There is very good reason why those who are experts in all things related to diet and nutrition lay so much emphasis on having a healthy breakfast. It reduces your desire to overeat during the day, reduces storage of fat in the body, and gives you enough energy to cope with the physical activities of the day.

Given the supersonic lifestyles most of us are given to lead, the typical English breakfast is out of the question. If you are in a real mad rush, you may want to consider the following drinks that make an entire meal in themselves and make a great option to jumpstart the day.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is low on calories and yet high on vitamin E, magnesium,  and calcium. Although they are commercially available, you can easily make some at home, which is bound to be way healthier that the packaged product. Besides, you are can customize the taste by adding cinnamon, honey, and vanilla.

Rose Hip Tea

Has the doctor asked you to up your intake of vitamin C? Ordinarily you would immediately reach for orange juice, but rose hip herbal tea is just as great a source of vitamin C as the citrus fruit. Besides, you also  you also get the additional benefit of a caffeine boost that will last you for several hours.

Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

The banana cinnamon smoothie is a drink you can whip up in a jiffy with ingredients you are sure to find around the house. All you need is a cup of almond milk, half a cup Greek yogurt (non fat), 2 bananas (medium sized), and a tsp of cinnamon. Blend all these ingredients together, and hey presto, you have a healthy, hearty, and filling drink you can take with you on the go.

Ginger Berry Smoothie

Yet another great concoction that is about just as tasty as it is healthy. It is made from almond milk (1 cup), blueberries and raspberries (1/2 a cup each), non-fat Greek yogurt (1/2 a cup), and freshly grated ginger (1 tsp). This yummy smoothie is rich in proteins and antioxidants, while ginger aids healthy digestion.

Strawberry Lemonade

If you aren’t the kind that wouldn’t enjoy a heavy smoothie early in the morning this might be an interesting change. The recipe is pretty straightforward and simple. All you need are fresh strawberries, lemons, and water. Unlike regular lemonade you don’t any sugar in this lemonade but strawberries lend the requisite amount of sweetness to the drink.

Given that energy costs are increasing day by day, common sense would dictate a more judicious use of electricity at home. For green lovers and planet-conscious folks there’s an added incentive – the more wisely you use energy at home the less greenhouse gases you will produce. Now that we have our respective motives in place, let’s get started on some energy efficient cooking practices.

Gas Ovens or Electric Ovens

The more commonly found among the two are electric ovens and yet gas ovens use far less energy than the former – up to three times less, in fact. And, they are known to heat up faster too. However, if you are hell bent on buying electric ovens, try saving electricity by limiting use of power before as well as after cooking.

For instance, in case you are making a dish that requires to be cooked for more than 30 minutes, you don’t necessarily have to pre-heat the oven. In addition, you can switch it off ten minutes before the recommended cooking time, which leaves just enough residual heat to cook the food. When baking cakes, however, it’s best to stick to the cookbook, since they require extremely precise baking temperatures and time.

Gas Ovens are Always More Efficient than Electric ones

Be Efficient in the Use of the Oven

Now that you’ve more or less decided what sort of oven you’d like to bring into your kitchen, let’s get down to some basic practices that will cut down on energy consumption. The best thing to do is to cook in bulk. If you can spare a day for making, baking, and cooking, you can freeze the dishes and have them over the week. Saves you a whole lot of time as well as money

For those that have the bad habit of opening the oven door regularly to check on the food, DON’T! Each time you open the oven door, the temperature drops by 2C. Altogether a rather counter-productive practice, I would say.

Use electric ovens efficiently and save time before and after cooking to reduce energy costs

Avoid cooking frozen foods since it will use up a lot of energy. Whenever possible, thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. For joints and chicken, de-frosting isn’t essential, but you should bring the meat down to room temperature before you start cooking.

Choosing Hobs for your Kitchen

By far the best kinds of hobs are the induction ones which allow for instant temperature control and conduct heat straight to the cooking utensil. They provide you twice the speed of cooking as ceramic hobs and are up to 40% quicker than gas ones. There is a flipside, though. For foods that need to be stir-fried, induction hobs aren’t too chummy with woks and you’ll find that ceramic or gas hobs do a much better job.

