The History Of Coffee

Coffee, the brew, that more than half the people around the world need to kick start the day.  Ever wondered about the origins of this humble but oh so important cup of joy and how it landed up on the shelf in your neighborhood store?  Did you also know that everyday there are about four hundred million cups of coffee consumed around the world?  It all began about two thousand years ago and today it has a market where the output as a commodity is a close second to petroleum in its dollar value.

Coffee by itself is broadly categorized into two main types -- the Arabia which started out on the Arabian Peninsula and the Robusta which has twice the amount of caffeine.  Apart from this there are at least a dozen bean varieties in existence today.  The beans are red or green in type and here the red is known for its higher aroma and lower acid content and it is this type that is used to make some of the finer coffees of the world.

The coffee berry or 'cherry' as it is called, is not of any value by itself but yes, the bean inside it, that's the one which has all the importance attached to it.  It is this bean that is aged, roasted, ground and then sent on for brewing.  The picking is done by laborers who pick a few baskets a day and they have to be skilled in separating the red from the green beans.  This has a very definite role to play in the final product.  The time of picking of this cherry is of the utmost importance as it has to be done when the berry goes from green to red.

Once picked, the fruit undergoes a process of being soaked, scoured and rubbed mechanically and the bean is then washed to ensure no flesh of the fruit remains.  The beans that are the result of this fermentation stage are then sun dried on large concrete or rock surfaces till their water content drops to about 12 percent.  This is followed by the sorting of the beans based on size and color.  After the polishing to remove any remaining skin they are then sent on for roasting or kept to age from three to eight years.  Roasting happens at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit where the beans expand to almost double their size, then crack and turn brown as the oil inside is secreted out.  This oil is where the difference in the basic flavor comes from.  Post the roasting, the beans are de-gassed which means that the beans produce a lot of carbon dioxide and this is removed by airing them out or packaging them in semi permeable bags for shipping.

At the roasting stage, a lot of in-house techniques have been developed which basically account for the difference in flavors.  So coffee in Kenya or Java will taste different from say some other country.  At the grinding level there are again a lot of differences in styles and the results of those styles.  The Turks pound the beans into a powdery consistency using a mortar and pestle and in some other places the 'burr' grinder crushes the beans to a regular sized granule and yet others chop the beans to a less homogeneous size using a chopper.

The final cup that you get is actually either boiled, which means hot water is poured and the grounds are allowed to settle or it is pressure-prepared, which refers to the espresso type where not quite boiled hot water is poured through the grounds at very high pressure or then the third way of percolating where hot water drips onto the grounds and is filtered or otherwise it is steeped like tea is, but the bags tend to be larger.

So there you have the journey of coffee from the plantation to your cup and with research coming up with the benefits of drinking coffee, let's raise a toast to the cup that cheers!

Sea Scallops

Sea scallops are popular seafood items.  Prized by cooks and diners, they are considered by many to be the most appealing of the shellfish.  The premium products among scallops are the largest specimens, which have a delicate flavor and tender texture.  Scallops are at their peak flavor when fresh, but may also be frozen.

Scallops are bivalve mollusks.  Various members of the scallop family are found worldwide.  The edible portion is the adductor muscle of scallops.  The muscle is larger and more developed than most shellfish because they are active swimmers.  Scallop shells are symmetrical, attractive and highly collected by sea shell enthusiasts.  Scallops can swim by rapidly opening and closing their shells.  This method of propulsion is used as a escape technique when threatened.

Commercial Scallop Harvesting

Scallops thrive off the mid and North Atlantic Coast of North America.  Here scallops are found in offshore waters out to the continental slope.  Ports that are important to the scallop industry range from Glouster, Massachusetts down to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Cape May, New Jersey, Chincoteague Island Virginia and Virginia Beach all have active fleets of scallop boats.  Scallops are trawled or dredged, and quickly returned to port or shucked at sea and kept on ice for the trip ashore.  The commercial scallop fishery in the USA is heavily regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Cooking Scallops

Scallops are prepared in a variety of ways.  Their delicate flavor and texture allow for a variety of cooking methods.  They can be easily breaded and fried, sautéed, broiled or used in seafood soups, stews, chowders or salads.  One of the most popular recipes calls for scallops to be wrapped in bacon, then broiled.

The scallops' versatility in taste lends itself well to various cuisines from around the world.  In addition to American dishes, sea scallops are a frequent ingredient of Asian, Mediterranean and South American cuisine.  Japanese cooking utilizes scallops in sashimi and sushi dishes as well as using the scallop roe as an ingredient.

Are You Looking For Gourmet Coffee?

Taste

The perception of gourmet coffee is characteristically rich and luxurious.  But if you are a true coffee lover, fresh gourmet coffee has a flavor that can't be beat.  It's rich, full-bodied Taste is a daily necessity to millions of people.  But everyone's taste in coffee is uniquely there own.

Coffee perceptions great by themselves, but for an extra special flavor sensation, try gourmet flavored coffee.  Not all these flavors are everyone's "cup of tea", but the taste sensations of gourmet flavored coffee give you a new outlook on your cup of joe.  You can taste the sweet caramel just as you can smell the aroma of the freshly ground coffee nearby.

The differentiation may seem miniscule, but the gourmet coffee or tea you beverage will Taste completely divers.  More importantly, all the variances affect the flavor and aroma.  Many coffee drinkers are not aware of how gourmet coffee should taste since their senses have been desensitized with below-par coffees.

