CHINESE FOOD CULTURE

fish soup with tofu and coroader

Steam flatfish with ginger and green onion

Boiled pork with spices

Chinese food now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?
The History of Chinese Food
The history of Chinese food1 is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese food.
Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by the two major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese culture. These dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism. Both have these philosophies have influenced the way that the Chinese people cook and the way that they enjoy their food..
Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine
Confucius was the man behind the Confucianism beliefs. Among many other standards Confucius established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. One of the standards set by Confucius (you might have noticed this at an authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut into small bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is definitely unique to the Chinese culture.
Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of very poor taste by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The standards of quality and taste that Confucius recommended required the perfect blend of ingredients, herbs and condiments--a blend which would result in the perfect combination of flavor. Confucius also emphasized the importance of the texture and color of a dish, and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony. Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an excellent cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.
Taoism and Chinese Cuisine
Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on the health benefits of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same. Taoists search for foods that will increase their health and longevity. They search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these benefits were often referred to as ‘life giving powers’. For instance, the Chinese found that ginger, which can be considered to be a garnish or a condiment was found to be a remedy for upset stomachs or a remedy for colds.
Is Chinese Food Healthy?
Chinese food, when authentic is probably the healthiest food in the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic, prepare their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.
Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.
Chinese Restaurants in Every Part of the Nation
Whether it is in a Tennessee Chinese Restaurant to a New York Chinese restaurant you are going to find culinary dishes that are both healthy and delicious. Savor the flavor with Chinese food!

tropical tea and airani

Tropical tea

The perfect drink for a Melbourne Cup Luncheon, if you are trying to stay clear of the alcohol. (Lyn Battle)
Chef:
Lyn Battle
Degree of difficulty:
You need:
4 cups of orange juice
4 teabags
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
A pinch of grated nutmeg
1 small bottle/can of soda water
Lemon, lime or orange slices for garnish
Featured by:
Paula Tapiolas
This is a refreshing drink for the tropical north and the perfect drink for a Melbourne Cup Luncheon, if you are trying to stay clear of the alcohol.
Method:
In a saucepan on the stove, or in a microwave-safe bowl, bring the orange juice to the boil.
Add the teabags, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then remove the teabags. Chill well.
Add soda water just before serving in a nice glass with some citrus slice.

AIRANI

From Tessa Kiros’ ‘Falling Cloudberries‘
Cooling and refreshing - in a word, ideal for the hot, humid wether Singapore’s been having lately!
185 g not-too-thick plain yoghurt
125 ml ice-cold water
1 teaspoon dried mint
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
crushed ice
Mix together the yoghurt, water and mint, and season with the salt, checking for flavour and adjusting the salt to your taste. Scatter the crushed ice over the top and serve.

A major component to losing weight is to eat less food or in other words decrease your calorie intake. I know easier said than done, but small changes really can make a big difference. Gradual weight loss, between 1-2 pounds per week, is what is recommended to improve your chances of sustained weight loss. Fad diets encourage you to lose weight quickly and by drastic changes that are not sustainable. Sustainable weight loss begins with making small practical and realistic changes to the way you eat and your physical activity level. These small steps can lead to big changes that improve your health and quality of life.

Below are my personal favorite ways of cutting calories:
I know I’ll make the members of the “Clean Plate Club” cringe but don’t clean your plate. Stop eating once you feel full. If you are concerned about being wasteful save the leftovers for a snack or your next meal.
Share your meal. I must admit it does annoy my husband when I suggest we do this at a restaurant. Although, in the end we both leave the restaurant feeling satisfied and not uncomfortably full. Plus, we saved some money.
Stock your work desk with nutritious snacks so that you can resist the urge to hit the candy machines. Some of my favorite “in my desk snacks” include: dried cranberries, mini bags of microwave popcorn, and granola snack bites.
Limit yourself to 12-20 ounces of “fun fluids” per day. Fun fluids would include any type of drink that contains calories but very little nutrients such as regular pop, specialty coffee drinks, fruit drinks, and alcoholic beverages. If you can’t live without your caffeine and 12 ounces won’t do the trick switch to diet pop, or a “skinny” coffee drink.
Drink water. Often times we mistake hunger for thirst.
Chew gum. Often we eat because we are bored and not really hungry. Try chewing sugar free gum instead.
Eat slower. This is a tough one for me and I have to really think about it but it works. If I take my time and enjoy my food, I am able to notice my body’s cues and stop before I am overly full.
Popsicles aren’t just for kids. It’s summer and it is hot here in Nebraska. Sugar free popsicles are a low calorie way to refresh and hydrate.
This isn’t a way to cut calories but one of my favorite ways to burn calories. Always have a pair of walking shoes in your office. When you start to get tired, get up and walk around the building a few times. It is a great way to clear your mind and will make you a more effective employee. Go ahead and have your boss give me a call about this one.

