Sunday, February 27, 2011

What are the best delicious

Jackfruit smells a little like rotting onions but tastes incredibly good.
Durian smells like onions, compost, and a corpse that has been left in the sun for a month but tastes better than jackfruit.
Some people dislike the smell of kimchi, I like how it smells. If you dig through a heap of cabbage kimchi to find the thick white parts, they're delicious grilled.
I like all the smelly cheeses so I'm useless on that front.
Tripe can smell to some people, tripe napolitana is one of my favorite dishes.
Nobody likes the smell of fish sauce, Thai and Vietnamese cooking wouldn't be as compelling without it.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Best friend and delicious food

Best friend and delicious food

I think every girl is proud to talk about their best friend and I could go on for ever about mine. Every time I meet her she puts a smile on my face and I leave feeling happier and more energetic. I guess that’s positive energy for you. she means the world to me. Olya is simply gorgeous, but not only is she beautiful inside and out but she also has a great dress sense.
When we met for Turkish breakfast at Gallipoli’s on Upper street Islington the other day I decided to share with you what she was wearing- despite her disapproval. You see she has no idea she would have to model for this post. Knowing her I knew she would turn up looking amazing as always.

from - http://beingdena.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/best-friend-and-delicious-food/

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The best travel destinations for delicious food

People have different expectations about their favorite vacation destination. Some want to see the architectural buildings, others like to walk in the mountains or in the beauty of the nature and others like a beach vacation. No matter which kind of travel you prefer, delicious food is always important on your vacation destination.
Here are some summer travel destinations where you can expect great and delicious food and it's maybe one of the main reasons to choose for a vacation in one of these countries:
1. Italy
Italy is a popular travel destination for several reasons. Most everyone loves pasta and you can't find one place on earth where you can eat better pasta than in Italy. Pasta is served with almost every meal and it is often the first dish of your Italian meal. Spaghetti al pomodore (spaghetti with tomato sauce) is one of the most popular pastas in this country but you will be amazed how many different kinds of pastas you can find.
The Italian restaurants offer you plenty of different kinds of pastas and composed with different ingredients and also typical Italian herbs. Spaghetti with seafood (salmon, crab, shrimps, calamari etc.) is really delicious. People who prefer meat can choose for pasta with different kinds of meat. You will be amazed how many different types of pasta and in different shapes you can find, for example Macaroni, Lasagna, Ravioli, Tagliatelli, penne, rigatoni, fettuccine etc. The art of preparing their pasta is the delicious sauce they can add and often they use tomatoes which tend to be much better than in most other countries of the world.
Most everyone will enjoy the delicious dessert on their vacation destination. Italy is famous for its ice-cream and probably one of the desserts which everyone likes. Savoring the gelato can be considered as a must if you make a trip to Italy. There are many travelers who choose Italy as travel destination especially for the delicious food and you can't find one place on earth where you can eat ice-cream of this quality and you will find in almost every street at least one gelaterie. Ice-cream or gelato in Italy is always made of whole milk and probably the main reason why you can't find the same quality in any other country of the world.
2. China
Chinese food is popular in every country of the world. China is an excellent travel destination for great food because most everyone enjoys the Chinese cuisine. You probably know the taste of many dishes in your hometown but if you make the trip to China you will notice that there is a great difference in taste. If you don't live in Asia you will never have eaten rice of the same quality as in China. China has many rice fields and it is one of the main dishes of a typical Chinese meal.
There are different food styles in China and dependent which are in China you visit. Beijing is the perfect place to eat the Peking duck, Shanghai is famous for pork bun and Dim Sum is a popular dish is Southern China. Eating soup is also different in China; most Chinese restaurants serve soup after dinner. Only the Cantonese cuisine is different, they serve the soup like in most other countries of the world (before the meal).
There is a great variety of dishes in every part of meal but you will differences in the taste if you taste the same dish in different areas of China. It is also a nice experience to eat your food with shop sticks like Chinese people do. It can be difficult the first days but with some practice you will like to eat Chinese food without knife and fork. Chinese tea is really the best in the world, especially green tea and Jasmine tea. China is an excellent place for great food and most travelers consider the Chinese cuisine as one of the best in the world.
3. Norway
Norway is an excellent travel destination for great food if you like to eat fish. Salmon, crab, lobster, shrimps and any other kind of seafood is never better than in this Scandinavian country. You will find many restaurants which offer buffets with a variety of all kinds of fish and even if you take a cruise during your travel you will be amazed how excellent the fish you get on your dish taste.
Norway is a perfect travel destination if you like to eat healthy and you prefer fish instead of meat. It is possible to eat excellent meat in Norway but they are the experts of preparing all kinds of seafood. They use different cooking styles which we rarely use in other countries of the world.
There are many summer travel destinations for great food and it varies from person to person which country they prefer. Italy and China are probably the top countries for great food during your summer vacation but also France, Norway, Japan, India and even the Philippines are popular travel destinations for great food. France is popular for its food because the habitants can spend hours to enjoy their meal. Meat and vegetables are often fresh cooked and most everyone will enjoy a French meal with the excellent wine of this western country in Europe.
When you like to enjoy your summer vacation with excellent food you can best choose a vacation destination where you can find food which fits your preferences. If you don't like spicy food you can best avoid tropical countries and maybe Italy, Norway or France are the best travel destinations for great food for you. In other circumstances you can choose for India, the Philippines, Mexico and some other tropical countries. Italy and China are excellent travel destinations for most everyone but it's best to do a little bit research before you decide and you want to enjoy your meal on your travel destination

