"Food ways" is an expression that dates back to 1946. It refers to the eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region, or historical period. Food Ways Presented by Everyday Exotic Spices: Food finds for foodies and food lovers - curated content from around the web, sharing the ways we all like to enjoy our food! Food history, recipe sharing, and all things food-related. This foodie blog is aimed at newbie cooks or beginners. But everyone is welcome!
Since I was born and raised in the USA, when it comes to traditional Christmas
drinks I am only familiar with two: eggnog and wassail. I never even
think about these two drinks any time of the year other than Christmas
time. Do you?
Did you know?
Eggnog is a creamy drink and mostly Americans and Canadians partake.
Wassail is a fruity drink and mostly people in the USA and the UK partake.
EGGNOG: Even
though it's tradition, eggnog is not a traditional drink in our home.
Why? Because only one of my kids likes this drink, so he buys his own
eggnog to enjoy. Me? I like the fact that eggnog can be used in lots
of dessert recipes. Cookies, cakes, etc. However, because certain
members of my family have dietary restrictions I can not make those
desserts. But if other people make and serve them at a holiday
gathering, I can indulge myself without feeling guilty.
You can
buy eggnog ready-made in the grocery store or make your own. Once again
because of special diets, many people choose to make their own ~ with
or without raw eggs, with or without alcohol, some with ice cream, some
with no cream, etc. Here is a traditional recipe.
WASSAIL: As
for wassail, in addition to it being a delightful warm drink, I
discovered accidentally that it is wonderfully soothing for sore
throats. That was an unexpected health benefit.
Most people buy a
spice blend and make their own wassail using the juices they like and
mixing the spices into the liquid. Some people have their own spice
blends and swear that it is better than anybody else's blend. Everybody
has different methods. I find that using a slow cooker works great and
I let my daughter pick the spices she wants to put in the pot. Here is
a link to a traditional recipe.
There are two particular foods that I know most people all around the world enjoy. Pizza and barbecue!! A couple of these wonderful recipes came to me via eMail. If you're vegan or vegetarian, no worries. Threw in a recipe for you too! I love recipe sharing. Let me know if you try them or if you've already tried them! If you want to share other recipes, feel free!
Content first appeared at ForumCoin.com, July 27, 2017.
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Have always been told that cheese is healthy eating. Haven't you? Unless you're lactose intolerant and have a hard time digesting dairy products, that is. But I received an article via eMail that said cheese might not be healthy. The headline was a shocker! Cheese lover that I am!!❤ I respect the source, so I had to read further. Whew! I'm so relieved. They mentioned the “unhealthiest” cheeses to eat. Cheese singles, cheese spray and cheese dips. Had to laugh because I thought to myself: “Duh! Those products don't even count as cheese in my book!” ☺
Nevertheless, the other information presented in the article about healthy cheeses and the diet tips made it a worthwhile read. This excerpt below quickly summarizes what the real aim of the article is.
“If you're a cheese lover, then there's good news for you. Not all cheese is bad for your diet. In fact, there are plenty of ways to include cheese in a weight loss or weight maintenance plan. You just need to be careful about what you buy and how much you eat.”
* * * Additional Comments: I'm not sure if there is any style or form of cheese that doesn't taste good to me. Have heard people say they don't like the taste of goat cheese. Maybe if they ate it in the form of a cheesecake they'd change their mind. Definitely never ate a piece of cheesecake that I didn't like! People may not need to be told about this food blog and website: “Williams-Sonoma Taste”. It seems to be very popular (meaning it has a pretty high Alexa ranking). But in case you never heard of it, sharing a link below. You can sign up to receive their recipes via e-Mail.
In the USA, we have a practice at parties. We give what's called party favors to the guests.
* A
party favor is a small gift given to the guests at the occasion. The
host (person throwing the party) gives it to the guests as a token or a
souvenir to take home with them, a gesture of thanks for their
attendance, and a keepsake or memory of the event.
If you have this custom, what kind of party favors have you given away OR what particular party favor do you remember receiving?
I
can't remember as it's been a while since I've been to a party; for
myself or to take one of my kids. But I do know that I've never been to
a party where one of the party favors was a fortune cookie.
If I can make a recommendation.
The next time you throw a social gathering, consider giving out fortune cookies. Homemade, ready-made or custom made.
Most
people like to read their fortune. Even if they don't believe it, it's
amusing and fun. If by coincidence the fortune comes true, they will always
remember where they got the cookie!!
Do you see the image below? What do you call these veggies? Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?
I
am confused because some say scallions are not the same as spring
onions. Yet the chefs on TV call them green onions or spring onions ...
they call them everything but scallions. Have you noticed that?
The first time I tried them was in a salad. A friend took me to a
salad bar at a restaurant. I couldn't believe how those little green
and white bits and pieces completely changed the flavor of the salad!
