How To Enjoy A Good Cup Of Gourmet Coffee
April 30, 2007
How To Enjoy A Good Cup Of Gourmet Coffee
by: Anthony Tripodi
Are you tired of your regular Joe life and your regular Joe cup of coffee that you start your day with? Then it’s time to reward yourself with something different. Why not jazz up your morning ritual with cup of rich gourmet coffee.
The dictionary defines gourmet food like this, “Gourmet food is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented.” If you want the highest quality food you go to a top notch restaurant but if you want the highest quality coffee, you can do that at home yourself. That gourmet meal is probably going to stay at the restaurant unless you invite a chef over but gourmet coffee can be made in the comfort of your own home with just a little practice.
Gourmet coffee is more expensive than say, supermarket brands but the taste is also much richer. Unless money is no object, why not save the gourmet cup of coffee for the weekends. Make it an end of the week tradition. Stick with the supermarket coffee for when you’re rushing off to work.
How To Make Your Own Cookie Bouquets
April 30, 2007
How To Make Your Own Cookie Bouquets
by: Ricky Alberta
We’ve all seen them. Clusters of big, gourmet cookies, individually wrapped in shiny, colored cellophane, with bows and ribbons. They come in many styles and with different treats, toys or gift items attached to or inside a basket or vase of some sort. They make a terrific and edible gift idea. After all, who doesn’t love cookies? Sadly, they can be very expensive gifts, especially when considering that cookies don’t cost a whole lot to bake.
Here’s how to make your own cookie bouquets at home without spending a fortune!
What You Will Need:
Chopsticks or Wooden Skewers - Make sure they are heat-proof. If you’re baking smaller cookies, then popsicle sticks would also work.
Cookies - Find a delicious cookie recipe that makes larger size cookies, (your favorite or your gift recipients favorite will do fine)
Container - This needs to be a sturdy container that is a bit bottom heavy, especially if you plan to include more than a few big cookies. You can try putting some pebbles in the bottom to make sure the container won’t tip over, if needed. Some ideas for containers include: a coffee mug, a metal or plastic pail, a basket, a vase, a planter, cookie jar or glass jar, glass bottle, a toy or wood box of some sort, teapot, porcelain or pottery serving ware.
How To Throw A Tea Party
April 29, 2007
How To Throw A Tea Party
by: Concrete Abstract
Tea parties are a great way to gather a few close friends for a timeless tradition. Begin by sending out invitations 3 weeks in advance. Purchase tablecloths and other decorations to match your theme.
Designate a tea table and place the tea sets, which include cups, saucers and teaspoons on one end of the table. Place the teapot, sugar, lemon, milk and hot water (to dilute the tea if desired) by the tea sets. Your guests may either serve themselves or you may choose to serve the tea yourself. Either way, if sugar and lemon are to be added to tea, add the sugar before the lemon because the acidity of the lemon will prevent the sugar from dissolving. It’s best to prepare the tea in a teapot as it will taste better as loose leaves, not in tea bags.
In the middle of the table, place cookies, cakes, muffins and scones on platters and cake stands. You may also include small sandwiches, such as egg, cucumber and cream cheese, tuna or chicken sandwiches. To serve, layer the filling between two slices of bread and cut them into fourths.
The Secret To Making Perfect Chili Fit For A King
April 28, 2007
Every autumn my thoughts turn to making chili. The garden is about done. The freezer is full of veggies. All the canning is done, and winter is coming. Just before winter hits, the price of beef drops as cattlemen sell off any remaining stock that they don’t want to “winter over”. It is the perfect time to stock the freezer with homemade chili.
There is nothing better than to come home at the end of a cold winter day, chilled to the bone, and sit down to a bowl of piping hot chili and steaming black coffee. It is more than food for the body. It is truly a comfort worth remembering.
By itself, chili is absolutely delicious. As a side dish to grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, or toasted BLTs, it is out of this world. But there is a fabulous meal I call “perfect chili fit for a king” that is even better. It is a masterpiece of cookery.
Wine Tasting for the Average Joe
April 27, 2007
Wine Tasting for the Average Joe
by: Jason Connors
Going to a wine tasting can be a very fun and enjoyable experience. However, many people do not attend for fear of not knowing exactly how to act or what to do. There no great mystery to wine tastings, just a few things you should remember.
As far as etiquette, usually the ladies are served before the gentlemen. Some wine tastings offer you bottled water. Use this to rinse out your mouth between tastings so your palate is clean for the next wine. There is often unsalted and unflavored crackers and bread to help palate cleansing as well. You should always handle the wine glass by the stem. This helps avoid heating the wine with the warmth of your hands, thus altering the taste. Avoid wearing strong perfumes and colognes to a wine tasting. That may take away from not only your smell, but also that of the other guests. Also, avoid smoking, gum, and mints before and during a wine tasting to be able to enjoy the full flavor of the wine.
