Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 06:45:00 +0000

Hokkien mee is one of my all time favourite hawker dishes. It is also a dish that is unique to Singapore. There are many theories as to the origins of the dish, but what is undisputed is that you can’t find this style of Hokkien mee in our neighbouring countries, unlike char kway teow where many variations can be found across Malaysia. Malaysia does have its own “Hokkien Mee” but the only thing they have in common is the noodles. KL Hokkien mee is quite a different dish altogether, both in terms of flavour and in the method of cooking.

Ingredients

Hokkien Noodles 1 kg
Bee hoon 600g (I used fresh rice noodles)
Eggs 6
Chicken lard 200g
Ginger 1 thumb size cut into cubes
Garlic 8 cloves minced
Chinese chives (gu chai) 1 cup
Fish sauce to taste
Calamansi limes
Sliced chillies

Stock

Prawns 1 kg (Sua Lor is preferable)/li>
Squid 2 pieces/li>
Chicken Belly 300g/li>
Chicken bones/li>
Salt 2 tsp/li>
MSG optional 1 tsp

Method

Render the Chicken lard by adding the lard cubes to the wok together with enough water to cover and a few cubes of ginger. Once the water dries up, turn to low heat for 1 hour or until the lard cubes become crispy and brown.
Bring a pot of water to boil and add the Chicken bones and pork belly. Boil for 5 mins then discard the water and give the bones and Chicken belly a good wash to remove the impurities. Set aside.
Bring another pot of water to boil and blanch the prawns and squid. Once the prawns turn colour, remove the prawns and squid and add the Chicken belly and bones to the prawn stock. Peel the heads and shell of the prawns and add it back to the stock. Add enough water to cover the shells and boil for 1.5 – 2 hours. Remove the Chicken belly and allow to cool before slicing.
Devein the prawns, slice the squid and Chicken belly and set aside.
Blanch the Hokkien noodles with hot water, then rinse with tap water, drain and set aside. This will get rid of excess “kee” (alkali) smell.
Heat wok. When hot add 1/2 cup rendered lard. Beat the eggs and fry the eggs till they are brown and fragrant. There should be enough oil so that the eggs are bubbling away.
Add noodles and toss to mix with eggs. Add 2 scoops of stock to the noodles and allow to simmer till dry. Next fry till the noodles are toasty and have lost the “kee” smell and have developed a toasty aroma. Try not to break the noodles in the process.
Add the rice noodles and toss to mix.
In a separate small pot, heat up lard oil, lard cubes and minced garlic. Fry till fragrant and add 1 scoop of stock. Then add this to the noodles. Add more stock and cover to wok to allow the noodles to simmer for a few minutes. (if you are frying small amounts, this can be done in the work with the noodles pushed to one side)
Add prawns, sliced squid and Chicken belly and toss to mix. Add garlic chives, and a splash of fish sauce to taste.

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Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Source : Wikipedia / ieatishootipost

Malaysian Hokkien Mee Noodles

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 05:04:00 +0000

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
8 Prawns, medium sized
1 pcs fried fish cake, chop into 0.5 cm slices (optional)
1 small green round cabbage, chopped into palm-sized pieces
400g of thick hokkien noodles
1 cup of chicken or water

Sauce

3 – 4 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
2 – 3 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 dashes white pepper powder

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Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Source : Wikipedia / jewelpie

Scrambled Eggs with Baked Beans on Toast

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 01:23:00 +0000

Scrambled Eggs with Baked Beans on Toast

Ingredients:

6 Eggs/li>
1/3 Cup Cream/li>
1 Tbsp Butter/li>
Salt to taste/li>
1 Can Baked Beans (warmed)/li>
4 pieces of Light Rye Bread (Toasted)

Method:

In a bowl crack the eggs, add cream and whisk lightly. Heat a nonstick pan add the butter, allow to melt slightly and sizzle, but not brown, add the egg mixture and salt.
Allow to cook slightly 20-30 secs, with a Teflon spatula glide the tip around the edge of the pan and bring the cooked egg to the centre, loosen the base in the centre and fold over allow to cook 20-30 secs and repeat until the eggs are cooked to your desired consistency.
Cut two slices of warm toast in halve on the diagonal, place a whole slice in the middle of the plate top with half the baked beans followed by half of the eggs, or vice-versa.
Place the final halved toast, on the side of plate.
Ready to serve........

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Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Source : Wikipedia / angelasparksblog

Cantonese Fried Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 10:53:00 +0000

As with all fried hawker noodle dishes, use a large wok over high heat where possible and slice up all your ingredients before starting to cook so they can be tossed in quickly. The secret to getting the gravy right is to add the eggs at the very last minute before serving- by all means change it up to be thicker/thinner/eggier/egg-less if you see fit.

Fry together over high heat in a bit of oil until charred:

About 350g fresh hor fun/kuay teow (soak in hot water first to separate if clumped together, then drain thoroughly. If using dried noodles, use less as it expands and boil until white and soft before use)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (more if it looks too light)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Dish up onto two deep plates/shallow bowls and set aside.

Making the Gravy:

Fry 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped until golden.

Add and fry briefly:

8-10 slices of chicken (or beef if you like)
6-8 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
6-8 slices of fishcake
6-8 slices of squid

Lower heat and add:

1½- 2 cups water (depending on how much gravy you want) * If you have good chicken stock around use that but I would avoid artificial chicken stock cubes/powder, tastes awful!
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
Bit of sugar
Dash of white pepper
Dash of salt

Continue:

Bring to a boil, then add 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in ¼ cup water (for thickening).
Simmer for a few mins until thickened.
Slice 1 bunch of choy sum (flowering Chinese cabbage) or greens of your choice into 2” lengths and throw in.
Turn heat off and break in 2 eggs, stirring quickly to scramble.
Have a quick taste and add more seasoning if required.
Dish the gravy over the prepared hor fun and serve immediately (alongside a small dish of sliced pickled green chillies in light soy sauce if you're lucky enough to have it).
Ready to serve...

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Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Source : Wikipedia / bakecookeat

Halal Dumpling

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Thu, 10 May 2018 07:22:00 +0000

Dumpling is originally a Chinese culinary that becomes really popular. A simple dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main dish, Dumpling is one of the favorite menus for Chinese. It's a simple recipe for Dumpling that is halal because you will make it your own at home. The recipe is easy to follow and the result is very delicious it will make you a great host if you are inviting some friends to visit home.