The type of hobs you use can affect power consumption greatly

Induction Hobs are by far the Best

Other Energy-Saving Tips

Here are a few more tips you can adopt to improve your performance in the kitchen:

• Cooking in a closed vessel is always more productive. So, a simple practice like covering your pan with a lid cooks the food up to 6% faster.
• Use a kettle in place of a pan to boil water.
• Wherever possible, use a pressure cooker. It reduces the cooking time by up to 75%.
• Cook meals on one ring with the help of stacked steamers. The other option is to have one-dish meals.
• Chop your vegetables into small pieces. This speeds up the cooking time considerably.

Boiling water in a kettle rather than a pan saves energy

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Prick Sausages before frying them

This may have been a truth several decades ago when sausages were made cheaply and you needed to prick them before frying so they wouldn’t burst in the pan. However, this is no longer true with modern day high-quality sausages that come with natural skins. In fact, if you continue making holes in them before you fry them, you are going to lose the juices that add the distinct flavor to them.

On Cooking Pasta

Another one that is a favorite among many is that you should add salt or oil to pasta water to prevent them from sticking. Well, salt works as a seasoning while oil does nothing more than float right at the top in big bubbles! They do nothing to de-stick the pasta!

Another one that is connected to the entire process of cooking pasta is that you should rinse the pasta after it is cooked to remove all the starch. Why would you even want to do that? Trust me it’s not going to help you lose weight at all, if that’s what you are thinking. Besides, less starch means there will be less sauce-to-pasta cohesion. Simply put, the sauce will not stick to the pasta as effectively which is essential if you want your pasta to taste good.

Washing Mushrooms Saturates them with Water

Yeah right. There is a speck of truth in there somewhere but hidden under so much nonsense that it is barely visible. If you put all your mushrooms into a huge bowl of water and leave them there for hours, of course it will produce little sponges! But, that aint gonna happen if you wash the mushrooms under running water and dry them immediately on paper towels. Besides, are you sure you want to eat filth-and-god-knows-what-else-covered-mushrooms?

If you salt your Beans before cooking, they will turn out Tough

On a similar vein people believe that you shouldn’t salt meat before cooking since it leads to moisture loss and makes the meat rubbery. Well, it’s not true – not for meat, not for beans and not for other foods as well. Culinary experts will tell you that meat/veggies that are salted before cooking tastes way more awesome before cooking. Besides, only if you dump a jar full of salt on your meat and leave it overnight do you need to worry about appreciable water loss. Not otherwise.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Well, should you happen to be in a position where you might have to talk learnedly with the sommelier and not let on that you haven’t the faintest clue about choosing the right wine, you will find this little “how to” guide extremely helpful. It’s best to be prepared for all situations – you never know what life might end up throwing at you.

The first step is, of course, to decide your budget. That itself should help you narrow down the list considerably and eliminate options. Then, choose whether you’d like to order by the glass or bottle. Although the former limits your selection, it works out cheaper if you are entertaining a small group. However, if you have more guests and they are inclined to having a couple of glasses through the evening, it will be less expensive to get a bottle or two. If you are not sure whether to order white or red wine, order a bottle of each. This helps satisfy a wider range of preferences.

The trickiest part, perhaps, is pairing wine with the food you are having. There is no crash course that will make you an instant expert in this field, but the following pointers will set you in the right direction, at least. The safest thing to do would be to connect your choice of food with wine from the same region. Therefore, if you are ordering pasta with red sauce, go with Chianti and if tapas is on the menu stick to something like Rioja.

On a general note, white wines are better suited with light foods, such as salads or grilled chicken. Big reds should be reserved for heavier food items like dishes with heavy red sauces or steaks. Finally, lighter and fruitier red wines can be paired with anything else.

Once you’ve cleared the hurdle of choosing the appropriate wine, you need to go through the serving ritual as it is typically followed in restaurants. Before serving the wine, the sommelier will show you the unopened bottle. Inspect the vintage and label and make sure it’s exactly what you ordered. It’s not uncommon for restaurants to serve you an alternate, if they do not have the wine you specified. In such a situation, it’s your call on whether you’d like to go with their choice or go through the entire process of ordering again.

