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Friday, January 30, 2009

China Sichuan Cuisine for People Who Like Spicy Food

Sichuan Cuisine, known more commonly in the West as “Szechuan,” is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan cuisine, with a myriad of tastes, emphasizes the use of chili. Pepper and prickly ash are always in accompaniment, producing the typical exciting tastes. Garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and meats such as are often chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling and braising are used as basic cooking techniques.

It can be said that one who doesn't experience Sichuan food has never reached China.

Typical menu items: Hot Pot; Smoked Duck; Kung Pao Chicken; Water-Boiled Fish; Tasty and Spicy Crab; Twice Cooked Pork; Mapo Tofu

Hope the above menu food names don’t confuse you, because it’s really hard to accomplish a perfect English version menu for Sichuan Cuisine

This has been a headache for the Beijing government. Olympic Game 2008 will soon to come. Many foreigners will flow to China and come to Chinese restaurant. When they choose a Sichuan cuisine restaurant and began to see the menu, some of them may be shocked by the “horrable” food name and fleek away.

See some of these absode name now available in some of the Sichuan restarant:

Manand Wife Lung Slice

Slobbering Chicken

Chicken Without Sexual Life

So funny to the last one. Actually these are all tasty food and beverage known to the Chinese. But they really need a better name.

Among the eight major cuisines of China, Sichuan Cuisine is the most popular.

Sichuan dish is good at agile exertion and specific managing according to material, climate and the diners' requests. More that 30 methods of cooking are included --- stir fry, sauté, deep fry, grill, preserve, bittern, bake and pickle.

As the production develops and economy prospers, Sichuan absorbs the strength of northern and southern food to form a fusion between a northern dish with Sichuan style and a southern dish with Sichuan taste. It is complemented as "Food in China, taste in Sichuan."

Sichuan concentrates on the changing of taste, which differs in thickness and heaviness. You can not make a Sichuan dish without chili, prickly ash and pepper. Chili, for example, can be used in various ways. Sometimes it can be the main ingredient, or sometimes it can be a secondary ingredient used for seasoning. The taste of Sichuan can differ largely according to climate and the diner's personal tastes. For instance, the hotness is quite rich in winter and spring because the weather is cold. However the hotness should be reduced by 30% in summer and autumn due to the warm and dry weather. The taste of Sichuan is very delicate and flexible. Therefore, Sichuan is famous for its rich, thick and heavy flavor in addition to its lightness. People who have eaten Sichuan keep praising it and can not forget the beautiful experience.

3 Characteristics of Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan Cuisine traces back to the ancient Ba Kingdom (modern Chongqing) and Shu Kingdom (modern Chengdu) and is remarkable for its oily and hot taste . This is due to the foggy , cloudy and damp climate in the Sichuan Basin . Hot food is useful for dispersing dampness . Sichuan folks are keen for hot oxen’s giblet pot , hot beancurd and other hot foods .

Another characteristic of the Chuan cuisine is its preparation of different dishes with the same raw material . With a piece of half-fat , half-lean pork , Sichuan cooks can prepare a number of different dishes with different flavors , such as salted-fried pork slices , re-cooked pork slices , sweet and hot shredded pork , fried pork cubes , sliced pork cooked with rice crust , sweet steamed pork chunks , salty steamed pork chunks , pork steamed with ground glutinous rice , white cut hot pork ,etc.

The third characteristic of the Sichuan cuisine is the tasty snacks , including hot ox-head meat , spiced chicken , tea-stewed ducking , marinated rabbit meat , pickled vegetables , dumplings , eight-treasure rice puddings ,etc.

Learn to cook yourself

Many travelers know Sichuan cuisine for its "hot and spicy" flavors or a few of its most famous dishes, but that is only the beginning.Sichuan cuisine is legendary in China for its sophistication and diversity.the regional cuisine boasts 5,000 different dishes.

