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Food Travel to New Caledonia

October 19th, 2009

Do you want a vacation that is truly breathtaking? Fancy someplace with a beach and sailing opportunities, plus the cuisine and ambience of a metropolitan city. A perfect vacation that offers all of this is a trip to the French settlement of New Caledonia, located about halfway between Fiji and Australia.

This island is located farther south compared to other South Pacific islands, benefiting from southeast trade winds, lots of sunshine and balmy weather. If a sailing holiday is what you are thinking to have, New Caledonia is located in a part of the Pacific that has the biggest coral lagoon in the world. Sailing charters are freely available and with the aid of the trade winds you can sail out of the capital city of Noumea along the coastline, past the many small islands that dot the ocean around the New Caledonia. There are also heaps of other outdoor activites such as scuba diving, snorkel diving, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking.

If you were hoping for a gourmet holiday, New Caledonia has heaps to offer. New Caledonia’s capital, Noumea, widely known as the Paris of the Pacific. Noumea offers delicate gourmet French food and wine along with the other benefits of a active cosmopolitan town. Some of the world-class restaurants in the South Pacific can be found here. Claimed by France in 1853, New Caledonia has a distinct French influence when it comes to food.

Noumea has well over 100 palces to eat, ranging from sidewalk cafes to elegant bistros. French cuisine is easy to come by, but other choices include Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and African food. Seafood is a specialty of the Island, including spiny lobster, prawns, crab, and mangrove oysters. One of Noumea’s national dishes is Bougna, which is fish or chicken, mixed with sweet potatoes and bananas wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed covered in sand on hot stones. For the adventurous traveler on a epicurean holiday, you can taste a dish popular with the locals, bat stew.

New Caledonia is the vacation destination you want to be: a sailing holiday, a gourmet holiday, or a time to just relax by the beach.

Host Your Friends for a Themed Dinner

October 17th, 2009

Got an apple plantation nearby? Great. You can permit nature be the party decorator. In case you don’t, apply our tips to spruce any celebration space with an apple motif. Begin by choosing a red or green color scheme perhaps inspired on your favorite types of apples. You can integrate other colors that coordinate but having one to center on brings a cohesive, fashionable flavor to the fete and keeps it from trending into Christmas territory. Once you decide on a color, establish the rest of the fete components around this system.
There is a lot to do at an apple themed fall celebration. These 3 thoughts are effortless and sure to entertain each guest no matter what their age. Assemble plenty apples and halloween treats. You’re going to require them for this joyous fun. Bobbing for apples is a no-brainer at a fall party. Fulfil metal buckets with simple water and apples, and let guests start bobbing. Ready a candy apple bar and allow invitees pick from their favorite toppings. Caramel, nuts, chocolate and candies are good options. These delicacies also make effortless party favors. Get stamps from apples, put out pigments and art paper, and produce a plain art post where guests can make prints to take home.
Whether genuine or fake, leaves bring the heart of autumn to party decorations. Hang garlands of leaves around the room miming those on trees outside. You can produce your own string of real leaves, but the tender and fairly messy nature of leaves makes the artificial variety best for this project. Either way, drape the lei from thresholds, hearths or backs of chairs.

The Christmas Hamper exclusively by Scottish Hampers

October 12th, 2009

If you are looking for the perfect food parcel to equip yourself for a memorable festive season, then you should buy yourself the fantastic, appropriately named "The Christmas Hamper". It is brought to you by the best supplier of quality Scottish food and drink in the country and the company you can trust for a very reasonable price.
It may be purchased from Scottish Hampers for incredible value price of £79.99.

