meat, unless you intend to casserole them.I'll go into why that is the case a bit later on, but for the time being let's just examine why we use marinades at all.Principally there are two reasons. One is to add flavor, and the other is to tenderize. Usually, we are trying to do both.It's worth bearing in mind that marinating is a cooking process, even though heat is rarely applied. The importance of recognizing this is that, like any other cooking process, you can overdo it.It's not just a case of putting the meat or fish in a sauce and leaving it there until you are ready to use it. Many of the fruit juices we...
A Meat Smoker Produces A Strong Flavor
A meat smoker is a terrific tool for those of us who enjoy barbequed food. Most smokers will monitor the temperature of the flame, making any necessary adjustments to guarantee the meat is not over or under cooked. These are very helpful for a variety of meals including turkey, ham, or prime rib. Most people who use these smokers get used to the rich flavor and will no longer bake or roast their meals. They find ways to use the smoker for just about everything.What are the basic advantages to using a meat smoker over more traditional methods?For starters, the flavor of the meat is much more pronounced and the meat is tender. Since this is the desired result of grilling it is obvious why smokers have...
Lose Weight: Sushi Is Your Friend
If you're not making sushi at home you're missing out on a delicious and extremely diet-friendly meal. It's easy to make, fast, nutritious, and the raw fish you're afraid of is completely optional.First let's have a brief overview of sushi for those who've never had it or those who have tried it but want to know more.Sushi is the catch-all name for a wide variety of Japanese dishes. The word sushi actually refers to rice with rice vinegar added. Since this is a very basic and lightly flavored food, it is the many ingredients added to it that really define what dish you are eating. The raw fish you have heard of is sashimi -- which is a crucial ingredient of many types of sushi -- but you can...
Simple to put together, this is an easy recipe for baked salmon which uses hot smoked salmon, potatoes, cream and garlic combined together to create a healthy, satisfying one pot meal...
Making Spanish Paella The Easy Way
Paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. Spain and the Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on each side.In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make. Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Spanish Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, Spanish Paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become...
A barbecue without sauce is like Thanksgiving without the turkey, or Christmas without presents! If you are bored of the "simple" there are many different ways to add unique flavours and transform a staple sauce into something amazing.Fruit can transform a barbecue sauce into something tangy and original. There are various fruits that go especially well with the basic barbecue sauce ingredients, but you can always experiment to find new concoctions. For starters, try our lemon sauce recipe. For this, you will need butter, flour, garlic, lemon juice and tobasco sauce (if you like a kick!). Melt the butter and fry the garlic, then add the flour to make a paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir...
Restaurant Quality Sauces at Home
We've all been served great sauces in our favorite restaurants and would love to recreate them in our own kitchens but we are not sauciers. (French term for sauce chef) Professional chefs go to culinary school for years to learn the secrets of making classic French sauces and the more modern sauces derived from them. So what are we supposed to do?Yes, there are some sauces that require strong cooking skills. Making a Hollandaise sauce with butter and egg yolks is difficult because so many things can go wrong but with a little practice and a lot of focus, anyone can make a decent Hollandaise.Mayonnaise is another emulsion sauce that many cooks imagine is too hard or two much work to prepare but...
Chicken Mushroom Marsala - Easy and Elegant for...
If you are having company and want to make something easy but really flavorful, try this chicken Marsala recipe. This is my favorite way to eat chicken for a few different reasons. First, I love how tender it comes out. If you really pound your chicken breasts nice and thin, it will result in unbelievable tenderness. Second, the flavors of this recipe are perfection. The sauce made with wine, butter, and chicken broth cannot be beat. Third, I love how quick and easy it is to prepare! If you are having it with rice and vegetables, be sure to start them first, because once you start cooking, this chicken will be done in about 15 minutes...
May's Featured Holidays and Recipes
There are three great days in the month of May that I would like to talk about...Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. I will share a brief history and include a couple of delectable recipes. Happy May!-----------------------------------------------------------------Cinco de Mayo - May 5, 2005 - Cinco de Mayo means "The 5th of May." Many people believe that it is Mexico's Independence Day. This is not true. Independence Day in Mexico is September 16. The history of Cinco de Mayo dates back to the mid 1800's. Mexico was in substantial debt with France, Spain, and England. France decided to use this to their advantage and invade Mexico. The first invasion attempt was on May 5, 1862. It is...
