Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Healthy Turkish Food

When one thinks of Turkish food, some might recall last week's drinking session finishing off with a late night greasy Kebab. That late night stop is nothing like the culinary delights that one will experience when visiting Turkey. In fact the Ottoman Empire passed laws mandating that food should be served fresh and this has been followed through to now.
The Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world. Ingredients that are used in Turkey are fresh daily with a range of seasonal offerings as the climate is accommodating to a variety of supplies. Turkish staples include vegetables, fish and lamb with generous amounts of olive oil. The diverse climate allows Turkey to grow and produce fresh tomatoes, olives, melons, peppers, wheat, tea, etc. The surrounding seas are abundant in fish - as any boat excursion will testify. The grouper fish makes an excellent dish with a mild but distinct flavour - cross between a halibut and sea bass.

Top Tips For Healthy Festival Food On A Budget

As the summer's festivals begins to wind down, many of us will already be considering how we can make next year's experience even more enjoyable. Often it's the basic provision of hygiene facilities and the cost of tickets that are the main gripe with festival goers, however an increasing number of revellers are starting to turn their attention to the food as well. Currently it can be difficult to purchase natural and affordable cuisine on the go with burgers and chips being the traditional staple of festival goers. Opt to plan and pack ahead and you can enjoy a healthy alternative whilst watching your favourite bands.

Soul Food Recipes - Healthy Soul Food Growing in Demand

Healthy soul food may seem like a oxymoron at fist glance, but this is one of the fastest growing cuisines in America. The history of soul food stretches all the way back to the Pre-civil war period. It's one of the most popular cuisines originated in America. Originated in the south by slaves who were forced to eat what the masters or slave owners didn't want to eat. By using creative cooking methods and seasonings many of the recipes have turned into culinary delights, especially in the south.
But one drawback to the rich, robust southern dishes have been the health issues. The traditional versuib involved using large amounts of salt, fat and calorie loading ingredients. While these made the taste irresistible, the health concerns continued to mount. And with today's health conscious consumers, these problems could no longer be ignored. Now the healthy version is a fast growing solution to this growing consumer demand.

Online Cookbook - How to Make Healthy Japanese Food

For those of us who cannot afford to study in the best culinary schools in town but have the deepest desire to really know about Japanese cooking, an online cookbook is our savior. While Japanese cooking is very detailed and requires careful preparation, this should not intimidate us. We should always think that a good and healthy food is the one prepared with love. Hence, if you are after palatable, filling yet healthy meals, Japanese food is the way to go.

Monday, January 10, 2011

A Culinary Tour of Asia

The very heart of your Asian vacation isn't the exotic locale, the invigorating massages, the majestic ancient temples, or even the warm, friendly people. It's the food. When you're at home, food is a centerpiece of activity and fun-the backyard cookout, the Friday evenings with friends, or the romantic dinner. When you're on vacation, it will be even more memorable if you keep food enjoyment high on your list of priorities.
Food is more than mere sustenance. It is a social experience, and a sensory treat that will be remembered long after you return home. Asia is well-known for its exotic cuisine, and no Asian vacation would be complete without thoroughly enjoying the food. In every major Asian city, you'll find your usual array of the familiar favorites from back home: KFC, McDonalds, Sizzler, and so on-but why not enhance your foray into the unknown with something new on the menu?

Top 10 Restaurants in Asia

During your visit to Asia, you get a chance to enjoy not only the spectacular sights but also the great cuisines of the various Asian cities. Singapore tops the best Asian restaurants list because of the innovation they offer in the form of providing the diners a chance to see the kitchen action, and thus communicate directly with the chef. Iggy's in Singapore is the restaurant that is renowned to be the best in Asia. Other great restaurants in Singapore are Les Amis, Gunther's, and Garibaldi.
The L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong is a great restaurant. The restaurant is very casual in its ambience, and allows the diners to see the preparation of their dishes. Moreover, the people are also allowed to compose meals in accordance with their appetite. Another very good restaurant in Hong Kong is Bo Innovation. Old Chinese methods of cooking are used in the restaurant. This restaurant offers great ambience with its chopstick shaped lamps and a cosy kind of lighting.