Beans

The gourmet coffee bean is considered to be among the finest coffee beans in the world.  Out of these varieties, fine gourmet coffee beans are obtained mainly from the species Coffee Arabica.  The gourmet coffee beans are offered in a variety of dissimilar serving sizes.

When brewing your own gourmet coffee blend in your kitchen, you have a choice of fresh ground coffee beans from fine Italian Espressos to the rare and exotic Indonesian Kopi Luwak.  You want the best cup of coffee you can get, right?  If so it pays to do some research and ask questions about what you're buying.

When doing your legwork for the perfect gourmet coffee, there are a number of things to be cautious about.  One thing you should know is whether the beans are fresh Arabian beans blended with stale French Roast.  Are the coffee beans roasted in house or locally, or are they shipped from across the country to sit on a shelf waiting for orders.  If possible, get coffee beans that have been roasted less than 1 week before.

Quality

The dictionary defines gourmet nourishment like this, "Gourmet foodstuff is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented".  Commuters can consider making gourmet coffee beverages at home or the office before departing and enjoy it at home or work while spending quality time with the family and coworkers or take it along in a commuter coffee mug.  Gourmet coffee beans go through a rigorous process of certification that is stricter to help keep the quality high.

As a coffee aficionado, you know that there is some extra work to making excellent coffee than simply brewing it.  You need to choose the highest quality beans to get the highest quality coffee.  Today you can buy quality wholesale gourmet coffee and the right coffee machine to get the coffee you deserve.  In addition, only Arabic beans contain the high quality needed for gourmet coffee beans.  The quality of a coffee bean depends vastly on where and how that particular coffee bean is grown.

Grind

By grinding your own coffee beans, you'll be able to only grind what you need, meaning that you will have complete freshness in your coffee.  The best way to do this is to buy the whole bean in batches and grind them with yur own grinding machine as you need it.  But be careful:  The type of coffee grind that you use is critical in order to properly match the type of brewing method you will be using.  Be sure to ask your coffee merchant which grind is best for you.

The Iron Chef

Do you remember that old television series about cooking called ''Iron Chef'' which ran from 1993 to 2002?  Since over 300 episodes of that show have been aired (and are still actually in syndication today), I'm pretty sure that anyone remotely interested in the culinary arts will remember that show.  So, who was your favorite chef on that landmark cooking program?  Chances are, you will select Chen Kenichi, better known as Iron Chef Chinese.  Kenichi was the only Iron Chef to be on the show from start to finish.  In addition, Chen won the Iron Chef competition 67 times and is now widely regarded as one of the great chefs of the world.

Born on January 5, 1956, Chen is actually the son of another great chef, Chen Kenmin, who is known in Japan as the father of Sichuan cuisine.

You can tell his father's influence on Chen by his choice of his special dish, ''Prawns in Chili Sauce,'' which was inspired by a similar dish introduced by his father in Japan.  Naturally, where several generations of excellence are involved in the same area of endeavor, comparisons between father and son are inevitable.  The same applied to the Chen father-and-son combo as well.  But the spectacular success of the younger Chen on the Iron Chef series has established in many minds that he is the superior chef between the two.

Since leaving the show, Chen has continued to be a successful chef.  He currently runs the restaurant chain Shisen Hanten in Japan, which is a huge commercial success, with outlets in Akasaka, Ikebukuro, Roppongi, Tokushima, Kure (Hiroshima Prefecture), Matsuyama and Hakata

Ironically, it was the success of Chen's restaurant chain that almost prompted him to leave the show.  Ironically, and this is a little known story, it was Chen's rival on the show, the so-called Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai, who prevailed up Chen to stay, smartly pointing out that the show would not be the same without Chen aboard, which was probably true.  The two rivals shook hands and agreed as gentlemen that if either one of them left the show, so would the other.  Both great chefs honored the gentleman's agreement until the very last episode of the show's decade-long run.

Is Coffee Good Or Bad For You?

Did you know that coffee is the primary part of dietary antioxidants?  Now let's be clear:  that does not mean that your morning coffee is a substitute for fruits and vegetables.  But serious java drinkers will surely get a jolt from the news that coffee is a top resource of disease-fighting antioxidants.  Current analysis reveals that, taken in moderation, coffee is a safe beverage that may even offer some health benefits.

Coffee is one of the few beverages that is consumed world-wide.  It is consumed in most countries of the world and coffee is the second most widely traded commodity in the world (behind petroleum) and one of the most widely consumed beverages.  It may be a world commodity that is second only to oil, but an excellent cup of coffee tastes a lot better than an excellent cup of petroleum.  And, in today's world of high fuel prices, a lot more fun to consume.

So, can we call coffee a health foodstuff?  Well, that may be stretching it!  Caffeine, which is the "guts" of the coffee, is one of the world's most widely used drugs, and it has been part of the human diet for centuries.

Caffeine is one heck of a stimulant and is the element that gives coffee and many other beverages their jolt.  It is definitely a central-nervous-system stimulant.  It acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system and both regular and decaf coffee can irritate the stomach.  Drinking caffeine in boundless amounts as coffee or tea (which may actually have more caffeine than coffee) over a short period of time has been shown to raise blood sugar.  So if you are prone to blood sugar issues, beware!  And, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, lower your current caffeine intake to less than 300 milligrams a day or three cups of coffee.  Or, to be safe, cut it out altogether.