Ingredients

Dumpling skin
1. 250g hard wheat flour
2. 250g wheat flour
3. 250cc hot water
4. 1 small spoon salt (As you like)
Dumpling filling
1. 200g halal certified chicken thigh
2. 1/4 cabbage
3. 1/2 bundle of Chinese chives
4. 1 small spoon grated ginger
5. 1 small spoon grated garlic
6. 1 big spoon salad oil
7. 1 big spoon soy sauce
8. 1 small spoon sesame oil
1/2 small spoon salt
1. A big spoon : 15cc/15g
2. A small spoon : 5cc/5g

Fillings instructions

Make the dough. Mix hard wheat flour, wheat flour and salt in a bowl.
Pull hot water circularly, mix the whole by long chopstickes. When it collects up, mix such as kneading by hand and collect up the whole in one.
Once collects up, remove the dough from a bowl and knead further by hand on a cutting board or block. At the time, do not sprinkle flour.
When stir to combine, make balls when there is no powdered ones. Cover by a wrined wet kitchen towel and leave at the room temperature for a half hour to an hour.
On the block sprinkled wheat flour, cut the left dough in quaters. Such as rolling respective balls over, make them as bars at 4cm in diameter and cut into 1cm length by a kitchen knife.
Spread cut doughs by hand. When spread the dough such as avaraging the thinness and making balls by a rooling bud, complete skins.
Until use skins, flour wheat flour and lap over to prevent from sticking and put a wet kitchen towel tightly squeezed.
Make filling. Chop cabbage into fine pieces. Flour a pinch of salt (excluding the ingredient), mix the whole such as kneading and drain off water.
Cut Chinese chieves into 1cm width pieces. Put them in a strainer and make them wilted by pulling hot water from the top.
Put remained ingredients of dumpling and mix until meat get thickened.
Add cabbage 5. and Chinese cheves 6. into 7., mix the whole to make it even further and complete filling.
Wrap up filling by made skins.
Line dumplings in a fry pan which put oil. Cook on high heat for 1-2 minutes, pull 100cc (excluding the ingredient) and steam on medium heat after drop a cover.
When water get dried, remove a cover, cook until it get dried completedlly
Your Dumpling is ready

Cooking instructions

When you increase the percentage of hard wheat flour, it would be appeared sticky for boiled dumpling.
Please choose non alcohol soy sauce and vinger when you eat dumplings.
You can use remained dumpling skins for mini pizza and apple pie.
Your Dumpling is ready to serve!

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Nakao Global Cuisines For Healthy

Source : Wikipedia / halalrecipes

Halal Wonton Soup

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Thu, 10 May 2018 07:05:00 +0000

Wonton soup is originally a Chinese culinary that becomes really popular. A simple dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main dish, wonton soup is one of the favorite menus for Chinese. It's a simple recipe for wonton soup that is halal because you will make it your own at home. The recipe is easy to follow and the result is very delicious it will make you a great host if you are inviting some friends to visit home.

Ingredients

2 large boneless chicken thighs
1 cup of peeled shrimps
3 large leeks or green onions
1 onion
10 cloves of garlic
5 cm size ginger for the broth
2 cm size ginger for the fillings
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
sesame oil
soy sauce
salt
pepper
a pack wonton wrapper

Fillings instructions

Put the shrimp in the food processor, ground the shrimp, you still want some chunks textures on the shrimp, after that put the shrimp in a mixing bowl
Cut the chicken into cube size then put it in the food processor to make ground chicken and after the chicken have transformed to ground chicken add it to the mixing bowl
Grate 5 cloves of garlic into a garlic paste
Grate the 2 cm size ginger into a ginger paste
Add the grated garlic and ginger to the mixing bowl along with shrimp and chicken
Cut 2-3 of the leek’s green part and chopped the finely
Add the chopped leeks to the mixing bowl
Add about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
Add enough salt and pepper and mix the bowl very well until all the shrimp, chicken, and leeks are mixed well
Add the cornstarch and mix it well again until all mixed
Wrap the fillings with the wonton wrapper one by one until all the fillings is finished wrapped
Your wonton is ready

Broth instructions

Get a large pot and fill about 8 cups of water then heat it over a high heat until the water is boiling
Turn the heat to medium-low
Peel and cut the onion into 2 half pieces, then add the onion into the boiling pot
Cut the 5 cm meters ginger and add it to the pot
Cut about 1 green part of the leeks the add it to the pot
Crushed and peeled 5 cloves of garlic and add it to the pot
Let the pot boil again on medium-low heat for minimum 45 minutes
After 45 minutes remove the onion, ginger, leeks, and garlic from the broth
Turn the heat to low and the broth is ready

Cooking instructions

Add all the wontons into the pot and set the heat over medium-low heat
Let it boil for about 20 minutes
After 20 minutes, add about 1 tablespoons of sesame oil, ½ tablespoon of soy sauce, enough salt, and pepper
Mix the pot slowly so that the all wontons are not wrecked.
Cut the leeks stems (you can cut it diagonally to make it looks beautiful in the pot)
Add all the cut leek stems to the pot and let it boil again for about 15-20 minutes
Your wonton soup is ready to serve!

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Source : Wikipedia / halalmedia

Korean Country Delights Cruisine

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 15:49:00 +0000

These days there's no escaping the "hallyu" or Korean wave. Whether it's drama, music, beauty, fashion, cars, smartphones, or household appliances, the K-wave has swept us all up in its unstoppable wake. Ardent foodies aren't spared either judging by the ever-growing number of Korean restaurants in the Klang Valley. In recent years, Korean food has become a popular cuisine of choice for many when they dine out.But Korean food is not all about BBQ and kimchi. There are plenty of fascinating, little known facts about hansik, aka Korean cuisine.

Rice and soup with traditional side dishes complete a meal at Onsemiro

1. Food is medicine

First and foremost, food is medicine, according to the Koreans. They subscribe to the belief that "you are what you eat". To them, food is something that's essential to one's physical and emotional well-being. They believe in harmony - that different ingredients when combined should be balanced in the yin-yang aspects. Korean food is also one of the healthiest traditional cuisine in the world due to the prevalent use of natural, seasonal ingredients: tofu, bean paste, chillies, garlic and tangy-spicy kimchi.

The all-action, all-nourishing ginseng chicken soup

The concept of harmony in Korean food is evident at Onsemiro through its wide variety of banchan - small assorted dishes of appetisers, pickles and salads. At Da On Fine Korean Restaurant, samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) is a splendid stress reliever to counter our hot sweltering weather.

2. Rice is nice

The second thing to remember is that rice is nice and precious. No Korean meal is complete without a bowl of steamed rice. The short grain rice is starchier than our local version, with a stickier texture similar to that of glutinous rice. Sometimes beans, millet, barley, and corn are added for variation or made into juk (porridge). Unpolished brown rice is more popular in the countryside.

Rice and soup with banchan - rice is sometimes mixed with vegetables and other grains

It is a sacrilege to waste rice so most Koreans feel duty-bound to finish every single grain. Water is sometimes poured over the rice crust at the bottom of rice pot and everything is left to soak for a while before the watery crust is scraped together to make sungyung, a weak, smoky rice "tea" of sorts. Every last drop and grain of this is completely lapped up.

Do you know that Korean restaurateurs are obliged to ply diners with endless servings of banchan (side dishes) as long as the latter's bowls of rice remain unfinished? This is because leftover rice is seen as a tell-tale sign that the food served hasn't met the customers' expectations, hence the restaurateurs must coax them into finishing it with more banchan.

Bibimbap topped with a golden egg yolk

Local diners can sample one of the Korea's most popular rice dishes bibim-bab (hot stone bowl rice topped with assorted vegetables and egg, then stirred and served with Korean chilli sauce) at Kimchi Haru, a modest family-run Korean eatery or Dubu Dubu, a modern, quick-service Korean restaurant.

3. All in one

Korean food is also about enjoying an "all-in-one" meal. Unlike Western meals that come in separate, multiple courses, a Korean meal will have all the different dishes served simultaneously. Each person will have his or her own bowl of rice, soup and/or stew. It is customary to serve five to 12 dishes of banchan in addition to one or two family/communal servings of main dishes: meat, seafood or beancurd.

