cooking asparagus: March 2013

Reasons for High Preference of Team Building Cooking Events (Elvina Lorenza)

HR executives are often seen to prefer team building cooking options. They feel that it is one of the most enjoyable and perfect occasions for all the employees as it involves all the sections of team members to participate in it. The main motive of arranging such events is to foster some good relations among the employees and know each other well by spending some time together.

This helps in increasing the productivity rate also. With much of healthier relations, projects can be completed with much creativity and cooperation. Many market surveys are now being conducted to visualize the growing trend of arranging such team building cooking events.

One of the popular activities for spending some relaxed time for the employees is to enjoy games like Go-Carting. In spite of that, if the employees are given a task of making cakes that would need the cooperation of a number of people together as team, it would be recognized as one of the best team building events.

The best side of arranging such events is that no particular person is given attention in particular. It is always a group activity where each and everyone need to concentrate equally to arrive at the point of fame. This group activity is one of the major ways to show equality amongst various employees. This advantage of showing equality through games has made it quite popular nowadays.

Since it is always a group work, each of the members needs to show their intelligence, expertise and excellence in that particular field of work in which they are given. cocktail party is one of such team building events that give each and every individual a platform to relax and unwind themselves so that they get back their enthusiasm for work.

At these parties, there are no strict rules and regulations to be followed. These events help to cut off all the ego clashes amongst the employees that might have cropped up due to the odd behaviors of some others. Imbibing positive aspects of such events is considered to be more important.

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Know the Different Aspects of Attending a Cocktail Party (Elvina Lorenza)

When you are planning for some fun and entertainment of a different kind, you can arrange cocktail party that would be of a different attire altogether. Fashion has now become the fastest growing field and people of different ages are now finding themselves to be part of this growing fashion trends with a variety of cocktail parties and cocktail party dresses of various combinations.

If you want to know about the latest fashion trends for the cocktail party, you have to keep yourself updated by a regular search through the internet. There are many varieties of dresses that can be bought but the expense and the budget should also be equally considered as an essential factor.

A lot of dresses would come up according to the vivid fashion style and statements, but you have to know the particular kind that will suit you. There is no need of embarrassing yourself by wearing a dress that you cannot carry well with your personality.

The shoulder cut dresses may be very appealing and attractive. You would love to have the greater extent of attention to be drawn at yourself amongst all. But if you are not practiced into wearing off shoulder dresses, you mustn't opt for those. In that case, you can choose any other dress of your own style that would make you look more appealing.

If you have the perfect shape of the figure you can try the slim fit sheath dresses as well. Apart from the dressing styles, cocktail parties might have enough of other sides to entertain you. You can sometimes notice that cocktail making lessons are being given.

There are also chances of learning how to make pizza from the pizza chef attending the party. Therefore it is very clear that cocktail parties are not only for wearing beautiful dresses, arriving at the destination in the latest trend of fashion and sipping into drinks. It is also about adding some more creativity to your existing skills.

For more information on catering pizza, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the pizza chef!

Tastes and Smells Like Easter

For those of you that celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend. And even if you're not a true believer, you may still score a chocolate bunny or marshmallow chicken, so you've got that going for you. Speaking of Easter edibles, for me there's one signature taste and smell that rises above all others; anise-scented Easter bread!

Below you'll see my family's recipe for Italian Easter bread, and if you've never experienced this aromatic, and very addictive sweet bread before, I highly recommend you "rise" from the couch, and give it a try. You can read the original post and get the ingredients here. Enjoy!

Melbourne Travel Guide (Keaton Ochoa)

Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria, which is located in South-Western Australia. It is a popular tourist destination with people from all over the world, partly thanks to its many attractions, great climate and beautiful scenery. This article takes a look at some of the best places to eat, sleep and drink, and how to get around when you are visiting the beautiful city of Melbourne.

Tourist Attractions

Visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to things to see and do in the city. No visit to Melbourne is complete without a trip to Federation Square, which is located opposite Flinders Station. It is the perfect place to people watch while enjoying a coffee at one of the many cafes. Special events, such as festivals and exhibitions are also held in this square throughout the year.

The Botanical Gardens are a beautiful place to visit with all the family. The gardens are home to over 50,000 species of plants, which are positioned within 35 hectares of land. You can take a picnic and enjoy the beautiful greenery of the park. The Botanical Gardens are open from 7:30am until sunset everyday of the year, and entry is completely free of charge.

Art-lovers will enjoying visiting the National Gallery of Victoria. The gallery is the cities largest and oldest public art gallery. It contains artworks by many famous artists, including Constable, Auguste, Rodin, and J.M.W Turner. Entry is free of charge, although tickets are required for special events and exhibitions. The gallery also has a second centre which is located in Federation Square, which is home to indigenous artworks from colonial times to the present day.

Where to Eat

Melbourne boasts a huge range of dining options to suit all tastes and budgets. From small cafes and local pubs, to luxurious dining experiences - there really is something for everyone.

Where to Sleep

There are extensive accommodation options spread throughout the city and the suburban areas. Visitors can choose to stay in a basic but clean hostel room, right up to a beautiful 5 star hotel. Camping options are also available throughout the year.

Travel

Melbourne has a huge range of transportation options. It boasts four airports: Melbourne International Airport, Avalon Airport, Moorabbin Airport and Essendon airport, all of which offer frequent passenger flights. Melbourne International airport is the largest of the lot, offering domestic and international flight to cities all around the world. Taxis and buses are available from the airport to locations across the city.

Melbourne bus network is composed of over 300 routes, with regular services to the outer suburbs and inner city areas.

The city also has its own tram network, which is actually the largest tram network in the world with 1,773 tram stops. Trams will provide a fun, affordable and convenient way to see the sights.

The rail network is also well developed, with 200 suburban stations. The rail connections serve major stops in the city centre, suburbs and they also connect to regional cities and interstate locations.

Melbourne is a wonderful tourist destination in Australia, also known for its wide range of dining options. Enjoy your meals at a fine dining restaurant in Melbourne and experience the best food.
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Ginger-Orange Granola

Next time you make granola...this is a must try! Especially if you love ginger and orange zest. I thought my last granola, Seeds & Goji Berry Granola, was delicious but this may just surpass that by a margin. I've been trying a few granola's lately and these two have come out on top. My house smelled like orange cinnamon rolls...mouthwatering! This granola has such nice flavoring, especially with the orange zest. I love zest of any kind, so the addition of the orange zest is welcome. It toasts up just perfectly along with the other ingredients. And when you get a bite of the toasted sesame seeds, they add another layer of deliciousness. We have another great granola to add to the recipe list. I just love a good granola and I think you'll love this one too!