But you should be able to look forward to a early-day cup for reasons beyond the caffeine rush.  The general conclusion is that moderate amounts of caffeine do not lead to arrhythmias and drinking a modest account of coffee should not increase your risk.  Check with your health professional to be sure, though.

So, is coffee injurious?  Surely you should be aware that some experts argue that coffee is bad for you.  And nobody is saying coffee is entirely benign.  But if you have reasonable health and enjoy drinking coffee, an excellent cup of coffee is worth it.  But remember, coffee is not for everyone.

Well, I must go.  I need to refill my cup of coffee.

Dazzling Birthday Cakes Look As Good As They Taste

What makes a birthday cake special?  It's got to taste great, no doubt, but visual appeal makes a cake truly dazzle.  In Portland, Oregon, Papa Haydn's is famous for incomparable birthday cakes that look as fabulous as they taste, so we asked co-owner Evelyn Franz to share a few of her secrets for cake decorating success.

Evelyn helped her sister and brother-in-law Heidi and Jeff Van Dyke, who founded Papa Haydn's in the late 1970s, create their legendary dessert menu.  Since then, Papa Haydn's has become Portland's dessert destination, consistently winning awards and accolades from food lovers and restaurant critics alike.

With an MFA in sculpture and a lifelong love of baking, Evelyn guides her pastry staff in combining visual appeal with exceptional flavor and texture.  ''I think it's as important to pay attention to looks as it is to flavor,'' she says.  ''The looks can make a huge difference in terms of what you actually taste on your palate.  I don't think it's a successful dessert unless it looks as good as it tastes.''

If you want to try your hand at creating spectacular cakes for the birthdays, anniversaries and weddings in your life, consider these helpful hints from Evelyn.

• Tie a yellow ribbon:  An easy and elegant way to jazz up birthday cakes is by tying a colorful ribbon around the bottom of the cake.  ''You can use chiffon or just a French ribbon to really doll up any cake,'' says Evelyn.  Just remember to remove the ribbon before serving.
• More terrific toppers:  Check out cake decorating stores for ideas, says Evelyn, who likes to adorn birthday cakes with dragees or candy pearls.  Silk or edible flowers also make elegant cake toppers, turning an ordinary layer cake in to a birthday cake to remember.
• Fabulously frosted:  With a little practice, you can turn frosting into an intricate birthday cake design.  By alternating vertical and horizontal ribbons of frosting, for example, you'll create a delicate woven pattern that dazzles the eye.  Even simpler designs can be achieved by creating swirls or peaks with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
• Wrap it up:  For the more advanced pastry chef, wrapping a cake in a thin layer of another cake can add an elaborate touch that dazzles even after a birthday cake or anniversary cake is sliced.  Papa Haydn features such delicacies as White Chocolate Mint Truffle Torte, wrapped in a patterned chocolate sponge cake, Hazelnut Mousse Torte, wrapped in a striped almond sponge cake, and Georgian Peanut Butter Mousse Cake, wrapped in a polka dot sponge cake and topped with ground peanuts.  It takes some practice, but the effect is well worth the effort.
• The fine art of chocolate:  Evelyn and her crew are well-practiced in the art of decorating with chocolate, too.  Simply spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on a cooled marble slab or baking sheet, then carefully make curls or ribbons with a metal spatula to decorate your special cakes.  For birthday cakes, you can cut out rectangular banners of dark chocolate, write a ''Happy Birthday'' message with white chocolate or frosting, then place the banner upright on the cake for an edible birthday greeting.  This, too, takes practice, but once you've mastered the technique, you'll be a cake decorating star.
• Designing from the ground up:  Another way to create dazzling birthday cakes is to layer different cakes and fillings for a variety of flavors and textures.  ''We'll do a cake that has meringue in it as well as chiffon and maybe a flourless chocolate cake,'' says Evelyn, ''to give it a nice texture and a little crunch.''  Using cakes and fillings of different colors adds to the visual appeal as well as the taste.

If you approach cake baking and cake decorating as Evelyn Franz does -- like a true artist -- your birthday cakes, anniversary cakes and even wedding cakes will dazzle your guests before, during and after they enjoy the delicious taste!

Types Of Chocolate

If you always like to accompany your cup of coffee with a chocolate cookie or other chocolate-based treat, or if you usually order a hot chocolate drink, you might not consider yourself a chocoholic, but you certainly make it to the fans' category.  But even if chocolate is not your first choice when it comes to desert, you should probably by familiar with at least its main categories, just in case you are asked if you prefer couverture over white chocolate for your ice-cream glace.

