The Dangers of an Eating Out, Fast Food Lifestyle - Homemade Foods Will Save Your Life!

Could you really say that your last meal was nutritionally balanced? Did it provide your body with an assortment of the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats it needs to function properly? Was there any fresh fruit or vegetables with it or did they come out of a packet, tin or the freezer? The question to really consider is, "Was it the kind of meal your grandmother would have made?

According to a recent AC Nielsen Online survey, consumers the world over reported they simply do not have the time to prepare meals from scratch. Consumers in 41 countries were asked whether they had too much, enough or too little of time, information, energy, space or money to prepare meals from scratch. Just over 56% said they didn't have enough time. Beyond convenience, one third cited cheaper than buying all the ingredients and preparing from scratch as their reason for purchasing ready to eat meals.

But what value do we place on our health? Do you really know what went into the preparation of the food you purchased and does it contain ingredients which are nutritionally beneficial for your body?

How many times have you gone out, purchased food and within hours after eating it started to feel heavy in the head &/or a bit sick in the stomach? We put so much trust in the person who prepared the food; that they had good hygiene and food handling skills. What had they being doing before they made your food?

Food poisoning is commonly experienced in those who eat out frequently, with the study "Food Safety and the New Zealand Public" showing just over 2 in 10 respondents experienced food poisoning over the last two years; with most of these (83%) occurring outside the home. Around half of those surveyed declared that they had observed poor food safety practices in outlets over the last two years. 83% of respondents expressed concern about chicken, 78% for shellfish and 76% for food displayed in warming ovens such as pies.

As a naturopath I frequently see people who are suffering with health problems relating to something bad they have ingested. Some have returned from a trip to the islands or Asia, but there are also those who have eaten out recently and experienced a case of food poisoning. Not only can you have the common digestive problems such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain, but many people also experience joint and muscular pain, fatigue, headaches, fever, skin and hair problems, as well as low levels of nutrients, such as B vitamins and iron.

If you have eaten something bad and you have vomiting &/or diarrhea, seek professional advice, as dehydration is a common problem experienced with food poisoning. Some cases of food poisoning are notifiable; so to help prevent other people experiencing the same problem as you, make sure you report all incidences.

 If you do eat or drink something bad, consider Activated Charcoal. The binding ability of charcoal has been known for centuries, with the story of a prominent French chemist in 1813 who drank 150 times the normal lethal dose of arsenic without ill effect. His secret? He had mixed the arsenic with charcoal. Charcoal was used in gas masks in WWI and is still used today in protective masks and suits against hazardous chemicals, nerve gas and other biological toxins. Each particle contains many small chambers and cavities that capture or bind up unwanted materials and gas. This can be taken in a capsule and is a valuable addition to the medicine cabinet or travel bag. 

Taking a probiotic supplement, such as Reuteri or Inner Health Plus is vital with food poisoning, as these friendly bacteria have been found to populate the bowel quickly, helping to relieve some of the symptoms experienced with food poisoning in hours. Aloe vera juice can also help to relieve gastric distress and is well worth considering with digestive problems.

But does it really take that long to prepare a meal from scratch? Do we really not have the time to make proper meals or are there other reasons why we eat out so much?

Recent figures from March 2007 show sales of burgers, fish and chips, pies, ice cream, pizza and ethnic food have risen 88% since 2002, a huge difference from 1995-2002, when figures remained relatively flat. Statistics New Zealand tell us that in January of this year, takeaway food sales were $103 million (can you believe this!)

New Zealanders have been ranked 17th in a list of the worlds most obese people - fatter than Australians, Britons, Canadians and Fijians and gaining on Americans. Overall, 68% of New Zealanders are classed as Obese by the world health organization. Child obesity has trebled in the past decade, with 1 in 3 now overweight or obese. Obese children mean obese adults. This is a problem for many reason, as obesity is associated with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and some cancers.