How do you cheat calories? Share by posting a comment below.
This refreshing summer drink recipe won’t break your calorie bank. There are only 70 calories per serving.
Berry Lemonade Slush
4 servings
1/3 cup lemonade flavor drink mix (dry)
1/2 cup water
3 cups ice cubes
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
1. In a cup, mix together lemonade flavor drink mix and water.
2. Place ice cubes and strawberries in a blender. Pour drink mix into blender and process on high for 10 seconds.
3. Stop blender and stir with a spoon. Blend an additional 5 seconds or until smooth. Serve right away.
Nutrition Information per Serving: Calories 70, Total Fat 0 g., Saturated Fat 0 g., Cholesterol 0 mg., Sodium 10 mg., Total Carbohydrate 19 g., Dietary Fiber 1 g., Sugars 15 g., Protein 0 g., Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 50%, Calcium 0%, Iron 2%.

Chai, pronounced with a long "i" as in the word tie, is the actual word for tea in many countries. Chai tea is quickly becoming extremely popular in the West as people are becoming exposed to it as lattes in coffee and tea houses.

Chai tea is a rich and complex beverage that has been savored for centuries in many parts of the world, especially India.
In its most basic form, chai is black tea that is brewed strong with a combination of spices and is diluted with milk and sugar.
The spices vary from recipe to recipe, but usually consist of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper and ginger. Chai tea is traditionally consumed hot and sweet. The sweetness is needed to bring out the full flavors of the spices.
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How to Make Chai
Here is a simple recipe to make chai yourself at home. This is what you will need:
1 1/2 cups of water
1 1/2 inch stick of cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
1/4 inch fresh ginger root (sliced thin)
2/3 cup of milk
6 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons of Darjeeling Tea leaves
Place water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil.
Cover and lower heat to low setting and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add milk and sugar and again bring to simmer.
Next, add the tea leaves, remove from heat and cover.
Let steep for 3 minutes and strain. Enjoy!

seafood recipes

Sherry and Ice Wine Seafood

Ingredients for 4 portions: 2 cups seafood medley (lobster claws, shrimp, diced salmon, mussels out of the shell, scallops, etc.), 3 cups diced vegetables (carrot, celery, bell peppers, squash), 2 diced shallots, 1 tbsp. chopped parsley, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup sherry, 1/4 cup ice wine, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon pure olive oil, 2 tablespoon lemon juice.

Recipe: Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and cook the vegetables until soft, then add the seafood and cook for 3 minutes more. Deglaze with the sherry and ice wine and add the sugar, salt, lemon juice and parsley. Cook until the sauce at the bottom of the pan thickens. Serve the seafood dish with a scoop of rice or other garnish.

I served the seafood dish for this photo with a spinach cake, baked with a quail egg on top, seasoned with sea salt and decorated with physalis, fresh thyme and Belgian endive.

1.2Kg Mussels (pre-prepared/cooked)

4 small finely chopped Shallots

2 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

50ml Dry White Wine (Muscadet)

4 skinned and deseeded crushed very ripe Plum Tomatoes

2 tablespoons of fresh Mixed Herbs (Parsley, Basil) Roughly chopped

1 small Sprig of Thyme

A small or 1/2 of a large finely chopped Red Chilli, deseeded (optional)

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Mussel Provencal

Fry the garlic, shallots and chilli for 2 minutes until soft, in a pan large enough to take all the mussels. Add crushed tomatoes, herbs, and cook slowly for 2 minutes, then add wine and pepper, fry for a further 2 minutes, add the mussels, stir well, season and cover with lid. Cook for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle some more parsley and serve.

Serve in bowls with crusty toasted baguette for dipping in the sauce.

along with me.

This Chinese Steamed Red Snapper Fish recipe will make great use of that steam oven I know you just went out & bought. I’ll tell you what, for those who prefer your fish more anonymous than this, go ahead & buy yourself a naked red snapper, I won’t tell anyone. Anyhoo, this red snapper recipe makes a very flavorful, juicy fish that’s perfect to eat alone or drop into some soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized red snapper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salad oil
• 3 or 4 slices ginger
• 2 stalks spring onion
• Few sprigs coriander leaves

Seafood Paella

Recipe by Nicola Hudson
Photography by Kieran Scott

200g Sealord cocktail shrimps ½ pack Sealord simply natural calamari rings, defrosted ½ pack Sealord simply natural dory, defrosted 85g Sealord smoked mussels 4 c fish stock 2 T oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 c red capsicum, diced 2 tsp garlic, chopped 1 ½ c long grain rice 1 tomato, diced 2 tsp mixed cumin and turmeric Salt and pepper Fresh herbs, chopped

method Sautee the capsicum, garlic, rice, spices and onion in a pan with oil for approx 3-4 minutes. Add the fish stock and simmer until the stock has almost reduced. When reduced add the dory, calamari, shrimps and mussels. Simmer until seafood is cooked through then serve with fresh herbs for garni

