Pasta And Cauliflower Recipe

Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, pork, beef and seafood recipes are much a part of my everyday life.

Growing up Italian has been a wonderful culinary experience to say the least. The many different restaurants and families from different regions of Italy allowed me to taste some of the most delicious food in the world.

Food always conjures up great memories. When I cook something I haven't had in a while, it always seems to bring me back to the last time and place I did have it. I think it's the closest thing to a "time machine" we'll ever experience.

Years ago at every family gathering my Grandmother Theresa made a simple dish of pasta and cauliflower. Oh how we craved for this dish after she was gone. It was filling and delicious and you just could not get enough.

So finally one day I said I was going to try and make it. I just had to have it again. There was just no way was I going to live out the rest of my life without ever eating this dish again. Determined, I tried many times and one day I came as close as I possibly could to recreating her recipe. As we all know Grandmothers did not measure anything, so this was not an easy task.

Here's my version of my Grandmother's recipe. I hope you an your family enjoy it as much as mine does

Grandma Theresa's Pasta and Cauliflower

Ingredients

· 1 pound box of mostaccioli or rotini 

· 2 medium size heads of cauliflower 

· 3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped

· 3 or 4 bunches of long green onions chopped 

· 1 stick of butter 

· 2 Tbls of vegetable oil 

· 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs 

· Freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

· Salt to taste 

· Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

· Clean and cut cauliflower into bite size pieces. 

· Boil cauliflower in around 6 quarts of water until tender. 

· In a large frying pan sauté onions and garlic in ½ stick of butter and oil for about 5 minutes. 

· Add ½ cup of bread crumbs and sauté until slightly brown. 

· With a slotted spoon remove cauliflower and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Do not throw away the cauliflower water.

· Cook the pasta in the cauliflower water until al dente. Around ten minutes.

· Add remaining butter and breadcrumb to the cauliflower mixture.

· Add around a cup of cauliflower water to the mixture to moisten.

· Stir and cook for around 15 minutes more.

· Mix the pasta and cauliflower together.

· Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and your ready to eat.

I hope this recipe makes many memories for your family and friends.

Italian Cooking - Quick And Easy Cooking Tips

"Cooking is an art form that takes years to master" -ever heard those words spoken before? It was probably a chef who didn't want you to know the secrets they hide from us all, the secrets to making delicious Italian styled meals quickly and easily and having them taste delicious. Today we at The Cooks Hangout bring you 3 quick and easy Italian meal addition to make your Italian meals all the more delicious while not wasting your time or money.

1. Oven Roasted Garlic

If there's any ingredient that is both cheap quick and easy yet adds enormous amounts of flavor to your food, its garlic, and roasting it in the oven makes it irresistibly tasty. Preparing Oven Roasted Garlic is as easy to cook as 1, 2, 3:

1. Slice off the top of the garlic.

2. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the garlic, wrap it loosely in aluminum foil, and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes.

3. Remove the pulp from the garlic by squeezing it once it cools. You can spread oven-roasted garlic on bread or blend it in a food processor and add it to fish, steak, hamburgers, soups, or even throw it in a risotto.

The oven-roasted garlic can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

2. Bechamel Sauce

A Delicious sauce to use in cooking lasagnas and the like. Bechamel sauce is an incredible addition to many pastas yet it seemingly overlooked by many.

Ingredients:

- 2T Unsalted Butter

- 3T Flour

- 1 1/2 Cups Milk

- 1/8t Nutmeg

- Salt and White Pepper (Freshly Grounded)

Instructions:

- Heat the milk in a saucepan to a warm temperature.

- Melt the butter in the saucepan until bubbling.

- Add the flour slowly while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

- Return to medium heat and add 1/4 of a cup of milk at a time, when the milk gets absorbed add a little more until all the milk is used.

- Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring the sauce at a slow bubble until it has the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Memphis Rub

This zesty rub will bring out the best in ribs and other meats.

- 1/4 cup paprika

- 1 Tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

- 1 Tablespoon white sugar

- 2 Tablespoons Salt

- 2 Teaspoons monosodium glutamate.

- 1 teaspoon celery salt

- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

- 1 teaspoon dry mustard

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

Simply mix the ingredients together in a small container and use on your meat to add the delicious flavor of Memphis to your food.

