June 3rd, 2008
Continuous research carried out about diets all indicate the
importance of having a rational and in fact accurate daily
eating plan in order to stay healthy and prevent serious
diseases from affecting people’s health severely.Diets,
including various types, can be quickly and easily adjusted by
means of some tips we are going to introduce in the following
lines. Although there are not distinct ideas on how a
consistent diet can be implemented, some fundamental solutions
are the common sense of everyone in the public.One of them is to
increase the intake of vegetables and fruits.According to the
latest reports published by health commissions all over the
world, most people have started to eat multiple servings of
fruit and vegetables in a day.This is the biggest action to have
taken to decrease the risk of experiencing health problems due
to the major positive effects of fruits and vegetables in the
body. The main reason why fruits and vegetables should be
preferred is that they incorporate large amounts of vitamins,
especially vitamin A and vitamin C, and some
antioxidants.Dietary fiber, which is also an essential material
for the body, does also exist in such good nutrients. On the
other hand, people should be extremely careful about the
different types of meat in the market.Meats that are low in fat
must be consumed in order to avoid the risk of high
cholesterol.Another substantial nutrient is fish, which includes
omega-3 fatty acids.These small nutrients help the body in a
beneficial way that it cannot be compared to any other type of
nutrient on the world.Also, scientists have proved that fish is
very good for cardiovascular system. Milk, which is one of the
best products of people health, can be in low fat and nonfat
type.Different cheese and yoghurt types also contain low fat,
which must be preferred for a healthy life.Oils must be watched
for since some types of such foods can be very harmful for
public health.Especially, oils used in cooking are usually
produced by animal based fats, which are saturated and they are
considered to be very harmful for one’s overall health.Instead,
polyunsaturated fats, usually obtained from plant sources, must
be preferred since oya oil and bean oil existing in such foods
are very effective in decreasing the risk of developing serious
illnesses in late ages. In addition, intake of extremely
processed foods must be decreased since this type of nutrients
usually contain ingredients harmful to the body.They can even be
stored in the body and prevent blood pressure in some organs
after middle ages.As an alternative, less processed whole grain
products should be consumed.Existence of such beneficial
products in the market is much more frequent than that was in
the past, so people today have a much healthier option without
giving up the taste. As we stated at the beginning of the
article, nonexistence of a quality diet form can lead to some
problems for one to select the best product to consume.However,
everyone should assess his/her own needs and requirements and
adjust a careful diet according to the foundations including
daily calorine need, age, sex and internal factors.Every choice
depends on some criterion and thus every type of product is
likely to have -good or bad- effect on one’s health in general.
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May 17th, 2008
You can’t go wrong if you decide to give your wedding guests edible wedding favors like these Fortune Cookies Favors as these are always appreciated. Although it isn’t important if your wedding favors are savory, most people would probably prefer a sweet option. You can make this really elaborate if you wish but generally a plain bar of candy that comes with a commemorative wrapper is a good idea. I haven’t come across many people that won’t eat chocolate in any of its varieties especially if it has a special flavored center. It doesn’t cost the earth to have the name of the bride and groom printed on the wrapper plus the date of the wedding.
There is nothing wrong with adding a photo of the couple as well to finish off the gift to ensure it is something the guests will probably keep too remind them of the day. If you don’t fancy chocolate then why not supply candy filled tins as an edible wedding favor alternative. Once again, it is easy to have the tin given the personal touch with the bride and grooms details on it. It is doubtful that the candy will remain uneaten before the end of the day but the tins are always useful afterwards; they are useful for all sorts of storage from holding small items to storing fishing flies. Almost everyone likes candy and that is why such a large percentage of weddings feature it as their edible wedding favor.
By using a large glass bowl in the center of every table, the bride and groom can fill them with their own choices of candy for everyone to share. You can also leave a small presentation box with details of the wedding, and one that can even match the wedding theme if there is one. You can guarantee it won’t take long before the guests start filling their boxes with the candy. Although not as popular as other edible wedding favors, cookies can have just as much appeal when they are presented properly. Using plain cookies keeps the cost down because they will look best in a presentation box possibly designed especially for the day.
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May 10th, 2008
Some years ago in a book by Lee Iacocca, who was President of
Ford Motor Co. prior to taking over Chrysler Corp. and leading
them out of bankruptcy, I read that Mr. Iacocca’s boss, Henry
Ford II, drank two bottles of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild every
day. Two bottles per day is an awful lot and wouldn’t be
advisable, but I did like the thought of drinking fine wine
every day. Today, depending on the vintage, two bottles of
Chateau Lafite can cost upwards of $1,000 or even more. If your
name is Henry Ford you can no doubt afford this, but most of us
have to settle for something a little less prestigious for our
nightly dinner pairing.
The point of this article is simple: One can drink good,
sometimes even excellent wines, at very reasonable prices.
The easiest way to do this is to wait for your local liquor
store to have their periodic sales. For example, about once a
month a large liquor store nearby our home, which carries a
reasonably good selection of wines from around the world, has a
sale for 15% off for those on their “family plan”. So that’s
obviously the time to stock up.
The next question is what wines to choose. Unless you already
know some good producers and have your favorites, the best
guides are the little tags which give wine ratings by wine
critics such as Robert Parker of “The Wine Advocate”, the “Wine
Spectator”, and “The Wine Enthusiast”, among others. Most good
liquor stores make a point to display these tags for the wines
that the critics have tasted. As an example of wine ratings,
here are the criteria used by Robert Parker, considered by many
to be the foremost of wine critics:
“96-100 An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character
displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its
variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to
find, purchase, and consume.
90-95 An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and
character. In short, these are terrific wines.
80-89 A barely above average to very good wine displaying
various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with
no noticeable flaws.
70-79 An average wine with little distinction except that it is
soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
60-69 A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies,
such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or
possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
50-59 A wine deemed to be unacceptable.”
To be sure, you will not find fine wines rated at 96 or above on
the cheap, 15% off or not! However, it is entirely possible to
find wines rated in the upper 80’s (very good) or even low 90’s
(low outstanding range) for good prices, often $10 or less on
sale! If your wine or liquor store does not display the ratings
tags, suggest that they do so, or if necessary find another
store that does.
The main advantage of the above strategy is that you are basing
your purchases on some opinion. If you simply choose a wine
without knowing anything about it, you might still find a
pleasurable bottle, but the chances of success are considerably
diminished.
Another resource for choosing fine wines is a good local wine
specialty shop. In our town we have a shop run by a young man
who is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of wine, from
vineyard practices to production to tasting, and he is truly
passionate about the subject. I have learned to trust his
judgment, and when he recommends a wine, I can count on it being
a good choice. Of course he needs to charge more than the large
volume liquor stores for his wines, but his knowledgeable inputs
more than make up for the extra cost. So I routinely make a
point to pick up some bottles at this shop in addition to
stocking up as described above.
If you can afford to purchase and cellar great fine wines, then
by all means go for it. But if your wine budget is a little more
down to earth, try the procedure outlined above. I have found
the wines recommended by the critics are almost always good,
(nothing is foolproof, however, as evidenced by a solidly
mediocre Tuscan wine we tried last week), but you’ll be pleased
most of the time. Personally I like the choices of Robert Parker
as well as those of The Wine Spectator. Also, I like to learn
what I can about the wine, the grapes used, and also production
methods used such as oak aging, malolactic fermentation, etc.
This is easily accomplished using the LaRousse Encyclopedia of
Wine or other reference books. The more you learn about wine the
more you will enjoy the experience, and you’ll also learn more
about how fine wines make food taste better. And as the old
adage goes, “life is too short to drink bad wine”.
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April 28th, 2008
Mahi is a beautiful, white, flaky fish caught fresh from the waters of the clean ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. In Mexico, it is called Dorado. It is a colorful blue and yellow fish when fresh from the sea. We prepare it many ways, but this is a favorite Polynesian style.
4 eight oz. mahi-mahi filets
8 large ti leaves with rib removed
lemon grass, chopped
ginger, chopped
garlic, minced
lime juice
cilantro
sesame oil
coconut milk
Lay the mahi on a ti leaf, with lemon grass, ginger, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Pour coconut milk over filet and a few drops sesame oil.
Tie ti-leaf and wrap with another ti-leaf using rib to tie; then steam or grill for 10-15 minutes.
Serve with steamed white jasmine or calrose rice and mango salsa!
Whole Fish
Steamed Opakapaka
It is not difficult to prepare a whole fish. This is how we can serve many people with ease. Amaryllis learned to prepare dinner for twelve her first time in the Bay Area, when she served whole, baked salmon caught fresh from the sea. This was so easy to prepare! The cleaned fish (gutted, with head removed) was stuffed with whole mushrooms, slices of onions, dried sweet basil, and pieces of butter. The fish was dotted with butter and basil, then covered in foil to bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees! She would look in to see that the fish was pink and moist and perfectly cooked. The sweet basil was so fragrant! To serve, she would cut into 2-inch sections for each person. The mushrooms and onions and buttery juices were drizzled on top of each serving and garnished with lemon wedges. She served a green salad and wild rice.
In Hawaii, she discovered the moist, deep water fish opakapaka, or Hawaiian pink snapper. Hawaii’s seafood has been described as the best in the world! The islands are so remote and the waters so clean. The fish are awesome. She loves steamed opakapaka with a black bean sauce. Black-bean sauce is easy to prepare. She uses 4 tbsp. salted, dried, black beans and 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Boil these in a frying pan, add 1 tbsp. cornstarch to thicken, then add chopped green onions. One tsp. of sugar is added. Cook 5 minutes.The whole cleaned, scaled fish is rubbed with Hawaiian salt and steamed in a long fish-steamer for 20 minutes. The fish is scored, salted black bean sauce and green onions are poured over it, then drizzled with hot peanut oil and served on a platter. Guests can pick at the fish with chopsticks!
Serve with steamed white jasmine or calrose rice and mango salsa!
My name is Marilyn Jansen.
I live on the island of Maui pursuing life as a writer and budding artist.
I worked as a registered nurse for 14 years until I began to follow my true dream of expressing myself creatively through drawing, painting, writing, designing books, creating jewelry, and fashion designs and developing a line of food products to go with my cookbook. It is so fulfilling to pursue a dream with a passion!
I love to do Hawaiian Quilting, & Hand-painting on t-shirts. I plan to create DVDs of a craft series to go with small books. I have painted on tees for over 25 years and have taught teens and adults how to paint. They love it! It is fun and healing for the body, mind, soul & spirit. When creativity flows we feel alive, energized by the excitement overflowing from us. We also experience relaxation because we let ourselves go! It is my goal to get young people interested in gardening & cooking & sewing so they can develop passions of their own. Life is great when we slow down and enjoy the simple things and find beauty in everyday life. Aloha!
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April 7th, 2008
When enjoying a healthy lifestyle, one of the biggest challenges
is making meals on the go. Brown bagging is even more difficult
when children are involved, but it is still possible to create
delicious, nutritious brown bag lunches that the whole family
will love.
The most important part of creating healthy, delicious brown bag
lunches is choosing the foods that will go into those brown
bags. It is important to choose foods that are easy to put
together, and to include foods that everyone in the family
likes. Including everyone’s favorite foods is a great way to
make sure the lunches will be eaten instead of traded for
Twinkies.
When creating healthy brown bag lunches for yourself and your
family, try to choose at least three choices from the following
list.
At least one fruit or vegetable, either fresh, canned
or frozen. Some good choices include apples, bananas and
oranges. Fruit salad also makes a great choice for brown bag
lunches. A whole grain product like bread, a tortilla
shell, a bagel, pasta, rice or muffins. Milk or dairy
products like low fat or nonfat yogurt, skim milk, cheese or a
yogurt drink or shake. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs,
peanut butter, legumes or hummus A healthy vegetable or
fruit salad
It is a great idea to involve the whole family in the
preparation of these brown bag creations. Why not have a family
session where everyone creates their own healthy brown bag
lunches using the ingredients you provide? Lay out all the
healthy foods, selected from the above list, and let everyone
choose their favorites. Involving the kids in meal planning at
an early age is a great way to help them learn to make healthy
food choices throughout their lives.
Packing those brown bag lunches can be exciting and fun for the
whole family. For instance, why not let every member of the
family choose his or her own special lunch box or bag? Other
good ideas and tips for brown bag lunches include setting aside
one shelf in the fridge for lunch fixings and finished lunches,
and setting aside a drawer in the cupboard for all the packaging
required, such as plastic bags, plastic cutlery, napkins, and
straws.
Of course, keeping the variety in brown bag lunches is very
important, both for the adults and the kids. There are some
great suggestions for keeping everyone from getting bored,
including:
Use a variety of different breads in your sandwiches.
Use a combination of wheat bread, rye bread and pumpernickel, in
addition to interesting bread alternatives such as tortilla
wraps, bread sticks and whole wheat crackers. Pack bite
size vegetables, such as baby carrots, broccoli florets and
pepper slices, along with a low fat dipping sauce. Add
bit size fruit like grapes, blueberries, orange wedges and
strawberries. Use only 100% fruit juice in brown bag
lunches. Avoid fruit drinks and blends, which often contain less
than 10% real fruit. Pick up a variety of single
serving cereal and let everyone choose their favorites.
Buy a good selection of flavors of nonfat or low fat yogurt
every week, and let everyone choose their favorite flavor every
day. Pack a variety of dried fruit in your family’s
brown bag lunches.
Of course the kids are not the only ones who can enjoy healthy
brown bag lunches. Mom and dad can also join in the fun. After
all, brown bag lunches are a lower cost, and healthier
alternative to lunches out.
Some of the most popular choices for brown bag lunches, both for
children and their parents, include leftovers from the night
before (pasta, rice and potato dishes are great choices), cheese
and crackers, leftover veggie pizza, or a quick sandwich rollup
using a soft tortilla shell or pita bread.
One great way to enjoy a variety of healthy new foods is to form
a lunch partnership with four or five other coworkers. Everyone
takes turns bringing lunch for everyone. This can be a great way
to enjoy healthy new foods and gather some great new recipes.
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April 1st, 2008
The New England Specialty Foods asociation is a brand new,
unique non-profit trade associatin created at the start of 2006.
The mission is to enable and encourage communication and the
exchange of information between all sectors of the Specialty
Foods industry in New England, to enable everyone to be more
prosperous, by having access to the highest level of
information, necessary for optimum success and profitability.
The nimber one goal of the NESFA is to constantly find new and
better innovative ways to improve everyone’s business, and make
life a little easier.
The NESFA is first and foremost a source of the information
small producers and manufacturers need to be able to supply
great products at competitive prices. By persistently working
toward this goal, and nurturing the small creators of specialty
foods in New England, it will benefit all of the many other
related businesses, such as packers, brolers, distributors,
retailers, and all of the products & services they use. It is
extremely important to remember, as small producers &
manufacturers grow and prosper, so will everyone they do
business with.
In the past, associations have been segmented and isolated,
primarily benefitting only one sector or one state, or too big
to be noticed in. These have not begun to supply the information
which is needed for the success of everyone. When this
geographical area worked together in 1776, the results were
impressive!
The NESFA website is currently under construction, & is expected
to be completed soon. More information can soon be found at
www.newenglandspecialtyfoods.com . Please visit the on-line
store & tell a friend about it, & support small New business in
New England!
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