Sichuan cuisine has enjoyed a worldwide reputation. However, most people immediately think of Sichuan food soon after it is mentioned as a hot or spicy food.It is undear how the red pepper was introduced to Sichuan. You may wonder why the red pepper is so popular. Here is a common explanation.Sichuan has a humid climate that encourages people to eat strongly spiced foods.the red pepper may help reduce internal dampness. Some kitchenware used in cooking sichuan food is also different from others.

Sichuan pepper is another important daily use ingredient in Sichuan cooking.It is known as huajiao(flower pepper).It is the Chinese pepper, and it looks like a reddish brown fruit.the peppercorn comes from the prickly ash tree.the pepper flower creates a most sudden numbing effect on one`s tongue.

Sichuan cuisine so carefully balances color,smell,flavor, shape and nutrition that its dishes not only look pleasant and appealing,bu also nutritious.In Sichuan recipes there are several hundred popular dishes.Sichuan cuisine is able to prduce 100 different flavored dishes!Besides, Sichuan cooks provide dishes that are intentionally toned down for tourists at home and abroad. they have no difficulty in getting Sichuan food that suits their tastes whether it`s in a banquet,outstanding lunches,dinners,or snacks

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/main-course-articles

Hispanic Food For All!

Hispanic food differs from each region, town, and family. Even though a lot of Hispanics enjoy their cuisine
, still, the authentic Hispanic food is indefinable. The reason for this is that each region prefers their food prepared in various ways in terms of its sweetness, pungency, spiciness as well as heat.

Hispanic food differs from each region, town, and family. Even though a lot of Hispanics enjoy their cuisine, still, the authentic Hispanic food is indefinable.

The reason for this is that each region prefers their food prepared in various ways in terms of its sweetness, pungency, spiciness as well as heat. More so, each Hispanic group has a preference when it comes to preparing their meal. Some Hispanics like their food with rice. Others like to combine their meal with potatoes, beans, quinoa, cassava or wheat.

In addition, there are different food techniques that are utilized by Hispanics in each region, making it more diverse. The reason for this is that the different countries that have surrounded them have influenced each group. An example of this would be that a number of Hispanic cuisines have been influenced by Europeans, American and different regions in Spain.

From this cultural background, you can note that Hispanic food is not just your basic tacos, nachos, tamales, enchiladas, and the like. Hispanic foods have their own mainstream of menu items. From the appetizer, main dish, and desserts and up to the beverage, Hispanic foods have indeed turned out to be very well liked by Americans. Restaurant chefs do play a crucial role in making Hispanic-American foods popular. With this, a lot of restaurants, grocery chains, as well as food manufacturers are hitting the United States.

Abuelo's Mexican Food

This is the most excellent to find Mexican Food. Find out what the best Mexico has to serve at your very own Abuelo's. If you love Mexico, then you will fall in love with Abuelo's!

Amigo Foods

Amigo Foods is a popular Latino grocery shop that has branches nationwide. They actually deliver imported food merchandise from Latin America.

Chili! (Bilingual)

Chili!'s contains prize-winning Chilli food recipes. They also co-relate and link with other Mexican food resources.

Cocinas De New Mexico (Bilingual)

Cocinas De New Mexico provides classic food recipes as well as stories about Latino cooking' lore and art.

CubanFoodMartket.com

Cuban Food Market offers a wide variety of Cuban & Latino products ranging from Groceries and Kitchen accessories to Books, Videos and Gift Baskets. It also has a section for Cuban recipes.

Delicioso TV

Delicioso TV program delivers you with unique lifestyle information as well as cooking techniques. This show also celebrates the authentic Latin influences and traditions, which go with creating, and enjoying deliciously prepared Latin meal. In addition, Delicioso TV teaches it audience more than how to set and prepare a sumptuous meal. It also gives them a decorating guide, entertaining blueprint, dating handbook, beauty guide, shopping map, and a whole lot more!