How to Cook Rice Right
April 26, 2007
The easiest way to make rice well every time is to use a rice cooker. If you don’t have one, or don’t want one, though, here’s a no-fail recipe for rice that one of my grandmothers taught my mother, who taught me. This one, I use mainly for seasoned rice dishes because things can be added to it before boiling, or broth (a plain soup) can be used in place of water.
This is for 4 substantial servings (4 rice bowls).
You will need:
1 large saucepan, or a short pot.
2 cups of white rice, preferably persian, glutinous, or converted, depending on how sticky you like it.
2 tablespoons of butter, margarine, rendered fat, or vegetable oil.
water or broth as needed (usually 3 to 3.5 cups)
salt to taste
Directions:
1.Put the rice in the bottom of the saucepan, and wash it thoroughly by rinsing, and then pouring off the cloudy water. Repeat until you
can recognize grains of rice through the water, and then pour this last rinse out.
2.Put your middle finger in the saucepan until it touches the bottom, and put in water or broth until the level reaches the second line of
We Keep Fighting Over a Pavlova - Find Out Why And Try The Recipe!
April 25, 2007
We Keep Fighting Over a Pavlova - Find Out Why And Try The Recipe!
by: Jean Morrison
Australians and New Zealanders maintain an ongoing “controversy” over who concocted the famous Pavlova. The Aussies lay claim to it but the Kiwis think very differently. Each claim it as one of their national dishes.
Firstly, how do you pronounce the word Pavlova. Here we go: pav-LOH-vuh with the emphasis on the LOH part of the word.
The word Pavlova is taken directly from the name of the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova. There is no argument about that fact. Anna Pavlova visited Australia in 1926 and then came back again in 1929 visiting New Zealand as well on this second visit. She was billed as the greatest dancer of all time. As can be imagined, she was very light on her toes.
Back at that time there was a very creative chef working in the kitchens of the Esplanade Hotel in Perth, Western Australia. To celebrate the visit of Anna Pavlova he created a meringue-style dessert which was very light and airy. His delightful dessert was considered to be lighter than air, just like Anna’s performances were. Consequently his invention was called a Pavlova - that is the Australian version of how the Pavlova got it’s name.
Farm To Market Days
April 25, 2007
Summer may begin in June but, for many parts of the country, gardens don’t reach their peak until August. Modern grocery stores manage to keep us satisfied with produce year round, but there is nothing like the flavor of farm fresh tomatoes, peaches, or sweet corn. And there is nothing like the experience of buying from local growers who are proud of their wares.
The first farmers’ markets started over a century before the Declaration of Independence. Since then, it has become an American tradition to buy fresh produce, flowers, eggs and cheese from markets and roadside stands. In the beginning, farmers would brave muddy roads in their horse-drawn wagons. As time went on, farmers made the weekly trek to town in pick-ups, where they’d pile bushels of fruit and vegetables high on the tailgate of their trucks. Today, many lucky city dwellers visit markets that are open every day.
Butter Cream Icing Recipes
April 24, 2007
Butter Cream Icing Recipes
by: Michael Leembruggen
Recipe 1
1 ½ cups of different types of vegetable shortenings
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons flavors (colorless)
2 pounds of confectioner’s sugar
¼ to ½ cup of water or milk (water is a good choice, but milk goes well with lavender color)
Combine all the shortenings, flavorings, and salts thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar. Slowly add water and gently mix all the ingredients until well blended. You will notice that after 2-3 minutes, the mixture will become creamy.
Notes:
a) Try to keep the amount in exactly the same quantity as mentioned above. If you introduce lots of variations, you may not get the desired butter cream icing.
b) If you want to make your icing thin, add three to four big spoonfuls of corn syrup.
c) If you want to make chocolate butter cream, all you need to do is add ¾ cup of cocoa powder or three one ounce chocolate squares, mixed with one to two tablespoons of milk, to the other ingredients and proceed to mix well.
Recipe 2
The Skinny on Legumes, Seeds and Nuts
April 23, 2007
The Skinny on Legumes, Seeds and Nuts
by: Dianne Ronnow
Beans, peas and lentels are in the legume family and are excellent food choices. Legumes are healthy complex carbohydrates, full of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. They are a good source of protein, although they do not have all the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that the body needs, so supplement your legumes with a variety of foods to get the complete protein your body needs.
Beans have also been shown to help lower the risk of Diabetes and heart disease. Eating a cup of cooked beans a day can lower your total cholesterol by up to 10% in 6 weeks, which decreases your risk of heart disease by 20%. The phytonutrients in beans also help lower the risk of cancer.
Canned beans will give you the much of the same benefits as dried beans, so if you don’t like to cook your beans from scratch, canned beans are a good alternative.