• Dark Chocolate can contain anything from 30% to 75% cocoa solids.  It has a slightly sweet flavor and a dark color and it is the chocolate type most used in cooking.  For everyday cooking and the majority of the recipes for dark chocolate, choose one with around 50% cocoa solids.  However, dark chocolate with a higher cocoa solid content will give a richer, more intense, flavor.  This chocolate is often called luxury or continental chocolate and has a cocoa solid content of between 70-75%.  Occasionally, cooking experts support that it is essential to use a better chocolate, but the recipe should specify when that is the case.
• Milk Chocolate, as its name suggests, contains milk and has lovely creamy, mild, and sweet flavor.  It is mostly used as an eating chocolate, rather than in cooking.  However it does have its place in chocolate cookery, especially for decorations, and when a milder, creamy flavor is required.  It is more sensitive to heat than dark chocolate so care must be taken when melting it.
• White Chocolate contains lower cocoa butter content and cocoa solids.  It can be quite temperamental when used in cooking.  Always choose a luxury white cooking chocolate to avoid problems and take great care not to overheat when melting it.  White chocolate is useful also for color contrast in decoration, creating a dramatic effect when it is placed over darker backgrounds.
• Couverture is the preferred chocolate for professional use, as it retains a high gloss after melting and cooling.  Nevertheless, it requires tempering and is only available from specialist suppliers.  In case it can be found to special cooking supply stores, it usually is more expensive than regular milk chocolate.
• Chocolate Glace is a chocolate-flavored cake covering which is an inferior product not generally used by true chocolate lovers.  However, it has a high fat content, making it easier to handle when making some decorations such as curls or caraque.  In case you do not want to compromise flavor too much, but have difficulty making the decorations with pure chocolate, try adding a few squares of chocolate-flavored cake covering to a good quality chocolate.
• Chocolate Chips are available in dark, milk, and white chocolate varieties, and are used primarily for baking and as decoration materials.
• Coco Powder is the powder left after the cocoa butter has been pressed from the roasted and ground beans.  It is unsweetened and bitter in flavor.  It gives good, strong chocolate flavor when used in cooking.

Put Pasta Back On The Table

Pasta has existed since the days of the Roman Empire and remains one of the most versatile cooking ingredients, as no storage room or cupboard should be without it.  It can be combined with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, or even a simple herb sauce to create a mouthwatering and nutritious meal within minutes.

Most pasta is made from durum wheat flour and contains protein and carbohydrates.  It is a good source of slow-release energy and has the additional advantage of being value for money.

There are as many as 200 different pasta shapes and about three times as many names for them.  New shapes are being designed and named allt the time and the same shape might be called a different name in different regions in Itally.  Some types of pasta are the agnolotti, anelli, bucatini, cannelloni, capalletti, ditali, elicje, farfalle, fettuccine, fusilli, lasagne, linguini, macaroni, penne, ravioli, rigatoni, spaghetti and tagliatelle.  Many can be found in both dried and fresh forms, but unless you have access to a good, Italian delicatessen, it is probably not worth buying fresh unfilled pasta, even from supermarkets that sell high-quality tortellini, capalletti, ravioli, and agnolotti.  Best of all is to make fresh pasta at home.  It takes little time, but is quite easy and well worth the effort.  You can mix the dough by hand or prepare it in a food processor.  Pasta may be colored and flavored with extra ingredients that are usually added with the beaten egg.

To cook pasta, first bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and one tablespoon of olive oil, but do not cover the pot or the water will boil over.  Quickly bring the water back to a rolling boil and avoid overcooking.  When the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite, drain and toss with butter, olive oil, or your prepared sauce.  The cooking times provided here are guidelines only:

• Fresh unfilled pasta:  2-3 minutes
• Fresh filled pasta:  8-10 minutes
• Dried unfilled pasta:  10-12 minutes
• Dried filled pasta:  15-20 minutes

Pasta can be used to make anything, from soups to more substantial pasta-based meals, which are as delicious and unusual starter, or as a quick and easy lunch or light supper.  Others are subtle and delicate.  Combining vegetables, meat, fish and cheese with every type of pasta, from linguine to lumache, one can enjoy a nutritional and delicious meal from start to finish.

Japanese Cooking

Do you love Japanese food?  The funny thing about Japanese food is that you either love it or you hate it.  There is no in-between.  And chances are, if you hate it, you probably haven't really tasted Japanese food yet or haven't given yourself a chance to sample it enough.  Japanese food is hard to appreciate after only one bite.  And sometimes, the idea that you are tasting raw food just won't escape your mind that you are already predisposed to hating Japanese food even before you actually taste it.

Personally, I love Japanese food.  There really is no other cuisine like it in the world in terms of its unique taste and presentation.  Who would believe that something so raw could be so delicious?  For those of you who have not yet discovered the pleasures of Japanese food, allow me to present the following primer.

The standard Japanese meal always involves a bowl of white rice as well as soup and side dishes such as pickles, vegetables, meat and fish.  Japanese food is classified by the number of viands or ''okazu'' that are served with the rice, soup and side dishes.  A meal with one okazu is called ichiju-issai and a prime example of this is the traditional Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, rice, grilled fish and one pickled vegetable.

The regular Japanese meal usually involves three okazu to go along with the soup, rice and pickles.  Traditionally, each of these three okazu are cooked in a different way from the others.  They can either be served raw or grilled, simmered, steamed or deep fried.

Another hallmark of Japanese food is seafood, which is the most popular and most widely consumed food in Japan.  The most popular dishes include all types of fish as well as shellfish, squid and octopus.  Crab is another favorite delicacy and so are whale and seaweed.  Despite the fact that Japanese are not heavy meat eaters, you will hardly find any vegetarians among them either probably owing to their deep fashion for seafood.  Beef and chicken are also popular among the Japanese.