El Restaurante Mexicano

El Restaurante Mexicano is a famous magazine for being the only bilingual reading material that is well circulated for Hispanic-Americans nationwide. It can provide you with the latest restaurants in operation these days. They can also provide you with articles, books, recipes and a directory of restaurant supplies. Some of the featured recipes are written both in English and Spanish.

Goya Foods (Bilingual)

This is the official site of Goya Foods, the well known Hispanic cuisine giant. Goya is the food company that is run by Goya family, which manufactures Hispanic as well as Caribbean grocery items.

Mi Pilón Cocina Criolla (Bilingual)

At Mi Pilon restaurant, they proudly serve Latin gourmet dishes, which are authentically combined with the casual ambience. Mofongo stuffed with shrimp or with chicken crackling is the restaurant's specialty for starters. They also serve mouth watering and delicious deserts, along with a touch of Latin flavouring.

Nick Jr. Dora Recipes

Learning how to make these recipes is easy. You only need to join the well loved character Dora the Explorer in creating and celebrating famous Hispanic recipes, which is in commemoration of the Hispanic Heritage. This is also a fun cooking session you can do with your children!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles

Sunday, January 18, 2009

15 Basic Cooking Tips to Make your Life Easier!

There are some basic cooking
tips that anyone could learn and use to help out in the kitchen. With today's busy lifestyles becoming more prevalent, learning and using these basic cooking tips will save you time and headache.

The following fifteen is just a tiny handful of the many basic cooking tips that you could integrate into your everyday life to save time and money.

• Bacon: Reduce shrinkage by running cold water over it before frying.
• Beans: Stop gas attacks by adding a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a big pot of beans while they are soaking.
• Boiled Eggs: Add some vinegar or a little salt to the boiling water when boiling eggs. This basic cooking tips will keep the egg in the shell if it cracks.
• Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Put your unripe fruit and vegetables in a brown paper bag and place the bag in a dark cupboard for few day. Using this basic cooking tips is an excellent way to save money on fruits and vegetables that has to be ripened.
• Salads: Cut your iceberg lettuce into wedges instead of tearing salad greens to save some time making a salad.
• Spaghetti Sauce: Add a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda to your spaghetti sauce to lower the acid taste from the tomatoes.
• Corn: Place the corn directly into boiling water, and do not add salt. Do not boil corn for more than three minutes. Overcooking reduces the taste level.
• Frozen Vegetables: When they are stuck together, simply run boiling water over them.
• Grating Cheese: Freeze for twenty five minutes before grating. It will shred so much easier.
• Pancakes: Use a small amount of sugar in the batter and they will brown more quickly.
• Pie Pastry: Substitute one teaspoon of vinegar for one teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe and the pastry will be much flakier.
• Quick Sauces: Use condensed cream soups such as cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of tomato, cream of celery, to make fast and easy sauces.
• Quick Tenderizer: Use vinegar as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon to water when boiling meat or ribs for stews. This basic cooking tips will help tenderizer even the toughest meat.
• Wilted vegetables: Soak wilted veggies in two cups water, one tablespoon vinegar to help bring them back to life.
• Wooden Skewers: Soak all your wooden skewers in cold water for twenty minutes to prevent them from burning.

Inspiration could be considered to be one of the key ingredients to writing. Only if one is inspired, can one get to writing on any subject especially like cooking.

Use some of these basic cooking tips to make your life in the kitchen more enjoyable.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles

Showy Bacon and Egg Layered Salad

Are you looking for a salad recipe that is quick, easy, and impressive as well as delicious? If so, you have come to the right place! This Bacon and Egg Layered Salad is perfect for taking to a work luncheon, church pitch-in, family reunion or holiday meal because it serves twelve. It is also perfect for such occasions as it needs to set for at least 8 hours before serving, making it the perfect make-ahead dish. Prepare it in an oblong glass baking dish for a lovely presentation on the serving table.