Maintaining a balanced body weight is vitally important for growing children. A child's diet may determine whether she develops breast cancer in later life, according to expert Professor Paul Kleihues from the World Health Organisation. The disease - the number one killer among women aged 35-54 years - could be triggered early in life by an unhealthy diet of fast food, Professor Kleihues has warned. He said parents should avoid offering high fat, low fiber diets full of processed food, dairy products and meat. He warned: "Thirty per cent of tumors in breast, prostate and colon cancer are associated with poor nutrition".

Australian and New Zealand studies over the last 10 years, on food advertising during children's television viewing times, found that on average there are 26 ads per hour and of these Food ads comprise approximately 34% of all ads or 8 ads per hour. On average, 72% of ads promote non-nutritious foods, and ads for chocolate, confectionary, fast food restaurants and sweetened breakfast cereals tend to top the list. In addition, the study found that confectionary and fast food restaurant ads are broadcast heavily during the pre and post dinner period, 5-8pm and that these are broadcast up to three times more heavily during children's programs than adult programs. Recent studies show that this kind of advertising works, as children from families with high TV use during meals consume more of the highly advertised "unhealthy foods" (pizza, salty snack, soft drinks) and less fruit and vegetables.

What about Morgan Spurlock, the American documentary film director, known for the documentary film Super Size Me, in which he attempted to demonstrate the negative health effects of McDonald's food by eating nothing but McDonalds three times a day, every day, for one month. At the end of 1 month his cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat levels increased dramatically and he complained of an empty unsatisfied feeling, probably due to a lack of essential nutrients.

Experts tell us that the Mediterranean diet is an ideal model to follow. There are many variations of this, but the common Mediterranean dietary pattern has these characteristics:

o high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

o olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source (choose organic extra virgin)

o dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten

o eggs are consumed zero to four times a week

o wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts (red wine)

People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat an average kiwi diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is well within the Heart Foundations Nutritional guidelines. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.

The most important consideration for making easy, nutritious meals, is to think ahead so you can be prepared and have the ingredients you need to throw something yummy together. Most chefs would agree that the secret to a great meal is to keep it simple.

Dinner should contain some kind of protein such as fish, seafood or some other kind of meat. This can be purchased on the day, or individual servings could be retrieved from the deep freeze. A salad can be simply made, buy tossing mesculin or other salad greens with vinegar and olive oil. Chopped tomatoes, capsicum and cucumber are excellent additions, as is a handful of lightly toasted pine nuts or some tamari roasted seeds.

Planter boxes can be positioned around the house, with herbs such as rocket, basil, parsley and chives and vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicum and lettuce being easy to grow in this way. It is so relaxing to come home in the evening and seeing how my latest plants are coming along, thinking how I can incorporate them into my daily meals.

Gourmet Food Catalog - What Are Your Choices?

Planning a big party takes a lot of expertise. Or does it? Does a person need to be a gourmet cook to host a gourmet party? Maybe not. A person isn't necessarily a good cook just because they can make good food. They just have all the right recipes, is all. So relax, and don't succumb to the pressure that you need to be a gourmet cook to host your party, when all you really need is a gourmet food catalog!

Of course, you could look for the perfect recipes, and hope that everything turns out, and your guests won't be disappointed in you. But if you fail them, you can forget about hosting any more parties. A party flop stays in people's minds long after the party has ended. This is your chance to do something right! Forget about all the cooking lessons your mom gave you when you were coming of age. They might be good recipes, but if you are faced with the huge challenge of feeding people, you're likely to get nervous and forget to add the salt to one recipe, or the flour to another. What a flop your party would be if something were to go wrong.

All you need to do to ensure your guests leave the party with full stomaches and happy thoughts is to order a gourmet food catalog. Remember that popular commercial, "Let your fingers do the walking?" Well try this one on for size..."Let your fingers do the cooking!" You have never been this smart before! Simply order the food. Most food catalogs include pictures, so you can see what you're getting for your dollar.

There are so many different choices in food, you will have a blast picking out all your entrees. Just make sure you cover all your bases. You will be needing a salad and soup for starters, and after that, the main dish, along with some side dishes. Remember the golden rule though, you will need something crunchy as well as something soft, otherwise your guests will get bored eating their dinner. And then the creme de la creme - the dessert! That quality gourmet food catalog will not fail you. They will be many choices for the richest desserts, be it cheesecake, tiramasu, white chocolate cake, wildberry pie...well. No point making you suddenly rush out the door for the sugar craving you're probably experiencing right now.

