In terms of the food business, in the new normal era, people are required to remain productive while maintaining health and implementing health protocols. In this transition period the community is also required to be creative and see the business opportunities that exist at this time. In these conditions the food business is suitable for running especially healthy and hygienic foods, because at any time we need food.
Control Changes in Food Consumption in The New Normal Era
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 9:10 PM | controlling, covid-19, food, Healthy, Life, new normal, pandemic, prepare | 0 comments »In terms of the food business, in the new normal era, people are required to remain productive while maintaining health and implementing health protocols. In this transition period the community is also required to be creative and see the business opportunities that exist at this time. In these conditions the food business is suitable for running especially healthy and hygienic foods, because at any time we need food.
4 Types of Food to Prepare When Isolating Yourself at Home
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 4:46 PM | covid19, fruits, home, isolation, protein, stock, vegetables | 0 comments »In some countries, some offices implement work operations at home to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Likewise with schools and campuses starting to impose online learning systems. This shows that you and your family will be at home to isolate yourself for a very long period of time.
While you are at home, don't forget to pay attention and prepare healthy food intake. Just prepare the food you need and buy food as needed to save your expenses.
Dalgona Coffee Recipe, Delicious and Easy, Just 3 Steps!
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 4:27 PM | Coffee, Coffee Machines, Dalgona, Homemade | 0 comments »Dalgona coffee is currently being viral on various social media such as twitter and instagram. various sources say, this delicious whipped coffee originated from Macau or Pakistan, but it was indeed popularized in South Korea, and in South Korea it is called Dalgona Coffee.
Think twice about healthy food choice: for a better life
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 7:04 PM | diabetes, diet, food, Healthy, Milk, yoghurt | 0 comments »Although all the food can be said to be healthy, not all of the food we eating healthy for our bodies.
However, there are some foods that are good for our body if taken in the right way. Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices. Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this, you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.
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Healthy Cooking at Kitchen is a Must for Families
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 6:32 PM | Cooking, Family, Healthy, kitchen | 0 comments »Read More..
How to Make an Irish Coffee
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 6:07 AM | Coffee, Cream, Float | 2 comments »
1. Heat up a stemmed whiskey goblet.
2. Pour in a shot of your favourite Irish whiskey.
3. Drop in three teaspoonfuls of brown sugar. (The sugar is essential for floating the cream on the top.)
4. Fill to within two inches of the rim of your favourite black coffee.
5. Stir the contents gently.
6. Add fresh cream, pouring over the back of a spoon to the top. (Whipped cream is sometimes used although it is not the original recipe but it will float even if the coffee is not made with sugar.)
7. Do not stir. The coffee is sipped through the cream.
It should, in the words of it’s creator, have ‘cream as rich as an Irish brogue; coffee as strong as a friendly hand; sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue and whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land.’
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net
4 Signs Your Kitchen Needs Remodeling
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 5:31 AM | boring, kitchen, new design, redesign, Remodeling | 0 comments »The kitchen is falling apart. Take a look around your kitchen. If you have an older kitchen, you may notice cabinet doors askew, or holes in the walls, bumps and pits in the kitchen floor, chips and scratches in the coutertop. These are all signs that the kitchen should be at least partially, if not completely remodeled. In some cases, the kitchen needs to be remodeled not only for appearance, but for safety. Cracks and gaps in the counter could trap food and dirt, providing an ideal breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. Sagging cabinet doors, and sharp edges can snag clothing. Bumps in the floor could cause tripping. These kind of issues need to be taken care of, to provide a safe working environment when preparing meals.
The kitchen is inefficient. Go into the kitchen and walk through a typical meal preparation process. Do you find yourself constantly running from one side of the kitchen to the other? Are the work surfaces far from the refrigerator, sink, and stove? Your kitchen may not be making the best use of the available space. Remodeling, and rearranging the kitchen can help to maximise use of the space, and make the workflow more efficient. If the kitchen is large enough, you may consider adding a table or kitchen island in the middle, giving you more workspace, and putting that workspace closer to where it's needed.
The kitchen is outdated. Your oven may have been state of the art... when it was installed in the 60's. If you have older appliances in your kitchen, you should consider replacing them. Modern appliances have more useful features than older appliances, and they are more efficient, getting more done, with less electricity. With energy costs rising, that could be a big factor. Modern appliances are often smaller and less bulky than older appliances, so you have the extra space for storage, or preparing meals.
You just want to. Even if the kitchen is in fairly good shape, and utilizes the space well, it just may not look as good as it could. The kitchen could be perfectly functional, but still look shabby and worn. You can change the look of the kitchen with a few simple projects. New flooring, new cabinets, a new sink, or even just a coat of paint can change the look of the kitchen. A few posters or paintings on the wall and some new canisters can help the look of the kitchen, without spending a lot of money.