STEAK

FOR THE ANCHOVY BUTTER
2 salted anchovy fillets rinsed of excess salt
25 g softened unsalted butter (approx 1oz)
FOR THE SALAD
100 g lamb's lettuce
100 g frisee (curly endive)
1 cooked beetroot, peeled, sliced and cut into fine strips
2 tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 small garlic clove, crushed
Raw Scottish | Kobe Feather Steak
ANCHOVY BUTTER
Mash the anchovy fillets in a mortar with a pestle or in a small bowl with a fork until smooth. Add the butter and beat together until well mixed. Season with a little freshly ground black pepper.
SALAD
Mix together the lamb's lettuce and frisee and place to one side of 4 large plates, then sprinkle over the beetroot. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 tsp f salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle this dressing over the salad.
Brush the steaks on both sides with a little oil and season lightly with salt and pepper - don't forget that the anchovy butter will be quite salty. Heat a ridged cast-iron griddle over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the steaks (in batches if necessary) and cook for no more than 30 seconds on either side. Put alongside the salad, drop a little of the anchovy butter on top of each slice and serve straight away.
Servings: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Ready in: 22 minutes

Steak Mirabeau

Steak Mirabeau - Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Anchovy Butter. Page 426-427 of Le Cordon Bleu at Home . We have now finished Class 14, our soup section of Whisk Wednesdays, and are on to Class 15. Les beurres composé, beurre emulsifiée, les marinades (Compound butters, emulsified butters, and marinades).
Hubby was all too happy to see this steak dish on the menu. Grilled steak with anchovy butter, roasted tomatoes and onion rings? I do believe this is the way to a man's heart and if I didn't have his already, this would have sealed the deal.
I generally don't like really fishy fish but I love anchovies. Stephanie March, wife of Bobby Flay, said that anchovies are the bacon of the seafood world and I have to agree. Who doesn't love bacon?
The original recipe serves six so I pared it down for the two of us.
I had plenty of small tomatoes from my garden so I used some of those. Salt and peppered them, dotted them with butter and roasted them in the toaster oven.
For the compound butter I just mashed anchovies with soft butter and parsley and rechilled in a log form for easy slicing.
The onion rings are soaked in milk, drained and dried and tossed in seasoned flour and deep fried. Easier than batter frying and gives a nice thin, crisp ring like a fritte.
Get your favourite grill master to grill up the steaks and lay the finished product on a bed of watercress, laying strips of anchovies across it. Garnish the plate with the tomatoes and onion rings and lay a disk of anchovy butter on the steak.
For an extra little punch, an anchovy wrapped olive is added, I put mine on the tomatoes. I didn't realize until the photos were done that the olive sank down a bit into the tomato - so it looks a little funny, but still tastes good.
Et voila, impressive meal for fairly painless preparation.
Open up a nice dark red and serve by candlelight.
Whisk Wednesdays is an at home culinary learning community following Le Cordon Bleu at Home and organized by Whisk: a food blog. Check out Whisk for instructions on the dish, the blogroll and to find out how you can play along.

These minute steaks are great no-nonsense cooking: grilled for a minute on each side (none of this pandering to personal preferences for doneness – it’s medium rare all round) then placed on a warmed platter, anchovy dressing drizzled over and scattered with capers and coarsely torn flat-leafed parsley. Or you can keep the dressing separate if you prefer.
Minute steaks are traditionally sirloin or scotch fillet, but rump also works well here. Don’t buy so-called minute steaks from the supermarket. I have never found them to be anything other than tough, with little in the way of flavour.
To accompany the meat I’ll make a potato salad with boiled baby potatoes, sliced in half while still warm and dressed with white wine vinegar, olive oil and some freshly chopped parsley. I’ll also barbecue some corn on the cob to serve with butter to which some lemon juice and finely chopped French tarragon has been added.
Method
Anchovy Dressing
In a small saucepan heat the oil, add the garlic, anchovies and rosemary, and fry gently until the anchovies have melted. Remove from the heat and cool. Place in a blender with the egg yolk and start adding the oil drop by drop as you would for mayonnaise, drizzling it in once it starts to thicken. When it has become thick add the milk. The dressing should have the consistency of a lightly thickened cream. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the steaks
Remove the fat and silverside from the steaks. Place between layers of plastic wrap and flatten to a thickness of 5mm. Cut each steak into 3 or 4 pieces.
When ready to cook, season with salt and pepper then grill over a high heat for a minute on each side. Place on a warm platter, drizzle the anchovy dressing over and sprinkle with capers and flat-leafed parsley. Serves 6 as part
of a meal.
Ingredients
Anchovy Dressing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
6 anchovy fillets
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 egg yolk
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the steaks
1kg rump steaks (2 large ones)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup flat-leafed parsley, coarsely torn

chiken casserole

Lattice-top Chicken Casserole

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken or turkey
1 pkg. frozen broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (2-4/5 oz.) Durkee French Fried Onions
1 pkg. (4 oz.) refrigerator crescent rolls
Directions:
Combine soup, milk, seasoned salt, chicken, vegetables, 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 can French Fried onions; place in 8x12-inch baking dish. Bake covered, at 375°F for 20 minutes. Unwrap crescent rolls; separate into two rectangles. Press together perforated cuts; cut each rectangle lengthwise into 3 strips.