Drinking Tea

The second most consumed beverage behind water is tea.  Interestingly enough the 3,200,000 tones of tea produced worldwide come from only one plant species, named "camellia sinensis".  But how a plant becomes a beverage?  Tea is made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush in hot water for a few minutes, a great variety of tea tastes, aromas and colors can excite even the more skeptical drinker.  If you do like tea drinking, but simply never had the opportunity to learn more about it beyond the fact that you enjoy it, you should know that there are thousands of kinds of tea offered on today's market.  Shades in flavor derive from the region of cultivation and the method of processing the tea leaves.  It is the processing techniques that produce the four simple tea categories are considered the art of tea making.  In its most basic form, processing is the taking of the raw green leaves and deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation) should take place before drying them out.  Oxidation is the reaction of the enzymes contained in tea leaves when they are broken, bruised or crushed.

The first category is that of black tea.  Black tea is nothing more than the leaves of the camellia sinensis after being exposed to 8-24 hours of open air.  After the leaves are picked up they are spread out to let the water they contain evaporate.  You have probably witnessed it happening to a flower that is left without being watered.  The foliage curls up and begins to dry.  After this part of the process, the tea leaves are balled into rolls that encourage oxidization.  When fully oxidized, the leaves turn into a rich black color.  Tea producers then put the tea leaves into the final drying period before sorting and packaging them.

Oolong tea is another tea category and is considered to be the most difficult of the four types of teas to process.  The best way to describe oolong tea is that it is somewhere in between green and black tea.  This is because the leaves are only partially oxidized during the processing.  As with black tea, the leaves are spread out to dry for 8-24 hours, but after that, they are tossed about in a basket in order to create a bruising and partial exposure to the air.  The final step involves steaming the leaves, which neutralizes the enzymes in the tea and prevents further oxidization.

Green teas, like white teas, are closer to tasting like fresh leaves of grass that the other two tea categories.  This type of tea is also lower in caffeine and has higher antioxidant properties.  The whole process of creating green tea revolves around preventing oxidization from taking place in the leaves.  Though the tea leaves are sometimes laid out to dry for a few hours, then, in order to neutralize the enzymes and prevent further oxidation, the leaves are steamed or pan fried.  It is this very technique which results in the preservation of the enzymes which have recently become the focus of medical research.  After steaming, the leaves are rolled up, still quite green in color.

Finally, white tea has recently become a popular item in the west as it is the least processed tea and thus tastes the most like fresh leaves or grass.  White tea is made of the little buds of the tea plant.  Again like green tea, white tea is steamed or pan fried to prevent any kind of oxidization, and great care is taken to avoid bruising or crushing the tea.  The dried buds have a silver-like appearance because the tiny white hairs of new growth are still present.

Coffee And Your Health

If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis.  This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee.  Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it.  At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame.

Here's a new question that you may have never asked yourself:  is coffee ever good for you?  The answer may surprise you.

Here is a statistic to ponder:  did you know that there are over 160 million coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone?  In terms of consumption, the average American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year.  But consider this:  the world leader in terms of consumption is Finland which comes in at nearly 30 lbs per year.  That's a lot of coffee!

Another statistic is that there have been well over 19,000 studies done to analyze the effects of coffee.  Now, studies can often be skewed to show whatever the author wants, but here is what is generally agreed:  consuming 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is often considered more beneficial than harmful.

But, since everyone's body is different, we all tolerate things differently.  In some people even the smallest amount of caffein can cause nervousness and irritebility.  Consider also that a person may consume caffein in other ways besides coffee.  And often without knowing about it.

A little known fact is that coffee contains antioxidants which have been shown to imporve oveall health.  Here is a short list of some benefits which have been shown to be present in coffee:

• Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
• Antibacterial ingredients
• Reduce the risk of developing gallstones
• Preserve mental accuity
• Reduce risk of developing type 2 Diabetes (if you have diabetes, reduce your consumption)
• If you are free of hypertension, coffee will not likely produce it
• Headache relief
• Reduce the risk of some types of cancer
• Improve physical endurance

This is not to say that there are not some serious negative results of drinking coffee.  It is nice to know, however, that a cup or two in the morning may not hurt you.  But how do you know for sure?  Be sure to talk to your health professional and get their advice on consuming coffee.  They (and you) know what conditions you may have that you need to be careful of when it comes to coffee.  Then do you research and, if appropriate, enjoy your coffee.

What Is So Special About Gourmet Pizza?

Pizza has been around for thousands of years.  When did out of the ordinary and delicious gourmet pizza make its debut?  What would the forefathers of pizza think of this culinary masterpiece?

Everyone knows that a standard pizza comes with pepperoni, cheese, ground beef, peppers, onions, anchovies and sausage.  Today gourmet pizza is created with any kind of topping.  They are topped with anything from broccoli to chocolate.  There are gourmet pizzas for breakfast that can be topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese.  And, there are vegetarian gourmet pizzas that are topped with a medley of vegetables.

The gourmet pizza is relatively new and was created for the privileged.  It has grown in popularity in nearly every household in the United States.  Pizza parlors are popping up all across the country.  A Sunday afternoon of football will be a definite hit with the gang if a gourmet pizza with all the toppings is served.  A sure pleaser for chocolate lovers is a dessert pizza topped with marshmallows and chocolate.

