Food and Beer

Looking to cook up a fancy meal?

Saffron is one of the most high-end spices in the world. It can give your meal a more premium feel and pack a punch of extra flavor. However, you don’t want to use a high-grade ingredient with the wrong dishes.

You’re in luck because this guide teaches you how to cook with saffron. Read on and find out more:

What Is Saffron?

Before you make saffron rice or other dishes, you must know what it is. Saffron strands come from the stamen of the crocus sativus plant. You can find these in the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and other tropic areas.

Saffron is expensive not because of the flowers or their small geographical range. It’s the brief window for them to bloom, as well as the low yield considering the human labor necessary. The saffron plant has fragile reproductive parts that require tweezers to harvest.

After the grueling stamen extraction, they must undergo drying and packaging. It will make them look like crimson petal trumpets with a yellow tendril at the end.

How Does Saffron Taste Like?

Even the most seasoned chefs in the world find Saffron’s precise flavor hard to decipher. It has a unique taste, making it one of the best spices around. Some can describe it as smokey, heady, and bright all at once.

Despite its complex flavor, Saffron complements a wide array of dishes. As said before, cooking rice with Saffron is possible. You can use this spice on pasta, vegetables, meat, and dessert.

The versatility of its flavor makes it great for both savory and sweet dishes. In some ways, Saffron has a biological similarity to vanilla. It doesn’t have to be the main actor, but it can enhance every other ingredient.

How to Cook With Saffron

The good news is that Saffron works well with almost any dish. As said above, its complex flavor serves to amplify other ingredients. If you want to play it safe, use this spice on rice-based dishes like Persian Rice or Risotto Milanese.

When cooking with saffron spice, you can pick either the threads or the powder. The former is the superior choice since it gives an indescribable uniqueness to a dish. The latter is good if you want even flavoring for the dish.

How to Crush Saffron

You’ll often see ground saffron in Persian dishes like “tahdig,” “polows,” and stews. It’s better to crush Saffron instead of buying pre-crushed packets. You can never know what’s in them, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

To start, get a fat pinch of saffron threads. Put them in a small mortar and grind them with a pestle.

After breaking the threads, add a pinch of sugar. Its abrasiveness helps make Saffron into a fine powder.

You can use salt as an alternative to sugar. However, the latter is the better abrasive. The finest chefs choose them because their impact on a dish’s final seasoning is lesser.

After grinding the Saffron, dissolve it using a couple of tablespoons of hot water. It makes the powder into an aromatic solution with a deep dusk-like hue. You can add this to a dish at any point, but it’s best to do it early to maximize the taste.

How to Add Saffron to Dishes

If your recipe involves lots of liquids with a long cooking time, it’s best to add Saffron directly. These factors help bring out the spice’s complex flavor and color without a blooming step. Toss a pinch without preparation and allow the simmering time to take hold.

To make the most out of the flavor, add the Saffron early on. It will have enough time to bloom as it simmers in the cooking liquid.

Some recipes require early dry toasting or oil toasting Saffron. This makes it more brittle in the stew.

Other Saffron Tips

Considering the price of Saffron spice, it’s crucial to use it to its highest potential. Here are some tips for you to consider:

1. How to Buy Saffron

The good news is that you need not look too hard for Saffron regardless of your location. If you find a shop selling this spice at a low price, back away. It’s unlikely to give the premium experience you’re looking for.

Instead of going to supermarkets, do your research using the internet. Look for a reputable spice shop, whether it’s online or in the real world. Ask questions since it allows you to determine the Saffron’s pedigree.

For example, Iranian Saffron is one of the highest-quality variants in the market. It’s what makes it desirable and not as accessible. If you aren’t willing to spend as much, look for Spanish and Afghan Saffron since they’re more available.

When buying Saffron, check whether it’s crimson with a subtle floral smell. Otherwise, threads with a lighter color or pale streaks mean inferior quality.

2. How to Store Saffron

Saffron’s shelf life is short, like any spice or dried herb. To maintain maximum flavor, store the threads in an airtight container. Keep it in a cool, dry area, as far away from sunlight as possible to extend its lifespan.

3. How to Release Saffron Flavor

Soak the Saffron threads in hot liquid for 5-20 minutes. Ensure that the water isn’t boiling to extract the flavor at its best. After that, add both liquid and threads to your recipe.

As the Saffron soaks, a distinct aroma will waft around your area. It’s a sign that your Saffron “tea” is ready. To add more flavor, soak it in stock or wine instead of water.

Start Cooking With Saffron Today

Learning how to cook with Saffron is a fulfilling experience. Use the tips mentioned above to ensure that you won’t waste this premium ingredient.

Are you looking for more ingredients for your meals? Want to know more healthy recipes for you and your family? Read our post for more ideas to improve your cooking skills.

Takeout Chinese food is one of the most popular meals in the United States with about 1/3 of Americans eating it once a month or more! That’s a lot of General Tso’s chicken and Wonton Soup.

Chinese food often gets a bad reputation for being too high in salt and unhealthy overall, but that isn’t always the case. You just need to know what the healthier options are so you can still indulge in Chinese takeout without feeling guilty.