Thanks for Reading and happy cooking,

Vine-Ripened Tomato Salad Recipes

Nothing tastes like summer as much as a vine-ripened tomato. Eat one straight out of the garden, as you would an apple. Sprinkle it with a little salt if you wish. 

Then take your tomatoes into the kitchen and toss them into these delicious, easy salad recipes and also learn Italian food. Nothing could be simpler, better for you, more colorful, more tasty! What more can you ask for?

Tomatoes with Cucumber and Onion

4 tomatoes, sliced

2 cucumbers, sliced

1 red onion, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup light Italian dressing

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve with ground pepper to taste.

Tomato-Mint Salad

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped mint

6 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced

3 cucumbers, sliced

Romaine lettuce

Mint leaves for garnish

Combine the vinegar, juice, sugar, salt, pepper and mint; mix into the tomatoes and cucumbers and marinate at least 1 hour. Line a bowl with romaine leaves, place the tomatoes and cucumbers in the middle and garnish with additional mint leaves.

Tomatoes with Pepper Salsa

1 green pepper, chopped fine

6 green onions, minced (white part)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon wine vinegar

4 ripe tomatoes

Romaine lettuce leaves

2 cups bean sprouts

Combine all ingredients except the tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts; marinate for 4 hours or overnight. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a bed of lettuce and sprouts; top with the salsa.

Tomatoes and Basil

Sliced vine-ripened tomatoes

Chopped fresh basil leaves

Rice wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in any quantity you wish.

3 Easy Grilled Pasta Recipes That You Absolutely Must Try

Here with  3 delicious fresh pasta dishes you can make using your grill:

Grilled Salmon Cream Cheese Linguine

What you need:

• 1/4 kg. skinless salmon fillets
• 1 cup linguine pasta
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 6 tbsps. skim milk
• 2 tbsps. butter
• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. low-fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Cook salmon fillets in a pre-heated grill over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness) or until easily flaked with a fork. When ready, flake with a fork into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl. Set aside. Bring linguine to a boil in a pot of lightly salted water for about 11 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, butter and olive oil before adding yellow bell pepper and onion. When vegetables are softened, stir in cream cheese. When cream cheese is melted, add salmon flakes and milk then cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over linguine. Toss to coat then top with lemon slices and fresh dill.

Pineapple Salsa Grilled Shrimp Pasta

What you need:

• 3/4 kg. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cups rotini pasta
• 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
• 1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced

Cook rotini pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Set aside. To make the pineapple salsa, combine orange juice, lime juice, pineapple, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Mix well and pour over bowl of pasta. Toss to coat noodles then set aside. Cook the shrimp on a pre-heated grill over high heat for 2 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and arrange on top of the pasta with pineapple salsa. Serve warm.

Classic Pesto and Grilled Chicken Pasta

What you need:

• 2 boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/4 cup angel hair pasta
• 1 cup pesto
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsps. toasted almonds
• 2 tbsps. olive oil

Cook chicken in a pre-heated grill over high heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from heat, chop and place in a medium bowl. Set aside. Bring angel hair pasta to a boil in a large pot of lightly salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté garlic until tender. Add pesto, chopped chicken and angel hair pasta and mix well. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and garnish with toasted almonds before serving.

Make these easy grilled pasta recipes any day of the week for a delicious and fulfilling meal!

Convenient, Healthy Meatball Soups

This time of year we need to enjoy warm comforting food that is quick and convenient to prepare, while being nutritious and delicious. Meatball soups are a great way for weight loss surgery (WLS) patients to enjoy a nutritious tasty meal with easily digested protein. Here are two very good quick soup recipes that take advantage of pantry staples and ready-made fully cooked chicken meatballs from the freezer. 

Chicken-Meatball Mexican Soup

Ingredients:

1 package fully cooked chicken meatballs (from the freezer case) 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 medium onions, chopped 

4 garlic cloves, minced 

2 (4-ounce) can green chilies, chopped 

2 (15-ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped, reserving the juice 

8 cups chicken stock 

1 tablespoon chili powder 

2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

Chopped cilantro

low-carb tortilla strips

Avocado cubes

Sour cream

Pickled Jalapeno

Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange meatballs in single layer on a cooking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes.

