Preparing Traditional Chinese Food Recipes

The delectable and traditional Chinese food recipes have been the benchmark of excellence in the culinary field. They are the product of an imaginative mind and greatly noted for their distinctive taste as well as being extremely nutritious.

The traditional Chinese cuisine is a desired balance maintained between the 'Yin' foods, which refer to vegetables and fruits, and the 'Yang' foods, which comprises of different types of meat. This balance is very necessary to ward off most illness and offer healthy benefits.

There are also many cooking methods, such as boiling, roasting, steaming, poaching, stir-frying, braising, smoking, and baking, involve the use of very little oil or no ill, thus are suitable for a health diet.

Chinese cooking is actually easy to learn with the right knowledge and recipes, and it is also a great addition to include to any family's homemade meals.

You can easily find Chinese recipes online through recipe websites or forums, but finding the traditional ones can be tricky, because most of the recipes are not in their traditional style and have been modified to make them more easily and quickly to cook. If you search recipes online, try to figure out whether this site is dedicated to traditional Chinese recipes only and make sure you are getting traditional ones.

Another thing you should remember is that have your ingredients purchased ahead of time, check out your local markets, or visit any Asian stores to see what is available in your area. In fact, this can save you a lot of frustration ahead of time in trying to cooking any new dishes.

When you get ready to prepare your recipe, make certain that you have read the entire recipe ahead of time. Some ingredients actually require hours to prepare properly, meanwhile, have the vegetables prepared before cooking, know your time frame for preparing the cook, and make sure you fully understand the cooking methods before beginning.

Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes

The current crisis in our pet food supply has many of us looking for homemade dog food recipes for our beloved pets. I have been cooking for our dog for many years and find that he likes mostly the same foods that we do. Each animal has his own preferences, just like we do. For instance, our Oscar will not eat tomatoes, but Bonnie loves them. Use these recipes as a starting place for homemade dog food recipes. Then, as you discover your pets preferences you can customize them more. One caution: you should not serve onion or chocolate to dogs as they contain substances that can be toxic to dogs.

Some veterinarians prefer raw meat for our pets. I prefer to cook the meat because of concerns over E Coli and other bacterial contamination. If you wish to use raw meat, do not use ground meat. The grinding process increases the possibility of contamination by providing more surface area for the bacteria to grow.

Canine Meat and Grain Menu

2 cups cooked brown rice
2/3 cup Lean beef
2 teaspoons lard -- or veggie oil
1/2 cup vegetables -- no onion*

Mix all together. You can serve the beef raw if you use chunks of beef. Do not serve ground beef raw, the grinding process increases the chances of bacterial contamination. Use any vegetables you like. You will find over time that your dog will leave any vegetables he does not like. Mix the above. Serve slightly warm, but not hot.

Chow Chow Chicken

You must remove the meat from the bones in this recipe. Chicken bones can easily splinter and cause choking problems in dogs.

2 chicken thighs -- or white meat
1 stalk celery -- sliced thick
3 carrot -- peeled and halved
2 small potatoes -- peeled and cubed
2 cups rice -- uncooked

Place chicken pieces in large pot. Cover with cold water (5 -6 cups). Add carrots, celery, and potatoes to water. Add salt to taste if you want. Cover and simmer on low heat about 2 hours until the chicken becomes tender. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove soup from heat. Pull the chicken meat off the bone ( it will practically fall off), discard bones. Return shredded pieces to pot. Stir well. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Meaty Dog Biscuits

Use beef, chicken or lamb strained baby food for these biscuits.

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 to 10 tablespoons water
2 jars baby food meat, strained

Mix all ingredients together and knead for 3 min. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 min.

Makes approximately 2 dozen doggie biscuits

Bacon Bites for Dogs

6 slices cooked bacon -- crumbled
4 eggs -- well beaten
1/8 cup bacon grease
1 cup water
1/2 cup powdered milk -- non-fat
2 cup graham flour
2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cornmeal

Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoonful's onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out.

Ace's Favourite Cheesy Dog Biscuits

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound margarine -- corn oil
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup Milk -- or as needed

Grate the cheese into a bowl and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Cream the cheese with the softened margarine, garlic, salt and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball.

Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown, and firm.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.

I hope that these free dog food recipes will inspire you to cook safe and healthy food for your pet.

Best Blueberry Or Blackberry Pie Raw Recipe

If you're looking for a healthy alternative to cooked berry pies or even cooked desserts that are laden with unhealthy fats and sugars, why not try my live-food, free, easy, raw berry pie recipe. Many people are gradually making the switch from cooked desserts and cooked foods which are causing so many of our health problems today. It doesn't matter if you're a raw fooder or eat the standard American diet; you'll love this raw berry pie recipe and know that you're doing your body good in the process.

In fact making a raw berry pie does not require turning on the oven and can be made in virtually minutes. I have often timed myself and can make this pie in ten minutes or less if the ingredients are assembled. Equipment: food processor.

This is my own creation, one of many vegetarian, vegan and raw food recipes that I have developed and created over the past few years as a raw fooder - eating raw foods, having cured myself of breast cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis and sinus infections along with many other ailments.

You can use the pie crust for dozens of other types of raw food recipes or live pies including raw or live apple pie. I've experimented with dozens of variations and tried various ingredients but I've found this raw blackberry or blueberry pie recipe is the best, fastest and easiest recipe to make. In fact if you're going to have company coming over you can whip this free raw food diet recipe up in no time.

Helen's Best Raw Berry Pie - the ingredients: 12 organic medjool dates, 1 cup raw pecans, 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries or boysenberries and 2 bananas.

For the crust put 1 cup of raw pecans in a food processor and grind until fine. Add 8 pitted organic medjool dates and process until mixed fairly well. Place into a 9-inch pie plate.

For the binder mix two bananas, 8 berries or so for colour and 4 medjool dates in a food processor - use the same food processor - don't need to wash it. Remove to large bowl and carefully fold in 4 cups of fresh or frozen or partially frozen blueberries, boysenberries or blackberries. Spread berry-binder mixture on top of the crust. Decorate with boysenberries or blackberries around the edge of the pie. Refrigerate.