Check out this list of 9 good-for-you Chinese food menu options that most people don’t order, but should!

Chicken or Beef and Broccoli

Simple, but delicious and nutritious, many people pass over Chinese Chicken or Beef and Broccoli for sugary dishes like Bourbon chicken or super salty ones like Mongolian Beef. That’s a huge mistake.

Tender chicken or beef stir-fried with yummy broccoli all in a light and sweet ginger soy sauce make this dish one you’ll want to order again. It’s a lower-calorie dish with high protein and a reasonable amount of fat.

The light sauce still contains a fair amount of sugar and salt. You can always ask for light sauce on your dish or for the sauce on the side.

Steamed Chicken or Pork Dumplings

Another healthy Chinese food option is chicken or pork steamed dumplings. Dumplings are delicate dough pouches filled with vegetables and meat.

Most Chinese restaurants offer dumplings steamed or fried. Choose the steamed version to save yourself fat and calories. Dumplings in general are a nutritious choice with most having less than 50 calories a piece.

What can get unhealthy on you is the high amount of sodium in the soy-based dipping sauce. Eat them plain or use less sauce if you need to avoid salt.

Craving dumplings but all your searches for, “Chinese dumplings near me” turning up blank? You can always order frozen ones online so you can immediately fulfill your dumpling craving anytime!

Moo Goo Gai Pan with Chicken or Shrimp

You’ve probably seen Moo Goo Gai Pan on a Chinese food menu, but do you know what it is? Moo Goo Gain Pan is a type of Chinese stir-fry with broccoli, carrots, water chestnut, mushrooms, and meat in a light, tangy, sweet sauce with a hint of sesame oil.

Choose chicken or shrimp Moo Goo Gai Pan as your meat for a lighter, high-protein option. All the vegetables provide lots of fiber and nutrients.

Just watch the sauce as it can contain high amounts of sugar and salt. Ask for less sauce or get it on the side to control how much you put on.

Pork Egg Foo Young

Egg Foo Young is another Chinese takeout dish that you’ve seen on the menu but probably have yet to try. It does contain eggs as the name suggests.

Egg Foo Young is a Chinese egg omelet made with meat, usually pork, and chopped vegetables. The eggs and meat make it a high-protein, low-calorie dish. Added vegetables like peas, carrots, and onions boost the nutrition and fiber content at the same time.

Again, the thick, brown sauce that accompanies Egg Foo Young has a very high sodium content. Try to use it sparingly. You can also ask for your omelet to be lightly fried instead of deep-fried to save on fat.

Shrimp or Chicken with Vegetables and Black Bean Sauce

Black beans may make you think of Tex-Mex or Cuban dishes before you think of Chinese food. That will all change once you try Chinese Black Bean Sauce.

Used mostly in Sichuan and Cantonese cooking, Black Bean Sauce is made with fermented black beans and garlic. It tastes salty, spicy, pungent, and a little sweet.

Choose chicken or shrimp with vegetables for a healthy Chinese takeout option full of lean protein and antioxidants. Don’t forget to ask for the sauce on the side if you want greater control.

Kung Pao Chicken or Shrimp

Craving something spicy and healthy? Try Kung Pao chicken or shrimp next time you order Chinese takeout. As long as you’re not allergic to peanuts!

Chinese Kung Pao has a sweet, salty, and very spicy flavor thanks to the chili paste and Szechuan peppers. It also contains tons of peanuts and vegetables like carrots and snow peas, and bell peppers to make it filling and low calorie.

Kung Pao is one of the healthiest Chinese food options for meat-eaters.

Buddha’s Delight

Are you a vegetarian or vegan looking for a tasty and healthy Chinese takeout meal? Buddha’s Delight is an awesome stir-fry made with seasoned tofu and a multitude of vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage in a lighter, savory sauce.

The high-fiber content and decent amount of protein mean even meat eaters can appreciate this tasty and filling meal.

If you are vegan, double-check with your local Chinese food restaurant that their version contains no animal products.

Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

Just looking for a side to add some extra nutrition to your meal? You can’t go wrong with Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce.

They grill the Chinese Eggplant until it’s smoky and crispy, then smothered in a tangy, savory garlic sauce. It might not fill you up as a whole main dish, but it makes a great side or starter.

Egg Drop or Hot and Sour Soup

Many Chinese takeout starters are deep-fried and full of fat or come with super salty and sugary dipping sauces. You don’t have to cut out appetizers if you choose the right ones.

Try Egg Drop or Hot and Sour Soup as a great opener to your meal. Egg Drop Soup is a light soup with chicken broth and egg ribbons. Hot and Sour Soup is heartier with ginger, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tofu, and egg ribbons with lots of vinegar and spices.

Keep in mind though both soups are low in calories, they may contain high amounts of sodium.

It’s Easy to Choose Healthy Options off a Chinese Food Menu

Next time you go to order takeout off a Chinese food menu, take a look at this list of healthier options.

You can even combine some of the options like Egg Drop Soup with Kung Pao Chicken or some Steamed Dumplings with Pork Egg Foo Young for a full delicious meal that won’t leave you feeling guilty.