This was terrific as a cereal with diced mango and unsweetened almond milk. I can see this being a great muesli mix too for overnight oats. Might even be good with some fresh squeezed orange juice as your liquid. So simple and delicious...

Ginger-Orange Granola

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (I used GF)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
couple tablespoons sesame seeds
couple tablespoons hemp hearts, ground flax seeds or chia seeds
1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
zest of 1 - 2 oranges, chopped fine or left as is
2/3 - 3/4 cups pure maple syrup
coconut oil, to grease

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add in your maple syrup and mix well to coat. On a greased rimmed cookie sheet, lay granola in a single layer. You may need to use 2 rimmed sheets. Place sheets in oven and cook for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to ensure even toasting.

Once done, remove from oven, let cool completely, store in an air tight container for up to a month.

Let this be a templet, add/subtract anything you like. If your missing an ingredient you may add extra of something else you do have on hand. I like lots of zest and added the zest of 2 oranges.

Enjoy the aroma and the taste!

How chefs all over the world to create meals for people with Diabetes (Andy Salazar)

It is believed to be mainly on lifestyle choices diabetes increases and can be prevented with some caution and some changes in their lifestyle.

Chefs all over the world while preparing meals for diabetics tend to take certain measures that count so that the people who have diabetes can also enjoy their meal properly.

Experts say that you should try to lose weight if he or she is borderline diabetic, who lose even 5 to 10% of the total weight would help to reduce blood sugar significantly in addition to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol level in the system.

There should be some changes that should be made to the daily diet to a healthier lifestyle can be adopted. And not necessarily the changes that need to be dramatic but some minor adjustments which will replace white rice consumption with brown rice instead of white bread, consumes the whole wheat or whole grain bread etc.

Also, according to the chefs a should include very non starchy vegetables and fruits in the diet of daily intake. It should also limit the intake of concentrated sweets like candy, chocolate bars, ice cream etc. Alcohol should be avoided completely and the consumption of soft drinks also stopped.

It is best if you can cook with olive oil instead of ghee, butter and vegetable oil. Beans is believed to be the major source of dietary fiber and should be a part of the daily diet. These are also believed to lower blood sugar levels. The chefs think meals consisting of fish is also a healthy dish that can be served to diabetics.

You must eat fish because it is a good source of omega-3fatty acids and clearly helps keep your arteries. As much as you should avoid fatty foods and fatty meat, you can always go for lean meats such as chicken breasts, etc. And if you cook it in the slow cooker most nutrients can be preserved and taste also turns out to be pretty good.

Nuts is considered to be a good source of vitamin E and any meal that consists of of them are considered consumables, and healthy. Fresh yoghurt which is rich in protein is considered healthy and is thought to help you lose weight as well.

Another important kitchen ingredient that usually goes unnoticed but has huge advantages is cinnamon. It is believed that only by sprinkling cinnamon on the food and consuming it can lower blood sugar levels.

It is advisable to completely avoid junk foods, fried foods and fatty dishes that they do not have any positive effect on your body and just charged your system of unnecessary fat.

If you sometimes feel the urge to nibble on something you can think about snacking on apples, cheese, homemade popcorn, plain biscuits, etc. While eating, you must remember that moderation is the key, and by choosing to eat healthy just help yourself to a better life.

Readers, authors, reviewers for being Grand kitchen table talks, food-and-drink place with recipes and healthy eating for diabetics, and what women talk about around the kitchen table.

Buttercrust Pastry Dough – Good Friday or Anytime

I knew better than to expect you guys to wait until next week for this buttercrust pastry dough, after teasing you with its flaky seductiveness during the apple hand pies video. Yes, the audience has spoken, and basically said, “post this before Easter or else.”

As I mention in the clip, you really want to use a food processor for this. You can certainly use a wire pastry blender and do it by hand, but it’ll take a while, and mixing in the ice water is so much easier with whirling blades. I’m not sure I’ve ever achieved that same gorgeous “breadcrumb” texture blending by hand.

If you decide to use this pastry for a savory recipe, I’d suggest cutting the sugar down a bit, but don’t be tempted to leave it out. I used the leftover dough from the apple turnovers video, which had all the sugar, for some duck pot pies, and it was really good, but maybe just a tiny bit sweet.

If you’re going to use this recipe for some Easter pies or brunch desserts, I hope you like the dough as much as I did. Just make sure your butter cubes are frozen, and your ice water is, well, ice-cold water. These are the keys. Do that, and you’ll have a pastry dough that tastes, feels, and sounds fantastic. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 pound pie dough (enough for 1 large pie or 4 turnovers):

2 cups flour (measure carefully, do not pack!)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp ice water

Why known nutritionists say that cooking at home is healthier than eating in restaurants (Ole Willy)

Cooking at home is not only a healthier alternative but it is also very cost effective. The cost of the ingredients that you buy from a market to cook a meal would be much less than what you would pay at the restaurant for the same dish can be. Also, cooking at home give you a chance to plan ahead and plan the objects to be prepared for your meal to be ready.

"Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper"
-Adelle Davis (American nutritionist, 1904-74)

Quoted by renowned nutritionist Adelle Davis if you plan your breakfast, lunch and dinner you'd get time to cook up a meal that you desire to consume. In restaurants, you have limited options and also be totally unaware of the ingredients used. If you cook at home, you are sure of the freshness of the ingredients that you have used, thereby increasing the nutritious factor of the meal confirm their health quotient.

Famous nutritionist Michael Van Straten always maintains the strategy "says no to salt". Excessive use of salt can lead to various health problems and in the many restaurants that you don't have anything to say about this. If you cook at home you would definitely apply to assessment before you put salt in your meals. Even if you eat out regularly, chances are you would be at risk of unwanted weight gain but, cooking at home can spare you from it.

Any dish at any restaurant can come across as a tastier option but you should be more careful about the fat and calorie content. More often than not tend the restaurant dishes to be STING as well. However, if you cook at home, you can practice with less fatty foods with less spice that would have a good effect on your metabolism and the body in General.