Dishes are served in one sitting for a Korean meal

Naturally, regional variations abound. More fish and seafood-centric dishes dominate the coastal regions while simpler, more rustic and wholesome fare prevail in agriculture-intensive areas. Both Da On and Onsemiro take great pride in tempting diners with more refined facets of Korean cuisine while Ko Hyang, Kimchi Haru and Dubu Dubu aim for mass appeal with their selection of reasonably-priced homespun fare.

4. No gravy train but banchan aplenty

Forget about the gravy train when it comes to Korean food. With the exception of soup and certain stewed dishes, you won't find any gravy-laden offering in Korean cuisine. Even juk (Korean porridge) tends to be smooth and thick while jjigae (Korean stew) only has a small amount of liquid in it.

Vegetables and wild greens are normal for more provincial dishes

However, banchan is aplenty in every Korean meal, with five or more side dishes being the norm. Served in the centre of the table for sharing, the repertoire runs into hundreds of different varieties. Apart from the famed kimchi, a large number of banchan is vegetable-based and the preparations veer from parboiling and simmering in various sauces and spices to pan-frying and braising.

5. No sweet conclusion

Dessert to end one’s meal is a Western concept that’s completely alien to Korean dining. Customarily, a Korean meal finishes with green tea or refreshing beverages such as sikhye (rice punch), hwachae (honeyed fruit punch) and ohmija (a mildly tangy five-flavour raspberry tea with pine nuts).

Source : hungrygowhere

Chinese Islamic cuisine

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 13:21:00 +0000

Chinese Islamic cuisine ( Ḥalāl cuisine" or Hui people's cuisine ) is the cuisine of the Hui ( ethnic Chinese Muslims ) and other Muslims living in China. Due to the large Muslim population in western China, many Chinese restaurants cater to, or are run by, Muslims. Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine originated in China proper. It is heavily influenced by Beijing cuisine, with nearly all cooking methods identical, and differs only in material due to religious restrictions. As a result, northern Islamic cuisine is often included in home Beijing cuisine, however seldom in east coast restaurants.

During the Yuan dynasty, Halal methods of slaughtering animals and preparing food was banned and forbidden by the Mongol Emperors, starting with Genghis Khan who banned Muslims and Jews from slaughtering their animals their own way, and making them follow the Mongol method.

Among all the [ subject ] alien peoples only the Hui-hui say “we do not eat Mongol food”. [ Cinggis Qa’an replied: ] “By the aid of heaven we have pacified you; you are our slaves. Yet you do not eat our food or drink. How can this be right?” He thereupon made them eat. “If you slaughter sheep, you will be considered guilty of a crime.” He issued a regulation to that effect ...

[ In 1279 / 1280 under Qubilai ] all the Muslims say: “if someone else slaughters [ the animal ] we do not eat”. Because the poor people are upset by this, from now on, Musuluman [Muslim] Huihui and Zhuhu [ Jewish ] Huihui, no matter who kills [ the animal ] will eat [ it ] and must cease slaughtering sheep themselves, and cease the rite of circumcision.

Traditionally, there is a distinction between northern and southern Chinese Islamic cuisine despite both utilizing mutton and lamb. Northern Chinese Islamic cuisine relies heavily on beef, but rarely ducks, geese, shrimp or seafood, while southern Islamic cuisine is the reverse. The reason for this difference is due to availability of the ingredients.

Oxen have been long used for farming and Chinese governments have frequently strictly prohibited the slaughter of oxen for food. However, due to the geographic proximity of the northern part of China to minority-dominated regions that were not subjected to such restrictions, beef could be easily purchased and transported to northern China.

At the same time, ducks, geese, and shrimp are rare in comparison to southern China due to the arid climate of northern China. A Chinese Islamic restaurant can be similar to a Mandarin restaurant with the exception that there is no pork on the menu and is primarily noodle/soup based. In most major eastern cities in China, there are very limited Islamic/Halal restaurants, which are typically run by migrants from Western China (e.g., Uyghurs), they primarily offer inexpensive noodle soups only. These restaurants are typically decorated with Islamic motifs such as pictures of Islamic rugs and Arabic writing.

Another difference is that lamb and mutton dishes are more commonly available than in other Chinese restaurants, due to the greater prevalence of these meats in the cuisine of western Chinese regions. Other Muslim ethnic minorities like the Salar, Dongxiang, Bonan, and Tibetan Muslims have their own cuisines as well. Dongxiang people also operate their own restaurants serving their cuisine.

Many cafeterias (canteens) at Chinese universities have separate sections or dining areas for Muslim students (Hui or western Chinese minorities), typically labeled "qingzhen." Student ID cards sometimes indicate whether a student is Muslim, and will allow access to these dining areas, or will allow access on special occasions such as the Eid feast following Ramadan.

Several Hui restaurants serving Chinese Islamic cuisine exist in Los Angeles. San Francisco, despite its huge number of Chinese restaurants, appears to have only one whose cuisine would qualify as Halal. Many Chinese Hui Muslims who moved from Yunnan to Burma (Myanmar) are known as Panthays operate restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic cuisine such as noodles. Chinese Hui Muslims from Yunnan who moved to Thailand are known as Chin Haw and they also own restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic food.

In Central Asia, Dungan people, descendants of Hui, operate restaurants serving Chinese Islamic cuisine which is respectively referred to as Dungan cuisine there. They cater to Chinese businessmen. Chopsticks are used by Dungans. The cuisine of the Dungan resembles northwestern Chinese cuisine.

Most Chinese regard Hui Halal food as cleaner than food made by non Muslims so their restaurants are popular in China. Hui who migrated to Northeast China (Manchuria) after the Chuang Guandong opened many new inns and restaurants to cater to travellers, which were regarded as clean. The Hui who migrated to Taiwan also operate Qingzhen restaurants and stalls serving Chinese Islamic cuisine in Taipei and other big cities.

The Thai Department of Export Promotion claims that "China's halal food producers are small-scale entrepreneurs whose products have little value added and lack branding and technology to push their goods to international standards" to encourage Thai private sector Halal producers to market their products in China.

Famous dishes

Lamian

Lamian is a Chinese dish of hand-made noodles, usually served in a beef or mutton-flavored soup, but sometimes stir-fried and served with a tomato-based sauce. Literally, ( lā ) means to pull or stretch, while ( miàn ) means noodle. The hand-making process involves taking a lump of dough and repeatedly stretching it to produce a single very long noodle.

Beef noodle soup

Beef noodle soup is a noodle soup dish composed of stewed beef, beef broth, vegetables and wheat noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. The most common Vietnamese version is called Bo kho, but which uses rice noodles instead. It was created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty of China.

In the West, this food may be served in a small portion as a soup. In China, a large bowl of it is often taken as a whole meal with or without any side dish.

Chuanr

Chuanr ( kebab ), originating in the Xinjiang province of China and in recent years has been disseminated throughout the rest of that country, most notably in Beijing. It is a product of the Chinese Islamic cuisine of the Uyghur people and other Chinese Muslims. Yang rou chuan, or lamb kebabs, is particularly popular.

Suan cai

Suan cai or Chinese Sauerkraut is a traditional Chinese cuisine vegetable dish used in a variety of ways. It consists of pickled Chinese cabbage. Suan cai is a unique form of pao cai due to the material used and the method of production. Although suan cai is not exclusively Chinese Islamic cuisine, it is used in Chinese Islamic cuisine to top off noodle soups, especially beef noodle soup.

Nang

Nang, is a type of round unleavened bread, topped with sesame. It is similar to South and Central Asia naan.

Source : Wikipedia.