from - http://www.bukisa.com/articles/135605_the-best-travel-destinations-for-delicious-food

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Best Food in Beijing

Best Food in Beijing-
Peking Roast Duck
China is one of the first countries to domesticate ducks for the table. Cooking methods include steaming, boiling, stewing, roasting, frying and so on. Historical records show that Beijing Roast Duck started some 300 years ago, and roasting duck first began in Nanjing, then known as Jingling capital city of Jiangsu province. At that time, Jinling was the capital of the early Ming dynasty. When the capital moved to Beijing, the dish was also brought to Beijing as a delicacy on the imperial menu. In about 1630, a eunuch wrote a book on the imperial diet and referred to roast goose, pork, chicken and duck as the most favor courses in the palace. Ideally, the duck must be the white Beijing variety. It should be 65 days old when slaughtered and weigh 2.5kgs every 6 hours of the last 20 days of their life, they queue obediently for a force feeding of highly nutritious mush that thickens the layer of fat under the skin. It takes four days to prepare a duck for the oven.


After plucking the bird is thoroughly cleaned, with each part carefully set aside for later use. Air is pumped into the duck between its skin and flesh to give the rich when the duck is cooked. It is then brushed with a glaze and hung up to dry for 24hours, to further separate the shin from the meat. When roasting, the duck is filled with water until the roasting is done and then the duck is hooked on a spit in a huge, round oven which can take up to 20 ducks at a time. The ducks are roasted in a doorless oven, using non smoky hardwood fuel, such as Chinese date, peach or pear to impart a subtle fruity flavor to the skin. The oven is heated to 270 degrees centigrade and the ducks are left to roast for 30 minutes, depending on the sizes of the ducks and the ducks must be turned frequently throughout the roasting process to ensure even cooking and to prevent them from burning. From time to time, the chef will hook down a duck and suspend it directly over the fire usually for no more than 30 seconds.
Since 1949 Beijing chefs have created over 100 dishes using every part of the duck from brains to webs. But while every Beijing roast duck restaurant serves its own style of all duck banquet, most people still prefer to eat duck by itself with a few glasses of wine. Connoisseurs quibble about whether to eat the crispy shin alone, or the skin and the meat, or the meat alone may be all parts, who knows? Just make your own choice and choose the parts you like. A Beijing duck dinner is more than just a meal. Normally, there is an accepted method of preparing Beijing roast duck, likewise, there is also a proper way to eat. Holding a wafer pancake in his left hand, the diner picks up two or three pieces of meat cut into 2inch square slices and having dipped them into a thick sweet sauce, places them in the center of the pancake and adding some green Chinese onion, fold the pancake and munches, Bon appetite