Don't be surprised when your guests comment on how this is the best party they have ever been to. Of course, they'll be expecting more of the same, you might as well face it. Once you experience the way to a person't heart is through their stomach, there's no telling what might happen!

Know How to Cook Gourmet Food

Most people who have prepared gourmet food can agree to the fact that this is not the kind of food to be rushed. It takes ingredients of the highest quality, top masterly in both preparation and presentation. In other words you need to have money to buy what you need to prepare it and time to cook it well. Given the fact that it is hard to prepare this food, here are a few steps that you may find helpful, especially if you are new at it.

First of all, pick a gourmet recipe that you wish to prepare. There are several recipes that you can pick from and you can find them on the internet or any other recipe book. It is advisable that you pick those recipes that will give guidelines that you will follow when cooking, on top of showing you how to cook. This will make it easier for you as you will be able to follow the provided steps.

After picking your preferred recipe, ensure that you acquired the ingredients necessary for preparing that food. Make sure that your ingredients are of high quality and of required amount. Get to know how they are used and what flavor to add to the meal. Getting to know this meal well than just eating it will make you appreciate it. It is therefore good that you read and know the history of most of the recipes.

When it comes down to preparation, it is advisable that you follow the recipe. It is your guide in cooking it and achieving the best meal is not easy either, so you need use the recipe well and cook it for some time before knowing real how to do it well (that is if you are not yet skilled in preparing it).

To make it even better, after preparation, make use of food dressing styles recommended for gourmet food so that it can be appealing to your eyes and taste good too. You can decide to put sauces on the plate before serving the food on it, you can also add color with fresh herbs and stack it in a nice way. All this is aimed at achieving good results given the effort you put in place to prepare it.

It is good to have some guests who like quality gourmet food to come over and enjoy it with you. This will make it a fun filled moment and not just eating.

In preparing this food, you do not need to go for complex or something out of this world. You can keep it simple but classy with the right recipe that you will enjoy cooking all the way. Take your time to prepare food that even you will appreciate.

And now that the alba white truffle season is upon us, it is to experiment with the ultimate in taste sensation that is a the very top of gourmet cooking, the alba white truffle.

Famous Italian Dishes

Yes Italy is famous for its history. Yes Italy is a famous tourist destination and Italians are very famous for their lifestyle too. But is that all you know of Italy? No, of course you must have heard of the famous Italian cuisine and must have tasted the mouth watering Spaghetti Bolognese or Panini with rich tomatoes and basil. Italian cuisine is famous globally and is very easy to cook too. Every country you visit you will come across an Italian restaurant and Italian fashion.

The villas surrounding the mountains of Tuscany and the outskirts of Rome offer some great holidays where you can taste the famous wines and Italian food. One can learn to cook Italian dishes while you are here. Makes a great place for holiday.

Today more and more people prefer to spend their holidays in Italy and neighboring regions and more often you see the young crowd who are interested in cooking making a beeline to these places. The air tickets getting cheaper by the day has helped increase the traffic to this region and made it affordable for people.

You will find that most of the cottages and villas where you are likely to stay are all situated close to the airport and doesn't take long to reach. You can make a request and they often do send a car to meet you at the airport.

Holidays are made to suit different budgets and can be short ones lasting a few days to longer ones lasting a few weeks. Cooking sessions are a part of such holidays too.

Depending upon your availability of time and budget you can choose between a short holiday of a week or longer holiday comprising of a few weeks. Cooking sessions are included in both.

Once you have done your booking, you can look forward to spending days under the guidance of Italian chefs at the villa and learning to cook Italian dishes the Italian way. End of the day you can enjoy your dinner with the dishes you have cooked and sample your own cooking with wine thrown in of course.

While you are learning to cook authentic Italian food and dishes, use the opportunity to have fun and exercise too. Explore the surrounding areas and indulge in water sports and other activities and enjoy your holiday.