Baba & Nyonya Cuisine

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 10:58:00 +0000

From the Malay influence a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using typical Malay spices. Examples are Chicken Kapitan, a dry chicken curry, and Inchi Kabin, a Nyonya version of fried chicken. Pindang bandeng is a common fish soup served in Indonesia during the Chinese new year and so is a white round mooncake from Tangerang which is normally used during the Autumn Festival.

Swikee Purwodadi is a peranakan dish from Purwodadi, it is a frog soup dish. Nyonya Laksa is a very popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia, as is Kueh Lapis, a type of multi layered cake, most often eaten at Chinese New Year to symbolize a ladder of prosperity. A small number of restaurants serving Nyonya food can be found in Singapore; Penang and Malacca in Malaysia; and Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya in Indonesia.

Source : Wikipedia.

The Cafe World Secrets Guide

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Wed, 28 May 2014 14:29:00 +0000

Are you really tired of the food constantly spoiling? Always have spoiled foods on your ranges may be a major drawback in your achievement. The cash you dedicated and also the meals you would have got would entirely be lost.

This can be the reason why it is vital to never spoil your food. It is suggested to make yourself a cooking program, to hold your foods from going bad.

The Cafe World Secrets’ Manual is made from all the greatest kept secrets that just the great chefs understood. This guidebook will reveal the precise strategies that the professionals use to help you create something to yield countless experience as well as coins promptly and effortlessly through step by step directions.

Creating your personal strategies for making countless stockpiling encounter and coins can need a great deal of research. Browsing online for Cafe Planet secrets might take hours and perhaps you will come up short of time. I strongly recommend that you utilize the Cafe World Secrets Information, if you’d like some actual Cafe World secrets to assist you construct the best cafe.

Maintain Your Foods From Spoiling by Having A Cooking Program

To make a superb cooking program, you may first should learn what kinds of food to organize to amplify your profits. Now that people really know how to determine which foods are the very best to prepare, we must generate a program around these kinds of foods. You must spread out advanced foods with low-level foods in your kitchen ranges instead of simply be biased towards one degree. Bear this in mind as you produce your program.

Cooking Tips:

You should compute which food will give you the very best return on your expense and evaluate the prices, to know very well what kinds of food will optimize your profits. You should take what you’ll get after having offered all portions minus the price of the meals, locate the total which amount from the cash outlay for the meals again, to discover your ROI.

Source : ivorymiranda.

Massaman Chicken

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 17:36:00 +0000

Preparation

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and cook in batches, skin side down, until golden brown (do not turn), 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Cook potatoes in same pot, turning occasionally, until brown, 8–10 minutes; transfer to another plate. Cook onions in pot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes; transfer to plate with potatoes.

Add curry paste to pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by half, 5–7 minutes. Add chicken, coconut milk, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is very tender, 1–1 1/2 hours.

Return potatoes and onions to pot and cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and chile powder; season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro and shallots. Serve with rice.
DO AHEAD: Chicken can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 4–4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
3/4 cup prepared massaman curry paste
12 ounces Belgian-style wheat beer
4 13.5-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon palm or light brown sugar
1 teaspoon red chile powder
Freshly ground black pepper
Cilantro sprigs, fried shallots, and cooked rice (for serving)

Prepared curry paste speeds up this nuanced dish.

yield : Makes 8 servings
active time : 45 minutes
total time : 2 hours 45 minutes

Source : epicurious.

10 Most Tasty Cuisines In The World

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:45:00 +0000

For all the food fanatics out there, traveling is essential, if you want to taste everything the world has to offer. That is why we have rounded up the most resounding symphonies of flavor, the most colorful dishes and the tasties bites. Here is your guide to the fascinating, international cuisines.
10. Lebanese Cuisine

The Lebanese cuisine is the place where you can taste all the goodness the Middle East has to offer. Foods are generally Mediterranean, high on vegetables, little meat and full of flavors. Perhaps the most famous dish worldwide is the appetizer mezze – a selection of dips, pickles, salads and nibbles with Arabic bread. It also includes an abundance of fruit, fresh fish and seafood and little animal fat. The country is also famous for the Arabic sweets, Tripoli being referred to as the “Sweet Capital” of Lebanon.

9. Greek Cuisine

With a significant influence from the Turkish and Italian cuisine, the Greek cuisine is a focused around olive oil, vegetables and herbs specific to the Mediterranean region. Eating in Greece is a different experience from Greek restaurants in other countries – gyros for example is considered by Greeks junk food. Restaurants now offer an authentic eating experience, being up to date with the latest culinary trends and stocked up with regional specialties. The Taverna and Estiatorio are widespread, being the places where you can find affordable authentic cuisine.

8. Spanish Cuisine

For a lighter approach on food, we turn to the Spanish cuisine, containing a variety of meat and fish, as well as vegetables. It is also influenced by the seafood available from the surrounding waters. Spanish cuisine uses the most oil among all Western and Central European cuisines. One of the most popular drinks in Spain that goes perfectly with its national dishes is sangria, a drink made of wine and fruits.

7. Japanese Cuisine

Known for its seasonality of food, aspect and quality of ingredients, the Japanese cuisine is rapidly becoming a trend worldwide. White rice and soybeans are the ingredients you should expect to find in almost any dish. According to Michelin Guide that ranks cities worldwide for their restaurants, Tokyo is the most delicious city, with 150 top-ranked restaurants, as opposed to Paris and London that have 148. Apart from its capital, it is fascinating to uncover the local cuisine throughout Japan.

6. Mexican Cuisine

Known for its varied flavors and spices, Mexican Cuisine is a result of the Spanish conquistadores’ interaction with the Aztec culture. Most of the Mexican food we eat today is a delicious combination of ancient traditions, Aztec, Mayan and Spanish. The French also had their part in the story, adding baked goods such as sweet breads and the bolillo. You can easily choose the restaurant you are going to eat in by popularity: restaurants with good food usually attract all the customers. There are also exotic options for your menu, such as iguana, insects, rattlesnake, deer and even spider monkey.

5. Thai Cuisine

Many people say Thai food alone, with its balanced mix of hot, sour, bitter and sweet, is a good enough reason to visit the country. The foods are characterized by the use of fresh herbs and flavors, such as lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander. Similar to many Asian cuisines, rice is the main component in Thai foods as well. You will often come across nam pla, a strong fish sauce, shrimp paste and noodles. If you’re looking to get a kick of out your lunch, you should try the raw beef, fermented fish paste or deep fried insect larvae mostly present in the Northeast, where eating insects in fairly common.

4. Indian Cuisine

One of the world’s most sophisticated and diverse cuisines, only one part of the Indian cuisine is known to the world. The Indian food served in restaurants worldwide is North Indian, also known as Mughlai or Punjabi. There are other 3 categories of Indian cuisine: South, East and West. The foods are mostly vegetarian, but many include lamb, goat, chicken meat and even fish. Indian cuisine is usually very spicy so in order to enjoy the food, start slowly and in a few weeks you’ll get accustomed to the flavors. Meals are usually eaten without cutlery, while seated on the floor, but these traditions are starting to change for the restaurants oriented to the Europe or the US.

3. Chinese Cuisine

Originated in various parts of China and now spread throughout the world, Chinese cuisine is now eaten by a third of the world’s population every day. The cuisine is easy to create, economical and tasty. Most of the food is prepared in bite-sized pieces because the Chinese culture regards knives and forks as weapons. Usually, every person at the table is given a bowl of rice while the other dishes are shared by everyone at the table. Some dishes are cooked from endangered species, such as facai moss while others from meat you would want to avoid such as dog.

