Authentic Vietnamese Pho Noodles – A Symbol of Culture and History Abound

Everyone needs to eat. It is a simple fact and has made many entrepreneurs successful in restaurant businesses. There are Vietnamese restaurants throughout the country. Even though this sophisticated cuisine remains largely unknown to the general public. Most popular dish is Pho and is a secret of success in this most popular, challenging, colorful, savory, and time-honored dishes.

Vietnamese cuisine, in general, reflects the influence of a multitude of cultures and histories of the country. China ruled over Vietnam for over 1000 years until A.D 900, but the Vietnamese retain their cooking culture rather than assimilate the Chinese style, leading to a distinctly different cuisine. Mongolian invasions of Vietnam during the thirteenth century also left a lasting imprint on variations of Vietnamese dishes. Then the French arrived, gaining control of the country in the 1887 incorporating Vietnam into the French empire (1887-1954). The Japanese would occupy Viet Nam during World War II.

Continue reading “Authentic Vietnamese Pho Noodles – A Symbol of Culture and History Abound”

Mustard Aficionado

Web search the history of mustard to learn that its use has been traced back to mustard seed residue found in stone age cooking bowls. Over 5600 varieties of mustard have been catalogued. Mustard has a history as a medicine that is as long as its history as a food ingredient or as a condiment (mostly how it is used today).

In the 13th century, Catholic Pope John XXII was a mustard aficionado. He capitalized on the efforts of French Monks who had grown mustard plants around their monasteries since the 9th century, after the Romans brought mustard seeds to them from Italy. The seeds had been introduced to both the Romans and the Greeks, at an earlier time, through trade from Egypt.

Aside from setting in motion the bliss of superior mustard in the region of Dijon, the Pope also gave his nephew a job and a title: “Grand Moustardier du Pape,” which meant “The Pope’s Grand Mustard Maker.” The young man’s previous job had been “a gentleman of leisure.” Dijon Mustard today (my personal favorite) was not formulated until much later: Middle 19th century. Continue reading “Mustard Aficionado”

Online Food Ordering System – An Overview

Conventionally speaking, it is customary of local restaurants and eating joints to distribute their pamphlets, flyers and brochures to advertise the newly opened or already established service outlet(s) in your vicinity. Hope you can already recall a detailed menu printed on a compact four page, lying at your doorstep or portico every other day, encouraging you to call for free home delivery! All sizes and scales of restaurants engage in this marketing strategy to lure orders, and in turn maximize revenue.

Going by ones experience, pamphlet/ brochure/ flyers are often bothersome to keep are relatively costly for the restaurant owners. It often turns out to be a ransack each time you have to find a certain paper ad of a certain restaurant in the nick of hour! Even if you fortunately get your hands on the pamphlet just when needed, getting the phone connected may consume minutes of your precious time. Finally, one of the phone lines may get through and you place your order with relish and anticipation. However, when you actually receive the order, you may find disparities in what was ordered and what is served, all blamed to the bad phone connection or human error while noting down/ interpreting the order during the alleged rush hour. To heighten your frustration, the delivery boy may choose to argue instead of admitting to a mess up. Furious and irritated, you may badly wish to resolve to never order again with the particular restaurant. Continue reading “Online Food Ordering System – An Overview”

Polish Christmas Eve Traditions and Food for Wigilia Dinner

Traditional Polish Christmas Eve Dinner (Wigilia)

In Poland, Christmas eve is a very important night for gathering with the family, decorating and remembering lost loved ones. This night is traditionally called “Wilgilia” (the vigil) and it is a night where people symbolize awaiting the birth of Jesus Christ (which in effect brings more importance to this day than Christmas itself). During this night, Poles cook delicious food as part of the celebration.

Polish Christmas Eve Traditions

On Wiligia, Poles decorate their homes with evergreen, ornament, apples, lights, nut and candles. They also hang “pajaki” (the spider-web like decorations) from the ceiling, dozynki (colorful wreaths) on the wall and a fir tree from a beams in the ceiling. Perhaps the most important tradition is the table preparation. Traditionally, hay is placed underneath a white table linen to symbolize Jesus’ bed in the manger and Mary’s veil. The grandmother of the family places wafers (oplatki) on the table to symbolize the communion. These are usually placed on the best piece of China. When setting the table, an extra setting is laid in case a hungry person happen is pass by, this is taken from this story of Joseph. Lastly, the mother of the family lights candles in the window to celebrate the welcoming of baby Jesus. Continue reading “Polish Christmas Eve Traditions and Food for Wigilia Dinner”

The Secret Ingredient

Commonly, both renowned chefs, and anyone who possesses the skills to cook, will not accurately part with the complete list of ingredients and/or the method to replicate a recipe for a popular food dish. The reasons for that are many. The acclaimed dish may be a centerpiece on the restaurant menu. The preparer believes that he or she may write a recipe book, and that particular dish might justify value in the book. Perhaps the recipe is a family recipe, handed down from an ancestor (Aunt Lucy).

“Who am I to give away Aunt Lucy’s gift to our family?”

But, there are chefs and meal preparers who seem to be willing to part with the ways and means to craft a coveted dish, but they don’t tell you that they purposely left out or misrepresented a detail. A novice culinary saboteur might muck around with the cooking temperature, but what purpose would there be in ruining the entire dish for an admirer of your cooking? No. Better it is for the vain to omit a single supporting ingredient (a secret ingredient).