Try some of these healthy Chinese food options to satisfy your craving today!

When you’re thinking about the world’s most popular beverages, what comes to mind? Is it beer? Water? Soda? Or, surprisingly, something else?

While each person has their own preference as to which type of beverage they think is the most widely consumed, certain ones top the list. What are they?

Keep reading below to find out!

1. Water

The most popular beverage in the world is water. This makes sense, considering that 60% of your body is made of water and without it, you wouldn’t be able to live!

However, since the launch of the water-bottle industry, drinking water has become easier and more convenient, putting water in first place on this list.

If you’re concerned about plastic bottles affecting the environment, there are plenty of reusable and eco-friendly water bottles on the market to keep you hydrated.

2. Tea

After water, you might be surprised to learn that tea is the next most popular drink. Tea is made by pouring hot or boiling water over leaves, steeping it for a certain amount of time, discarding the leaves, and drinking the tea itself.

Hot tea is perfect for cold days, and iced tea is refreshing in the hot months. Tea also offers a wealth of health benefits especially from green and black teas. Tea is most likely to be found in Asia, but people drink it all over the world.

Most teas you find at the grocery store are full of sugar and added ingredients. If you want great health benefits without all the sugar, try making some at home!

3. Coffee

Most adults cannot start the morning without coffee which means coffee is another widely popular drink. There are over 22,000 coffee chains in America itself, with the average person spending over $1,000 a year on coffee.

Coffee gives you a morning boost as well as some health benefits. You can buy coffee from your local coffee chain, or once you understand the difference between different types of roasts, make your own at home to save a lot of money!

4. Orange Juice

Are you shocked to see another breakfast beverage on the list? While there are many fruit juices available at your grocery store, orange juice is the most widely purchased.

This is because it contains loads of vitamin C to keep your immune system healthy and fight off viruses like colds and flu. Its taste perfectly accompanies your morning breakfast and there are several different varieties available.

Some people even make their own at home!

5. Beer

Beer is an ancient drink, but still incredibly popular today, even beating out wine as the most consumed alcoholic drink.

People enjoy drinking beer at celebrations, games, parties, and so forth, and even after a long hard day at work. Nearly every place in the world offers beers.

The Most Popular Beverages in the World

There you have it! The most popular beverages in the world and they’re here to stay. Which one is your favorite?

Do you want to learn more about beer and other beverages? We’re traveling the world to find the answers! Visit our page today to see what we’ve discovered.

Using Texas olive oil instead of butter is not anything new. It is rather a very healthy substitute when used in an appropriate ratio. When you swap olive oil from Texas Hill Country Olive Co. for butter, you easily cut down on saturated fat because it is lower in saturated fat as equivalent to butter. It works for anyone on a low cholesterol or low-calorie diet, an easy and tasty substitute for both cooking and baking, and also for its low-fat saturation and rich antioxidant properties.

People have been using olive oil for years, traditionally in their cakes and cookie recipes. For some or all fats, using Texas olive oil in deserts works just as fine, unlike vegetable oil or canola oil which hardly enhances the flavors and taste in dessert recipes.

Olive oil has a strong flavor that makes fruity, nutty, or savory recipes taste really well, such as muffins or cookies, and pumpkin and other breads. Since it is a liquid substitute, it cannot work so well for recipes that ask for solid fats or need a lot of frostings or creaming. When swapping olive oil for butter, the best flavor is achieved from extra virgin olive oil because of its high quality and natural flavor, richness in antioxidants, and lightweight.

The Right Butter to Olive Oil Ratio

Each tablespoon of Texas olive oil, roughly weighing about 5 grams, equals almost 4.2 grams of the solid fat: butter in the case. Using olive oil, therefore, is an easy bet in many recipes that use butter. In a 3:4 ratio, by volume, you can easily substitute butter with olive oil in a lot of recipes.

When you have to use about 1 cup of butter (roughly 225 grams) in a recipe, substitute about 3/4^th cups of olive oil (about 180 ml). To get the right texture in your deserts, it’s important to use a precise ratio, and to get the right ratio:

You need to divide grams of butter and tablespoons of olive oil by 4.2, this way you get the precise amount you need to use.

Fats in recipes can affect different recipes, savory or sweet, depending on how much you use. You can use any ratio on your bread, veggies, and potatoes, but for deserts, you have to be careful. Cookies, pie crusts, croissants can end up very gooey or very dry if you don’t substitute the right ratio.

Baking with Texas Olive Oil

Olive oil, as it cuts down unsaturated fats and bad cholesterol, bakes goodies with a natural chemical to protect cells. One of the main benefits this substitute brings in baked food is Vitamin E. For a heart-healthy dessert, with vitamin E that keeps baked goods moist for longer, olive oil is a fresher choice.

Using extra virgin olive oil by Texas Country Hill Co., something with less bitterness and not overpowering pungency is your best choice. Extra virgin oil can very easily mimic the flavor of butter because of its buttery notes. If you enjoy dipping your bread or your salad with extra virgin olive oil, use it in your baked goods.