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The best travel destinations for delicious food

The best travel destinations for delicious food
People have different expectations about their favorite vacation destination. Some want to see the architectural buildings, others like to walk in the mountains or in the beauty of the nature and others like a beach vacation. No matter which kind of travel you prefer, delicious food is always important on your vacation destination.
Here are some summer travel destinations where you can expect great and delicious food and it's maybe one of the main reasons to choose for a vacation in one of these countries:


1. Italy
Italy is a popular travel destination for several reasons. Most everyone loves pasta and you can't find one place on earth where you can eat better pasta than in Italy. Pasta is served with almost every meal and it is often the first dish of your Italian meal. Spaghetti al pomodore (spaghetti with tomato sauce) is one of the most popular pastas in this country but you will be amazed how many different kinds of pastas you can find.
The Italian restaurants offer you plenty of different kinds of pastas and composed with different ingredients and also typical Italian herbs. Spaghetti with seafood (salmon, crab, shrimps, calamari etc.) is really delicious. People who prefer meat can choose for pasta with different kinds of meat. You will be amazed how many different types of pasta and in different shapes you can find, for example Macaroni, Lasagna, Ravioli, Tagliatelli, penne, rigatoni, fettuccine etc. The art of preparing their pasta is the delicious sauce they can add and often they use tomatoes which tend to be much better than in most other countries of the world.
Most everyone will enjoy the delicious dessert on their vacation destination. Italy is famous for its ice-cream and probably one of the desserts which everyone likes. Savoring the gelato can be considered as a must if you make a trip to Italy. There are many travelers who choose Italy as travel destination especially for the delicious food and you can't find one place on earth where you can eat ice-cream of this quality and you will find in almost every street at least one gelaterie. Ice-cream or gelato in Italy is always made of whole milk and probably the main reason why you can't find the same quality in any other country of the world.
2. China
Chinese food is popular in every country of the world. China is an excellent travel destination for great food because most everyone enjoys the Chinese cuisine. You probably know the taste of many dishes in your hometown but if you make the trip to China you will notice that there is a great difference in taste. If you don't live in Asia you will never have eaten rice of the same quality as in China. China has many rice fields and it is one of the main dishes of a typical Chinese meal.
There are different food styles in China and dependent which are in China you visit. Beijing is the perfect place to eat the Peking duck, Shanghai is famous for pork bun and Dim Sum is a popular dish is Southern China. Eating soup is also different in China; most Chinese restaurants serve soup after dinner. Only the Cantonese cuisine is different, they serve the soup like in most other countries of the world (before the meal).
There is a great variety of dishes in every part of meal but you will differences in the taste if you taste the same dish in different areas of China. It is also a nice experience to eat your food with shop sticks like Chinese people do. It can be difficult the first days but with some practice you will like to eat Chinese food without knife and fork. Chinese tea is really the best in the world, especially green tea and Jasmine tea. China is an excellent place for great food and most travelers consider the Chinese cuisine as one of the best in the world.
3. Norway
Norway is an excellent travel destination for great food if you like to eat fish. Salmon, crab, lobster, shrimps and any other kind of seafood is never better than in this Scandinavian country. You will find many restaurants which offer buffets with a variety of all kinds of fish and even if you take a cruise during your travel you will be amazed how excellent the fish you get on your dish taste.
Norway is a perfect travel destination if you like to eat healthy and you prefer fish instead of meat. It is possible to eat excellent meat in Norway but they are the experts of preparing all kinds of seafood. They use different cooking styles which we rarely use in other countries of the world.
There are many summer travel destinations for great food and it varies from person to person which country they prefer. Italy and China are probably the top countries for great food during your summer vacation but also France, Norway, Japan, India and even the Philippines are popular travel destinations for great food. France is popular for its food because the habitants can spend hours to enjoy their meal. Meat and vegetables are often fresh cooked and most everyone will enjoy a French meal with the excellent wine of this western country in Europe.
When you like to enjoy your summer vacation with excellent food you can best choose a vacation destination where you can find food which fits your preferences. If you don't like spicy food you can best avoid tropical countries and maybe Italy, Norway or France are the best travel destinations for great food for you. In other circumstances you can choose for India, the Philippines, Mexico and some other tropical countries. Italy and China are excellent travel destinations for most everyone but it's best to do a little bit research before you decide and you want to enjoy your meal on your travel destination

