Greek Coffee – How to Make Greek Coffee Properly

Greek coffee (“Ellinikos Kafes”) is one of the simplest ways to make coffee. It is also known as Turkish coffee. Coffee has a very old history…

It traveled to Turkey from Yemen and from Turkey it became known in Greece. It became so popular that people started calling it “Greek coffee” instead of Turkish (or Arabic) coffee.

Differences

Usually Greek coffee gets roasted lighter than traditional Turkish coffee.

Another difference is that Greeks rarely add spices to their coffee. Continue reading “Greek Coffee – How to Make Greek Coffee Properly”

The 7 Best Things to Have For Breakfast

Many people say that breakfast is your most important meal. And it’s probably true because you need to have a good start after sleeping all night. Breakfast helps get you going for the day.

But it’s essential not only to make sure you eat breakfast but also to eat the best breakfast possible. So here is a list of, in my opinion, the seven best things to have for breakfast.

1. Fruit. For example, bananas, grapefruit, oranges, apples, even watermelons. Fruits contain lots of fiber and help with weight loss.

2. Vegetables. Though most people don’t think of veggies as a true breakfast food, they are really very nutritious and contain lots of fiber. Veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and beets can be made into smoothies to have for breakfast.

3. Eggs. Over the years, eggs have gotten a bad rap about cholesterol issues. But really, eggs are very healthy for you. They contain the “good” kind of cholesterol that doesn’t raise people’s cholesterol as feared by many. They have protein and are pretty filling. Plus, there are many ways to prepare eggs, as you probably know. Continue reading “The 7 Best Things to Have For Breakfast”

Spice Blends Provide New Answers to What’s For Dinner

Most people are reluctant to try something new. You may not know half the ingredients in the recipes talked about on your favorite cooking show or recommended by your friends. And you don’t have the time to look for those ingredients in the grocery store. Time is so precious that you find yourself rushing through the store and grabbing the same standard ingredients on your way home from work. You know how long the meal will take to prepare, and it has become easy and automatic.

Easy is good and there is nothing wrong with your standard recipes. But what if, instead of having to buy all sorts of new foods, you could get by with just a few new spices? Who knows? You may have been collecting spices and already have a drawer full of things you don’t know how to use. Why not try sprinkling a mix of new spices over your chicken or burgers instead of that basic salt and pepper routine?

If you have a favorite pasta dish, feel free to be generous with the Italian spices. Because most of them are herbs, their flavor cooks out quickly. So even if you overdo it, continue cooking to ease out the flavor. Garlic can become bitter if overcooked, so add it moderately. These spices probably are not new to you, and you know that an Italian blend is always handy to keep on hand. Try your own blend with 2 teaspoons each of basil and marjoram, 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and oregano, and ½ teaspoon each of rosemary, sage and thyme. Adjust to your own likes and dislikes or add more of any individual spice that you like. Continue reading “Spice Blends Provide New Answers to What’s For Dinner”

History of Baking

Baking has been many cultures’ favorite technique for creating snacks, desserts, and accompaniments to meals for many years. Now, it is very well-known as the method for creating sweets and all sorts of wondrous mouthwatering pastries. In ancient history, the first evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked it in water, and mixed everything together, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste. Then, the paste was cooked by pouring it onto a flat, hot rock, resulting in a bread-like substance. Later, this paste was roasted on hot embers, which made bread-making easier, as it could now be made anytime fire was created. Around 2500 B.C., records show that the Egyptians already had bread, and may have actually learned the process from the Babylonians. The Greek Aristophanes, around 400 B.C., also recorded information that showed that tortes with patterns and honey flans existed in Greek cuisine. Dispyrus was also created by the Greeks around that time and widely popular; was a donut-like bread made from flour and honey and shaped in a ring; soaked in wine, it was eaten when hot. Continue reading “History of Baking”

Cooking Classes With Peloponnesian Pasta

Peloponnesian Pasta

Greece and its sun-kissed isles offer a tantalizing cuisine that is fresh and fragrant, served with warmth and vitality. The Greeks’ zest for the good life and love of simple, well-seasoned foods are reflected at the table. Theirs is an unpretentious cuisine that makes the most of their surroundings.