Gourmet pizza was conceived with the belief that less is better.  Only by using the finest quality ingredients and one or two toppings, can a pizza acquire the status of a gourmet pizza.  Only the freshest and highest quality meats and freshest mozzarella can be used.  The difference in a standard pizza and a gourmet pizza will be proven with each bite.

An ordinary consumer, with a little imagination, can create a gourmet pizza at home.  A variety of pre-baked pizza shells are available in all types of food stores.  With some imagination and experimentation, a home chef can make a mouth-watering work of art.  Most food stores carry a line of pizza shells, cheeses and gourmet sauces.  Cheeses other than Mozzarella can be used.

Gourmet pizza shops continue to grow, offering a variety of pizzas from different cultures.  Every culture brings an innovative way to make the gourmet pizza.  These tasty delights will bring dining pleasure for years to come.

Hot Sauce Collection -- An Anthology Of Delight

Archimedes had his brainwave while in the bathtub.  Newton had his when he was relaxing beneath an apple tree.  Great ideas come in flashes.  The idea of starting a hot sauce collection came to Hot Sauce Harry's while vacationing in the Caribbeans.  Wanting to avoid the stereotype souvenirs, they found the notion of gifting hot sauce quite appealing.  Thus were planted the seeds of a massive hot sauce collection.

Hot Sauce Harry's house their formidable hot sauce collection at their flagship store in Dallas Farmers' Market.  Greenhorn hot sauce collectors can make their forays from here.  The store has sauce collections that span the entire Caribbean, Mexican and Louisiana gamut.  Name a hot sauce and get it here.

Hot sauce collectors can begin their sauce collections in two ways.  They can go for sheer numbers where the more, the merrier it is.  Thus, they can build up a voluminous hot sauce collection in no time at all.  Or they may choose to be nitpicky, concentrating only on specific hot sauce types.

There is beauty in numbers.  Therefore, you grab every hot sauce that you can lay your hands on.  However, have your hot sauce collection catalogued right down to the minute detail.  This way you can keep track of where your sauce collections are heading.  Carry your list wherever you go so that you do not end up paying a fortune on a duplicate hot sauce.

The hot sauce debutants may start with the Ass Kickin Kit.  An assortment of five hot sauces, Ass Kickin' Original, Candy Ass, Kick Yo Ass, Pain In The Ass and Smart Ass, they make great collectibles.

Specialty hot sauce collectors may fancy the limited edition hot sauce.  Alternatively, they may go in for representatives from each region, state or province.  They may choose to house in their sauce collections only hot sauce mementos like those released for special occasions and festivals or the hot sauce picked up while vacationing.  These fastidious people avoid the run-of-the-mill hot sauce.

Fussy hot sauce collectors they may be, but whatever be their sauce of specialization, even they cannot resist the lure of 357 Mad Dog Collectors' Edition.  Sporting the tag of The World's Hottest Hot Sauce Ever Made, this hot sauce is akin to the Penny Black among the philatelists or a Rembrandt among the art collectors.

The specialty hot sauce collectors would do well to purchase some literature on hot sauce.  There are some exhaustive guidebooks on the matter like The Hot Sauce Collector's Guide:  A Book for Collectors, Evans and Dewitt's The Hot Sauce Bible.  These books will enlighten you on the various hot sauce brands, both the blue-blooded and the off the shelf types, their history and the names and addresses of hot sauce vendors.

Know your hot sauce well before starting on your sauce collections, so that you can distinguish the vintages from the fakes.

Heat up your hot sauce collection.  Before you know, you'll have a showstopper in hand.

Gourmet Seafood Is A Great Gift!

Many people have distaste for the word “gourmet” until they learn the actual meaning of it.  A gourmet is simply a person with a detailed knowledge of the finest food and drink.  The term originally came from the French word “groumet” which is a valet in charge of wine.  Gourmet seafood, then, is the finest seafood.  Sending gourmet seafood as a gift is a special and unique way of showing a person that you care for them.

Gourmet seafood can be a gift to customers, clients or employees.  There are many companies that offer a pleasing and tasty selection.  Careful attention should be paid in order to make the best choice for your important customer.  Sending the gift of gourmet seafood is giving the gift of the prize of New England.  Your employee or customer will be very pleased and delighted with the surprise of gourmet seafood arriving on their doorstep.

You should carefully consider which company you choose before placing an order of gourmet seafood.  Some firms can be easily contacted about the details of your shipment and readily give information about when it will be arriving to your customers and employees.  Many companies even offer discounts on a large order, for example, if your gourmet seafood order totals over $500.

The packages you can order include such favorites as Lobster Lover’s Feast or Surf and Turf.  How about a Maine Lobster Party, or maybe just one or two live Maine lobsters?  A hearty Shrimp and Steak Classic, rustic Australian Rock Lobsters or a Classic New England Clambake can also be ordered.  Of course, the prices of these gourmet seafood packages depend on the quantity and the distance it’s being sent.

How to Order Your Gourmet Seafood

1. You should fill out a corporate gift order form and fax it in to the company.  Or, if you prefer, the customer care line would be happy to take your order.
2. Make sure your billing address and the address your credit card company has on file are the same.
3. Make sure you place an order well in advance, at least 48 hours prior to when you need it to be shipped, in order to avoid any emergencies.  If your gourmet seafood company cannot process your order, they should contact you immediately and provide you with other options.  Always ask for a confirmation of the corrected order if this happens.
4. The gourmet seafood company will contact you just before they process the order to your credit card, in order to get your final confirmation.
5. If you receive a discount, the gourmet seafood company will deduct it from the total, usually before the shipping charges are added.
6. Many gourmet seafood companies will notify the recipient via email, so they’ll know when they should expect their package.  They will also send you an email when the package has been successfully delivered.