In addition, at home you can experiment with different recipes and prepare meals with family and friends and make it a fun affair. If you are growing a vegetable garden in your backyard, you may also have the opportunity to consume fresh vegetables daily that would also have a positive effect on your overall health to a large extent.

Also its always wise to buy whole fruits and extract the juice at home. This would be a much healthier option than drinking a can of juice is outside. When it comes to meat, it is advisable that you buy whole birds instead of pieces and cook it slowly in a slow cooker. That way you would be able to retain most of the flavors and nutrition, food and drink, health and fitness and home cooking.

Nutrition is important for women to avoid eating processed foods and foods that have lots of preservatives in it. Restaurants, even if they earn you pre processed meat or any other dish with lots of artificial preservatives in it, its less likely for you to understand and identify them. but the cooking at home, of course, would give you an idea of what exactly is happening the system after consumption of the meal.

Readers, authors, reviewers for being Grand kitchen table talks, food-and-drink place with recipes and healthy eating for diabetics, and what women talk about around the kitchen table.

Green Chile Egg Bake

Green chile egg bake - gluten-free

This puffy golden egg bake is easy (and pretty enough for brunch guests).

Roasted Green Chiles + Eggs = Fabulous

This simple egg bake recipe flirts with being a souffle. She imagines herself in an Anais Nin novel, puffy and voluptuous, trembling on a sunlit, blossom strewn table, about to be devoured by a Henry Miller style character, an unknown writer, all bluster and Brooklyn guff, with a surprising, childlike glint to his laughter.

In a Kerouac novel she imagines herself liquid, a stream of golden beats syncopated in hot opposition to the heart's rhythm, strangely, vertigo defyingly more in tune with how the stars blink- on and off- cradling her humble, unassuming beginnings in feather injected hay, spinning cool and restless past the farmhouse windows lit yellow by a single lamp on the center of a wooden kitchen table strewn with cereal coupons and finger smudged newspaper and coffee cups stained not with lipstick but with infinite tiny cracks, scenting the air with morning that rushes into this author's highway memory like a distant train whistle crooning its tug toward reckless freedom, toward shed dreams and mockingbird awakenings that mimic the familiar just to confuse you, just to keep you anchored, just to clip you from flying in your own, crazy trajectory, your one chance at what might be possible.

Then again.

Maybe she's just an egg recipe.

With attitude.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Restaurant discount coupons in London (freyaj jhonson)

You want to eat at your recommended restaurant, but have recently found out that it is generally for you too much to ask. Is there a way to lower your expenses on your restaurant food? There certainly are some aspects that you can do to reduce costs. Keep in mind, that in this economy, you are definitely alone in looking for techniques to reduce your costs. Actually, there are probably a lot of people around the country who want to eat at a restaurant that they like but find out that the cost is too expensive for them. one way to protect your meals is to use restaurant offers.

Now, what are these discounts exactly? There are usually two types of restaurant offers. The first type is usually 100% 100% free reduced price discounts that you can come back for a reduced cost on a meal or some sites on choice get a 2 for 1 meals, get a 100% 100% free lovely or a product of chicken, etc. Reduced price discounts are allocated in a wide variety of sites. They are often positioned in the guides and guides, with some being sent to your e-mail. Be sure to take a look at your "junk mail" before you throw out. It may contain some useful reduced price discounts that can provide great benefits to your next restaurant meals. There are also some websites, such as topnosh.com and topnoshcampus.com where you can find some computer reduced cost discounts for you to use. All you need to do is to them and present them at the restaurant which you should, just as you would with a coupon you would video clip of a brochure or a document.

Another type of café offers is what is called an existing certification, coupon or coupon. These generally allow you to get a lower price, up to the value of the coupon, the food at a particular café or a number of dining options sites. These are most generally as gifts to individuals. Sometimes give organizations them out to its employees as compensation or as a present for the holidays. You could also get one if you engage yourself in the benefits system. For example, let certain creditors individuals gain factors for every purchase that they make on their cards. They can then return these factors for a coupon that is useful in a coffee shop.

But what if you're not lucky enough to get one of those free? Well, there are some sites where you can buy the restaurant offers. Of course, if you want to preserve your resources, the discounts will cost you less than the money they are for. As an example, you can buy a 30 for 12 more weeks voucher for a well-known restaurant for 5 or a 100 coupon for 10. The higher the quality of the voucher, the more you will usually protect. You will discover these types of discounts on many sites, but the most well known and effective which is topnosh.com and topnoshcampus.com.

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Spring Salad with Edible Flowers & Dandelion Greens

Spring...one of my favorite times of year! This is the time for renewal, opening all the windows in the house and letting everything air out from the long closed up winter days. The birds are singing, the flowers are coming into blossom and the trees are sprouting their leaves to soak up the sunshine. It's a rebirth! This salad comes as a perfect way to add some of your favorite spring blossoms into a meal for an even more enjoyable way to celebrate the flowers of spring. They add wonderful fragrance and color. Use whatever flower is available to you. I have used wisteria here but if you don't have a wisteria, you can just as easily add some bougainvillea petals, rose petals or pansies. Here is a list of edible flowers for you to glance at when you can. Wisteria and bougainvillea are not on the list but they are edible (I did my homework before eating them.). I also added some of my bougainvillea petals (stamen and pistols removed), before eating this salad. This was a really lovely dish and I will most definitely be having it again! You can find the original recipe here: Edible & Medicinal Flowers. I wasn't sure at first but when everything is together and you take your first bite, you'll discover that these ingredients all come together with great flavor and an exotic appeal.

Let me tell you a bit about my wisteria. Every year I get so excited to see it bloom and come to life. It is so fragrant and colorful. The blooms fall and hang beautifully. The clean up is another story but it's all so worth the beauty. At this time of year you can find me peeking and peering all day long watching as the blooms get bigger and bigger. They start as a small little bud and grow into gorgeous strands of lilac and purple flowers. This beautiful plant was a gift from my parents about 15 years ago. They always have the best taste! It was originally a bonsai, but after a while I decided to put it into a large clay pot and train it as a sprawling standard. It has been there ever since blooming faithfully year after year. It's truly an easy plant to care for. They are very hardy, aren't too needy and will live a very long time once established!

