Fudge Is The Original Old Time Family Favorite Sweet Chocolate Treat

By D Marriot

According to history (although disputable) fudge was accidentally developed by a batch of failed candy; probably caramels, sometime around the year 1886. From this spoiled candy batch came the cooks’ exclamation of or the phrase ‘oh, fudge!’ The initial written confirmation of fudge was in a letter from Poughkeepsie, New York. A student from Vassar College, Emelyn Battersby Hartidge, said that a classmate’s cousin made fudge. In Baltimore in 1886, the candy was sold for 40 cents a pound. A few years later Ms. Hartidge got the recipe and made 30 pounds for a Senior Auction at Vassar. Other colleges like Wellesley and Smith later developed their own recipes for this sweet confection.

Compared to other sweets and candies dating back thousands of years, fudge is fairly young. Some of the early flavors of fudge included chocolate, vanilla and brown sugar penuche. Mackinac Island, in Michigan is the fudge capital of the U.S. Now, the fudge flavors or mixtures of ingredients are nearly endless. Some of them are: maple walnut, chocolate cappuccino, raspberry coffee, vanilla cherry chocolate chip, lemon butter, vanilla caramel, dark chocolate, chocolate caramel pecan, peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake.

Everybody likes eating flavorful, rich fudge, but people assume it is hard to make. The original recipes for fudge were difficult and kind of vague. The degree of difficulty had a lot to do with the recipe used, the type of ingredients, the quality of equipment and the patience taken to make it right. Also, being aware of the exact measurements, cooking time and nonstop stirring were pivotal in order to get the perfect fudge.

This ariticle is a result of research and writing articles on chocolate for several years. Visit http://www.chocolategourmetcandy.com for more information.

Get more information regarding fudge click here.

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Something Hot, Something Cold in Philippine Foods

By Frankie Goh

ARE you tired of eating the same food day after day? Why not let Aling Maria treat you to a simple mango sinigang? Aling Maria lives in Bay, Laguna, south of Manila, and she would be delighted to prepare this delicious Philippine soup for you. How does she go about it?

First she picks a few fat, green (unripe) mangoes, and selects some fiery little red or green peppers from her small garden to liven up the taste. Then she scurries to the market to buy a milkfish, although sinigang can also be made with prawns, shrimp, beef or pork. Since it is basically a soup, the amount of ingredients you use is largely up to you, but this time Aling Maria buys two fist-sized juicy red tomatoes, several pieces of okra, string beans, an eggplant, a couple of long, white turnips and plenty of young kangkong leaves. If you don’t live in the Philippines, you may not have kangkong leaves, but spinach or any other edible leaf will taste good too.

When Aling Maria returns home, she slices the mango into thin pieces and drops them into a pot half filled with boiling water. These will be cooked for a while to flavor the broth. When they are soft, she takes them out and mashes them with a fork, so that more flavor is extracted and the pulp and the juice can again be added to the soup. Is it hard to buy green mangoes where you live? Do you have sour green apples, or even green tomatoes? Cooking these in water in the same way as the mango will give the characteristic tart flavor of sinigang. You could even use lemon juice.

While the soup is cooking, Aling Maria cleans and halves the milkfish and then places the pieces in the broth. The tomatoes she crushes with her fingers, dropping juice and pulp into the pot, followed by the okra, string beans and turnips cut to whatever size you prefer for eating. The green leaves and peppers will be added last, since they need very little cooking. Salt and pepper may be added to taste.

This is a very easy dish to make and can be done with so many different kinds of ingredients that it is often eaten more than once a week. It should be served piping hot with plenty of freshly cooked rice.

Something Cold

How will Aling Maria refresh you after the sinigang? Well, until you have tried her halo-halo deluxe, you haven’t really gone native. Into a tall glass she puts spoonfuls of “this and that,” which is what halo-halo means. Almost any fruit can be included-ripe mango, avocado, banana, strawberry or whatever you like most. The distinctive Filipino touch calls for sweetened jackfruit, pinipig (roasted rice flakes), boiled red beans (yes, beans!) and chunks of macapuno (soft flesh of young coconut). To this concoction Aling Maria adds cream, brown sugar and lots of finely shaved ice, all to be topped off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Stir with a long spoon, and you will have something really special to quench your thirst.

Let’s say “thank you” before we go: Maraming salamat po, Aling Maria!

Frankie Goh is a family counsellor and researcher.

He manage a website : Earn Money Online http://www.ezy-cash.com

He is also the Internet Marketing Co-ordinator of Ultra-Herbal Products & HerbalBiz Affiliate Program.

Indian Food – Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh

By Andy Mehta

Uttar Pradesh (North State) was the biggest state in India. A diverse and multicultural foundation of the state offers a range of flavors and tastes in gourmet food. From Mughali dishes to authentic rustic flavor to kebabs and biryanis (rice preparation) cuisine of Uttar Pradesh is rich, invigorating and mouth-watering.

Indian food, especially food from Uttar Pradesh is similar to the cooking patterns of Middle East and Central Asia. Consisting of both non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, the most significant influence on this cuisine is Mughali, referencing the cooking techniques used by people back in the days of the Mughal Empire.

While most of the north Indian recipes have a common thread that unites them, Uttar Pradesh cuisine is no different. Similar to Punjabi and Kashmiri food, the state?s dishes use mutton, paneer (cottage cheese) and rich spices for flavor especially saffron (kesar) and cardamom. Some of the most popular and famous dishes from Uttar Pradesh include famous snacks such as ?samosa,? ?pakora? (fritters), ?kachoris? and main dishes that include Nawabi foods such as mutton biryani, kebabs (Shami, Kakori, Pasanda etc) and a few fish preparations (Zamin Doz Macchli etc).

Complimenting these delightful main preparations are the breads. Made from wheat flour tandoori naan, kulcha, laccha paratha and tandoori roti rule the roost!

Uttar Pradesh cuisine offers a wide variety not just in food but also in desserts. Some of the most famous and traditional desserts include gulab jamun, kheer, kulfi, halwa and sheer kurma. Definitely a worthy treat for food lovers and those who like spicy and rich calorie food!

Andy Mehta – Food Indian

Visit Food Indian for the latest Indian Food Videos and Indian Recipes

Healthy Grains – Brown Rice and Rice Bran

By Lambert Klein

When thinking of healthy foods does brown rice or rice bran come to mind? It is common for us to have a list of favored healthy foods; our favorite fruits and vegetables; skinless white meat chicken; yogurt and low fat cheese.

Then there is that list of foods that brown rice may be on. The list of foods one knows is healthy like brown rice or rice bran and maybe they’ll try it one day; or not. Healthy grains like brown rice or rice bran are usually on this list.

Consciously, the choice is made for white rice instead of brown rice; processed baked goods instead of something with perhaps a healthy grain like rice bran on the ingredient list.

We opt out of the chewy texture and nutty flavor of a natural whole grain item like brown rice; or the unexpected sweetness of a rice bran product? If you had a choice and were ordering take out, would you look on the menu for brown rice? Would you go out of your way to inquire if brown rice were available at your local Asian restaurant?

I’m not talking about the fried rice that just happens to be brown from the cooking and seasoning process; I’m talking about unadulterated brown rice.

Hopefully we haven’t lost something in the low-carb revolution; the part of the message about needing grains like brown rice in our diets to aid in digestion; fight constipation; control blood pressure; and perhaps lower LDL cholesterol in the fight against heart disease.

In addition brown rice provides our bodies with healthy nutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, niacin, fiber, iron and vitamin B-6. Brown rice is a staple with other healthy grains in vegetarian and macrobiotic diets for these nutrients. It also has three quarters more dietary fiber than white rice.

The benefits of whole grains may not mean that every individual on the planet needs to follow the recommended guidelines.

Individuals seeking medical attention for diabetes or allergies may receive special nutritional advice from professionals regarding their diet. However adding the right mix of vegetables and healthy grains to your diet is smart eating.

No doubt your taste buds will need some time to adjust. Make your brown rice selection with care. Check labels to ensure a freshness packing date. Since brown rice hasn’t been through the same processes as white rice the expiration date may not be as lengthy. Stale brown rice will taste rancid and shouldn’t be eaten.

Make the transition of adding brown rice or rice bran to your diet a slow process. Gradually swap out processed foods for a smart food like brown rice and rice bran. Read ingredient labels; find whole grain breads that list rice bran in the first few ingredients.

Ask your favorite Asian restaurant if they serve brown rice in place of white rice. Mix it with white rice in a favorite recipe like stuffed peppers until you’re used to the nutty whole grain goodness of the brown rice on its own. In no time your taste buds will be thanking you.

Learn how to stay healthy naturally with rice bran.

http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/

Rigatoni A La Japon – Something Different That Everyone Will Love

By Paul Romanacci

Although I would like to, I can not take credit for this recipe. I learned how to make this dish when I worked for the wonderful Bravo Cucina in Santa Monica, California. The first time I had tasted it, I was blown away. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before. At Bravo, the dish was called “Rigatoni della Farma”, but I have since tweaked the recipe and therefore I have renamed it.

Needless to say, Rigatoni a al Japon was the number one dish served at Bravo Cucina. Patrons would return again and again to get their fill. I must be honest, I too ate more than my fair share of this dish –I would simply crave it from time to time.

The best thing about Rigatoni a la Japon is that it is very simple to make. Anyone can do it and it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare. So, having said all that, here is the recipe. I must warn you, I cook by feel. If you are looking for a recipe with exact measurements, you won’t find it here. I’ll tell you to give a pinch of this or a splash of that — that’s about as scientific as I can get, sorry.

Any way, here goes:

Put your well salted pasta water on the stove.

In a separate skillet, heat some extra virgin olive oil. When the pan is hot, add some sweet Italian sausage, which has been cut into one inch pieces — I’d say about four sausage links in all.

Cook the sausage thoroughly. When the sausage is half way done, add about a handful and a half of sliced Shitake mushrooms. You can use any kind of mushrooms really, but shitakes go well with the theme.

When your pasta water is boiling, you can add your rigatoni — 1lb. Be sure to stir it so it doesn’t stick together — I hate that.

Now that your sausage and your mushrooms are cooking, you need to add some teriyaki sauce to the pan. What you want to do is add enough to coat the pan, you don’t want to make soup, but you don’t want to be cheap with it either.

Keep stirring your pasta.

Let your teriyaki sauce reduce a minute or two then–

Add whipping cream. (I never said this was on the weight watchers top 10 list).

Add enough cream to thicken the sauce, mellow it — but you don’t want a milkshake if you know what I mean. Anyway, let it thicken for a minute or two, then —

Toss in your cooked pasta and toss it with the sauce and add some dry parsley for color. A good idea is to always to save some of your pasta water handy to hydrate the dish as you are tossing it if it seems to dry.

Plate your pasta in a beautiful serving bowl, or on individual plates and top with sesame seeds and Parmesan cheese.

Believe me, this dish is a treat that you, your family and your friends will love. They will beg you for the recipe.

Enjoy!

Paolo Romanacci is first and foremost is the son of Italian immigrants. He is an Italian culture and Italian food junkie who’s passion lies in the kitchen. Paolo has worked for many restaurants on both the East and West Coasts. Paolo now lives in Connecticut with his wife and daughter, where he operates the Italian gourmet food site. http://www.CiaoPaolo.com

http://www.CiaoPaolo.com offers a wide range of gourmet foods and gourmet gifts that have been imported from Italy, as well as prepared Italian dishes that can be delivered to your door.