Olive oil is not the savory king of the kitchen, with these recipes it tastes merely a thrilling change but a delicious sweet treat.

Orange Cake

This spiced orange cake recipe made with olive oil is a zesty treat to your taste buds, with many ways to eat it with honey, whipped cream, or fresh oranges.

How to make it

Take about 4 eggs, 3/4^th white sugar, exactly 2/3 extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons orange zest, 1 and a half cup flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt.

Combine your wet ingredients in your dry mix. You can oil the pan with olive oil, pour the batter, and bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 45 minutes.

Texas Hill Country Olive Co. Strawberry & Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins are made with not just olive oil but oats too, for a healthy on-the-go breakfast. With the zest and flavors of strawberries, these baked oatmeal muffins will be loved by kids.

How to make it

With 1 cup flour and rolled oats, 2 teaspoons baking powder and half teaspoon baking soda, half teaspoon ground cinnamon, some salt, and half a cup sugar, your dry mixture completes. In half cup milk, one beaten egg, 1/4^th cup of Texas Hill Country Olive Co. olive oil, some sugar, and fresh strawberries, combine the dry mix.

In a preheated oven, 425 degrees F, spoon 12 muffin cups, and bake until they come out clean.

Classic Cocoa-Banana Bread with Texas Hill Country Olive Co.

A gooey, moist, and dense banana bread is the heart of sweet treats, and when made with chocolate it makes the whole house smell like a choc factory.

How to make it

Take 1 cup flour, half a cup of white sugar, 1 pack of chocolate fudge pudding, half teaspoon salt, and baking powder for your dry mix. Mash some ripe bananas, preferably a cup, add some milk choc-chip, 3 eggs beaten, and half a cup Texas Hill Country Olive Co. olive oil. Combine and mix.

Preheated oven at 350 degrees F, in a greased pan, transfer the batter, and sprinkle some chocolate chips. Bake for about an hour and 20 minutes until the center comes out clean.

Texas Olive Oil Bread

An easy to make yeast bread for your pasta sides and Italian savories, you can just form the dough any way you like: like your classic bread or a French bread loaf.

How to make it

Take about half a cup of warm water, 2 and a half teaspoons of active dry yeast, 2 and a half cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon white sugar & salt, 4 tablespoons olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in the warm water, leave the flour. Gradually stir in about 2 cups of flour to make a softball, knead until it turns soft.

Leave the dough in the greased bowl until size doubles, punch it down and form a shape you like. Bake in a preheated oven at over 375 degrees until it changes color to a golden brown.

 

Most of us have probably heard the term “casual dining”. It’s popular in Australia, and for good reason. In fact, this article is going to highlight some of the top reasons why you should choose a casual dining restaurant for your next meal, family get together or celebration.

#1 – The Dress Code Is Smart Casual

Unless it’s a formal occasion or something like a presentation night, you’ll want to feel comfortable when you go out to dinner. That’s one of the key advantages of casual dining. Generally, the dress code is smart casual, sometimes even more relaxed if you’re dining out for lunch.

The more comfortably dressed you are while enjoying a meal out with family or friends, the more relaxed and content you’ll feel. That’s exactly how it should be when dining out. No one wants to feel restricted by their clothing and be uncomfortable.

Casual dining gives you the opportunity to dine in comfort without the sensation that your clothing is suffocating you.

#2 – Great Food At Fair Prices

Sure, you can sample some awesome food created by some of the world’s best chefs at fine dining restaurants, but you also have to be prepared to pay the price. Fine dining is something to indulge in on occasion, but if you like to eat out regularly, a casual dining restaurant is the way to go.

The truly great thing about many restaurants that offer a casual dining experience, is they offer some fantastic food, beautifully presented, at really affordable prices. You’ll often discover that the portion sizes are larger as well, unlike some dishes served at fine dining restaurants.

Casual dining enables families to be able to afford a nice meal out on a regular basis without it breaking the bank. This key aspect also makes casual dining the best option when going out to celebrate a birthday or some other special occasion.

#3 – The Atmosphere Is All-Round Far More Relaxed

No one wants to feel like they’re entering a strict or stuffy environment when going out to enjoy a meal. You want to feel as though you can relax, kick back and unwind. That’s another benefit of casual dining.

The keyword is “casual”, meaning everything is casual and relaxed. You’ll find the entire atmosphere of a casual dining restaurant is fairly low key so the guests feel laid back and comfortable.

With an atmosphere like this, all the diners are chilled out and simply having a good time, which helps you enjoy the experience more as well.

Most casual dining restaurants offer full table service, unless it’s a buffet type of setup. So, even though the prices are very reasonable, you’ll still be waited on and looked after for your every need.

#4 – Enjoy Your Favourite Alcoholic Beverage With Your Meal

While there are some casual dining restaurants that don’t serve or allow the consumption of alcohol, the vast majority are either fully licensed venues, or offer the BYO option. Some even allow both.

Many adults like to enjoy a glass of wine of their favourite beer when dining out, and at a casual dining restaurant, you are able to do just that.

