Mauritian Food – An Overview

Mauritius is an island of about 1 million inhabitants situated in the Indian Ocean. The ethnic diversity of the local people is reflected in its cuisine. As a result, the cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Indian Cuisine, Creole, Chinese and European. In Mauritius, local fruits and vegetables used under the influence of culinary traditions of France, India, China and Africa with its variety of flavours and aromas have resulted in a cuisine that is unique to the island.

The most commonly served in Mauritius, and tasty dishes include Creole rougailles, Indian curries and biryanis, Chinese “mine frite”, and French “gratin de crabes sur coeur de palmiste”. All these are part of the cuisine of Mauritius. The commonly used ingredients in Mauritius are tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and chillies while the traditional base is definitely the curries and “rougailles” which is made from the blends of home crushed spices. Spices also constitute a major part of Mauritian cuisine. The extensive use of spices such as saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves provide a powerful, yet subtle flavour to the dish. This interblending of spices give the cuisine of Mauritius its charm and uniqueness. Continue reading “Mauritian Food – An Overview”

Disposable Chopsticks for Restaurants

Using disposable chopsticks is an environment-friendly as well as cost-saving measure for restaurants and food service stations. They cut costs and also add a lot of convenience to your food service activities. These versatile sticks are indispensable for Asian, Chinese or Japanese restaurants. They are ideal for use in parties, picnics and barbeques.

Premium Quality and Low Price

Disposable models of Chinese chopsticks include those made of bamboo and wood. Most restaurants prefer bamboo chopsticks over the wooden variety due to their durability and strength. Varying in length from 8 to 10 inches, popular models of Chinese style bamboo disposable chop sticks come individually wrapped in a red paper sleeve, white paper sleeve as well as convenient cartons. The back of the sleeves carry a easy to follow, quick guide on how to hold/use chop sticks for beginners. Some chop sticks are printed with yellow Chinese characters symbolizing good luck, long life, good health, and well-being. Continue reading “Disposable Chopsticks for Restaurants”

Top Eight Restarants in Melbourne

Melbourne is synonymous with both cutting edge dining and world class bars, it seems around every corner and hidden down every laneway a new restaurant opens weekly and your biggest decision is deciding where to eat.

There is literally everything on offer from Spanish tapas, to American meatballs or Chinese dumplings in Chinatown. Head up to one of the Rooftop bars to see the city from above, or seek out one of the hidden restaurants down the ambling laneways and feel as though you have stumbled across a hidden gem.

Melbourne has its finger on the pulse when it comes to all things culinary. Dining and drinking really are the star attraction of any visit to Melbourne.

While the sheer volume of incredible bars and restaurants make it hard to pick, anyone with limited time in Melbourne should read the below list of top eight amazing restaurants in Melbourne.

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Easy Chinese Food Recipes

Are you looking for that great flavour that you find in Chinese recipes, but simply do not know where to start? Or maybe you think it’s too hard or takes too much time. Well, you don’t have to be a professional cook to prepare some great, quick, and easy meals for the whole family. I’ll help you bring home the restaurant flavour with a few quick recipes.

Spicy Beef, Shrimp, and Bok Choy

* 1/4 cup Shao Hsing rice wine

* 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce

* 2 teaspoons cornstarch

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A Guide to Key Changes in BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8

The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is the most widely used of the commercial standards for assuring production of safe food. BRC Certification is designed to verify products that meet consistent high levels of safety and quality.
On August 1, 2018, BRC published the most awaited BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8. This new version of the standard will replace Issue 7 after a six month transition phase. There are several changes, additions and amendments between issue 7 and issue 8 of the BRC Global Standard, including the integration of pet food, new environmental monitoring clauses and a heightened focus on culture and top management commitment. Despite being an evolution from previous versions of the standard, the BRC Global Standard for Issue 8 introduces quite a lot of significant changes compared to its predecessor Issue 7. The format and content of the Standard is designed to allow an assessment of a company’s premises, operational systems and procedures by a competent third party the certification body against the requirements of the Standard.
BRC 8 will be effective from February 2019. Therefore, anyone who has an audit after the end of January 2019 will need to familiarise themselves with the differences between BRC Issue 7 and BRC Issue 8. Continue reading “A Guide to Key Changes in BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8”

Melting Method Cakes

Cake making by the melting method really is a piece of cake because it requires the minimum of effort. This method is specially designed to cope with the extra sweeteners needed to make soft and sticky traditional cakes such as gingerbread.