BACON AND EGG LAYERED SALAD


1 small head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

6 eggs, hard-cooked and sliced

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

5-oz pkg fresh baby spinach

10-oz pkg frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained

1 small purple onion, thinly sliced into rings

1 lb bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

1 cup mayonnaise (may use low-fat but not fat-free)

8-oz sour cream

1 tsp Splenda

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Arrange romaine lettuce in a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Layer the following atop the lettuce in the following order: sliced eggs, 1/4 cup Swiss cheese, spinach, 1/4 cup Swiss cheese, peas, 1/4 cup Swiss cheese, onion, the remaining Swiss cheese, and the bacon. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and Splenda. Spread mixture over the top of the salad. Seal to the edges of the dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. To serve, cut the salad into squares.

Yield: 12 servings

Note: This is a great salad for diabetics as it has bacon, eggs, cheeses, and sour cream to add protein.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/salads-articles

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Healthful and Extremely Delicious Lamb Food

Lamb is a good source of zinc, a mineral that affects many fundamental processes, perhaps the most important of which is immune function. If one mineral were singled out for its beneficial effects on the immune system, zinc would lead the pack. A cofactor in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions, zinc is critical not only to immune function, but for wound healing, and normal cell division. Zinc also helps stabilize blood sugar levels and the body's metabolic rate, and is necessary for an optimal sense of smell and taste.
Very tasty Lamb is the meat from young sheep that are less than one year old. It is usually available in five different cuts including the shoulder, rack, shank/breast, loin and leg. Americans eat a fraction of the amount of lamb consumed in many other countries in the world. And that's too bad since this red meat is very healthful and extremely delicious, having a very tender and buttery quality.
A few great choices for your holiday celebrations include a roasted whole bone in leg of lamb, a roasted boneless leg stuffed with seasonal ingredients, or a roasted rack of lamb. While Lamb makes up only a fraction of the meat eaten in the United States, it is used in a myriad of wonderful recipes throughout the world. When lamb is labeled as "spring lamb" it signifies that lamb that was brought to market during the spring and summer months which was formerly the season for fresh lamb. However, lamb is now available throughout the year, and the label "spring lamb" does not necessarily connote additional quality. The Very cheap and fresh lamb is available in our shop.
Fresh boneless filet of fish stewed with a ragout of onions, tomato, and feta cheese. Easter is traditionally the time for lamb. If you're planning to serve it, but haven't yet decided how, this is quite nice; the mustard and herbs do an excellent job of balancing lamb's richness. Please purchase online www.indomunch.com in NewYork city.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles

A Couple of Salmon Recipes

Boiled salmon.
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Ingredients:- 6 oz. of salt to each gallon of water, sufficient water to cover the fish.

Mode:- Scale and clean the fish, and be particular that no blood is left inside; lay it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to cover it, adding salt in the above proportion. Bring it quickly to a boil, take off all the scum, and let it simmer gently till the fish is done, which will be when the meat separates easily from the bone. Experience alone can teach the cook to fix the time for boiling fish; but it is especially to be remembered, that it should never be underdressed, as then nothing is more unwholesome. Neither let it remain in the kettle after it is sufficiently cooked, as that would render it insipid, watery, and colourless. Drain it, and if not wanted for a few minutes, keep it warm by means of warm cloths laid over it. Serve on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and send lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter to table with it. A dish of dressed cucumber usually accompanies this fish.

Time. 8 minutes to each lb. for large thick salmon; 6 minutes for thin fish.

Note. Cut lemon should be put on the table with this fish; and a little of the juice squeezed over it is considered by many persons a most agreeable addition. Boiled peas are also, by some connoisseurs, considered especially adapted to be served with salmon.

Salmon and caper sauce.
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Ingredients:- 2 slices of salmon, 1/4 lb. batter, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 shalot; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste.

Mode:- Lay the salmon in a baking-dish, place pieces of butter over it, and add the other ingredients, rubbing a little of the seasoning into the fish; baste it frequently; when done, take it out and drain for a minute or two; lay it in a dish, pour caper sauce over it, and serve. Salmon dressed in this way, with tomato sauce, is very delicious.