While meatballs bake heat olive oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot. Brown onion and garlic. To the onions add the green chilies, stewed tomatoes, chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce.

Simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked meatballs and bring soup back to a simmer. Serve soup with garnishes.

WLS patients should eat 3-5 meatballs topped with a modest serving of liquid.

5 meatballs contain 13g protein, 11g fat (3 saturated), 6 grams carbs.

Chicken Meatball and Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

1 package fully cooked chicken meatballs (from the freezer case) 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 large onion finely chopped 

1 garlic clove minced 

1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (undrained) 

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1 (32 ounce) container Swanson chicken broth 

1 cup water 

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon dried basil 

1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano 

8 ounces mini cheese-filled ravioli 

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley 

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange frozen meatballs in single layer on a cooking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 

Bake for 10 minutes.

While meatballs bake heat olive oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot. Brown onion and garlic.

Add tomatoes and liquid, tomato paste, broth, water, sugar, basil, thyme and oregano.

Bring mixture to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 minutes. 

Add ravioli and cook, covered at a gentle boil according to package directions (approximately 10 to 15 minutes), until they are just tender and no longer have a starchy taste. Stir in meatballs and return to simmer. Stir in parsley and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve warm.  Ready to eat now.

Vegetable pasta bake

                                                      Vegetable pasta bake

Ingredients

500g dried penne pasta
6 rashers bacon, rinds removed, chopped
6 stalks silverbeet, leaves removed
1 zucchini, trimmed, diced
1 carrot, peeled, diced
3 stalks celery, trimmed, halved, sliced
150g green beans, trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths
250g button mushrooms, sliced
1 red capsicum, diced
737g bottle tomato pasta sauce
3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Method
Step 1

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 6cm-deep, 28cm x 35cm (base) baking dish. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place bacon on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with paper towel. Microwave on high (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes or until bacon is cooked through. Set aside.

Step 3

Chop the silverbeet leaves. Place in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add zucchini, carrot, celery and green beans. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 4 to 5 minutes or until carrot is tender. Add mushrooms, capsicum and bacon. Stir to combine.

Step 4

Drain pasta and return to the saucepan. Add vegetable mixture and pasta sauce. Stir to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Looking for more oven baked pasta, Please visit here.

How to Cook Pasta - Tips and Tools So You Are Not Afraid!

Fresh Pasta is the easiest of Italian foods. It is the most widely known and can be located around the globe. However it is easy to go wrong with it and also to get a soggy uninspiring mess. As with every the standard foods the important thing to cooking good pasta is always to decide on high quality ingredients. The better the meals the greater important quality gets. Bad quality may be less easily disguised inside a simple pasta dish in comparison to some thing elaborate.

Pasta may be an extremely quick and simple meal to whip together to get a dinner. It's particularly easy to cook in high volumes and for that reason great for giving a large group of people. Though cooking pasta generally is a relatively entertaining, simple and simple process, there are several pasta cooking suggestions which will help even the majority of decorated pasta veteran to boost their own dishes.

Pasta Salad - Tuna pasta salad can be a conventional and great tasting pasta salad to provide from BBQs on balmy summer nights. Simply steam some pasta twirls or shells until cooked, awesome after which chill. Mix a can of tuna plus some processed sweetcorn into the noodles then add some smashed garlic and some chopped spring onions. Create an outfitting away from English mustard, fresh lemon juice, mayonnaise and stir to the pasta salad.

In no way overcook noodles. Only serve pasta "al dente", which literally indicates "firm to the teeth." Pasta has to be prepared in order to end up being nonetheless firm when bitten (but only dry pasta ought to be cooked "al dente" since "fresh" noodles currently is gentle to begin with.) Makes it as much as possible "al dente" (not really soft), due to the fact that's the majority of digestible state. Mushy pasta just isn't delicious any longer, at least for your noodles lover.

A large problem with pasta may be the sticking. Oh how which has occurred if you ask me at times. To keep noodles from sticking, stir during the very first minute or two of cooking. This can be a crucial period once the pasta surface is coated along with sticky, glue-like starch. Unless you stir, you'll have the problem of items of noodles literally cooking together.

An additional useful tip will be built with the appropriate ingredients when bringing the pasta to a simmer. Generally, salt is involved. Mixing a modest amount of rock and roll salt to the steam is usual generally in most pasta instructions. If other components which require being bought may be necessary, it would be better to have these ready as well as standing next to the stove.

I urge you to definitely try this tip at least once and you'll never ever regret it. That does not mean utilize this only once you have to amuse a lot of guests, but when you realize that you'll be helping pasta function this.

Ayam Merah and Ayam Tempra

Ayam Merah (chicken in red spicy sauce)

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Chicken, cut into large pieces 
• 455 g Coconut, grated, squeeze for thick milk, add 280 ml water and squeeze again for thin milk
• 280 ml Water 
• 4 tbsp Cooking oil 
• 10 Kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut) 
• 2 stalks Lemon grass, crushed
• 1 tbsp salt 
• ½ tsp MSG 
• 30 g Tamarind pulp (assam), mixed with 115 ml water, squeezed and strained
• Rempah
• 10 Candlenuts 
• ½ tsp Ginger, peeled
• 2 tbsp Chili powder 
• 10 Red chilies, seeded
• 10 Red bird's eye chilies (cili padi) 
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp Shrimp paste (belacan) 
• 65 g Shallots, peeled
• Marinade for Chicken
• 1 tbsp Sugar 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp MSG 

Method

Pound rempah ingredients to a fine paste and set aside. 

Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients for ½ hour. 

Grease a roasting pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil. 

Rub chicken with 2 tbsp oil and roast chicken in a hot oven until light brown. 

Remove from oven and set aside. Place thin milk, rempah, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass into a heated pan and boil over medium heat for 10 minutes. 

Season with 1 tbsp salt and ½ tsp MSG. Add roasted chicken, pan juices and tamarind water and boil for another 10 minutes. 

Add in thick milk, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until chicken is tender. 

Remove from heat and serve.

Ayam Tempra (spicy chicken)

Ingredients

• 900 g Chicken, cut into pieces
• 5 tbsp Cooking oil 
• 225 g Onions, peeled and cut into rings 
• 8 Green chilies, thickly sliced
• 6 Red chilies, thickly sliced
• Marinade for Chicken
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp MSG 
• Seasoning
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp Sugar 
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp MSG 
• 2 tsp Lime juice 
• 225 ml Water 

Method

Rub chicken with marinade ingredients and set aside for ½ hour.

Combine seasoning ingredients in another bowl.

Heat wok until very hot, add 4 tbsp cooking oil. 

When hot, add onions and chilies and fry for ½ minute. 

Add chicken and stir-fry over high heat until cooked. 

Add seasoning ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. 

Lower heat, cover wok and cook until chicken is tender.

Please visit here to learn Peranakan dishes.

Stuffed Cuttlefish Soup and Buah Paya Masak Titik

                                                       Stuffed Cuttlefish Soup

Ingredients

• 300 g Cuttlefish, remove head, ink bag and cartilage, retain heads 
• 680 ml Water 
• 15 g Cellophane noodles (tang hoon), soaked in hot water
• Stuffing
• 310 g Minced pork 
• 225 g Prawns, shelled, deveined and finely diced
• ¼ tsp S alt
• ½ tsp MSG 
• ¼ tsp Cornflour 
• Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp MSG 
• 1 Chicken stock cube
• Garnish
• 2 sprigs Chinese celery 
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled, chopped and fried 
• Pepper To taste

Method

In a bowl, combine stuffing ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Stuff each of the cuttlefish until three-quarter full. Re-attach head. 

Use the remaining stuffing mixture to shape into small meatballs. 

Boil 680 ml water in a pan. 

Add stuffed cuttlefish and meatballs and boil for 3 minutes. 

Add seasoning ingredients. 

Cut up the cellophane noodles and add to the soup. 

Add garnish ingredients and serve in a bowl.

                                       Buah Paya Masak Titik (PAPAYA SOUP)

Ingredients

• 340 g Prawns, shelled, keep shells for stock
• a pinch Salt 
• a pinch Sugar 
• 900 ml Water 
• 55 g Dried prawns, soaked and finely pounded
• 225 g Salted fish bones, cut into small pieces
• 900 g Green papaya, skinned and diced
• 1 handful Sweet basil leaves (daun kemangi) 
• Rempah
• 3 Candlenuts, crushed
• 1 tbsp Shrimp paste (belacan) 
• 85 g Shallots, peeled
• 1 Red chili 
• 1 tbsp Peppercorn or ground pepper 
• Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 2 tsp Sugar 
• 1 Chicken stock cube 

Method

Grind rempah ingredients into a fine paste. 