Place strips on casserole to form lattice top. Bake, uncovered 15 minutes longer. Top lattice with remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes longer or until onions are golden brown.

Creamy Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole

It's not necessary to use the habanero pepper. It's great with out it also.
Enjoy! Debbie
Creamy Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole
4 CHICKEN BREASTS; Boneless Skinless.
1 can(s) (10 3/4 ounce) CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
1 can(s) (10 ounce) ROTEL DICED TOMATOES AND GREEN CHILIES
1 clove(s) (large) GARLIC; Minced.
1/2 ONION; Chopped.
1 tablespoon(s) BUTTER OR MARGARINE
1/2 GREEN BELL PEPPER; Chopped.
1 HABANERO PEPPER; Finely Chopped, Optional.
8 ounce(s) VELVEETA CHEESE; Cut Into Small Cubes.
8 ounce(s) SPAGHETTI; Cooked And Drained.
Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.
In a large skillet melt butter or margarine.
Add cubed up chicken, garlic, onion, green bell peppers.
Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and no liquid is left in skillet.
Stir in soup, Rotel Tomatoes and finely chopped habanero pepper.
Reduce heat and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.
Place the cooked spaghetti in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
Pour the cheese/chicken mixture over top spaghetti.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Serves 6.


The best way to become a good cook is by starting with a good foundation of cooking methods and strategies. Even if you're just looking to make a few simple meals after a hard day's work, the tips and methods in this article will help you find answers to solve your everyday cooking questions.
A chicken casserole is easier to prepare than you might think. Check out the links below for cooking questions with simple solutions.
From brunch and breakfast to grilling and basting, these articles provide creative tips and interesting facts on different cooking methods. Check out these articles to find some creative tips and tricks for getting by like a pro in the kitchen:

Cap Cay (Chinese Chicken casserole)

Cap Cay is originally chinese cuisine, but we eat a lot of it in Indonesia. Basically it is vegetable casterole, but you can add chicken or sea food (shrimp or squib). My mother prepares the best cap cay and this is how she cooks cap cay. I miss her cooking .

Here is my mother recipe (I hope I remember well )

Ingredients:
2 garlics (choped)
1 onion (choped)
1/2 tes sp of pepper
1 chicken broth
2 chicken fillets (sliced into cubicles)
1 table sp of soya souce
1 tea sp of salt
3 layers of toffu skin
1 brokoli (small)
1 carrot (sliced thin)
1 tomato (sliced thin)
1 leek (sliced)
1/4 of both red and green paprika
1/4 cup of cooking oil
1 table spoon of sesame oil
1 cup of water

How to cook:
Steam brokoli and carrot for 15 minutes
Leave toffu skin in hot water for 10 minutes
Fried onion until it looks golden with cooking oil and sesame oil. Add garlic and chicken, when the chicken is half cook, add soya souce, papper, salt, tomato, stired until they are well cooked.
Add some water, toffu skin, chicken broth, and all the vegetable.
Cook in a closed wok until the water reduce (stirred once in a while)

Served best with steam rice (for 2 people)

Oh I feel like in Indonesia when having Cap Cay for our dinner.

fish cake

Method for Fish Cake
Cut the fish into even 2cm dice, season and quickly pan fry in a quarter of the butter. Mix the fish and potato puree together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mould into 160g balls. Allow to set in the fridge.
Neatly pane in flour, egg and breadcrumbs - twice to give a better coating. Pan-fry in the rest of the butter when required.

Method for Sauce
Sweat the shallots in butter until soft. Add white wine, boil and reduce by half. Add stock, lemon zest and peppercorns and reduce by half. Add cream and reduce to a light coating consistency. Season and stir in basil puree.(at the last moment)

Method for Sour Cream and Chives
To serve, toss the tomatoes in olive oil with black olives, thinly slice the basil and dress in a circle. Arrange the fish cake on top of this and spread the fish cream around.
Whisk the cream with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste until the cream holds its shape and fold in the chives. Put a quenelle on top of each fish cake.