2. Italian Cuisine

Perhaps one of the oldest in the world, the Italian cuisine can be traced back to the 4th century BC. It became what is today along with the discovery of the New World, that brought potatoes, tomatoes pepper or maize on the list of ingredients. An Italian meal is structured into several sections: antipasto (the appetizer), primo (pasta or rice dish), secondo (meat course), dolce (dessert). Italy is also famous for over 400 kinds of cheese, including the famous Parmigianino Reggiano, and 300 types of sausages.

1. French Cuisine

Starting with the Middle Ages that brought rich banquets to the French Revolution, where refined techniques were used, French Cuisine can be called in the 21st century “haute cuisine”. It is as popular as the poetry or French arts, a meal at a restaurant comparing to “a sort of theatre you can eat”. Pastries are a large part of French cooking. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, being perhaps the most famous of all. The modern restaurant has its roots in French culture so restaurants are bountiful, but as for recommendation before deciding on one. In Paris alone, there are over 5,000 places to eat, with prices and menus to suit anyone’s taste.

Read more : hotelclub / Original Source : hotelclub

Are Lean Cuisines Healthy?

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 18:17:00 +0000

Lean Cuisine produces an extensive line of easily preparable frozen meals. Unlike many frozen dinner companies, however, Lean Cuisine meals are designed to cater to individuals who are dieting or trying to eat healthy meals. Homemade meals still tend to be healthier than Lean Cuisine meals. Still, these frozen foods do provide a balanced meal with fairly low levels of most harmful nutritional components. Sodium : One serving of Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Alfredo contains 680 mg of sodium. The sodium is the main potentially harmful dietary component in Lean Cuisine meals; according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, most healthy individuals should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily. To reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, limit your intake of other high-sodium foods on the days you eat Lean Cuisine meals.
Calories and Fat

Lean cuisine meals are fairly low in both calories and fat, making them an acceptable option for individuals trying to lose weight who need a fast and convenient meal. One serving of Market Creations Chicken Alfredo contains 280 calories and 7 g of total fat; a serving of Comfort Cuisine Baked Chicken contains 250 calories and 8 g of total fat; and a serving of Dinnertime Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp contains 280 calories and 6 g of total fat.

Fiber

One serving of Market Creations Chicken Alfredo contains 4 g of fiber, a serving of Dinnertime Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp contains 5 g, and a serving of Comfort Cuisine Baked Chicken contains 2 g of fiber. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, you should try to consume a minimum of 20 g of fiber per day. Your body needs fiber for your digestion to function properly and to reduce your risk diverticulitis and similar conditions.

Protein

One serving of Lean Cuisine Market Creations Chicken Alfredo contains 20 g of protein, a serving of Comfort Cuisine Baked Chicken contains 15 g of protein, and a serving of Dinnertime Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp contains 18 g of protein. People who work out extensively, in particular, should make sure that their diet includes plenty of protein -- such as that found in Lean Cuisine meals -- so that they can repair sore or injured muscles.

Source : livestrong.

Love Recipe

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 10:25:00 +0000

Charolette’s Love Recipe
INGREDIENTS

2 Hearts Full of Love
2 Heaping Cups of Kindness
4 Armfuls of Gentleness
2 Cups of Friendship
2 Cups of Joy
2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness
1 Lifetime of Togetherness
2 Minds Full of Tenderness

method

Stir Daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience.
Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.

WHAT IS LOVE

Love is patient, kind, gentle, joyous and peaceful. Long-suffering.
Love does not know hate, anger or jealousy. Love is not proud or boastful.
Love believes, hopes, bears and endures. Love never fails.
Believe in God; believe in each other.
Let your hopes and dreams be beautiful together. Let God bear all of your problems, because he loves you.
Endure forever walking, running, communicating, laughing and crying together, but best of all staying together
’til death do you part, sealed with a kiss from God.

Full Of Art

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:11:00 +0000

There are a few classic subjects that pop up repeatedly over the course of art history. There are the religious archetypes of the Madonna and Child and the Pieta; the portrait, in which an artist tries to faithfully capture a human likeness; and the still-life, a depiction of a group of physical objects. Right. So, how about we get to the delicious? Food holds a special place in visual culture and still lifes of food are an ongoing obsession with artists — not to mention, a personal favorite of our own. We scoped out the best food still lifes from the last few centuries, and delivered them fresh to you. Enjoy!

The Good Food Come From Your Heart

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:17:00 +0000

"The best food comes from the heart," said Sheila Wolfe, Jewish Food Faire Chair. "That's what we want to convey with this year's Faire theme, 'From Generation to Generation.'" "What says love more than a steaming bowl of chicken soup, for instance," said Wolfe. "Sacramentans eager to surround themselves with wonderful, nurturing and delicious food will have a very special experience," she added. "Much of the food for sale at the Faire is lovingly made by hand by members of our congregation using their own treasured family recipes which were handed down to them by a mother or grandparent.

New Menu

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:20:00 +0000

Allergies Or Sensitivities

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:14:00 +0000

Some people have allergies or sensitivities to foods which are not problematic to most people. This occurs when a person's immune system mistakes a certain food protein for a harmful foreign agent and attacks it. About 2% of adults and 8% of children have a food allergy.

The amount of the food substance required to provoke a reaction in a particularly susceptible individual can be quite small. In some instances, traces of food in the air, too minute to be perceived through smell, have been known to provoke lethal reactions in extremely sensitive individuals. Common food allergens are gluten, corn, shellfish (mollusks), peanuts, and soy.

Allergens frequently produce symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, bloating, vomiting, and regurgitation. The digestive complaints usually develop within half an hour of ingesting the allergen. Rarely, food allergies can lead to a medical emergency, such as anaphylactic shock, hypotension (low blood pressure), and loss of consciousness. An allergen associated with this type of reaction is peanut, although latex products can induce similar reactions. Initial treatment is with epinephrine (adrenaline), often carried by known patients in the form of an Epi-pen or Twinject.
Other health issues

Human diet was estimated to cause perhaps around 35% of cancers in a human epidemiological analysis by Richard Doll and Richard Peto in 1981. These cancer may be caused by carcinogens that are present in food naturally or as contaminants. Food contaminated with fungal growth may contain mycotoxins such as aflatoxins which may be found in contaminated corn and peanuts. Other carcinogens identified in food include heterocyclic amines generated in meat when cooked at high temperature, polyaromatic hydrocarbons in charred meat and smoked fish, and nitrosamines generated from nitrites used as food preservatives in cured meat such as bacon.

Anticarcinogens that may help prevent cancer can also be found in many food especially fruits and vegetable. Antioxidants are important groups of compounds that may help remove potentially harmful chemicals. It is however often difficult to identify the specific components in diet that serve to increase or decrease cancer risk since many food, such as beef steak and broccoli, contain low concentrations of both carcinogens and anticarcinogens.

Cultural and religious diets

Dietary habits are the habitual decisions a person or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. Many cultures hold some food preferences and some food taboos. Dietary choices can also define cultures and play a role in religion. For example, only kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, halal foods by Islam, and in Hinduism beef is restricted. In addition, the dietary choices of different countries or regions have different characteristics. This is highly related to a culture's cuisine.

