Sugar-Free Chocolate Nut Clusters

Sugar-free chocolate and nuts are mixed to make these easy, delicious cluster candies. I like using almonds and cashews, but you can substitute any nuts you prefer. Be sure to buy "diabetic" or "sugar-free" chocolate (made with sugar substitutes), not unsweetened chocolate.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
5.6 ounces sugar-free (diabetic) chocolate (two 2.8-ounce bars)
1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup nut halves (optional, for decoration)

Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.

2. Chop the sugar-free chocolate into small pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Remove from the microwave when the chocolate is mostly melted, and continue stirring until it is entirely melted and smooth.

3. Pour the nuts on top of the melted chocolate, and stir until the candy is well-mixed and all the pieces are coated.

4. Using a teaspoon, drop small spoonfuls of candy onto the prepared baking sheet. This recipe will make approximately 2 dozen 1-inch clusters.

5. If desired, top each cluster with a decorative nut half while the chocolate is still wet.

6. Place the candy in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Broccoli and Cancer

A friend of mine forward below email to me and I feel it is good to share it.

A cancer patient credits his morning glass of broccoli juice with halting the disease.
Ray Wiseman's claim has prompted more research into the vegetable's healing powers.
Doctors told Mr Wiseman they did not expect him to survive, when they diagnosed him five years ago.

But scans show that his cancer has stopped spreading - vastly improving his chances of a recovery.
The grandfather, 79, puts his health down to the tumbler of broccoli juice that his wife prepares for him each day.
Mr Wiseman, who lives in Braunstone, Leicestershire, said: 'I take this juice every day. I know it's done me good.
'I suppose it would be the same for everybody.'

His wife Joan, 72, started giving him the juice after a friend told her about the healing benefits of green vegetables.
For each half-tumbler dose she combines a head of broccoli with some apples and carrots to improve the taste.
She said: 'We believe my husband's incredible luck is down to broccoli. I hope our experience can help other cancer sufferers.
'The juice is a mess to make but it's something we have been happy to clear up. He now just takes it as second nature.
'If anybody else's husband is suffering from cancer and they are not getting on too well, it could help them.'

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have asked her for the recipe, to further study the vegetable's benefits.
Recent medical studies have highlighted the possible cancer-beating powers of broccoli. British scientists at the Institute of
Food Research found that men who ate one daily portion had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates, suggesting
that the chemicals in the vegetable might be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

According to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2006, natural chemicals found in certain vegetables,
such as broccoli-cauliflower and cabbage, can enhance DNA repair in cells, which could help stop them becoming cancerous.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: 'There's a lot of research that's focused on broccoli and the healing properties that
the vegetable contains. 'If taken, broccoli needs to be with a healthy diet that is high in all fruit and vegetables. This can also
reduce the chances of developing cancer..'

Around 10,000 are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK . It is the fifth most common form of the disease and affects
more men than women.

A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and has properties that boost the human immune systems that fight
viruses, bacteria and cancer. Studies have found that boiling broccoli can reduce its anti-cancer compounds, but steaming and microwaving in do not.

Best is to eat raw or perhaps lightly blanch.

Food Quote - Sheila Graham

Food is the most primitive form of comfort.
~ Sheila Graham

Risotto

Risotto is a rich and creamy, traditional Italian rice dish. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.

Its origins are in North Italy, specifically Eastern Piedmont, Western Lombardy, and the Veneto (where Vialone Nano comes from), where rice paddies are abundant. It is one of the pillars of Milanese cuisine. As far as Italians are concerned, to be correctly described as a Risotto a dish needs to be made following the established process described below; otherwise the dish is a rice dish, but cannot correctly be called a risotto.

There are many different risotto recipes with different ingredients, but they are all based on

The rice is first cooked briefly in butter or olive oil to coat each grain in a film of fat, this is called tostatura; white wine (for muslim, omit this step) is added and has to be absorbed by the grains. When it has evaporated, the heat is raised to medium high and very hot stock is gradually added in small amounts while stirring gently and almost constantly: stirring loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid. Tasting helps to indicate when the risotto is ready, a total time of about 17 minutes from when the wine evaporated. At that point it is taken off the heat for the mantecatura when diced cold butter and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese are whipped in to make the texture as creamy and smooth as possible. It may be removed from the heat a few minutes earlier, and left to cook with its residual heat but this requires fine judgement as to how much liquid will be absorbed by the rice while it waits. The cheese is usually omitted if the risotto contains fish or seafood.

Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy but still with some resistance or bite: al dente, and with separate grains. The traditional texture is fairly fluid, or all'onda ("wavy"). It should be served on flat dishes and it should easily spread out but not have excess watery liquid round the perimeter. It must be eaten at once as it continues to cook in its own heat and can become too dry with the grains too soft.

Below is one of many risotto recipe that I found in the internet and I have tried it.


Porcini and Camembert Risotto

Serves 2 as a main dish
1 (1.5 oz.) package dried porcini mushrooms
1.25 cups boiling water
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup arborio rice
2 sprigs thyme
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove
2 oz. Camembert
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and then add the boiling water. Allow the porcinis to reconstitute for about 15 minutes. Strain them, reserving the water you used, and chop the mushrooms.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before stirring in the rice, chopped porcini, and thyme. Stir the mixture so that the rice is coated with the oil and begins to toast slightly.
A ladel or so at a time, add the porcini liquid and the broth, alternately, stirring continuously and allowing the rice to absorb most of the liquid before adding the next ladel.
Continue adding the porcini liquid and broth a ladel or so at a time, stirring, until the rice is cooked al dente. It should still be slightly firm to the bite, and it should be a little "loose." You're not looking for a rice type dish that has absorbed ALL its liquid. There should be some liquid still in the pan.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the camembert and the butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately (as if you could wait!).


Source : wikipedia

Do you think so?

German cheese cake and caramel latte is bad for you!

Food Quote - Laiko Bahrs

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs

RATATOUILLE

Ratatouille is a French dish. The name is comprised of two components:

* "rata" is slang from the French Army meaning "chunky stew"
* touiller, "to stir"

Thus, the meaning of the word is a chunky stew that is stirred.


Think of ratatouille as is more of a concept dish than a specific recipe. Similar to American "stew", it can take on a number of forms and is open to interpretation and experimentation. Let your tastes and preferences inspire you to create your own signature version of ratatouille!

The basic components that define the ratatouille are:

* tomatoes (the main ingredient)
* zucchini
* eggplant
* garlic
* onions
* herbs

These ingredients are traditionally sauteed in olive oil and can be served over rice or potatoes, preferably with a crusty French bread.

Recipe for a simple ratatouille

Ingredients:

* 1 medium sized onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 medium or large eggplant, diced
* 1 can stewed tomatoes
* 2 medium zucchini diced into large chunks
* add herbs as desired (try basil)
* olive oil (enough to sauté onion/garlic)
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

* Sauté the onion and garlic until tender
* Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer
* Simmer, covered for 15 minutes
* Add zucchini
* Simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are suitably soft
* Remove from heat
* Stir in the herbs, season to taste

Serve over:

* Rice
* Egg noodles
* Pasta
* Boiled, cubed potatoes

Modifications to the basic recipe for ratatouille

Just with any recipe, ratatouille is open to interpretations. Great additions include diced chicken, sauteed firm tofu, and more seasonal vegetables. The dish may be topped with grated cheese at the time of serving.

The dish when prepared following the recipe included here, is a vegan dish, meaning that it contains no animal products. This could be a great dish to serve at a dinner party where a mixture of omnivores and vegans are present. This article contains more tips on hosting such a dinner party.

Ratatouille as prepared here is also relatively low-fat. The only fat comes from the olive oil. Omitting the olive oil creates a fat free dish.

This dish is also fairly low-sodium. Since the dish features delicious, fresh vegetables, cutting own on salt can be easy. The only thing to watch out for is the canned tomatoes. Make sure that you are using tomatoes that do not have added sodium, or simply use fresh tomatoes.

Food Quote - Will Rogers

An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh. ~Will Rogers

Salmon

Wild salmon is a rich and natural source of omega-3, essential for brain development and function. It also assists in the prevention of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and depression. Salmon also has protein, vitamins A, B and D as well as a range of minerals vital to a balanced and healthy diet.

However, farmed salmon may contain high levels of dioxins. PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) levels may be up to eight times higher in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. Omega-3 content may also be lower than in wild caught individuals, and in a different proportion to what is found naturally.

There are also no rules on how or with what you should cook salmon. It all depends on the person.If you want to pan fried the salmon with just mixed herbs or grilled it or baked it, then by all means just do it.


Salmon With Herbs and Garlic

In this recipe salmon fillets are cut, sautéed and served in a creamy garlic sauce.

Four people will eat:

900g of salmon
A selection of chopped herbs such as tarragon, flat-leaved parsley and dill.
75g butter
2 garlic cloves, bruised
200ml of double cream
A wedge of lemon

Cut the salmon into 4cm wide strips and roll it in the mixed herbs. Coat each strip by pressing down slightly in the herbs.

