A1 Gourmet Blog

Blog Moved!

2006-11-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

We finally moved the A1 Gourmet Food Blog to our own site - we hope you'll come over!

The Amateur Gourmet

2006-11-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

OMG, I just came across the most entertaining gourmet blog out there - The Amateur Gourmet. Here at A1 Gourmet - we try to bring you some tasty recipes, some informative articles - but this guy goes above and beyond!

I'd recommend starting off with the post Chutzpah, Truffles & Alain Ducasse - a post that proves that paid posts can be genuine and entertaining and hilarious as can be!

Food Gift Baskets

2006-07-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Gourmet Food Gift Baskets for Every Occasion
By Eriani Doyel

Gourmet food gift baskets are a great way to say everything from “Congratulations on the new baby” to “Thank you for your hard work on that last project.” Gourmet food gift baskets have come a long way from the cheese and sausage boxes of old, especially with the increase in internet buying and companies. The variety of gourmet food products that you can get in a basket is almost unlimited-everything from handcrafted alcoholic beverages to a selection of delectable brownies. Although you can put together gourmet food gift baskets on your own, it may be simpler to order them from a local specialty store or online.

It is important that when you are making gourmet food gift baskets that you consider the recipients likes and dislikes carefully. If you know them well this will be easier than if it is a business relationship where you are unfamiliar with their tastes. Is the recipient on a diet? Do they have allergies to any food products? Do they drink alcohol or coffee? Are they a vegetarian? Each of these questions should be considered when you are thinking about the type of gourmet food gift baskets you would like to give.

If you really want to personalize the gift baskets, you might want to put them together yourself. You can pick up a basket or container fairly cheaply, and then fill it with items from a gourmet food store in your area. This may be a great option if you are not mailing the gourmet food gift baskets-because you don’t have to concern yourself with shipping. However, if you will be sending the gift basket through any shipping service it may be easier to go through a company which specializes in these products.

Companies that make gourmet gift baskets are everywhere on the internet. Choose one that has not only the types of baskets that you need, but also one that has a good reputation, quality products and a good guarantee and return policy. The baskets that you send will not only reflect on the company that made them, but they will reflect you as well.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Food and Gifts and Shopping as well as enjoying all three. For more information about gourmet food gift baskets visit http://www.foodax.com

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on food gift baskets.

Christmas Gift Baskets

2006-07-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Christmas is a season of festive decorations, Christmas trees, stockings hung by the fireplace laden with gifts and the indubitable task of buying gifts. The much awaited and anticipated Christmas gift comes in a box or a bag containing an item that may or may not be appreciated. Sometimes it’s hard to know just what to buy. Well, if you have any idea of what a person has an interest in there is a solution. A Christmas gift basket makes the perfect present. containing an item that may or may not be appreciated. Sometimes it’s hard to know just what to buy. Well, if you have any idea of what a person has an interest in there is a solution. A Christmas gift basket makes the perfect present.

Gift baskets have come a long way in the last few years. The difference lies in the packaging –a holiday basket beautifully wrapped filled with treasures - a clinching marketing strategy that has made the gift basket a popular holiday purchase.

Tradition dictates that a Christmas gift filled with chocolate should be given to someone on your list with a sweet tooth. There are a variety of chocolate companies who have wonderful assortments of chocolate treats. Prices vary, as do the accessories that come with the basket. Extras can be anything from a teddy bear for a little one to a diamond ring for a “very special” loved one. You can custom make your own gift baskets for that extra special touch.

There are gift baskets for everyone on your list. Children adore baskets filled with toys, cookies and books. Teens love electronics with certificates to music stores and game stores to make the basket complete.

Ladies love cosmetic, bath, gourmet and craft baskets. Men who are into sports would surely enjoy a basket filled with sport paraphernalia. All time favorites include cheeses and wine, ethnic foods, coffees and teas and, an all time favorite, a basket filled with flowers.

Christmas gift baskets are characterized by innovative packaging using wicker, cane or creatively designed containers. Wonderful treats all wrapped up into one lovely package that is sure to make for a very merry Christmas.

Christmas Gifts provides detailed information about christmas gift ideas, christmas gift baskets, homemade christmas gifts, corporate christmas gifts and more. Christmas Gifts is the sister site of Online Gift Cards.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on Christmas gift baskets.

Birthday Gift Baskets

2006-07-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

No gift is more magical than a basket loaded with special, cherished, and favorite things. And to help you in experiencing such happiness and magic, multitudes of companies provide all types and sizes of birthday gift baskets.

Gift Baskets, Blue Chopsticks, Jackie’s Baskets, Warm Sentiments, Mary’s Basket Case, Inc, Gifts Baskets Etc, Wine Country Gift Baskets, Gotham Baskets, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Gifts.com, Adorable Gift Baskets, Erna Gift Basket Online Shop, Gift Service USA, Harry and David, For Gift Baskets, Awesome Creations, Cesta Gift Baskets, Design it Yourself Gift Basket, Red Envelope, Book Baskets, Dream Maker Gift Baskets, and Gift Baskets.com are some companies among others which provide delicious and delightful gift hampers.

Baskets can either be chosen from the pre-designed ones available in the market, or can also be customized and designed according to your own wishes.

A huge variety of gift baskets are normally available at the aforementioned companies. Chocolate, cookies, coffee, Italian, fruits, pizza, popcorn, spa, sweets, grilling or BBQ, dried fruits, and much more can all be found at the aforementioned companies. Fruits, chocolates, candles, cookies, wine and many other products are all available at Gift Baskets.com, Harry and David, Erna’s Gift Basket Online Shop, and all the other companies.

Specializing in wine baskets is Wine Country Gift Baskets. Gourmet has an amazing range of birthday gift baskets to choose from. It also allows customizing your own basket. Design-it-Yourself Gift Baskets and Nostalgia Baskets also have customizing options.

Designer gift baskets are offered by For Gift Baskets. You can choose for baskets designed by different people from different states. Cesta Gift Baskets provides snacks, and other gift baskets loaded with all edibles intended for movie nights and the like.

Offering Gourmet cookies and chocolates with mugs and other birthday treats is Dream Maker Gift Baskets.

Usually an additional price is included for shipping; however, some companies like Gift Baskets.com (on certain gift baskets), Dream Maker Gift Baskets, and Adorable Baskets allow free shipping too.

Book Baskets specialize in books. Such baskets can be filled with books of your own choice. Clips, bookmarks, personal journal, and pen also accompany the selected books in the basket.

Birthday Gifts provides detailed information on Birthday Gifts, Birthday Gift Ideas, Birthday Gift Baskets, Unique Birthday Gifts and more. Birthday Gifts is affiliated with Holiday Gift Ideas.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on birthday gift baskets.

Gourmet Food Gift Baskets

2006-05-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

An Introduction To Gourmet Gift Baskets
By Ross Bainbridge

A creative and unique concept, easily customized to suit an individual, the gourmet gift basket can be a delightful expression of any sentiment. Usually, a gift basket has a collection of items attractively presented and based on a common theme.

Loaded with goodies, a gift basket is sure to please, especially when in doubt about what to give. For special people, this personalized gift is ideal. Wouldn’t you say that the thrill of receiving numerous thoughtful presents is often greater than opening just one? The variety of choices available in gourmet gift baskets is truly unbelievable. Be it Christmas or Hanukkah, birthdays or business, there is something for any occasion or holiday!

