Showing posts with label food and drink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food and drink. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Autumn is here! Is a Season Your Reason to Drink Tea?

My coffee addiction often keeps me from drinking and enjoying a cup of tea. But other members of my household love to brew! They are not tea experts (yet!) and are always experimenting with different flavors – from caramel apple to licorice to green tea to black tea to … on and on and on.

Photo by Gabi Miranda on Unsplash

I found an interesting blog post written by Ryan Frey who works as a GO TO tech guy for ShareASale, Inc., an established affiliate marketing network corporation. He not only knows his tech stuff but his office co-workers also think of him as a tea aficionado. He must be. Why else would he suggest drinking tea according to the seasons of the year?  In his post, How To Brew Different Tea Varieties for Fall, he recommended five (5) tips for how to enjoy your tea during the autumn season. All excellent advice.  A quick summary of the tips is below.

  • 1. Rooibos or “red tea” ... makes a great neutral base for both sweet and nutty flavors. During the Fall, expect to see flavor blends like chestnut, pumpkin, and chai.
  • 2. Black tea is a totally oxidized (but not “fermented” like Pu’erh tea) version of your everyday tea leaves ... like Earl Grey and English Breakfast.
  • 3. Green and white teas are more delicate, partially or unoxidized tea leaves and buds. ... often fruity, sweet, and complex.
  • 4. Herbal teas or “tisanes” are like rooibos, in that they aren’t from the tea plant at all. They contain alternatives like spices, herbs, flowers, and fruit.
  • 5. Try other brewed beverages like Pu’erh tea and Mate.




Hiware Good Glass Teapot with Stainless Steel Infuser & Lid, Borosilicate Glass Teapots Stovetop Safe, 27 Ounce / 800 ml, Clear


What to get for the tea lover who also loves chocolate? Chocolate tea! Numi Organic Tea Chocolate Rooibos


Source:  Webnuggetz.com

Sunday, November 3, 2024

My Foodie Shares Around the Web

Ever heard of myLot? It's one of those social networking sites that pay you for just having discussions and being friendly. It's a neat way to earn some extra income. You can start discussions or chime on discussions already going on. It's lots of fun. The discussions I initiate are varied but of course, several of them are about food and drink or something food-related.  (NOTE:  Some of my content was removed from myLot but the links have been updated.)

Here are a few examples.   But there are lots more!  Enjoy! 😊

Sushi vs. Sashimi - There's a Difference?

http://www.mylot.com/post/2966687/sushi-vs-sashimi-theres-a-difference

NOTE:  The Instagram post on the link above is broken so I'm sharing substitutes below.

There is no excuse for me not knowing this because the guy who decided to make sushi popular and a part of everyday American cuisine, started his business project in Texas. Yet I confess. I did not know. The shock for me was that even though I saw the word in my local grocery store, I never realized the word “sashimi” had any meaning. I thought it was a brand name. Duh! There is a difference between sushi and sashima. Did you know?






Life's Guilty Pleasures: French Fries


Life's Guilty Pleasures: French Fries

We probably all have our guilty pleasures don't we? Never prepared a list, but if I did, french fries would be on it! French fries, smothered with melted cheddar cheese, sprinkled with crispy bacon pieces. If I'm going to indulge myself, might as well go all the way! Right?



First Food Experiences – Zucchini Muffins

Years ago when I was a poor university student, a treat would be to catch a public bus and go to a mall, look in the stores and maybe grab a bite to eat somewhere. Somewhere ... cheap! One day at the mall there was this restaurant that had a wonderful aroma coming from it.

First Food Experiences: Zucchini Muffins


Root Veggies From Jupiter Taste Better!

Root Veggies From Jupiter Taste Better!

Sharing a tidbit from stuff that gets thrown into my "I would have never thunk it!" files. Have you ever thought that: "Plants grown on other planets...
Would You Eat Food Not Grown on Planet Earth?

World Cuisine: Spotlight on Jordan

World Cuisine: Spotlight on Jordan

Yielding to temptation again. Have to share something foodie oriented. A famous athlete was a guest on a TV cooking show and he was being interviewed by the host who asked him, since he had traveled so many places around the world, what type of food did he like the most.



Friday, October 11, 2024

World Cuisine: Indian Food - Myth or Fact

Do you like Indian food? I do! Although must admit, had to acquire a taste for it. My first time trying a so-called authentic Indian dish was at one of those American mall-type food courts, where there are all kinds of restaurants for you to choose from. That probably wasn't the best place for me to get my first taste. Was taken aback by some sort of flavor or spice that my palette was clearly not expecting. It threw me off!