This live or raw berry pie is a family favourite and one I have served on many occasions to company who are not aware they are eating something healthy containing all the vibrant nutrients - nothing cooked out.

This pie is really good with boysenberries too. You can also slice some fresh kiwi on the top or other fruits that won't turn color.

One nice thing to know about fixing any raw food recipe is that you can eliminate, substitute or add ingredients easily and it will still taste delicious! In this vegan or raw food diet recipe - you may only have one banana on hand for example or you can make half the recipe. You can substitute the pecans for a mixture of one half cup pecans and one half cup walnuts, or all walnuts.

If you live in an area where you have tons of wild blackberries you can make this pie for pennies. Pick blueberries cheaply in the summer and freeze them for year-round use, although fresh berries are always the best. You can make raw berry pies with this free raw food recipe year-round and you'll feel good too knowing you have served your friends and family something that will help them better their health and help them lose weight if they need to too.

Bistros and Restaurants in Paris France

 

Gastronomy is taken very seriously in France and with the rich history for fine French cuisine, Paris is a city where you will find some of the Worlds finest chefs serving remarkable cuisine and you will find thousands of cafes and restaurants in Paris alone, ranging from the small bistro such as the Allard Bistro through to exceedingly plush restaurants.

Even at a small traditional restaurant like the Boeuf sur le Toit or at a fancy restaurant setting such as the Train Bleu, the quality of food is of the utmost of importance, but many places have to be booked prior and some require reservations weeks or even months in advance, like the Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower!

When it comes to the type of cuisine, you have choices from all over the world such as the Blue Elephant which serves Thai dishes in beautiful surroundings, Brazilian food at the Brasil Tropical Cabaret and restaurant, Le Curieux Spaghetti Bar for true Italian delights, or the Tokyo Eat restaurant serving adventurous fusion cuisine.

There is so much variety to tempt your taste buds, yet obviously, it is the French food that really stands out in so many restaurants in Paris and some are in unusual surroundings like L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, 1970's style Korova, the family restaurant Apollo or Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower and they vary in cost from only a few Euros to hundreds per person.

But if you want to splash out for that special occasion, the finest way of dining in Paris is with Haute cuisine, which is elaborate food preparation and presentation, and just some of the Michelin star rated Haute cuisine restaurants include the Le Grande Cascade close to the Longchamps horse racing, Guy Savoy, Taillevent, Le Grand Vefour and La Tour d'Argent, where you could be paying upwards of 250 Euros per person, but even the most expensive restaurants are cheaper for lunch than in the evening.

Now forgetting Haute cuisine, you will find most restaurants in Paris serving French cuisine have a Menu du Jour or a set menu of the day and this normally means the most reasonably priced meals, which change frequently depending upon what fresh produce is available.

Also, if you want to eat breakfast out it is likely to be at a Patisserie or Tea Salon where you can get croissants, bread, fillings like cold meats and cheeses, pastries and a nice cup of coffee and numerous places such as Angelina's or Laduree, offer a choice of eating on the premises, or items to take away, but just one point worth mentioning is that many establishments add an additional charge to your bill if you decide to sit outside on their terrace, rather than inside.

When it comes to lunch, you will be able to find numerous different cafes and bistros whilst walking around Paris such as the Cafe Marly with a great view of the famous Louvre museum, and it may be an idea to mark these on a map so that you can find your next fuelling station!

As for the evening, meals are usually served from around 7.30pm and restaurants get far busier from around 9pm onwards.  Plus we would like to point out that Parisians do tend to dress up for an evening out and in most restaurants it is expected that you have a glass of wine or two with your meal, but bear in mind that a table wine can be just as expensive as many others on the wine list, as they are still of excellent quality.

And numerous different options are available for an evening meal like the cosy intimate setting of Au Bon Accueil, or perhaps you have been to a nightclub and need to eat in the early hours of the morning, then Au Pied de Cochon that is open 24/7 is a good choice, or you could choose the friendly atmosphere and smells of food cooking on a spit at the Atelier Maitre Albert or contemporary cuisine at Spoon Food and Wine, but you also have cabaret venues where you can enjoy a meal and watch a cabaret show such as at the World famous Moulin Rouge.

Top Ten Budget Paris Restaurants

 

Cuisine and a restaurant culture are France's bread and butter - or should you say toasted baguette and fois gras! - for there are few destinations in the world where fine dining figures so highly in the national consciousness.

For those fortunate enough to have eaten with a French family, the importance of mealtimes cannot be over-emphasised. But whether it's for breakfast lunch or dinner, backpackers staying in Paris hostels are well advised to seek out only the best budget Parisian restaurants.

L'Astier, 44 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud
The Astier offers exceptionally well prepared French food at a reasonable price. An a la carte dinner can cost as little as 29 euros and offers sizeable enough portions to satisfy even the most hungry budget traveler. Former satisfied diners recommend the home-cured herring.

Kong, 1 rue Pont Neuf
Attentive service, exquisite food and all at a wallet and purse-friendly price. The restaurant is also has a bar in which tourists can wait for a table or have some après-meal drinks.

Le Timbre, 3 rue St-Beuve
It may be a tight squeeze but that's unlikely to deter most hungry Paris hostel dwellers. If you can fit this restaurant into your schedule once, you may well pencil it in for a later date. Excellent food with a good selection at every course.

Le Relais de l'Entrecote, 15, rue Marbeuf
For those that enjoy steak, there are few better places to experience red meat the French way. Not the cheapest on our list, but what can a traveler expect for a sample of the delicious secret steak sauce. Definitely worth choosing one of the cheaper hostels in Paris to spare some money for a reservation!

L'Ourcine, 92 rue Broca
Inexpensive French bistro food served with a smile. Small, but the good food and excellent English speaking service will make you forget the size.

Cafe Constant, 139 rue Saint Dominique
Simple French cuisine that attracts all classes of local Parisians - a testament to its quality and popularity.

L'Ardoise, 28 rue du Mont Thabor
This small Parisian eatery is popular with travelers but has steadfastly refused to slip into the habit of supplying generic food. Great grub in a popular tourist district.