Heat the butter in a sauté pan or thick skillet and add the salmon. Cook over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes. Shake the pan rather than stir the strips to avoid them breaking up.

Now add the cream and heat through to not quite boiling point. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a few drops of lemon juice to ‘lift’ the sauce.

Food Quote - Jonathan Swift

This is every cook's opinion -
no savory dish without an onion,
but lest your kissing should be spoiled
your onions must be fully boiled.
~Jonathan Swift

Food For Health

Received below from a friend via email. Thought that it is something worth sharing. Here it goes :

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.








A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.










Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.







A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.








Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.








Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.









Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemica l cons tituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).








Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of S perm a S we ll to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.







Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eye. Onion rings anyone?

Food Quote - Alfred E. Newman

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.
~ Alfred E. Newman

Food Quote - Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
~ Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Food Quote - Julia Child

You don΄t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.
- Julia Child (US cook & cookbook author)

Ever since I was little, I loathe veggies, especially the green one. To me green veggies are bitter. No matter how hard my mom force me to eat it, I would just vomited it out. Come to think of it, now I know why my kids hate green veggies...LOL...
But as I grew older, I learn to accept green veggies. And now I found that in my dish I must have at least one serving of veggie. One of my favorite veggie is asparagus. To me asparagus has fresh, crunchy taste that left me wanting for more. On top of that asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium. Furthermore asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
I manage to find below recipe in the internet and since pasta is one of my favorite dish plus the combination of dish looks yummy therefore I need to give it a try.










Pesto Chicken Pasta
Simple dish using prepared sauce.

Ingredients:
* 8 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta
* 2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus
* 3 cups (12 ounces) cubed, cooked chicken
* 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
* 1/3 cup chopped red onion
* 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, well drained
* 3/4 cup prepared *pesto sauce
* 3 tablespoons freshly shredded or grated Romano cheese

Method:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain.
2. Steam asparagus until tender crisp. Drain.
3. Combine cooked pasta and asparagus in a large bowl.
4. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, onion and olives.
5. Gently toss with pesto sauce.
6. Serve warm, garnished with cheese.

Refrigerate leftovers; they make a great lunch.

Makes 6 servings.

*Pesto - Traditional basil pesto originated in Genoa, Italy and comes from the word "pestare" which means to pound or grind. May be made with any herb or herb combination, blended with oil in to create a paste. Basil pesto is made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Variations can be made with the type of nuts (or toasted nuts), adding parsley, changing the cheese, roasting the garlic or replacing the oil with broth or the oil from sun-dried tomatoes. Use with pasta, pizza, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, omelettes, frittatas, potatoes and risotto.













Pasta with Asparagus

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 8 ounces angel hair pasta
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Method
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet.
3. Saute asparagus in the pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth and mushroom slices; cook 3 minutes more.
5. Drain pasta, and transfer to a serving dish.
6. Gently toss pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan and crushed red pepper.

Food Quote - Geoffrey Neighor

Good food ends with good talk.

- Geoffrey Neighor, Northern Exposure, Duets, 1993

Food Quote - Virginia Woolf

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
A Room of One's Own (1929)
Literature > Virginia Woolf

Tomato and Me

I'm not a big fan of tomato, be it cherry tomato or grape tomato or whatever type there are out there. I found that tomato can be rather too mushy after cooking because it will excrete it juices out during cooking.Nevertheless, knowing its benefits to our health, I have been trying to consume it now and there, depending on the recipe. For all tomatoes fan out there, I found these recipes and it looks yummy to me so I decided to share it.

Pasta with kalamata olives and roasted cherry tomato sauce

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients :
2 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1/4 cup drained capers
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Method

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Combine tomatoes, oil, garlic, vinegar, and crushed red pepper in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season to taste

with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are tender and juicy, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in oregano. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return to pot. Add tomato mixture, olives, and capers. Stir over medium heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add feta and stir until melted and creamy, about 2 minutes. Divide pasta among 6 plates; sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Cherry Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad

Ingredients

2-3 cups of cherry and/or pear tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup of chopped cucumber, peeled (and seeded if the seeds are bitter)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp *chiffonaded mint leaves
1 teaspoon fresh, chopped oregano
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp of finely chopped shallots or green onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Gently toss the tomatoes, cucumber, feta, onions, mint, and oregano together. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-4.