Take a good look at your kitchen. Any or all of these reasons to remodel may apply. If you do need to remodel, you don't need to spend a lot of money on the project. You can start small, do a few small, inexpensive projects here and there, and save the bigger projects for later, when you have the time and money. Decide what needs to be done, and then get in there and do it.
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Muscle Milk Review - Why Does it Taste So Good?
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 5:21 AM | Chocolate, gym, Milk, Muscle, nonfat, protein, taste | 0 comments ». These protein supplements can be fast release or slow release. Which protein powder you should seek depends on your needs and goals.
The foremost thing you had better do is taste a sampling from each protein powder prior to purchasing one. If you are interested in more common flavors such as chocolate and vanilla, then check out the supplies at your local gym and check if there are sample packs or single servings of the various flavored protein powders. Perhaps you are thinking it is foolish buying a protein powder based upon taste, but trust me, there is a huge difference between protein powders. Why would you buy a flavor that you choke on whilst you drink it? You many also get stuck with one that is so lumpy you swear you are going to choke on a lump of dry powder. You must refuse to blow away your hard earned cash on a protein powder that tastes so ordinary you end up buying something elee and discarding the rest of the tub. Been there, done that! Be sure to do the taste test.
Luckily there is a fast way to pick a protein powder that's guaranteed to taste good. Pick any flavor of Muscle Milk! Yes, I'm sure you have heard about the taste, its true. If you google "best tasting protein powder", you will find many a muscle milk review showing that Muscle Milk dominates the protein market in terms of taste and quality. Muscle Milk is simply yummy. You'll have no trouble consuming the protein powder as many times as you need to. You will find yourself having extra shakes because it tastes so good. Muscle Milk also mixes very easily too. In the past I have thrown away a close to full container of a different brand as it just resisted mixing. I even blended it for about 5 minutes and still found lumps. Muscle Milk comes in many flavors too besides chocolate, in fact there is close to 30 flavors, cake batter is the new favorite.
Those who are serious about building muscle will understand how crucial it is to find a perfect protein supplement, which is all about choosing the right protein blend for you. If you don't know much about protein, you need to understand that there are many types that all work differently. I think the best options is to choose a protein that combines various protein sources so that you have both fast and slow release proteins in your system. Combining casein and whey is the best pick according to most studies - so be sure to check the label for this.
So should you choose muscle milk as your protein supplement? I have had great results with this product and so have my training partners, however it can be different for each person. I would suggest you read some muscle milk reviews from people who tried this product and observed the results, then you will have a better understanding if it is right for you. Read More..
Chocolate Pecan Pie: The Ultimate Southern Pecan Pie
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 5:17 AM | Chocolate, Pecan, Pie | 0 comments »For Christmas, you drive down to a friend's house in the south. Homemade meat loaf, fried chicken with cream gravy, classic macaroni and cheese, Southern style cornbread, crockpot barbecue country style ribs. You think to yourself, "Wow, these southern ladies really know how to cook." Just when you've stuffed yourself up to bursting, they serve the dessert: chocolate pecan pie.
You can't resist the lure of this chocolate pecan pie. You take just a little teeny-weeny bite. Oh the glorious taste. The sweet sumptuous chocolate taste combines incredibly well with the buttery and rich pecan tang. This is certainly a great twist to the traditional pecan pie you've been eating. Every bite of the chocolate pecan pie makes you want to taste even more. You feel happy, slightly intoxicated, and so at peace with the world that you want to hug everyone in sight.
Maybe you're letting yourself get carried away. But you feel like you've been taken back to the times when the Mayan people drank a warm unsweetened liquid chocolate for life and fertility. Chocolate was so precious then to the Mayans and the Aztecs who conquered them that it was used for currency. In the old Spanish courts where chocolate was brought after Cortes' journey to the Americas, it was mixed with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to produce an enticing drink. You picture yourself in the French courts in the 1600s where chocolate was reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Even the famous Casanova was rumored to use chocolates laced with champagne to seduce ladies.
You indulge in the bittersweet buttery flavor from the pecans in the chocolate pecan pie. These pecans also have a great story to tell. Some Native American tribes considered the pecan tree a symbol of the Great Spirit, the creator of all things. You picture yourself in the pre-colonial North America worshipping the Great Spirit under the wide canopy of the pecan tree. The nuts were favored by the Native Americans for food during the lean months of winter. You imagine the creamy liquid powcohicora prepared from pecan nuts drunk for sustenance or being added to broths or meat stews. Pecan fruits or nuts were considered valuable, so much so that they were used by the Native Americans as currency to trade for hides and mats from the Spaniards.
Did anyone back then every think that they could make something as sinfully delicious as chocolate pecan pie from chocolates and pecans? You rouse yourself from your reveries to find your slice of chocolate pecan pie gone. You reach for another slice, just a small one and go back to your reveries.