You can either spend a few days learning cooking and then explore other cities and town by extending your holiday and trying out different things or you can stay in the quiet villas learning and noting down recipes of more Italian dishes that can help you become a world class Italian chef or a restaurateur tomorrow.

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.

Gourmet Food Experience

Gourmet foods are probably one of the most talked about food items and least understood. I have to ask myself all the time what separates the gourmet foods from the regulars? Some persons view? Marketing dollars perhaps? Some people make the foolish claim that they don't actually like gourmet foods. To each their own I assume but how does one make such a broad based comment? There are virtually hundreds of foods that come under gourmet foods. Some people make this claim mainly because they have not tasted enough varieties of gourmet foods. The list of gourmet foods includes meats, drinks, deserts, cheese, fruits and many more. In fact, gourmet foods are considered to be a delicacy that tastes heavenly.

The moment a mention of gourmet food is made, one usually thinks of cheese. However, remember that not all cheese are alike; gourmet cheese is not at all like American and Cheddar cheese that you always eat in the eateries and at home. The gourmet cheese, Agour Ossau-Iraty is a cheese that is made from sheep's milk in Poland. The 34 Degrees Australian marinated feta is produced in Israel and is made from the milk of goat and sheep with some spices. As there are numerous varieties to gourmet cheese, it proves to be rather difficult to choose the right cheese to consume. Take a tip and make it a point to smell the cheese before buying it. What smells good to you is most likely going to taste good to you as well.

Deserts and sweets are another important part of gourmet foods which includes cakes, candies, chocolate and cookies. You find a variety of cakes for you to choose from like chocolate, lemon, cheesecakes, sponge cakes and raspberry cakes. You can also find gourmet cookies that can be either plain, decorated by look and is available in variety of flavors. You can create or use your own toppings to make your dessert really a gourmet desert. Some suggestions for a topping are honey, syrups, jellies, jams and spreads. These toppings are all available at home or can be bought in the grocery store but really do enhance the taste of your gourmet foods.

Exotic tasting coffee and tea is another form of well known food. You can choose between loose tea and tea bags, ground coffee or whole beans or a chilly frappuccino; you are sure to find a gourmet drink out there for you. Not only these gourmet drinks, they are also the right choice for the extra energy that you will need to fight the cold on a winter's day. Great tasting coffee and tea are great for complementing an excellent meal. You can choose between the coffees you like. Biscotti are a great choice with coffee which taste great on its own or when dipped in tea, coffee, milk, wine or cappuccino. There are various flavors for you to choose from in biscotti ranging from hazelnut, gingerbread, chocolate and many others.

If you love meat, then there are also numerous options in meat for gourmet food like Angus beef strip steaks, escargot, hot salami, caviar, free range turkey, Danish brown sugar slab bacon, pheasant and many other options in meat as a gourmet food. As you can see, there is a great choice for you in gourmet food, which will definitely meet the reason of the occasion for gourmet food. It is possible to even gift gourmet foods from a gourmet food store, catalogue or online. 

However it is sure that once you try quality gourmet food, you are sure to get hooked on to its taste.

Gourmet Foods For Every Occasion

Enjoying fine quality gourmet food is definitely one of the pleasures of life. There is so much fast food and bland tasting dishes today because of the lack of time to really prepare food right, that when you do get to enjoy gourmet fine food, it's a special treat.

So what makes any food or drink qualify to be called "gourmet"?

Well, in general it means that a particular food or drink is considered above average in quality, and will appeal even to those who have the most discriminating tastes. It also usually means that a lot of time and effort has gone into it's preparation too.

What comes to mind when you think of gourmet foods? Here is a list of many fine foods and beverages that can be found in the gourmet food category:

1. Coffees - Gourmet coffees include many exotic coffee blends from around the world and flavored coffees. Frequently you can get a nice mixture of various gourmet coffees that allow you to sample them before buying more of each kind.

2. Teas - There are several specialty teas from all over the world that qualify to be called gourmet tea.They can be either green, black, oolong or herbal teas. Again, you can often get sampler packs of these exotic teas to try them out first.