L'Avant Gout, 26 rue Bobillot
One of the best budget eateries on this list for price, the lunch menu even includes a glass of wine and a coffee for a cheap as chips cost.

Les 4 Freres, 127 boulevard de Ménilmontant
North African food that is testament to France's modern Arabic influences. Couscous dishes are simple, wholesome and inexpensive.

Coin des Gourmets, 5 Rue Dante
There are plenty of excellent cheap eateries in the Latin Quarter, but this Vietnamese-Cambodian-Thai restaurant is one of the frontrunners with good food and authentically cooked dishes.

Top 5 Best and Yet Affordable Restaurants in Paris

 

Many restaurants in Paris claim to be among the best restaurants in France, and this may be right when considering their Michelin Star or Gault & Millau awards. But not everybody can afford these top French restaurants. Here we want to focus on Parisian restaurants that everyone can consider without fainting when looking at the bill. Although affordable, these Parisian tables do stand above the crowd thanks to their excellent cuisine, good atmosphere and service, nice decor or exceptional location.

As far as location is concerned, 58 Tour Eiffel may be the best one of this list considering its prestigious address on the first level of Paris' oldest lady (as Parisians used to name it): the Eiffel Tower. Lead by famous Chef Alain Ducasse, 58 Tour Eiffel offers fine French cuisine high above Paris in an easy-going atmosphere. At night, the restaurant offers a tasty traditional French cuisine in a more brasserie-like atmosphere with a soft musical background. In a certain way, diners can get here the best of the worlds in Paris: fine cuisine and a unique view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

In the 4th arrondissement of Paris, Chez Julien is a charming restaurant next to Notre-Dame cathedral and Paris town hall (Mairie de Paris). This listed building evokes the old style of the early 1900s. The menu features great French classics (scallops, called 'coquilles St. Jacques' in French, with their basilic sauce), and a large choice of meat and fish dishes. If you're looking for a romantic restaurant to dine out in Paris, with a friendly and attentive service, this is the place.

As surprising as it may sound, there is a beach in Paris, and it is called La Plage Parisienne, or 'Parisian Beach'. In fact, it is a restaurant and it should not be confused with 'Paris Plage', a famous Parisian summer event. La Plage Parisienne is a really nice restaurant located close to the Mirabeau Bridge, boasting enviable views over the statue of Liberty. This airy and bright restaurant offers a lovely terrace with parasols. Here you will enjoy a Mediterranean cuisine from South of France, Italy and Spain, while looking at boats passing by under the Mirabeau Bridge. The ideal place for a business lunch or a romantic evening in Paris.

When considering the very best restaurants in Paris at reasonable price, you should look at fine dining tables such as Lasserre and Agape restaurants. These two are listed here because both of them offer an exceptional cuisine (Michelin 1 and 2-star restaurants) and yet remain 'nearly' affordable. 2-star restaurant Lasserre is located on the Champs Elysees Avenue. Here is served an exceptional French cuisine in a wonderful decor, Belle Epoque style dining room, stunning Touchagues paintings, and perfect service. As for Agape in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, it is a discreet and soberly decorated restaurant which gives great attention to its decoration. Designer table ware (Andree Putman) and light (Philippe Starck), pristine white table cloths, comfortable arm chairs, nothing has been missed out. Guillaume Bracaval, the young and talented chef uses his technique and taste to produce delicious traditional French dishes with a modern twist. And yet, prices remain reasonable.

Reservation strongly recommended in all of these good Paris restaurants. Bon appetit!

Typical British Food

If you have ever wondered what keeps typical British food alive in England today, you really need look no further than the family kitchen. Quite simply put, more traditional and typical foods of the region will be served to a family at home, than what will be served in a fancy restaurant. Many of the large scale posh restaurants in England that you come across will have menus that are predominately upscale worldly dishes. These dishes could be native of Spain, Germany or even Africa. To find the foods that the people of England enjoy or even depend on, you need to go to the homes.

Typical British food can come in many variations. Soups and stews have long been a staple of the people of England. So too have been the hot dishes that take the bite out of the crisp cold that they face in the cooler months. Whatever it is that you are looking for in regards to common foods of England, the best place to look is with the common people.

Sweets And Pastries

If you are looking for typical British food, you could always look at afternoon tea time. there are an assortment of delectable little finger foods that sit alongside a hot pot of tea. Small pastries and delicate sweets often accompany a nice mid afternoon tea and this is something that has been going on since as far back as the mid 1800's. pastries and other flaky desserts is a mainstay in the small side stores or cafes that will dot the streets of London. The presence of these treats only gives way to proof that old power still has its mark known in this country. If you are to look beyond the pastries and sweets themselves, you can also find that typical British food can lead you to puddings of all sorts as well.

A sweet pudding known as Yorkshire pudding is something that has been served to both royalty and peasants alike for as long as remembered. Typical British food starts and ends with puddings as many see it. This is a very common fare and one that still has a very strong presence within the small eateries in the country.

Help From Others

While not every typical British food actually originated in England, you can see that the British have adopted the food as their own when the foreigners either settled or left. What the travellers brought was a different way of doing things. They brought food ideas that were new and odd, yet once the foods were tried and shaped to fit the British lifestyle they were readily accepted. Many of the seafood items that were available to the British were not really recognized as food. It was when traveller from the Mediterranean region came over, that the British found that they had something worthwhile on their shores.

Today much of what would be considered typical British food still exists. Whether it is originally British fades in importance. What it important however is that these foods are a primary for the people that eat them each and every day.

Traditional English Food Still Exists

When it comes to traditional English food, you should never be surprised to hear that there are a couple of versions of each dish. There is the version that was handed down from generation to generation and then there was a reincarnation of sorts. This is when a fancy restaurant or budding new chef takes what was old and brings it new life. It really does not take too much to take a dish that has been around for a hundred years and transform it through different cooking techniques and ingredients. The result of such changes can be seen on the faces of those that have tried both versions.