The great pecan pie had its roots in New Orleans. When the French settled in this area, the Native Americans taught them about pecans. Several nutty experiments later, voila! The pecan pie. You can't believe the first recipe for the pecan pie was made in 1925. It must have taken years to perfect the recipe for the perfect combination found in chocolate pecan pie. At least, that explains how the chocolate pecan pie became one of the most loved ingredients of a traditional Southern cooked meal.
For the best that Southern cooking has to offer, go to Tanner's Pecans and Candies. They offer a homemade chocolate pecan pie and other pecan treats for desserts that complete every home cooked meal.
What Makes the Starbucks Coffee Experience Special?
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 7:08 PM | Experience, Special, Starbucks | 0 comments »
Starbucks. When you say the name, it automatically conjures up an image: an upscale coffee bar with light wood, glass and chrome. The invigorating and inviting aroma of brewed coffee and the café atmosphere has made Starbucks the best-known specialty coffee
roaster and server in the world. Starbucks has done an excellent job of branding their company - it is the only coffee brand that is on the list of 100 most recognized brands in the world. What makes the Starbucks brand and the Starbucks coffee experience so ubiquitous that it ranks up there alongside Google, McDonalds and Coca Cola in name and brand recognition?
Sheer size and Starbuck's number of locations has something to do with name recognition and popularity. With over 16,000 shops worldwide, Starbucks is certainly one of the most visible brands in the world. However, this is not a matter of the chicken or the egg - in order to become so visible, Starbucks had to start off with something special in the first place. It is that “something special” that defines the Starbucks coffee experience.
The Third Place
Since the opening of its first stores in Seattle, Starbucks has striven to be more than just a place where you buy coffee
. Howard Schultz, company President and CEO, defined the atmosphere that Starbucks attempts to create when he said "We're in the business of human connection and humanity, creating communities in a third place between home and work."
The Third Place concept informs the design of Starbucks shops. While coffee takes center stage, the design is meant to make customers comfortable. To further customer comfort and social interaction, most Starbucks stores mix upholstered chairs and sofas with hard-backed chairs around tables. Most Starbucks stores offer free electricity to their customers so that they can plug in their laptops and all U.S. Starbucks offer Wi-Fi access through AT&T. In addition, many Starbucks feature a well-stocked reading and game shelf to encourage customers to settle in and hang out with friends for a while.
The Coffee Experience
More than anything else, of course, Starbucks is about the coffee. The company started out as a premium coffee roaster, and they stayed true to their roots by serving nothing but excellent coffee. As of early July 2008, Starbucks announced that they would be changing the way that coffee is made and served in their stores around the world in an effort to provide the best coffee
experience possible. The changes will be rolled in across the U.S. by the end of 2008, and include a commitment to grind and brew many coffee varieties to order, as well as to discard any coffee that has been brewed for more than thirty minutes.
In order to enhance the coffee atmosphere, Starbucks employees are requested to avoid wearing strong perfumes that might interfere with the coffee aroma, and nearly all Starbucks around the world are non-smoking indoors. The preservation of the coffee-centric atmosphere was the reason that Starbucks abandoned its short-lived foray into serving breakfast sandwiches. According to some sources, the smell of the breakfast sandwiches overpowered the coffee aroma, making the coffee cafes smell like diners - an image that the company does not want to present.
All About the Coffee
The Starbucks coffee experience extends to brewing your own Starbucks coffee at home. The coffee roasts that Starbucks have chosen for sale are those that best reflect the rich coffee flavor and aroma of your local Starbucks. Those roasts tend to lean heavily toward darker roasts, because it is easier to maintain consistency of flavor across batches when roasting darker. Darker roasts also tend to be more 'coffee' flavored than lighter roasts, which allow the variations of region and season to be more readily apparent.
Since 2000, the Starbucks coffee experience has also included feeling good about your coffee choices. That's the year that Starbucks started selling its line of Fair Trade Certified coffee. As of 2005, Starbucks was the largest single buyer of Fair Trade certified coffee in the world, buying over 11.5 million pounds of FTC coffee - about 10% of the entire U.S. volume of Fair Trade sales. The amount accounted for about 6% of the company's total coffee buying for that year. While some activist groups pressure Starbucks to increase the percentage of Fair Trade coffee that it offers for sale, company spokespeople point out that they pay above market price for coffee and that they also deal with many small growers who can't afford the cost of Fair Trade certification.
The Starbucks Coffee Experience
The Starbucks coffee experience can be summed up in just a few words: great coffee in comfortable surroundings served by an attentive staff and produced by a company that cares about our world. With great tasting drinks and a commitment to creating a fun atmosphere, it is no wonder why Starbucks has become a household name.