Consisting of the finest food and beverages, exotic and adventurous, gourmet gift baskets are hugely popular as ideal gifts. For Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays, there are Kosher gift baskets. Or, for Christmas, there are hampers with cookies to cakes, liqueurs to chocolates, caviar to cheese–all delectable. Chocolate gift baskets with Belgian manons, French bonbons, Swiss treats, exquisite chocolates with enhanced fruit and nut flavors, chocolate pretzels and cookies, candy canes, tasty truffles in great shapes and lovely wrapping are all simply heavenly for the chocoholic. There are elegant gift baskets of assorted wine and cheese; premium choices like Dom Perignon Champagne, CK Mondavi Chardonnay, CK Mondavi Merlot, or Moet and Chandon White Star Champagne; cheese from around the world—endless choices such as American Humboldt Fog; Blue cheese like Roquefort; Belgian Chimay with Beer; English Dorset drum cheddar or White Stilton with Apricot; Brown Ale cheese; champagne cheese like Brie; Dutch Dorothea; Italian cooking cheese like Reggiano or Parmigiano; French Camembert or Gruyere; German Tilsit; and so many more. Versatile in every way— in taste and texture, in origin and in combination, there is no better gourmet gift!

Do not forget an array of meats either: fresh, smoked, grilled, stuffed, roasted, and cooked in different regional styles. Consider unusual choices like venison, elk, kangaroo, or delicious variations of poultry, pork, lamb, and beef or veal. These gourmet meats are unmatched in quality. With smoked fish, caviar, lobsters and shrimps, a seafood basket is a delicious fiesta for the seafood lover. Flavorful and healthy teas or coffees and savory condiments are also exciting picks.

The list is endless; you can make anything special if you put your heart and mind into it. Celebrate life and all its special events with a memorable gourmet gift basket.

Gourmet Gifts provides detailed information on Gourmet Gifts, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Gourmet Meat Gifts, Gourmet Chocolate Gifts and more. Gourmet Gifts is affiliated with Gourmet Fruit Gift Baskets.

Visit A1 Gourmet for information on gourmet food gift baskets.

Coffee Gift Baskets

2006-05-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Pick the Perfect Coffee Gift Basket
By Lorna Mclaren

I am a self confessed coffeeholic. I need coffee to start my day. I like it through out the day and evening and no it does not keep me awake at nights. Through out the day however I vary the flavor and strength of what coffee I am drinking.

The mornings tend to be the "shot" type, strong and short. A kick start if you like. During the day a longer coffee does the trick with slightly less strength and in the evening time a mellow, chill out coffee is what I am after. If you know someone siliar then picking the perfect coffee gift basket should not pose too many problems.

It can be to pick out clothes to give to a friend or loved one for a present. It can be hard to pick a present for anyone. But buying a Coffee Gift Basket for the java junky in your life is a fantastic idea all on its own. But you can perfect the plan by choosing the types of coffee for the basket that you know they’ll love.

There are a handful of guidelines that the experts recommend for selecting the right blends for your coffee gift basket. The first guideline is to decide what kind of coffee your friend or family member prefers. For instance, do they like the bottom of the pot? That means they probably like their coffee stiff. Or do they usually add less than a whole packet to their pots of coffee? That could indicate that they like their joe on the weaker or lighter side.

Next, find a map. Yes, really a map. If you are going to figure out the perfect coffee gift basket, you’ll need to know your geography. Different regions of the world tend to have different coffee flavors. The Central and South America continents, for example, tend to grow coffees with light-bodies, higher acidities, and sweeter flavors. Just think about the sweet and mellow south.

The African continent, on the other hand, offers blends with medium bodies, medium acidities, and wilder flavors. Imagine wild and untamed Africa in a cup.

Finally, the Asian-Indonesian-Pacific continent grows the coffees with the stiff, heavy bodies, low acidities, and hearty earthier flavors. The dust, heat and earthy tones of the Asian countries. You can almost hear the buzz of the markets as you sip these wonderful coffee blends.

Some examples to look for in a coffee gift basket from Central and South America, or the Caribbean, would be the delicious blends that come out of the Jamaican Blue Mountains. Brazil and Colombia also are huge coffee producers, so anything from those two countries will fit the bill.

If you want to include African varieties in your coffee gift basket, look for specific types from Tanzania and Yemen. As for Asian blends, particular coffees from Sumatra are well known for their dark roasts, as well as brews from New Guinea, Sulawesi, and Java.

Whatever you choose, I am sure it will bring a smile to the face of your coffeeholic friend or loved one. Enjoy!

Lorna Mclaren has an information and resources website at http://www.alove4coffee.com where you can find out everything you need to know about different coffee.

Lorna Mclaren has an information and resources website at http://www.alove4coffee.com where you can find out everything you need to know about different coffee.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on coffee gift baskets.

Selecting a Wine

2006-05-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

How to Choose a Wine that Tastes Good - Some Tips for Selecting a Wine
By Jodie Smith

We'll start this article by asking these two questions: "Why is wine so confusing?" and "Does selecting a wine intimidate you?" If your answer to the second question is yes, then you are not alone!

Most people have been to a liquor store or a restaurant and been absolutely overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer variety and number of selections offered. The variety of choices among wine varieties, brands, labels, and prices seem almost infinite.

Herein lies the problem: There are just too many choices.

So what is the solution to too many choices?

Well, the answer in a few words is: Discover your own preference for wine taste.

Many people know when they like a wine. But the difficult part is understanding why. What do you like about it, and how do you describe what it is that you like about that wine? Is it light or full bodied? Is it tannic or not? What are tannins anyway? Is it fruity or sweet? Do fruity and sweet mean the same thing? And, if you try and like a Shiraz, does that mean you will like all Shiraz?

All these questions can be answered by tasting wines, and then tasting more wine! Yet tasting is not enough as you must pay attention to what you are tasting. In my opinion, it is a good idea to learn with comparative tastings. Take for example the Chardonnay grape. It is grown in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria and also in Margaret River, Western Australia. Tasted side-by-side, you may first think that both Chardonnay's have little in common, yet they are both made from Chardonnay grapes.

When you taste a wine of the same variety side-by-side, you can easily begin to learn the differences between a full bodied and a light bodied wine; and a low tannin wine and a high tannin wine, etc.

Tips on how to choose a wine that is right for you

Step 1: Decide if you want a white wine or red wine
Decide whether you want a white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine or fortified wine. This will narrow down your choices and give you some direction.

Step 2: Decide on your preferences for wine taste
Have a think about your own preferences for the taste of a wine. (Tip: Use your knowledge from your comparative wine tastings to help you.)

As a minimum, decide whether you prefer a dry or sweet wine. (Dry is the term used to describe the absence of sweetness in a wine.)

If you know your preferences for other wine characteristics, then it will also be a good idea to decide on these. If you don't know your preferences then I have included a short description here to help you in your comparative wine tastings.

1. Low Tannins vs High Tannins: Tannins are a vital ingredient in wines, especially red wines. It comes from the stalks, skins and pips of grapes. Tannins in a young wine produce a bitter, puckering taste on the palate.

2. Short Palate vs Long Palate: The "length" of a wine is the amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. Usually, the longer the better.

3. Low Acid vs High Acid: Acids of various types are present in wine, and are essential to the wine's longevity and also to your enjoyment. Too little can affect the wine's quality and too much can spoil the wine. A higher acidity makes the wine more tart and sour tasting; whereas a low acidity results in flat tasting wine that is more susceptible to spoilage.