Melting-method cakes have a characteristic tacky, sticky texture throughout the cake, and it is this that has made cake like gingerbread so very popular and has given them such a high place in traditional baking. This stickiness is achieved by increasing the proportion of sweetening agents to ether ingredients in the cake.

To handle the extra volume of sweetener, a special method is used. With this method the fat is melted with the sweetener before the flour is added. Before cooking the cake mixture has a good texture and a consistency similar to a thick batter, rather than the soft topping consistency of cake mixtures made by the all-in-one or creaming methods. Continue reading “Melting Method Cakes”

Benefits of Splenda Over Natural Sugar

Splenda has become a popular choice when it comes to artificial sweeteners. Many foods use sugar, and too much can lead to health problems. Changing your diet to include less sugar can be difficult at first but it eventually becomes much easier. Several benefits to using Splenda over natural sugar include prevention of tooth decay, a safe product for diabetics, not much Splenda is required, and there are zero calories. These benefits provide many important factors to living a healthy life style.

Ease of Use

Before considering the use of Splenda in terms of health, think about how easy this product is to use in recipes. Sugar is easy to use too, but if you are looking for an alternative, a natural sugar source like honey or fruit juice is a lot more difficult to use than Splenda. Recipes using Splenda may not have exactly the same textures as recipes using table sugar, but this is a lot less challenging than trying to use a liquid or gooey substance. Continue reading “Benefits of Splenda Over Natural Sugar”

Attributes Of The Perfect Cupcake

Its midnight and you’ve got the munchies. What do you do? There is a box of cold pizza from two nights ago and a few pieces of leftover sushi, but your taste buds are craving something different, something sweeter, a delectable morsel that will perfectly melt in the mouth. A commercial flashes on the television; it’s that faithful Pillsbury dough boy busy mixing up a batter of rich creamy cupcake batter! Eureka!

Essentially you know you could easily drive to the nearest supermarket and pick up a carton full of factory made cupcakes, but you’re no rookie. When you decide to indulge, there is no way you are going about it halfway. And you have the perfect cupcake in mind; now no second rated attempt will satisfy your new craving.

The perfect cupcake…in your mind you visualize it. It is moist, it is straight out of the oven and it fills the air with heavenly scents that one cannot help but submit too. It is your favorite flavor, whether it is a vanilla, white, chocolate, or other tantalizing cake base. It is decorated with your favorite toppings: flavored icing, sprinkles; the works. Continue reading “Attributes Of The Perfect Cupcake”

Salad, Entree and Dessert: Aged Balsamic Vinegar Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party

The quality of your salad, entrée, or dessert is only as good as the ingredients that go into it. From farm to table restaurants, all natural chefs, to farms that focus all their energy on creating flavor, one thing is certain- an ingredient can make the difference. With all the options out there, chefs and regular home cooks alike are still learning about the versatility of various ingredients. Here are some ideas for your next dinner party that use aged balsamic vinegar.

Salads

Balsamic vinegar can be used to make some great salad dressings or marinades. For example: Continue reading “Salad, Entree and Dessert: Aged Balsamic Vinegar Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party”

What Are The Different Uses of Chocolate in Baking?

Some of the uses of chocolate in baking are as follows:

1) Making chocolate curls for decorating on cake:

Melt 3 squares of chocolate and pour the melted chocolate onto wax paper and spread to a 3″ wide stripe. Let stand until cool but not firm. Peel across the top of the chocolate curls with a sharp instrument and transfer to a plate. Store chocolate curls in freezer. You can decorate puddings, custards, cream pies, ice cream or parfait with curls or grated chocolate.

2) Looking for a quick way to drizzle fudge topping on a cake? Put the fudge in a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the topping over the cake.

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