 

Monday, February 14, 2011

delicious japanese food Japanese Tofu with Minced Pork

Japanese Tofu with Minced Pork
One of my favourite dishes at Chinese restaurants is the Sizzling Tofu. Tofu is first pre-fried before being laid on a hot plate. As the minced pork gravy is poured over it, the hot plate sizzles and hence, its name. Over at home, we don’t have a hot plate. So, sizzling tofu is out of the picture. But we can always do something similar in taste, can’t we?


I use Japanese Tofu in this recipe. They come in tubes and I have chosen the tofu which has eggs as part of its ingredient as it is more flavourful and has a nice yellow colour to it (though I wonder whether it is colouring or natural colour from the egg yolk). Anyway, you can always buy them from the supermarkets and are readily available. The other ingredient is minced pork. Extras include chinese dried mushrooms / shiitake mushrooms and carrots – both to boost up the flavours and colour. I have omitted eggs in this dish (usually sizzling tofu would have an egg broken over the tofu as it sizzles on the hot plate).
This is my recipe for Japanese Tofu with Minced Pork
Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 tubes of Japanese Tofu (see cooking method below)
  • 50 – 100 grammes minced pork
  • 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • Sliced carrots (amount up to you)
  • 3 to 5 pieces of chinese dried mushrooms (pre-soaked and cut into small pieces)
  • Corn starch (mix 1 tablespoon corn flour with 5 tablespoons water)
  • 2 tablespoons of Corn flour
  • 100 ml warm water
  • Sufficient oil for deep frying (palm oil preferred)

Marinade (for minced pork)
  • 2 teaspoons light soya sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
  • a few dashes of white pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon of corn flour
 

Seasoning
  • 1/2 tablespoon or more of dark soya sauce
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of oyster sauce
  • Salt and white pepper powder to taste

Method
To prepare tofu, cut across the tofu tube. Gently push the tofu out of the tube from the closed end. Cut tofu across at not more than 2 cm thick. Dust the tofu lightly with corn flour.
Heat oil in wok. Deep fry the tofu till golden brown, remove and set aside on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Place fried tofu on a serving plate.
Remove oil from wok leaving about 2 tablespoons in it. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute or longer till aromatic. Add minced pork and stir well. When minced pork is half-cooked, add carrots. Continue to stir fry till minced pork cooked / seared on the outside. Add seasoning followed by warm water and allow to boil for 1 minute.
Thicken gravy to your liking using a teaspoon of corn starch at a time. Pour gravy over the tofu and serve hot with steamed white rice

Saturday, February 12, 2011

delicious japanese food Luxurious Hot Pot

why I'm such a huge fan of Japanese hot pots: They're so incredibly versatile -- whip them up for a quick family meal, or transform them into an elaborate feast. Case in point, last night's luxurious procession pictured above, complete with two bottles of Tattinger. Fancy. My wife, pals and I gathered around the hot pot to celebrate the publication of my dear friend Lisa Napoli's fantastic new book about Bhutan (Radio Shangri-La -- you gotta read it!). I wanted to make a seafood hot pot with a delicate broth. Here's what I did:
For the broth, I simply stuck a six-inch piece of kombu in a pot of water and let it stand for an hour. While the kombu was infusing the water, I arranged on platters five kinds of mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, oyster, maitake, and shimeji), five kinds of seafood (fillet of cod, head-on giant shrimp, scallops, clams and freshly shucked oysters), napa cabbage, Japanese negi long onions, "broiled" tofu, shungiku greens, and itokonnyaku noodles.