3. Chocolates - Whether milk, dark or white chocolate,gourmet chocolate assortments often come with fruit, nuts, and cream centers that are just incredibly delicious.

4. Caviar - If you really want to taste the good life, enjoy any of the various kinds of caviar, from the American Golden to the Russian Dark variety. Of course this is one type of gourmet food that can get really pricey fast, but there is a caviar for pretty much any budget if you look carefully enough.

5. Seafood - There are lots of seafoods that have been specially prepared as gourmet foods including smoked herring, oysters, shrimp and lobster rolls and bisques. There's lots more in this category too and again you can often get samplers for taste testing in advance.

6. Fish - Some of the favorite gourmet fish foods are salmon, tuna, and halibut.

7. Meats - This is one of the largest gourmet categories and lately has become very popular. Entries in this field include ribs, roasts, steaks, and even some dried and cured meats.

8. Poultry - There are any number of gourmet foods prepared with chicken, but duck and turkey is also top favorites for special dishes.

How to Make Amazing Baked Pasta Quickly and Easily

Oven Baked pasta is a great dish for any buffet party or a lunch or dinner at home. It provides great left overs and can easily be frozen for another meal. I always recommend serving baked pasta with a green side dish such as a fresh salad, or Italian green beans.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 Box of short tube pasta such as Rigatoni.

32oz. pasta sauce - for real quick, use a "good" Italian jar sauce

15 oz. ricotta cheese - low fat will not take away from the taste, so I recommend using it for this dish.

1 1/2 to 2 Cups grated romano cheese

13x7 baking pan or 2 smaller ones

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.

2. Add the entire box of pasta and give a stir.

3. Cook for just over 1/2 the normal time. For rigatoni, I time it about 7 minutes. Here is one of the secrets... only cook the pasta 1/2 just under aldente. It will continue to cook in the oven.

4. Drain the pasta and set to the side.

5. Place one scoop of pasta sauce on the bottom of the pan.

6. Add a layer of pasta, do not be shy, it only requires 2 layers.

7. Put a layer of sauce over the pasta making sure to cover it all. Do not be shy.

8. Put a layer of ricotta using about 3/4 of the container.

9. Mix it all together gently so it is evenly dispersed.

10. Add the rest of the pasta on top, then the sauce, ricotta and then add the romano.

11. Mix all together and make sure the sauce covered all the pasta to prevent it from drying out.

12. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 365 degrees F. for 25-35 minutes.

- Note - Once the sauce starts bubbling up from the bottom of the pan, you know it is finished. I always recommend a taste test however.

A few tips I would like to mention however. First, you can add meat to this dish such as meatballs. Make sure the meat is precooked. Second tip, do not tell anyone how easy it is to make! It took me less than 15 minutes to prepare this dish.

As they say in Italian... "Mangiamo!" ("Let's Eat!")

A Primer on Cooking Chicken in The Oven

Tetrazzini is a title that was supposed to be inspired by one Italian opera singer that was referred to as Luisa Tetrazzini. It is however an American dish which is made from non red meat, almonds as well as mushrooms in a sauce that is made with butter or cream and parmesan cheese. This dish also uses several vegetables including celery, carrots as well as onions and is also infused with the flavor of sherry or wine. Tetrazzini comes from in various forms depending on the type of ingredients used to make it and this will include chicken, turkey as well as tuna tetrazzini.

Chicken tetrazzini is easy to prepare and can this can be accomplished using the several recipes that are available. An example of the several recipes is the rich creamy and sherry sauce recipe. You will have to have several things to cook using this recipe and they will include 2 cups of cooked chopped chicken breasts, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 cusps of milk, 8 ounces of spaghetti, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese for topping,? cup of slivered almonds after being toasted and? cup of grated parmesan cheese. Others include 2 cups of pre-sliced mushrooms,? cup of chopped shallots, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup of all purpose floor, 1/3 cup of sherry, 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg as well as salt and pepper to taste.