Marinade prawns with salt and sugar. Prawn stock making; fry prawn shells in 1 tbsp oil. 

When cooked, pound shells and then boil in 900 ml water for 5 minutes. 

Strain and set stock aside. In an enamel pan, combine dried prawns, rempah paste, salted fish bones, seasoning and prawn stock. 

Bring to a boil. 

Then add papaya. 

Boil over moderate heat until tender. 

Add prawns and cook for 3 minutes. 

Set aside. 

To serve, dish papaya soup into a bowl. 

Garnish with sweet basil leaves and sprinkle 1 tbsp lard. 

Serve hot.

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Strong Marketing Strategies With Food Branding

Any company that wants to new changes for food branding is striving in the right way. For every successfully corporation, it needs to upgrade goods plus their names. Customers are always going for those new choices in market.

However, there are different food package design that customers buy. In supermarkets and wholesales stores, you will get all types of makes aligned in shelves. Furthermore, there are other growing products which are joining the market. As a new business owner, you need to survey all requirements to keep your product on top with your competitors. This implies that all businesses consult a good branding agency to help with the service. Keep in mind the deal is to market your business and new product.

Produce your choices that are unique and keep making changes as your customers declare. By doing this, you will keep your competitor far behind your success. On the other hand, make sure that product name and design are what you plan. This goes to those companies which have products that are competing.

Many business owners fail in marketing for not appreciating that design they made. They end up staying far from their competitors who are making massive money on their products. Therefore, you work with those plans that come from your heart. Do what you believe is best for your business and customers. One way of ruining your competitors is by having unique choices in the market. Much more, you must invest new ideas in your business, to be able to produce products that have all your customers want.

If you opened another branding agency somewhere else and still sell the same products, you just need to work on those plans you used in first company. However, all ideas should be from your heart. Remember that even in that new place, you stay top of your competitors.

However, when opening a new company that is not new, you can still excel. All you need is to rotate your business into a new sight from your previous business. Ensure you stand on those objectives that keep off your competitors. This will make your business popular and you will be able to produce new choices of products.

However, to be able to accomplish your dreams in those new choices, you must consider the needs of customers. For this reason, ensure you listen to all complain they make and ratify. Talk to them every time to have a close relationship. They can determine either fall or success in your business.

Keep in mind, those ideas can only be utilized after knowing all wishes of your audience. In this case you must talk to them to gather those wishes. One way of doing this is opening a site where they can post their comments. After learning those needs, go ahead to produce products that bind those needs. It is important to renew your food branding regularly, although it should match your ideas.

Italian Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Appetizer

Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe appetizer is an easy and delightful beginning to any meal. The delicate salty flavor of prosciutto balances the sweet and juicy cantaloupe to create a taste pleasing appetizer.

This traditional Italian antipasto often appears on the menu in fine Italian restaurants. Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe can even be found in cafes around Rome and other hot spots in Italy.

Try serving Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe attractively arranged the next time you have a dinner party and then sit back and relax. You will be delightfully surprised at all the compliments that will follow your presentation.

Ripe cantaloupe

Prosciutto sliced very thin

Black pepper

Chill the melon, cut it into halves and remove the seeds. Slice the melon into ¾ inch wide slices. Run your knife along the bottom of the flesh close to the rind, being careful not to remove the rind. Leave a small amount of the rind at the end of the slice attached to the flesh. This will allow for an appealing presentation.

Drape 2 wide, very thin slices of prosciutto at an angle over each slice of melon. Allow some of the melon to show through the prosciutto. Grind a small amount of black pepper over top and serve chilled.A "Dessert" is a meal course that usually comes after dinner. Most often Dessert foods are of sweet food but can also be of a strongly flavored food, such as cheese, like cheese cake. The world dessert comes from the Old French word "desservir", which means 'to clear the table'. Often times in the English language dessert is confused with the word desert(note only one "s"), which is a baren piece of land normally with sand as soil.