Traditional English food however, is something that many people look to remain the same hence the phrase traditional. Old school cockles and calamari dishes for the coastal towns will and should always bring back fond memories. The same can be said for watercress sandwiches and leek soup. This is something that those in Britain have been enjoying for many years now.

What's In The Bag?

If you were to ask someone in London "what's in the bag"? you could assume that you would have a myriad of choices. Traditional English food has had some offering that were created to use what was available at the time, just as much as there are recipes that were created that were meant to serve royalty. One of the most obvious recipes foods that you might find in a brown bag of the time was fish and chips. This dish was served for the blue collar working class and was meant to not only fill their belly after a long work shift, it was offered as the haddock was a great flaky fish that was excellent tasting. This type of traditional English food is still a very popular entry today and you will find people young and old enjoying it.

Regardless of what type of food you are looking for in this region, you can be sure that traditional English food will always be available. There are several great restaurants that serve nothing but the older classic dishes from this country.

Still Remembered

Amidst all the new and interesting recipe facelifts that are raving through England these days, some people still prefer the traditional English food over the new and redone recipes. There is many of the older crowd that would like to see the dishes they enjoy brought back into the fold of dining, yet without the revamping. This is not because they are not interested in trying new things however it is more along the lines of being familiar with something and being set in their ways.

Traditional English food is something that not everyone has a palette for, but you can be sure that there will be a few hot meals available that will peak your attention. Many of the great hot meals within the scope of traditional recipes have been around so long, that it is obvious that the recipe is simply right to start with.

Best of British Food

When you are searching for the best of British food, there are several ways to start looking. One of the issues you may come in contact with is that opinions can differ about what the best is when it comes to food in Britain.

Talking to people in the UK can give you an idea of the most popular dishes, as well as finding a regional cookbook. One of the best ways to find British food is to look online. The internet offers users a wide range of possibilities for searching for the best in food in the UK.

Online Food Search

Starting your food search for the best of British food online seems like the easiest thing to do. You can sit at home on your own time and casually look through the websites to find what foods are the best and most popular in the UK today.

There are many sites to choose from, so you will want to be sure you are looking at the right one. Some sites may offer the best of traditional English food, while other sites may give you what is hot in the UK now. You want to be sure that if you want to find the best of authentic English dishes, you go to sites that offer these and not what is common in restaurants right now. Trends can change in the dining community fast, so looking for traditional food from England will net you the best search results.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth has always been a great way to share the best information. The best of British food can be told to you buy those who have experienced it firsthand. These are the people who know what foods are the greatest in the UK.

Word of mouth does not have to be in person anymore. There are many social sites online that offer the chance to communicate with people that they would be able to communicate with otherwise. Many food sites offer forums to members, so they can ask each other questions. You can get all you need to know about the best food in Britain by asking those who live there now and in the past. They can tell you what traditional English meals are still popular today.

The English Food Cookbook

To find the best of British food you can also get an English cookbook. Regional cookbooks usually offer the recipes for the most popular foods in that area of all time. These are the foods that most people enjoy and have enjoyed for centuries. The best English foods will be in this type of cookbook.

If you are going to use a cookbook to find the best foods in Great Britain, make sure that you get a book that has each meal time in it. That way you can get the best breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. There are several types of foods that are known as typical English foods and you do not want to miss out on them.

Top 3 Restaurants in West Sussex, UK

I eat a lot. I have to. I'm a food blogger and food photographer. But, for me, it's much more about quality than quantity. And to that end, I have spent two years traveling the U.S., France and England to find the best restaurants. Last year my wife and I moved to her native area, West Sussex, England. An area exploding with exceptional restaurants. Every kind of food is represented here. But, pubs, more importantly gastro-pubs are the hot ticket here at the moment. But don't be fooled, these gastro-pubs are a far cry from the fish and chips joints of old.

The following are my top three restaurants in West Sussex. They are in no particular order. I have fully reviewed these on my blog as well.

1. The Cat Inn Pub and Restaurant in West Hoathly - The Cat serves up an incredible array of locally sourced meats and vegetables. During the week it mostly caters to the local crowd, who you will find sitting at the bar talking to the friendly staff. Make sure to take advantage of their customer loyalty card. You will earn one stamp for every £25 spent and 8 stamps gets you a free 2 course meal. The Cat was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating.

2. Gravetye Manor near East Grinstead - Gravetye is an absolute must for anyone visiting the local area. This 16th century manor home, turned boutique hotel is one of the great ones. It has been featured in The Good Food Guide, the UK's bestselling restaurant guide, every year for 54 years. But the food is what you come for. And I have never been disappointed. Stunning cuisine with both French and English flare. It also has a AA rosetta and used to have a Michelin Star.

3. Mae Ping in East Grinstead - Mae Ping has no Michelin Stars, or Bibs. What is does have is the best Thai food I have ever tasted. It is consistently good. And with five Mae Pings scattered across the South East, it appears I am not the only one who likes it.

There are so many fabulous restaurants in West Sussex, that it's hard to pick just three. And my list will probably change constantly. But for now, those are my favourites. You can't go wrong.

Tasty Exotic Filipino Foods

When you visit the Philippines, you will surely leave with a smile not only in your lips but most especially your stomach. The Philippines is one of the places in the world where you can eat delectable and delicious exotic dishes that will surely satisfy your appetite. It is not surprising that Filipino recipes, foods and delicacies are often described as strange and unique with different tastes mixing in one simple dish.

The country has a history of more than a hundred years of external influences which is the countries who colonized the Philippines. Filipinos are known in the world as a group of people who sees food as a very significant element in their everyday lives especially in their culture. Filipino food is considered as one of the Philippine culture highlights. You will also observe that the Filipinos' favorite place in the house is the kitchen.

The exotic Filipino foods are known in the whole world because they are all delicious and really look unusual dish to eat. Dishes like "bagoong" (shrimp paste) and "dinuguan" (pork blood stew) do look really exotic and unusual for many people, specially for those who don't have Filipino blood in them. But, one thing is for sure, the looks and smell of this exotic foods will be covered up by the unique taste and blend of spices the said dishes has to offer. Once you have tasted it and captured its distinctive taste, you will surely crave for more.