This dish is always served when hot and can be accompanied with any type of thin pasta such as spaghetti. Tetrazzini can as well be garnished using parsley or lemon and also topped with parmesan cheese or additional almonds. After getting together all the ingredients the preparation can now start. The first step will be to preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. A large pot with water should then be placed on medium heat and wait for it to boil where you should then add salt. The pasta can then be added and cooked as per the instructions on its cover. Later drain the pasta and put it aside.

You should then use a large saucepan to met 1 tablespoon of butter and this should be at medium heat and later add chopped shallots and saut? until they turn to a light pink color. The next thing to do is to add 2 cups of pre-sliced mushrooms and saut? for approx 4 minutes and follow this by adding flour where you are supposed to stir to prevent the flour from forming lumps. The milk can then be added together with the chicken broth and sherry. These ingredients should be left to boil in order to blend well. The next step will be to reduce the heat while allowing the mixture to simmer for approx 10 minutes.

The cooked chicken breasts should then be added together with? cup grated parmesan cheese and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Remove the mixture from heat and transfer it to a baking dish. Here the cooked pasta should be mixed with? cup of toasted silver almonds, 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, as well as salt and pepper to taste. You should top this with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese. Leave this in the oven to cook for 40 minutes.

 This recipe is an example of the several methods of how to cook chicken in the oven.Please visit here for Oven Baked Pasta.

Pasta Italian Recipes

TYPES OF PASTA

Made from durum (hard wheat) flour, pasta is the familiar pale straw color, but it is brown if made from buckwheat or wholewheat flour. Coloring is added by spinach (green), tomato puree (red), beetroot juice (red or pink), saffron or turmeric (yellow), and squid or octopus ink (black).
Durum wheat can be difficult to work with and, to make it easier, it is sometimes mixed with soft wheat flour which reduces the protein content and makes the product more starchy. Look for pasta that is made from 100% durum wheat for best results.

COMMON FRESH PASTA SHAPES

CANNELLONI - These are available shaped as large, smooth or ridged, hollow tubes. Suitable for filling and then baking with sauces.

CONCHIGLIE - These are shell-shaped pasta - their name translates as little shells or conches. They come in various sizes and may have a smooth surface or a ribbed texture.

FARFALLE - The name of this small shape translates as bows or butterflies, and is available in a variety of sizes. Farfalline is the name given to the very tiny ones.

FETTUCCINE - This is a ribbon-shaped pasta, slightly wider than tagliatelle. It is especially good with creamy and butter-based sauces.

FUSILLI - Resembling a spring, these pasta shapes are also known as twists. Fusilli lunghi is a hollow pasta shape in the form of a long corkscrew.

FIORELLI - The name of this pretty little pasta shape means flower. It is sold in packets of mixed colours - white, green and red - the colours of the Italian national flag.

GNOCCHI - Gnocchi is usually included when describing types of pasta, although it is really a small dumpling. It may be made of flour and water; potato flour and water, or even polenta. Gnocchi is usually added to soups or cooked in a simmering liquid and then tossed in butter or a sauce.
LASAGNE - Lasagne is made in broad flat sheets. The sheets are usually cooked layered with meat, cheese, vegetables and a sauce, or sauces, and baked in the oven. Cannelloni are sometimes made with rolled sheets of lasagne.

PAPPARDELLE - This is a whole ribbon noodle, sometimes made even more distinctive by a crinkly edge. Like tagliatelle, it can be found coiled into nests.
PENNE - The name of this short tubular-shaped pasta means quills, recalling the quill pens of the past. Penne may be smooth or with a ridged surface, in which case they are called penne rigate.

RAVIOLI - This is a filled square or round pasta shape that comes with a variety of fillings, ricotta and spinach being a favourite. They are available in small, medium or large sizes.

SPAGHETTI - The classic pasta, and possibly the universal favourite. Other long strings of pasta include spaghettini (a very thin type of spaghetti); vermicelli (a size in between spaghetti and spaghettini); capellini (a very fine pasta); and fedelini (slightly thicker than capellini).

TAGLIATELLE - Tagliatelle is flat ribbon pasta and so technically a noodle. It is usually sold coiled into nests. The combination of green and yellow tagliatelle is known as paglia e fieno or straw and hay noodles.