You’ll also be pleased to know that many restaurants offer alcohol at competitive prices, just like with the food, so most people can afford to both eat and drink when going out to dinner.

#5 – So Many Different Cuisines To Choose From

Tantalise your taste buds with casual dining.

In Australia, there are casual dining restaurants everywhere that offer delectable cuisine from all around the world. With such a multicultural society, many immigrants have come to Australia and opened up restaurants offering food from their mother country. The majority of these restaurants are casual dining.

If you were to go out for dinner once a week, you could choose cuisine from a different foreign country every time you go out. You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to casual dining options.

The Takeaway

As you can see, casual dining has some major advantages. You can afford to indulge in a sumptuous meal without it costing you an arm and a leg. Next time you go out for dinner, choose a casual dining restaurant.

Do you find yourself adding hot sauce to every plate of food you consume? Are you constantly searching for the best hot sauce brands, and do you dream of creating your own searing hot sauce recipe?

If so, then you’re a hot sauce fanatic—and you’re not alone! In fact, in the US people buy over $1 billion worth of hot sauce every year. That’s a lot of heat!

If you’re always searching for the hottest hot sauces, here’s some more info on the best hot sauces, how hot sauces are evaluated, and how you can get in on the fun.

Understanding the Scoville Heat Scale

Before you can appreciate the strength of each individual hot sauce, you have to know how heat is evaluated.

That’s where the Scoville Heat Scale comes in. The scale measures how many drops of water it takes to dilute and neutralize a pepper or hot sauce.

So, the higher a Scoville number a sauce has, the hotter it is. We have Wilbur Scoville, a pharmacologist who invented the scale in 1912, to thank for this measurement system.

Here’s a look at some popular hot sauces that score high on the Scoville Heat Scale.

The Source Hot Sauce

With a rating of 7.1 million Scoville units, The Source is one of the hottest hot sauces on the market.

Sellers say that one tiny drop of this hot sauce is enough to add spice to an entire pot of stew or chili, so be sure to use it wisely. If you try to consume the sauce straight, you’ll likely have to take a trip to the hospital.

The End Hot Sauce

The Carolina Reaper is thought to be the hottest pepper in the world—and The End’s hot sauce is chock full of them!

With 6 million Scoville units and a dedicated cult following, The End even has its own T-Shirt awarded to those brave enough to give it a try.

Mad Dog’s Hot Sauces

The Mad Dog brand doesn’t just make one insanely hot sauce—it makes several of them.

That includes Mad Dog 357 Pepper Extract, Mad Dog 44 Magnum, and Mad Dog 357 Revenge. But Mad Dog’s hottest sauce is also the hottest hot sauce in the world: Mad Dog 357 No. 9 Plutonium, at a whopping 9 million Scoville units.

Now that’s hot!

Blair’s Ultra Death Sauce

Blair’s Ultra Death Hot Sauce comes in a package that’s shaped like a coffin and features flames and skeletons prominently on its labeling. If that isn’t enough to convince you that this hot sauce means business, one drop of it will–at 1.1 million Scoville units, this hot sauce is nothing to sneeze at.

In fact, this hot sauce is said to use ingredients that are 900 times as hot as a jalapeno. It comes with a strong warning: Dilute before using.

Melinda’s The Ghost

For 12 years in a row, the Red Savina habanero pepper held the record as the hottest pepper in the world.

While the Red Savina no longer holds that record, its hot sauce recipe still packs quite a punch—as is evidenced by Melinda’s The Ghost, which showcases the habanero’s heat. Be advised: You’ll likely break out into a sweat after trying this hot sauce, which is rated at 577,000 Scoville Units.

Stinger Scorpion Pepper Sauce

Have your taste buds ever been stung by a scorpion? After trying this hot sauce, you’ll be able to answer “yes” to that question.

This sauce comes in at a burning 2 million Scoville units. But if you’re able to move past the intense heat, you’ll be able to enjoy notes of garlic, lime juice, and carrots.

Wicked Reaper

Whoever coined the phrase “Don’t fear the Reaper” probably hadn’t ever tried Wicked Reaper hot sauce.

Like The End, this sauce features burning-hot Carolina Reapers, and weighs in at 2.2 million Scoville units. Taste at your own risk!

BumbleF***ed Hot Sauce

With a name like “BumbleF***ed,” you know it’s going to pack a punch. This hot sauce recipe, which has a scorching 6 million Scoville units, has a prominent habanero presence. It also has caffeine in it, making it a very unique hot sauce option.

Another fun fact about BumbleF***ed: It was created by Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, a former guitarist for Guns N’ Roses. Thal loved heat so much that he had to make a hot sauce of his own!

Speaking of which, here are some tips for those interested in creating their own hot sauce.

Make Your Own Hot Sauce Recipe!

Do you love heat in your food so much that you dream of creating your own hot sauce? If so, you’re in luck: Making a hot sauce is fairly simple, and can be done in any basic kitchen setup!

Of course, all good hot sauces start with peppers. Habaneros, jalapenos, shishitos—you should be able to find plenty of peppers are any grocery store, and even more at gourmet specialty shops.