Cheesecake – A Quick and Easy Holiday Treat

By Laura Weaver

The Holidays are quickly approaching and I will be hosting and attending several parties during that time. As usual, I try to find an easy and tasty treat to serve my guests or take to various parties to share with others. Cheesecake is a wonderful dessert for these special occasions. There isn’t any other dessert I can think of that goes as well with whatever else is being served. Cheesecake has a smooth and creamy texture that is easy to eat. Its rich, but subtle flavor actually compliments the flavors of other foods. Cheesecake also goes well with the broad range of beverages that are served during the Holidays. I like to serve cheesecake with my drink specialty of Hot Spicy Apple Cider.

Cheesecake can easily be made into an eye-catching, delicious-looking table centerpiece simply by adding a few decorations here and there. I like to spruce up my cheesecakes with colors and items that coincide with the theme of the Holidays. I simply place a couple of cinnamon sticks, or peppermint sticks, or maraschino cherries, or whatever fits my fancy in the center of the cheesecake. Then I sprinkle ground cinnamon or crushed peppermint candies or colored sugar sprinkles around the edges to add to its presentation. What a beautiful, appetizing dessert with just a little bit of imagination and effort on my part!

I also like to serve cheesecake in a variety of different flavors. Nothing kicks off the Holiday Season like a Pumpkin Cheesecake, one of my personal favorite flavors. For a special Holiday treat, my guests absolutely love my Turtle Cheesecake–an indulgence that is worth every mouthful! Chocolate Cheesecake is also a very popular flavor I enjoy serving, as almost everyone I know has chocolate cravings. The flavor combination of sweet chocolate and tangy cheesecake is delightful. I love serving cheesecake in different flavors because the variety of taste combinations satisfies the palate of everyone. I can create unforgettable sensations my guests and fellow partygoers expect and appreciate and I enjoy doing so.

Cheesecake is a quick and easy dessert idea for me to take to every Holiday event. I like to keep a cheesecake or two in my freezer for that last minute dessert contribution. I can store cheesecake in my refrigerator for several days before the Holiday event and dress it up (or down) as I see fit. Cheesecake is easy for me to handle because it is only one container for me to carry. Cheesecake is easy for me to serve at these Holiday parties because all I have to do is place it on the buffet table when I arrive at the party and forget about it, as it can be served at room temperature, eliminating the hassle of finding refrigeration. I look forward to serving cheesecake at all of this year’s Holiday events, and my guests and fellow party-goers look forward to indulging in my delicious cheesecakes.

Laura Weaver is a writer for EliteCheesecakes.com. If she is sending a cheesecake to a loved one far away, she will often choose a pumpkin cheesecake for delivery during the holidays or a chocolate cheesecake at other times.

Making A Pumpkin Spice Cake

By Trevor Kassulke

Do you love spice cake? If yes, then there is a great news for you. Even if you and your family don’t like pumpkin, a fantastic new dessert, Pumpkin Spice Cake, will give both of you a real and delicious taste of spice cake. You will find it hard to believe there is pumpkin in this scrumptious and mouthwatering cake, after tasting it.

It is very simple and easy to prepare this delicious cake. The preparation time of this cake is 20 min, and it takes 1 hour to cook. It means this cake is ready to be served in 1 hour and 20 min.

With the help of some essential ingredients, you can prepare this tasty cake following certain easy to follow steps. Some essential ingredients include, among others, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 3 large eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp(s) baking powder, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp fresh-ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp baking soda.

Four important steps

You can complete the preparation process of this cake in four steps.

First of all, you have to prepare the cake pans. For this, you have to preheat oven up to 350 degrees F. Now, with the help of softened butter, you have to coat three 8-inch cake pans lightly. After then, take three 8-inch circles sheet from the parchment paper, and place them on the bottom of the cake pans. Now, coat the paper circles with the help of butter, and place aside.

In the second step, you have to make the batter. For this, you have to stir the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it becomes smooth. Add sugar and stir it until smooth. After then, you can add eggs one after another, and beat them well after each addition until the mixture becomes light and smooth. Now, you can set aside this mixture.

After taking this step, mix the butter milk, vanilla, and pumpkin puree in a medium bowl, and place it aside. Now, mix the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour in a large bowl and place aside. After then, in thirds, you can add the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture to the butter mixture. Try to blend well after each addition until the mixture becomes smooth.

In a third step, you have to bake the cake. While baking the cake, you have to pour batter into the prepared pans and cook it for 35 to 40 minutes. After then, you have to cool the cakes on wire racks for 30 minutes. Now, remove cakes from pans and place them again on the wire racks until they become cool.

In the final step, you can assemble the cake with recipe of Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting. Now, you can serve it immediately or store it in refrigeration for up to four days.

When you cushion the layers of pumpkin spice cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting, it creates a long-lasting impression even before you take the first bite. When you will taste the moist cake, with cream icing, and with the traditional pumpkin pie, Pumpkin spice cake will appear heavenly, yes, heavenly. Trust me!

Trevor Kassulke owns and operates http://www.bestpumpkinuses.com

How To Spice Up Your Fish On The Grill And Wow Your Family & Guests

By Jeffery Jones

Here’s our FREE November Recipe: It’s a KISS deal. A Grilled Fish Filet cooked up sweet and sassy.

This one is so simple I probably shouldn’t call it a recipe.

2 lb. filet of a firm fish (swordfish, salmon, halibut, mahi, etc) skin on!

1/2 jar of Sweet and Sassy Salsa

Warm up the grill and spread a sheet of Aluminum Foil across the grill cooking surface. Place the filet skin side down on the foil. Spread the salsa in a stripe down the middle of the filet. Drop the lid and let it cook. Check every 8-10 minutes to see if the fish fat is bubbling up white. Do not overcook. Choose your filet carefully for equal thickness to ensure even cooking. When it’s firm and cooked all the way through, spatula up your servings right on to the plate with your rice pilaf and some veggies. I recommend some thin slices of zuccini and yellow squash. They can be done in a fry-pan, not too done, or on the same grill…off to the side, of course.

When cleanup time comes the skin will be stuck to the foil after you lift the fish off. Just roll up the tin foil & toss it where the varmints won’t get at it. WOW look at that clean grill surface. You’re a genius.

Oh one more thing; our Habanero-Garlic Hot Sauce will kick up any style of rice dish! Even that Rice Pilaf you’re serving. I don’t serve bread with this fish meal, because of the rice, however I do serve a Caesar Salad before hand. OMG…I’m starving now.

If you have a different combo you like, SHARE! We’ll give you a sampler and post your name if your entry is chosen. Keep ’em coming. Wow me! I dare ya. (grin)

Email me at bigjeff@sweetandsassysalsa.com

4 Quick Cooking Tips For Butternut Squash

By Abhishek Agarwal

Do not be surprised about the number of ways and methods there are to prepare butternut squash; yes, there are some faster and easier ways among these too, of which we bring you some. Besides these easy cooking tips, you can find more details at no extra cost from web sites that contain more comprehensive info on squash dishes. Offline information on cooking tips butternut squash are also available and sometimes printed matter can be purchased off or on the net.

However, we begin with telling you little known facts about this great vegetable: few are aware that butternut squashes belong to the gourd family, a native of Western Hemisphere and that Mexicans were known to consume this product way back as in 5500 BC! Judging by this long history, one can well understand how far back the eating habits for squash date back to!

Well, to begin with the guidelines you are here for, butternut squash is of two types, summer and winter. Winter butternut squash is the product in focus here and the better kinds among this category weighs around 3 pounds or so. Filled with a sweet flavor if prepared right, the following cooking tips stand you in good stead when making some of your own at home, so check them out:

1. If shopping for butternut squash, lift in your hands for weight, moldy marks and take your time as the outer cover may be hard to figure out these factors. Place your purchase in a cool, dry place for a few weeks; upon cutting, wrap in plastic and refrigerate to enable it to last up to a week.