Later on, when cooking channels became so popular on television, started learning how to prepare Indian dishes. There was the one lady who referred to herself as a “spice goddess”.  Because really it comes to cooking, Indians do know their spices.  No argument.  Her recipes always seemed so simple, easy to prepare, and she explained the herbs and spices she used for flavoring and showed you how to incorporate them into the recipes.  Crush these seeds.  Warm this spice in the pan.  Sprinkle these herbs.  Decided to try Indian food again and was very pleased with the tasting tests.


Below is a link to a blog post that eliminates common myths about Indian food. Didn't know there were myths but good to know they can be ignored. What were some of the myths?

  • All Indian food is spicy.
  • All Indian food is vegetarian.
  • All Indian food is overloaded with curry.

Discover the Truth behind the Indian Food Myths



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Content first published Mar 21, 2015 via Persona Paper


5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food


5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food

By Petrina Verma Sarkar Come on, be honest. What are the first things that come to your mind when you think of Indian food? Hot, spicy, oily, rich, fatty, bad for you, difficult and time-consuming to cook, curry powder....


15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know


15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know

Facts that will blow your taste buds


20 unbelievable facts about Indian food


20 unbelievable facts about Indian food

Before it turned into an art that involved culinary expertise, food in India was about rasas and doshas. Taste or rasa in Sanskrit guides the tongue and it is a balance or misbalance of these rasas that cause or correct the doashas in body.


Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking


Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking

It is about experimenting with different spices and ingredients and to come up with your own secret recipes. Then just go for it, Visit Masala Fry! Enjoy!




Indian ladies: glitter-graphics.com

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Edible Art Of Japanese Style Kawaii Cooking

It’s really no big surprise that people like kawaii.
 It’s loaded with cuteness!  😊




When my high schooler was a middle schooler, she enjoyed this cartoon program called Phineas and Ferb about two young boys who are geniuses and always cook up some unbelievable event for each episode.  The favorite line in the show is when someone usually asks them: “Aren’t you are little young to be doing this?” (“This” whatever the this is that they’re doing that kids should not be able to do.); and they always respond:  “Yes.  Yes we are!”   :)




Well there was one episode where they were trying to overcome an “alien monster” and just didn’t know what “weapon” they could use.  Finally Phineas figured it out and it wasn’t anything he and his friend could build themselves.  However one of their friends did possess it.  Their friend’s weapon was “cuteness”.




Are you familiar with Kawaii Cooking?

Kawaii is the Japanese word for “cute”.

I describe this cooking style in 2 words: adorable cuteness!

It's a Japanese way of preparing food that is aimed at making kids happy to eat their food. It is edible art! Per Wikipedia: “Generally delicate and tiny items are called "kawaii" in Japanese; miniature food is created with the Japanese miniature-art techniques of recent decades.”

Learn more about the technique and try some recipes:


Make A Bento Box Lunch!

Raye gardens organically, harvests rainwater, strives to eat locally, and honors the gods from her home in the Pacific Northwest. Bento boxes are fast becoming popular as a modern Western lunchtime option. These small meals offer lots of variety and can be created from very healthy ingredients.



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Image credit: Bear buns ~ Ridiculously adorable pull-apart bear shaped milk bread rolls. Cute and kawaii Japanese style food art. Creative idea for food art for kids top view. Photo taken on: June 02nd, 2016  © Photographer: Santusya | Agency: Dreamstime.com





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Sushezi Sushi Made Easy
Amazon product image
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Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Red Tea Detox ~ A Weight Loss Tea With Scientific Proof (#Ad)

Red Tea Detox is all the rage!  

With good reason too.  Not because it has mystical powers.  While it is true that this red tea is a recipe that has been used in Africa since ancient times, it is not true that it is a miracle drink that will magically cause the fat to melt the way the wicked witch melted when Dorothy threw water on her in the "Wizard of Oz". 

It doesn't work like that. But it does work!

Learn how to lose fat and 
clean your body from toxins.

Red Tea Detox


Advisory:  Before making purchases about products with claimed health benefits, always educate and inform yourself.  Seek medical advice or opinion if necessary.





















Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Six (6) Benefits of Air Fryers Plus Air Fryer Bacon and Other Recipes (Reblog)

Everybody knows by now that air fryers have revolutionized home cooking. 

This nifty kitchen appliance offers a healthier alternative to traditional deep frying methods by using hot air circulation to cook food. Since the air fryer requires a fraction of the oil or sometimes none at all, that also means lower fat intake and fewer calories. The textures of the foods are still crispy just like when food is deep-fried. Everybody also knows how expensive cooking oil is these days. At my local grocery store, a small bottle of canola oil that used to cost 98 cents sells for almost $2 these days.

A healthier cooking option is not the only advantage or benefit of using an air fryer. There are several

  1. Air fryers cook food faster and are are more energy-efficient.
  2. Air fryers cook a wide variety of foods. Not just traditionally fried items like French fries, chicken wings, but also baked goods. The appliances usually come withs accessories like baking pans and racks, etc.

  3. Air fryers are not only easy to use but easy to clean because of the non-stick coatings on the cooking basket and accessories. Many parts are dishwasher-safe.

  4. Air fryers are super safe! No worries about hazards, such as hot oil splattering and the risk of burns from handling hot oil.

  5. Air fryers have precise temperature control and even heat distribution. When cooking foods don't need to be constant monitored and the results are often consistent.

Two things are on my gift wish list for the holiday season. One is a rice cooker and the other is an air fryer

(NOTE: I'll talk rice cookers in another blog post.)

In conclusion, air fryers offer numerous benefits that appeal to health-conscious individuals, busy families, and anyone looking to simplify their cooking routine.


Reblogging link from a fellow foodie who publishes wonderful recipes via their food blog "Tasteful Tale Recipes".  These recipes are specifically for food cooked using an air fryer.  (For more air fryers recipes from this blog click here.)

Air Fryer Bacon 🥓✨





Sunday, May 26, 2024

Coffee Recipes for Coffee Lovers

My mother and her siblings (her brothers and sister, my aunts and uncles) have all passed away. All I have now are my memories. One fond memory that I have of one of my aunts is that her favorite way to drink coffee was a tall glass of iced coffee. My sister always loved iced tea. I had no idea people could drank iced coffee. Imagine my surprise! She didn't make it fancy. Just some coffee, cream, sugar and lots of ice. If you happen to be an iced coffee lover, I found some recipes to take your coffee loving to another level.


Image Credit:  Coffee Mug Warmer


I want to try the Iced Caramel Latte. Although? I've heard a lot about how delicious Vietnamese coffee is. I might try that too!

9 Easy Iced Coffee Recipes to Elevate Your Morning Routine






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Here are some more coffee recipes.  I love cheesecake! But the strawberry cheesecake latte is a bit too much for me. I won't be trying this coffee recipe.

7 #HomeCafe Coffee Recipes On TikTok That Will Make You Feel Like A Barista



15 Holiday Coffee Recipes That Will Keep You Warm This Winter



Do you have a favorite way to enjoy your coffee?


Monday, May 20, 2024

Humorous Food Quotes

Sharing a full ladle of laughter with a "hint of profound truth".  Enjoy! 

Sucre Spice All Things Nice

“Preserve and treat food as you would your body, remembering that in time food will be your body.”B.W. Richardson

 

Especially if dessert is cheesecake! :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016MN48HY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=cns05-20&linkId=147bc44ed38fefb1fc38327a8219292f

 Shari's Berries - Dipped Cheesecake Trio

 

“People who love to eat are always the best people.”Julia Child



“The two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it.”Andy Rooney

 

“Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.”Sophia Loren

 








Monday, April 22, 2024

Food and Drink History : The Evolution of Tea

With regard to the evolution of tea, we all know (or most of us are in agreement) that the Chinese invented tea. That was the beginning. :)



But did you also know that, in the beginning, before there were loose tea leaves, there were tea bricks; and these bricks were deemed so valuable that they could be used as currency.
In addition, there is a legend passed down through the ages (for about 5000 years) which credits a Chinese emperor named Shennong with the discovery of how to make a tea infusion. Yah! It seems the emperor was added to an extensive list of discoverers who discovered how stuff works by accident! :)
Fortunately, the rest of the world benefits and we can all enjoy cups of wonderful brewed tea.

♦ Lawrence Jean-Louis published Cool Mix Mingle; a cultural blog mainly about the diversity of the South Florida community - the Hispanic and African influences, the blend of East (Asian) and West (European and North American), the food, art, music and more. The preceding paragraphs above are a brief summary of her post which discusses the evolution of tea.  My discovery of her blog was also accidental. But what an awesome find!  :)
REFERENCE: Jean-Louis, Lawrence. "Tea: It's Evolution from the Tree to your Cup." Cook Mix Mingle. 15 Apr. 2015. Web.
♦ ♦ ♦
Related or Similar Links:



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Thursday, April 4, 2024

Home Cooking: Dishes My Mom Used to Make: Oxtail Stew

Are there any dishes that your mom used to make when you were growing up that you thought were incredibly delicious? Real comfort food. Dishes that are even more comforting when you think back fondly on that dish or those dishes and realize that you never learned the recipe or how to prepare it for your own family!

My mom used to cook oxtail stew.


My mother is passed away now. I never got her recipe. Of course, you can Google oxtail stew and find a bazillion recipes. But I’ll bet none of them will taste like the stew my mom used to make. Nevertheless, if you’ve never eaten a hearty bowl of oxtail stew and would like try, here are a few recipes.



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Recall fond memories of the smells from your mother’s kitchen? Ready to fill your bowls?

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NOTE:  This is my original content first published April 2018 at Virily, a social blogging community ~ Dishes My Mom Used to Make: Oxtail Stew



Saturday, March 16, 2024

World Cuisine : Focus on Food Contributions of the Irish

Since March is Irish-American Heritage Month, this post will share information about Ireland's food history and various recipes which were likely brought to the United States by way of Irish immigrants (or were adopted by the Irish-Americans and made their own).  😍

  

Timeline of the Irish Potato Famine 1845-1851

Some may say there's plenty of meat and potatoes when it comes to Irish food.  But that was not always so.  7 years of famine? Sounds biblical, doesn't it?

Timeline of the Irish Potato Famine 1845-1851

March 24th 1847: British people, led by Queen Victoria, held a National Day of Atonement, fasting and doing penance, for the Irish famine.[16] April 1847: A report, to the Central Board of Health from Killarney, showed that people were literally dropping dead in the street.





How to Make Irish Stew

How to Make Irish Stew

Irish Stew is the kind of food that is great on a cold winters night, but is simply perfect on any occasion. The aroma combined with the flavor make it one of my favorite meals. I currently have about five, but the addition of the barley in this recipe add a lot of texture and flavor to the stew.


Why Do We Eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St Patrick's Day?

The complete question is: Why Do We Eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St Patrick's Day When Corned Beef and Cabbage is Not Irish Food?

Why Do We Eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St Patrick's Day?

by JoHarrington I'll admit that I was somewhat taken aback. I'd just finished telling an American friend that her country is responsible for St Patrick popularly wearing green (traditionally he wore blue), and for linking shamrocks with the Irish.



The Best Irish-Inspired Recipes

The Best Irish-Inspired Recipes

Yes, there's plenty of meat and potatoes when it comes to Irish food, but there's a lot more too, and it's all delicious.




Is Traditional Irish Food in America Accurate? | PBS Food

Is Traditional Irish Food in America Accurate? | PBS Food

by Allison Gray If an Irishman came to America on St. Patrick's Day, he might be a little bit shocked by the leprechaun outfits, green beer guzzlers, and yes, even the corned beef and cabbage. To be Irish in America is no rare thing-about 34.5 million people in the United States claim Irish heritage according to the 2011 U.S.



Irish American Mom's Top Ten Recipes

Irish American Mom's Top Ten Recipes

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I thought why not review my recipes to see which ones are most popular with readers. And so I've come up with my Top Ten Recipes of all time. Believe it or not, all of the most viewed recipes on my site are Irish recipes.

Decorative divider images from glitter-graphics.com

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Chocolate Links for Chocolate Lovers

Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. 

It is definitely not on the list of things one can not Google. You never have any problems finding stuff about chocolate. People love to celebrate it and make up national days for it. They tout all its health benefits as if one needs an excuse to eat it. Even raw chocolate is becoming “the right thing” to eat. 



* Chocolate Good for the Memory

* Why Drinking Hot Chocolate is Good for You?

* National Chocolate Éclair Day - Éclair means “flash of lightning” and describes the speed at which these delicacies will disappear if left unguarded.

* National Chocolate Pudding Day

* National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day

* National Chocolate Candy Day

* National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day

* National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

* Raw Chocolate is Now a Trend

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