Papaya, the Wonderful Fruit of Southeast Asia

Everyone is familiar with the name. But for most of us the mention of the fruit does not give a distinct impression in terms of taste, though it certainly conjures up an impression of the tropics. For those familiar with the fruit, they are more apt to see it as a good old standby, pleasant enough to be eaten on its own, but nothing to sing about either.
Papayas are basically of two types, though all papaya is originally from Southern Mexico. The kind most often consumed in North America and Hawaii are yellow when ripe, can be held in the hand, and have yellow flesh. In Southern and Southeast Asia, big heavy dark-skinned papayas are the norm. The flesh of these is blood red. The latter is a quintessential part of the Thai beach fruit plate. The two taste quite similar, a bit musky with honey overtones. The Asian cultivar tends to be stronger in flavor however. Both varieties are reminiscent of melons, but unfortunately lack the melons complexity and delicious nectar.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Food History - The Evolution of Our World From Bread to Cheesecake

Ever wonder about the origins of certain foods? Who was the first person to eat an oyster and why? What hardened meringue was used as medicinal candy to soothe children's sore throats? What food was served to those first Olympians in 776 B.C? What has been found in pits where human settlements lived 8,000 years ago? The origins of food are varied, ingenious and ever evolving and have not only made history, but are history.
One of the oldest known foods is credited for bringing cavemen together to live in communities rather than herd and hunt as nomads. Civilizations found various ways of growing, preparing grain and baking dough to become bread, a staple which was plentiful in summer and sustained them during winter. Excavated cities dating back to Pompeii have revealed the secrets of the ancient bakery where rich and poor alike, came together over bread. Wheat has been discovered in the remains of settlements from over 8,000 years ago stamping today's main grain as a link to our past.

Outdoor Grills, Ovens, and Stoves for Cooking Turkey

There are a lot of ways to cook turkey. One of the cooking processes is known as grilling. Grilling is becoming the most popular methods of cooking turkey and one of the healthiest as well. The grilling process allows fat to drip away from the turkey as it cooks, keeping the meat nutritious and full of flavor.
Aside from that, turkey has numerous ways and methods to be cooked, utilizing different cooking equipment such as the oven and the ever popular microwave. Here we offer you different methods that can be used for cooking turkey. Here are some varieties of grills available in the market, as well as the basic instructions to properly use them.

Latin America's Most Exotic Foods

They're horrid, ghastly, gross, unthinkable, gut-wrenching, wonderful and delicious. These are but a few of the adjectives used to describe commonly eaten fare "south of the border" from Mexico to Peru. The expression, "One man's meat is another man's poison" has never seen more fruition than evidenced in these "exotic" foods found throughout Latin America. Just feast your eyes on these taste-tempting treats.
Iguana
Starting off our list is a common delicacy from the Pacific Coast and Caribbean. Although protected in many countries, these green lizards, which can grow to more than 3 feet in length, are a prized stable in Aruba, Bonaire, Panama and Colombia. The eggs are also cooked and eaten even though they're often taken illegally. A sizeable black market for them exists in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. They're not cheap, but they are good.

The Hunt For Bar-B-Que in Texas

Being new to East Texas, it's a challenge trying to decide what Bar-B-Que restaurants to try and which ones to stay away from. I've gotten individual opinions and started hunting online. One frustrating aspect in this area is the lack of websites by restaurant owners and apparently no newspaper in the area covers entertainment or food.
Therefore, I cannot look at a menu, see pictures of the interior, learn if they offer live entertainment or even get excited about their business. What's up East Texas?! It's the digital age!
Doing a search in Longview, Texas for Bar-B-Que restaurants turns out a plethora of options. The next step is to look at the reviews, right?

List of Vegan Foods - Delicious Vegetarian Foods

If you decide to go on a vegan diet for health or for compassionate reasons, you need to know the list of vegan foods that you can eat. But you also need to be aware of the list of foods that you can no longer eat because they use animal products, even in a minute fashion. Please be sure to talk to your doctor before switching to eating only a list of vegan foods.
The No-Nos
In order to eat a vegan diet, you can no longer eat anything made with honey or dairy products. You also can't eat anything made with eggs or powdered bone or powdered animal organs. This means that you have to check the ingredients of everything you plan on putting into your mouth.