Acidity is that quality that makes your mouth water and your lips pucker, and without it, wines (and anything for that matter!) taste pretty flat and one dimensional. However, when acidity is present in the right quantities, it is the element that makes all of the other flavours in the wine stand out, including the undertones of fruit, spice and herbs. The flavour in wine that you would describe as tangy, sharp, refreshing, bracing, bright, crisp or zingy is the acidity.

4. Light Bodied vs Full Bodied: To get a picture of the differences between a light-bodied wine and a full-bodied wine think about milk as an analogy. Light-bodied is analogous to skim milk and full-bodied wine analogous to full-cream milk, and the variations in the "body" of wne are like varying levels of fat-content in milk.

What makes it even easier, is that a wine’s body is directly proportional to its alcohol content. On every wine label you’ll notice a percentage of alcohol by volume. Note how it applies to body:

* 7.5% - 10.5% indicates light body

* 10.5% - 12.5% indicates medium body

* 12.5% and over indicates full body

5. No Oak vs Heavy Oak: Wines might be stored in oak barrels, usually to impart extra and more complex flavours. French, American and German oak barrels are widely used in Australia. Oaky describes the aroma or taste quality imparted to a wine by the oak barrels in which it was aged. The terms toasty, vanilla, dill, cedary and smoky indicate the desirable qualities of oak; charred, burnt, green cedar, lumber and plywood describe its unpleasant side.

Step 3: Buy wine that is well looked after, like at the cellar door
It is important to purchase wine from liquor outlets that take proper care of their wine, e.g. buying direct from the winery's cellar door is a good option. Extreme heat or cold, direct sunlight, and dramatic temperature fluctuations are not good for wine. Also, before you buy, make sure the wine is filled up to the neck of the bottle, the cork is not pushing out of the bottle, and there are no signs of leakage.

Step 4: Enjoy exploring the variety and diversity of Australian wine
There are lots of good reasons to explore all of the wines that Australia has to offer in all its diversity. Don't just stick to the well-known varieties like Chardonnay or Shiraz - experiment with other whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewurztraminer or reds like Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir. Also, try examples of a particular variety from different wine regions to understand how regional conditions affect the wine's character. Expose yourself to every type of wine. The more you taste the more you will understand and the easier wine selection will become.

Step 5: Buy by the case
When you find a wine you really like, consider buying wine by the case (12 bottles). Most wineries will offer you a 10% or 15% wine discount when you purchase a case of wine or more.

Step 6: Only rely on your own taste buds
The ultimate goal of wine buying is to buy wines that taste good to you. Just because a merchant, friend or wine writer says a wine is good doesn't mean you'll like it. Conversely, don't shy away from a wine because someone else says that it is no good. The only judge of good taste in wine is you.

And herein lies one of the biggest benefits of so much choice: you are sure to find wines that are perfect for your own unique taste buds. All you need is just a little knowledge as described above and the willingness to explore. If you are interested in comparative wine tasting, www.boutiquewineries.com.au may be a good place to get started.

And most importantly, be open to the possibilities and then, make note of them and learn from them.

Article by Jodie Smith of Boutique Wineries a leading online cellar door offering uniquely different wines from over 120 boutique wineries. It makes finding the hard to get wines of Australia’s small wineries easy.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to forward it to others, make it available from your site or post it on forums for others to read. Just make sure that this paragraph and URL are included. For more information, tips and articles on wine, Australian boutique wine reviews and wine ratings, visit The Wine-Tasting Secrets Newsletter at Online Boutique Wine Shopping in Australia.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on wine.

Filet Mignon Steak

2006-04-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

By Max Bellamy

The word ‘filet mignon’ means small boneless piece (in French ‘mignon’ means small and ‘filet’ means a boneless piece). It is considered to be a premium cut of beef, taken from the small end of the tenderloin. Filet mignon steaks are called by different names in different parts of the world – chateaubriand, medallions, tournedos, filet de bæuf, tenderloin, etc. are all different names of the filet mignon steak. It is the tenderest steak and is circular in shape about 3 inches in diameter.

The tenderloin is the least exercised part of the animal and hence the flesh in this region is tender. Beef cuts from the tenderloin are hence very soft and easy to cut. Due to their tenderness, they are also referred to as ‘the kings of steak’. However, the filet mignon steaks are also the mildest in their taste. Usually they are packed with bacon to increase their flavor.

Filet mignons available in butcher shops are a 2-3 inches in thickness. Their color determines how fresh they are. Filet mignon steaks should be bright red externally and internally they must be darker in color. They should be brought only if they were preserved in cold storage. Mostly filet mignon steaks are aged before cooking. Aging provides a unique flavor. Steaks can be preserved under cold storage for as long as a year if they are securely wrapped.

There are several ways to prepare filet mignon steaks. They can be grilled, sautéed, pan-fried or roasted. Fat should be removed before cooking the steak. Use of salt must be avoided as salt draws out the juices of the steak. Water is not used while cooking filet mignon steaks as it affects the taste. Instead olive oil or butter is used to prepare different recipes.

Filet mignon steaks are prepared by restaurants in several ways. There are several exotic preparations with wine, whiskey and with a variety of stuffing like crab meat, eggs among many others. Almost every restaurant has a special recipe for preparing filet mignon. They are eaten with rice, noodles or pasta. They are garnished with parsley, garlic, spring onions, etc. depending on the recipe. Red wine complements the filet mignon steak well. Also, they are eaten along with sea food such as lobsters and crabs or with pork derivatives such as bacon and sausages.

Steak provides detailed information about steak, flank steak, grilling steak and more. Steak is affiliated with Disposable Chef Hats.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on gourmet steaks.

Vietnamese Food - The Play of Spices

2006-04-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

By Michael Russell

Vietnamese food is famous all around the world for its diversity in tastes and the flexibility in the way of cooking it. It doesn't make people bored and because of the low fat in the ingredients, you cannot easily gain extra weight.

Owning to the geographic stretch from the north to the south of Vietnam, the climate changes a great deal from tip to toe of the country, therefore, each region has its own special eating and drinking culture. Traveling from the north to the south to taste the food in every region is a special type of tourism in Vietnam and attracts millions of visitors each year. Everyone coming back from this type of eating-and-drinking trip claims that it is one of the best experiences in their lives and they look forward to visiting Vietnam again.

The featured characteristic of Vietnamese food is the use of spices. By mixing many kinds of spices, Vietnamese food is tasty, unique and irreplaceable. Beside the use of some common spices like salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, chilli, lemon, onion, etc, Vietnam also has its unique spices. They are a selection of sauces, which vary from region to region and are made from many kinds of fish, shrimps, squid, etc. In addition, hundreds of vegetables, nuts and bulbs are also used as spices for kinds of traditional food, which creates a typical and unique taste and smell.

Vietnamese food often requires much time and effort in preparation. A good Vietnamese cook has to have a good memory as well because every dish requires different types of sauces and spices. Ingredients for each dish are often complicated and it's hard to remember all of them, especially for traditional dishes. Every dish has its own complementary sauce and a Vietnamese cook has to remember all of those, which is sometimes not an easy task.

Nowadays, Vietnamese people have busier and busier lives so they simplify the process of cooking to save time and effort. Ingredients for Vietnamese food are now simpler and easier to find. However, there's always something unique and typical in every Vietnamese dish, which remains in your memory for a long time and reminds you to come back to Vietnam.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Food

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on gourmet spices.

A Guide To Buying Fish and Seafood

2006-04-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

By Cherie Gordon-Eales

Online, your Local Fishmonger or at the Supermarket. What is the best option for buying Seafood?

At the Supermarket

They may have a fresh fish counter or a section in the chiller department, they will almost certainly have a freezer department.

You may or may not realise this, but all fish starts to spoil as soon as it’s killed and the more the seafood is processed/handled the quicker it starts to deteriorate. When buying seafood you want it as fresh as possible, preferably still flapping.

When buying fish a good way to tell if it’s fresh is to press it with you finger, the flesh should spring back, not leave your fingerprint in it. It should smell of the sea, slightly of ozone and most definitely not of FISH.

The reason that the seafood in supermarkets manages to have such a long shelf life is because those little sealed containers have pumped air in them - not air exactly as you and I breathe but air with the same elements calibrated to a different ratio and this is what stops the fish going off so quickly. As soon as that container is opened the fish will start to spoil faster (I might add that they do the same with bagged salad). Do you really want to be buying fish that's been artificially kept edible?

At the fish counter you will probably find not only whole fish and seafood but also fillets, steaks and cutlets. It’s a good idea to ask the assistant when the fish was caught/brought in. They should be able to tell you. Be aware of any fish that’s been covered in ice with just the heads sticking out, this is an old trick to disguise old product, get them to take it out so that you can see the fish properly. If there are fillets on sale, especially sole or plaice fillets check to see if there’s any yellowing of the flesh; this is another indication of stale fish, and of course, ask to smell it.

If you’re looking at a whole fish - take a good look at its eyes, they should be clear and bright, not sunken and cloudy. The gills should be a deep red colour and the skin shiny and slippery. If you pick up the fish it should feel firm, not floppy like some old rag doll.

If you’re after shellfish there’s 2 very simple rules to follow. Before cooking, if it’s open and doesn’t close when tapped sharply don’t buy it or cook it. After cooking if it’s still shut, don’t eat it.

When buying crab or lobster, pick it up, it should feel heavy for it’s size.

The third option in the Supermarket is the freezer department. This can be a very good alternative to fresh fish. Look for fish that has been ‘flash frozen’, this means that the fish has been caught and filleted very quickly - possibly at sea , then frozen very quickly thus retaining all the flavour and nutrients. This is often a far better option than fish lying around for days in the chiller cabinet.

If you are lucky enough to be close to a decent Fishmonger, get to know him and he’ll look after you. He will invariably know where the seafood has come from and when it was caught. He can prepare it for you and give you tips and recipes. If you have a special occasion coming up, tell him beforehand and he will be only to happy to fulfil your order, handing it over ready to put in the oven or whatever.

Thankfully, now that the Internet has come into its own, buying fish and seafood online has never been easier. There are many small, specialised companies where you can buy not only fresh fish and seafood but delicacies such as Smoked Salmon and Caviar. They deliver excellent seafood either fresh in chilled boxes, frozen or vacuum packed.

Cherie is a freelance cook, cookery writer and webmaster. See http://www.great-salmon-recipes.com for more great salmon recipes including how to smoke, grill, bake and poach Salmon and for quick and easy recipes using canned salmon.

Visit A1 Gourmet for information on gourmet seafood and seafood gifts.

Seven Fun Things You Can Do with Popcorn

2006-04-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

By Gary Nave

What type of popcorn lover are you? How do you cook it, stove top, microwave, air popped or camp fire roasted? How about toppings, naked, salted, drenched in butter, cheese laddened, covered in carmel, or coated in chocolate.

Plain popcorn balls are great on their own. However, you can easily change them into something spectacular. You can cover a popcorn ball with white cake icing and red licorice lace to resemble a baseball. If that is too much, you can dress them up by wrapping them in colored plastic wrap. For halloween, wrap them in orange plastic wrap, glue on cut out construction paper eyes, nose and mouth for an edible mini jack-o-lantern.

Popcorn lends its self for great ideas during halloween. Don't forget the freakishly realistic witch's hand. All you need is plastic food preparation gloves, candy corn for the finger nails, fill with popcorn and a ribbon to close off the bag. Add a plastic spider ring and watch the fingers bend in odd directions.

Need to keep the kids busy for Christmas? Why not set them in front of a bowl of popcorn and string popcorn garland for the Christmas tree. This will keep them busy for a little while. Maybe it will even become a family tradition.

Going to visit a family for the holidays? Why not send a popcorn tin.
Need a teachers gift? Why not make a movie night kit. Fill a bowl with candy, microwave popcorn and a gift certificate to your local movie rental store. This is always a great gift. Or you could fill your own tin with some of the recipes below.

Make your own old time favorite homemade cracker jack mix. (recipe)

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Crackerjacks Caramel Popcorn
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com

Category: Caramel Corn
Serves/Makes: 4 cups | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: 1-2 hrs

Ingredients:

4 cups freshly popped corn lightly salted
1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup corn syrup (light)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Options 1 cup of peanuts

Directions:
My wife makes this and it has crackerjacks beat;

Put popcorn in shallow roasting pan (large pan). In heavy saucepan mix sugar, butter and corn syrup. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Continue boiling 5 min. without stirring. Remove from heat; add vanilla and baking soda. Pour over popcorn; stir to coat well.

Bake in preheated 250 degree oven for 1 hr., stirring several times. Cool, break apart and store in tightly covered container. (Cool on waxed paper so it won't stick to pan) Note; if desired 1 cup. peanuts may be added to popcorn BEFORE adding caramel sauce.

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How about chocolate covered popcorn. All you need is cooked popcorn and chocolate chips. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in the microwave taking time not to burn the chocolate. Put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag, snip the corner off making a tiny hole the size of a pencil point. Squeeze and drizzle over popcorn. Let cool until hardened. This makes great favors for any party.

Now that you have some great ideas, get popping!

Gary Nave helps consumers choose the right popcorn for their needs.

Visit A1 Gourmet for info on gourmet popcorn.

Go Nuts

2006-04-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

By Bethany Klug

Back when we hunted and gathered for our food, nuts and seeds were part of our daily diet. They gave us energy, soft healthy skin, fertility, immunity, healthy joints, strong hearts, and sharp balanced minds. Many of us have avoided nuts and seeds to keep our diet low in fat, so it’s no coincidence that we may lack these qualities in our health.

Nuts and seeds are chock full of heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. They contain little artery clogging saturated fat. They also contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are easily destroyed by heat, light and oxygen. So to get their health benefits, nuts and seeds must be eaten raw. Beyond fat, nuts are a good source of all the nutrients we need: protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals. This is how they can do so much for us.

A serving size is the eater’s handful. Those on weight loss diets may find that a handful of nuts give a feeling of fullness without weight gain.

Try a homemade trail mix made with raw nuts. Most commercial trail mixes use roasted nuts. Mix ¼ cup each of raw almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, or any of your favorite raw nuts or seeds, raisins, dried cherries or any of your favorite dried fruits and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bag. Close the bag and shake to mix. Pour into plastic sandwich bags for easy snacks to-go.

Walnuts and flax seeds are special because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Our diets tend to be low in them, yet they are essential for healthy brain and nervous system functioning. It’s easy to toss a handful of raw walnuts or flax seeds on a salad or vegetables for added crunch and nutrition. Refrigerate walnuts and flax seeds to keep the omega-3 fatty acids fresh.

Peanuts and peanut butter should be a treat, not a regular part of our diets. They contain a protein known to cause hardening of the arteries. Most commercial peanut butters are full of sugar and disease causing trans-fat. Use raw almond butter instead.