After the bottle is open, the server will present you the cork. No, it’s not meant to be played with or aimed at some hapless diner sitting across from you. You must examine it to make sure that it’s not cracked or dried out. Finally, a small amount of wine is poured into your glass and you must not just taste it, but also check to see if there are any offensive odors. If all is well, you simply nod to the waiter and he will begin filling the other glasses.

See? Ordering wine is not really a rocket science though most would like to declare so. It can be quite easy and fun, too! And once you begin exploring, a whole new world of wines, flavors, and aroma will be opened up to you. Go ahead. Have fun!

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Believe it or not, Aragawa is not just one of Japan’s high end restaurants; it is the most expensive restaurant in the world. Reservations to this restaurant are extremely hard to come by and if you are among the lucky few who do manage to get in, make sure you are loaded with cash or your credit card has enough limit on it, since meal tabs start at $368 per head.

The restaurant itself is located in an office basement and the hallway is dark enough to give you the nerves. However, when you step into Aragawa, you are more relaxed and at ease since the décor, though not overly luxurious, is homey and inviting. The red and gold low ceilinged restaurant has an authentic European touch about it, which is visible in the chandelier and dark wood panels. There is no music playing in here except for the tinkle of silver against the chinaware, the sophisticating and well mannered sound of meat being chewed, and the occasional sighs of contentment and satisfaction.

So, what’s their secret? Wagyu beef. You would probably know it as Kobe beef which has been described in superlative terms by those who’ve had the good fortune of eating it. Try buying it in the market and you may have to cough up to $800 a pound owing to its restricted supply. Aragawa has its own farm where they breed Wagyu cows that are, if rumors are to be believed, hand fed and massaged to ensure the highest quality of meat.

You can choose Kobe beef from the premium and super premium categories that are available in 12, 16, and 20 ounces. The fresh Kobe beef is then broiled in a charcoal fired brick oven and served with plain pepper and mustard. Instead of the customary wine, the beef is accompanied by salads and appetizers. Hardly any effort is taken in fanciful presentation or decorating the food with beautifully carved radish. Once again, the restaurant depends solely on the quality of the food to impress its patrons over all the razzmatazz. And, boy does it impress you! You won’t mind breaking your bank ten times over for the sinful taste of the steak served at Aragawa. No other restaurant in the world comes close to this taste.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Since multiple Michelin star Ducasse is busy globetrotting and dividing his time among New York, Monaco, Paris, and Tokyo, you may not have the pleasure of meeting him in person when you dine at the Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée. However, you can be sure that he has left the responsibility on very capable shoulders – those of head chef Christophe Moret.

Trained by Ducasse himself Moret is faithful to Ducasse’s approach and emphasizes equally on local, sustainable produce and the finest ingredients. The combinations whipped up at the restaurant may be expensive but all that’s served in front of you – lobster, caviar, truffles, crayfish, and shellfish – seem to acquire a unique taste of their own simply by being in the presence of such a talented chef.

The moment you step into Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée you know that the term “opulence” has been redefined in this space. What with 10,000 brightly illuminated fire-like Swarovski crystals hanging from the ceiling, the exquisite china by Jaune de Chrome, flatware by Christofle and Béard, glassware by Riedel, carpets by Andrew Hartley, and curtains by Edmond Petit, Ducasse has spared no attempt to infuse every corner of his restaurant with all things luxurious and rich. Even the uniforms of the staff have been designed by Georges Feghaly! It’s not just a feast for your taste buds; it’s also a feast for your visual senses.

As for the meal here – what can I say except that go with an appetite because you’ll want to try everything there is on the menu! It’s almost impossible to narrow it down to a few items but top on the list of must-haves are the house classics such as coconut curry scallops or langoustines topped with caviar. Follow that up with pigeon fillets in a shallot-mustard sauce and leave some space for desserts like Ducasse’s legendary Rum Baba dessert or vanilla syrup-poached pear with ice cream and streusel. Simply divine!

The restaurant has a modern wine list which is changed three times a year and features selections from 1001 French vineyards, including rare vintages like Latour, Cheval Blanc, and Margaux. If you aren’t sure what to order with your food, you can rely on expertise of the sommelier attending to you.

Anybody who walks out of the Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée looks like a contented man – a rare sight to see these days. It comes at a price but then again what price can you place on a man at peace with himself?