Another special ingredient in this spring salad is dandelion greens. This is my first experience with dandelions. They are full of nutrition and are very tasty. In the scheme of leafy greens, dandelions are up there with the highly beneficial kale. I purchased these at my local Sprout's store. Dandelions are known to be high in calcium, rich in iron and full of antioxidents. They are also a great detoxifying green, full of minerals and trace elements as well as being high in protein, more so that spinach. I will be alternating some of these to my juicing and smoothie regimen as well. You can use dandelion greens in many ways. I have seen recipes for sauteing them, you can also use them in a pesto, or toss them in salads, soups and stews. They are not just a weed but a beneficial green to add to your green & healthy diet.

So casual and lively, a great way to bring in the spring...

Spring Salad: Edible Flowers & Dandelion Greens

Ingredients

spring mix salad
dandelions or watercress
handful wisteria flowers, pulled of their stems (I left mine on, quite by accident)
english cucumber, chopped
sweet orange, peeled and chopped
orange zest

Dressing (serves 2)

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 orange
cracked pepper to taste

Start with the dressing by combining all ingredients, except the oil, in a small bowl or decanter, mix well and then add in the olive oil. Mix again and let set.

For the salad ingredients, use as much as you like of each ingredient. Mix your greens, place on serving dish and top with cucumber, orange pieces, orange zest and flowers. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!

Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Beurre Rouge – Small, Dark and Handsome New Twist

This Easter-inspired rack of lamb recipe is fairly typical of other dishes I’ve posted with this cut, except for one major difference; we’re actually roasting the meat over the sauce. And not just any sauce; we spiked this beurre rouge (red wine butter sauce) with fresh blueberries, and the small, dark fruit performed beautifully.

My game plan was to introduce some always-welcomed moisture into the cooking environment, as well as hopefully impart some flavor and aroma from the berries, shallots and wine. Both goals were realized, and I was very happy with the final results. Besides possibly straining the cooked berries out next time, I think it was pretty close to spot on.

One word of warning to you poor, unfortunate souls who will insist on cooking this longer: Beside the obvious crime against nature of not eating this pink, you’ll also risk having your sauce dry up and burn in the oven. So, if you are going longer than the 20 minutes recommended here, be sure to check the pan, and add a splash of water if needed.

Other than that, as long as you’re checking with a thermometer, I don’t think there’s a lot that can go wrong. The sauce is very simple to finish up as your lamb rests, and quite similar to most of the pan sauces you’ve seen posted here before. So, if you’re looking for something a little bit usual for your Easter menu, I hope you consider giving this a try…it was berry good! Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 fully trimmed, racks of lamb (8 bone each)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegetable oil for browning

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/3 cup sliced shallot

4 oz (about a cup) fresh blueberries

1 cup decent red wine

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 or 2 tbsp butter, whisked into finished sauce

View the complete recipe

How to Make Delicious, Inexpensive Soft Pretzels at Home (Chris Rawstern)

While making soft pretzels seems like a lot of steps, they are really simple to make. It takes about 2 hours from start to finish, and once baked, the reason for these steps is apparent. A very short rising time makes quick work of the dough. A quick boil in a pot of water gives them the chewy exterior, and the egg wash gives them the shine. It is my belief that using a beer in the batter and boiling water enhances the yeasty flavor, but it is completely a matter of choice.

Another factor to take into consideration is the size of the pretzel. The ones sold in most places are just huge. In this day and age, that size is far too large for most people in one sitting. If that size is of interest, you may choose to make the recipe into only about 6 pretzels. I believe making them into 8 or 10 is the perfect size. The baking time may need adjusting, should you use the larger size.

Soft Pretzels at Home

PRETZEL DOUGH

4 - 4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 packets of instant or quick rise yeast
1 cup water plus 1/2 cup beer, OR use 1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

BOILING LIQUID

7 cups water plus 1 cup beer, OR use 8 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda

EGG WASH

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon agave syrup
Coarse salt for sprinkling

In a mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast. Heat to lukewarm the 1 cup water and 1/2 cup of beer, or all water as desired, along with the 3 tablespoons sugar and the salt. Ensure that the liquid is just warm to the finger and not too hot. Add the liquid to the mixing bowl and starting on low to combine the ingredients. Then increase speed and beat well for about 3 minutes. If your mixer is heavy duty and can knead a very stiff dough, switch to a dough hook and add in 2 1/2 to 3 cups more flour. If you do not have a heavy duty mixer, take the bowl and using hands, incorporate the flour to make a stiff dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 20 minutes, while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

In a large soup pot, place the 7 cups water and 1 cup beer or just use 8 cups water. Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the water. If beer is in the mixture, expect the liquid to foam up significantly. Bring this mixture to a simmer.

Mix together in a small bowl the egg yolk, tablespoon of water and the agave syrup. If agave syrup is not available, an unflavored corn syrup could be used. Combine well and set aside. Have a pastry brush handy. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them with parchment. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Turn the dough out onto a flat surface. You may not need any flour on the surface if the dough is quite stiff. Divide the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Each piece should be rolled into a rope about 24 inches long. Make the rope into a U shape, then bring down and cross the ends to make the pretzel shape. Pinch together the points where the dough intersects. Place 1 or 2 of the pretzels into the pot of simmering liquid. Time for 1 minute, then flip over and time for 1 minute more. Drain well on paper toweling and place them onto the baking sheets. Repeat with all the shaped pretzels.

Brush the boiled pretzels with the egg wash and then sprinkle on the coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for 18 to 20 minutes, until a nice golden brown. Makes 8 to 10 medium sized soft pretzels.

Read the instructions carefully and have everything prepared and handy and you will have wonderful, hot and chewy pretzels in about 2 hours.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

My name is Chris Rawstern, I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.
I began my cooking career in Guatemala, in 1970. I moved there as a naive 20-year-old, and set out to learned about cooking in a foreign land. I will pass along special recipes that I have been making for 42 years, and new ones. I will also pass on tips or notes with things to watch for and what just plain works better. I have amassed huge quantities of recipes over the years, and recently have begun giving classes.
My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own.
Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com my Blog my Marketplace at http://www.a-harmony-of-flavors-marketplace.com or on Facebook page at A Harmony of Flavors. I share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site.I hope to see you there soon

Know Your Curry: 5 Essential Ingredients for Indian Cooking (Schoolofwok)

The average Briton spends a whopping ?30,000 on Indian food during their lifetime, according to the 2013 Cobra Good Curry Guide, with the majority coming from eating out at the 9,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.