 I placed my portable burner on the dining table with my hot pot on top, arrayed the platters around it, and added the kombu-infused water. I brought out ponzu and yuzu kosho for accents. We all took our seats, and I started things off by adding napa cabbage to the bottom of the hot pot, and other ingredients on top, in separate neat bunches. I covered, and cooked. When it was ready, we served the ingredients and broth ourselves, accenting with ponzu and fiery yuzu kosho, to taste. We continued eating in leisurely rounds, sipping champagne, my guests and I adding more ingredients (and kombu water) to the amazing broth, at will. Lovely evening! And as an added bonus: I used left-over broth today for udon with poached egg. Delicious. (Never discard that amazing broth!)

Quick reminder: My pal and coauthor Tadashi and I are holding a master class in hot pot cooking next week at Tadashi's restaurant Matsuri in NYC. There are still a few seats left
from - http://www.japanesefoodreport.com/

Thursday, February 10, 2011

what is breakfast in japan

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries took a survey from a sample from over 5000 people which reveals that less that 10% of Japanese folks regularly eat breakfast
And why is not eating brekkie bad?
Well the ministry of agriculture had a load of other data from over a million samples showing that children who eat brekkie every morning do better at tests in school.
This page of survey results also show that kids who eat brekkie daily do better in physical education tests too.
Results further down the page show that folks who skip brekkie get agitated easily and don't have motivation to do stuff.
The reasons are listed on this page which explain how the brain needs sugar to function properly and without it one will find it difficult to concentrate and remember things.
As you can imagine, this is a bit of a bother to Japan as their statistics show that 90% of the population are "unable to concentrate or remember things effectively."
Another reason why I can imagine its bad is because there could be more people spending money on food and the economy needs as much cash flow as possible
To help remedy the situation, the ministry of agriculture has been heavily promoting a campaign called Mezamashi Gohan or "Wake up Breakfast" which encourages people to start eating brekkie.
The ad below shows a young business man always saying how its bothersome to eat breakfast - younger daughter being played by Kie Kitano-chan convinces him that he must have his morning does of food.





One thing about Tokyo is that there is hardly anything to eat outside for brekkie apart from fast food places like Mc Dees, Yoshinoya and Sukiya.
Living in the UK and US, I enjoyed a plate of bangers n mash, scrambled eggs n toast n baked beans - meals that one could easily get at a cafe in the morning. If one wanted to eat breakfast like this (without having to cook it) in Japan, one needs to go to a hotel - the Cerulean in Shibuya does a good brekkie but costly.
I do enjoy brekkie in Singapore - just enter a food court and one is spoilt for choice as to what to choose. Wonton noodles with some milk tea please.
Back to Japan, at home we have a mix of fruit, bread, yogurt, cereal, rice n pickles, congee and the occasional bacon n eggs. I find it extremely difficult to get by without breakfast and would only skip it when having a health check because they require you to go on an empty stomach. I get the runs and skiddy pants if I ever do miss brekkie.
Do you regularly eat breakfast? if so what is your morning diet like?

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Healthy & Delicious Japanese Food