Time. About 3/4 hour.

Collared salmon.
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Ingredients:- A piece of salmon, say 3 lbs., a high seasoning of salt, pounded mace, and pepper; water and vinegar, 3 bay-leaves.

Mode:- Split the fish; scale, bone, and wash it thoroughly clean; wipe it, and rub in the seasoning inside and out; roll it up, and bind firmly; lay it in a kettle, cover it with vinegar and water (1/3 vinegar, in proportion to the water); add the bay-leaves and a good seasoning of salt and whole pepper, and simmer till done. Do not remove the lid. Serve with melted butter or anchovy sauce. For preserving the collared fish, boil up the liquor in which it was cooked, and add a little more vinegar. Pour over when cold.

Time. 3/4 hour, or rather more.

Curried salmon.
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Ingredients:- Any remains of boiled salmon, 3/4 pint of strong or medium stock, 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful of curry-powder, 1 teaspoonful of Harvey's sauce, 1 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, 1 oz. of butter, the juice of 1/2 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste.

Mode:- Cut up the onions into small pieces, and fry them of a pale brown in the butter; add all the ingredients but the salmon, and simmer gently till the onion is tender, occasionally stirring the contents; cut the salmon into small square pieces, carefully take away all skin and bone, lay it in the stewpan, and let it gradually heat through; but do not allow it to boil long.

Time. 3/4 hour.

Salmon cutlets.
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Cut the slices 1 inch thick, and season them with pepper and salt; butter a sheet of white paper, lay each slice on a separate piece, with their ends twisted; broil gently over a clear fire, and serve with anchovy or caper sauce. When higher seasoning is required, add a few chopped herbs and a little spice.

Time. 5 to 10 minutes.

Salmon a la genevese.
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Ingredients:- 2 slices of salmon, 2 chopped shalots, a little parsley, a small bunch of herbs, 2 bay-leaves, 2 carrots, pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of Madeira, 1/2 pint of white stock, thickening of butter and flour, 1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, the juice of 1 lemon, cayenne and salt to taste.

Mode:- Rub the bottom of a stewpan over with butter, and put in the shalots, herbs, bay-leaves, carrots, mace, and seasoning; stir them for 10 minutes over a clear fire, and add the Madeira or sherry; simmer gently for 1/2 hour, and strain through a sieve over the fish, which stew in this gravy. As soon as the fish is sufficiently cooked, take away all the liquor, except a little to keep the salmon moist, and put it into another stewpan; add the stock, thicken with butter and flour, and put in the anchovies, lemon-juice, cayenne, and salt; lay the salmon on a hot dish, pour over it part of the sauce, and serve the remainder in a tureen.

Time. 1-1/4 hour.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles

Understanding the Angus Beef

Because people are more conscious about their health now more than ever, perhaps because of the mounting health risks in the environment, it is not surprising that a number of people prefer organic meat over other types of meat. One popular type of organic meat is the Angus beef. For some, buying an Angus beef is not worth it, considering that many believe that the Angus beef is not at par with more high-quality meat products. But besides the fact that Angus beef is one of the more preferred beef today due to its refined taste, its benefits certainly make its price worth it.
As the name suggest, the Angus beef is from a cattle breed called the Angus. Due to their more selective feeding practices, the Angus cattle produces marbled meat, a type of meat that has an unsaturated fatty acid called the Omega-3, which can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, can improve blood circulation, can increase the breakdown of a protein called fibrin (which is responsible for the clotting of the blood), among other benefits. Unsaturated fat isn’t at all risk-free; after all, it is still fat. However, unsaturated fats in Angus beef and organic meat are much safer compared to saturated fact, especially when consumed in controlled doses.
Angus beef is considered as an organic meat (also known as natural meat) due to the way the Angus cattle was raised. In a nutshell, organic meat, like organic food items, are produced without using any food additives. Like the National Organic Program that regulates products claiming to be organic, the American Angus Association gives the brand to certified Angus beef products to help consumers identify authentic organic Angus meat.
Basically, the Angus cattle are grass-fed. Hence, the beef that comes from this type of cattle is healthier than most of the meat products available in the market. This is because Omega-3 can actually be found in grass. So, obviously, if the cattle eat only grass, their meat will be safer to consumer. This goes without saying that the meat of any type of animal will be affected with what they eat. In a way, this is similar to how vegetables and fruits treated with insecticides become risky and dangerous to consume. The produce can absorb the harmful ingredients of such products. The same goes for animals; what they eat and consume will become part of their meat products once they are prepared for public consumption.
Because of this, Angus beef (and organic meat in general) is much safer to eat compared to other beef products (Unknown to many, beef is actually the meat product with the most saturated fat; many think pork is the product with the most harmful fat) since it has a considerable amount of Omega-3. This means Angus beef has the same benefits as Omega-3, besides the fact that Angus beef is leaner. Of course, eating organic meat can never be an alternative to exercise and other common health regime. But eating organic meat such as Angus beef adheres to the tenets of proper diet, which one way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles

Different Ways of Fish Cooking

There are plenty of different ways of cooking fish and it is fun to try different methods. Depending on whether you are using a whole fish, steaks of fillets, you might like to try braising, deep or shallow frying, steaming or even cooking the fish on a wood fish board. Stuffed fish tastes delicious and adds texture. Round fish are the best for stuffing because the body cavity is larger. Most stuffing is made from breadcrumbs, which expand when they cook, so do not use too much. If you are using sea bass, a parsley and walnut pesto makes a great stuffing. If you have fillets, you can sandwich them with stuffing or roll them, then oven-bake them.
Steaming is a good, easy way to cook fillets, whole fish, and steaks. You need to put the fish in the steamer over boiling water and have a tight-fitting lid on it. For more detail go to: www.delicious-sandwich-recipes.com.Poaching is another healthy way of cooking it, in which you add seasoning, cream or another thickener and herbs. This gives you a sauce to serve with the fish.
Oven baking and roasting are suitable for whole fish or fillets. You place the fish in an ovenproof dish and add herbs, seasoning, oil or butter and white wine. If you want very tender flesh, you can cook your fish "en papillae", which means you put the fish in sealed paper or foil, so it will cook in its own steam. You might like to add lemon or limejuice, fresh herbs and white wine to the fish before sealing the parcel and cooking it. If you would like to braise your fish, you need to put it on top of sautéed vegetables in an ovenproof dish, add some white wine and bouillon, and cook for about 20 minutes, with a tight-fitting lid in place.
If you are using fillets or small, whole fish, grilling is another cooking method. If your fish are whole, make a few slashes through the skin on each side of the fish and brush it with olive oil or melted mutter. Turn the fish halfway through cooking and baste it if you want. You can also wrap the fish in foil with herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil before placing it on the grill.
You do not always need to heat fish in order to cook it. For more detail go to:www.july4-recipes.com.Crevice is when you soak white fish, usually snapper, in chili, herbs, and lime juice. You can also use flounder, sole, or scallops. The acidic citrus juice cooks the fish.
You can use pretty much any wood to cook fish, as long as it is pest-free and untreated. You need to soak the board for at least an hour before cooking, to ensure it is waterlogged. This means the wood will generate enough steam to cook the fish
Cedar is a common wood for fish boards but you can also use alder, maple, cherry, apple, or oak. A wood fish board is for one use only and you can get one from a specialty food store or online.
To stop the fish sticking to the board, brush the fish with oil first on one side. You will not need to flip the fish during cooking because it cooks indirectly. Season the fish and place it on the fish board, which you then put on the grill. Make sure you are using a low fire so as not to ignite the board and baste the fish during cooking with anything non-flammable.
Using a wood fish board to cook the fish results in a wonderful flavor. The wood will smolder, making the fish deliciously smoky. In addition, since you only use the board once, it really cuts down on washing up!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/