Risotto and the Veneto Region Italian Food

The Italian food of the Veneto region poses a perplexing question: With so many dishes to choose from, how can anyone have only one favorite? Given the great regional variations within the region, not to mention between Veneto and the rest of the country, there are a lot of unique dishes waiting for you to discover them. However, if risotto is something you crave, Veneto is definitely for you.

Other than pasta, risotto is one of the most famous of Italian foods. And if some of the greatest Italian food dishes in existence are what you’re looking for, Veneto is a place you must visit, at least via the dinner table.

Risotto is a specific way of cooking rice, and is growing in popularity to take it’s rightful place alongside pasta in the pantheon of Italian food, like many specialties of the Veneto region. To make a true risotto, the rice must first be cooked in olive oil or butter.

The rice must be coated evenly in the butter oil, and toasted just until translucent. Broth is then added just a little at a time, the idea is to slowly saturate the rice with the broth, which helps it achieve it’s distinctive risotto texture. Unless the rice is toasted, it’s not risotto. Even if it’s served at the finest of Italian food restaurants, it just isn’t the same unless toasted. Continue reading “Risotto and the Veneto Region Italian Food”

Lobster Tails

Lobster tails are considered the favorite portion of the lobster for eating. The majority of lobster meat is in the tail and can be eaten plain, with butter or lemon juice. Lobster tails are available mostly as frozen, but you can get fresh ones also. They are available in small, medium or large sizes, ranging from 3 to 24 ounces. They are very popular with savvy cooks and are much easier to obtain than fresh lobsters since they can be stocked easily.

Once thawed, they can be grilled or boiled. The meat from the tails can be used in recipes requiring cooked lobster meat. The tail of a female lobster is more popular since it is broader than the male lobster’s as she uses the tail to carry her eggs. Tails of cold water lobsters are known to be healthier and do not get spoilt as easily as tails of warm water lobsters. Warm water lobster tails come from Florida, Caribbean, Latin America, Cuba and Nicaragua and have distinct yellow spots and a yellow band, while cold-water lobster tails generally come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Continue reading “Lobster Tails”

They Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods – Part 1

They’re horrid, ghastly, gross, unthinkable, gut-wrenching, wonderful and delicious. These are but a few of the adjectives used to describe commonly eaten fare “south of the border” from Mexico to Peru. The expression, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” has never seen more fruition than evidenced in these “exotic” foods found throughout Latin America. Just feast your eyes on these taste-tempting treats.

Iguana

Starting off our list is a common delicacy from the Pacific Coast and Caribbean. Although protected in many countries, these green lizards, which can grow to more than 3 feet in length, are a prized stable in Aruba, Bonaire, Panama and Colombia. The eggs are also cooked and eaten even though they’re often taken illegally. A sizeable black market for them exists in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. They’re not cheap, but they are good.

Continue reading “They Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods – Part 1”

Enjoying The Puerto Rico Festivals

Whenever you think of Puerto Rico, sandy beaches, a lot of sunshine, some great music, amazing arts and interesting folklore is what comes to your mind. With the astounding cultural diversity there, you can find a vast difference in the ways of the people here.

With a desirable climate all year round, it is just the right place for all tourists. Transport to and from Puerto Rico has never been a problem as there are many flights in and out at regular intervals just to keep up with the increase in the number of visiting tourists. It is also considered to be one of the best places in the Caribbean for a honeymoon.

Entertainment for the tourists is available in many forms all around the year and the best part is that many people visit just to be part of the many festivals that showcase the many cultures that prevails in this amazing place.

The most famous events are held during the Patron Saint Festivals or Fiestas Patronales, in the memory of the patron saint of each municipality. The festival features a beautiful parade, with a lot of games and other live entertainment and also some of the best regional food. Continue reading “Enjoying The Puerto Rico Festivals”

Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant is Tops

If the Three Tenors had collaborated on a restaurant instead of “Nessun Dorma,” they might have founded the popular new Tapas in Barbados.

Instead, three Italians well-known in the Barbados restaurant scene collaborated to make beautiful food together. Located on the new boardwalk on the south coast, Tapas occupies the two-level space Aqua once had. It’s one of the most stunning sea-front locations on the island.