So what do you get with this cheap and affordable food package?
It is the perfect hamper offering our customers the finest selection of home grown Scottish produce to meet the needs of any customer and is applicable to any budget.
The Christmas Hamper contains a wide selection of goodies from a small size, but perfectly compact 16” hamper. The parcel comes with a 200g Inverawe Smoked Salmon and delicious Strathdon Blue Cheese, along with Nicolls of Strahmore Port Wine Jelly.
The parcel features a choice of cracked Black Pepper Oatcakes and some delightful Nevis Bakery Madeira Cake.
You could sip the refreshing Brewhaha Christmas Tea so you could toast the Christmas season.
Although, if you fancy celebrating with something stronger then you could raise a glass of delicious 10 yr old Tawny Port or the magnificent Mansard Brut Rose Champagne.

This is just one of the many fantastic food parcels brought to you by Scottish Hampers: http://www.scottishhampers.co.uk/

Chic Halloween: Read Tips for Your Fete

September 29th, 2009

Fab up headstones, dish out terrific food, and vote on the attire that best personifies the spirit of a vocalist who has deceased. Most Halloween celebrations are total blowouts. Save postage and invite prices by sending online invitations to your invitees, so you can spend more on decorations. Decorate your fete menu table ala the interior of a coffin with a ruched satin panel down the front for eerie elegance. Position platters of goodies on the tabletop with blossoms in glass vessels. Accent with fabulous spooky candle holders.

Pick the Optimal Position For Your Celebration

Approximate Amount of Guests

Write out a guest list of everyone you desire to invite, and then figure that a small percentage will not show up. The basic part that will not show is almost 15%.

Sizing of the Venue

Make sure that the size of the venue matches with the number of individuals on your invitee listing and href=”http://www.celebrations.com/halloween-party-ideas”>. If you favor a big locale, see if the bar or nightclub proposes a tighter, contained domain where you can host your celebration.

Cocktail Alternatives

Many places will assert on doing their own alcohol. However, you can save a great deal of cash by finding a locale that will let you bring your own outside alcoholic drink for a small tip.

If you assure a venue that admits you to do this, hit your local store to bargain grand bottles in volume.

Choose A Motif

Halloween, is, of course, a theme in itself. But, take it one step further and motif your Halloween party around a particular frightful movie or horror genre: vampires, zombies, well-known undead villians (think Freddy, Jason and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre dude).

Expect your guests to come costumed in their most fabulous costumes. Having guests dress up is the greatest means to produce a special Halloween ambience for your affair!

If the bar or club will allow it, adorn your venue for supreme impression. Focus on key domains, like the bar or tables where people will spend a lot of time. For special decor themes, check out additional Halloween decor articles.

Wagyu Beef Japanese Style

September 24th, 2009

If you want to experience a culinary masterpiece, a visit to Takumi is a must. This Melbourne Japanese restaurant is the best of its kind. The food is top notch and the design and ambiance of the restaurant is relaxing.

Takumi is the only Japanese restaurant in Melbourne that serves Wagyu beef. If you don’t know what Wagyu is, it is a top grade cut of beef. It is tender and juicy it melts in your mouth. This beef is the main ingredient in many dishes offered in the restaurant. Many customers enjoy it as a burger, grilled and marinated with Sukiyaki sauce. I highly recommend the Wagyu Yakiniku lunch set. The beef is served raw and is cooked on a smokeless grill. Accompanied by veggies and a complimentary glass of beer or wine. Not only does this taste flavorful, but being able to see it prepared adds an added touch of magic.

This Japanese restaurant may specialize in Wagyu beef, but that is not the only tasty delicacy it has to offer. A bento box is also a fun way to enjoy your lunch. The restaurant offers a few options on the main entree for the bento box. A favorite Japanese entree is Gyoza. These pan fried dumplings are extremely good and addictive. You cannot stop at one. If you like something different, order yourself the Unagi Bento Box. Unagi is smoked grilled eel and is a very popular and delicious Japanese restaurant dish.

The decoration and color scheme of the restaurant has a very zen feeling. It is relaxing and inviting which makes you feel like you are right at home. The sleek and comfortable tan chairs and subtle ornaments have a sedating affect and lets you to feel like you are having a quiet meal at home, even though you are in a restaurant with other people.