2. Cooking tips for butternut squash guidelines include serving it along side wine, but much of this meal-matching depends on the preparation of the squash dish and good choices include a bubbly like a Pinot Grigio or Chenin Blanc to improve the flavor.

3. Other flavor enhancers for butternut squash include adding in herbs and spices that will work to bring out its latent nutrients and taste, such as nutmeg, sage, paprika, savory, anise seed, allspice, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, ginger and mace besides tarragon turmeric and thyme.

4. A simple rinse and cutting lengthwise of the product and de-seeding is all required before moving the extra fibers around the veggie as pre-preparation. Some people prefer to peel the skin off as children do not much care for it. However, this done, the rest is easy as a pie: you can saute the cut squash pieces and pierce to check if its tenderized, or opt to bake it in the oven for half an hour at 400 without covering it; other ways to cook it include cutting it half-ways and cooking in the microwave for 12 minutes or so, boiling chunks of it for 9 minutes or even steam-cooking the squash cubes for up to 8 minutes.

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available!
http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

How To Make Painted Christmas Cookies

By Sherry Frewerd

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baked Christmas cookies? Part of the fun of Christmas for many folks is baking and decorating Christmas cookies. If you like to decorate sugar cookies during the holidays then you may enjoy letting your inner artist come out this year. How about trying your hand at painting your Christmas cookies this year? While at first glance they may seem difficult to accomplish, painting Christmas cookies is easy enough for children to help with.

Christmas cookie paint is actually a simple mix of egg yolk, water, and food coloring. After you’ve rolled out the dough and cut the shape you want, just paint on some playful designs, and bake your cookies as always. A couple of techniques can be used to place the designs on the dough. You can paint freehand or take a smaller cookie cutter and gently imprint or press the design to paint.

Making the paint is easy. Use one egg yolk for every two colors you plan on using. Add ¼ teaspoon water, and beat with a fork until smooth. Divide the yolk mixture into two cups and stir enough food coloring in to make your desired shades. Keep in mind that the paint will dry out fast, so keep it covered when you’re not using it. Stir in a little water to keep the paint a consistency that you can work with.

Easy Painted Christmas Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

Egg Yolk Paint

Cream butter at medium speed and gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Add milk and vanilla, and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and soda; add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring until blended. Your dough will be soft. Shape dough into 2 balls; wrap each in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours. Work with half of dough at a time; store remainder in refrigerator. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick on floured board or waxed paper; cut with 2 ½ to 3 inch cookie cutters and carefully transfer cut cookies to lightly greased cookie sheets. Paint various designs on cookies using a small art brush and our Egg Yolk Paint. Bake at 375F for 6-8 minutes; cook on wire rack. Makes about 5 dozen.

Easy Egg Yolk Paint

1 egg, beaten

¼ tsp water

Food coloring

Combine egg yolk and water; stir well. Divide mixture evenly into 2 cups; tint as you desire with food coloring. Keep your paint covered until ready to use. If paint thickens, add a few drops of water and stir well. Makes about 1 ½ tablespoons. Prepare this recipe for every 2 colors of paint you want to use.

Painting Christmas cookies is so much fun that you might decide to start a new family tradition. Create these pretty cookies to give away as special gifts or use as tree ornaments. This is a great holiday activity for older kids to make Christmas gifts for Mom and Dad too. If you decide to make painted Christmas cookies as ornaments, just cut a small hole in the top of the cookies before you bake them. Thread colorful cord or ribbon through the hole after the cookies have cooled. Have fun and use your imagination!

Visit ‘Family Christmas Ideas’ and learn how to start your own Christmas family tradition this year http://familychristmasideas.homestead.com/

Slow down your life a bit and enjoy delicious meals with your family. Find out how at ‘Family Crock Pot Recipes’ http://familycrockpotrecipes.com