Then I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the won ton soup with my
meal. They had a bowl of chopped scallion on the table, with a bowl of
crispy fried noodles and some other garnishes. I didn't know what to
do, so I just took a spoonful of the scallions and the crispy noodles and
sprinkled it in the soup. It was fantastic! First food experiences can be so wonderful!
But back to the questions.
Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?
Of course, I decided to ask the experts. Here is one answer.
"Green onions and scallions are actually the same thing!"
"Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base."
Well
whatever they are called, I love them! They add a wonderful layer of
flavor to a green salad. I also love them chopped and sprinkled on top
of a soup made with a clear broth, like won ton soup.
They are
super easy to grow. I only mention this because they may not be cheap
where you live. At our local grocery store we can get a bunch for about
35 cents. However, a friend in Europe says they are not cheap. But
it's OK because they're easy to grow.
I
don't really know many recipes that list them as an ingredient during
the cooking. Most of the time, people sprinkle them on the dish after
the cooking is done. I'm still learning how to use the scallion as it
was not a common cooking ingredient in my mom's dishes.
Anybody else love this flavorful member of the onion family?
The holiday season is upon us and I for one am very content to share a few precious moments with family and friends. It is not necessary to give me a gift. However … if you want to make me happy for the holidays, you can give me a cheese gift basket. Several years ago my brother gave my husband and me a basket for Christmas and we thoroughly enjoyed all of the tasty cheeses.
You can buy gift baskets that are ready-made or make a basket yourself. If you want to make a gift basket and you are not sure which cheese to pick, you can follow the advice published by Serious Eats or Taste Atlas.
“100 Best Rated Cheeses in The World.” Taste Atlas, AtlasMedia Ltd. (EU), 5 Dec. 2020, www.tasteatlas.com/100-best-rated-cheeses-in-the-world.
* * *
Me personally, I like gouda, gruyere, extra sharp cheddar, Greek feta, and Camembert. But I would be more than happy to try any of those other cheeses recommended on these lists.
Of course, I know a cheese gift basket is kind of expensive. But it's just a suggestion to get you thinking about all the various types of gift baskets you can put together and give to family and friends.
For example, do you have a friend who is a cocoa or coffee or tea lover? Or a friend who likes various sorts of jellies and jams? You can choose a theme like … chili fixings or ingredients for Italian or Mexican food. Making gift baskets is fun. They don't have to be edible gifts either. (I just like receiving gourmet food baskets!) The items don't even have to be in a straw basket. Gift baskets can be very personalized and unique. You can give one to an individual, a couple, or a family. And of course … they come from the heart.
Growing up in America there was only main tea (that I knew of). Lipton. To my late sister's credit, she made great tea! Her hot tea or her iced tea were both dee-licious! However … it was just Lipton tea. The Lipton brand name and company has been around so long that it's practically revered as part of American tradition, I'm not being disrespectful. Don't get me wrong. But I went through my entire childhood and even went several years into my adulthood before I even realized there was something other than Lipton orange pekoe tea! Not just “other than” but even “better than”. Yes! I know! I'm speaking in treasonous language for sure! LOL. Anyway … whereas I can only remember Lipton orange pekoe tea on the store shelves as a child (I can even remember the commercials), these days the grocery store shelves and the company's official website, display a variety of teas. Oh yeah! They have green tea, matcha tea, berry hibiscus, etc. When did this happen and why? I don't know the WHEN but I do know the WHY. When I was a kid, Lipton had hardly any competition. They dominated the market for American tea drinkers. But times have changed and the American taste buds have changed and now we drink a wide range of teas. Our grocery store shelves are loaded with every kind of tea imaginable. If you can't find what you're looking for in the local grocery store, then surely you can find a tea online and/or a video on how to brew your “special cup of tea”... Which brings me the main point of this discussion. CHAI TEA. I only learned about this wonderful drink a few years ago. Come to find out that it's only been around for an eternity.
What happened was that my husband stopped drinking coffee and opted to begin drinking tea instead. That led him on a quest to find a particular tea that he liked and that he believed would contribute positively to his health. One thing led to another and he eventually discovered chai tea. However, being my typical husband, that meant that I couldn't just go to the grocery store and pick up a box labeled “Chai Tea” and bring it home. Oh no! Certain chai tea has this ingredient or that ingredient, and he wants this or that … yadda yadda yadda. He came up with his own chai tea recipe. I'm like: “You made up own recipe? Isn't that like … UN-Indian or something?” It seems it's not. It seems that whoever drinks what they call “chai tea”, Indians or non-Indians, many have their own special recipe for this drink! I found a few YouTube videos for making chai tea. The first video led to the next video and that video led to a bunch of other terrific videos! I searched some of the discussions here at Forum Coin found a couple of interesting comments. * Per @mandeep4687:
“ … "Masala Chai" in India which can be made by adding Indian spices such as elaichi, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, milk, sugar and herbs to your everyday black tea.