Some of the reality shows have featured these exotic foods as part of their challenge in the show. One example is the "balut" which was featured in the show Fear Factor. For those who don't know, "balut" is a fertilized egg (duck or chicken) with a nearly developed embryo inside. This egg will be boiled and eaten in shell alongside with either salt or vinegar with chili mixture to season their egg. It may not look or sound good at all, but the taste of it will surely captivate every taste buds that will try this food. Of course, many Filipinos does not find these foods as exotic and unlikely to be eaten especially "balut" which are sold every night on streets.

As one travels in the provinces of the country, one will see that the delicacies become more and more exotic. This is not a surprise since Filipino will try to eat and cook every living thing in their surroundings or backyards. We could say that Filipinos does not care that much what the physical looks or attributes of a thing as long as they could eat them. Whether it's crunchy or slimy, Filipino delicacies are sure to be tasty and healthy. Many Filipinos will try to use every part of an animal as a source of their food. The resourcefulness of the Filipinos can be seen in this way.

Delicious Dishes: Thai Food

You don't have to live in China to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, so why would you expect that authentic Thai food could only be enjoyed in Thailand? Wherever you are in the world, there are a wide variety of cuisines available to you. It's a matter of deciding what types of food sound good to you and figuring out how to get authentic food at the most affordable prices.

If you thought that eating authentic Thai dishes required a reservation at a fancy Thai restaurant and a wad of cash ready to blow, it's time to rethink this idea. If you give it some thought and serious looking, you will find that authentic Thai food can be found without spending money. In fact, you can get authentic Thai food delivered right to your front door in most cases!

Thai Food Delivery

Thai food delivery services are the most convenient way to enjoy fresh Thai dishes without learning to make it yourself or booking reservations at an expensive restaurant. You just need to make sure that the food delivery service you are using has an authentic Thai chef on hand who knows how to make each dish exactly as it was intended to be cooked.

Most areas don't have a lot of delivery services preparing Thai dishes, so it shouldn't be too difficult to determine which ones are the best and which ones serve authentic Thai dishes. You should be able to look up the services in your area online and learn more about their services and their menu.

It is best to familiarize yourself with their menu prior to placing your first order. If you are new to Thai food you may need to look some dishes up to see what they include or what the ingredients may be. Or, just call the Thai food delivery service up and ask them your questions. A knowledgeable service should be able to tell you exactly what is in each dish and help you find something that suits your taste buds.

Thai Flavors

What makes Thai dishes so interesting is the blend of flavors included. The people of Thailand recognize all of the flavor categories when they prepare their meals:

1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Bitter
4. Salty
5. Spicy

Some meals may lean heavily toward one of these flavor categories while others blend two or more together delicately. When you consider all the different ingredients that can create each of these flavors, you see why Thai food is so diverse.

Enjoying Thai dishes at Home

If you don't live in Thailand, then enjoying authentic Thai dishes in your own home is the simplest way to get to know the cuisine and indulge your cravings once your palette has been introduced. Most people find that they crave the flavors that come out of Thai food, so they become regulars with the delivery service in their area.

You never know, you could end up being one of those people once you try Thai food! Once you find a Thai delivery service that works with an authentic Thai chef to deliver delicious Thai cuisine, you can enjoy this cuisine whenever you want it...and it doesn't matter where on earth you live!

Thai cuisine is so diverse it can please anyone's taste buds, so why not give it a try?

Top Thai Cuisine

Thailand has some of the best food in Asia with many signature dishes that are enjoyed all over the world. Hot and sour flavours mixed with aromatic lemongrass are classic ingredients that let your taste buds dance with excitement. Here are some of my favourite Thai dishes that I enjoyed eating whilst I travelling Thailand. Enjoy!

• Pad Thai- Thai-style Fried Noodles - A great noodle dish that everybody knows. A classic dish that you'll find on every corner in Thailand being cooked by the experienced street venders. Best enjoyed cooked with prawns and an egg. No trip to Thailand is complete without Pad Thai.
• Gaeng Massaman Gai- Thai Massaman Curry. A mild peanut based curry usually cooked with beef or chicken. The "massaman" indicates that the recipe is of Islamic origin. One of the real highlights of travelling in Thailand.
• Penang Gai- Penang Chicken Curry. A creamy coconut curry with subtle flavours of kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil. You'll find this on most places during your Thailand trip.
• Pad gkaprow mu - Thai Basil Pork - A spicy favourite for travellers in Thailand that mixes ground pork with hot chillies and Thai sweet basil. Always served with sticky rice and topped of perfectly with a fried egg.
• Tod Man Plaa- Spicy fried fish cakes. Delicious fish patties perfectly accompanied by hot and sour dipping sauce. Great to snack on during your Thailand trip.
• Khao Neeo- Thai Sticky Rice. A great accompaniment to any Thai dish and perfect if you start running out of money while you're travelling in Thailand.
• Khao Soi- Chiang Mai Curry Noodles. This is a noodle dish, prepared in a rich creamy curry sauce, which is traditional to Northern Thailand. If your Thailand tour takes you up north, this dish is a must.
• Tom Yum Goong- Thai Prawn Soup With lemongrass. Tom Yum is one of the main signature dishes that characterises Thai cuisine. With both hot and sour flavours it's the base of many Thai soups.
• Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai - Thai Green Curry with Aubergine. A great veggie option of the classic Thai curry.
• Yum Nuea - Thai Beef Salad - Yum Nuea means "tossed beef" and that is the basis of the dish. It's a great option for a light meal on the beach while you're travelling in Thailand. Delicious barbequed beef that's tossed in sweet, smokey and sesame flavours.
• Pad Mee - Thai Fried Vermicelli Noodle - Spicy thin noodles with all the best bits. Simple but great and definitely part of a try Thailand trip.
• Tom Yum Soup - Hot and Sour Soup - Classic Thai dish that you'll find whilst travelling all over Thailand. Strong hot and sour flavours with a hint of lemongrass.
• Yam Ma Maung - Green Mango Salad - A refreshing salad with green mango, garlic and Thai sweet basil. Again, perfect on the beach.
• Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan - Chicken And Cashew Nut - Cashew nuts being the key ingredient in the dish combined with strong Thai red chillies, lemongrass and young kale.
• To-hu tawt - Deep fried tofu - Light and spongy tofu puffs that are deep fried to a crispy treat that mixes well in to most vegetarian dishes. Vegetarians who travel to Thailand will definitely enjoy this dish.
• Som Tum - Thai Green Papaya Salad - This dish you'll see many of the street venders mixing up with a pestle and mortar to get all the flavours out of the ingredients. Fresh papaya, Thai string beans, palm sugar, green chillies and dried shrimp all get mixed together to create a fiery salad. A real highlight of any Thailand trip.
• Kanom Chan - Steamed layered coconut dessert - The main ingredients used to make a Kanom Cham include sugar, coconut milk and flour. One of the great features regarding the Kanom Chan is the natural colourings used to create the sweet that is also derived from herbs. Great for sweet-toothed travellers to Thailand
• Khanom Kluay - Banana Pudding - Khanom Kluay is a delicious Thai dessert that is found all over Thailand and Khanom Kluay translates as Thai steamed banana cake. You definitely have to try this during your Thailand trip.