“It looks like your dish, but it doesn’t taste the same,” said your admirer. You suggest that there was a lot of humidity that day. “Perhaps the extra juice of atmospheric moisture dampened your talent as you baked Aunt Lucy’s masterpiece.” You don’t dare suggest, “Go ask your Grandma to teach you how to cook!” After all, your admirer suffers by your fault. Continue reading “The Secret Ingredient”

How is Imperial Formosa Oolong Tea Graded?

If you’re new to oolong teas, you must give them a try. Oolong teas are flavorful and fragrant, with a more complex taste than you’ll find in many other tea varieties. And, Imperial Formosa Oolong tea is one of the best oolong teas available. It’s unlikely you’ll find an oolong tea with more flavor or character than Imperial Formosa oolong tea.

Imperial Formosa Oolong tea is produced in Taiwan, like all Formosa teas. Oolong teas originated in China, but today Taiwan is second only to China in the amount of oolong tea produced each year.

Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, making it a sort of cross between green and black teas. Oolong tea is fermented, like black tea, but for a much shorter period of time. It is believed that oolong tea was discovered by accident by a Chinese tea gardener names Wu Liang. According to Chinese legend, Wu Liang was busy collecting and processing tea leaves to make green tea when he spotted a river deer. He stopped to kill and prepare the deer and it interrupted his tea processing for the day, and he forgot to dry out the leaves. He remembered the tea a day later, but by this time it had begun to change color, and Wu Liang was afraid it had gone bad, but decided to finish drying it anyway. After completing the drying process, he made himself a cup and found that he had created a very flavorful and aromatic tea, and thus, oolong was born. Continue reading “How is Imperial Formosa Oolong Tea Graded?”

Improve Survival Food Storage – Oxygen Absorbers and Nitrogen Packing

After food has been freeze dried what else can be done to preserve it?

The freeze drying process removes 98% of the water from food, stopping bacterial growth as well as killing insects and their eggs.

Beyond freeze drying further to preserve food and increase shelf life, oxygen is the main enemy. If the food is stored in a way that it is not exposed to oxygen, the shelf life can reach 25 to 30 years. Shelf life here refers to the food maintaining it’s properties of nutritional value, taste, and appearance. It may still be safe to eat beyond this time but the aforementioned properties are degraded. Oxygen Absorbers

Some freeze dried food producers use oxygen absorbers to extend shelf life.

Oxygen absorbers are materials that chemically react with oxygen in the environment they are in, combining with the oxygen and thus removing it from that environment. The most commonly used material for absorbers is iron in the forms of iron powder or iron carbonate. Both combine with oxygen very effectively. Continue reading “Improve Survival Food Storage – Oxygen Absorbers and Nitrogen Packing”

The 2010 Food Pyramid

The new 2010 food pyramid that was recently released by the United States Department of Agriculture makes a lot of sense. Unlike previous food pyramids, it is much more user friendly and easier to understand. The graphics for the old pyramid were viewed as a hierarchy chart whereas the new food pyramid of 2010 is featured as a vertical listing of the 6 major types of foods. The new food pyramid is colorful and straightforward. In addition, when you go to the web page which is listed for the new pyramid, it is interactive and provides information that fits your particular lifestyle.

Everyone is Different

Unlike the old food pyramid, the new food pyramid takes into account that everyone is different. People eat and burn calories based upon different components of their lifestyle. These components could be anything such as age, activity level or underlying health conditions. Continue reading “The 2010 Food Pyramid”

Food Lectins in Health and Disease: An Introduction

In recent years it appears there is a rising epidemic of people suffering from chronic digestive and autoimmune conditions. Food intolerance or sensitivities may lie at the root of the problem. Most people, including doctors, have little clue how foods they eat may be contributing to their chronic illness, fatigue and digestive symptoms.

There are, however, a lot of clues in the medical literature and the lay public’s experience about how foods are causing and/or contributing to the current epidemic of chronic illness and autoimmune disease. There are several diets being used by many people with varying success to improve their health despite a general lack of iron clad scientific proof for their effectiveness. One of the clues to the cause and relief of food induced illness may lie in proteins known as lectins that are present in all foods.

Continue reading “Food Lectins in Health and Disease: An Introduction”

Sparkling Wine – How Bubblies of the World Are Created (And Enjoyed)

“In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Champagne was not only made popular by such great quotes, but also by celebrity endorsements or excesses. It’s no secret that Agent 007 James Bond always had a strong penchant for Bollinger Champagne (and vodka). And it has been reported that Marilyn Monroe once filled up her tub with 350 bottles of Champagne, and took a long, luxurious bath in it.

Champagne, the dry sparkling wine from the northeastern French region (east of Paris) bearing the same name, has long been considered the ultimate beverage of choice to raise a toast or to celebrate a special occasion. Its image as a celebratory drink and the high price of Champagne coupled with North Americans’ preference for sweeter style drinks have sent the image and sales spiraling down over the years. Fortunately, with the proliferation of inexpensive and both dry and off-dry sparkling wines from almost every wine-producing region of the world, bubbly is slowly regaining some of its lost popularity. Continue reading “Sparkling Wine – How Bubblies of the World Are Created (And Enjoyed)”