Diet deficiencies

Dietary habits play a significant role in the health and mortality of all humans. Imbalances between the consumed fuels and expended energy results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue, known as body fat. Poor intake of various vitamins and minerals can lead to diseases that can have far-reaching effects on health. For instance, 30% of the world's population either has, or is at risk for developing, iodine deficiency. It is estimated that at least 3 million children are blind due to vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy. Calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus are inter-related; the consumption of each may affect the absorption of the others. Kwashiorkor and marasmus are childhood disorders caused by lack of dietary protein.

Moral, ethical, and health conscious diets

Many individuals limit what foods they eat for reasons of morality, or other habit. For instance, vegetarians choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees. Others choose a healthier diet, avoiding sugars or animal fats and increasing consumption of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Obesity, a serious problem in the western world, leads to higher chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. More recently, dietary habits have been influenced by the concerns that some people have about possible impacts on health or the environment from genetically modified food. Further concerns about the impact of industrial farming (grains) on animal welfare, human health, and the environment are also having an effect on contemporary human dietary habits. This has led to the emergence of a movement with a preference for organic and local food.

Nutrition and dietary problems

Between the extremes of optimal health and death from starvation or malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses, and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to various health problems such as scurvy, obesity, or osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases as well as psychological and behavioral problems. The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific dietary aspects influence health.

Nutrients in food are grouped into several categories. Macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Micronutrients are the minerals and vitamins. Additionally, food contains water and dietary fiber. As previously discussed, the body is designed by natural selection to enjoy sweet and fattening foods for evolutionary diets, ideal for hunters and gatherers. Thus, sweet and fattening foods in nature are typically rare and are very pleasurable to eat. In modern times, with advanced technology, enjoyable foods are easily available to consumers. Unfortunately, this promotes obesity in adults and children alike.

Legal definition

Some countries list a legal definition of food. These countries list food as any item that is to be processed, partially processed, or unprocessed for consumption. The listing of items included as foodstuffs include any substance intended to be, or reasonably expected to be, ingested by humans. In addition to these foodstuffs, drink, chewing gum, water, or other items processed into said food items are part of the legal definition of food. Items not included in the legal definition of food include animal feed, live animals (unless being prepared for sale in a market), plants prior to harvesting, medicinal products, cosmetics, tobacco and tobacco products, narcotic or psychotropic substances, and residues and contaminants.

Food Deprivation

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Food deprivation leads to malnutrition and ultimately starvation. This is often connected with famine, which involves the absence of food in entire communities. This can have a devastating and widespread effect on human health and mortality. Rationing is sometimes used to distribute food in times of shortage, most notably during times of war. Starvation is a significant international problem. Approximately 815 million people are undernourished, and over 16,000 children die per day from hunger-related causes. Food deprivation is regarded as a deficit need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs and is measured using famine scales.
Food aid

Food aid can benefit people suffering from a shortage of food. It can be used to improve peoples' lives in the short term, so that a society can increase its standard of living to the point that food aid is no longer required. Conversely, badly managed food aid can create problems by disrupting local markets, depressing crop prices, and discouraging food production.
Sometimes a cycle of food aid dependence can develop. Its provision, or threatened withdrawal, is sometimes used as a political tool to influence the policies of the destination country, a strategy known as food politics. Sometimes, food aid provisions will require certain types of food be purchased from certain sellers, and food aid can be misused to enhance the markets of donor countries. International efforts to distribute food to the neediest countries are often coordinated by the World Food Programme.

Foodborne illness, commonly called "food poisoning", is caused by bacteria, toxins, viruses, parasites, and prions. Roughly 7 million people die of food poisoning each year, with about 10 times as many suffering from a non-fatal version. The two most common factors leading to cases of bacterial foodborne illness are cross-contamination of ready-to-eat food from other uncooked foods and improper temperature control. Less commonly, acute adverse reactions can also occur if chemical contamination of food occurs, for example from improper storage, or use of non-food grade soaps and disinfectants.

Food can also be adulterated by a very wide range of articles (known as "foreign bodies") during farming, manufacture, cooking, packaging, distribution, or sale. These foreign bodies can include pests or their droppings, hairs, cigarette butts, wood chips, and all manner of other contaminants. It is possible for certain types of food to become contaminated if stored or presented in an unsafe container, such as a ceramic pot with lead-based glaze.

Food poisoning has been recognized as a disease since as early as Hippocrates. The sale of rancid, contaminated, or adulterated food was commonplace until the introduction of hygiene, refrigeration, and vermin controls in the 19th century. Discovery of techniques for killing bacteria using heat, and other microbiological studies by scientists such as Louis Pasteur, contributed to the modern sanitation standards that are ubiquitous in developed nations today.

This was further underpinned by the work of Justus von Liebig, which led to the development of modern food storage and food preservation methods. In more recent years, a greater understanding of the causes of food-borne illnesses has led to the development of more systematic approaches such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), which can identify and eliminate many risks Recommended measures for ensuring food safety include maintaining a clean preparation area with foods of different types kept separate, ensuring an adequate cooking temperature, and refrigerating foods promptly after cooking.

Foods that spoil easily, such as meats, dairy, and seafood, must be prepared a certain way to avoid contaminating the people for whom they are prepared. As such, the general rule of thumb is that cold foods (such as dairy products) should be kept cold and hot foods (such as soup) should be kept hot until storage. Cold meats, such as chicken, that are to be cooked should not be placed at room temperature for thawing, at the risk of dangerous bacterial growth, such as Salmonella or E. coli.

llergies Or Sensitivities

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:07:00 +0000

Some people have allergies or sensitivities to foods which are not problematic to most people. This occurs when a person's immune system mistakes a certain food protein for a harmful foreign agent and attacks it.

About 2% of adults and 8% of children have a food allergy. The amount of the food substance required to provoke a reaction in a particularly susceptible individual can be quite small.

In some instances, traces of food in the air, too minute to be perceived through smell, have been known to provoke lethal reactions in extremely sensitive individuals. Common food allergens are gluten, corn, shellfish (mollusks), peanuts, and soy. Allergens frequently produce symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, bloating, vomiting, and regurgitation. The digestive complaints usually develop within half an hour of ingesting the allergen. Rarely, food allergies can lead to a medical emergency, such as anaphylactic shock, hypotension (low blood pressure), and loss of consciousness. An allergen associated with this type of reaction is peanut, although latex products can induce similar reactions. Initial treatment is with epinephrine (adrenaline), often carried by known patients in the form of an Epi-pen or Twinject.
Other health issues

Human diet was estimated to cause perhaps around 35% of cancers in a human epidemiological analysis by Richard Doll and Richard Peto in 1981. These cancer may be caused by carcinogens that are present in food naturally or as contaminants. Food contaminated with fungal growth may contain mycotoxins such as aflatoxins which may be found in contaminated corn and peanuts. Other carcinogens identified in food include heterocyclic amines generated in meat when cooked at high temperature, polyaromatic hydrocarbons in charred meat and smoked fish, and nitrosamines generated from nitrites used as food preservatives in cured meat such as bacon.

Anticarcinogens that may help prevent cancer can also be found in many food especially fruits and vegetable. Antioxidants are important groups of compounds that may help remove potentially harmful chemicals. It is however often difficult to identify the specific components in diet that serve to increase or decrease cancer risk since many food, such as beef steak and broccoli, contain low concentrations of both carcinogens and anticarcinogens.

