ANYONE CAN LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AN EXCELLENT ITALIAN EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL!

A 1996 study by the FDA found that 96% of the olive oils they tested, while being labeled 100%, had been diluted with other oils. A study in Italy found that only 40% of the brands labeled “extra virgin” actually met those standards. Italy produces 400,000 tons of olive oil for domestic consumption, but 750,000 are sold. The difference is made up with highly refined nut and seed oils.

If you want to find healthy and high-quality olive oil, you should focus on some very important things before heading to your local gourmet store to buy a bottle:

What should I read on the label? One of the most significant pieces of information is the date of harvest together with the expiration date. Did you know that olive oil loses fruitiness and flavor as it ages and after maximum two years from the harvest it will be oxidized and rancid? Toss out and replace bottles which you have had for over a year and a half.

The importance of packaging. A dark bottle, a bottle wrapped in foil, a bottle packaged in cardboard or wooden box is a MUST to preserve the quality because it must be kept away from direct light whenever possible.

Is the color important? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Official tasters always use dark glasses so that their sense is not influenced by the color. Many times oils are chemically manipulated to be greener because customers believe that greener oil is better. This is just not true!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/choosing-the-right-olive-oil-2676406.html

About the Author

As you may have guessed, we are seriously passionate about food, and especially about olive oil. As Italians, we were raised on it and probably have rarely gone without it on a daily basis. It is our Golden Nectar. It was drizzled into our first “pappe” (mushy baby meals), spiced to top our pizzas, passed around the table to dress our salads, rubbed liberally on every roast, poured generously into every sauce, used in lieu of butter in our favorite sweets – we’ve even seen our grandmothers condition their hair with the olive oil sitting in the kitchen cupboard!

One of the more intriguing aspects of bourbon’s revival is the way in which its stubborn old guardians have been proved right. None more so than Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell. A glance at the Wild Turkey distillery confirms that this place doesn’t abide by convention.

As other firms are tidying up their plants, the iron-clad, black-painted Wild Turkey sits teetering on the brink of a gorge, steam rattling out of various chimneys. It is one of those places which feels alive, as if the plant is humming with the measured rhythm of the staff. And, overseeing it all, is the avuncular Jimmy.

Take a walk with Jimmy through his distillery – it may be owned by Pernod-Ricard, but this is Jimmy’s place – and it comes alive. The swirl and changing colours of the ferment; the wheeze, hiss and whistle of the still – these are not inanimate functions, but part and parcel of a creative, living process.

No surprise, then, that he’s a firm believer in the human touch. ‘People are one of the most important things in making bourbon,’ he says. ‘It’s people who are doing the work here, people with generations of experience. All these proud people feel that Wild Turkey is part of them’.

He talks of understanding the meaning in the weird music of the still. ‘You have to have a stillman there, watching and listening to it. The sound tells him what is going on. We can hear a funny noise and know what’s happening. You can’t have that hands-on control with machines’.

Jimmy is no technocrat. His pride in his distillery and his whiskey springs from the heart. ‘There are things which you cannot prove scientifically. You can’t prove why copper works better than stainless steel, but you sure can taste the difference. So, for me, making whiskey is a craftsman’s process, an artistic process if you like. That artistic element is coming back as bourbon’s image improves, and small batch and single barrel brands appear. People are coming back to an old-fashioned way of making whiskey and old-fashioned flavours’.

This belief in flavour is a crucial factor in making Jimmy’s the tastiest bourbon of all. “Old-fashioned’ is often used in a derogatory sense, but when distillers such as Jimmy Russell use the term, they’re talking of a style of bourbon made before the ‘light is right’ brigade began to throttle the industry to death.

These days, people like him have been vindicated, as the whisky-drinking world (re)discovers flavour and complexity. They wanted us to go lighter and lighter, but we never did change,’ he smiles. ‘You’ll see more and more flavoursome, top-end bourbons in the future: but we didn’t have to change anything, we were already there!’

Everything in the production of Wild Turkey is done to maximize flavour. The mashbill is heavy on rye and barley malt, it’s distilled to a lower proof than any other bourbon and aged for longer than average. Jimmy also insists on using ‘the old, natural ageing process’, by rotating the barrels in the warehouses – taking the barrels from the hot top floors and replacing them with those that have started on the cool lower floors.

It gives a more even maturation profile for the Wild Turkey brands, though it’s the middle floors which provide the whiskeys that go into the small batch Rare Breed and single barrel Kentucky Spirit.

Superb though they are, it’s Wild Turkey 101° proof, 8-year-old which defines top-end bourbon. Uncompromising yet charming (like Jimmy himself), the fact that Hunter S. Thompson rates it as his favourite bourbon is no surprise, and speaks volumes about what to expect.