Food On Tv

For some time now I have been watching an Emmy-winning television personality and author who hosts at least four different programs on U.S. cable television's Food Network.  Rachael Domenica Ray, has become one of my favorite culinary experts as her energetic personality and her smile have been enough to keep me in front of the TV screen to watch her teach simple recipes that she claims can be prepared in thirty minutes or less.

Being an amateur cook myself, I was pleased to discover that she shared the same view that I have in relation to food measuring.  As she emphasized, ''it takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking''.  Her ''eyeball it'' expression has stayed with me every time I am about to experiment with something new and taste my efforts.  Even though she has been heavily criticized for her appearance, her voice, her gestures and her energetic manner, I declare to be one of her funs, at least in relation to her recipes.

But over and above Rachel, I was amazed to discover that the U.S. television has a cable channel totally devoted to food preparation, at-home entertaining, restaurants, food and eating habits.  The New-York based Food Network reaches more than 85 million households and it is broadcasted to other countries as well due to its interesting programs and live shows.

One of the most famous this channel broadcasts is that of ''Emeril Live''.  As a kid, Emeril Lagasse worked in the local Portuguese bakery and today he is one of the most famous culinary personalities.  After opening a series of successful restaurants, hosting popular TV shows and becoming one of the most recognizable chefs of all time, Emeril Lagasse remains devoted as ever to using fresh, top-quality ingredients and employs cottage industry ranchers, farmers and fishermen to ensure that he always gets the best.  He constantly invents new recipes, much to the delight of his regular customers and the fans of his Food Network specials and shows ''Emeril Live'' and ''Essence of Emeril''.

From what it seems, the Food Network is committed to exploring new, different, and interesting ways to approach food -- through pop culture, adventure, and travel -- while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information.  The only thing I have to wish to its management team and its shows is the best of success for the rest of 2006 and for the years to come.

Eating Tips For Keeping Fit

When it comes to keeping fit, there are a host of responsibilities that you must taken on in order to ensure that the diet and exercise that you maintain has positive effects on the health of your body.  In this article, we'll be talking about some simple ways to change your life in order to allow your lifestyle to be more beneficial to your level of fitness.

• Get your nutrition from a variety of sources.  The wider the range of the foods you eat, the better your body can get the various nutrients and minerals that it requires to function properly.  Sticking to a picky diet of the same foods over a long period of time can have negative consequences when it comes to your health.
• Whenever possible, include garlic as an ingredient in what you eat.  Garlic is a veritable wonderfood, helping the body in a large number of ways.  Garlic helps the immune system to function more properly, aids the thinning of the blood, and allows the body to produce hormones more readily.
• Keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum.  In addition to increasing your risks of cancer and other health problems, alcohol has a lot of calories and little to no nutritional value.  In addition, when you drink alcohol, your body's store of B-vitamins is decreased.
• Eat small meals throughout the day.  Those who are totally in condition with their body tend to eat small meals roughly around 6 times per day.  This allows the body to have a steady flow of nutrients throughout the day, and it also helps the body to regulate insulin, allowing better metabolism of fat and greater chance of building muscle.
• When you can, eat organic foods.  While there aren't millions of options available when it comes to organic foods, they are the only known types of foods that are beneficial to health.  Many of the ingredients found in common store-bought manufactured foods have not been thoroughly researched over long periods of time, and by eating organic, you ensure that your body is getting what it needs with no damaging additives.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.  Getting a lot of water consumption helps the body to eliminate toxins more readily, which can help the body to operate in prime condition.

Of course, it takes more than a proper diet to find fitness in your life.  However, following the above tips can be a great supplement to a regular exercise routine.  Your body is your responsibility -- take the reins today!

Delicious Cocktails To Please Your Guests

When having a dinner party, a large aspect of its success is determined by the cocktails that you make available.  You can really turn your party into a night to remember if you can expose your guests to some delicious drinks that they'll never forget.  In this article, we'll relay some cocktail recipes that can surprise and impress your guests.

A commonly-used twist on a classic drink is known as the "Purple Haze".  Based off of the Long Island Iced Tea recipe, the drink gets its name from the famous Jimi Hendrix song since it is purple in color.  While the drink shares many of the same ingredients as a Long Island, it features a distinct taste that provides a good dose of alcohol while still tasting delicious.  To make a Purple Haze, you're going to need the basic liquors that go into a Long Island -- tequila, rum, vodka, and gin.  In addition, you're going to need the secret ingredient that gives the Purple Haze it's color -- Chambord, which is a raspberry-flavored cordial.  You'll also need a lemon-lime flavored soda and sweet and sour mix.

To make a single Purple Haze, mix ½ oz of the four Long Island liquors with ½ oz of Chambord.  Add in an ounce of sour mix, and top it off with a splash of lemon-lime soda for a little carbonation.  That's all you have to do!  The result is a drink that packs a punch while still being very delicious.