Popular Single Serve Coffee Pod Machine
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 6:55 PM | Coffee, Coffee Machines, Maker | 3 comments »A coffee pod maker takes lesser time to brew and is easy to clean. There is small room for mistakes with this machine.
Coffee pod machines are basically made of sealable plastic rods with small paper filters inside. Pods are placed in the machine and locked in place. Switch it on the water heats.
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Organic Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 6:35 PM | Chocolate, Oatmeal, organic | 0 comments »Organic Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups organic whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup organic butter
3 tbsp unsweetened organic apple sauce
¼ cup organic skim milk
2 tbsp organic cocoa powder
2 large omega rich organic eggs
2 cups old-fashioned organic rolled oats
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together in s small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter, Add skim milk. Add cocoa powder. Add the eggs. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until combined. Add the rolled oats and continue beating. (If you are adding chips or nuts, add them now.)
4. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on a lightly greased baking sheet. The resulting mounds of dough should be no large than walnuts.
5. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until done. Let sit on the cookie sheet for two minutes and then remove them to a wire rack to completely cool.
You can add a tsp of ginger to the mix or more cocoa or cinnamon, if you desire, that is all up to you. Whatever you decide to do, the end result is a healthy snack that can help you get your day going or give you a bit of a lift during the morning or afternoon break at work.
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How You Can Make Homemade Wine
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 10:15 PM | Homemade, Maker, Wine | 0 comments »Wine has been an important part of any occasion. It is commonly made from fermented grape juice, flowers, and grains. Countries like Italy, Portugal, United States, and Argentina are among the largest exporters of different wines.
The most expensive kind of wine is called “vintage”. Vintage wines are made from the highest quality grapes that are harvested several years before they are sold to the public.
While some wines are very expensive, there are some of good quality and that are relatively inexpensive. Among these wines are homemade wines that are commonly served to show old English hospitality.
Home winemaking is an exciting hobbiy designed for people who love social drinking or who are fond of giving away wine as gifts. Here are some tips on how to make homemade wine:
1.Get fresh produce from fields and orchards that let buyers pick their own fruits. Another option is getting fruit concentrate being sold by local winemaking stores.
2.Buy equipment needed in home winemaking. These are fermentation locks, Demijohns, plastic funnels, trial jars, siphon tubes, and wine bottles with corks.
3.Gather necessary ingredients to put flavor and a distinct taste to the wine. These are yeast, pectic enzyme, wine tannin, acid blend, and campden tablets.
4.Get recipies of the favorite wines to have accurate information about the exact amount of ingredients to use. The tip in making the best wine is accurately mixing ingredients to achieve desired taste.
5.Use fermentation bags in collecting pulp and submerge it into the wine mixture. Set aside covered fermenter within 24 hours.
6.Put yeast on the grape juice surface and cover it. Let the mixture ferment within 7 days.
7.After 7 days, discard pulp and siphon the mixture to prepare for secondary fermenter.
8.Add water to the wine mixture and allow it to ferment for 4-6 weeks or until it appears completely clear. Use hydrometer to make sure fermentation has been completed. Hydrometer should show 0.989 and 0.990 on its gravity scale.
9.The wine should be cleared completely after following the first 8 steps. After that, siphon the wine and add five crushed campden tablets.
10.Bottle the homemade wine and let it age.
Today, the best wines on the market are home made. They are surprisingly delicious and inexpensive. Anyone can make wine by simply following these 10 basic steps and then you can start impressing friends and family members during get-togethers.
For More Info please visit: http://wines-liquors-beer.blogspot.com
The 10 Most Trendy Seafood Restaurants in the United States
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 9:20 PM | Restaurant, Seafood, Trendy | 0 comments »United States is one of the havens of the best seafood restaurants in the globe.
Hook Restaurant is a well-maintained seafood restaurant in Washington D.C. operated by Chef Barton Seaver, who co-owns this place. The grilled calamari and the bluefish are the two most favorite items on the Hook's menu. The calamari is cooked over a wooden grill and dished up with basil walnut pesto and warm potato salad. Most of the diners
like to have it sliced, fried, and served with marinara sauce but the calamari is usually left in one or two pieces while it's grilled. The bluefish is cooked on a level grill and dished up with grilled lemon together with the same pesto with the calamari and a potato parsnip cake. The bluefish has a great flavor but it rots very quickly and this is the reason why many chefs
and home cooks are cautious of using it but it has become one of the top dishes on the Hook's Restaurant menu and many of their regular diners have really taken a liking to this fish.
This restaurant is specifically a sustainable seafood restaurant. It creates a remarkable dining experience but it's a restaurant with a conscience because the owners believe that they are also responsible for ocean conservation.