Rice Noodles with Chicken

This easy rice noodle recipe starts with very thin rice noodles (called vermicelli "rice stick" at Asian stores). Added to the rice noodles are shiitake mushrooms, red pepper, bean sprouts, and your choice of chicken or tofu (vegetarian). Add a special Thai sauce and you have a terrific noodle recipe that's great for any occasion, from everyday meals to a party-worthy dish. As a bonus, these rice noodles are healthy, low-fat, and gluten-free. ENJOY!
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Ingredients:
approx. 1 cup fresh chicken pieces/strips for stir-frying, OR 1 cup cubed tofu
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. soy sauce (marinade for chicken or tofu)
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, sliced thinly or cut into matchstick-like pieces
1 cup or more fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2-3 cups fresh bean sprouts
8 oz. very thin dried rice noodles ("vermicelli" OR "vermicelli rice stick")
1/2 cup chicken stock (or simulated chicken stock for vegetarians)
handful of fresh coriander
wedges of lime for garnish, and Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce served on the side
2 1/2 Tbsp. oil
STIR-FRY SAUCE:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (or add an extra 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce)
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup chicken stock (or simulated chicken stock)
1-2 tsp. chilli sauce (adjust according to how spicy you want your noodles)

korean food

Korean food is rich in nutrition, balanced in content, and low in calories. They say you can eat as much Korean food as you like without gaining weight! Rice, either plain or mixed with other grains, is the staple of all Korean meals, and is accompanied by a variety of side dishes. Soy sauce, soybean paste, red pepper paste, ginger root, and sesame seeds are the essential seasonings added to Korean food.

When dining, keep in mind that Koreans eat their rice and soup with a spoon and side dishes with chopsticks. Other common traditions of Asian dining apply in Korea, such as not spiking your chopsticks into the rice (this symbolizes that the rice is reserved for the dead) and waiting for the oldest person to begin a meal before starting yourself. Kalbi: Short ribs of beef or pork. They are grilled at the table and restaurants that serve good pulgogi also serve good kalbi.

Chocolate & Almond Cake from Positano the combination of chocolate and nuts in a dessert, and seek out such cakes especially. They love almonds in Positano and hold an annual festival for the harvest. This cake is an example of how the Italians do sweet things so well.
Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 23cm-diameter loose-bottomed tin and line it with baking paper.
Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Add the butter in pieces and gently stir in. Add the sugar and stir to a creamy consistency. Remove from the heat and cool slightly then add the egg yolks. Stir in the almonds.
In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, not too dry or the cake will have a hard crust. Add the lemon zest and gently fold in the chocolate, ensuring you don’t overmix.
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake is a lovely dark brown, has a light crust and is shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
When cool, turn out on to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. I serve it with mascarpone with a Grand Marnier mixed in to taste.

Ingredients 200g 64-70% chocolate (must be fine dark chocolate like Valhrona) 200g unsalted butter 200g caster sugar 5 eggs, separated 250g peeled blanched almonds, pulsed to fine meal finely grated zest of 1 lemon icing sugar for dusting

Meanwhile bring the potatoes and garlic to a boil in salted water, and cook until tender. Drain and mash. Heat the milk with the butter and beat these into the mash until it is fluffy, then fork through the parmesan and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.

Serve a spoonful of mash on each plate with a sausage, and a ‘knot’ of watercress sprigs that have been dressed Chicken Sausages, Mash, Watercress & Chilli Tomato Relish 14 / 12 / 00 Laurie Black Photography: Bruce Benson Comfort food that’s smart enough to share with weeknight guests. You’ll find good chicken sausages at poultry shops, and some supermarkets and butchers.

Method Prick the sausages then gently cook them in a pan with a little olive oil until browned all over and cooked through. Finish them in a 175ºC oven if they are catching and tending to burn.
with a squeeze of lemon juice. Offer a bowl of relish as an accompaniment

Ingredients

6 large pure chicken sausages

olive oil

4 large agria potatoes (or other good mashers), peeled and cut in half

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup milk

50g butter

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1 bunch watercress, broken into sprigs

salt

wedge of lemon

chilli tomato relish – buy a good one, or use

The potatoes in this recipe take on the spicy flavours beautifully - our idea of the perfect veggie supper.

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Stir in most of the coriander, season and heat for a minute or so.Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with naan bread.

Per serving

378 kcalories, protein 14g, carbohydrate 64g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 10g, salt 1.24 g