Vegetarian Cuisine
Rabbit food. That's what my dad calls vegetarian cooking and cuisine. Salads and vegetables - can't be anything more to it, can there? Oh, but there is. Vegetarian cooking is at least as varied as 'regular' cooking - and in some cases, far more imaginative. Nearly thirty years ago, Diet for a Small Planet, and the follow-up cookbook, Recipes for a Small Planet hit the bookstore shelves with a resounding thud that still echoes. While many of the theories of protein complementarily that Frances Moore Lappe presented have been proven to be naïve by further research, the basic theories of eating and the wonderful meatless - and truly vegetarian - recipes endure. The Moosewood Cookbook and The...
Selecting The Perfect Christmas Food Gift
Food is probably one of the most pleasant gifts people can receive during Christmas season. Aside from being a potential staple item on the table during Christmas Eve, Christmas food gifts can reflect good taste to gift-givers...
Americans are on the go. According to a NSGA Survey, 71 million American adults are exercise walkers, making walking the top sport in the United States. Taking steps daily to improve health will help with America's obesity epidemic. Sixty five percent of Americans are overweight, which is linked to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and some types of cancer. Walking an extra 2000 steps a day is equivalent to walking a distance of 1 mile and to burning 100 calories. Burning an extra 100 calories a day is equivalent to losing about 10 pounds in a year.The American Podiatric Medical Association teamed with Prevention Magazine to name the "12 Best Walking Cities in the U.S." The...
Portuguese Food and Cuisine
Briony Stephenson introduces the hidden delights of Portuguese cuisine.Despite the lasting influence it has had on food in such far-away places as Macau and Goa, Portuguese cuisine is hugely underrepresented outside Portugal. Often confused with Spanish cooking, it is, in fact, quite distinct. At its best, Portuguese food is simple ingredients impeccably prepared. Based on regional produce, emphasising fish, meat, olive oil, tomato, and spices, it features hearty soups, homemade bread and cheeses, as well as unexpected combinations of meat and shellfish.For a relatively small nation, Portugal has surprising gastronomic variety. The Estremadura region, which includes Lisbon, is famous for its seafood...
How to Cook Beef Cheek
"Beef cheeks?" I asked, staring at the menu. "What are beef cheeks?"I'm afraid that the first time I encountered this item on a menu in a fancy Manhattan restaurant, I reacted like the stereotypical dumb yokel come to the big city for the first time.That was a few years ago, and I've since learned that many people (Texans, who don't like to let any part of a cow go to waste, come to mind) are quite familiar with beef cheek. Also, that beef cheek means just that--the cheek part of a cow's head.The one I had that evening in New York was delicious, so I vowed to try cooking it at home. At that time, though, it wasn't easy to find beef cheeks in very many places, certainly not in the stores where I...
What Dr. Atkins Should Have Told You (Part 2)
The diet I recommend for great weight loss that is accompanied by working out is low carbohydrate, high protien and healthy oils. The days of just eating meat and cheese were a quick and unhealthy idea for weight loss, this is why. Red meat and cheese have a lot of saturated fat and cholesteral. This is what I call "heart stoppers". You will lose weight, though. The reason you lose weight, even with bad fats, is you put your body into a state of ketosis. This state is where your body looks for carbs and sugars to burn first. When it doesn't find them it will attack your fat in deperation causing quick fat burn. The problem is you are only feeding you body atery clogging food. Good fats like...
Alfredo sauce is one of the most popular Italian sauces. Many people rate Italian restaurants by their Alfredo sauce...
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Here is my favorite spaghetti sauce that I can eat by the spoonful. After I make this, I find myself eating bowls of just the sauce. I personally like to dip crusty french bread into the sauce, and eat as is. If you are feeling a bit on the wild side, you can always pour this Chunky Meaty Spaghetti Sauce over a bed of pasta.Happy Cooking!Ingredients:* 1/4 cup Olive Oil* 2 pounds of meat (combination of ground beef and italian sausage)* 2 large onions, sliced* 1 green bell pepper, sliced* 1 red bell pepper, sliced* 12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced* 1/4 cup Flour* 2 cups red wine* 1 can beef broth* 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste* 1/4 cup Sugar* 1 pint fresh...