from - http://ezinearticles.com/?Healthy-and-Delicious-Japanese-Food&id=4187925

If you do business around the world, you need to know about the food from different cultures. When travelling, it is also important to know how to make healthy food choices. Here is some important information to know if you are dining in Japan.
The most common appetizer offered in a Japanese restaurant is edamame, which is steamed soybeans that are salted and left in the pod. Edamame is a great choice because it is high in protein, low in calories, and very tasty. Another common choice is yakatori which is skewers of grilled, lean meat and vegetables. This dish is high in protein and nutrient rich due to the vegetables.
Soup is always a good healthy choice in any culture and miso soup is a favorite at most Japanese restaurants. It is a light broth created from a miso (soy) paste with scallions and tofu. Many believe that starting with a broth soup can help one consume less calories during the rest of the meal. Another popular soup choice is Udon noodle soup. This light broth contains noodles, tofu, vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms. Udon noodle soup is very healthy and extremely filling. There are other good choices such as the very nutrient-rich seaweed salad which is made from chopped seaweed, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions, and sesame oil. Although it sounds unusual to most Americans, it is a very tasty salad.
The main meal in Japan usually consists of sushi which is raw fish. The term sushi actually refers to the white rice mixed with rice vinegar and a bit of sugar. In the United States, we use the term sushi for a variety of raw fish items, but in Japan it is good to know the specific names of each type of dish.
* Nigiri is fish draped over balls of rice.
* Maki is fish wrapped in seaweed and rice and then cut into pieces.
* Temaki is fish and rice wrapped up in a seaweed cone.
* Sashimi is raw fish served without rice.
Part of enjoying international cuisine is the ability to understand the menu. With a few simple tips, everyone can enjoy a delicious and healthy Japanese meal. The more you know about different cultures and cuisines the more successful you will be in international business. Being open to learning and trying new experiences is a big asset.
One company that can help you learn about the nuances of different cultures is Rapport International. Rapport International is a translation and interpretation company based in metro-west Boston, MA. Rapport can provide quality translation done by experienced translators in over 100 languages.
Wendy Pease is Executive Director of Rapport International, LLC a full-service translation and interpretation company. Rapport offers foreign language services in over 100 languages. Ms. Pease is also an expert on diversity training and international marketing communications
link
http://meganfoxstar.blogspot.com/
http://elishasexycool.blogspot.com/
http://junkfoodtoday.blogspot.com/
http://japanesefoodyum.blogspot.com/

Sunday, February 6, 2011

delicious japanese food

If you do business around the world, you need to know about the food from different cultures. When travelling, it is also important to know how to make healthy food choices. Here is some important information to know if you are dining in Japan.



The most common appetizer offered in a Japanese restaurant is edamame, which is steamed soybeans that are salted and left in the pod. Edamame is a great choice because it is high in protein, low in calories, and very tasty. Another common choice is yakatori which is skewers of grilled, lean meat and vegetables. This dish is high in protein and nutrient rich due to the vegetables.
Soup is always a good healthy choice in any culture and miso soup is a favorite at most Japanese restaurants. It is a light broth created from a miso (soy) paste with scallions and tofu. Many believe that starting with a broth soup can help one consume less calories during the rest of the meal. Another popular soup choice is Udon noodle soup. This light broth contains noodles, tofu, vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms. Udon noodle soup is very healthy and extremely filling. There are other good choices such as the very nutrient-rich seaweed salad which is made from chopped seaweed, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions, and sesame oil. Although it sounds unusual to most Americans, it is a very tasty salad.
The main meal in Japan usually consists of sushi which is raw fish. The term sushi actually refers to the white rice mixed with rice vinegar and a bit of sugar. In the United States, we use the term sushi for a variety of raw fish items, but in Japan it is good to know the specific names of each type of dish.
* Nigiri is fish draped over balls of rice.
* Maki is fish wrapped in seaweed and rice and then cut into pieces.
* Temaki is fish and rice wrapped up in a seaweed cone.
* Sashimi is raw fish served without rice.
Part of enjoying international cuisine is the ability to understand the menu. With a few simple tips, everyone can enjoy a delicious and healthy Japanese meal. The more you know about different cultures and cuisines the more successful you will be in international business. Being open to learning and trying new experiences is a big asset.
One company that can help you learn about the nuances of different cultures is Rapport International. Rapport International is a translation and interpretation company based in metro-west Boston, MA. Rapport can provide quality translation done by experienced translators in over 100 languages.
Wendy Pease is Executive Director of Rapport International, LLC a full-service translation and interpretation company. Rapport offers foreign language services in over 100 languages. Ms. Pease is also an expert on diversity training and international marketing communications