food and drink in spain

Food and Drink are very important in Spain, and both are relatively cheap and substantial. The Spanish Traditional food of Tapas, Serrano Ham and Paella are a good way to sample traditional food, normally found in small bars and served at anytime of the day. Wine in Spain is more popular than anything else but there is still a large selection of beer (of course the infamous San Miguel).Spanish Brandy is also very popular especially with a coffee in the mornings.Coffee is drunk in Spain in large quantities. Cafe solo comes in a small cups and is a black coffee,strong and thick. Cafe con leche is coffee with milk.Paella is a rice dish, originally from Valencia where it is eaten especially on Sundays . There are many variations of it with different ingredients.The name paella is the word for "frying pan" in Valenciano(from Latin patella). However, the dish has become so popular that the word paellera is now usually used for the pan and paella almost exclusively for the dish. In the Valencia area, nevertheless, the name paella is commonly used for both the pan and the dish.Paella is usually garnished with vegetables and meat or seafood. The three main ingredients are rice, saffron and olive oil.Paella is generally cooked in a paella pan, which is a large, shallow, flat pan. First the meat, and then the vegetables are fried in olive oil and the rice is added so as to be suffused in the oil. Boiling stock is then added to the paella pan, and reduced by boiling. Once the rice is nearly done, the paella is removed from the heat and left to absorb the remaining water. Traditional paella has a crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom that is considered to be the most delicious part of the dish by the Spanish and most paella purists. This is called the socarrat. To achieve a socarrat, one need only to turn up the heat to high and listen to the bottom of the rice toast. Once the aroma of toasted rice comes from the pan, the heat is removed once again. The paella is ready to be served after having cooled for several minutes

Tapas

Tapas are small portions of foods, both hot and cold, served in bars, bodegas and tascas to accompany a copa of fino (dry Spanish Sherry) or draught beer. You can enjoy tapas in most bars before the lunch hour (in Spain this is very late - tapas at

1 pm, lunch at 2 pm or after), and again before dinner (8-9 pm, with dinner later yet).Tapa-hopping is part of the convivial Andalusian way of life. With a few friends you stop in at several bars to have a glass of wine and sample the tapa specialities of each. It's customary to stand up at the bar.Here's a taste of some of the dishes--hot and cold-- you might find in a tapa bar in Spain.Certainly the superb ham, both serrano , which just means mountain-cured, and the pricey iberico . This salt-cured ham is served raw, very thinly sliced. It makes a marvellous combination with fino Sherry.And, of course, olives. They can be the famed Seville olives, sweet, meaty manzanillas ; orgordales , the size of small plums; or home-cured ones, slightly bitter, flavoured with herbs and garlic, or olives stuffed with anchovy. A tapa of mixed olives might include fat caper-berries too.Amongst cold dishes on the tapa bar are a variety of salads, some wonderfully exotic. For example, salpicon with chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers might include prawns and other shellfish or it might be made with chopped, cooked octopus. Remjón is a salad of oranges, codfish, onions and olives. While it might sound strange, it tastes wonderful. So does roasted pepper salad; ensalada campera, a lemony potato salad; and cooked fish roe dressed with oil and lemon.Fried fish, from tiny fresh anchovies (boquerones) and rings of tender squid (calamares) to chunks of fresh hake and batter-dipped prawns are enticing, in deed. Look for cazsn

en adobo, fish marinated before frying, and boquerones en vinagre, marinated raw fish. The selection of shellfish will astound you--clams and razorshells, mussels, prawns ranging in size from the tiny to the jumbo; crab, lobster, and more.Then comes a variety of hot dishes. Some are cooked to order--prawns pil pil, sizzled with garlic and oil; garlicky grilled pork loin--while others are dished out of a bubbling stew-pot. You can savour meatballs in almond sauce, kidneys in Sherry sauce, sautéed mushrooms, chicken fried al ajillo, with garlic; lamb stew; broad beans with ham; piquant tripe, spicy snails, and, of course,tortilla, a thick round potato omelette. Crisp-fried fritters and croquettes are other great tapas of Andalusia, which produces the world's finest olive oil.

top food

Greek Cuisine

Cupcake! is a collection of witty, one-of-a-kind cupcake designs using candies from the local convenience store. America’s top food photographing team, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson show how to create funny, scary and sophisticated masterpieces using a zip-lock bag and common candies and snack items. With easy-to-follow techniques, even the most kitchen-challenged cooks can plant candy vegetables on Oreo-earth cupcakes for a garden party, raise a big-top circus cupcake tier for a kid’s birthday and serve sausage and pepperoni pizza cupcakes for April Fool’s Day. No baking skills or fancy pastry equipment are required. Spotting the familiar items in the hundreds of brilliant photographs is at least half the fun. Paperback; 240 pages.

Fine Dining

Lukimbi has already created a name for itself as one of the new places to enjoy top cuisine. Meals both unusual and beautifully presented add to the whole enjoyable Lukimbi experience.Part of the fun is the changing of venues, so guests may enjoy breakfast in the bush, lunch round the pool and a glamourous candlelit dinner on the wooden decks. Maybe dinner will be in our amazing and mythical boma (or meeting place), an experience you won't forget, or perhaps our chefs will decide to do something completely different.The bar is a great pre-dinner gathering place to exchange game spotting stories, hear Shangaan tales and to sip cockails.To accompany our fine dining, we have a large cellar where guests are invited to select the best of South African wines, including many of the smaller and upcoming Estates.