About the Author

Dominic Milner is a well known cyber chef with over ten years experience in the catering industry. Learn how to cook today with his top collection of online free recipes! Whether you want to cook up a meal for the family or bake with the kids he has the recipes for you.

(ArticlesBase SC #2366960)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Wild Turkey American Whisky

Like everyone else, if you are wondering what makes the Texas barbecues so special, I will tell you that it is almost everything. If you go on to make a list, the whole lot will feature in it – right from seasoning to cooking and smoking to presentation. Above all, you will require patience! If you falter there, you will spoil the barbecue.

To start with, we will be mentioning the cooking process. Texas style barbecue is not cooked in the standard grilling process. While BBQs in general are cooked over searing heat, the secret to grilling (rather smoking) melting soft and succulent Texan barbecues is to cook them slowly over low temperature and indirect heat. The lower the temperature (say, between 200-250 degree F) of the pit/grill, the lesser will be the moisture-loss and so the piece of meat will not get dry. Moreover, the steady and low heat will thoroughly cure the brisket, causing the collagen as well as connective tissues to break down and add to the tenderness of the meat. In fact, it is this prolonged process of cooking (around 6/7 hours) which renders even unusual and more difficult cuts like a brisket, shoulder or ribs utterly delicious.

Adding to this lusciousness, this deliciousness of the Texan style barbecues is the frequent use of mop sauce. After the meat has been smoke treated, say for the initial 2/3 hours, it is basted with a mop sauce containing bacon, beef broth, lemon, pepper, onions, etc. and turned every 30 minutes for another 3 to 4 hours.

The flavor is the other specialty, the ‘tang’ factor of a Texas style barbecue. Both seasoning and hardwood smoke contribute to the unusual flavor of Texan barbecues. Texans prefer dry rubs containing black pepper, cumin, garlic, red pepper, salt, sugar, etc. in powered form. People even use Marinades. There are lots of good dry rubs and marinades available in the market, which penetrates into the meat-cut when left overnight, tenderizing it and making it flavorsome.

Smoke from the hardwoods such as mesquite, pecan, hickory and fruitwoods give the Texan bar-b-qs a typical sweet flavor. Used with charcoal, they increase the food value of Texan BBQs. The much talked-about reddish colored smoke-ring that forms around the internal edge of the meat as a result of a chemical reaction between smoke and air (nitrogen) is another specialty of Texan style barbeques; it is usually considered that the bigger the ring, the greater is its penetrating power and consequently stronger favorable effects on health.

This speaks for the taste and health benefits of the Texan style barbecue, but what about its looks! Well, you can give an appetizing look to your Texas style barbecue by slicing each piece across the grain of the meat. Now, when you serve the Texas barbecues, your guests will be eager to enjoy the well-cooked aroma of the steaming barbeque cuts and will gather around the dining table to bite into the savory, succulent Texas BBQ.

Author: Reinaldo Finch

Want to find out about carbs in carrots and carrot allergy? Get tips from the Benefits Of Carrots website.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Texas Style Barbecue For Everyone

The colder months have already begun and by now many of us will be feeling the cold, if we don’t be careful we could catch a cold also. Getting a cold at this time of year is never good, coming down with something can leave you tired and feeling run down which means you’ll struggle to get any work done and have low energy levels.

One way we can keep our energy levels up is by making sure we stay warm this winter, a great way to do this is by eating and drinking warm food and drink that will keep you warm. The only problem many people who are conscious of what they eat have is that in order to get high energy foods this can normally mean food that isn’t exactly healthy as it tends to be foods high in sugars and fats that hold most energy.

Fortunately there are quite a few recipes that have both high energy elements but also have a lot of vegetables or fruit in them making them overall good for us, in moderation of course. One such example of this is the perfect winter warmer, Beef stew. Beef stew has been around for an incredibly long time and is a very versatile dish which can have a lot of different vegetables and meat in it. Beef stew is typically made with stewing beef but many people add bacon pieces and a whole range of vegetables cut into chunks. A stew can be cooked slowly also so putting the ingredients into a crock pot in the morning will have a stew ready for you in the evening.

Another popular winter warmer is a bowl of hot soup; again this food is very versatile with a wide range of soups that are perfect for a cold winter’s day. The UK favourite tomato soup can be spiced up with red peppers or chillies depending on how hot you want to make it. Another favourite is pumpkin soup which is popular mainly due to all the pumpkin flesh left after carving pumpkins in October. In fact there are quite a few ways to make good use of the leftover pumpkin such as a pumpkin shake which is great as breakfast or a light dessert. Making good use of the pumpkin can be a good way to get children eating more fruit and vegetables.