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Well, I am about to take you on a very “cheesy” journey and familiarize you with some of the more important cheeses that an average foodie or cooking enthusiast should know about. The list isn’t exhaustive and the aim is not to compile encyclopedic information here. So, we shall begin with the ones that we already know about.

Cheddar is probably one of the greatest cheeses in the world and it originates from the Cheddar district of Somerset. The factory produced Cheddar you bring into your home is somewhat waxy in consistency, whereas the traditional farmhouse Cheddar is well-matured in taste and has a crumbly, hard texture. Young Cheddar tastes sweet and mild and while slightly older cheese is sharp and savory.

Gouda is Dutch in origin and comes from a town with the same name. It is made from full-fat cow’s milk and therefore slightly high in calories and fat content. Although Gouda normally comes with a yellow wax coating but when it is matured for 7 years, it is coated with black wax. Edam, another well-known Dutch cheese, has a yellow or red wax coating but is orange-yellow on the inside. This factory made cheese is made from semi-skimmed milk. Although the young variety of cheese can be bland, mature ones have a mellow flavor.

Parmesan is yet another world famous cheese owing to its extensive use in Italian cuisine. Made from semi-skimmed cow’s milk, Parmesan is aged for at least a year, if not longer. It has a crumbly texture and a soft yellow color while the taste is rich and salty. To preserve Parmesan for long periods of time, wrap it well in foil and keep in the fridge.

Gruyère comes from Switzerland, and it is popular in cooking since it has good melting qualities and a strong nutty flavor. This hard yellow cheese is made from unpasteurized milk and it is one of the few cheeses that carry an appellation d’origine controlee, or “protected origin designation.” Only specific cheese can be labeled and sold as gruyere.

Next comes Stilton, which is referred to as the king of English cheeses. It can be made only in certain areas of central England. Semi-hard in texture, Stilton is an unpressed cheese that has a piquant and rich flavor. It is made from full-fat cow’s milk, and traditionally cream is added to it. Farmhouse Stilton is the strongest variety and has more grey-green veining.

From Italy, you have famous cheese like Gorgonzola and Fontina. The former is made from cow’s milk and it is semi-hard in consistency, with a crumbly texture. Mass-produced Gorgonzola is mild whereas the farmhouse version is more pungent. Fontina, too, is semi-hard cheese but it has a creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor.

Of course the list doesn’t end over here – there’s Roquefort from France, a semi blue, rindless cheese matured in limestone caves; or Havarti from Denmark, a semi-hard washed-rind cheese full of many tiny holes; or Halloumi, a rindless cheese with chopped mint from Cyprus. There are as many cheeses as there as farms all over the world, each with its intrinsic flavors and qualities. As they say – the more the merrier for the curious taste buds. There are enough varieties to keep you going on a cheese-discovering expedition for the rest of your life.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The first thing to do is hope for a friendly server who can talk you through some of the specialties of the restaurant, and guide you on the best combinations and spicy v/s non-spicy menu items. Naturally, if you eat meats, you will have a much wider variety at your disposal, and the main meats in the Indian cuisine are chicken and mutton. Sea food generally figures only in coastal cuisines. Vegetarians can take heart, though, because vegetarianism is a common practice in India, and they will probably find more choice than they are used to.

Typically, an Indian meal starts with a serving of roasted meats or vegetables, served with a series of condiments and without breads. Usually the server will even give you the option of a spicy or non-spicy preparation for your starter. Tandoori chicken is a very popular starter. The chicken is roasted in a traditional Indian oven known as a “tandoor,” and is served dry. Vegetarians should go for Paneer Tikka, which consists of cubes of Indian cottage cheese, known as “paneer.” In fact, paneer is considered the most special ‘goody’ for vegetarians in an Indian restaurant.

The main course menu consists of different preparations of chicken, mutton, paneer or vegetables, usually cooked in gravy. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that the gravy in each dish is more or less the same. The gravies can be very different from each other. Here you will need to get some help from your server. Try out the restaurant’s specialty first.

To complement the flavors of a main course dish, people will generally also order a Daal Makhani, which is essentially a curried preparation of black pulses and beans. These main course dishes can either be served with an accompaniment of steamed rice or various kinds of Indian flatbreads. The fluffy Garlic Naan is a good choice amongst the breads, although it is very large and heavy. Roti is the lightest bread, and is both dry and crisp. Parantha is greasier, but it is extremely soft and has such a special flavor of its own that it can be enjoyed by itself too.