TORTELLINI - Tortellini are a small version of tortelli, a stuffed pasta shape. Spinach and ricotta is a favourite filling for tortellini; they are sold ready-filled or you can make your own. Like ravioli, they are served with a sauce or with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese.

Asam Prawn (Tamarind Fried Prawn) & Nyonya vegetable stew (Nyonya chap chye) recipes

Tamarind Fried Prawn (Asam Prawn/Asam Heh) Recipe

 Ingredients:

8 oz shell-on prawns
1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

1. Mix the tamarind pulp with 4 tablespoons water. Extract the juice from the tamarind by pressing the pulp.
2. Remove the heads of the prawn. Devein the prawn by slitting the back. Rinse prawn with water and pat dry with paper towers.
3. Add the tamarind juice and pulp, salt, and sugar into the prawn and mix well with your hand. Marinate for 15 minutes. Remove the tamarind pulp before cooking.
4. Heat up a wok and add cooking oil. As soon as it’s heated, drop the prawnsinto the wok and pan fry until cooked and slightly burnt. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

Some recipes call for dark soy sauce but I always do without the dark soy sauce as it will make the prawns too dark in color, and hence less appealing in presentation. You can also leave the heads on, for photography purposes, I had them heads off. You can also pan-fried the prawns with the tamarind pulp if you wish.

Nyonya vegetable stew (Nyonya chap chye)

Ingredients

For the paste:

• 20g candlenuts or cashews
• 70g shallots, peeled
• 20g garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsps fermented soy beans
• 150ml water

• For the stew:

• 20g lily flower, rinsed, knotted
• 1 1/2 tbsps sugar, or to taste
• 3 tbsps light soy sauce
• 6 tbsps oil
• 300g prawns, peeled
• 750ml light chicken or prawn stock
• 15g glass noodles, soaked in cold water for 20 seconds
• 25 dried beancurd skin, soaked, cut into pieces
• 250g cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 40g sweet beancurd skin or 'tim chok', cut into pieces
• 30g dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked, halved
• 15g black fungus, soaked, cut into pieces

• Method

  How to make Nyonya vegetable stew (Nyonya chap chye)

  Find out more about Makansutra's Nyonya Vegetable Stew.
  1) Combine all of the ingredients for the paste in a food processor and blend. Set aside.
  2) In a braising pot, heat oil and fry paste for about 3-4 minutes or until fragrant. Add the prawns and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
  3) Deep fry the tim chok and dried bean curd skin over low-medium fire till lightly crispy. Set aside.
  4) Add the lily flower, black fungus, dried mushrooms, sweet beancurd and cabbage to the paste, fry for another 2-3 minutes.
  5) Add stock and bring mixture to boil. Lower heat, cover and let chap chye simmer for 8 minutes.
  6) Add fried tim chok, dried beancurd skin and glass noodles and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.
  Serve with steamed rice.
• Please visit here for more Traditional Peranakan Food Recipes.

Singapore Famous Food Recipes

Singapore is a melting pot bubbling over with tourists, inhabitants and expatriates from all parts of the world, and these people naturally have diverse eating habits. Through the ages, the Chinese, Malay, Indians and the foreigners (westerners) have cast their influence on Singapore's food recipes and there is no doubt that Singapore is a food lovers' paradise.

Singaporeans love to eat out and there is a feast of multicultural cuisine waiting for them in restaurants and especially in hawker centers and food courts. Here is a list of the major types of foods you can feast on in Singapore:

1. Malaysian Food: Malaysian food, also known as Malay food, is a popular in Singapore simply because Malaysia is Singapore's neighbor and there are a whole lot of Malaysians living there; Spicy Malaysian gravies are laced with belachan, which is made from baby shrimps and the Malaysian desserts are usually based on coconut milk, palm sugar and freshly grated coconut. Then, of course, there are the rice and noodles too, which any Malaysian cannot live without. All these go to make an exotic eating experience. Some Malaysian food you must try out in Singapore: Laksa (coconut-based gravies) and Satay (grilled and skewered meat).

