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)