Cultural and religious diets

Dietary habits are the habitual decisions a person or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. Many cultures hold some food preferences and some food taboos. Dietary choices can also define cultures and play a role in religion. For example, only kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, halal foods by Islam, and in Hinduism beef is restricted. In addition, the dietary choices of different countries or regions have different characteristics. This is highly related to a culture's cuisine.

Diet deficiencies

Dietary habits play a significant role in the health and mortality of all humans. Imbalances between the consumed fuels and expended energy results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue, known as body fat. oor intake of various vitamins and minerals can lead to diseases that can have far-reaching effects on health. For instance, 30% of the world's population either has, or is at risk for developing, iodine deficiency. It is estimated that at least 3 million children are blind due to vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy. Calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus are inter-related; the consumption of each may affect the absorption of the others. Kwashiorkor and marasmus are childhood disorders caused by lack of dietary protein.

Moral, ethical, and health conscious diets

Many individuals limit what foods they eat for reasons of morality, or other habit. For instance, vegetarians choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees. Others choose a healthier diet, avoiding sugars or animal fats and increasing consumption of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Obesity, a serious problem in the western world, leads to higher chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. More recently, dietary habits have been influenced by the concerns that some people have about possible impacts on health or the environment from genetically modified food.Further concerns about the impact of industrial farming (grains) on animal welfare, human health, and the environment are also having an effect on contemporary human dietary habits. This has led to the emergence of a movement with a preference for organic and local food.

Foodborne Illness

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:01:00 +0000

Foodborne illness, commonly called "food poisoning", is caused by bacteria, toxins, viruses, parasites, and prions. Roughly 7 million people die of food poisoning each year, with about 10 times as many suffering from a non-fatal version.

The two most common factors leading to cases of bacterial foodborne illness are cross-contamination of ready-to-eat food from other uncooked foods and improper temperature control.

Less commonly, acute adverse reactions can also occur if chemical contamination of food occurs, for example from improper storage, or use of non-food grade soaps and disinfectants. Food can also be adulterated by a very wide range of articles (known as "foreign bodies") during farming, manufacture, cooking, packaging, distribution, or sale. These foreign bodies can include pests or their droppings, hairs, cigarette butts, wood chips, and all manner of other contaminants. It is possible for certain types of food to become contaminated if stored or presented in an unsafe container, such as a ceramic pot with lead-based glaze.
Food poisoning has been recognized as a disease since as early as Hippocrates. The sale of rancid, contaminated, or adulterated food was commonplace until the introduction of hygiene, refrigeration, and vermin controls in the 19th century. Discovery of techniques for killing bacteria using heat, and other microbiological studies by scientists such as Louis Pasteur, contributed to the modern sanitation standards that are ubiquitous in developed nations today.

This was further underpinned by the work of Justus von Liebig, which led to the development of modern food storage and food preservation methods. In more recent years, a greater understanding of the causes of food-borne illnesses has led to the development of more systematic approaches such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), which can identify and eliminate many risks.

Recommended measures for ensuring food safety include maintaining a clean preparation area with foods of different types kept separate, ensuring an adequate cooking temperature, and refrigerating foods promptly after cooking.

Foods that spoil easily, such as meats, dairy, and seafood, must be prepared a certain way to avoid contaminating the people for whom they are prepared. As such, the general rule of thumb is that cold foods (such as dairy products) should be kept cold and hot foods (such as soup) should be kept hot until storage. Cold meats, such as chicken, that are to be cooked should not be placed at room temperature for thawing, at the risk of dangerous bacterial growth, such as Salmonella or E. coli.

Investment In Food Commodities

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:59:00 +0000

Institutions such as hedge funds, pension funds and investment banks like Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have been instrumental in pushing up prices in the last five years, with investment in food commodities rising from $65bn to $126bn (£41bn to £79bn) between 2007 and 2012, contributing to 30-year highs.

This has caused price fluctuations which are not strongly related to the actual supply of food, according to the United Nations. Financial institutions now make up 61% of all investment in wheat futures. According to Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on food, there was a rush by institutions to enter the food market following George W Bush's Commodities Futures Modernization Act of 2000. De Schutter told the Independent in March 2012: "What we are seeing now is that these financial markets have developed massively with the arrival of these new financial investors, who are purely interested in the short-term monetary gain and are not really interested in the physical thing – they never actually buy the ton of wheat or maize; they only buy a promise to buy or to sell.
The result of this financialisation of the commodities market is that the prices of the products respond increasingly to a purely speculative logic. This explains why in very short periods of time we see prices spiking or bubbles exploding, because prices are less and less determined by the real match between supply and demand." In 2011, 450 economists from around the world called on the G20 to regulate the commodities market more.

Some experts have said that speculation has merely aggravated other factors, such as climate change, competition with bio-fuels and overall rising demand. However, some such as Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, have pointed out that prices have increased irrespective of supply and demand issues: Ghosh points to world wheat prices, which doubled in the period from June to December 2010, despite there being no fall in global supply.

Famine and hunger

Food deprivation leads to malnutrition and ultimately starvation. This is often connected with famine, which involves the absence of food in entire communities. This can have a devastating and widespread effect on human health and mortality. Rationing is sometimes used to distribute food in times of shortage, most notably during times of war. Starvation is a significant international problem. Approximately 815 million people are undernourished, and over 16,000 children die per day from hunger-related causes. Food deprivation is regarded as a deficit need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs and is measured using famine scales.

Food aid

Food aid can benefit people suffering from a shortage of food. It can be used to improve peoples' lives in the short term, so that a society can increase its standard of living to the point that food aid is no longer required. Conversely, badly managed food aid can create problems by disrupting local markets, depressing crop prices, and discouraging food production.

Sometimes a cycle of food aid dependence can develop. Its provision, or threatened withdrawal, is sometimes used as a political tool to influence the policies of the destination country, a strategy known as food politics. Sometimes, food aid provisions will require certain types of food be purchased from certain sellers, and food aid can be misused to enhance the markets of donor countries. International efforts to distribute food to the neediest countries are often coordinated by the World Food Programme.

International Exports And Imports

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:55:00 +0000

The World Bank reported that the European Union was the top food importer in 2005, followed at a distance by the USA and Japan. Food is now traded and marketed on a global basis.

The variety and availability of food is no longer restricted by the diversity of locally grown food or the limitations of the local growing season. Between 1961 and 1999, there was a 400% increase in worldwide food exports. Some countries are now economically dependent on food exports, which in some cases account for over 80% of all exports.

In 1994, over 100 countries became signatories to the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in a dramatic increase in trade liberalization. This included an agreement to reduce subsidies paid to farmers, underpinned by the WTO enforcement of agricultural subsidy, tariffs, import quotas, and settlement of trade disputes that cannot be bilaterally resolved. Where trade barriers are raised on the disputed grounds of public health and safety, the WTO refer the dispute to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was founded in 1962 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Trade liberalization has greatly affected world food trade.
Marketing and retailing

Food marketing brings together the producer and the consumer. It is the chain of activities that brings food from "farm gate to plate". The marketing of even a single food product can be a complicated process involving many producers and companies. For example, fifty-six companies are involved in making one can of chicken noodle soup. These businesses include not only chicken and vegetable processors but also the companies that transport the ingredients and those who print labels and manufacture cans. The food marketing system is the largest direct and indirect non-government employer in the United States.

In the pre-modern era, the sale of surplus food took place once a week when farmers took their wares on market day into the local village marketplace. Here food was sold to grocers for sale in their local shops for purchase by local consumers. With the onset of industrialization and the development of the food processing industry, a wider range of food could be sold and distributed in distant locations. Typically early grocery shops would be counter-based shops, in which purchasers told the shop-keeper what they wanted, so that the shop-keeper could get it for them.

In the 20th century, supermarkets were born. Supermarkets brought with them a self service approach to shopping using shopping carts, and were able to offer quality food at lower cost through economies of scale and reduced staffing costs. In the latter part of the 20th century, this has been further revolutionized by the development of vast warehouse-sized, out-of-town supermarkets, selling a wide range of food from around the world.

Unlike food processors, food retailing is a two-tier market in which a small number of very large companies control a large proportion of supermarkets. The supermarket giants wield great purchasing power over farmers and processors, and strong influence over consumers. Nevertheless, less than 10% of consumer spending on food goes to farmers, with larger percentages going to advertising, transportation, and intermediate corporations.

Prices

It was reported on March 24, 2008, that consumers worldwide faced rising food prices. Reasons for this development include changes in the weather and dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves, and growing consumer demand in China and India. In the long term, prices are expected to stabilize. Farmers will grow more grain for both fuel and food and eventually bring prices down. Already this is happening with wheat, with more crops to be planted in the United States, Canada, and Europe in 2009. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization projects that consumers still have to deal with more expensive food until at least 2018.

It is rare for the spikes to hit all major foods in most countries at once. Food prices rose 4% in the United States in 2007, the highest increase since 1990, and are expected to climb as much again in 2008. As of December 2007, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls. In China, the price of pork jumped 58% in 2007. In the 1980s and 1990s, farm subsidies and support programs allowed major grain exporting countries to hold large surpluses, which could be tapped during food shortages to keep prices down. However, new trade policies have made agricultural production much more responsive to market demands, putting global food reserves at their lowest since 1983.

Food prices are rising, wealthier Asian consumers are westernizing their diets, and farmers and nations of the third world are struggling to keep up the pace. The past five years have seen rapid growth in the contribution of Asian nations to the global fluid and powdered milk manufacturing industry, which in 2008 accounted for more than 30% of production, while China alone accounts for more than 10% of both production and consumption in the global fruit and vegetable processing and preserving industry.

The trend is similarly evident in industries such as soft drink and bottled water manufacturing, as well as global cocoa, chocolate, and sugar confectionery manufacturing, forecast to grow by 5.7% and 10.0% respectively during 2008 in response to soaring demand in Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Rising food prices over recent years have been linked with social unrest around the world, including rioting in Bangladesh and Mexico, and the Arab Spring

Cultures Highlight Animal

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:51:00 +0000

Certain cultures highlight animal and vegetable foods in their raw state. Salads consisting of raw vegetables or fruits are common in many cuisines. Sashimi in Japanese cuisine consists of raw sliced fish or other meat, and sushi often incorporates raw fish or seafood.

Steak tartare and salmon tartare are dishes made from diced or ground raw beef or salmon, mixed with various ingredients and served with baguettes, brioche, or frites. In Italy, carpaccio is a dish of very thinly sliced raw beef, drizzled with a vinaigrette made with olive oil. The health food movement known as raw foodism promotes a mostly vegan diet of raw fruits, vegetables, and grains prepared in various ways, including juicing, food dehydration, sprouting, and other methods of preparation that do not heat the food above 118 °F (47.8 °C). An example of a raw meat dish is ceviche, a Latin American dish made with raw meat that is "cooked" from the highly acidic citric juice from lemons and limes along with other aromatics such as garlic.
Restaurants employ trained chefs who prepare food, and trained waitstaff to serve the customers. The term restaurant is credited to the French from the 19th century, as it relates to the restorative nature of the bouillons that were once served in them. However, the concept pre-dates the naming of these establishments, as evidence suggests commercial food preparation may have existed during the age of the city of Pompeii, and urban sales of prepared foods may have existed in China during the Song Dynasty.

The coffee shops or cafés of 17th century Europe may also be considered an early version of the restaurant. In 2005, the population of the United States spent $496 billion for out-of-home dining. Expenditures by type of out-of-home dining were as follows:

40% in full-service restaurants,
37.2% in limited service restaurants (fast food),
6.6% in schools or colleges,
5.4% in bars and vending machines,
4.7% in hotels and motels,
4.0% in recreational places,
2.2% in others, which includes military bases.

Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. This can be as simple as a butcher preparing meat, or as complex as a modern international food industry. Early food processing techniques were limited by available food preservation, packaging, and transportation. This mainly involved salting, curing, curdling, drying, pickling, fermenting, and smoking.

Food manufacturing arose during the industrial revolution in the 19th century. This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging new technology, such as milling, preservation, packaging and labeling, and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time-saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants.

At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling a wide range of well-known food brands. There also exists a wide array of small local or national food processing companies. Advanced technologies have also come to change food manufacture. Computer-based control systems, sophisticated processing and packaging methods, and logistics and distribution advances can enhance product quality, improve food safety, and reduce costs.

Aesthetically Pleasing

miazara01@groups.facebook.com (Mia Zara) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:46:00 +0000

Aesthetically pleasing and eye-appealing food presentations can encourage people to consume foods. A common saying is that people "eat with their eyes". Food presented in a clean and appetizing way will encourage a good flavor, even if unsatisfactory.

Contrast in texture

Texture plays a crucial role in the enjoyment of eating foods. Contrasts in textures, such as something crunchy in an otherwise smooth dish, may increase the appeal of eating it. Common examples include adding granola to yogurt, adding croutons to a salad or soup, and toasting bread to enhance its crunchiness for a smooth topping, such as jam or butter.
Contrast in taste

Another universal phenomenon regarding food is the appeal of contrast in taste and presentation. Opposite flavors, such as sweet and saltiness, tend to go well together, such as in kettle corn and with nuts.

Food preparation

While many foods can be eaten raw, many also undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, texture, or flavor. At the simplest level this may involve washing, cutting, trimming, or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking, fermentation, or combination with other food. In a home, most food preparation takes place in a kitchen. Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal; other preparation may help to preserve the food; others may be involved in cultural identity. A meal is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place.

Animal preparation

The preparation of animal-based food usually involves slaughter, evisceration, hanging, portioning, and rendering. In developed countries, this is usually done outside the home in slaughterhouses, which are used to process animals en masse for meat production. Many countries regulate their slaughterhouses by law. For example, the United States has established the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing.

This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter in accordance to religious law, such as kosher, shechita, and dhabiĥa halal. Strict interpretations of kashrut require the animal to be fully aware when its carotid artery is cut. On the local level, a butcher may commonly break down larger animal meat into smaller manageable cuts, and pre-wrap them for commercial sale or wrap them to order in butcher paper. In addition, fish and seafood may be fabricated into smaller cuts by a fish monger. However fish butchery may be done on board a fishing vessel and quick-frozen for preservation of quality.

Cooking

The term "cooking" encompasses a vast range of methods, tools, and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor or digestibility of food. Cooking technique, known as culinary art, generally requires the selection, measurement, and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cook. The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, and religious considerations that affect it.

Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically changes the molecules, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties. Cooking certain proteins, such as egg whites, meats, and fish, denatures the protein, causing it to firm. There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago. Boiling as a means of cooking requires a container, and has been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery.