Guacamole

For those people with lack of creativity about what to cook on the weekend, how about breaking the routine and cook a typical Mexican recipe?

Guacamole is basically a well spiced avocado puree with ingredients like: tomato, garlic, onion and chili, of course

Cuisine type: Mexican

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

2 Avocados

2 tomatoes - peeled and chopped

1 minced clove

1 chopped onion

1 chopped cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon coriander

1 lemon juice

Salt

Directions

Chop all the ingredients well, the pepper and tomatoes have to be seeded.

In a bowl mash the avocados with a fork and add the lemon juice, Add tomato, onion, garlic, coriander, olive oil, salt, pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for the best flavor, or serve immediately. Serve it with tortillas or nacho chips.

Barbecue Delights!

Since childhood I love eating Barbecue. Even on my birthday the menu starts with barbecue and ends with barbecue. In fact, this is the story of every Texan; we have grown up eating this dish and with many different styles. Texas Barbecue is a true obsession, not only for the people living in Texas but in all over the America.

Whichever way you may like sliced thick onto butcher paper, slapped on picnic plates, doused with a tangy sauce or eaten naturally flavorful right out of the smokehouse barbecue pit and be sure to enjoy it.

Texas barbecue is generally divided into four styles East Texas, Central Texas, South Texas and West Texas. The Central and East Texas varieties are most well known. Most folks would agree on slow cooking over a low-heat wood fire. The cooking time is up to 12 or 16 hours and anything less can spoil your dish and all your efforts will go sour. It allows meat to be infused with a rich smoky flavor.

In the Eastern Texas style the beef is cooked slowly to the point that it is falling off the bone, and marinated in a sweet tomato-based sauce. In the central Texas the meat is rubbed with the spices and cooked over indirect heat from pecan or oak wood and in the west the meat is cooked over direct heat from mesquite wood giving it a bitter and smoky taste. There are two types of rubs which are used in seasoning and they are wet and dry rubs. Wet rub is the mixture of salt, pepper, herbs and spices sprinkled over and rubbed onto the meat before cooking. Wet rub is created by adding liquid (i.e. oil, vinegar, lemon juice or even mustard. It is applied like a paste before cooking.

The barbecue sauces vary from region to region and joint to joint. You can also have a barbecue without the sauce in some places and they are naturally so juicy and tender that you will agree that it is not required. But the sauce heavy barbecue is divine as well.  

Durian, the Mighty King of Fruit

What is the smelliest fruit on earth?

The Asians know the answer. Durian. Called as the mighty King of Fruits because of its big size and it is armed with sharp thorns, durian is also known for its smell.

The durian has distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some would say that the fruit has a great tempting fragrance and some say it’s too offensive and disgusting. People even describe it variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. That is why some hotels and public transportation do not allow people to bring this fruit to their territory.

Durian originated from Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. It became known to the western world about 600 years ago. Quoted from a British traveler in 1599, he said that durian has an excellent taste that it surpasses in flavor all the other fruits of the world. The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavor a wide variety of savory and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.

The name durian comes from the Malay word duri (which means ‘thorn’) together with the suffix -an (for building a noun in Malay). The centre of ecological diversity for durians is the island of Borneo, Indonesia. However, today’s durians are commonly imported by Thailand, like mon thong, cha ni, and kan yao. In South East Asia, durian dishes are well-known for their deliciousness. Some are described below.

• In Malaysia, durian fruit is used to flavor sweet edibles such as candy, cakes, mousse, chips, ice cream and milkshakes. 
• Durian ice cream is a popular dessert in Indonesia, sold at street side stalls in Indonesian cities, especially in Java.
• Pulut durian, rice steamed with coconut milk and served with ripe durian (I think this is also available in Thailand). 
• Tempoyak is a dish from Sumatra (Indonesia) composed of fermented durian, coconut milk and an ultra-spicy sauce. Often eaten with rice.
• Sometimes the seeds are roasted, boiled or fried and have a consistency that's reminiscent of yams. In Java, seeds are thinly sliced and cooked with sugar to eat as candy.
• In parts of Indonesia, the young leaves of durian are sometimes cooked as vegetables and the petals of durian flowers are also eaten.

Back to the south with chicken pot pie

Ingredients

• 4 sheets frozen puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 chicken breast halves, or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
• Seasoned salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chicken base
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 1 cup frozen green peas, cooked
• 1 cup chopped cooked carrots
• Pinch fresh grated nutmeg, optional
• Special equipment: 4 (2-cup) individual baking dishes

Directions

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut each sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips, 8 inches long. On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover each pot pie. Brush beaten egg onto each lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes, or until dough has risen and turned light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pies. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.

Filling:

Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. Alternatively, you may use precooked chicken.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but not brown like a roux. Slowly add cream and keep stirring. Add chicken base, garlic, and onion and stir until thickened. Add peas, carrots, nutmeg, if using, and cut up chicken. Remove from heat. Fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls with chicken mixture and then top each with a pre-cooked lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Any remaining pie filling may be frozen.

*food network recipe 

Active 3D TV worse than expected for eye health

3D TV: Great and Risky

We all know that 3D TV is a fad right now and also acquainted with its features offered. But just like any other good garden which may have some weeds, those 3D TVs are known to have health risks, especially to our children.

As taken from one of the manufacturers (Samsung)’ website, entitled “3D TV WARNING”, you’ll find the following warnings:

"Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images."

It is known that children, especially fewer than 10, are in the developmental stages of their eyes. Watching 3D TV may risk their eyesight. The warning’s continued.

This is the bad kind of 3D glasses the kind that require batteries otherwise known as active 3D glasses those made by (Samsung, Sony, some by vizio, and others) Please ask your store which TV sets are active and which are passive. The best rule of thumb is that if the glasses have batteries dont buy the TV set.

"Pregnant women, the elderly, sufferers of serious medical conditions, those who are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol should avoid utilizing the unit's 3D functionality."

Even when you’re not drunk, the 3D TV may intoxicate you. Therefore, the TV must not put near the balcony or stairs. It is possible when someone watches 3D TV for couple hours; they might feel a little dizzy and fall down the stairs.

Viewing in 3D may cause disorientation for some viewers. Hence people at risk for a stroke or epileptic seizures must have consulted with their doctor before using this kind of TV.

Dr. Jennifer Madan Cohen is a pediatric neurologist who said that the 3D technology uses at home is different for the theater because it uses active system which turns on and off, sort-of flashes in front of a person's eyes for which causes nausea. She then adds that the main key to minimize the risks is by keeping the lights on and putting some distance between viewers and the TV screen.

So when you buy a 3D TV for your family, please buy one that uses passive Cinema 3D technology like those made by LG. These have none of the effects caused by the active TVs though it is still advised you take a break every few hours or so for a few minutes. 

Frijoles Charro

Ingredients:

1/2 kg or 1 pound pinto beans or black beans
12 cups water
180 gr or 1/3 pound bacon, diced
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers or 1 chilli or pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

First step, wash the beans then soak them in water for 6 hours (inside the fridge).

Put the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water and bacon. If you cook the beans in a presssure cooker, the process will be faster, if thats not the case, cook for about 1 hour. Once boiling, turn the heat to simmer.

When the beans are cooked, add the chopped onion, tomatoes, pepper, salt and garlic.

Cook until ingredients are tender, about 1 ½ or 2 hours. From time to time, put a little water, to ensure the cooking, never raise the heat above low.

When ready to serve, use the pepper or jalapeños as a decoration for the dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve.

Wedding Surprise Cake

Planning and making a wedding cake for your own wedding is a great idea to surprise everybody and your husband or wife. Cakes are always the most delicious way to share your joy and express your happiness. Girls always love eating different cakes like chocolate, strawberry, and coffee. But some people enjoy baking the cakes as much as just eating them.

I helped my cousin bake her wedding cake and it was really delightful to see the cake and to eat it as well. We started our plan for the cake 2 months prior to her wedding, and we practically started baking it a month before her wedding. It takes time because there are many important aspects and the most important for all the girls is shopping. But Jane, my cousin was very eager to make her wedding cake by herself because she wanted to surprise her husband and give him the best wedding cake with all her love. The most beautiful part wasn’t baking process but when decorating it with different colors of chocolates and watching the cake become even more beautiful.

Below is a recipe for a wedding cake that you can make your own

Wedding Cake Timetable: 

2-3 months before: Make the cake. When cold, prick at intervals with a fine skewer and spoon some brandy evenly over the surface. Wrap the cakes in greaseproof paper and then in double thickness foil. Store it in a cool dry place.

14-20 days before: The baked cakes should have an even top but if not, they can be leveled with a sharp knife. Cover each cake with almond paste and store loosely covered with greaseproof paper in a cool dry place for 4-5 days before applying the first coat of icing.

10-15 days before: Apply the first coat of Royal Icing and leave to dry for 1-2 days.

8-12 days before: Apply the second coat of Royal Icing if necessary and leave to dry for 1-2 days.

7 days before: Complete all further decorating a week before the cake is to be served. Do not assemble a tiered cake until the day.

Choosing Tier Sizes: Choose the size of your tiers carefully, avoiding a combination that looks too heavy. 

Suggested proportions are: 

For a three-tier cake - 30, 23, and 15cm (12, 9 and 6in)
For a two-tiered cake - 30 and 20cm (12 and 8in)
28 and 18cm (11 and 7in) 
25 and 15cm (10 and 6in)

Bottom tier : It should be deeper than the upper ones.

25-30cm (10-12in) cakes are generally 7.5cm (3in)deep
18-23cm (7-9in) cakes are 6.5cm (2½in) deep
15cm (6in)diameter cakes are 5cm (2in) deep

There are some points you want to keep in mind; that are, the size of the cake should not be larger unless you have an oven to cope up with it, because you have to give about 1” space between the oval space and tin. It is suggested that the two tier cakes should be baked separately.

So, if you want to try something new and surprise everyone in your wedding, a homemade wedding cake is one of great idea. It is a perfect combination of love and surprise which can give a sparkling start to your married life. However, it is very important that you give a form of proper plan and enough time if you don’t want to rush the process and make something that no one wants

  

Summer Snacks

Today started with tasty dishes and now, I want to give the recipe of another food. I think I am hungry J

Bruscetta, originally from Italy, is an appetizer dish. Despite its easy cooking, the taste is extraordinary. The indregients for 6-8 people are;

2 large baguettes

·         125 gr butter or 3.5 oz

·         5 thinly shredded garlic cloves

·         100 gr or 3.5 oz of thinly shredded basil leaves

·         5 middle-sized, peeled, cubic carved tomatoes

·         2 measuring glasses of grated cheese, 1/4 a cup to 1/2 depending on your taste

·         Salt and pepper

After preparing the indregients, melt the butter in a pan. Put the garlic in the melted butter overnight – if you don’t have the time, do it for at least 2-3 hours. Set the oven 180° and prepare the bread, cutting them in half transversely. Adding carved tomatoes, cheese and basil inside the bread,put them in oven for 15 minutes and your dish is ready. For hot summer nights, this light and delicious appetizer is very suitable.

Smoking, makes you realize anything?

Why do you smoke daddy?

This has been the though in my mind since when I grew up. I couldn't understand why my father smoked and why he did not  understand smoking will not only affect him but also us. As I grew up, the thought was killing me from inside and made my affection and love towards him decrease. I was never able to ask my father because he got sick and I was never able to see him again.

Smoking is a word that has spoiled many lives and families. It doesn’t just affect the person who smokes but also spoils the lives of people with him or her by second hand smoking. It does not need a name or title we know if you smoke near your family it will have long lasting health consequences.  

Smoking cigarettes has been strongly linked to ailments such as heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory or circulatory diseases. However, there are several other cancers that can be developed due to smoking such as bladder cancer and lung cancer. In fact, bladder cancer affects over 53,000 thousand individuals across the United States.

Each cigarette a person smokes contains more than 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are highly carcinogenic, 

a substance that can cause cancer. Smoking means exposing oneself to the chemicals like hydrogen cyanide, butane, nicotine, carbolic acid, ammonia, and many other harmful chemicals. As these substances are inhaled, they are absorbed into the lungs and then into the bloodstream. The blood then gets filtered by the kidneys and is incorporated in the urine. These carcinogens damage the urothelial cells that line the bladder walls and cause the development of tumors.

“Smoking kills” and it is not just a phrase, you might smoke because of your personal style, addiction or habit, but it is very important for everyone who smokes they need to be aware they are endangering everyone who lives with them.

All about the Coffee

 Be the best recipe for making great coffee. I enjoy coffee Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, and sweet as love. This might been so much and it has become my routine sipping it almost every morning.  

Coffee is a brewed drink from roasted coffee beans. The plants create coffee cherries contain the coffee beans inside. The plant itself can be found all over the world it is cultivated primarily in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The two most commonly grown coffees are the highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the ‘Robusta’, form of the hardier Coffea canephora.

Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee which can be presented in a variety of ways. 

The history of coffee starts in the Ethiopian highlands when a goat herder noticed his goats; they became so spirited that they did not want to sleep at night after eating berries from a certain tree.  

The goat herder then told an abbot about his finding, who usually made a drink with the berries and discovered that it kept him alert for the long hours of evening prayer. Soon, the knowledge of the energizing effects of the berries began to spread across the globe. 

Meanwhile, coffee was popular for the Arabians for. Muslims, who are forbidden from drink alcohol by the Koran, they found coffee's energizing properties to be an acceptable substitute. That is why the drink was often called 'wine of Araby' as when thousands of pilgrims visit the holy city of Mecca from all over the world every year

Of the two main species, Arabica coffee is often more highly regarded than Robusta; it is also has more flavor and contains less caffeine. Robusta coffee is healthier for our body, but tends to be bitter in taste. Good quality Robusta beans are used in some espresso blends to provide a full-bodied taste, and a better foam head (known as the crema), and to lower the ingredient cost. 

So, how do you take your coffee? I myself love hot black coffee for breakfast with little sugar. I also like it as latte when I order it from coffee shop. A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The best thing about a latte is the art pattern upon it, flowers, hearts, trees and other simple objects are always mesmerize me. 

 How does coffee affect your health? There has been contradictory evidence whether the caffeine in coffee causes or helps relive headaches. Doctors at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, have found that the common painkiller, ibuprofen, is more active against tension headaches when combined with caffeine. The research was sponsored by Procter and Gamble, the multinational drug and Chemicals Company.

The contradiction still has not been solved. However, it is not recommended for those who have daily headaches or suffer from migraines, to drink coffee very often.