Store It Foods

Fairly or not, French cooking is often considered to be the holy grail of ethnic cuisine. It seems that most professional chefs are trained in the classical French mode, and there’s no disputing the fact that French dishes are complex and difficult to execute. But how often does the average American sit down to enjoy a French meal? You almost never hear about the elusive beef bourguignon or escargot outside of fancy-schmancy restaurants.

Italian cuisine, on the other hand, is incredibly versatile. It has a populist element as opposed to the air of elitism surrounding French food. Italian cuisine can be remarkably simple with its foundation in succulent meats and saucy pasta. This leads many people to create their own food from scratch using pasta makers and other kitchen gadgets. Still, perfecting a given Italian dish takes time and artistry. Best of all, practically any Italian fare you prepare will draw favorable reviews from children, husbands, wives and anyone else with a healthy appetite.

If you visit a restaurant that specializes in authentic Italian cuisine, you might be surprised to find a dearth of Americanized Italian food. Many restaurants in the New World make a mockery of genuine Italian cooking, dishing out massive portions of carbohydrate-rich food with little to balance it all out. In Italy, food is generally served in multiple courses, but the portions are much smaller.

And boy do Italians know how to make pasta sauce. A real Italian chef will typically offer two options: a red sauce and a white sauce. Marinara sauce features tomato as its main impetus and is does not include meat. An alfredo sauce will be anchored with cream, butter and parmesan, and it is almost always served over a bed of vegetables and lighter meats. The prospect of making homemade sauce may be harrowing for some, but it is actually quite simple with a Roma sauce maker.

When most people think about smoothies, it’s usually the standard fruit and yogurt, and when I found this recipe, I thought, “Apple Pie Smoothie? Weird!”, but it’s amazingly delicious!

Ingredients:

~12 ounces vanilla yogurt
~½ cup pumpkin pie filling
~2 cups apple juice
~1 tsp. cinnamon
~1 tsp. nutmeg
~1 chopped banana

Directions:

Like most smoothies, this part is kind of self-explanatory. Combine all the ingredients into your smoothie maker or blender, and combine the ingredients until smooth. Serves 2-3; it’s a great treat for Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings!

If you’re like most Americans you probably are used to drinking processed juices, soda pop, and other sugary drinks. You probably even think that glass of orange juice from concentrate you drink in the morning counts as a serving of fruits and vegetables. Well, you’re wrong – it doesn’t. The only thing that is as healthy and nutritive for the body as fresh fruits and vegetables is fresh fruit or vegetable juice. This type of juice isn’t usually available in the markets (unless it’s a juice bar or a health food store) because it doesn’t have much of a shelf life.

Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day can be time consuming. Not many people have the patience it can take to sit there and gnaw through two apples, a carrot, a cup of broccoli, and an orange. Try using an Omega juicer to make the process more user-friendly. It takes only a minute to drink a glass of fresh juice, while it may take ten minutes to eat an apple.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, there is never a shortage of salmon, so I am always looking for new and innovative recipes that utilize the fish. Here is a great salmon spread for crackers or rye bread that you can make in your food processor or blender.

Ingredients:

¼ cup fresh parsley
1 small onion
16 ounces of salmon filet
8 ounces of cream cheese
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 teaspoons dill
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce.
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Mince parsley in the food processor, then set aside in a small bowl.  Mince the onion, and then add the remaining ingredients, turning the processor on and off until well blended, then stir the mixture until it becomes smooth.  Transfer the pate to a small bowl, and refrigerate overnight.  Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

When it comes to preparing food for a diabetic, it’s important to be mindful of the sugar content of the food. Even something as simple as a glaze for meat or barbeque sauce can be detrimental to a diabetic. Diabetics need to receive adequate nutrition, but also should be eating food that is low in sugar. It’s also important for diabetics to eat balanced meals on a regular time schedule, otherwise the diabetic can might take too much or too little insulin and have a diabetic reaction, which is quite dangerous.

Starches are great foods for diabetics in moderation; potatoes, rice, and grains.  Vegetables are also excellent sources of vitamins and fiber; I like using a Roma food strainer to create my own sauces and jucices.  Common recipes for diabetics might include stir fry, baked potatoes, rice and vegetables (light on the teriyaki or soy sauce), grilled cheese sandwiches, and casseroles. If the meal is light or heavy on calories, it’s also a good idea to inform a diabetic beforehand so they can adjust their insulin intake if necessary.

I am one who will never tire of kitchen gadgets.  When shopping, I am always drawn to stores that sell small kitchen appliances.  I have always thought about why I am so attracted to these stores.  I realize that one reason is because they always have something new.  It could be a revolutionary new gadget I have only seen now, or a new form or presentation of one that I had been using for years. I find it such fun to discover new things.

The store that sells small kitchen appliances is also a good place to get gifts for your friends. Who would not love a blender, food processor or mixer? She might already have a coffee maker, cooker or steamer, but new designs look so modern, so up-to-date.

A few months ago, I switched to part-time at my job in order to spend more time at home with the kids. Since then we’ve been busy with dozens of activities, from arts and crafts to learning musical instruments and foreign languages. I want to allow my kids to experience all sorts of practical yet fun hobbies so that they can choose the ones they’d like to pursue seriously.

One such hobby takes place in the kitchen, where we’ve been learning how to make our favorite foods from scratch. It’s proved to be a real money-saver for me as well – many food products are marked up to exorbitant prices in grocery stores. You’re really just paying all that money for packaging and convenience. Just last week we used a Roma sauce maker to create a marinara from tomatoes, onions and assorted herbs.

My grandfather grew up on a farm in the Midwest, where he became intimately familiar with the breadmaking process. He and his parents would sow the seeds, till the earth and eventually reap the wheat. They would then take their grain to a flour mill or occasionally use their own grindstone and mallet to grind the flour from scratch. That hard work and painstaking attention to every detail of the process really inspired me.

I opened a small boutique bakery several months ago, eager to set myself apart from the competition. Remembering my grandfather’s commitment to excellent food, I purchased a grain mill and set about grinding my own flour for baking. While I don’t have the time or resources to plant the wheat, it still makes me feel like I’m connected to a long tradition of dedicated bakers.

In many homes a glass of fresh orange juice is a morning favorite and it is certainly one of the most nutritious beverages available — assuming all of the nutrients are there. If they are, you can be assured that you are consuming something that is truly an excellent source of vitaming C (containing more than 10 times a much vitamin C as apple juice). It is also rich in potassium, folate and thiamin. Compared to many other juices, orange juice is usually higher in protein, vitamin A. B-vitamins, calcium, iron and potassium, placing it front and foremost in the list of nutritious fruit juices. Drinking an 8-ounce glass can be counted as one of your five necessary fruit and vegetable servings for the day. As far as taste is concerned, whether you are juicing oranges, limes, lemons or grapefruits, or whether you are using a reaming juicer or a citrus press, you are producing the best tasting orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit juice. Fresh, indeed, is best. You’ll also find that fresh juice straight from your citrus juicer to be at its nutritious peak. Tests have shown that thos freshly squeezed juices are best used within minuts of squeezing.I does not take long for some vitamin content to be lost and it can be lost by just sitting there.