However, a large amount of people still wouldn't know where to start when making their own Indian dishes from scratch.

At School of Wok, our Indian cookery classes give customers a well-rounded introduction to the cuisine, spreading our knowledge of an overwhelming array of exotic spices to simplify south Asian food, meaning that you'll never need a takeaway ever again!

After learning about the essential ingredients, we'll teach you to replicate your favourite Indian curries in the comfort of your own home - you'll wonder why you ever spent so much money on takeout food.

RICE
It goes without saying: rice is a key component and a staple of Indian cuisine. Over 120 million tonnes of rice were produced in India in 2010, making the country the second-largest producer in the world after China. It is an essential ingredient of any India kitchen, being a fundamental part of nearly every meal, being the perfect accompaniment to any curry or spicy dish. After remembering just a few simple cooking steps, you'll be able to cook perfect, fluffy rice every time.

GHEE
Ghee is a type of clarified butter and widely used as a cooking fat in Indian cuisine. It differs from normal clarified butter as it is heated for longer until the milk solids begin to brown, producing a stronger, nuttier, more fragrant flavour with a higher burning point, adding richness to curries.

TURMERIC
Turmeric is an essential ingredient in a vast amount of Indian curries. Referred to commonly as 'Indian saffron', it is what gives dishes their bright yellow colour, as well as an earthy, slightly bitter and peppery flavour. Turmeric is also celebrated for its medicinal benefits, used for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and pain-killing properties.

CUMIN
Cumin is an oblong, stripey, dried seed of the cuminum cyminum plant (member of the parsley family) and used in both its whole and ground form. It has a distinctive, strong, earthy flavour and used in most curries, being a common ingredient of the garam masala blend of spices. Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

CORIANDER:
Coriander, one of the most common ingredients in Indian food is used in the seed, ground and leaf form. The seeds are light brown and have a slight lemony fragrance and flavour when crushed and are used in the garam masala blend of spices. It is a good source of dietary fibre and contains vitamin C, calcium and iron.

If this has sparked your appetite and tickled your taste buds, why not book yourself into an Indian cookery class at School of Wok to learn the basics of Indian cuisine.

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Kale Soup with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Sweet Potato

Spicy kale soup for Spring with chicken sausage, sweet potatoes and gold potatoes. #glutenfree

Kicked up kale soup with spicy chicken sausages and sweet potatoes.

March is not exactly behaving like a lamb. It has snowed twice recently, book-ending our road trip to Cape Cod last week with blustery, leonine winds and sloppy sideways snow. Lucky for us our veteran Suburu Outback gripped the roads like a champ and brought us there and back safe and sound.

We were visiting our favorite peninsula to celebrate the long-pined for Spring Equinox and a certain husband's return to the visual arts (after a six year hiatus "fueled by caffeine, over-exposure to earth metals, and extensive dream analysis"). He was asked to give an oil painting demo at the Creative Arts Center in Chatham. How could we refuse?

We stayed with good friends (blessed with the Yankee sense to have a warm and cozy wood stove going) and cooked up some gluten-free comfort food together- two big casseroles of Creamy Penne Pasta Bake and a big pot of caldo verde- lovely Cape Cod kale soup.

I made a Cape Cod inspired kale soup today, to share with you. With a minor tweak or two.

It's the perfect, spicy soup to brave the end of March.

A month with a promise to end like a lamb.

I'll believe when I see it.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Basic Cooking Tips 101 (Harry Gosselin)

If you really enjoy food, it is likely that you enjoy, not only the way that it tastes but also the way that it is prepared. Many people are now eating at home and they are finding that they are not only saving money when they do so, they are able to enjoy a variety of foods that are cooked to their liking. Of course, there are going to be differences in the way people prepare foods and in some cases, you may have some questions about how the preparation process is to be done. Although entire volumes of books could be written on the subject, here are a few tips which will help to make it easier for you in the kitchen.

One of the first things that I often like to consider when cooking food is the types of ingredients that I have available. Although it is a pleasure to look up recipes and to make them from scratch, it is going to be financially beneficial if you are able to cook something fantastic using the food that you have on hand. The Internet provides you with an easy way to look up recipes and often, you can look them up by searching directly for the types of ingredients that you have available. This can help to introduce you to new types of foods and can keep things interesting in the kitchen.

Do you have the right type of tools to cook properly? For example, if you are somebody that loves mashed potatoes, you may be able to make the potatoes in a mixer but it would be much better if you had a potato ricer. This will help to get the potatoes to the point where they are whipped and you will not have the lumps that may be left over when you use a mixer to make your potatoes. If you have room for it, having a variety of tools at your disposal is going to help you to be a much more efficient cook in the kitchen.

If you would like to add some variety to the foods that you are cooking, why not join a food of the month club? Although these are mostly considered to be monthly food gifts, you can give them to yourself and consider it a present to you and your family. You might be surprised with the variety of items that are offered through those clubs. You can find anything from coconut jam all the way to fresh fruits and vegetables that may not be available in your local area.

Finally, make sure that you are not only using the kitchen to cook but that you are also using your grill. When you are able to use a grill skillfully, you will find that you are making your meats more delicious and are cooking vegetables in a way that everybody is going to enjoy. Just make sure that you have a high quality grill and that you keep it clean. You should also keep enough fuel on hand, as it can be very frustrating to run out of propane in the middle of cooking a meal.

The author of this article about food clubs. He started a food subscription club offering coconut jam recipe with a friend targeting busy professionals who don't have time to cook a delicious meal.

Apple Hand Pies – Crimping is Easy

I’ve been playing around with a new pastry dough, and figured I’d use it as an excuse for a little demo on turnovers, or “hand pies” as the hipsters are calling them.

I’ll unveil the new “buttercrust” dough next week, but this particular video is not about the pastry, or the filling, it’s about the fairly basic method for folding and crimping one of these up.

As you’ll see, it’s not exactly a complicated procedure. In fact, I can’t imagine your aunt is going to be too thrilled to know that you’ll be able to now match her crimp for crimp. Once you have the outside down, what goes inside should be the least of your worries.