Tapas offers an elegant, quite posh space and, on this island known for its pricey meals, reasonable prices. Four of us will order every tapas plate that strikes our fancy (and then hoard our favorites when the waiter brings them) and still have spent less than $100US for the table. Paired with a good bottle of white wine, dinner is a true Barbados bargain. (And believe me, paradise doesn’t come cheap.)

The Owners of Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant Continue reading “Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant is Tops”

Chadon Beni – Trini Herb Extraordinaire

Chadon beni or shado beni is a herb with a strong pungent scent and flavor that is used extensively in Caribbean cooking, more so Trini cooking. The scientific name for the herb is ‘Eryngium foetidum’ but in Trinidad and Tobago the popular “market” names for chadon beni are culantro or bhandhania.

Culantro is distinct from cilantro or coriander (another herb) which carries the scientific name ‘coriandrum sativum‘ and should not be confused. The confusion comes from the similarity in the two herbs’ scents. The difference between Chadon beni (or culantro) and cilantro is that chadon beni (or culantro) has a stronger and more pungent scent. It should also be noted that chadon beni belongs to the botanical family Apiaceae where parsley, dill, fennel, and celery, also belong to this botanical family. An aromatic family at that I would also add! Continue reading “Chadon Beni – Trini Herb Extraordinaire”

Caribbean Coconuts – A Surprising Fact I Bet You Don’t Know!

Before you read the rest of this article about Caribbean coconuts, I want you to do me a favor:

1. Get into a comfortable position

2. Close your eyes

3. Let yourself get nice and relaxed, almost to the point of napping

4. Imagine you are one a warm Caribbean beach

5. Explore that image in your mind for a while

6. Once you have your image memorized, open your eyes

Now, what exactly did you see in your mental image of a warm Caribbean beach? Continue reading “Caribbean Coconuts – A Surprising Fact I Bet You Don’t Know!”

Spicy BBQ Glazed Ham Recipe to Add Some Caribbean Zest to Your Holidays

Pickapeppa sauce, which is also known hairs “Jamaican ketchup,” is a wonderful condiment that is produced only in Jamaica. As anyone who has tried it already knows, it is not like any other hot sauce on the market. Sugar, vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarinds, peppers, and spices are cooked with onions and tomatoes and then aged like wine in oak barrels for about a year. It is a tangy, sweet, hot, complex condiment, and the perfect pairing with jerk barbecued anything. Serve this BBQ glazed ham with grilled sweet potatoes.

4 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

5 teaspoons molasses Continue reading “Spicy BBQ Glazed Ham Recipe to Add Some Caribbean Zest to Your Holidays”

The Wonders of Strong Coffee

Those who have to like for strong coffee, then they will surely love the Blue Mountain Coffee. Cultivated in extreme conditions and roasted using strict methods, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is known for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness. While the Jamaican coffee has grown in popularity over the decades, it is the most sought type by espresso companies, cafeterias and also households. That is not only because of its great taste but a myriad of health benefits. Here, take a look at the some of them to have an idea of what wonders a strong coffee can do to your health.

#1 Gives energy and helps fight diseases

A cup of strong coffee bears a lot of nutrients and vitamins. Besides, there are tons of antioxidants which help in detoxifying the body of the consumers. The caffeine has been a great influence on the immune system and has the ability to ward off diseases. It blocks all the pathways that inflammatory molecules.

#2 Helps burn fat Continue reading “The Wonders of Strong Coffee”

Jamaican Noni Juice – Wonder Drink

As a proud Jamaican it’s hard for me to admit that the Jamaican Noni Juice is no different from all the other varieties of Noni juice processed elsewhere in the world. It is harvested from the same tree (scientific name Morinda Citrifolia) known in various places as morinda, Indian mulberry, and Noni cheese fruit among others.

The Noni tree is native to Southeast Asia but grows mostly in tropical regions and spreads across the Indian subcontinent and along the Polynesian archipelago. The varieties most commonly cultivated and processed into commercial juices are those from Tahiti and Hawaii.

The fruit is rich in carbohydrates and fiber content, with some proteins and a little fat. The main micronutrients seem to be vitamin C, and traces of niacin, iron, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and sodium. Continue reading “Jamaican Noni Juice – Wonder Drink”