Overall, Takumi is a wonderful Japanese restaurant. From their delicious menu offerings, to the many different Sake choices, this Melbourne Japanese restaurant is number one in my book.

New Caledonia Vacations

September 18th, 2009

Looking for a holiday destination that is truly extraordinary? Fancy somewhere with a beach and sailing opportunities, plus the cuisine and ambience of a metropolitan city. A perfect holiday that offers all of this is a trip to the French colony of New Caledonia, situated between Australia and Fiji.

This island is located further south compared to other South Pacific islands, benefiting from southeast trade winds, plenty of sunlight and warm weather. If a sailing holiday is what you fancy, New Caledonia is situated in a part of the Pacific that has the biggest coral lagoon in the globe. Sailing charters are freely available and with the assistance of the trade winds you can sail out of the capital city of Noumea along the coastline, past the many small islands that dot the ocean around the New Caledonia. Other outdoor activities on the Island are scuba diving, snorkel diving, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking.

If you were hoping for a gourmet holiday, you can get everything you could want on New Caledonia. New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea, is often referred to as the Paris of the Pacific. Noumea features delicate gourmet French food and wine along with the other benefits of a active cosmopolitan town. The restaurants here are some of the finest in the South Pacific. Colonised by the French in 1853, New Caledonia has a distinct French influence when it comes to food.

There are great deal of restaurants, ranging from sidewalk cafes to elegant bistros. French cuisine is easy to come by, but other alternatives include Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and African food. Seafood is a specialty of the Island, including spiny lobster, prawns, crab, and mangrove oysters. One of Noumea’s national dishes is Bougna, which is fish or chicken, combined with sweet potatoes and bananas wrapped in banana leaves and then cooked covered in sand on hot stones. For the adventurous traveller on a gourmet vacation, you can try out a dish popular with the locals, bat stew.

You can make a vacation to New Caledonia anything you want it to be: a sailing holiday, a gourmet holiday, or a time to just relax on the beaches.

An Introduction to Baking

February 7th, 2009

Baking has been around since the time of the early Egyptians, who were the first to make bread somewhere between 2600 and 2100 B.C. The Babylonians are said to have taught the Egyptians their basic baking skills. Evidence also points out that Aristophanes and the Roman Empire were exposed to baking in one way or another.

Sometime in 1800, bread was sold by merchants in London using carts. These merchants became known as gingerbread merchants.

The process of baking involves the use of heat in an oven. It converts ingredients like flour, yeast, water, and eggs into baked goods. The ingredients are mixed together to form a dough or batter. After being transferred to a baking pan, the dough or batter is then heated in an enclosed oven. Yeast, which is a leavening agent, is used to make the dough rise.

Although baking may sound like a complicated process, it is actually easier than cooking pasta or steak. Numerous recipes can be found in various cookbooks, and as long as you follow these recipes, your cakes, breads, cookies, and pastries will turn out well.

Of course, it is also important to have the proper baking tools and correct ingredients. Most baked goods rely heavily on the quality and amount of ingredients used, so it is vital to make mental notes about these aspects when following a baking recipe.

Baking is also a means of creative expression and activity that can be done by the whole family.

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Food Poisoning: The Holiday Gift You Don’t Want!

June 1st, 2008

Food makes the holidays more festive. At this time of year you enjoy family dinners, church potlucks, office parties, buffet lunches, cookie exchanges, and cups of cheer. Gifts are exchanged, too, and food poisoning is the “gift” you don’t want.

Though it’s relatively rare in the US, food poisoning can happen to anyone, according to MedlinePlus. That doesn’t mean much if you’re the one who gets it. You may get food poisoning at home or while traveling. Each year 60-80 million (that’s MILLION) people around the globe get food poisoning.

If you’ve had food poisoning you know it’s awful, so awful you thought you were going to die. Some people do die. The FDA says food poisoning is especially threatening to kids five years old and younger, and the elderly. E.coli can cause hemolyptic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney damage and, in some cases, death.