Once you’ve got some good peppers picked out, you’ll want to add other acidic or savory ingredients to round out the flavors and help tame your peppers. This can include lemons, limes, or oranges; fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley; other produce like tomatoes, garlic, corn, or bell pepper; and, finally, a good amount of salt.

After that, all you’ve got to do is chop, roast, char, and blend. Once you’ve got the formula down, you can mix and match to find your favorite flavor profile.

And if you really get into the hot sauce game, you can even build a custom hot sauce box to give as gifts to friends and family.

Can You Take the Heat?

Hot sauce isn’t for everyone—but if you’ve got a need for heat, then there is no shortage of delicious, super-spicy hot sauce options out there. You can even try your hand at making your own hot sauce recipe!

If you’ve got a taste for adventure, be sure to check out the other fun food and drink posts on our site. Bon appetite!

Did you know that cupcakes only gained popularity about 20 years ago? They’ve become such a staple in our lives these days that it’s difficult to imagine a time when cupcakes weren’t the king of the bakery.

If you’re struggling to get that perfect frosting swirl on your cupcakes at home, don’t worry. We’ve collected all the best tips and tricks to help you learn how to decorate cupcakes without fail.

Keep reading down below to learn everything you need to get started on your frosting adventure!

1. Use the Right Frosting Tools

As with most things in life, learning how to frost cupcakes begins with equipping yourself with the right tools for the job. Every baker interested in decorating needs some high-quality tools to help pave the way to success.

A smooth buttercream frosting recipe, for example, is perfect for practicing your decoration technique. A rubber spatula is a great choice for transferring your frosting from one place to another. Vibrant food coloring turns your frosting into something magical, and squeeze bottles let you work with less viscous toppings.

The rest comes down to the stars of cupcake decoration: piping bags and piping tips. By finding the right bag and tip for your cupcake, you’ll already be light-years ahead of the decorating game.

Piping Bag

A high-quality piping bag is an invaluable asset in any cupcake kitchen. It makes getting that perfect swirl much easier, even for beginners.

Piping bags come in different materials such as thin plastic, thick plastic, nylon, canvas, and even cotton. It all comes down to personal preference as to which one works best for your own technique.

You want to find a piping bag that has a nice sturdiness to it without being too rigid. If the bag is too hard or too flimsy, you’ll have a difficult time finding the perfect frosting pressure. Applying frosting with a steady and even pressure is one of the best cupcake decorating tips to keep in mind!

Piping Tips

After you’ve found the right piping bag, it’s time to focus on the tip that’ll dictate the shape of your frosting. There are many different shapes and sizes of piping tips out there that change the way your cupcake looks in the end.

It can be a little overwhelming to take a look at all the types of piping tips out there, so it’s good to focus on a few beginner-friendly ones at first. These include tips such as:

• Closed star tip
• Open star tip
• Drop flower tip
• Open round tip
• French star tip

When choosing a tip for practicing purposes, a bigger tip is better. It allows for easy and even pressure since the frosting goes through the bigger tip without resistance. Plus, you’ll frost the cupcake much faster, too!

Other Methods

Sometimes we’re in a pinch and don’t have all the right tools on hand for our emergency cupcake ideas. In this case, a plastic food storage bag makes for a quick and easy replacement for a proper piping bag. Snip off the end, fill it with frosting, and you’re ready to go.

It’s also possible to use a spatula or even a butter knife to spread frosting on top of your cupcakes. Use a fork to create interesting textures and designs in the frosting to make up for the missing iconic cupcake swirl.

2. Fill With a Glass

Do you often have trouble with filling your piping bag with frosting? It’s a common problem to end up dropping the frosting everywhere and accidentally squeezing the bag too hard while holding it.

A simple trick to fix this problem is to place your piping bag into a tall glass. Fold the edges over the top of the glass to keep them from folding in on you. Now you only need to hold on to the glass and scoop in your frosting.

The glass keeps the bag in place and allows you to grip it without worrying about squeezing frosting everywhere.

3. Seal the Piping Bag

When you’re first starting to learn how to decorate cupcakes, the open end of the piping bag often causes a problem. Even if you squeeze the frosting from the right angle, some frosting still tries to escape if you don’t have the perfect technique.

The best solution is to use a chip clip or a rubber band to seal off that opening and stop the frosting from escaping. It’s an easy fix that makes frosting cupcakes easier and less messy!

4. Swirl and Twist

Now that your piping bag is ready, the easiest way to decorate your cupcakes is to apply even pressure on the bag and then move in a clockwise motion around the edge of the cupcake.

As you swirl around the cupcake, you want to move your way inward and upward, making smaller circles as you go. At the end of the peak, twist the piping bag and pull away to give it the perfect pointed top. Then, display your beautiful cupcakes on Cupcake Tower Stands to show off your creations with style.

Start slow as you figure out your technique. Speed will come with practice and experience!

5. Practice Your Technique

Once you have everything in place, all that’s left is to keep practicing until you feel comfortable. Frosting cupcakes is a learned skill that even the professionals need to practice to achieve.