It wasn't until after the 19th-century where the rise of the middle class, and the mechanization of the sugar industry, brought the privilege of sweets into the general public and unreserved it exclusively for the aristocracy, or as rare holiday treat. This was because sugar became cheaper and more readily available to the general public. As sugar was widely spread, so was the development and popularity of desserts.

In today's culture dessert recipes have become a popular item for discussion, as they are a winning way to win people over at the end of any meal. This is partly because if you serve a mediocre meal, with an excellent dessert, people will remember you for the dessert and forget about the meal.

Most cultures, have a separate final distinction between the main course, and the sweet course. This is not true however in some cultures such as Chinese, who will mix in sweet and savoury dishes throughout the entire meal. Dessert is, often times seen as a separate meal or snack, rather than a course, and can be eaten some time after the meal by many individuals. Because of it's wide spread popularity there are even some restaurants that specialize in desserts which is easy to cook.

Some of the most common desserts are:

- Biscuits or cookies

- Ice creams

- Meringues

- Fruit

- Cakes

- Crumbles

- Custards

- Gelatin desserts

- Puddings

- Pastries

- Pies or tarts

Pecorino Cheese - an Italian Specialty

Tuscany is famous worldwide for its wine and olive oil, however, the people of Tuscany have lots of other food products to be proud of. One of the best things that are made Tuscany is the Pecorino cheese. The Pecorino is made of ewe's milk (pecora in Italian means sheep), and is also typical of more southern regions of Italy.

The Pecorino used to be considered a simple peasant's food, and was eaten as a snack with some bread and wine. Now it has become part of the best kitchens in Italy.

Pecorino types vary by the area of production, degree of ripeness and the way they were treated. The new Pecorino ripens for about 2-4 weeks. It is mild, and not very hard. The center of it can be creamy. The medium is sold after two months of ripening. As it ripens the taste gets sharper and the cheese is harder. Very ripe Pecorino that has matured for six months is usually used for grating over dishes, the same way Parmesan is used.

The different colors of the cheese depend on the way the crust was treated while the cheese was ripening. Some producers use tomato concentrate, so the color becomes red. This is usually a sign of cheese from the area of Siena. Others use edible charcoal to give the cheese grey - black color. If the cheese was placed in walnut leaves while ripening, it is brown.

Other areas of Italy have more ways of treating the cheese, such as burying it in trenches filled with special ashes.

The Tuscany Pecorino is protected by DOP council - something like DOC for wine. It makes sure that only cheese that comes from the right area and the right process is sold as Pecorino Toscano.

The taste of the Pecorino is strongly influenced by the diet of the sheep, so the herds are allowed to feed in large areas full of herbs that give the cheese a special flavor depending on the area.

The Pecorino cheese is produced in Tuscany from December to August. The best areas in Tuscany for Pecorino are near Siena, in the Maremma, and in Chianti near Cortona and Casentino.

So - Which Pecorino is the best? All the experts agree that the best pecorino does not come from Tuscany, but from Lazio (the area of Rome) it is called Pecorino Romano. The Pecorino Romano is a cooked cheese that matures for at least 8 months, and contains 36% fat. It has a strong salty flavor, and it is a hard cheese.

This article will not be complete without a recipe:

Leek with Pecorino and olive oil

Ingredients:

8 leeks, olive oil, 5 tbsp. grated Pecorino

Preparation:

Clean the leeks and leave only the white part. In a pan, cover the leeks with olive oil and cook on a very low heat, not allowing to boil. After about an hour remove the leeks from the pot and cool. Cut each leek lengthwise into 4 sticks. Separate the leaves, put on a plate and sprinkle with the cheese.

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Food Delivery of Different Cuisines at Your Doorstep

"The more you know, the more you can create. There's no end to imagination in the kitchen." - Julia Child

How true! This is what leads many of us to try out delicious dishes from different cuisines. All of us want our taste buds to experience and relish diverse flavors from across the world. With the convenience offered by restaurant owners of food delivery, there can be nothing to stop the ones who are willing to experiment.

Many different cuisines from across the world are entering the country and people today are open to try out something new. Let's take a view of the popularity of different cuisines. The Italian cuisine is and one of the most famous cuisines that is gaining popularity in India.

The Italian dishes with fresh ingredients are relished by a lot of people these days. Pizzas and pastas have in fact become the favorite dishes as they are delicious and can be prepared in just a couple of minutes.