Restaurant Nora in Washington D.C is also one of the prominent seafood restaurants in the United States and it is the first restaurant to receive the organic certification, which means that the 95% of the ingredients used in this restaurant must come from expert organic farmers, growers, and suppliers. Nora Pouillon is the owner of this 23-year-old restaurant and the founding member of the Seafood Choices Alliance, an international association for sustainable seafood. It makes the seafood market environmentally and economically sustainable both on the fishermen and fish farmers to the wholesalers, retailers and restaurants. Menu on Restaurant Nora varies daily and features fresh, in season seafood among its organic selection. Lobster and salmon is one of the favorite seafood that this restaurant prepared because of its versatility, you can prepare this food in many different ways.
The Lundy Brothers Restaurant was serving seafood at the biggest restaurant in the United States with a seating capacity of 2400 persons but now its seating capacity was reduced to 700 people. The New York Preservation Commission chose this restaurant as a landmark in 1992. It was located at the heart of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. They offered a wide variety of seafood that is simple and well prepared.
Fore Street is a contemporary restaurant in Portland, Maine. At Fore Street menu, they concentrate on the best raw materials from community Maine farmers, fishermen, foragers and cheese makers. Their menu changes everyday based on the availability of the materials they need in their restaurants but one of the few items on their menu list that has become the signature dish of their restaurant is the wood oven roasted mussels and this is the most requested recipe.
The Newport Bay Restaurant is one of the most well known seafood restaurants in the Pacific Northwest, New Port Bay. This is a relaxing place where you can enjoy the ocean's bounty. The clamed chowder, flame-broiled Alaskan salmon and classic Halibut fish and chips are always the crowd pleasers and always on the top of the list of their diner's menu. Truly, in the United States there are a lot of seafood restaurants that offers good food and an astounding ambience.
What are Different Types of Kitchen Knives?
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 8:39 PM | knives, type | 7 comments »
Contrary to what some of us may believe, kitchen knives are not divided into two basic types - sharp or dull. In reality, kitchen knives are to the kitchen what handsaws are to a woodworking shop. There are numerous types of kitchen knives, each with their own purpose and design. In the same way you wouldn't use a chainsaw to trim a picture frame, you wouldn't use a meat cleaver to peel potatoes, for instance. Each blade performs a specific task, so knowing the different types of kitchen knives can help a cook work more efficiently and safely.
One of the most common kitchen knives used today is called a chef's knife. A chef's knife is used for many of the most basic food preparations tasks in the kitchen. It can chop through most vegetables and fruits, slice through meats and cheeses, and create a fairly fine mince or dice.
Chef's knives are usually sold in different sizes, although the largest and smallest sizes still perform the same tasks well. The different sizes are used to match the size of the knife with the size of the user's hand. Larger chef's knives can be harder to control if you have smaller hands, so be sure to test the grip of any knife for comfort before you add it to your collection.
Another variety of kitchen knife is the carving knife. A carving knife is generally larger than a chef's knife, although their basic shapes can be similar. A carving knife can be very rigid or very flexible, depending on the type of meat it is designed to carve. Carving a large pot roast may require a very rigid blade, while carving pork or fish steaks may require more flexibility. A carving knife is often accompanied by a large two-pronged tool called a carving fork.
On the smaller end of the kitchen knives spectrum is the paring knife. A paring knife's blade is rarely more than four inches long (about 10 cm), making it ideal for peeling and coring fruits and vegetables. A paring knife is also used to create special garnishes and other decorative elements. A paring knife's blade should be kept very sharp to prevent accidents. A dull paring knife can cause the user to place too much pressure on the blade, leading to slips and cuts.
Some kitchen knives are designed to prevent food preparation disasters. Many people find slicing through a loaf of bread to be an exercise in futility. This is why many cooks keep a long serrated knife on hand.
A serrated knife works much like a crosscut saw in woodworking. Instead of slicing through the hard crust and soft interior of a bread loaf, a serrated knife's blade makes a series of short saw cuts instead. Without the serrations, a regular knife blade would slide smoothly across the top of the crust without penetrating it. Some fibrous vegetables and fruits also benefit from a serrated knife's crosscutting design.
For removing bones from meats, many cooks uses narrow-bladed kitchen knives called boning knives. A boning knife is usually larger than a paring knife, with a rigid blade that tapers off to a point. It is used to carve out any remaining bones in red meats or to completely debone a whole chicken. A boning knife's narrow blade allows the user to cut around bones without excessive waste. A cousin to the boning knife, called a filet knife, is much more flexible and allows the user to remove skin from fish.
One of the largest kitchen knives is the cleaver. A cleaver has a very heavy, thick blade for cutting through the thickest portions of meat or bones. Despite its imposing size, however, it can also be used for fine chopping and dicing. Cooks can also use the flat side of a cleaver to crush garlic cloves, whole spices or seeds. A cleaver's flat blade can also be used to transfer chopped ingredients to the cooking area.
Other kitchen knives are more specialized, but they all serve a purpose. An oyster knife can penetrate the hard shell of oysters and clams and slice through the tendons holding the sections together. A deveining knife has a small, thin blade designed to remove the gritty vein found in raw shrimp, while simultaneously slicing through the shell. Other specialty knives help process grapefruits, slice through hard cheeses, open clam shells, and even carve steam holes for chestnuts.
Many people just moving into their own places for the first time, or newlyweds setting up a kitchen, may be overwhelmed by the array of kitchen tools available. It seems that there is a tool for almost any job, and picking the right ones seems impossible. Does the person rely on the kinds of spatulas Mom always used, or should he or she think about something new? Some kitchen tools are indispensable, and should be purchased first. Then, the person can go ahead and look for interesting gadgets.
Quality and multipurpose use are a couple of things to keep in mind when purchasing kitchen tools. A good example is measuring cups. Measures for dry and wet materials are different. A cook has two options: either buy a set of dry measuring cups, and a liquid measure, or buy a measuring cup that is marked for both dry and wet measures. However, a cook should always have a 2-cup liquid measure in a microwave-safe material. This will come in handy for numerous uses in the kitchen.
A cook should also have two or three different sizes of spatulas around, and a set of rubber or silicon scrapers. Wooden spoons are also a necessity in a well-stocked kitchen. They can be used with any cooking surface and are non-reactive, which means they can be used for stirring any food, no matter its composition. They are absolutely necessary for making a roux or candy.
A set of basic kitchen tools should also include a cutting board. The debate still rages over whether plastic or wood is the best material, but both are good if kept properly cleaned and stored. It all depends on the cook's preference.
The discussion of cutting boards inevitably leads to talking about kitchen knives. A bride, for instance, can register for that US$500 cutlery set she's been drooling over, but someone looking for basic kitchen tools may want to start a bit smaller. A cook should have a minimum of three knives: a 7-inch butcher/chef's knife; a 4-inch utility knife and a paring knife. These, along with a set of steak knives, should meet most cooking needs.
A beginning cook should also have a grater, a soup ladle, two or three serving spoons, one slotted, and a set of mixing bowls. Don't forget a can opener that will open bottles, as well, along with a balloon whisk. An electric hand mixer is also one of the basic kitchen tools. With a little thought and some common sense, anyone can stock up on basic kitchen tools without sacrificing quality or breaking the budget.
Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine resin is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure. Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters. Melamine can be easily molded while warm, but will set into a fixed form. This property makes it ideally suited to certain industrial applications.
Melamine resin is manufactured by mixing urea with formaldehyde under heat and pressure. The substances begin to polymerize and are forced into a mold which will create the desired shape. Under pressure, melamine releases water, which could make the plastic unstable if it is not removed. The materials finish polymerizing and create a finished product, melamine resin.
Melamine resin is known as a thermoset plastic, because the plastic is fixed after molding. If exposed to enough heat, melamine will melt. For this reason, melamine dishware should not be exposed to high temperatures like those in the oven and microwave. However, the plastic is able to withstand higher temperatures than other plastics. Because it is a thermoset plastic, melamine resin is difficult to recycle.
Melamine can be made into a foam product. Melamine foam has a distinctive structure composed of stacked bubble shapes, which are extremely hard and therefore can easily clean a wide variety of substances. Melamine foam is marketed under a variety of commercial names including Magic Eraser, a cleaning tool well known for removing scuffs and dirt from a wide range of surfaces.
Melamine resin is used in Formica and similar construction products made from composite materials. Formica is made using melamine resin, which is used to coat the fibers in the upper layer of the construction product. The melamine resin makes the end result heat resistant, so that hot objects can be set on the counter without concern. The surface of the material is designed to be easily wiped and cleaned, creating a long lived household product.
Melamine also plays a role in a wide range of flame resistant materials. These include textiles used in upholstery and the uniforms worn by firemen. Thermal liners, heat resistant gloves, and aprons to protect from splashback of hot substances are made using melamine. Melamine will protect a wearer from heat hazards, and will help to resist the spread of fire in aircraft and buses by providing a fire blocker.
Melamine is also used in the manufacture of some filters. The material is porous and will admit substances to pass through, but can be used to filter out particles of a particular size. Melamine filters are capable of handling a high capacity and can be used in hot environments due to the heat resistance of melamine. Melamine filters are also extremely efficient.
Aside from common commercial uses, melamine became a topic of much discussion in early 2007, when veterinary scientists determined it to be the cause of hundreds of pet deaths, because of pet food contamination. Prior to these reports, melamine had been regarded as non-toxic or minimally toxic. However, because of the unexplained presence of melamine in wheat gluten added to mass-produced dog and cat foods, it is the most likely cause. Pet owners report symptoms that are commonly associated with renal failure, which could be explained by the ammonia that may result from the digestion of the melamine.