There are many foods that can warm you up this winter that both give you energy but also are warmed up to keep you warm on even the coldest night.

Author: Phil Adams-Wright

About the Author:

There are a wide range of healthy food available to keep you warm this winter but also making sure that you don’t eat junk food. Check out the healthy recipes and diet tips available online.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Winter Warmer Recipes – Food to keep you warm through winter

10 Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

Author: Xylene Belita
Are you in search for foods that speed up your metabolism? Then, continue reading and I will you a list of foods that speed up metabolism. But you should know that all foods really help speed up your body’s metabolism.

However, if you want a higher rate of metabolism, then you should take in foods that are rich in carbohydrates and protein. It is noted that food rich in protein burn as much as 25% of that food’s calories when going through the process of digestion and absorption.

However, you have to pay attention also that although protein speeds up metabolism, taking foods rich in protein alone will not suffice the need of your body. Supplementing your protein diet with other vitamins and minerals will not cope up the other nutrients needed by your body which can be found only in foods.

The wisest thing to do is to eat proportionate meals habitually. These foods must contain of course protein, fats, carbohydrates and non-starchy vegetables. Following this diet plan can regulate fat production at the same time keep your blood sugar on regular height that helps in burning fat and building muscles.

Here is the list of foods that speed up metabolism. These are 10 specific kinds of foods that are proven to help speed up metabolism and burn fat:

Whole grain bread
Chicken
Salmon
Eggs
Fresh Cheese
Green Beans
Summer Squash
Cabbage
Asparagus and other non-starchy vegetables
Meats rich in protein

Drinking cold water can temporarily speed up your metabolism by at least 30%. However, there are also some factors that may inevitably affect your metabolism such as age, sex, and even any medical condition.

Though you can choose to eat the kind of foods that speed up your metabolism, losing weight can be best achieved if you eat a regular and healthy meal and pair it off with physical exercise. Concentrate on foods and physical routines that can help build muscles since it burns calories faster.

About the Author:
Seriously, when you do exercise regularly and eat with proper diet like a good amount of protein, non-starchy vegetables, fats and carbohydrates, results can be seen in a matter of time. Find out more foods that speed up your metabolism so you can plan your diet program. Visit website for more tips: http://www.weightlossreviewed.info

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – 10 Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

There are the cold summer soups like Gazpacho but we were looking for something different.  Even though its served hot it’s still a refreshing soup that goes well with summer parties.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon of toasted coriander seeds
• 1/2 piece of shredded fresh ginger
• sprig of basil, finely chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 sprig of lemon grass
• 3 cloves of garlic
• lime zest of 1/2 of a lime
• 1/4 Jalapeno pepper seeded

Bring all the ingredients to a boil except for the shrimp and basil.  Simmer for 15/20 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.  Garnish with basil and serve.  This recipe says it serves 2 but we feel its more like 4 when served as a soup before a meal.

Made by Sally and Bob for Jim and Judy’s Barbeque dinner 2009.  Recipe comes from a cookbook called “Don’t Stop The Cook, a complete guide to Carribean Food Recipes”.

After letting the appetizers settle a bit we sat down and had some salad that the Rinker’s brought.  Summer greens and home made blueberry vinegrette dressing.

Next soup that the Browne’s made.  Coconut Shrimp Soup.  Shrimp cooked in a broth of coconut milk, lime and toasted coriander.   A nice refreshing light soup as the prelude to our main dish.

Okay we needed a little rest again so we sat around and chatted a little bit about the book “Cooking Club” that talks about our club and even mentions our names.

A while ago a woman contacted Annette and intervied her about our club.  After she wrote her book she sent a copy to Annette that she brough and shared with us last night.  Pretty cool.

Okay time for the Main Event.  Jimmy cooked up a delicious batch of Ribs with his own barbeque sauce.  These ribs were absolutely mouth watering.  Sauce was sweet and spicey and the meat just fell off the bones.  Some fresh corn on the cob was also served up along with some grilled vegetable slices Anntette and Rink made.  Nice!!!

After a couple after dinner drinks Judy brought out dessert.  Home made pound cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream.  Perfect ending to a fantastic meal.

We missed Mike and Maureen at last nights dinner but we partied the best we could without them.

Thanks go out to Jim and Judy for hosting a nice dinner and also Thanks to our guests, and new friends, Ben and Jenn who as first time guests jumped right in there and added some great food to our meal.

Check out the complete Photo Gallery for this dinner!

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