2. Chinese Food: The Chinese have been in Singapore since the last seven centuries and their influence on Singapore's food recipes is authoritative. Chinese food can be subtle and neutral (Cantonese), or it can be fiery (Szechuan). Rice is a staple food in any Chinese dish and you can try out the following dishes to get a flavor of the Chinese influence: Shark fin soup, spring rolls (Cantonese - subtle taste); Fried Hokkien Mee (vermicelli, noodles, chili gravy, garlic, prawns, pork and everything else); and, Teochew food such as steamed fish and braised duck.

3. Indian Food: South Indians (mostly Tamilians) migrated to Singapore in the 1940s and their influence on Singaporean cuisine is undeniable. In fact there is an area in Singapore (around Serangoon Road), which is know as Little India. You must try out the south Indian Dosas, Idlis, Vadas that are served with spicy gravy and chutneys as well as the north Indian Tandoori Chicken (chicken smothered with a spicy paste and cooked in a clay oven).

4. Nyonya Food: Nyonyas are half-Malay, half-Chinese people who cook very hot and spicy food loaded with ginger and turmeric. Their recipes are creative and the cooking methods are elaborate. Some of the famous Nyonya dishes ( Traditional Peranakan Food ) you must savor are: Enche kabin (small chicken pieces marinated in soy and oyster sauce) and Chicken Kapitan (chicken curry made using tamarind juice, candlenut, fresh turmeric root and belachan (shrimp paste)).

These apart, Singapore also offers western cuisine comprising of American, British, and Italian dishes. There are fast food centers, food courts, hawker centers, restaurants and you-name-it. As we said earlier, Singapore's food recipes cater to all kinds of food lovers. Bon Appetit.

Looking for amazing and mouth drooling Singapore Food Recipe to cook back at home for your love one.

Please 

Looking for a New Dessert Idea? Try These Italian Desserts

Italian food definitely has its fans and one of the many tasty varieties of Italian foods are the desserts. Italian deserts generally come in a wide assortment of choices from cakes to cookies to yummy desserts that are prepared for adults with wine and liquors. If you are looking to prepare an Italian masterpiece for dessert, here are two excellent recipes whic I learnt from my nonna.

Tiramisu

Ingredients to Use:

- 1 pound of mascarpone cheese

- About 40 lady fingers

- 3 cups Italian coffee

- 6 eggs

- ¾ cup of Marsala wine

- 12 tablespoon of sugar

- 4 tablespoon of coca (power form)

Preparation:

Use an electric mixer to combine both the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Save egg whites for use later in the recipe. Add mascarpone cheese and stir it in to this mixture as well. Once these three ingredients are well combined, now add the 6 egg whites. Add the 4 tablespoons of cocoa and mix it in as well. Once it is all mixed place half of the ingredients into a cake dish.

Dip lady fingers into Italian coffee and then place them on top of the mascarpone cream. Cover this up with more contents to create layers. You will want to create about two layers. Once you placed two layers of lady fingers in the cake dish spread with remaining cream. Sprinkle some cocoa powder on the top of the cream. Set the cake dish into the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Enjoy!

If this dessert is created for kids, sub the Marsala wine with just the coffee.

Coconut Balls Cookies

For those wanting a great dessert cookie to go with your Italian Coffee or supper, Coconut ball cookies are extremely flavorful and very easy to make. Below is the recipe.

Ingredients to Use:

- 3 large eggs

- About 3 cups of shredded coconut (packaged is fine)

- 3 cups of graham crackers

- 1.5 cups of sugar

- 1/3 cup of cocoa

Preparation:

To prepare this tasty Italian dessert recipe, combine together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Make sure they are well blended. Add in your 3 eggs. It is best to add each egg in one at a time and stir well before adding the next in. Now add the 1/3 cup of cocoa, shredded coconut and graham crackers. Before adding the graham crackers make sure they are crushed. Mix all ingredients well and shape them into small balls. Once shaped, refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. Many people also might want to add a little rum, generally a recipe such as the one we've listed requires about 1 to 3 tablespoons of rum.