Italian Cuisine has also made its place in the list of favorite cuisines. The Italian love to eat and this can be said by the fact that Paris alone has about 5,000 restaurants. This cuisine is all about bread, cheese and wine. Another very famous cuisine is the Chinese. Many people relish the noodles and the rice prepared in the Chinese style. A proper Chinese meal always contains an equal division of grains and starches, and meat and vegetables. The two are never mixed together, allowing each to retain its own unique characteristics.

Thai food is a balanced mix of hot, sour, bitter and sweet. It has a unique taste with lots of herbs and flavors like the lemon grass, lemon juice, and fresh coriander among others. Thai curry is famous for its strong flavors. Unlike other cuisines being served in courses, Thai food is served all at once.

While we are talking of different cuisines, one cuisine not to be missed is the Mexican cuisine. Who can forget the tacos and the nachos that we eat so often. The basic staple of this cuisine used to be native corns, beans and chili peppers but now lot of other ingredients and herbs have become a part of this cuisine.

Food has so much variety that if one develops the flair to try out the exquisiteness of different cuisines, there will be plenty to relish. Time can be a constraint with many but with the restaurants of different cuisines providing home delivery services at your doorstep, one can try out everything. 

If you are the one who has not tried any of the above cuisines, then you must begin with the Italian. You can get Pasta delivery Singapore with the perfect blend of ingredients to relish right at your doorstep. So, get going and try the different cuisines of the world and treat your taste buds well!

Making Italian Dishes At Home Is Fun And Easy

People in most countries come across archetypal Italian-American dishes that derived from the dishes of Southern Italy. These Italian-American dishes consist of thick tomato sauces, pizza and pasta. Sadly, this is how people from all over the world view Italian cuisine. In reality, however, Italian food has many varieties, as each area of Italy has its own uniqueness.

One must understand that Italian food is not just about pizza and pasta. The Italians have exceptional techniques of cooking rice, vegetables, seafood, and meat. The finest thing about Italian food is its simplicity. They efficiently use fresh seasonal herbs, fruits and vegetables. None of the dishes need more than eight to nine ingredients. With proper equipment, skill, and love for the food, anyone can cook Italian dishes at home. It is a guarantee that the dishes will taste as good as in any quality Italian restaurant.

Following are the basic equipment one must have in the kitchen to prepare Italian food:

· Pasta Machine: It is usually made of stainless steel, and comes with various attachments. Rolling out of pastas in different shapes and sizes depends on the type of the attachment.

· Pasta Pot: It is a typical pot for cooking pastas.

· Mezzaluna: It is a sharp, half moon-shaped knife. It has its handles at the ends of the blade. It is extremely proficient in giving finely cut vegetables and herbs.

· Grater: Italian dishes use lots of cheese. A grater is perfect to give you finely grated cheese.

Italian cuisine is simple and very easy to make at home. Following are the recipes of the three most popular Italian dishes:

Bruschetta:

Buy French or Italian bread, which has a thick and crispy crust. Grill or toast them. Slice one fresh garlic and brush a little on one side of the bread with it. Pour tomato purée over the bread. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese. If you are a vegetarian, you can top the bruschetta with slightly fried veggies like zucchini and eggplant. If you are not, top the bruschetta with anchovy fillet or chicken slice. Pour some extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped olives to finish the dish.

Pasta:
Take 2 cups of semolina flour (for best results) in a mixing bowl and crack three eggs into it. Knead it for 15 minutes. If it is lumpy, add a little water. Roll and make a dough ball. Wrap it in a plastic and keep it for 30 minutes. Put a little flour on the surface where you need to roll it. Make sure the roll is extremely thin. Stretch it and let dry for a while. Now, pass the sheet through the pasta machine. Boil the pasta slices in salted water for about 5 minutes. When the pasta floats to the top, drain the water and add the sauce. There are many pasta sauce recipes on the web. Use the one you like the most.

Risotto:

Chop onions and garlic, and cook them in olive oil until they are brownish. Put in chopped green pepper, and mushrooms (you can use any ingredient - both vegetables and meat). Add wine and a little vegetable stock. Now, add risotto rice (one with high starch amount). Keep on adding water slowly until the rice soaks it. When the rice is perfectly cooked, top the dish with Parmesan cheese and serve it hot.

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