I went for a very soft, apple-saucy, jam-like filling, which turned out very well, but literally any of your favorite pie fillings, both sweet and savory, will work. If you do make an apple version, and want to really blow some minds, top your filling with a thin slice of sharp cheddar. It’s special. I hope you give this easy technique a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 Apple Hand Pies:

about 1 pound pie dough, divided into 4

egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tsp milk)

granulated sugar as needed

For the apple filling:

2 tbsp butter, browned

2 or 3 green apples

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste
1 or 2 tsp of water if needed

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

Meals that can easily fit into your meal rotation are what I really love to share. As we can get a bit bored with the usual meals, it's nice to have more easy options that come together in a cinch. I love finding these simple dishes that truly work and can be made over and over again. That is what I share with you today. Nothing complicated in this recipe, everything is probably in your kitchen right now or you can find right away at your favorite grocery store. Eating vegan meals every day that are healthy and tasty is really easy once you get the hang of it.

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

This lovely chili is a one pot meal that is ready in under an hour. Leftovers hold up extremely well too!

Bring on the chili...

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 large sweet pototo, diced (with or without the skin...I leave the skin on)
1 cup dry quinoa
1 onion, diced
5 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
a few dashes of garlic powder
a few dashes of onion powder
himalayan salt to taste
4 cups (32 oz) water or vegetable broth, + more as needed
avocado, cilantro and/or diced onion, for garnish (optional)

In large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 7 - 10 minutes). Add garlic, cook for another minute or so. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder, cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, liquids, beans and sweet potato, stir until combined. Add quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover slightly ajar and cook for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chili is ready when sweet potatoes are tender. Add additional water if chili is too thick for your liking. Serve with optional garnishes. You may also like to top it with this easy Cilantro Lime Cashew 'Sour Cream'.

Notes: As with all recipes, adjust seasoning to taste. Add a 1/2 teaspoon or so chipotle powder for some added heat. Also, use whatever beans you prefer. You may even like to use one kind of bean instead of two.

Easy and delicious...Enjoy!

Adapted from this recipe at Milk Free Mom

Add a flavor to your meal with pickle and Papad (Seema Singhal)

Indian tradition is rich in offers a variety of dishes. Each State in India is associated with different types of dishes. A food menu here ends with various pickles and papads. This is why when someone eats delicious food; do you want to taste it again and again. The list of these pickles contain different versions including chilli, mango, garlic, ginger, carrot, cauliflower, Swede and many more.

Some of them are cute; Some are acidic while others have both sweet and tangy taste. If you like pickle, it is good; because they not only help speed digestion but also low in calories and no fat. The same is the case with papad, it is also served with any meal from breakfast to dinner. Also, a survey has shown that Asia consumes more pickle compared to the others.

In the past when women left on the housing only instead of doing any job, most of them prepare pickles and papads at home. In modern times, most women work so they prefer to buy them ready made both and the demand for it has increased. To meet this demand has entered a number of people to this business. These pickle manufacturers India as well as papad manufacturers India provides its products to every city. You might be aware of papad, let us do with pickles available and most commonly used:

Mango Pickle-it is the most common pickles. The people in each region, love to serve and eat different food. It is prepared with unripe mango that usually comes in early summer. It is sour in taste. When prepared, it can be used throughout the year.

Chilli Pickle-be sour to the taste, you can do this at any time during the year. It can also be taken with ordinary chapatti. It can also be used for 3-4 months.

Carrot-It may be prepared in tangy-sweet flavor. You can also do it either tart or sweet according to their taste. It should be consumed 2 months.

Cauliflower-It is also prepared in both tart and sweet taste depending on the taste of an individual. This Pickle is also consumed in the prior two months.

Garlic and Ginger-It improves digestion and also adds a different flavor to the food. You can also use it throughout the year.

In addition to pickle manufacturers are also exporters requested India bhujia. They provide the kinds of bhujia is used as a snack with tea or coffee. So try them and get benefited.

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Haribo Sugar-free Chocolate Has got the Greatest Style (nida rehman)

Obtaining great, quality chocolate is tough nowadays. Positive, there's no lack of chocolates, spicey chocolate, and also twizzlers at every solitary food and also department shop, but candy's nevertheless totally different from it was once. All of it seems the same, and it's difficult to find a genuine selection, especially for those of us who reside in little towns. Fortunately, the web makes it possible to order exceptional chocolate from all around the world! Haribo, for example, is one extremely renowned company that makes some of the best candy on the planet.

Originally, this business was located in Indonesia, where it made candy over a enormous level, as well as was usually compared to other candy makers such as Lifesavers and also Hershey's. Finally, any time it's gummi sweets had been introduced in Baltimore in the 80's, Haribo altered the united states sweet business permanently. Even though back in the day, the particular candy was still being introduced within In german the labels, except for containing Language translations, a special, laydown bag has been eventually developed for the US grocery stores.

Due to goods such as Haribo sugar-free gummi contains, memory foam, and also licorice, millions of People in america chop down in love with sweet, soft candy. This particular German-based candy business is the top, premium chocolate producer in the world. In spite of some brutal competition inside the In german and United states marketplaces each, it has still was the exam of your time and will simply continuing doing this. That brought candy for example gummi bears to The usa, which can be today one of the most hugely produced sweets.

Perhaps the beauty of Haribo sugar free sweet hand bags is the fact that they're so huge! Many chocolate suppliers only load the actual carrier or perhaps the labels upward midway these days. It is really an unfortunate pattern for businesses to produce their products smaller and smaller whilst enhancing the prices concurrently. Many people are feeling as though they're getting ripped off when they merely buy a candy! Fortunately, only good feelings come up where Haribo candy is concerned.

In reality, you may also purchase their own five pound sugar free chocolate bags and also assume these to become crammed completely! You will not end up being dissatisfied. Haribo knows that supplying only the greatest (as well as the most) is key in order to success. This business offers stayed at on top of the candy world for decades, with a lot of the actual achievement contributed to the truth that it gives buyers what they want. And just what can anybody want greater than a great deal regarding chocolate!

In reality, you may also purchase their own five pound sugar free chocolate bags and also assume these to become crammed completely!reizhusten You will not end up being dissatisfied. Haribo knows that supplying only the greatest (as well as the most) is key in order to success. This business offers stayed at on top of the candy world for decades, with a lot of the actual achievement contributed to the truth that it gives buyers what they want. And just what can anybody want greater than a great deal regarding chocolate!