Delicious Foods and Cuisines in 'Melaka' (or 'Malacca') In Malaysia

I am a native here. 'Malacca' has many good foods. Tourists, especially, benefit greatly from this fact. But first thing, you have to find out the facts, before finding those foods.
Food here in Malaysia can be considered cheap. Hawker stalls that are set up provide tasty and very much affordable lunch and dinner servings. For example, the chicken rice and 'nasi lemak' and great 'Chinese' foods. Starting at 'RM2.50' or 'RM3.00', one can experience delight. At night, there is no 'curfew'. Why is that, you ask? Despite this, 'Malacca' remains a peaceful place. The great thing is, you can grab the 'roti canai' and its mouth-watering varieties at 'mamak' stalls. 'Mamak' stalls are great places for hanging out or for supper. Enjoy the cool night breeze, as 'Malacca' is a coastal state. This is because the city is only 1km away from the sea.

Tips for Raw Food Recipes - Fundamental Information You Need to Be Aware Of

You have to admit, transitioning to a raw food diet can be a very challenging task. For the beginner, the process of finding these foods can be very overwhelming. Most of the time, it's difficult to find them in the regular grocery store shelves. With the changing of the seasons (winter in particular), fresh produce gets scarcer by the minute, compounding the problem.
Then there's also the problem of kitchen equipment. Dehydrators, food processors and high-powered blenders are not staples of any regular kitchen. You'll need to fork out some serious dollars for these if you're serious about going raw.

7 Ideas for a Food Dehydrator

If you already own a food dehydrator then you're already on the road to eating healthy snacks and saving money all at the same time. If you don't own a food dehydrator you should. Food dehydrators are a great way to not only store your foods but to create good dried foods that we pay alot of money for in the stores. I want to give you my top 7 items that I love to dehydrate and inform you of why you should own one yourself.
#1. Bananas: Any time you go to the grocery store think about the cost of dried banana chips. Now think about the cost of bundle of bananas. They are not even close in price. I recently went to the store and bought bananas on sale for only 29 cents a lb. However also displayed by the bananas were a 1/3 lb. of banana chips which happened to be $3.99. Now I don't know about you but I think I'll buy my own bananas and produce my own banana chips at a fraction of the cost.

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Top Food Stores in Europe

Eating is an essential part of travel. Dining out in restaurants, visiting markets, and sampling the local cuisine can create some of the best travel memories. And if you have a serious appreciation for food and wine, you should also visit the food stores in your destination. They're good places to buy souvenirs or gifts for friends back home. And you can also pick up supplies for a delightful picnic in the park.
Several food stores are major attractions, with travelers considering them one of the must-sees on their itinerary. Most have a huge array of products. And seeing what the local gentry eats is a good way to gain a better understanding of the local culture.

Finding the Best Health Foods Online

There is a big focus on living healthy these days and part of that is eating healthy. With all the online options, you can easily find some great healthy foods online. You just need to know some tips to help you to choose the best health foods and get good deals.
Why Shop Online?
You may wonder why you would shop for food online. Some people may live right near a large health food store, but many people do not and shopping online is the best way to get healthy foods without having to drive out of your way to do so. The bottom line is that it is just more convenient to shop online.
You can find almost any type of food, too. Your selection is not limited and you can even get seasonal foods out of season without having to spend a fortune like you would in the store. So, even if you do live near a health food store, you can still benefit from online shopping.

French Food - How to Plan Your Trip to Experience the Best Gourmet Food

In previous articles on traditional French food we have looked at what is really meant by both 'traditional' and 'French food', since many common assumptions surrounding gourmet food from France seem to be somewhat inaccurate.
Not only is there no such thing as an all-encompassing concept of what might be referred to as traditional French food, at least, not by the French, but even the suggestion that food in France is entirely French, lacking any outside influences, is wholly wrong.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Great Outside, Great Inside, Hiking and Gourmet Food Enjoy.

Taking a walking/hiking holiday or short break is of course a healthy, refreshing way of really appreciating the beauty and sights of a new environment. As we mentioned in our previous post, there are many advantages of doing this with a local guide. But one, very significant advantage that will actually be more relevant AFTER the walking is knowing the best places to EAT - and in Mallorca you are spoilt for choice.