EVER FELT bored after eating the same dishes at New Delhi's restaurants? Now you can eat Awadhi dishes blended with cream. At Pehli Manzil, a restaurant and bar on Sri Aurobindo Marg. They are prepared by chefs whose skills have been honed under the guidance of traditional khansamas. Though the chefs don't want to divulge their ingredients while preparing these dishes one can get the taste of cream while eating some non-vegetarian dishes.

The décor makes one feel as if one has walked right inside a courtyard of the royals. On the wall are hung hand paintings of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Wajid Ali Shah and Raja of Patiala.

Brainchild of Niena Aurora and Akash Sharma, Pehli Manzil started three years ago. Even as many restaurants have cluttered seating arrangement, at Pehli Manzil there is a respectable distance between one seat and another. This helps the customer feel free. Rights of admission are reserved. The clientele predominantly comprises families. While eating the dinner one is regaled by ghazal singer, Ram Bai.

One starts off with Barrah Kababs. They are mouth-watering but slightly heavy. Priced at Rs.163 these big pieces of mutton are eaten as starters. Along with them one slowly sips mock tail, Christabell - a concotion of mango, orange, pineapple juice with fresh cream - which acts as an appetiser for the main course. Seedhi Saadi Seekh, a blend of minced lamb mixed with exotic herbs and spices, is priced at Rs.199. For the vegetarians there is Bewazani Paneer Tikka - pieces of cottage cheese - Gobhi Ke Phool, Bharwan Aloo and Subz Seekh Kababs.

For the main course, one takes Roomali Roti with Rara Murg, chef's finger-licking blend of chicken mince and chicken pieces in onion coriander gravy. Then one gorges on Murg Malai Tikka. The flavour of the melting cheese while eating Murg Malai Tikka only makes this highly specialised dish more enjoyable. Bhuna Gosht, an authentic Punjabi combination of spinach and lamb in a mild onion gravy, is good. But the best dish is certainly Dal Anjeer Makhani, which is simmered overnight on a slow fire. For dessert one tries the ever-old reliable phirni.

Asaparagus food recipe

Smoked duck & pear appetizer spoons

Have you ever tried appetizer spoons? It’s the solution to turn any dish you like into finger-food! Possibilities are endless, all you need is Chinese soup spoons and a little imagination…Mix textures and flavors, have fun! You can make sweet ones, warm ones…They’re just great when you need to feed many people but don’t have space enough to have them all around a dinner table. Parisian appartments are expensive and small, it explains I’m a huge fan of appetizer spoons These ones are made with smoked duck and pear slices, but what gives it a special flavor is its spice and honey vinaigrette. Four spices blend is a widely used mixture in France, made with cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. if you can’t find it already made, mix 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground clove and 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. you can also add it 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper if you like. In that case, don’t add pepper to the below recipe.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

10 smoked duck slices
3/4 pear
2 tablespoons of walnut oil
1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of four spices mix
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ In a bowl, blend oil, vinegar, honey and spices (including salt & pepper).

2/ Peel and slice pear.

3/ Fill spoons with a piece of pear, topped with a smoked duck slice and another pear piece.

4/ Add a little vinaigrette to your spoons.

Goat cheese & dried figs appetizer spoons

Here is another appetizer spoon recipe I made last week when having friends over. I really like this one because I’m sure it has plenty of great variations. I only had dried fig and raisin; next time I’ll try with dried apricot. The goat cheese I used is called ‘Crottin de Chavignol‘. Its a perfect cheese for this recipe because of its soft texture. The goat cheese you’ll choose for these appetizer spoons shouldn’t be too creamy so it doesn’t make a cheese paste when you dice it. Other than that I’m sure any other medium strengh goat cheese will do the job.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

3 1/2 oz (100 g) of goat cheese
2 dried figs
30 raisins
1 tablespoon of small chive
2 tablespoons of walnut oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Scrape cheese and dice it.

2/ Rinse and chop small chives.

3/ In a bowl blend cheese, small chives, walnut oil, salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for at least 30 mn.

4/ Cut the fig’s hard part on top and slice it.

5/ Fill spoons with cheese and top with raisins and dried fig slices.

Green apple & salmon appetizer spoons

One only appetizer spoons recipe won’t serve you much so we’ll keep on going for several posts I told you possibilities were endless! You can use salmon chopped ’scraps’, they’re much cheaper and they do fine. All you have to do is mix apple with salmon and Greek yogurt. I don’t know if Greek yogurt is known (or available) in many countries but I found this little explanation on what it is. There is even a recipe if you’re ready to make your own. Granny Smith apples are perfect with salmon and give these appetizer spoons a very pleasant refreshing taste. They’ll be perfect with white wine.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

4 smoked salmon slices (or the equivalent in chopped ’scraps’)
1 Greek yogurt
1/2 Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup of lump-fish roe
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Peel, take center out and chop apple.

2/ Cut salmon into small pieces. Set some aside for decoration when spoons are filled.