Sesame seeds are particularly high in calcium and flavor. They are used by many cultures. Sesame paste, called tahini in Arabic countries, is the essential ingredient in hummus. In China, it’s used to make a sesame sauce served over noodles. This sesame sauce recipe is adapted from Annemarie Colbin’s cookbook The Natural Gourmet and is a staple in my home:

2 – 4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon brown rice or apple cider vinegar

½ cup raw sesame tahini

½ cup green tea

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons shoyu or tamari (natural soy sauce available at health food stores)

Place the tahini, shoyu, maple syrup, garlic and vinegar into a 2 quart mixing bowl. Blend carefully with a spoon. The mixture will thicken.

Add tea several spoonfuls at a time until you get a smooth consistency. Add cayenne to taste. Serve over vegetables, whole grain noodles or your favorite protein. Great hot or cold. Serves 6.

Bethany Klug, DO specializes in holistic medicine at the Kansas City Holistic Centre, http://www.kcholistic.com/ She is a member of the Lieurance Group, a freelance writers cooperative http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com/

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How to Pick a Great Piece of Fruit

2006-04-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

By Denice Moffat

Choose fruit that is vine-ripened and in season for the most nutrition.Do you eat tomatoes that have been gas ripened? No flavor, right? I think that when we eat these unripe foods—especially when they are on the avoid list for our blood type, that they can cause more harm than good.

The most nutrition, vitamins and minerals are in foods that are picked fresh. Asking the produce manager at the store how to pick individual fruits and vegetables is a really good thing. They know how to choose the best quality produce, but here are few tips that you will be able to use….

For watermelons, do the thump test. Those that thump deep are a good bet, but if you REALLY want the sweetest choice look for insect damage. Bees will smell the sugar and try to get to it. You will notice bite markings on the rind. These are the sweetest watermelons (and it works every time!)

For pineapples, gently tug on the center leaf on the topnotch of the pineapple. If it comes out easily, the pineapple will be sweet and ripe. If you can’t decide with this test, then smell it. The one that has a sweet odor to it is the one you want to take home.

For cantaloupes press the indentation where the stem was attached. It should give. Then smell it. It should smell sweet.

Oranges, lemons, apples should be heavy. Fruit juice has a lot of water in it.

Use the smell test for other types of fruit as well, such as peaches, nectarines, and avocados. If you can’t smell it, it may never ripen the way you want it to.

Mix all your fully ripe fruits together, add a cup of vanilla yogurt to keep the fruit from turning brown, and eat 1 ½ cups of fresh, raw fruit salad every day to enjoy great health!

© 2005 by Dr. Denice M. Moffat

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1995. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free monthly newsletter.

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How To Make Your Own Homemade Cookie Bouquets

2006-04-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

By Ricky Alberta

We've all seen them. Clusters of big, gourmet cookies, individually wrapped in shiny, colored cellophane, with bows and ribbons. They come in many styles and with different treats, toys or gift items attached to or inside a basket or vase of some sort. They make a terrific and edible gift idea. After all, who doesn't love cookies? Sadly, they can be very expensive gifts, especially when considering that cookies don't cost a whole lot to bake.

Here's how to make your own cookie bouquets at home without spending a fortune!

What You Will Need:

* Chopsticks or Wooden Skewers - Make sure they are heat-proof. If you're baking smaller cookies, then popsicle sticks would also work.

* Cookies - Find a delicious cookie recipe that makes larger size cookies, your favorite or your gift recipients favorite will do fine.

* Container - This needs to be a sturdy container that is a bit bottom heavy, especially if you plan to include more than a few big cookies. You can try putting some pebbles in the bottom to make sure the container won't tip over, if needed. Some ideas for containers include: a coffee mug, a metal or plastic pail, a basket, a vase, a planter, cookie jar or glass jar, glass bottle, a toy or wood box of some sort, teapot, porcelain or pottery serving ware.

* Cellophane - The shiny, colored kind looks best, but the colored plastic wrap you get at your local supermarket would work too.

* Ribbon - The curly kind works well for this. Any colors you like.

* Decorations - Anything goes! What's appropriate to the occasion and what does the gift recipient like? Some ideas include: stuffed animals, small toys, candy, balloons, fake or real flowers, stickers or whatever you find at the local craft store.

* Block of styrofoam or florists foam - You know that stereo you bought last December? You probably kept the box, just search your garage for some spare, clean, styrofoam.

* Something to cover up the styrofoam or florist's foam - You can use a big ribbon, some moss, plastic grass, tissue paper crumpled up or whatever else you have handy.

Instructions:

1. When you place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, press the dough down a bit to flatten it so that it doesn't spread too much while baking and so that the stick can be inserted properly. Before you bake the cookies, you must insert the chopstick or wooden skewer into one side of each cookie. Push it in almost the length of the cookie without going out the other end. This is an important step, as if your cookie is too big and your stick is not sturdy enough, it simply won't hold it and the cookie may fall apart when you pick it up. When baking big cookies, you probably won't be able to fit more than 3 cookies with their sticks to a sheet.

2. After baking the cookies with their sticks, cool the cookies thoroughly, then wrap each one with the colored cellophane. A different color for each cookie would be ok, or all the same color appropriate to the occassion. Tie each one with some curly ribbon at the base where the stick comes out of the cookie. Tie it very tightly so the cookies will stay fresh on the stick. You can adorn each cookie with additional, larger ribbons or bows at this point. When using curly ribbon, don't forget to curl it!

3. Now cut your styrofoam or florist's foam to the size of the top of the container you chose. Then fit the foam in so it is nice and tight and near the top of the container. Remember, you can place something heavier in the bottom of the container so that it does not tip over. Small pebbles work well for this. Remember that the sticks will poke through the foam and into the bottom of the container.

4. Here comes the fun part, let's assemble the cookie bouquet! Take each of your cookies and stick them through the foam so they go all the way through the foam and further, near to the bottom of the container. You can assemble the cookies in any manner you like, but most cookie bouquets have one cookie at the center that is taller than the other cookies, so keep that in mind. Decorate with additional ribbons, toys, candy, flowers, gifts etc. Each item can be attached with additional ribbon to the container or the sticks of the cookies or even with a glue gun (if appropriate).

5. Give your gift and watch the smiles! Make sure to give the bouquet as soon as possible after you have assembled it, you don't want the cookies to go stale!

Tips:

Make sure you bake enough cookies for your container, if baking small cookies, you may run out if you are filling a large container. Always bake more than enough. Surely your extras won't go to waste.

Bake both large and small cookies and use them both in the bouquet for a nice varied look like a more traditional flower bouquet.

More Ideas:

Some cookie bouquets use cutout cookies, these can be fun to make and decorate. Use your favorite sugar cookie cutout recipe and cut into shapes appropriate for the occasion. For cutout cookies to work, you may want to double your sugar cookie recipe as the cookies need to be nice and thick for the stick to go through them. For this type of cookie, wooden skewers will work best, chopsticks may be too thick. Then decorate the cookies with frosting. No need for colored cellophane with these cookies, use regular plastic wrap or clear cellophane so that the beauty of your hand decorated cookies shines through.

Remember, your cookie bouquet doesn't need to look professional, it's the homemade touch that makes it a truly special gift.

Ricky Alberta is an editor for several websites including Cookie-Recipes.net, which includes hundreds of cookie recipes, cookie baking tips, a cookie blog and message boards. http://www.cookie-recipes.net

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What Is Gourmet Coffee?

2006-04-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

By Don McKay

Over the past 30 years marketers have tried thousands of tactics to sell things. We have heard the “Your to smart to be without this product” tactic. We have heard the “Everyone needs this product” tactic. We have also seen the way that TV sells products making them more appealing then they really are. Has the coffee industry followed such tactics? Sure it has! Do you remember Folgers little jingle? “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” That ad made Folgers famous! So, is the term “Gourmet Coffee” another sales tactic? No! Allow me to explain.

Coffee is grown all around the world, and because of the many differences in governments, cultures, and religions people do things differently in other lands. So, how is Gourmet Coffee made? When you acquire coffee beans from different regions they for the most part go thru a similar process. Beans are picked, dried, and sorted pretty much the same way. The differences are the climate and the elevation they were grown in, and the pesticides the farmers used to protect their crop. Those are just a few factors. We also need to consider the roasting process. The roasting process is as crucial to coffee as air is to our lungs. If you under roast your coffee your coffee may turn out weak, and if you over do it your coffee will taste burnt. So, where does the word Gourmet fit in? The hardest coffee to acquire today is the Jamaican Blue Mountain. The reason is due to the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. This coffee is the most sought after coffee, because of its rich taste and divine smell. When roasted correctly this coffee is probably the best tasting in the world. What other factors makes coffee Gourmet?

When Roasters add flavorings such as chocolate syrups, or caramel to name a few, these additives give your coffee a unique taste that is qualified as Gourmet Flavored Coffee. The definition of Gourmet is a fine food or drink that has been judged by an expert to be excellent. When coffee experts say that a certain brand of coffee is excellent then their credibility is on the line. It better live up to the hype or their opinion and reputation becomes as worthless as the dust on a windowsill. If an expert deems a product as excellent then it has to be good. Right? Well, it should. We live in an imperfect world, but Gourmet Coffee is legitimate. Many people around the world take pride in there coffee and when you find one that stands out you will find that it is in high demand. It cost more then regular coffee, but depending on your preference in many cases it is worth its weight in gold.

Where do you find Gourmet Coffee? The best place is straight from a Coffee Roaster, and there are thousands to choose from. They all have different techniques, recipes, and philosophies about coffee. The great thing about them is that they always have fresh roasted coffee. Some other places would be at a supermarket, but I highly advise against these places. The coffee is usually never as fresh as it should be. I hope that this article was able to help you understand that Gourmet Coffee is real, and not a clever marketing tactic.

Don is the owner of several free information websites and the sole proprietor of Java Jakes Gourmet Coffee Co.
http://www.javajakes.com
http://www.healthyinfosource.com
http://www.egolfplace.com
Visit these sites today and become informed.

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Chocolate - Good for You or Too Good?

2006-04-17T05:04:00.000-07:00

By Jaynne Nichols

Is chocolate an important thing to include in your diet? Most of us are very willing to make chocolate a regular feature in our diet. In fact, people have implied that chocolate may have health benefits as far back as the 17th and 18th centuries.

Today, chocolate is considered such a staple in our diet that it’s even included army food rations.

We may love chocolate, but is it really good for us? Many scientists and researchers have given their opinion, with mixed results.

Of course, a certain degree of cynicism surrounds these studies since many of them are underwritten by the chocolate industry. But there are have been some interesting studies related to chocolate and its benefits. Scientists at Japan's Osaka University conducted a study to see if chocolate is helpful in preventing tooth decay, and as a result, bad breath. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, and the husks of the beans seem to contain an antibacterial agent that helps prevent plaque.

Although the husks are usually thrown out in typical chocolate
production, confectioners may add them back to try to make chocolate more dental-friendly. Of course, even if the bean husks are put back to the chocolate they won’t stand a chance in cavity-fighting action against the decay caused by chocolate's high sugar content.

Another study, conducted by Professor Carl Keen, a Californian scientist, was performed to find the health benefits of chocolate. One theory is that chocolate may actually help fight heart disease. Chocolate contains a flavinoids, a chemical which works to thin the blood, ultimately helping to prevent blood clotting. You may have heard of similar food studies – for instance, the one involving red wine, which is said to have the same affect.

Again, Professor Kern’s study was funded by the candy maker, Mars, so it lacks a certain credibility. Harvard University conducted another study that found that if you eat chocolate three times a month your life expectancy will increase by at least a year. Unfortunately, the same study looked at the effect of over-indulgence, which tends to lower life expectancy. Chocolate’s high-fat content means that over indulgence can result in obesity, which in turn resulting in an increased potential of heart disease. Does the type of chocolate provide for better overall health?

According to Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, at the University of Cologne, Germany, he and his colleagues found that dark chocolate lower blood pressure (as opposed to white or milk chocolate). Unfortunately the benefits of dark chocolate don’t apply to everyone.

According to the researchers, eating dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, if you are of a certain age and likely suffer from mild to high blood pressure. In a perfect world, chocolate would be a healthy choice along the lines of nutrients found in spinach, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Chocolate may have some possible health benefits, but a chronic overindulgence will lead to far more serious health risks. Chocolate is one the pleasures of life that should be appreciated, not over-indulged.

Patie Ackery and Jaynne Nicols have partnered to research a food that is loved by all but especially women. If you'd like to read more about chocolate check out the resource at http://www.anychocolate.com

Jaynne Nicols has done a lot of research into illness and why we get ill. One of the things she came across is that almost all illness starts in your colon. Sign up for her free newsletter Health and Wellness in the 21st Century and learn more in and through her series on health issues.

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U.N. Keeps Caspian Caviar Exports Ban

2006-04-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Getting caviar is not going to get any easier anytime soon... "A U.N. panel has refused to lift a ban on exports of prized beluga caviar because Caspian Sea nations failed to produce a convincing plan on how to protect the fish that produces the expensive delicacy, a U.N. official said Thursday."

Read more on ABC News

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6 Tips for Perfect Homemade Hard Candy

2006-04-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

By Vanessa Kirkland

There’s nothing better than the juicy, flavorful hard candy from your local gourmet candy shop . . . unless you make it yourself, that is! Making perfect hard candy at home is easier than you think. You just need the right tools, a few simple ingredients, and your imagination.

Try these tips the next time you want to make something special in the kitchen. Your family will love it!

1. Stock up on basic candymaking tools.

You’ll need a medium-size saucepan (3 or 4 quarts) with a heavy bottom and straight sides.

You’ll also need a long-handled wooden spoon, a pastry brush (used to brush off any crystals that might form), and a good candy thermometer with a metal clamp that attaches to the side of your saucepan.

2. Get the weather forecast.

Did you know that humidity has an enormous effect on the outcome of your hard candy? Because sugar attracts water, rainy days can wreak havoc on even your best attempts at homemade delicacies. Make it easier on yourself—wait for a clear, dry day to try out your recipes.

3. Test your thermometer.

Test your thermometer by placing it in a pan of water and bringing it to the boiling point. It should now register 212 degrees at sea level. If it registers 214 degrees, you can correct it by adding two degrees to those given in the recipe; if 210 degrees, by subtracting. If it's more than a few degrees off in either direction, you need a new thermometer.

4. Use fresh ingredients.

Sugar is the most basic ingredient in hard candy. Be sure to use a new package of sugar each time you make your recipes to ensure that the sugar hasn’t been contaminated by other common kitchen ingredients.

If your recipe calls for butter, be sure to use the unsalted variety. Salted butter and margarine can adversely effect the cooking time, texture, and taste of your efforts.

5. Go easy on the food coloring.

Colors like green and yellow look much more appetizing when they’re applied lightly, so be sure to add food coloring gradually. You can slowly add more until you reach the intensity you want.

6. Use the proper storage techniques.

After cooling your candies, store them in airtight jars without wrapping them first. Never store hard candy in the same container as desserts that lose moisture, such as fudge.

Ready to begin? Try this basic hard candy recipe—-and have fun!

BASIC HARD CANDY RECIPE

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup light corn syrup

Flavorings and colorings to taste (just a few drops will do)

Measure 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup light corn syrup and 3/4 cup water into a saucepan and blend together. Place over low heat and stir until mixture boils. Cover the saucepan for 5 minutes so that any sugar crystals that have formed on the sides ofthe pan will be washed down. Now put in the candy thermometer and let the candy boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush or a fork wrapped with muslin and dipped in water, wash off any crystals that might form. After the candy reaches 280 degrees, lower heat so as not to discolor the candy. When candy thermometer registers 300 degrees, remove pan from the heat and allow it to stand until all the bubbles have simmered down. Then add the flavoring and coloring. There are many to choose from but one favorite is anise along with red coloring. One teaspoon of a flavoring extract should be used for this recipe, while only a few drops of an oil such as peppermint, wintergreen or cinnamon are enough.

Coloring should be added gradually until the desired intensity is reached. It is important to stir these in as gently as possible. Too much stirring will cause the syrup to solidify into a hard sugary lump. Now the candy is ready to be formed. It may be poured into a pan, 7 by 7 inches, and marked into squares as it begins to harden. Or it may be poured in rounds on skewers or sticks to form lollipops.

Vanessa Kirkland is publisher of the cherished recipe collection, "Vintage Candy Secrets," by Virginia Pasley. This long-lost collection includes 67 vintage recipes for making delicious old-fashioned candies at home . . . without a single cooking class.

Find out more at ===> http://www.VintageCandySecrets.com/

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New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

2006-04-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

By Gary Gresham

New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular silky style of cream cheese was developed in the New York area.

New York style cheesecake recipes were introduced by Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Arnold Reuben Jr., owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City and a descendant of immigrants from Germany, claimed his family developed the first cream cheese cake recipe. Reuben’s cheesecake was so good, it won a Gold Metal at the 1929 World’s Fair.

The superior qualities that make Reuben’s classic New York style cheesecake are a graham cracker crust, a creamy texture, and distinct lemon flavor that is firm but light in density. Below you will find his Classic New York Style Cheesecake recipe.

Classic New York Cheesecake

Crust:

Heavily coat 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray

1 1/2 cups commercial graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together with hands until well blended and crumbs appear moist. Pour into pan. With hands, spread evenly across the bottom and pat down firmly.

Filling:

5 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

11/2 cups sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. orange liqueur

3/4 tsp. vanilla

2 egg yolks at room temperature

5 eggs at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat on high until they are completely blended. Add vanilla and 2 yolks, and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Pour into prepared pan. Batter will fill pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Top will be golden. Lower oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top browns, cake feels bouncy to the touch, and a toothpick tests clean. Cool to room temperature. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 16-20 slices

The history of cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. The first recorded mention of cheesecake was when it was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America. The recipes were brought over by the immigrants.

If you ask a New Yorker, the only true cheesecake makers and connoisseurs are in New York. Every New York restaurant has their own version and thus the cheesecake from New York has been re-named New York cheesecake.

I hope you enjoy this New York style cheesecake recipe.

Copyright © 2005 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee online, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

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Bacon Pre-Cooked Vs. Traditional

2006-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Shauna Hanus

I have never met a person who didn’t like bacon. It has all the qualities of a choice food, it is crispy, it is salty, it can be sweet and you can never have enough. In resent years, a new, pre-cooked bacon has shown up on the market. Pre-cooked bacon offers advantages and disadvantages to traditional bacon.

Pre-Cooked Bacon Advantages:

• Ready to use- Pre-cooked bacon is ready to eat straight out of the package. There is no microwave, oven or stove required. It is truly an open, eat, and enjoy food.

• Easy to use- Pre-cooked bacon because it is a finished product is easy to use when making a fast dish. This lends itself well to busy families and hurried mornings.

• Less waste- When you open a package of pre-cooked bacon you can use only what you need that day. The rest of the bacon can be saved for use at a latter time.

Pre-Cooked Bacon Disadvantages:

• Price- Typically pre-cooked bacon will be higher in cost than traditional bacon. This disadvantage may in reality be an advantage when you consider that there is less waste with pre-cooked bacon because you are able to use only what you need and it has an extended shelf life.

Traditional Bacon Advantages:

• Less expensive- Traditional bacon is lower in cost because there is less processing required for the finished product.

• Smell- There is something almost magical about bacon cooking. The smell of cooking bacon wafting through the house brings the kids, the husband and even the teenagers out of hiding.

• More choices- Currently there are more choices available on the market for traditional bacon than for pre-cooked. You can find thick sliced, thin sliced, maple, brown sugar, farmers cut, center cut and a variety of other types of traditional bacon.

Both pre-cooked and traditional bacon can be used in sandwiches such as a BLT, salads, on baked potatoes, on burgers and in soups. So next time you are shopping for bacon consider what you plan to use it for and choose which is best for you pre-cooked bacon or traditional bacon.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

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Make Your Own Gourmet Gift Baskets

2006-04-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

By Donna Monday

Everyone loves to receive a gift basket. Corporate gift baskets are often given by businesses to their customers as a token of their appreciation. However, most gift baskets are person to person expressions of love and friendship.

You can find a great selection of online gift baskets from the very expensive to the cheap. Or, you can come up with your own unique gift basket idea and surprise a cherished friend or loved one.

It’s not difficult to make your own personalized gift baskets. Most gift baskets involve a theme.

Here are some sample ideas to get you started:

Cookie Gift Basket – bake up some homemade cookies and enclose them in colorful plastic wrap, include a personal card or poem.

Chocolate Lovers Gift Basket – include individual fancy chocolates, boxed chocolates, or the person’s favorite chocolate bars along with hot chocolate mix.

Holiday Gift Basket #1 – a Christmas holiday gift basket idea could include small stocking stuffers, candy canes and homemade Christmas cookies.

Holiday Gift Basket #2 – a Halloween holiday gift basket can be stuffed with candy, throw in some plastic skulls, spiders, cob webs and assorted creepy items.

Wine Country Gift Basket – wine and cheese baskets are favorites, include two bottles of choice wine from your favorite winery or wine shop, add cheese and crackers.

Coffee Gift Basket – Your favorite coffee lover will enjoy fresh gourmet ground roasted coffee (or their favorite brand), flavored creamer, cookies and a fun coffee mug.

Italian Gift Basket – include a variety of dried gourmet pasta like spinach, whole wheat, or dried tomato, two jars of pasta sauce, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, garlic bread and fancy olive oil.

Tea Lovers Gift Basket – you can include several varieties of black tea, green tea and herbal teas, a mug and homemade butter cookies adds a nice finishing touch.

Champagne or Beer Gift Basket - the champagne basket would be elegant: includes a bottle of fine champagne, cheese and crackers, and fancy chocolates; the beer basket includes several domestic and/or imported beers, lagers, or ales, chips, pretzels and nuts.

Pet Gift Basket – dog and cat gift baskets are the most popular. For a dog you can include: homemade doggie biscuits or cookies, a doggie collar, doggie toys. For a cat you can include: cat treats, cat nip and cat toys.

Now you know that all it takes to make a unique gift basket that will be treasured is a little ingenuity and your personal touch.

Copyright 2004

About The Author

Donna Monday

Love Cookies? All Your favorites here: http://www.best-cookie-jar-recipes.com

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Buying, Storing and Serving Gourmet Cheese

2006-04-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

By Lee Dobbins

Gourmet cheese comes in a large variety with well over 400 varieties just from the French cheese alone. From the mild to the strong, the soft to the hard, cheese is a great way to compliment any meal or snack.

Whether you are having a fancy wine and cheese party, or just enjoying a slice of cheese with an apple for a snack, your gourmet cheese will taste a lot better if you learn how to purchase, store and serve it properly.

Buying Cheese

When buying gourmet cheese, you want to shop at a place that has a large selection and knows about cheese. That way you’ll be able to ask for recommendations if you want some special cheese to go with a certain type of wine or special meal. You can find a good selection of cheese in a specialty market or gourmet grocery store. Buy only what will be consumed with in a few days. Flavors and aroma of fine cheeses change over time in a home refrigerator.

When picking out your cheese make sure that it presents the characteristics of that particular style. The interior should not have cracks, mold or discoloration in any form. If you are buying a natural rind cheese make sure it has a rustic appearance. Note that it is normal for Blue and Roquefort style cheese to have some mold and cracks.

Storing Cheese

You should not store the cheese in the package that it comes in. This packaging is meant for transportation only. The best thing to store your cheese in is waxed paper as you must let air and moisture in. Air and moisture are integral to keeping the cheese in the best possible condition.

Serving Cheese

When you serve cheese at a party, limit yourself to 4 or 5 types of cheese. You should select cheeses that have a variety of shapes, sizes, textures and flavors. Mix some soft cheese with the hard cheeses. I think cheese looks nice served on a nice wooden tray. Don’t mash the cheese in together, make sure each one has enough room without having the tray look empty. If the cheeses served have strong distinctive flavors use separate trays and serving utensils. Mild flavors will pick up aromas and tastes from stronger flavored cheese.

We all know that cheese goes great with crackers, but you can also serve it with fruits like grapes, strawberries, apples and pears. Add some figs to the table for an interesting contrast in taste and visual appeal. Combining cheese with thin slices of onion can be an interesting eating experience.

As a desert, cheese can be very elegant, or as a light course after the entree and before desert. When serving as an appetizer cheese should be coupled with a light dinner due to the filling nature of most cheeses.

While some people believe that cheese must always be chilled, it really as more flavor when it is at room temperature. You do need to watch the cheese, however, especially if your party is going on for a long time. If the cheese gets too warm it will begin to sweat. Put your cheese out about 30 minutes before guests arrive and keep checking throughout the evening.

Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about
gourmet cheese and appetizers.

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on gourmet cheese.

America's Perception of "Gourmet" Coffee

2006-04-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

By Denver Wilkinson

Coffee is the second most-highly traded commodity in the world next to oil. It’s an enormous industry involving many players in the supply chain—the growers and farm workers, the processing mills, exporters and importers, small-batch roasters and huge commercial roasters, coffeehouses and cafes—all of who do their part to bring coffee to you, the final consumer.

Take a walk down the coffee aisle of a grocery store and read the labels. You’ll find one word dominates the label rhetoric: “Gourmet.” Gourmet, it’s such a over-used term. By definition, it implies rare, expensive, high-quality, or at least sophisticated in some form of its preparation and service. Which, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to apply to the coffee most Americans drink on a daily basis. Considering how large the coffee industry is, how much of what’s marketed as gourmet could actually be considered truly gourmet coffee?

Sad to say, it’s estimated only 10 percent of coffee sold on the global market is of excellent quality. Meaning, 90 percent of coffee sold is considered poor to satisfactory in quality. That being the case, it becomes hard to believe the ads and labels on store shelves claiming rich, delicious, gourmet coffee. In fact, the reality is they’re much likelier selling the exact opposite of high quality coffee beans.

For instance, consider the ever applauded Dark Roast. Somehow the influential marketing gurus at roasting companies have managed to convince the masses that dark roasted coffee equals gourmet coffee. Not necessarily true. While there are some specific coffees that taste wonderful as a dark roast, there’s a reason most coffee today is roasted so dark. It’s precisely because of their low quality. Dark roasting covers a multitude of sins, including any flavor flaws.

And then there’s flavored coffee—a low-quality bean masquerading as gourmet coffee. Why use expensive, high-grade beans for flavored coffee, since the natural flavors themselves will never be detected over the added flavorings of Irish cream, French Vanilla, or Hazelnut.

Though the marketing says otherwise, coffee that is indeed gourmet should never require extensive roasting. Similar to grilling a steak, a great coffee will often taste great as rare to medium, or, in coffee terms, light to medium. Of course the actual lightness of the roast will depend on your personal taste. A lighter roast shows that the roaster has confidence in the quality of the beans. And for a true connoisseur of coffee, that’s what you should be looking for.

-- Denver Wilkinson is founder, and currently head roaster of Cafe Avion, a roasting company based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, that specializes in small-batch roasting of exclusively organic and fair trade coffees. “There’s a whole world of coffee out there (quite literally) and so many natural flavors to experience, don’t settle for the mediocre stuff. The darker the roast, the less likely you’ll experience the subtle apricot flavors in a great Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, or the blueberry notes in a wonderful Harrar, or the earthy, ripened notes of a great Sumatran Mandheling.” Adds Wilkinson: “I’m on a personal mission to undo the myth of the dark roast.”

Visit A1 Gourmet for more on gourmet coffee

Add A Gourmet Taste With Cilantro

2006-04-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

By Lee Dobbins

Cilantro is a common ingredient in salsa and Mexican dishes but did you know it dates as far back as the ancient Egyptians? Coriander seeds which stem from the same plant as cilantro have been found in Egyptian tombs and writings involving coriander can be seen in Sanskrit which dates from around 1500 BC.

Cilantro is a versatile herb that is is commonly used in salsas, dips, dressings and sauces. This aromatic, citrus flavored herb is a member of the carrot family and can be used dried or fresh. The seeds from this herb are harvested and dried and are known as coriander. The green stems and leaves are the herb known as cilantro.

Cilantro is sometimes sold in the grocery store as something else and if you can’t find it in your supermarket try looking for Mexican parsley. Since cilantro is commonly used in Mexico and Mexican cooking, it is often called Mexican parsley but it is good in other types of cooking as well and you can even find Chinese recipes calling for Chinese parsley which is the same as cilantro.

When looking for cilantro in your supermarket look for nice fresh bunches much like bunches of parsley. In fact, you will probably find it right next to the parsley in the produce section. Don’t purchase the parsley by mistake though because it is not the same thing! You can easily tell the difference between cilantro and parsley by inspecting at the leaves and smelling the herb. The leaves of cilantro are wider than parsley and cilantros scent is very aromatic.

Cooking with fresh cilantro is a great way to make gourmet foods and the longer you keep your bunch of cilantro fresh the better! When you bring cilantro home from the supermarket put the bunch in a glass of water like a bouquet with only the stems submerged. Loosely cover the green leaves with a plastic bag which will help keep your cilantro fresh.

When cooking with cilantro, remember, it is best when you crush the tender leaves with a mortar and pestle. This helps to release the full bodied flavor. Always add the cilantro towards the end of cooking. The delicate nature of cilantro does not hold up to heat so waiting until the very end will insure the best taste from the versatile and aromatic herb.

Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can learn more about gourmet eating.

For more on gourmet foods, visit A1 Gourmet.

Welcome to the A1 Gourmet Blog!

2006-04-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here you will find the latest updates on A1 Gourmet, including new sections added like our Gourmet Cafe. You'll also find recipes, gourmet gift ideas, and more here!