Well, you are now ready to take the plunge. I envy what you have in store for you!

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Glass Eels

Glass eels are also known by other names, depending on where they’ve been obtained from. If they’ve originated in French waters, they are known as “civelles” and if they are fished off the coast of Spain, they are referred to as “angulas.” Even more spectacular than the taste of fried baby eels with fresh garlic is the story of their migration through almost 6,000 kilometers of water, from the Sargasso Sea to the coasts of France and Spain. If you are choosy about having the “real-deal-glass-eel” and not the ones from breeding farms, they are available from mid-October to mid-April. Fuel your appetite till then.

Abalone

Abalone is highly prized meat and like all other items on this list, incredibly expensive. Even the shell is valued for cosmetic purposes and used to make beautiful jewelery. What makes people drool over abalone is its flavor, which combines the salty taste of seawater and the rich taste of hazelnut. Harvested along coastal shores by diving experts or wading fishermen, abalone fishing is actually quite restricted. And, even more difficult than retrieving abalone from its watery habitat is getting the meat out of the shell. European chefs use steak cleaver while Japanese chefs slice the meat off in strips. The meat is usually pounded to tenderize and tastes best lightly sautéed.

Sea Urchin

Eating sea urchin makes for quite a bit of hard work and it’s for this reason that most people refuse to try it out. In order to get past the spiky exteriors to the tasty interiors, you have to be equipped with heavy duty gloves and a really sharp knife. The procedure needs to be completed with medical precision but once you are through you are well rewarded for your persevearance. Toss the sea urchin into scrambled eggs or have it raw on toasted brown bread. Either way, it tastes heavenly.

King Crab

If appearances were everything, the king crab would’ve been left unbothered and uneaten. However, in spite of its scary appearance that makes it a perfect candidate for a sci-fi/horror movie, king crab meat is actually quite a delicacy. For obvious reasons, older crabs are passed over in favor of the younger ones since their meat is soft and delicious. Again, king crab meat is best enjoyed raw or with some herbed butter, homemade of course.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In an effort to ensure that kind words keep pouring in and you continue to dazzle your guests with your hospitality skills, we bring you a few tips on how to entertain stylishly. Easy to remember and simple to implement, these tips will add a whole lot of oomph to your dinner party.

Start with the Lighting

Lighting is one of the best ways to set the ambience of a room. Get creative. Instead of those harsh overhead lights, switch to something that has a softer appeal. Not only does it making the dining space look nice, the food also ends up looking good. For a more dramatic effect, you could do away with the lights completely and burn a few candles around the room instead. Voila! Instant mood lift for your dinner party.

Add a Splash of Color

I am not talking about flowers here, though that might be a nice touch to your dining space. This is more to do with how you present your food. Much before the food reaches your mouth you begin eating it with your eyes. So, try to make your food visually appealing. Jazz up that plain old tomato soup with a dollop of sour cream; serve a colorful bowl of carrots, red pepper, berries, beans, along with the regular greens; brighten up the plate of pasta in white sauce with some golden brown garlic bread and a side of veggies. Think plenty of color and let the food seduce your guests.

Bowl them over with a Bowl

When ordering in from a restaurant, a lot of people make the mistake of serving the condiments, salsa or chutney in the same container they arrived in. Sure, it’s functional, but hardly presentable. Your food will look infinitely better if you take the trouble of serving the sauces and condiments in bowls. You don’t need anything particularly fancy – even simple earthenware bowls have the potential to make the spread look good.

It all Rests in the Plate

Although most people tend to stock up on plates and cutlery in bright colors and intricate designs, when it comes to presentation, nothing works better than the plain white plates. Food served on these plates tends to stand out and catch your eye and that’s why most restaurants stick to pristine whites.

Also, choose the plate according the size of the food you plan to serve in it. As a general rule of the thumb, there should be at least 2 inches of white space between the edge of the plate and the food. So, a tiny serving of pudding served on a 12-inch plate will probably be just as unappetizing as a massive pork chop served up on a dwarfish 6-inch plate.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter