There is a wonderful Lebanese fast-food outpost in Hollywood, California, which, like a sweet siren song, invited me back to the west coast. Zankou Chicken, also known as the undisputed delicacy of his famous grilled chicken, and their surprising lack of atmosphere, is a sort of late night spot to go for those needing a review of poultry. However, in Zankou Chicken (as good as it is) would just be chicken, if not for the support of the Lebanese spicy garlic sauce simply called Touma. Unfortunately, life in New York, I am thousands of miles away from my next Zankou experience, but fortunately not too far from Touma.
Frieda's Garlic Delight is basically Touma, a shake of garlic spread with lemon juice, salt, canola oil, and yes ... lots of garlic. While it may seem a bit overwhelming for those who are intolerant to garlic, it is much less severe than what you expected and exceptionally versatile. Available in four flavors, including Sun dried tomatoes, chipotle, olive green and Original (only pure garlic) Garlic pleasure because it is a paste, could be used as a marinade or sufficiently dilute with a little olive oil to be used as a dressing or a light pasta sauce.
Made without preservatives, no dairy, no eggs, no gluten and, Garlic Delight is a simple, refreshing and minimal, and the vibrant flavor. Those of you who, like the kick of fresh garlic, without doubt, polish off a tub with nothing but a few crackers, crudités, or fingers (if nobody is watching). I thought we worked exceptionally well launched with steamed vegetables and a light paste marinade for grilled salmon. If allowed, Garlic Delight could easily become a refrigerator staple for use in many recipes, snack or just embarrassing.
Frieda's Garlic Delight is available in four flavors (Original, sun-dried tomato, olive green and chipotle) and are sold in 7-ounce tubes in the refrigerated section of select Foodtown, Shoprite, Stater Bros., Whole Foods Markets and online.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Meaning of Chinese Vegetable
Probably more food is consumed in the New Year celebrations than any other time of year. Large amounts of traditional food is prepared for family and friends, as well as close to us who have died.
New Year's Day, the Chinese family eats a vegetarian dish called JAI. Although the various components of JAI are root vegetables or fibrous vegetables, many people attribute various superstitious aspects to them
Lotus seed - signify having many male offspring
Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots
Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding in wealth
Dried bean curd is another homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness
Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like "wishing that everything would be well"
Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year as the color signifies death and misfortune.
New Year's Day, the Chinese family eats a vegetarian dish called JAI. Although the various components of JAI are root vegetables or fibrous vegetables, many people attribute various superstitious aspects to them
Lotus seed - signify having many male offspring
Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots
Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding in wealth
Dried bean curd is another homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness
Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like "wishing that everything would be well"
Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year as the color signifies death and misfortune.
Chinese New Year Foods
Chinese New Year season officially runs about two weeks, with the preparation of many days in advance. It is the most elaborate and important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Food plays a vital part in most of the festivities. The Chinese congratulate each other for having gone through another year and party together. Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is the most important family event of the year.
New Year's Eve dinner is usually a feast of seafood and sybolic filled. These include shrimp animation, dried oysters (ho xi) for all things good, raw fish salad (yu sheng) for good luck "fai-hai" an edible angel hair-like seaweed to prosperity fillings and cooked in water to retrieve a long lost goodwill of the family. Everyone wears red to ward off evil spirits and prevents black and white to represent death and mourning.
New Year's Day, Chinese families eat a vegetarian dish called "JAI. The various components are root vegetables or fibrous. These include the lotus seed = hope for many men offspring, ginkgo nut = hope silver, black moss seaweed = Pending wealth; dried tofu = expect more of the wealth and happiness, bamboo shoots = wishing all goes well .
The entire first week is for socializing. This is when the drive tray shared. The seventh New Year's Day is considered "Everyone's Birthday" as birthdays are not considered as important as turning a year old next to New Year. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
Also on the seventh day, farmers are encouraged to display their products. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate.
In the tenth to twelfth days over New Year holiday with friends and family.
On the 13th, Chinese diet a little, on rice and mustard green to clean your digestive system after so much rich food.
The Lantern Festival parade on June 15 and ends on Chinese New Year.
See Cute Pictures about chinese new year 2009
New Year's Eve dinner is usually a feast of seafood and sybolic filled. These include shrimp animation, dried oysters (ho xi) for all things good, raw fish salad (yu sheng) for good luck "fai-hai" an edible angel hair-like seaweed to prosperity fillings and cooked in water to retrieve a long lost goodwill of the family. Everyone wears red to ward off evil spirits and prevents black and white to represent death and mourning.
New Year's Day, Chinese families eat a vegetarian dish called "JAI. The various components are root vegetables or fibrous. These include the lotus seed = hope for many men offspring, ginkgo nut = hope silver, black moss seaweed = Pending wealth; dried tofu = expect more of the wealth and happiness, bamboo shoots = wishing all goes well .
The entire first week is for socializing. This is when the drive tray shared. The seventh New Year's Day is considered "Everyone's Birthday" as birthdays are not considered as important as turning a year old next to New Year. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
Also on the seventh day, farmers are encouraged to display their products. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate.
In the tenth to twelfth days over New Year holiday with friends and family.
On the 13th, Chinese diet a little, on rice and mustard green to clean your digestive system after so much rich food.
The Lantern Festival parade on June 15 and ends on Chinese New Year.
See Cute Pictures about chinese new year 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Cranberry-Honey Spice Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup(s) sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup(s) cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
1/2 cup(s) honey
2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom, or allspice
2 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) whole-wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom, or allspice
1/3 cup(s) canola oil
3 1/2 tablespoon(s) butter, melted and cooled
1 cup(s) sugar
1/3 cup(s) honey
2 eggs
3 tablespoon(s) low-fat milk, plus more as needed
2 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon(s) almond extract
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions
1. To prepare filling: Combine dried and fresh cranberries, honey, orange zest, cinnamon and cardamom (or allspice) in a medium nonreactive saucepan (see Note) over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring, until the fresh cranberries burst and soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and puree. If the mixture seems dry, stir in up to 2 teaspoons water. Transfer the mixture to a nonreactive container and refrigerate while preparing the dough.
2. To prepare dough: Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom (or allspice) in a large bowl. In another large bowl, combine oil, butter, sugar, honey, eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat the wet ingredients with an electric mixer first on low speed, then on medium speed, until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, stir in up to 1 tablespoon more milk. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 to 45 minutes to reduce its stickiness.
3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch-long log. Working with one log at a time, center it on a 16-inch-long sheet of baking parchment or wax paper. Cover with a second sheet. Press and then roll into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle of even thickness, inverting the dough occasionally to roll out any wrinkles and patching it to make the sides as even as possible. Transfer the dough, in the paper, to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining log of dough and transfer to the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is slightly firm, about 15 minutes.
4. To prepare pinwheel rolls: Place one sheet of dough on a work surface. Peel off the top sheet of paper. Spread half the reserved filling evenly over the dough (it will be a thin layer). Working from a 15-inch-long side, tightly roll up the dough jelly-roll style, leaving the bottom sheet of paper behind. While rolling, slightly stretch out the center to yield an evenly thick roll. Wrap the roll in a clean sheet of wax paper, twisting the ends to prevent unrolling (see Tip). Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough and place on the baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 3 to 4 hours.
5. To bake cookies: Position racks in the upper third and center of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one pinwheel roll at a time, trim the uneven ends. Cut the roll crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices using a large serrated knife; periodically turning the roll to maintain a relatively round cookie shape. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to middle halfway through baking. Immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cut and bake the remaining pinwheel roll.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sweet apple and potato soup for your holiday
Ingredients
1 3/4 pound(s) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
6 cup(s) vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
1 dash(es) apple cider
1 teaspoon(s) green Tabasco sauce
finely diced Granny Smith apple and minced parsle, for garnish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the parsnip, garlic, olive oil and salt. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a blender, puree half of the vegetables with 3 cups of the stock; transfer to a large saucepan. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and stock. Add the apple cider and Tabasco and heat through. Season with salt. Serve with the diced apple and minced parsley.
1 3/4 pound(s) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
6 cup(s) vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
1 dash(es) apple cider
1 teaspoon(s) green Tabasco sauce
finely diced Granny Smith apple and minced parsle, for garnish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with the parsnip, garlic, olive oil and salt. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a blender, puree half of the vegetables with 3 cups of the stock; transfer to a large saucepan. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and stock. Add the apple cider and Tabasco and heat through. Season with salt. Serve with the diced apple and minced parsley.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
How to Trim the Fat From Your Grocery Bill
1. Buy in bulk. It might make you feel like a seventies throwback, but buying grains, cereals, dried beans, nuts, and seeds in bulk can save you a whole lot of cash. Plus, it cuts down drastically on the amount of packaging you need to schlep home and eventually recycle.
Of course, proper storage is a must. Keep grains, nuts, and other dry goods fresh in airtight jars. This will keep pests out and will help prevent the food from becoming rancid. Foods rich in oil, like nuts, are better off stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight bag. If you can’t consume the nuts yourself, try making maple-spiced nuts as hostess gift to bring to holiday parties. Food co-ops and natural-food stores usually have a pretty good bulk selection, and you can also buy online.
My favorite new discovery is olive oil in a cask. Light, oxygen, and heat can break down oil and make it go rancid, but this packaging keeps the air (or at least most of it) out. Instead of buying eight 500-milliliter bottles of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for about $20-$25 a bottle (a total of up to $200), check out the Yellingbo 4-liter cask for $60. I know that sounds like a lot of dough to spend all at once, but if you use a lot of olive oil at home, it can be a huge cost-saver. Plus, instead of cleaning out and recycling all those bottles, you can just fold up the box, which is already made from recycled cardboard.
2. Clear out your freezer. Get rid of extraneous ice cube trays and finish up that gallon of rocky road. Look for bargain buys, and if you find a great deal on chicken breasts, for example, buy a bunch (make sure they haven’t passed the sell-by date) and either freeze in the original packaging or rewrap and seal using something like Reynolds Handi-Vac. Use a black marker to write the date you packaged them up and make sure to use them within two months.
3. Go whole. Yes, buying a whole head of broccoli or cauliflower is cheaper than buying the florets. And by the same token, you’re better off going for a whole chicken than skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Right now at Fresh Direct, the price of breasts is $10.99/pound, while a whole chicken is only $1.69/pound. You’ll probably need to buy at least a 7-pound chicken, but the savings are amazing and you’ll get more meals out of that one chicken.
Here’s how to get the most out of your chicken:
Day 1: Just rub a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on it (and push some fresh rosemary under the skin if you want to be fancy) and roast it for 70 minutes at 375º. Enjoy the chicken with some roasted red potatoes. When you’re done, pull the rest of the chicken meat off and store it in an airtight container. Don’t throw the carcass away! Wrap it in foil or put it in an airtight container.
Day 2: Take the chicken and either make chicken quesadillas or burritos with it, or dice it up with celery and grapes and mix with a little light mayo for chicken salad.
Day 3: Place that carcass in a large stockpot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Turn down the heat to a simmer, and skim again if necessary. Add a quartered onion, sliced parsnips, chopped celery, sliced carrots, parsley, and a few whole cloves of garlic, and simmer for about an hour and a half. Since the skin and most of the fat are gone, you can just serve the soup hot, or strain and chill. Make sure to add salt and pepper to taste. And, as an added bonus, water-based foods—like soup—can help you lose a few extra pounds.
Of course, proper storage is a must. Keep grains, nuts, and other dry goods fresh in airtight jars. This will keep pests out and will help prevent the food from becoming rancid. Foods rich in oil, like nuts, are better off stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight bag. If you can’t consume the nuts yourself, try making maple-spiced nuts as hostess gift to bring to holiday parties. Food co-ops and natural-food stores usually have a pretty good bulk selection, and you can also buy online.
My favorite new discovery is olive oil in a cask. Light, oxygen, and heat can break down oil and make it go rancid, but this packaging keeps the air (or at least most of it) out. Instead of buying eight 500-milliliter bottles of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for about $20-$25 a bottle (a total of up to $200), check out the Yellingbo 4-liter cask for $60. I know that sounds like a lot of dough to spend all at once, but if you use a lot of olive oil at home, it can be a huge cost-saver. Plus, instead of cleaning out and recycling all those bottles, you can just fold up the box, which is already made from recycled cardboard.
2. Clear out your freezer. Get rid of extraneous ice cube trays and finish up that gallon of rocky road. Look for bargain buys, and if you find a great deal on chicken breasts, for example, buy a bunch (make sure they haven’t passed the sell-by date) and either freeze in the original packaging or rewrap and seal using something like Reynolds Handi-Vac. Use a black marker to write the date you packaged them up and make sure to use them within two months.
3. Go whole. Yes, buying a whole head of broccoli or cauliflower is cheaper than buying the florets. And by the same token, you’re better off going for a whole chicken than skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Right now at Fresh Direct, the price of breasts is $10.99/pound, while a whole chicken is only $1.69/pound. You’ll probably need to buy at least a 7-pound chicken, but the savings are amazing and you’ll get more meals out of that one chicken.
Here’s how to get the most out of your chicken:
Day 1: Just rub a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on it (and push some fresh rosemary under the skin if you want to be fancy) and roast it for 70 minutes at 375º. Enjoy the chicken with some roasted red potatoes. When you’re done, pull the rest of the chicken meat off and store it in an airtight container. Don’t throw the carcass away! Wrap it in foil or put it in an airtight container.
Day 2: Take the chicken and either make chicken quesadillas or burritos with it, or dice it up with celery and grapes and mix with a little light mayo for chicken salad.
Day 3: Place that carcass in a large stockpot and cover it with cold water. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. Turn down the heat to a simmer, and skim again if necessary. Add a quartered onion, sliced parsnips, chopped celery, sliced carrots, parsley, and a few whole cloves of garlic, and simmer for about an hour and a half. Since the skin and most of the fat are gone, you can just serve the soup hot, or strain and chill. Make sure to add salt and pepper to taste. And, as an added bonus, water-based foods—like soup—can help you lose a few extra pounds.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
KFC secret recipe
By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 9, 6:36 AM ET
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pssst. The secret's out at KFC. Well, sort of. Colonel Harland Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was to be removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC's corporate offices for the first time in decades. The temporary relocation is allowing KFC to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country's most famous corporate secrets.
The brand's top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.
"I don't want to be the president who loses the recipe," KFC President Roger Eaton said. "Imagine how terrifying that would be."
So important is the 68-year-old concoction that coats the chain's Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their name or title, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.
Louisville-based KFC, part of the fast-food company Yum Brands Inc., hired off-duty police officers and private security guards to whisk the document away to an undisclosed location in an armored car. The recipe will be slid into a briefcase and handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl for the ride.
"There's no way anybody could get this recipe," said Dietl, a former New York City police detective. His security firm is also handling the security improvements for the recipe at headquarters, but he wouldn't say what changes they're making.
For more than 20 years, the recipe has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks in company headquarters. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet.
Vials of the herbs and spices are also stored in the secret filing cabinet.
"The smell is overwhelming when you open it," said one of two keepers of the recipe in an interview at company headquarters.
The biggest prize, though, is a single sheet of notebook paper, yellowed by age, that lays out the entire formula — including exact amounts for each ingredient — written in pencil and signed by Sanders.
Others have tried to replicate the recipe, and occasionally someone claims to have found a copy of Sanders' creation. The executive said none have come close, adding the actual recipe would include some surprises.
Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in the early 1950s.
Sanders died in 1980, but his likeness is still central to KFC's marketing.
"The recipe to him, in later years, was everything he stood for," said Shirley Topmiller, his personal secretary for about 12 years.
Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said the recipe's value is "almost an immeasurable thing. It's part of that important brand image that helps differentiate the KFC product."
KFC had a total of 14,892 locations worldwide at the end of 2007. The chain has had strong sales overseas, especially in its fast-growing China market, but has struggled in the U.S. amid a more health-conscious public. KFC posted U.S. sales of $5.3 billion at company-owned and franchised stores in 2007.
source : Yahoo
Tue Sep 9, 6:36 AM ET
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pssst. The secret's out at KFC. Well, sort of. Colonel Harland Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was to be removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC's corporate offices for the first time in decades. The temporary relocation is allowing KFC to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country's most famous corporate secrets.
The brand's top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.
"I don't want to be the president who loses the recipe," KFC President Roger Eaton said. "Imagine how terrifying that would be."
So important is the 68-year-old concoction that coats the chain's Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their name or title, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.
Louisville-based KFC, part of the fast-food company Yum Brands Inc., hired off-duty police officers and private security guards to whisk the document away to an undisclosed location in an armored car. The recipe will be slid into a briefcase and handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl for the ride.
"There's no way anybody could get this recipe," said Dietl, a former New York City police detective. His security firm is also handling the security improvements for the recipe at headquarters, but he wouldn't say what changes they're making.
For more than 20 years, the recipe has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks in company headquarters. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet.
Vials of the herbs and spices are also stored in the secret filing cabinet.
"The smell is overwhelming when you open it," said one of two keepers of the recipe in an interview at company headquarters.
The biggest prize, though, is a single sheet of notebook paper, yellowed by age, that lays out the entire formula — including exact amounts for each ingredient — written in pencil and signed by Sanders.
Others have tried to replicate the recipe, and occasionally someone claims to have found a copy of Sanders' creation. The executive said none have come close, adding the actual recipe would include some surprises.
Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in the early 1950s.
Sanders died in 1980, but his likeness is still central to KFC's marketing.
"The recipe to him, in later years, was everything he stood for," said Shirley Topmiller, his personal secretary for about 12 years.
Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said the recipe's value is "almost an immeasurable thing. It's part of that important brand image that helps differentiate the KFC product."
KFC had a total of 14,892 locations worldwide at the end of 2007. The chain has had strong sales overseas, especially in its fast-growing China market, but has struggled in the U.S. amid a more health-conscious public. KFC posted U.S. sales of $5.3 billion at company-owned and franchised stores in 2007.
source : Yahoo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)