*Chiffonade - French word meaning "made of rags", describes a method of cutting herbs and other greens to garnish dishes. Stack basil or mint leaves one on top of each other then roll tightly into a long "cigar"; slice thinly to create ribbons.

10 Foods That Fight Disease

Certain foods fight diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Here's how the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables improve health and build immunity.

1. Leafy greens. A diet rich in spinach, kale, collard greens, beet greens and romaine lettuce can protect against gastric cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Leafy greens can lower your risk of cataracts and protect your eye health.
2. Tomatoes. The lycopene in tomatoes helps maintain healthy bones and regulates blood pressure. Lycopene fights disease by neutralizing free radicals, which damage normal cell growth (see “how antioxidants improve your health” below). Tomatoes also provide cancer protection and guard against hearth disease.
3. Cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and cauliflower also guard against cancer development and increase your body’s detoxification enzymes. These veggies help protect against stroke, and add valuable Vitamin A, folate, and calcium to your diet – and are natural ways to get healthy.
4. Orange vegetables. Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and squash provide vitamin A. This vitamin is essential for healthy growth, a strong immune system, and normal vision. Beta carotene makes these veggies orange, which is a powerful antioxidant.
5. Onions and garlic. These foods fight diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Onions, garlic, chives, and leeks are natural ways to get healthy because they are high in vitamin C, selenium, potassium, and chromium.
6. Berries. Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries are super foods that fight disease because they’re a great source of vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants to improve your health. Berries are a natural way to get healthy because they guard against macular degeneration, various cancers, and brain cell loss.
7. Citrus fruits. Grapefruit, oranges, tangerines and lemons may protect against skin cancer. These foods fight disease by helping your body detoxify or get rid of toxic substances. Citrus fruits protect you from cancer and stroke, and build up your immune system.
8. Whole grains. Foods that fight disease include whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, and wheat berries. These foods improve health and build immunity by protecting your heart, reducing inflammation, and fighting diabetes.
9. Fish and seafood. Salmon, char, haddock, shrimp, rainbow trout and sardines are foods that fight disease because of their high omega-3 fish oils. Omega-3’s protect your brain, heart and blood pressure, and are associated with lower risks of various diseases.
10. Legumes and soy foods. Black beans, soybeans, split peas and tofu are among the “bean and pea” foods that fight disease. Legumes and soy foods are low in fat and high in protein, which help ward off heart disease and prostrate cancer.

Food Quote - Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body"

- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Natural Boosters

Boost your immunity to fight nasty bugs by loading up your diet with all the natural help you can get.


Citrus fruit is pack with vitamin C.










Whole grain is loaded with vitamins and minerals such as zinc and can help boost your immune function.










Black tea may help the tiny hair like cells in your nose to expel germ.







Yogurt is rich source of calcium and help to boost your immune system.







Chicken soup reduces inflammation.






Bitter greens such as watercress and rocket are known for their antiviral effects.







Garlic helps fight diseases.

Tips To Storing Food

Found this in the local magazine and thought I would share this with the readers. Certain food need proper handling and storing as food products can harbour different organisms that can cause food-bourne illnesses.












Eggs
Keep them in their box in the frigde, away from strong smelling foods. Eggshells are porous so they absorb flavours and smells.













Potatoes
Keep them in a dry, dark and cool place and never in a plastic bag where they will sprout. Onions and garlic should be kept similarly.












Bananas
They give off ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process of other fruits so store them separately.
















Leafy Green
All leafy greens have high water content so they wilt easily. To ensure they stay fresh for as long as possible. wash and dry them thoroughly using a salad spinner. Rip the leaves into bited-sized pieces and put them in the fridge in a sealed plastic container with tea or paper towel to absorb excess moisture.















Tomatoes
Keep them out of the fridge unless they have been sliced (if so, store them in plastic bag then put it in the fridge). In the fridge, their insides turn watery and it shortens their shelf life.














Mushrooms
They should be kept in paper bags in the frigde. Plastic bag causes them to go mushy.













Tofu
Once you have open a package, stored the unused portion in a container of water with a tight lid. Change the water daily. The tofu should be consumed within 3 days.

Food Quote - Adelle Davis

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.
-Adelle Davis (1904 - 1974)

Food Quote - George Meredith

Kissing don't last; cookery do! ~George Meredith

Cooking Oil

Cooking oil is purified fat of plant or animal origin, which is liquid at room temperature.

Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include:olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil. Many other kinds of vegetable oils are also used for cooking.

The generic term "vegetable oil" when used to label a cooking oil product refers to a blend of a variety of oils often based on palm, corn, soybean or sunflower oils.

