Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category
If you are preparing any kind of meals from a recipe, it’s important that you understand the various methods of cooking. There are a number of terms for different ways of cooking, as follow.
Grilled
If a recipe calls for something to be grilled, it generally means it should be cooked over an open flame or heat. Grilling can be done by charcoal or gas – on a barbeque for example – or it can be done using a grill of some sort on the burners of your stove.
Broiled
Broiling indicates cooking by exposing directly to a heat source such as a flame or element. Most ovens have a “broil” setting, which heats an element at the top of the stove rather than the one at the bottom, which is used for baking.
When broiling items in the oven, they should normally be placed on the top rack to give them the proper heat exposure.
Frying vs Deep Frying
Both frying and deep-frying cook foods with a similar process, but the method is a little different in each case. Frying can be done over any heat source, such as a stove element or an open flame. Oil or butter is heated and the food is cooked by its heat.
Deep frying, on the other hand, also involves oil but in this case the food is completely submerged in the oil. Deep frying is used for foods such as french fries, breaded chicken and doughnuts. It can be dangerious, however, because you’re dealing with boiling oil so proper equipment and safety precautions must be used.
Sauteing
Sauteing involved cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat. It is similar in process to frying, but because of the smaller amount of fat and faster cooking times, it brings out stronger flavors than frying will.
Knowing what is involved with the various terms will make it easier to plan when following a recipe. You’ll know what equipment and ingredients you’ll need that are unique to each method.
1) Absinthe was invented at the end of the eighteenth century. Absinthe was actually invented by a French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire. He invented absinthe by distilling wormwood and several other herbs into an alcoholic base. Although this may seem strange in today’s modern world of medicine, at the time it was considered a viable remedy for patients with various ailments.
2) Although it contains special properties that other alcoholic drinks do not, absinthe actually contains an extremely high amount of alcohol. To put it in perspective, most brands of gin, whiskey and vodka contain approximately forty percent alcohol. Depending on the brand of absinthe, it can contain anywhere from fifty to seventy percent alcohol. Therefore, although you should enjoy any absinthe experience you have to the fullest, make sure you enjoy it responsibly and do not attempt to drive a car after spending an extended amount of time with the Green Fairy.
3) Absinthe has been associated with the Green Fairy since the nineteenth century. The French originally gave absinthe the nickname La Fee Verte, which the English later translated into the Green Fairy. However, Green Fairy is not the only nickname that has been given to absinthe over the years. Aleister Crowley gave absinthe the nickname Green Goddess, while many artists and poets coined the term Green Muse for absinthe.
4) Modern science has actually attempted to take a stab at explaining exactly how the Green Fairy works. In 2000, scientists studied the effects of the wormwood herb on the human brain. The study was conducted by a variety of researchers at Berkeley, the University of California and Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. After extensive research, the scientists found that wormwood (along with other components of absinthe) cause “CNS cholinergic receptor binding activity.” In laymen’s terms, absinthe actually improves the cognitive functions of the brain!
Alright the holidays have passed and needless to say you’re tired of turkey, ham or roast beef or what ever and now you maybe watching your diet after indulging yourself. So here are some quick and easy food ideas that keeps calories in mind but are still good and are a nice change of pace. If you’re really trying to watch your calories then try to keep the wine to only one glass a day and not too late at night the reason for this is that wine contains alcohol which will slow your body’s ability to burn calories. Of course you can always forget the wine but just remember you might not enjoy your meal as much.
We hope that you enjoy these recipes and they give a nice change to your meal ideas and nice change of pace. There can be many befits to adding wine to your meal it can enhance your dining experience with the proper wine food matching.
Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe
1 can of tuna fish usually packed water or oil
1/3 cup of cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/4 purple onion, chopped finely
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
1 Tablespoon of capers
Juice of half of a lemon
Pinch or two of dill
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Mix all of the ingredients. Be sure not to drain the water or oil from the can of tuna. Use it instead in the tuna salad mixture. I like to serve on toast, either open faced, or in a regular sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes and pickles. For a low carb option, serve on sliced lettuce. You can server this along with vegetables or cottage cheese. For wine Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc other wine that you might like.
Shrimp with Avocado Salad
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grape-seeds oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and de-veined
2 ripe avocados
Lettuce – preferably butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce
Lemon slices for garnish
As and Option – 2 Tbsp chopped roasted walnuts or pistachios
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Combine oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Chop shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and add to oil mixture. Arrange leaves of lettuce on individual plates. Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Remove some of the avocado around the pit area and mix in with the shrimp. With a spoon, carefully scoop out avocado halves from their skins in one piece. Place avocado half on plate with lettuce, spoon shrimp mixture on to avocado. Sprinkle with walnuts and cilantro (optional). Serve with lemon slices for garnish. You can server this along with vegetables or cottage cheese. For wine Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc or you choice of wine.
Spanish rice with Chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock if vegetarian
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds of chicken which can be grilled or fried and cut in to slices or chucks and added along side the rice or mix with rice as it simmers. This is a nice addition along with the rice and can be mixed in once the rice has been cooked as well.
In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium-high heat the add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, or until onions are softened.
In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package and let sit for 5 minutes. For wine Chenin Blanc or maybe Gewürztraminer again depending on your taste for wines.
The complete these recipes but there are many more avail so if you enjoy food wine as much as most people then stop by and visit our site listed below. Till the next time enjoy good food good wine and life.