All the best cupcake decorating ideas start with a practiced hand so don’t give up after a few failed attempts.

If you only want to focus on the frosting part, practice your technique on a piece of parchment paper. After you’ve filled the paper, you can scoop the frosting back into your piping bag and try again.

Learn How to Decorate Cupcakes Perfectly Every Time

With all of the advice listed above, learning how to decorate cupcakes is a breeze. After a little practice, you’ll create beautiful cupcakes without any trouble at all.

Even if you end up messing up the frosting a couple of times, you’ll still have delicious cupcakes to enjoy with your friends and family. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

If you love food and adventure, don’t forget to browse through the rest of our blog!

Fish is often overshadowed on menus by its landlocked counterparts. But seafood is one of the healthiest options out there. Studies have shown eating a diet that includes fatty fish like tuna and salmon can decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies have revealed fish consumption has a significant positive effect to prevent death from congenital heart defects.

Even if you want to eat fresh fish, you probably get your seafood frozen from a nearby grocery. But nothing beats the flavors of freshly caught fish that you’ve prepared with your own hands. When you go on your first fishing trip, be sure you know how to properly clean and prepare the catch of the day before taking it to the kitchen.

Cleaning the Fish

Whether you get a whole fish, thanks to your trusty Shimano Stradic fishing equipment or from your last trip to the market, its important that you clean it properly. Aside from improving its flavor, cleaning can also reduce pollutants in the fish.

Here are the basic steps to cleaning fish.

• Bleeding

Fish blood has a distinctly off-putting metallic taste. You need to use a sharp knife to cut through the fish’s gills on both sides. Submerge the fish in water and massage it from tail to head, to push out the blood. Reach into the fish’s gill cavity and pull them out. Chuck the gills into the trash.

• Descaling

Fish fins can be sharp enough to break skin. Use kitchen shears or a knife to prune the fins off the fish. Depending on the fish, it may skin or scales. If the fish has scales run the sharp edge of a knife against the grain of the scales, starting from the tail to the head. It should be like sharpening a pencil. Continue until you’ve scraped off all the tough scales.

• Removing Innards

Put the fish on its side on a sturdy surface. Use the sharp tip of the knife to cut the fish’s belly from its anus to the gills. Be careful not to cut too deeply or you’ll puncture the innards and spoil the flavor. Once the fish is open, pull out all organs, taking care not to burst them. Wash the inside of the fish to remove blood.

• Pre-cooking Preparation

Before cooking, decide what cuts you’d like from the fish. Steak cuts are perfect for large fish that you’d like to sear or pan fry. Fillets are all-purpose cuts that focus solely on the meat and is usually either in strips or spreads. Or you can leave the fish whole for baking or grilling. No matter what kind of cut you choose, put the fresh in a resealable bag or container and freeze immediately to kill parasites.

Cooking the Fish

Some species of fish are more suited for specific cooking methods. Others are more versatile and are receptive to multiple cooking styles. For example, undercooked salmon is eaten like rare steak. Meanwhile, raw salmon is enjoyed as sushi or sashimi.

The following cooking methods are the most appropriate for fish.

• Baking

Perhaps the easiest method of cooking fish. Baking slowly cooks the fish and makes the flesh succulent and soft. Take a strip fillet of your cleaned fish and cover it with your favorite seasoning. Lemon, pepper and salt are the preferred seasoning for many fish. Put it in a baking dish covered with nonstick spray or on a piece of parchment paper and bake until done.

• Pan Fry

Pan frying involves putting a fillet or fish steak on a sizzling hot pan drizzled with oil. This cooking method doesn’t seal in moisture as previously thought, but it does create a deliciously crunchy exterior around a creamy interior. When pan frying fish, be careful with its fat deposits, which can burst unexpectedly.

• Grilling

Grilling is the go-to cooking method when you’re cooking fresh fish in the outdoors. It’s also ideal for cooking whole fish or steaks. Build a bed of coals and get them glowing with minimal smoking. Put a grill on top of the coals and you can just put your fish on top of the grill. You can either stuff the fish with onions, garlic or other flavor enhancers or wrap the fish in aluminum foil for a slower more tender meal. Grilling will give the fish a delicious, smoky and rustic flavor.

• Poaching

If you want a low-fat method for cooking your fish without additional oil, poaching is the method for you. In a pot water, dissolve some salt, drop in a few peppercorns, some herb sprigs and lemon slices. Bring it to a brisk boil and drop the fish strip or fillet in the water. Leave the fish inside for a few minutes until well-cooked. This process is notoriously bland, so you may want to whip up some savory dressing to drizzle on the finished product.

• Deep Fry

The most difficult cooking is deep frying, with the most famousrecipe calling for batter, because you have a lot of preparing to do. The fish can either filleted or cut into cubes. You can soak the fish fillets or cubes in beer to help them absorb flavor. Coat them with a mixture of flour and baking powder before dunking in a whisked egg. Deep fry in sizzling oil until golden brown. Naturally, this recipe has a high cholesterol content, but the crispiness of the fish is divine.

There’s as many recipes for cooking fish as there are fish in the sea. Decide on which flavor profile you want to soak your fish in and enjoy the delicious bounty of the sea.