The Cheeseboard Collective - A Great Place for Cheeses
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 8:22 PM | board, cheese, collective, plate | 0 comments »If you are planning to put together a beautiful cheese plate, check out The Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. Their selection of local and international cheeses cannot be beat, and their prices are by far the best I have found.
The Cheese Board has been in business for almost 39 years. They are a collective with about 30 members. Everyone who works there is a member and has equal decision-making power. They are so friendly and knowledgeable and….they have an amazing selection of international and domestic cheeses, as well as a bakery that produces interesting and delicious breads. I find that their prices are substantially less on their cheeses and breads than I find at high-end grocery stores or specialty shops. I love the casual atmosphere, too - the place is really charming.
While you are there, check out Cheese Board Pizza, which is a couple of doors down the block. Cheese Board Pizza opened about 20 years ago and is located just a few doors down the street from the original Cheese Board. They make only one kind of pizza made each day, and it is vegetarian. We are not vegetarians, but we absolutely love their pizzas. We buy them half-baked and finish the baking at home. We have found that they freeze well – just wrap them tightly in foil and freeze for up to a couple of months. Then take them out of the freezer and pop them (still frozen) into a very hot oven (about 450oF). Let them bake for about 10 minutes until bubbly. (If you can re-heat them on a hot pizza stone, that is even better.)
The Cheese Board
1504 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley
(510) 549-3183
www.cheeseboardcollective.coop
Cheese Board Pizza
1512 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley
(510) 549-3055
Making Perfect Coffee - The Bunn Coffee Machines Way
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 7:14 PM | Coffee, Coffee Machines, Perfect | 0 comments »Bunn has been synonymous with great coffee for decades. Ever since their introduction in 1963, Bunn coffee machines have set the standard for commercial pour-voer coffee systems. Bunn has been an innovator in the coffee industry since 1957 when they started making a revolutionary paper filter. They were already well-known in the coffee and restaurant industry when they introduced the Bunn Model X, the very first Bunn coffee machine. In 1973, Bunn made coffee history again with the first drip coffee maker for home use. Their home drip coffee maker started a revolution in the industry and for the past forty years, drip coffee makers have held the largest market share of all types of coffee makers in home use.
Bunn didn’t stop innovating with the drip and pour-over coffee makers, though. In 1990, they patented the first brewer to grinder interface so that Bunn coffee machines could grind and brew consistently great coffee every time. In 1997, Bunn took a stand against burned coffee with their Soft Heat system to keep coffee warm on the burner without overheating it. In 2001, Bunn introduced yet another innovation - the BrewWise system that saves individual customer profiles so that everyone in the house can have their coffee to their taste - or you can brew coffee just the way you like it for breakfast all the way to dessert coffee. With all that history of innovation and coffee goodness, you’d guess that the makers of Bunn coffee machines have some good advice for brewing coffee - and you’d be right. Here are some great tips for making excellent coffee from the makers of Bunn coffee machines.
Tips for Brewing Great Coffee from the Makers of Bunn Coffee Machines
Start with great tasting water. Believe it or not, hard water makes the best tasting coffee. Soft water doesn’t extract coffee flavor from the beans as well as harder water - but hard water can be rough on your coffee machine. You can use a water filter to remove most of the impurities from water, or use spring water. Skip the distilled water, though. It makes coffee that tastes flat.
Measure the coffee. Most of us here in the U.S. are accustomed to drinking weak brew made with too little coffee. Bunn recommends that you measure a full tablespoon for every five ounces of water. You’ll probably be shocked at how much coffee that actually is the first time you measure that out into your coffee basket, but the taste will convince you that this is what coffee is meant to taste like.
Keep it clean to make it great. Coffee oils build up on glass and metal and can get rancid quickly. Clean equipment makes the best coffee because there are no old coffee oils hanging around to spoil the flavor. Clean the glass decanter after every pot. Toss out the filter and grounds the moment the brewing is finished to keep it from dripping into the pot.
Clean the machine routinely following manufacturers instructions to remove coffee oils, lime scale and mineral deposits.
Use the right size disposable coffee filters. If your coffee filters are too small, grounds may escape into the coffee. If they’re too large, water will wick up above the filter basket rather than dripping over the coffee as it should. Bunn makes paper filters that are perfectly sized to fit all of their Bunn coffee machines.
Serve fresh-brewed coffee immediately. If you wait longer than twenty minutes to drink brewed coffee, it will begin to lose its flavor. If you won’t be drinking it that soon, you can hold it in a thermal carafe for up to sixty minutes before it starts to lose its flavor.
source: www.talkaboutcoffee.com
Diet Plans For Healthy Life
Posted by Catur Setiawan | 10:20 PM | diet, Healthy, Life, Plan | 3 comments »Diet plans are essential for leading a fit and healthy life. There are various diet plans that you can select, based on your requirements.
