Food n’ Drink

posted by admin on Jul 4

Desserts, wow, even recalling the name is so enticing. Desserts are the favorite of one and all. No doubt, desserts are a course that commonly comes after the end of the meal but this course is much awaited throughout the meal. People feel anxious to finish their meals so that they can take the bliss of those delicious desserts in yummy flavors. Desserts are generally sweet food but sometimes they also come in strong flavors like that of a cheese. There are numerous desserts that can be relished after the meal. Few of them are cakes, fruits, cookies, custard, ice creams, candies, etc. These are the dishes that are generally served. Every place has its individual types of sweet dishes and deserts that they usually consume. Northern part is in love with desserts prepared from rice and milk, which they usually eat. On the other hand Southern part basically prepare desserts with varied ingredients but all involving coconut. Every place has its own dessert variety to make their meal complete and enriched with excitement. Desserts take the credit of making the meals interesting. Not only this, people often rejoice their festivals, occasions and happy moments with these desserts. Desserts thus have become another name and symbol of joy. People cook their favorite dishes, usually sweet dishes, on the occasion of happiness. It is believed that consuming sweet dishes is good in happy moments and it reflects the happiness. Also, sweets can also be served to family members and friends meeting after a long time as it increases the sweetness in relationships and friendships. Despite all benefits and several advantages people should shun these desserts and sweet dishes as much as they can. These dishes can be consumed occasionally but should be surely avoided on regular basis. The reason is that if taken in surplus amount, causes the abnormal increase of sugar level in the blood. This disease often termed as diabetes in medical language, has numerous ill effects accompanied with it. The common sufferers of this disease are usually professionals. Even the legendary Atlanta Plumbers(Need one?click here!), Oceanside Electricians (Need one? click here!) and Gladewater Roofers(Need one?click here!) are convicted with this disease.

posted by admin on Jun 28

Due to the current economic conditions more and more people are considering a career change or going back to school to improve their skills in their current profession.  If you have some experience as a baker or may want to pursue a baking career looking into a well known and accredited culinary arts baking academy would be highly recommended.

When applying for the job of baker most institutions require a minimum of a high school diploma.  With so many competing for the same job the more training certification and experience one has the better.

The demand for artisan bread and pastry bakers has increased steadily through the years. This is because there are more cinnamon roll bakeries, specialty bread and bagel shops opening every day.  In addition, a lot of grocery stores and restaurants now have bakeries on their premises providing fresh baked goods daily.

Many bakers have begun their careers as apprentices under the guidance of an experienced baker.  They learn the baking craft with on the job training which can take several years.  If you want more jobs to open up for you, it would be much better to enroll in a formal training program that is offered at a nearby two year community college, a culinary arts program  or professional-tech school or baking schools..

Through these creative cooking centers you will gain a wide range of information and learn the basics of menu planning and food prep as well as specialty gourmet bread and pastry techniques.  Other technical knowledge in nutrition, ingredients, icing and decorating trends will also be taught.  Each of these schools also have the latest mixing and baking machines, tools and other equipment that you will become proficient at operating and maintaining.  There are many health and sanitation laws and requirements that you will need to be familiar with as well.  Applied chemistry will demonstrate how baking ingredients are changed through heat and mixing methods.

There is a lot of physical work and technical head knowledge required to work in the baking profession.  Accredited baking schools will give you these skills, information and hands on knowledge so that you will be well informed on what the profession of a baker entails.

Each day a baker must check the baking schedule; Weigh, measure and mix ingredients to make dough, batter, fillings and icings; Work with huge and possibly complicated mixing and blending machines;  Knead, roll twist, and form dough into a variety of shapes for cookies, tarts, pies and more; Pare and cut fruits for pies and pastries; Have knowledge of the correct tools, pans and cooking sheets for each job; Setting proper oven temps and closely watching the goods as they bake; and most importantly, checking the baking equipment each day to be sure that they are up to local safety and health regulations and standards.

If all this sounds like something you would like to do, I recommend you do some online research into the many Baking Schools available.  There may be one near you or one located in an area of interest to you such as in the Sonoma Valley Wine country, San Francisco, Oregon, Italy and the list goes on.  Each region has their specialty baked breads and pastries which you may want to discover and bring home to your neighborhood bakery or restaurant.

posted by admin on Jun 28

Some old friends stopped by without calling first not long ago. We had a good talk with them, reminiscing old times, catching up on current events, and discussing politics. As the night progressed, I realized I needed to serve refreshments. This would be a difficult task, as I haven’t been to the store lately and my supply of food was dwindling. I surveyed the cupboard, trying to find a suitable choicebut couldn’t find anything appropriate. I refused to serve these people stale crackers, moldy cheese, or overripe fruit. I quickly scanned the contents of my refrigerator and freezer. How lucky could I be? Wedged between the fish sticks and popsicles in my freezer was a wonderful option…cheesecake.

Cheesecake is a truly delightful treat, I like to keep a few around for just these sorts of occasions. It is so versatile, it freezes well, is easy to serve, and can be used for just about any occasion. Whether it is a sweet snack, a handy dessert, or a covered-dish item for pot-luck dinners, cheesecake is an unforgettable and appropriate choice. I’ve even been known to give cheesecake to others as gifts.

Cheesecake can be stored for several days in the refrigerator or frozen for months. It tastes as fresh as the day you purchase it. It thaws in just a few minutes, is easy to slice into serving portions and simple to serve. Its creamy texture makes it easy to swallow, as well.

Cheesecake has a flavorful originality all its own, with the perfect combination of tartness and sweetness. There are a number of types of cheesecake from which to choose, making each a completely different dessert. Of these different choices, fruit-topped cheesecake offers a healthy and colorful option. Consider juicy, red strawberries, firm blueberries, or sweet peaches ladled generously over a slice of New York Style cheesecake and feel your mouth celebrate the complimentary flavors. For that extra-tart, exotic pleaser, try Key Lime cheesecake. Turtle cheesecake has that decadently rich taste that is simply scrumptious.

The cheesecake in my freezer just happened to be New York Style. This turned out to be the perfect choice for these particular friends, who are non-pretentious and very down-to-earth. I quickly placed the container on the counter to start thawing, started a pot of coffee and by the time it was finished brewing, the cheesecake was ready to slice and serve. What a delightful visit we had, conversing between mouthfuls of this deliciously refreshing treat.

Yes, cheesecake is a deliciously refreshing treat to serve in “spur of the moment” times like when friends unexpectedly stop by. In fact, all of our friends know I like to keep cheesecake on hand. I guess that it’s possible that our friends didn’t just “drop by”…maybe it was planned so they could enjoy some cheesecake…

posted by admin on Jun 17

You’d probably get very few definitions and plenty of specific dessert names if you were to ask a group of 100 people for their definition of a delicious dessert recipe. Probably, you may say that the most delicious dessert in the world is chocolate cheesecake. But then you still got lemon meringue pie, apple pie, ice cream cakes and a lot more. You can truly write a small dictionary of delicious dessert recipes.

Every family has a little stash of recipes, handed down from generation to generation. Every family claims there’s nothing quite like their own secret family treasure, particularly when it comes to tasty dessert recipes. It may well be that just a teaspoon of this or that ingredient can make that lemon meringue pie recipe unique and your family just wouldn’t have it any other way.

My Mom had her own little stash of wonderful dessert recipe cards, which she kept on index cards in a cute little painted metal box. Most were handed down from her Mom and Aunts. Three of my very favorite and most delicious dessert recipes are still in my possession: one is for fresh strawberry pie, a summer delight all the neighborhood kids looked forward to eating for the other three seasons of the year. The second is her Mom’s secret, to-die-for lemon meringue pie. The third is her Mom’s famous Norwegian butter cookies.

Now these are the benchmarks against which I measure any other dessert. Although these delicious dessert recipes must be duplicated – almost – in millions of other households, even Marie Callendar’s pies don’t measure up to those pies. As for my Grandma’s cookies, well, they are like a little visit to Heaven on a plate.

The pastry I have yet to master is the fresh strawberry pie that had me closing my eyes, savoring the sweet delights of a mouthful of fresh strawberries. My grandma, mom, and all the kids would pile up into grandma’s car and drive for many miles just to buy strawberries from the farm when it was strawberry season.

Maybe what made that delicious dessert recipe an all-time favorite, to this day, is the fact that it took all day to procure the ingredients, or maybe it was the intoxicatingly fresh smell of thousands of fresh strawberries.

The lemon meringue pie made with fresh lemon and lemon zest is very lemony. The graham cracker crust added to its perfection.

As for those Norwegian butter cookies, there must be some Norwegian secret. No matter how I try to duplicate the plain butter cookie, with its ever so delicately browned edges, I cannot. I think you must have to be born in Norway or something. (She produced a similarly delicate and perfect pancake.)

So let’s hear your vote for the incomparably delicious dessert recipe! There must be thousands!

Article by Van T, you can learn more about him at his profile

posted by admin on Jun 14

1. love you some pie? King Tut Agrees!

Pies are old school…and have been enjoyed for more than a thousand years. It’s suspected that the first pies were created in Egypt and were filled with honey, fruits and nuts… much like the pecan, coconut and chocolate pies that we know and love today. Greek merchants embraced the pie movement and helped it cross the ocean to Europe where it was a huge hit with the Romans, the Spaniards, the British and ultimately found it’s way to my plate here in Jackson, TN!

1. One for You, 6 For Me!

Give or take a bite, every adult US citizen will consume 6 slices of pie in 2009.  The current population is estimated to be 306 million, 73% of which are adults. That means 223,380,000 people who are munching down 6 pieces of pie each.. that’s like… um.. well…. a lot of pie! Pie has penetrated American culture so deeply, that the term “As American as Apple Pie” is common place. As reported in a recent study by Crisco, Americas favorite pies are as follows. Apple, pumpkin, pecan,, banana cream and cherry in that order. 18% of males go on the record as saying their spouses make the best pie, while not surprisingly, only 2% of women return the compliment!

1. The Upper Crust

Pie is one of the few foods that can lay claim to its own official organization! You don’t hear much about the vegemite committee of America, but sure enough The American Pie Council is alive and well. “Designed to raise awareness, enjoyment and consumption of pies”, the APC organizes several annual events including the National Pie Championships and National Pie Day (which by the way is January 23^rd – mark your calendars!) Membership has 3 levels – Amateur, Professional and Commercial and entitles you to a tart shell full of benefits not least of which is the official newsletter – Pie Times (of course it is…)

 Love pie? Hanging for some serious Souther Pie! Check out I Love Pie