Next Up: Apple Hand Pies

Back from the Desert,Thirsty for Food Wishes

I'm back from Arizona after a very relaxing week of golfing, watching baseball, and enjoying gorgeous weather that can best be described as the exact opposite of San Francisco. Hot and dry with just enough breeze to carry the smell of grilling hot dogs to my well-lotioned nose. It was great fun, but I’m ready to get back to business.

I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to Anna, who by all accounts did a masterful job of moderating the blog. I know you guys aren’t used to prompt, polite, and thoughtful replies to your questions, but I thought you handled it very well. Stay tuned for a brand new video Monday!

Contribution of Pizza Chefs in Making Some of the Best and Hygienic Pizzas (Elvina Lorenza)

Pizza har varit den favorit snabbmat f?r en stor del av befolkningen under en l?ng tid. Fram till idag ?terst?r det f?r att vara den mest favorit. Om det kan vara f?r lunch, frukost eller middag, tj?nar det bara syftet i en utm?rkt uts?kt s?tt.

Massor av pizza butiker har kommit idag. Hittar du en hel del v?lrenommerade pizza uttag med n?gra v?lk?nda pizza kock ocks?. De ?r oftast specialiserade p? att g?ra olika typer av unika pizzor. De hj?lper i catering b?st av sina tj?nster till kunderna.

Det finns m?nga pizza beslutsfattare som specialiserar sig p? att f?rbereda de unika typer av catering pizzor. Catering pizza ?r ingenting annat ?n specialiserade pan pizzor. De finns oftast i ett antal smaker. De ?r av m?nga sorter inom vegetarisk utbud som v?l icke-vegetarisk utbud.

N?gra av de v?lrenommerade pizza f?rs?ljningsst?llen servera olika sorters pizzor i olika l?nder. Du kan utnyttja dessa pizzor antingen genom att best?lla dem online eller du kan g? p? plats att best?lla den sj?lv. De flesta av de popul?ra pizza f?rs?ljningsst?llen g?r deras mat med f?rska ingredienser. De ?r d?rmed ganska hygieniska ha. De kompromissa inte med kvaliteten p? alla. Det ?r d?rf?r de v?lrenommerade pizza h?rnen har blivit en av de mest bes?kta destinationerna pizza ?lskare.

Pizza kockarna ses ofta att f?rbereda n?gra gourmet pizzor. Gourmetpizzor ?r de mest f?rska allt eftersom den ?r helt gjord framf?r dig med alla f?rska ingredienser. Dessa typer av gourmetpizzor ?r b?st l?mpade f?r cocktailpartyn eller m?nga sociala sammankomster och privata tillst?llningar.

N?gra av f?retagets ventilerna f?r ocks? kr?va s?dan typ av gourmetpizzor och andra s?rskilda typer av pizzor i paketen mat vid dessa. Barn f?delsedagskalas eller n?gon form av sammankomster p? skolan kan kr?va n?gon form av sm? pizzor som utarbetats av pizza kockarna.

Bearbetning...

Catering Equipment Hire (Christian Cadogan)

A big day need not be ruined by something as mundane as a kitchen grinding to a halt because of lacklustre catering equipment. When you hire with us, you will be using extremely reliable, dependable and quality commercial catering equipment that will get your big day off without a hitch
Commercial Catering Equipment Hire
At our units here in Bridgend, South Wales house we have been building our stock of everything that would be required if you wish to host a big party, event, celebration, or if you are putting the finishing touches on a commercial kitchen and need a long term stop-gap. We use quality brands (amongst others) such as Blue Seal or Falcon for our cookers, Williams and Vestfrost for our fridges, DC for our commercial dishwashers and glasswashers and DPS for our cutlery and crockery.

This of course, only a small selection of what we provide when it comes to commercial catering hire, you don't have to stop at the basics...we can kit you out with bain maries, serve over counters, griddles, soup kettles, water boilers...anything you can imagine or want in a commercial kitchen!
You can take a take a look at our rent catering page to get a flavour of what we provide.

Commercial Equipment Hire Cardiff
As we are based in Bridgend, we do most of our rentals out across the South Wales region, but that doesn't mean we cannot go further afield! We regularly hop over the bridge to Bristol, Bath and beyond, and we also travel in the opposite direction deep into South West Wales in order to furnish our happy customers with great rental equipment. If you feel that we may help you, wherever you may live, we are of course only a phone call away! We don't stop in Cardiff, Swansea or Bridgend - try us out and we may surprise you.

The important number to call is 01656 654 003
Failing that you can always e-mail us on sales@mmcatering.co.uk where we will be more than happy to get back to you as soon as possible.

Mmcatering.co.uk have been selling catering supplies to the South Wales. We sell new and Reconditioned Catering Equipment, as well as offering a comprehensive rental service. We offer a complete catering equipment Wales, crockery, cutlery, glassware, linen and furniture hire with very competitive rates and a free return dirty service.

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

Deep dark chocolate cookies with a rustic appeal, these are a chocolate lover's dream! They are like a brownie-cookie with an organic sugar coating. I saw this recipe and had to veganize it. It is a bit far from my usual recipes. Something about using chocolate beer intrigued me and they were not a disappointment. They were loved by all my taste testers. No one could tell these were vegan and included the healthy alternatives. These are very rustic looking, as I had a hard time getting them to look like the original recipes photos (you can find them here), even after a couple tries. Never the less, they were great! You may opt to bake your cookies and use a sifter to sprinkle the cookies with the sugar instead, although it won't look so crinkled. But either way, you can be sure that this vegan version will rival that of the original recipe by ten folds in flavor and texture. Enjoy these on occasion!

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour or flour of choice
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, if on hand*
1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar, pure cane sugar or sucanat
12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups, chopped) good quality dark chocolate (60% + cocao or semi-sweet chips, or a combo)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout (at room temp)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons water)
1 cup organic powdered sugar, for rolling

Start by mixing the flax eggs. In a small bowl, combine flax meal with water and let set for about 10 minutes. It will become gelatin like in the meantime.