Some diet plans created are restrictive of carbohydrates and proteins. Others provide alternative food like cookie or the soup recipes. Still, others are integrated with stages or phases. But there's one which makes them united, most of them include fruits and vegetables.
3-Hour Diet
Description: Eat everything with perfect timing which was conceptualized by Jorge Cruise. It requires eating breakfast within 60 minutes upon getting up in the morning. Second is eating in 3 hour intervals or between meals. No more food is allowed 3 hours before going to bed at night.
What To Eat: 3 meals, 2 snacks, and a treat (carbohydrates, protein and fats) and small portion of sweets
Advantage: Flexibility of meal types and fits any food budget
Downside: It is not possible for very busy people
Atkins diet
Description: It is a meat based diet with no fruit or starchy vegetables conceptualized by Dr. Robert Atkins. No carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables and this results in using the reserve fats as source of energy
What To Eat: meat but no carbohydrates
Advantage: Effective for fast or crash diet
Downside: It is unhealthy since it doesn't practice good nutrition. In addition to that is the tendency for people to gain so much weight when diet stops. It increases risk of cancer.
The Cabbage Soup Diet
Description: It is a 7 day diet plan which includes cabbage soup recipe and other meals. Proper distribution of food groups within the 7 day period. It includes the special menu of cabbage soup. It also recommends taking in multivitamins to fight stress. It focuses on the lose water diet scheme.
What to Eat: cabbage soup menu, skim milk, brown rice, unsweetened drinks, fruits
Advantage: It is effective for fast dieting. There is no possibility of serious heart problems. It includes a very simple recipe.
Downside: Weight gain when one stops the cabbage soup diet.
Cookie diet
Description: It requires eating cookies the entire day to replace the breakfast and lunch meals. Dinner should be healthy and sensible. Using cookies in a low calorie diet tends to make someone feel full. Cookie is made of amino acids and fiber.
What to eat: four to six cookies throughout the day and a healthy dinner
Advantage: It is effective for those who skip meals and have no time. It does not need preparation.
Downside: It is not easy to make it as a lifestyle diet scheme so it's short term. There are limited flavors for the cookies available.
Eat to Live Diet
Description: It requires eating low calorie nutritious meals conceptualized by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Primarily, focus on vegetables and fruits with less salt and sugar.
What to eat: nuts, vegetables, fruits and no snacking
Advantage: It aims to lose weight yet remain healthy. It is not a tasteless diet. It is lifestyle changing and good to lower cholesterol.
Downside: It is lifestyle changing so it would require avoiding the usual snacking and eating out practices.
The Raw Food Diet
Description: It requires eating a low calorie nutritious diet which includes raw food. It is also known as the living diet. Raw food is one of the best diet foods. It encompasses the living food philosophy.
What to Eat: salad, cake, soup, vegetables, fruits with recipes
Advantage: It is a low calorie diet but healthy and nutritious. Some recipes do not require 100% raw food.
Downside: Reality is that some vegetables can't be eaten raw. It entails planning and preparation.
The Sonoma Diet
Description: It includes ten power foods flavored in 3 waves conceptualized by Connie Guttersen. Food preparation of the ten power flavored foods based on Mediterranean diet with portion control
What to Eat: whole grains, almonds, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, grapes, spinach, blueberries, strawberries, and olive oil.
Advantage: There is wide variety of food prepared with flavor and easy to maintain. Recipes are prepared to be shared with all family members.
Downside: It requires spending time for cooking.
The South Beach Diet
Description: The diet plans is restricted to low carbohydrates plus fruits and vegetables. It has 3 phases: restrictive, targeted and maintenance. It was created by Arthur Agatston.
What to Eat: lean meats, low fat vegetables and cheeses, low carbohydrates, fruits
Advantage: One eats three meals a day with snacks. It's easy to prepare food which includes frozen entrees.
Downside: Probably it is not as healthy as the Sonoma diet.
The Vegetarian Diet
Description: The diet plan involves a low calorie high in nutrients recipes. It must have a plan based on one's size from the Zone Food Blocks. It is a calorie restrictive diet.
What to Eat: sweet potato, brown rice, fruits and vegetables
Advantage: It is a healthy and balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and fat.
Downside: It needs menu planning to check on alternatives for meat.
The Zone Diet
Description: It is a diet plan of eating 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein. It allows one to enjoy 3 meals and two snacks each day. It is one of the most famous diets in Hollywood. It was created by Barry Sears.
What to Eat: lean meats, vegetables, whole grain
Advantage: It includes all types of foods.
Downside: It can be expensive for those who will avail of food delivery. It can be complicated to follow on the ratio pattern of food intake