3/ In a bowl, blend yogurt, salmon, apple dices, oil, salt & pepper.

4/ Fill spoons with the mixture and top with salmon and lump-fish roe.

See…It takes no time and I bet your guests will be impressed 

Prosciutto & blue cheese appetizer spoons

I’ll finish this ‘appetizer spoons week’ by one recipe I discovered not long ago but I already know I’ll be making it quite often. Unlike the other recipes I posted along the week, you’ll need some cooking for that one. I caramelized shallots but you can also use onions as long as you slice them into thin pieces. They help sweeten blue cheese’s strong taste. The three flavors go just perfect together… I used raspberry vinegar when caramelizing shallots, it adds a delicious fruity taste; but you can replace it by red wine if you like.

Preparation time: 35 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

3 prosciutto slices
6 shallots (or 2 onions)
2 oz (55 g) of blue cheese
2 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar (or red wine)
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Peel and chop shallots.

2/ Melt butter in a frying pan over low heat. (Be careful it doesn’t get brown, it’s very bad for health.)

3/ When butter has melt, add chopped shallots. Leave covered, stirring frequently, for about 10 mn or until translucent.

4/ Add sugar and stir. Let shallots caramelize for a couple of minutes, then add raspberry vinegar. At that time, you should probably go for medium heat. It’s important when adding alcohol to get it to a (smooth ) boil so the strong taste evaporates. When the strong smell is gone, you’re done. Take pan off heat.

5/ Cut prosciutto into small pieces.

6/ Dice blue cheese.

7/ Fill the bottom of your Chinese soup spoons with caramelized shallots. Add a dice of blue cheese and top with prosciutto pieces.

8/ Serve right away.

Green asparagus and vinaigrette

Asparagus season has come I love that time of the year when in season fruits and vegetables’ list starts growing. Here is a simple recipe to enjoy green asparagus with little cooking to make. You can serve them as a starter but it will also make a perfect side dish for fish. We had them with salmon, it came out great.

Preparation time: 20 mn

Ingredients (for 3 to 4 servings)

2.2 lbs (1 kg) of fresh green asparagus
6 or 7 basil leaves
1 non-treated lemon
1 teaspoon of capers
6 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of balsamiq vinegar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Take water to a boil in a large pan.

2/ Clean asparagus. Peel the last third on the opposite side of the head and cut the hard end off.

3/ When water is boiling, add asparagus and leave for 8 to 10 minutes.

4/ Clean lemon and grate zest.

5/ Rinse and chop basil.

6/ Prepare vinaigrette in a bowl by mixing oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir energetically.

7/ When asparagus are tender, take them off water and lay them next to each other in a plate.

8/ Top asparagus with capers, chopped basil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

9/ Serve right away.

fat burning food for diet

Fat Burning Foods Guide - Part 2

This complexity can result in a virtually infinite number of criteria according to which fat burning foods can be categorized or classified.Being able to do so would require us to have an overview of human metabolism and nutrients use as well as of the optimal hormonal environment for fat cell metabolism.The use of nutrients mainly consists of providing building blocks for different parts of the human body which are constantly being broken down and built up, as well as providing energy for different organs and tissues.

10 Yummy Fat Burning Foods

What are Fat Burning Foods?

In the great realm of food and nutrition, there are certain foods that work to burn calories and subsequently help control weight gain. You most likely have heard about the great calorie burning potential of celery – that the process of digestion actually burns more calories than it contains. The chemical composition of other foods also work in the similar way to help you lose weight. What is the Fat Burning Foods Diet?Built around the very core of these types of food, the Fat Burning Foods Diet outlines which foods are high in fiber and protein. By knowing which foods work with your body, you can spend less time wasting calories on unhealthy food.

Is the Fat Burning Foods Diet Effective?

Yes and no, it really depends on you. Even the healthiest foods can be unhealthy when they are over consumed – it is possible to get too much of a good thing. A common problem people face with fat burning foods is the misconception that they can eat all they want. This misconception leads to overeating and subsequent weight gain – which is the opposite of your original goal.

Is the Fat Burning Foods Diet for you?

Eating healthy foods should be part of any diet – that is a no-brainer. As we eat healthier foods in healthier moderations, our bodies are able to burn off the excess fat and transform itself into tip-top shape. However, if you feel as though you are eating right, and still struggle with weight gain – keep reading to find out which diet supplements have helped consumers like you reach their ultimate weight loss goals.

Green Leafy Vegetables

fat burning food series and just like part one and two, part three will also be introducing more food that help your lose weight (or burn fat) either by filling you up, providing your body with the needed nutrients so that your body can function more efficiently or simply helps your body build lean muscle mass which is important for some fat burning action. Of course, eating these foods alone won’t help you lose weight at all if you gorge yourself with other foods. You will need to team it with a proper wholesome healthy diet and regular exercise.