Tempted? Why not start planning a trip to Thailand to sample all of these amazing dishes.

Stopping in Thailand as part of a bigger trip? We can help you organise your Round the World flights

Chinese Food - The Best Option For Good Health

The Chinese food is very good for health as it is cooked with the purpose of enhancing the health benefits, such as long life, healing powers and medicinal value. It requires a good knowledge and experience to prepare the Oriental cuisine. It is cooked with poly unsaturated oils and no milk based ingredients like cream, butter or cheese are used. Though meat is also used, it is not used in excess to avoid high amounts of animal fat and cholesterol. Such type of food is called genuine Chinese food, which is actually a perfect diet for good health. The traditional food must include rice, noodles and vegetables.

The way of serving the food is also very special. It is almost obligatory to cut the food into small pieces before serving, and there will be no knives at the dining table. The right combination of things like herbs and condiments is very important. The food should be tempting in color and texture and must be enjoyed in peace. You can choose from a wide variety of dishes having different nutritional value. Chicken or beef and vegetables are a good combination. One can have cashew chicken or beef and broccoli in place of fried dishes like sesame chicken. Such dishes are very nutritious while the traditional foods like lo mien having noodles soaked in oil, fats and carbohydrates are not good for health.

Take brown rice instead of fried rice to avoid high levels of cholesterol and carbohydrates. Soy sauce and other additives rich in sodium content are basically used in Chinese food. But as you know, a lot of sodium is harmful, avoid too much sauce and go for vegetables and steamed dishes or stir fried using little or no oil. To reduce fat calories, take a healthy diet containing vegetable based dishes having some sauces and steamed rice. Taking fortune cookies at the end of the meal would be great.

To conclude, a Chinese food with a lot of vegetables, snow peas, and low in salt is considered a healthy food. The quality of the food also depends on your choice of the restaurant, whether it is a low-priced one or a high end restaurant. The waiter or the manager would also be keen to guide you about the kind of dishes and their nutritional value. So, it is very important for your health to select the right place and the right things to eat.

Use the unique Chinese Food Locator to find some of the best Chinese Restaurants in your city.

Also, find more informative articles, Chinese food recipes, and tips on Cooking Chinese Food to experience the flavor of the rich Chinese Cuisine.

Top Five of the Most Delicious Cuisines in the World

Since I really do love eating, I often try many different kinds of cuisines from many different countries. One day, my friend gives me some references of cuisines that popularly said to be the most delicious ones in the world. In general, I agree that these cuisines are deserved to be popularly said as the most delicious ones because of its uniqueness. What cuisines are they? Go on reading this article.

Delicious taste will be relatively different, however in general these cuisines are delicious enough to be listed as the top five among other cuisines. They are:

1. French Cuisine. This cuisine is very famous with its delicious cheese and wine. Started from the Middle age until the French Revolution era, the techniques in cooking French cuisine were improved and late it is considered as high cooking in the twenty first century. In Paris, there are up to 5,000 places to eat with various menu and prices. Just choose one of those places that match your taste as well as your budget.

2. Italian Cuisine. This cuisine might belong to the oldest cuisine in the world since it could be tracked to the fourth century B.C. It divides into several sections namely antipasto (appetizer), primo (pasta or rice), secondo (meat), and dolce (dessert). Italia is also famous with its more than 400 different types of cheese, including the famous Parmigianino Reggiano, and 300 different types of sausage.

3. Chinese Cuisine. It is enjoyed by one third of population in the world. It is easy in making, cheap and also delicious so this cuisine is very famous in the entire world. There are many types of its cooking served in bite-sized pieces. Usually, each person is served with a bowl of rice. Furthermore, other food will be served in large portion for several people. Some foods are processed with rare ingredient such as facai moss.

4. Indian Cuisine. The most famous Indian foods are those from North India, that also known as Mughlai or Punjabi. There are three other categories of this cuisine namely West Indian, East Indian and South Indian. Mostly the food is vegetarian food, but you will find some foods with chicken, sheep meat or fish. Usually, Indian cuisine is very spicy.

5. Thai Cuisine. It is very famous with its perfect and balance combination of hot, sour, bitter and sweet in its taste. It uses various fresh herbs and seasoning, such as citrus, lemon grass, and fresh coriander. As well as other Asian cuisine, rice is the important component of meal. You can also find many kinds of noodles and nam pla (fish sauce mixed with shrimp pasta). You can also find raw beef, fermented fish pasta and in north east part of Thai, you could also find fried insect larva.

So are you interested to try all of those delicious cuisines?

Japanese Cuisine and the Best Sushi Places in New York

Rice is the main staple of Japanese cuisine. It is also used to brew Sake. This is the traditional drink of Japan. A traditional Japanese mean consists of rice and side dishes. The Japanese believed that pounding the rice made it purer. They pound the rice to make rice cakes. Rice cakes are a part of every Japanese feast. Sushi is thinly sliced raw fish and hand rolled vinegar rice. They can be rolled with different toppings such as wasabi.