The symptoms of food poisoning are nasty: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headaches, and weakness. Food poisoning strikes within two-to-four hours after eating contaminated food and it can last as long as 10 days. Prevetion is the best defense against food poisoning.

Mayo Clinic, in an Internet article called “Serve it Up Safe: 8 Ways to Prevent Food-Bourne Illness,” lists some prevention tips, such as washing linens often and washing equipment, including your meat thermometer, in hot, soapy water. To be in the safe side, the article says you should reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Practice safe food handling during the holidays. Unsure about what to do? The USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service has published a colorful booklet called “Cooking for Groups.” You’ll find the booklet on www.FoodSafety.gov. You’ll find additional information on www.fightingbac.org. And follow these tips to keep your tummy safe during the holidays.

AT HOME

1. Wash your hands well before handling food.

2. Use paper or cloth dishcloths, not sponges.

4. Separate raw foods from ready-to-eat foods.

5. Store washed produce in a different container, not the original.

6. Keep cold foods at 40 degrees or less.

7. Keep hot foods at 140 degrees or more.

8. Double-bag leaking meat and poultry packages or seal them in plastic wrap.

9. Thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

10. NEVER eat frozen meat, poultry or fish that has been thawed and refrozen.

11. Check internal temperature of meat and poultry with a thermometer.

12. Use a clean spoon every time you taste food.

13. Clear leftover food quickly and refrigerate.

AT WORK

1. Ask a knowledgable person to be in charge.

2. Refrigerate donated food immediately.

3. Wash hands before handling food. (Buy several bottles of hand sanitizer.)

4. Label foods so people know what they’re eating.

5. Tell people if food contains nuts or soy.

6. Serve food in small batches, not all at once.

7. Keep mayonnaise-based foods icy cold.

8. Keep hot foods really hot.

9. Don’t leave food out for more than two hours.

10. Provide clean storage containers for leftovers. Write the food and date on all containers.

11. Discard food that hasn’t been refrigerated for more than four hours.

AT A RESTAURANT

1. Check to see if food handlers are wearing plastic gloves.

2. Find out if the food handlers are handling money. (Money is often contaiminaed with human feces.)

3. Is there a cough shield over the food table?

4. Skip the salad bar if the ingredients aren’t on ice.

5. Check to see if the restaurant has a clean plate policy for additional servings of salad.

6. Don’t eat salad dressing that’s in open bowls on the table.

7. Make sure hot food is kept in warming pans, kettles, and hot plates.

8. Each dish should have its own serving spoon or fork.

9. Servers should bring buffet foods out in small batches.

10. Does the menu say all beef will be cooked to medium temperature?

11. Hamburgers should be cooked until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

12. Write the food and date on your doggie bag/box.

“Everyone is at risk for foodbourne illness,” according to the FDA’s Food Safety Education Website. That makes food safety your business. Call the local public health department if you see unsafe food practices. And follow the FDA’s advice during the holidays: When in doubt throw it out!

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. To learn more about her work go to http://www.harriethodgson.com/.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the former “Rochester Magazine,” in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon. The book is packed with Healing Steps - 114 in all - that lead readers to their own healing path.

Barbecue Tandoori Chicken

May 27th, 2008

One of my favourite types of food is Indian cuisine. So being able to make Indian style food on the barbecue appeals greatly to me.

Tandoori food is traditionally made in a clay oven called a tandoor in which meat is placed on long oversized metal skewers and placed through the top of the tandoor, with the tip of the skewer touching the bottom where the charcoal is smouldering. The heat inside the tandoor sears the surface of the meat, while the metal skewers conduct the heat through the inside of the food. Cooking the meat simultaneously on both the inside and the outside.

Naan bread is cooked by slapping the dough mixture onto the inside of the tandoor. It cooks has it hangs down from the inside of the tandoor, forming into a teardrop shape.