Oil can be flavoured by immersing aromatic food stuffs such as fresh herbs, peppers, garlic and so forth in the oil for a period of time. However, care must be taken when storing flavored oils to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum (the bacteria that produces toxins that can lead to botulism).

The appropriate amount of fat as a component of daily food consumption is the topic of some controversy. Some fat is required in the diet, and fat (in the form of oil) is also essential in many types of cooking. The FDA recommends that 30% or less of calories consumed daily should be from fat.Other nutritionists recommend that no more than 10% of a person's daily calories come from fat.In extremely cold environments, a diet that is up to two-thirds fat is acceptable and can, in fact, be critical to survival.

While consumption of small amounts of saturated fats is essential, excessive amounts of such fats has been shown to be correlated with coronary heart disease. Oils with lower amounts of saturated fats, and higher amounts of unsaturated (preferably monounsaturated) fats, are generally healthier.

Heating an oil changes its characteristics. Some oils that are healthy at room temperature can become unhealthy when heated above certain temperatures. When choosing a cooking oil, it is therefore important to note the oil's heat tolerance, and to match the oil to its use in cooking.^[4]. Oils that are suitable for high temperature frying (above 280°C/500°F) include:

• Canola oil
• Almond oil
• Apricot kernel oil
• High-oleic safflower oil or sunflower oil
• Peanut oil (marketed as 'groundnut oil' in the UK)
• Soybean oil
• Grape seed oil

Oils suitable for medium temperature frying include:

• Walnut oil
• Sunflower oil
• Sesame oil

Unrefined oils should be restricted to temperatures below 105°C/225°F.

It is best to store all oils in the refrigerator or a cool, dry place. Oils may thicken, but if you let them stand at room temperature they will soon return to liquid. To prevent negative effects of heat and light, take oils out of cold storage just long enough to use them. Refined oils high in monounsaturated fats keep up to a year (if they are olive oil, they'll keep up to a few years), while those high in polyunsaturated fats keep about six months. Extra-virgin and virgin olive oils keep at least 9 months after opening. Other monounsaturated oils keep well up to a high eight months; unrefined polyunsaturated oils only about half as long.

Proper disposal of used cooking oil is an important waste-management concern. Oil is lighter than water and tends to spread into thin and broad membranes which hinder the oxygenation of water. Because of this, a single litre of oil can contaminate as much as 1 million litres of water.Also, oil can congeal on pipes provoking blockages.

Because of this, cooking oil should never be dumped on the kitchen sink or in the toilet bowl. The proper way to dispose of oil is to put it in a sealed non-recyclable container and discard it with regular garbage.

Source : Wikipedia

Food quote by M.F.K.Fisher

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly - M. F. K. Fisher

Butter Crab

I got this recipe from a local magazine and since the picture looks really nice, I decided to give it a try.And the taste is not bad.

The recipe is quite simple. So folks, go ahead and give it a try.

Ingredients:
1.5kg flower crabs, cut into 4 pieces each
30g butter
200ml evaporated milk
12 birds eye chillies, crushed
5 stalks curry leaves - use leaves only
30g grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Thickening:
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp water

Method:
Deep fry crabs till cooked, removed and drain oil. Heat butter, fry curry leaves and chillies then add in evaporated milk. Cook for 1 min. Add in parmesan cheese, thickening mixture and season with salt and pepper.Put in the crabs and stir until crabs are well coated.

Aglio Olio with Prawn and Vegetables

This is one of my favorite pasta dish. You can substitute the prawn with any seafood you like or you can add in any type of seafood for more variety.Easily cooked and pack with deliciously colorful vegetables.

Ingredients:
100g linguine
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
5 large prawns/shrimps (shells & veins removed)
2 teaspoon dried mix herbs
chilli flakes (optional)
1/2 a cup zucchini
1/2 a cup capsicum
1/2 a cup cherry tomatoes
salt/garlic salt

Serving : 1 person

Methods:

1. Add some vegetable oil and salt to a pot of water, and boil the linguine till al dente (according to the instructions on the package). Drain & set aside.
2. In a saucepan (medium flame), heat olive oil and stir fry chopped garlic, dried mix herbs and chilli flakes till they are infused with the oil.
3. Add the prawns and stir fry till they are cooked.Add in all vegetables. Toss in the pasta and stir evenly.
4. Season with salt (about 1/2 tsp and add more if needed) and stir well. You can garnish with parsley flakes, grated cheese and garlic bits before serving.