 

Coffee is one of the most enjoyed beverages all throughout the world. Most of the best conversations happen over a good cup of coffee. Coffee is best enjoyed when the brew is good. The best brewed coffee has the best aroma, flavor and texture. Store bought coffees have artificial flavor added to get the taste and they usually don’t bring an appeal to the palette. Freshly roasted and ground coffee brings out the full potential of the coffee. There are different techniques to get the best out the coffee beans.

The top 5 important tips for brewing the best coffee are as follows. Once these tips are followed and a good brewed coffee is got then no one will ever think of having a store bought coffee powders.

Water

The main Ingredient in making a good cup of coffee is water as 98% of cups of coffee is water. Using the right water helps in getting the right flavor. Water plays a major role not only in making coffee no matter what we prepare using the best water determines the taste and flavor. Most of the best coffee shops or pubs use reverse osmosis water which they buy from out or they usually have a treatment plant at the facility. Usage of Tap water may change the flavor of the coffee as it may contain chlorine. So water plays a vital role in coffee brewing and using filtered water is highly recommended.

Temperature

Maintaining the right temperature of the water is the next important aspect one has to follow to extract the right flavor of the coffee. The ideal temperature to be maintained while brewing is approximately 200 degree Fahrenheit. If the water temperature exceeds or is lower than this the extraction of the coffee’s flavor is lost and it tends to become bitter.

Measurements

Using the right measurements is very important to get the best flavor out of a ground coffee. The ratio in which the coffee and water added will determine the taste. There are contradictions in the right measurements. Usually the measurement is 1:15 where coffee is one part and water is 15 parts, but some say that the ratio is 1:20. But the ideal ratio to be used is 1:15.

Grinding

Coffee freshly ground brings out the natural flavor. The use of the best Coffee Grinder is very essential. Freshly ground coffee is best used immediately as the coffee starts losing its flavor gradually once it is ground. Using the right grinder is important. Both Burr grinder and blade grinders can be used but burr grinders are best. The time taken and the size of grinding the coffee beans will determine the flavor and the texture of the coffee.

Filter

The filter used in extracting the coffee also plays a major role in getting the right flavor from the coffee. There are different types of filters such as metal, bleach paper, natural paper and specialty filters such as V60. In some brewers like the French press they come with a built in metal filter. This filter helps in getting the right cup of coffee.

 

 

There’s no doubt that this quintessential Japanese cuisine is one of the freshest foods you can eat, but what are the health benefits of sushi?

From promoting bone density to increasing brain power, sushi is healthy in so many ways.

In the following article, we’ll take a look at seven incredible ways that sushi is great for your body.

1) Benefits of Sushi Includes Bone Health

Sushi contains many nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D go hand-in-hand because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. And calcium helps prevent osteoporosis and arthritis.

Most people with arthritis need to consume the recommended daily allowance each day. That dosage varies, but a woman age 19 to 50 should take in about 1,000 milligrams a day.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, eating calcium-rich foods like sushi is better to get that recommended daily allowance than taking supplements.

2) Antioxidant Rich

Antioxidants help eliminate free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals are connected to several sicknesses, including diabetes and cancer.

Not only is the fish used in sushi full of antioxidants, but so are the veggies like carrots and fruits like avocado.

3) Muscle Builders

Protein is crucial for muscle health, repair, and growth. The amino acids present in sushi is what fuels the healing of tired muscles. Mackerel and tuna are great kinds of sushi to eat after working out.

Also, rice is a great way to absorb some carbs and take in glycogen for muscle energy.

4) Healthy Fats

Salmon and tuna are an excellent way to get a big dose of omega-3 healthy fatty acids. Omega-3 can help lower triglycerides in the body and reduce a person’s risk of stroke or heart disease.

The avocado in your California roll also has several beneficial fats.

5) Fuel the Brain

Thinking about sushi delivery? That should be a no-brainer after you realize that omega-3 fatty acid not only helps stave off disease but is good for brain function and cell regeneration. Sushi also helps reduce inflammation around the brain due to its antioxidants and helps improve cognitive function.

A UCLA study found that people with insufficient omega-3s in their bodies had lower IQs and less brain volume.

6)  Immune System Boost

All those nutrients and healthy fats found in sushi fire up your body’s natural self-defense system. Also, several vitamins found in sushi, like vitamin A, helps keep your skin looking healthy and your immune system strong.

7) Thyroid and Hormone Helper

Sushi is fabulous for your endocrine system, which produces hormones that balance and control your body’s functions. The seaweed in sushi also contains iodine that helps regulate the thyroid gland, which in turn controls your metabolism.

Think Thin

The seven items above all show the benefits of sushi, but there’s probably one more than beats them all — a trim belly.

Americans who eat sushi are replacing a meal with potentially harmful grease, fat, and starch with one that is high in protein and beneficial antioxidants and vitamins.

For those people looking to lose weight, rainbow rolls, salmon/avacado rolls, and California rolls are all recommended.

Did you find this article interesting? If so, search this website for more on sushi and fun foods.