It is a cuisine bathed in history and enhanced by the cultures of its neighbors for centuries: Turkey, the Middle East, and the Balkans.

This land of blue skies and sparkling seas offers a variety of fresh ingredients close at hand. Olive trees flourish, providing a flavor-packed oil to bathe other foods. Vineyards thread the rolling hills, and the grape crush and ferment produce excellent wines. Fragrant lemon trees produce the tang that pervades Greek cuisine. Continue reading “Cooking Classes With Peloponnesian Pasta”

What Exactly is Greek Yoghurt?

You may have recently heard about a “new” food Greek Yogurt and wondered what all the fuss is about. Is it better for you? How does it taste? What is so special about Greek yogurt? Let’s take a look at this food and compare it to it’s American counterpart.

Yogurt basics:

This is a common food, a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give it its texture and its characteristic tang. It is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Yogurt has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk: people who are moderately lactose-intolerant can enjoy yogurt without ill effects, because the lactose in the milk precursor is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture. The reduction of lactose bypasses the affected individuals’ need to process the milk sugar themselves. Continue reading “What Exactly is Greek Yoghurt?”

New Orleans Recipe – Roux And What is That? No Fail Roux

Every good cook wants to know the secret of the roux in cooking.

Roux is basically brown flour used to thicken the consistency of gravies or in New Orleans just about everything.

Most recipes for dishes utilizing a roux tell you to sautee’ your vegetables in oil and then add the flour and stir and cook until it is brown enough.

One problem with this approach is it takes a lot of time and many people who don’t cook a lot end up burning the roux and all the seasonings and then you have to start over.

Today you can buy packaged roux mixes at most supermarkets but if you cook a lot that can get expensive. My mother learned how to prepare her flour and make it into a roux so that it was ready anytime she needed some. When I was young, those products that are packaged were not available and she cooked a lot. Continue reading “New Orleans Recipe – Roux And What is That? No Fail Roux”

How Do You Store Medifast Foods And Meals?

People sometimes ask me how much space is needed for your Medifast foods. Another common concern is whether you need a refrigerator or freezer to keep the Medifast meals fresh. You really don’t need a lot of room for the Medifast meals. In fact, I’ve heard of people storing them in boxes under their bed. Most of the prepackaged meals come in small boxes that contain pouches of the foods. People sometimes mistakenly assume that the shakes, puddings, or soups need to be refrigerated. They don’t. You mix them from the dry ingredients that come in pouches or boxes. The same is true for the brownies, soft serve, and chilli. Now, the bars and the chips, nachos, and puffs don’t need to be mixed or constituted. For them, you only have to open the wrapper. Continue reading “How Do You Store Medifast Foods And Meals?”

5 Tips to De-Sugar Your Kids Diet

I have two beautiful boys, with lots of energy and boundless joy. My one son was having some difficulties with behaviors, I suspected some food allergies, so we had him tested and now we are a gluten free household.

Obviously, with me being a Sugar Mama and conducting 7 day sugar cleanses with my clients, we are now a family that is gluten and sugar free. This journey of finding alternative foods for the usual social event, birthday party, holiday gathering, school outing, can be a challenging endeavor.

I assure you with a little bit of food planning and healthy conversations with your children, this all can be accomplished.

Below are some tips to help support you to De-Sugar your Kid’s Diet: Continue reading “5 Tips to De-Sugar Your Kids Diet”

Bakery Boxes Can Be Important

Cake boxes, made with lightweight cardboard, have a top that will fold to cover up what is in the box. During transporting of baked goods, these help keep the food from getting smashed or damaged. A wide variety is available which include many colors and many sizes. Other shapes are available also. They can hold donuts and many other products.

The boxes are not designed to be airtight. Whatever is put in them will need to either be eaten within a short period of time or put in another container that will keep them fresh. They are normally used when there is a large quantity of baked goods or for decorated cakes for birthdays or many other types. To clean up effectively after these occasions, the use of paper towel dispensers is needed.

Designs and lettering can be custom printed onto these boxes. Not all box supply companies have this option available though. Certain sizes and shapes can be special ordered or you can get them in a standard size.

Continue reading “Bakery Boxes Can Be Important”