Air India national carrier of India wish to introduce Indian traditional food on board to their passengers soon, Now they are offering ... Lunch and Dinner with masala chai(Tea). ...
Traditional Food in Air India flights * * * Are you a tea drinker? Do you have your own chai tea recipe? If not chai tea, do you have your own special tea recipe? Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened? My Chinese friend used to brew a cup of tea made with popped rice; no sugar. I'm like "You can do that?" One of my daughters just loves hibiscus tea. She always keeps some in her pantry. A few of my other daughters love to experiment with all kinds of herbal teas. All of my daughters prefer sweetened tea. No doubt about it. The wonderful world of teas is fascinating!
Iraani Chai | Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana
Masala Chai (Indian Masala Tea)
Chai Masala Powder - Secret Ingredient of Flavoured and Aromatic Indian Tea | Winter Special
Growing up in America there was only main tea (that I knew of). Lipton. To my late sister's credit, she made great tea! Her hot tea or her iced tea were both dee-licious! However … it was just Lipton tea. The Lipton brand name and company has been around so long that it's practically revered as part of American tradition, I'm not being disrespectful. Don't get me wrong. But I went through my entire childhood and even went several years into my adulthood before I even realized there was something other than Lipton orange pekoe tea! Not just “other than” but even “better than”. Yes! I know! I'm speaking treasonous language for sure! LOL.
Anyway … whereas I can only remember Lipton orange pekoe tea on the store shelves as a child (I can even remember the commercials), these days the grocery store shelves and the [url=https://www.lipton.com/us/en/our-teas.html]company's official website[/url], display a variety of teas. Oh yeah! They have green tea, matcha tea, berry hibiscus, etc.
When did this happen and why? I don't know the WHEN but I do know the WHY. When I was a kid, Lipton had hardly any competition. They dominated the market for American tea drinkers. But times have changed and the American taste buds have changed and now we drink a wide range of teas. Our grocery store shelves are loaded with every kind of tea imaginable. If you can't find what you're looking for in the local grocery store, then surely you can find a tea online and/or a video on how to brew your “special cup of tea”..
Which brings me the main point of this discussion.
[size=150]CHAI TEA.[/size]
I only learned about this wonderful drink a few years ago.
[i]Come to find out that it's only been around for an eternity.[/i]
[attachment=0]chai tea.jpg[/attachment]
What happened was that my husband stopped drinking coffee and opted to begin drinking tea instead. That led him on a quest to find a particular tea that he liked and that he believed would contribute positively to his health. One thing led to another and he eventually discovered chai tea.
However, being my typical husband, that meant that I couldn't just go to grocery store and pick up a box labeled “Chai Tea” and bring it home. Oh no! Certain chai tea has this ingredient or that ingredient, and he wants this or that … yadda yadda yadda. He came up with his own chai tea recipe.
I'm like: [i]“You made up own recipe? Isn't that like … UN-Indian or something?”[/i] :? :lol:
It seems it's not. It seems that whoever drinks what they call “chai tea”, Indians or non-Indians, many have their own special recipe for this drink!
I found a few YouTube videos for making chai tea. The first video led to the next video and that video led to a bunch of other terrific videos!
I searched some of the discussions here at Forum Coin found a couple of interesting comments.
* Per [user]mandeep4687[/user]:
[quote]“ … "Masala Chai" in India which can be made by adding Indian spices such as elaichi, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, milk, sugar and herbs to your everyday black tea.[/quote]
Last Drink You Drank (Daily Thread)
https://forumcoin.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4750
* Per [user]ksridharprasad[/user]
[quote]Air India national carrier of India wish to introduce Indian traditional food on board to their passengers soon, Now they are offering ... Lunch and Dinner with masala chai(Tea). ...[/quote]
Traditional Food in Air India flights
https://forumcoin.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10523
* * *
[b]Are you a tea drinker?[/b]
[b]Do you have your own chai tea recipe?[/b]
[b]If not chai tea, do you have your own special tea recipe?[/b]
[b]Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened?[/b]
My Chinese friend used to brew a cup of tea made with popped rice; no sugar. I'm like [i]"You can do that?"[/i]
One of my daughters just loves hibiscus tea. She always keeps some in her pantry.
A few of my other daughters love to experiment with all kinds of herbal teas.
All of my daughters prefer sweetened tea.
No doubt about it. [i]The wonderful world of teas is fascinating![/i]
[url=http://www.glitter-graphics.com][img]http://dl4.glitter-graphics.net/pub/484/484434weadiltopn.gif[/img][/url]