In a bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and sugar, mix until well combined. Set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, add chocolate and coconut oil, cook, stir frequently until mixture begins to melt, then stirring constantly until it is completely melted. Add beer and stir. Alternately, in a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Don't over heat or the chocolate will seize. Add beer and stir.

Add the flax eggs and vanilla to the chocolate and stir until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, some lumps are OK.

Cover and refrigerate until the dough has set, about 3 hours and up to 36. Overnight refrigeration is recommended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.

Using a cookie dough scoop or ice cream scoop, make balls just a bit smaller than golf balls, roll into shape with your hands. Place dough balls into powdered sugar, roll until well coated.

Line a baking sheet with a silpat, parchment paper or grease with coconut oil, add cookie balls.

Bake cookies at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges have set.

* You won't experience much of a difference if you don't use any espresso powder and will still have a winning cookie.

Enjoy!

Adapted from this recipe at The Beeroness

Three Cakes with Unusual Names that are Easy to Make and will Delight the Family (Chris Rawstern)

Three different cakes came into my life through various avenues. The Wacky Cake was introduced to our family by my aunt, and it was a hit ever after. At the time, the marvel of the Wacky Cake was that it worked. It actually made a really good chocolate cake, using minimal ingredients. It uses no eggs or dairy. The fun part was the making three wells in the dry ingredients. Two of my sisters and I were allowed to pour in the liquid ingredients and Mom would combine them to bake.

The other two cakes are the Mayonnaise Cake, also chocolate, and the Tomato Soup Cake, which is a spice cake. That the Mayonnaise Cake works is no great surprise. Mayonnaise is made from oil and eggs, two ingredients often used in making a cake. The Tomato Soup Cake is a spice cake. Considering that tomatoes really are a fruit, along with the addition of quite a bit of spices, nuts and raisins, this cake is also delicious.

Following are the three recipes. I hope you will make memories with your family as my mom made for my sisters and I. When kids get involved in the making of something, they become curious to see what it tastes like. The fact that vinegar or mayonnaise or tomato soup is an ingredient in a dessert will be overlooked once the results are tasted. Their young lives will ever after be changed in wonderful ways.

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Sift together the first 5 ingredients directly into the greased pan. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Make one well larger, one medium and one small. Have your kids pour the oil into the large well, the vinegar in the medium well and vanilla into the small well. Pour the cup of water over all and combine until just mixed. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely, then frost with your favorite frosting.

Tomato Soup Cake or Mystery Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can tomato soup, 10.5 ounces
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Sift together the first 6 ingredients and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the soup, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely and frost with an icing of your choice.

Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan. In a bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Add in the next three ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely before spreading with your favorite frosting.

Make some memories today by making one of these delightfully different cakes.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.

My name is Chris Rawstern, I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.
I began my cooking career in Guatemala, in 1970. I moved there as a naive 20-year-old, and set out to learned about cooking in a foreign land. I will pass along special recipes that I have been making for 42 years, and new ones. I will also pass on tips or notes with things to watch for and what just plain works better. I have amassed huge quantities of recipes over the years, and recently have begun giving classes.
My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own.
Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com my Blog my Marketplace at http://www.a-harmony-of-flavors-marketplace.com or on Facebook page at A Harmony of Flavors. I share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site.I hope to see you there soon

Fish Seafood (yadav madhyama)

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How to Make Someone's Birthday Really Special (jamie turn)

Birthdays should be a special day, and of course this is one of the few times of year that is really all about us. When someone in our family has a birthday then, this is a fantastic opportunity to give them a great day and to make them feel really special.

However it can become difficult after a while to really make birthdays stand out. While they are a special day, they do come around once every year which means they really aren't actually all that rare - and thinking of new and exciting ways to make these birthdays unique can get tricky. So the question is, how do you make a birthday really special and really memorable? Here we will look at some tips.

The Best Cake

A birthday cake is somewhat optional these days it seems when we celebrate someone's birthday, but this is a real shame when you consider just how much it can add to the event. This is particularly true when you decide to go all out and really choose a great cake that isn't just your run-of-the-mill cake from Tesco. Have a cake specially made, or choose one that is particularly beautifully presented and delicious, and this then can become a much more exciting moment for them when they unveil it.

A cake is more than just great food though when it comes to a birthday - it becomes an event in itself when everyone blows out the candles, and it's really about the touching thought that you went to all the trouble to get a cake. You might not realise it, but often cakes are notable for their absence and this can be a little disappointing.

The Best Gift

What's the best gift you can give someone? Well of course that's something that depends on the individual - and that's really the point. The best way to make someone feel really special when you give them a gift is to get them something that really talks to who they and that shows you really understand them. My sister got me a telescope for my birthday last year, and while that was an epic present to begin with, what really made it special was the fact that she knew how much I'd enjoy it - even I had forgotten how much I longed for a telescope when I was little.

Better yet though the telescope isn't just a gift, it's once again an event as I had to build it and then carry it into the garden and experience looking up at the stars. Buying experience gifts for your friends and family is one way to make a birthday even more memorable. If you get someone to sky dive or bungee jump then you can bet that they aren't going to forget that day any time soon.

Celebrations

Finally you should make sure that you do something to celebrate the birthday. Your friend may tell you they don't want any fuss, but trust me when we I that they're actually not really being truthful - they will appreciate it if you manage to get all their friends to surprise them.

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Bourbon-Glazed Carrots – An Easter Side Dish that Really Shines

Before all you cardiologists out there start a petition drive to have my channel removed from YouTube, let me add the following disclaimer: These butter-soaked, bourbon-glazed carrots should be enjoyed no more than twice a year.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, I can go ahead and tell you that this is, in my humble opinion, the greatest, special-occasion carrot side dish of all time. Sweet, savory, and oh so glossy.

And yes, as unreasonable as it sounds, you do need bourbon to make bourbon-glazed carrots. What happens if you just make this recipe and use water instead of the whiskey? You get glazed carrots. Close, but no cigar. By the way, in related news, bourbon also pairs very well with cigars. Anyway, if you’re looking for a stellar, and very shiny vegetable side dish for your Easter celebration, I hope you give these bourbon-glazed carrots a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6-8 Portions:

1 stick (4-oz) butter

2 or 3 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into equal-sized pieces

1/2 to 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste

1/2 cup bourbon or any kind of whiskey

1/3 cup brown sugar

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

fresh thyme leaves to garnish, optional

View the complete recipe