There are numerous Sushi restaurants in New York. Some are quite famous and have been featured on national television. I have compiled a list of some my favorite ones that New York has to offer.

Morimoto is located at 88 10th Ave. in Chelsea Market, New York. It is run and co owned by Masaharu Morimoto. He is a world-renowned Japanese chef, and an Iron Chef on the Food Network Channel. The sushi bar is separated from the dining area by a wall of water bottles. The cuisine is outstanding here.

Nobu is located on 105 Hudson St. at Franklin St. in New York. There are 2 other Nobu restaurants in New York, and one is backed by the famous actor Robert De Niro. They serve an exquisite Omakase here. Many celebrities dine at Nobu.

Sushi Yasuda is located at 204 E. 43rd St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave. in New York. They have a very sophisticated decor. One of their specialties is sashimi. I also love their green tea ice cream.

Jewel Bako is located at 239 E. St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave. in New York. Jewel Bako is called the village's best sushi option. They serve artisan sake and fresh traditional Japanese cuisine.

You can always find a great Sushi place in New York. There are many available restaurants to choose from, so if you want an amazing sushi experience then just try one of these locations in New York.

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Top Restaurants in Europe

Europe is continent which is rich not only in culture and heritage, but also reigns when it comes to food. European cities are home to various restaurants that are the best not only in Europe, but also across the globe.

The Fat Duck Restaurant in England which is the world's second best restaurant tops the list of being the best in Europe. The restaurant is renowned for its culinary seduction, and is based on convention with the setting of the restaurant in a cottage.

The Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant in Paris is another great restaurant that is next on the list. It is the best restaurant in all of France. The chefs of this restaurant are renowned for their culinary experimentations which complement the recipes and make them even tastier. The Le Louis XV Restaurant in Paris offers fish that you would not be able to find anywhere else in the world. Also, the fish served in the restaurant is nothing, but true delight. Another great restaurant in Europe is The Nome in Denmark. The restaurant is famous for its martini bars, and Asian food with a native touch.

The Gambero Rosso Restaurant in Italy is famous for its meat dishes and great taste which you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. Another restaurant in Italy is the Grand Canal which is in the Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal. The restaurant has a very appealing lure with its terrace facing the Church della Salute and gondolas. The great ambience is complemented with Venetian chandeliers which spread dim light into the dining room. It is its enchanting lure that makes the restaurant irresistible. In Florence there is Il Latini to which you should go in case you are craving for a really juicy meat steak. It also offers other Florentine specialties. The Agata-e-Romeo in Rome is another restaurant which is popular for the chef's creativity with the traditional Roman dishes.

The L'Hotel de Ville in Zurich offers premium quality food. The restaurant is also famous for the sophisticated presentation of its food. The Brasserie Lipp is renowned all over the world for its wide variety of garlic dishes, the parallel of which is hard to find anywhere else.
If you want to indulge yourself in cheese and bacon extravagance, go to the Hof van Cleve in Belgium on the country side. This cuisine does not only have great food, but also offers a truly rustic appearance and a beautiful overall ambience. If you want to dine in a place that is chic and sleek, go to the Vogue in Turkey where you would find not only a great décor, but also a fusion of Oriental and Turkish cuisine.

If you are a fruit lover, you should go to The Oud Sluis in Netherlands where many different recipes of fruits are prepared. The Cracco Peck Restaurant in Milan is the best restaurant, and offers great Italian dishes. Some other great restaurants in Europe are in Spain, Cyprus, Barcelona, and several other European cities.

For Luxury Holidays in Greece try the Elounda Beach Hotel

Subway Tops McDonald's To Become Largest Fast-Food Chain

Subway's Jared may boast about how fit he is, but in the battle of the corporate mascots, he's now much bigger than arch-rival Ronald McDonald. Subway is now the world's largest fast-food chain, with 33,749 restaurants. McDonald's trails by over a thousand, with 32,737 restaurants worldwide.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Subway's growth comes from a strategy that includes aggressive expansion into overseas markets, along with non-traditional locations, such as auto showrooms and churches.

"Subway, which surpassed the number of McDonald's in the U.S. about nine years ago, expects China to eventually become one of its largest markets. The sandwich shop only has 199 restaurants in China now, but expects to have more than 500 by 2015.

Subway has achieved its rapid growth, in part, by opening outlets in non-traditional locations such as an automobile showroom in California, an appliance store in Brazil, a ferry terminal in Seattle, a riverboat in Germany, a zoo in Taiwan, a Goodwill store in South Carolina, a high school in Detroit and a church in Buffalo, New York."

Despite Subway's growth, McDonald's still takes in more cash: $24 billion flowed through the golden arches last year, while Subway made just $15.2 billion.

Best Mardi Gras Food

"Fat Tuesday" may be tomorrow, but Mardi Gras celebrations are already in full swing, from Rio to New Orleans to New York. On this Fat Monday the Hurricanes are flowing, the King Cakes are being baked and frosted, and gumbo is simmering in more than a few pots. (For more on the history of the day, see "Mardi Gras 2011: Fat Tuesday and Carnival Explained," at AOL News.) Take some ideas from these cooks, and get your own Cajun-Creole party started.

Louisiana native (and KitchenDaily contributor) Alexis Touchet lays out all the essentials for Mardi Gras, including quintessentially southern recipes for Creole Chicken Fricassee, Crawfish Pie, Chicken-and-Shrimp File Gumbo, Shrimp Remoulade Garlic Toasts, and Coconut Rum Cream Tarts. No New Orleans Mardi Gras feast would be complete without a big old dish of red beans and rice. Alexis adds spicy andouille sausage to her recipe to amp up the flavor.

In New Orleans, so popular are red beans and rice that now there's a Redbeans Parade (held today), with 60 members of a krewe that has honored the dish by spending months creating their costumes using the legumes (uncooked, natch).

Chef John Besh, of restaurants August, Lüke, and several other New Orleans hot spots, is cooking up his own pot of red beans and rice, and he shared the recipe with the Huffington Post. Try it with his jalapeño cheese grits, which turns up the heat on this classic dish.

New York chefs are no slackers when it comes to throwing a pre-Lenten bash. Andrew Carmellini is putting on a pop-up feast tonight with chef Laurent Gras (recently returned to New York from Chicago's L2O), at Carmellini's Locanda Verde. On the menu: Oysters Rockefeller, crawfish court bouillon, gumbo, blackened trout with Cajun spices & slaw, pecan duck with dirty rice, and beignets. A zydeco DJ will be spinning tunes for this sold-out event.

And in St. Louis, chef Christopher Lee, of Café Ventana, created a "Creole Trinity," for a Cajun Cook-off event to launch Mardi Gras. "It's a play on words for the peppers, onions and celery used in Creole cooking," Lee told the Riverfront Times. "The dish was comprised of chicken and waffles – a cornmeal waffle topped with rye-whiskey butter and bacon-infused maple syrup, with a side of spicy fried chicken. The crayfish pie was a flaky turnover with a crayfish filling and a Creole mustard remoulade. And we did barbecue shrimp and grits."

We hear that miniature versions of king cakes are all the rage this year down in the Big Easy. The yeasty frosted cakes with treasures hidden within them (signifying good luck for the year to come) debut on January 6 each year and are eaten through Carnival time. Get a recipe for King Cake.

No, we haven't forgotten the 24-ounce booze bomb known as the Hurricane. This rum-and-fruit juice concoction was invented at a New Orleans restaurant called Pat O'Brien's in the 1940s, and is about as classic a punch as you'll find to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Find out more about the history of the Hurricane and get a recipe here.

Meanwhile, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen danced the night away in Rio atop a float for the School of Samba (not eating, we're just guessing), and in New Orleans a new sci-fi-lovers' krewe is debuting. They call themselves the Krewe of Chewbacchus. Pour those Wookiees a Hurricane.

Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/07/best-mardi-gras-food/#ixzz1G3BGlJ5q

Food Festivals

March Food Festivals

St. Patrick's Day festivities might be at the forefront of everyone's mind, but March's edible extravaganzas have much more to offer than green beer.

National Truffle Fest, Asheville, NC, March 3-6: The truffle is a prized ingredient that comes with a hefty price tag -- a plate garnished with a few shavings can fetch sums in the triple digits. So perhaps it's not surprising that an all-access ticket to this weekend event celebrating the U.S. truffle industry is $500. The festival, which will include seminars, lectures and a blow-out gala, will benefit the Frankie Lemmon School for preschool children with special needs.

Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City, Fla., March 3-13: The Sunshine State produces more than holiday citrus baskets, tourist traps and sunburns -- Florida's strawberry crop is one of late winter's greatest pleasures. At this Central Florida fair, you'll find thousands of baskets of strawberries in addition to fruit-themed arts and crafts. A midway and carnival rides round out the berry merrymaking.

Parke County Maple Syrup Fair, Parke County, Ind., March 5-6: It might have the best marketing, but Vermont isn't the only state in the union that produces maple syrup. In an area of Indiana known for its covered bridges, visitors can tour maple syrup camps, learn how the topping goes from tree to table and sample the sweet stuff.

Yuma Lettuce Days, Yuma, Ariz., March 11-13: Forty thousand people are expected to attend this festival, now in its 13th year. Chefs, restaurants owners and vendors will honor the humble leafy green and its importance to Yuma. Cooking competitions, demos and lettuce carving contests will be the major attractions.

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Iowa Rabbit Festival, Iowa, La., March 18-20: Louisiana isn't just about mudbugs and Mardi Gras in March. In the town of Iowa, rabbits take center stage. The highlight of the event is a rabbit cook-off -- now with a 'people's choice' award. Also look for arts and crafts, a rabbit show, carnival rides and, of course, pageants. Hop to it.

Texas Onion Fest, Weslaco, Tex., March 26: In the birthplace of the 'Texas 1015' onion, folks gather annually to praise their favorite vegetable. There will be onion-eating contests, pageants (a food festival is nothing without pageants), and arts and crafts as well as some non-onion eats like snow cones and corn dogs. While it's not onion-related, there will also be a salsa recipe competition, where the only requirement is the inclusion of jalapeños, in honor of Dr. Ben Villalon, who developed the mild jalapeño in Weslaco.

Hot Food Containers

Hot Food Containers - What You Must Know Before Buying Them

Hot food containers are sometimes called flasks. Could you remember the times of Thermos flasks? They even carried lids for insulation purposes. Can you recall how well they kept water and food hot as you traveled long distances? With modern technology and scientific developments you can now enjoy improvements in this technology.

On the market today there are also many devices used to keep food hot. Some are stationary while others offer transportation privileges. Most of them have attached lids and must adhere to FDI specifications before being put for sale. Therefore, always remember that when you see a food container for sale it has already met the standard requirements.

They are available online so you do not need to get to a store. Once you have access to a computer you are already in the store. As you shop always look for features which give the best benefits. Know that that there are many hot food containers designed specifically to meet your needs. Some popular ones are water bottles which mothers use as devices to keep baby food warm.

Always check for the temperature consistency since some containers are designed to keep food hot only for a specific period. It may be for 8-12 hours or less. Others may sustain heat for more than 24 hours. One thing you must pay careful attention to is how long it will maintain the food temperature. After a certain time, when the temperature drops food can spoils and this defeats the purpose.

Do not blame the manufacturer for this oversight. Read your label very well before purchasing. Purchase just what you desire. Think carefully! For example, food containers are used for commercial purposes as well, especially, when vendors sell along streets. On many occasions it takes over 24 hours to sell out. In such cases you need to purchase the correct size taking into consideration the temperature maintenance integrity.

Some more sophisticated containers available in the contemporary marketplace include the harvest food server dish; stainless steel classic vacuum; hot food to go container; hot food paper container - the list goes on.

As you get online you will be amazed at the amount of styles and models of hot food containers from which you can choose. Do not hesitate. There is free shipping and handling offers as well depending on the amount of your purchase. Hurry while stocks last! It is your chance to get the right hot food container best suited for your needs.

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