Tandoori food can easily be cooked on a barbecue grill and you’ll achieve very similar results as obtained using a tandoor.

It’s normal for tandoori food to be slightly seared black on some of its edges. Which is caused from the intense heat created inside the tandoor.

The Barbecue tandoori chicken recipe below makes a good start to cooking tandoori style on your barbecue.

Practically every Indian restaurant offers tandoori chicken. The secret behind this succulent tandoori chicken dish lies in the long marinade in yogurt with spices. The coloring used to achieve the distinctive tandoori color is created using alkanet root. This is not readily available so food coloring powder can be used to achieve a similar result. Use either red, orange or yellow.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 24 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 large chicken legs
4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt

Marinade
9 fl oz (265ml) of yoghurt
3 tablespoons of mustard oil
9 cloves of garlic, crushed
1.5 teaspoons of salt
2.5 teaspoons of paprika
2.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
2.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons of ground ginger
0.5 teaspoons of food coloring powder (red, orange or yellow)

1. Skin the chicken and slash the flesh with short gashes. Place in a shallow dish and rub the lemon or lime juice, and salt, into the flesh. Leave for about half an hour.

2. Mix all of the other ingredients together and rub thoroughly into the chicken. Cover and leave to stand overnight in refrigerator.

3. Place the marinated chicken over medium hot coals and grill for about 25 to 30 minutes until cooked. Turning occasionally and basting with any remaining marinade.

4. Serve on a bed of lettuce and onion rings with a wedge of lemon. Accompanied with naan bread and tandoori chutney.

For naan bread and tandoori chutney recipes, and other tandoori recipes, visit www.barbecuehut.com/barbecuerecipes.html

About the Author

Les runs The Barbecue Hut website that provides useful information about barbecue grills and smokers, and also includes a wide selection of recipes.
He is also author of The Char Grill Chat newsletter.
Website:
http://www.barbecuehut.com

Newsletter:
http://www.barbecuehut.com/chargrill_chat

Automatic Espresso Machine for the Business

May 24th, 2008

Automatic espresso machines are a great addition for any business office, because you are giving your employees something they don’t have at home, or that they may be paying for on their way to work. That added benefit of a great cup of coffee, an espresso, a latte or any other type of coffee mixture is one that is going to help get your employees to work on time, in a manner that they will be ready for work, and ready to grab that cup of espresso and get busy on what you need them to be working on.

What are you giving your employees right now?
If you have a coffee maker in the break room right now, but you often times will see employees walking around the office with something else in their hand, it is time to get an automatic espresso machine and put your employees on track for the day. An automatic espresso machine is going to make many types of drinks, from the coffee, to the espresso, to the latte, and the cappuccino. Providing added benefits to your employees will make them enjoy their day that much more when coming to work. It is something they most likely don’t have at home, and would love to have when coming to work.

Many types of automatic espresso machines area going to be digital, so they can be set the night before, and they will start the brewing process before anyone actually comes to the office. Yes, this means that someone has to take care of cleaning and filling the machine, but most likely you are not going to have to talk anyone into doing this because it is an easy process and one that take just a few minutes a day. An automatic espresso machine is one that will give your employee that ‘thank you’ every morning as they grab a cup of caffeine and they head their way back to their office.

An automatic espresso machine is one that will be an investment for your business, and for your employees. As the employees are not stopping to purchase that drink every morning you are saving them money, and the will realize this! You could even start a coffee fund if needed, where the employees are paying just a small fraction of what they would if there were to stop and purchase that cup of espresso or latte in the morning. This could offset the price of the ingredients and the filters that you purchase for the office machine.

Think about how much one person spends on just one cup of coffee or latte or even a cappuccino every morning, if it is $1.00 or $.75 it will add up. Now if you were able to save the employees this much money, every day, and then over the course of a month, it is like giving them a raise! Get an automatic espresso machine and give a little back to those who are in your office working hard at your business dealings every day!