Are you looking for an adventurous cocktail that can really add some flair to the evening?  The Flaming Dr. Pepper can be a great addition to an evening, especially for a Tiki-themed party.  Be forewarned -- the drink involves lighting a liquor on fire.  The end result will shock you and your guests, however -- it tastes almost exactly like Dr. Pepper!

To make a Flaming Dr. Pepper, you're going to need a bottle of 151 proof rum as well as a bottle of amaretto and plenty of light beer.  The preparation of the drink can be easily ruined, so take heed for the following directions:

Take a shot glass and fill it ¾ full with amaretto.  Top the shot with 151 -- it should end up layered on top.  Fill a pint glass halfway full with light beer.  Now comes the showmanship part -- using a lighter, carefully light the top of the shot on fire.  The 151 will burn off the top of the shot, and once it's lit, you need to drop it into the pint glass.  The concoction will fizz up, and you need to down it as soon as you can.  By some act of God, the drink actually tastes amazingly like Dr. Pepper -- shocking, considering there isn't a single non-alcoholic ingredient in the mix!

These two drinks can add a delicious and exciting aspect to your next get together.  Exercise caution when making the Flaming Dr. Peppers, and be sure to take the keys of anyone who has been drinking too much.  Enjoy!

Choosing The Right Meat

To a person that does not commonly purchase meat, the deli counter can be a very intimidating place to be.  There are so many selections to choose from when you are trying to find red meat, and many people don't know where to look when it comes to purchasing good cuts of meat.  In this article, we'll discuss some of the common features of steaks to look for when purchasing beef so that you can know how to choose the right cuts for you and your family.

First off, you need to understand the USDA's grading system when it comes to steak.  There are three grades of beef sold under the USDA guidelines -- Prime, Choice, and Select.  Prime is the most expensive cut of beef, and it is usually from younger cows and features extensive marbling.  Marbling is an aspect of beef that is important to understand.  When small levels of fat permeate through the meat, causing it to have a ''marbled'' appearance like the stone of the same name, the beef is often very tender and consequently highly desired.  It can be tough to find Prime USDA beef outside of restaurants, with only specialty butchers usually carrying the meat.  The next step down in the quality of beef is Choice.  Choice beef is the most commonly found grade in the marketplace, and while it has less marbling than Prime beef, it still tends to be desirable.  Select is the lowest grade of beef, featuring limited marbling throughout the beef, usually resulting in tough meat that isn't very juicy.

Another important aspect to consider when buying beef is the cut.  One of the most commonly purchased high-end steak cuts is known as filet mignon.  Also commonly referred to as beef tenderloin, these cuts are amongst the tenderest cuts of beef available.  They are often round in appearance, and you can expect to pay a pretty penny when purchasing filet mignon.  New York Strip Steaks are also often desirable, featuring a long marbled cut of meat with a strip of fat along the side.  T-Bones and Porterhouses represent the bigger cuts of steak, with 20 ounces being a common size for the Porterhouse.  They feature a bone along the center with plenty of marbled, tender meat/ throughout.

When choosing an individual steak, there are some things to look out for.  Purchase beef that is bright red in color, signifying a level of freshness not found in most steaks.  The package that the steak comes in should be cold, and there shouldn't be much juice floating around the package -- that denotes that the meat may have been on the shelf for too long of a time.  The meat should be firm to the touch, with soft meat possibly being on the shelf too long as well.

Now that you know what to look for when shopping for a steak, you can more accurately pick the cut of meat and the choice steaks to keep you and your dinner guests pleased.

Boost Your Energy Levels

If you woke up last Tuesday feeling tired and are still feeling run down, do not think that this is the end of the world and that your energy levels have been exhausted completely or that your age is catching up with you.  Everyone has at least once felt too tired to get up, dress, drive, work, and come back to the house ten hours later after performing a variety of functions, only to continue cleaning up, filing, cooking, and execute all those routine activities we have learned to complete on a daily basis.  But although you tried to sleep your tiredness away, the feeling of fatigue has prevailed and you are now in a worse state than ever before.  Do not panic, but instead seek a doctor's advice and perform a medical check up.  If all seem to be fine on the physical level, apart from the low energy levels you have been experiencing, then follow these tips and boost your energy to skyrocket heights.

People that experience a low energy period usually comfort themselves by resorting to sleep and adding extra hours of bed time in their attempt to find their lost energy somewhere in-between their bed sheets and covers.  This is usually not the right strategy.  If you have maintained a steady sleeping schedule, prior to this recent development, which suited your needs perfectly, the extra sleep you are planning to have will not help you increase your energy levels and take control of your life again.  On the contrary, if you decide to sleep when your body does not need that extra sleeping time you are increasing the feelings of being tired and lethargic.  Thus, instead of sleeping, try to exercise.  Energy needs energy to be produced.  By performing simple exercises, like walking or swimming, your body will increase its metabolism which will help you get your energy levels again up.  Try introducing exercising as part of your daily routine and you will be witnessing a tremendous change in your energy levels as well as mind awareness.

Do not forget to consume fluids and particularly water.  Additionally, by adding more vegetables, complex carbohydrates and proteins into your diet, you will see your energy increase and you will feel much better about yourself and be actually healthier than before.

Another tactic to boost your energy levels is to start working on something you have been postponing for a long time, but would love to see yourself doing.  Hobbies, interests, volunteer work or house improvement projects can help you get rid of boredom, which can be a very good reason why you feel the way you do.  You can invest time in doing things that are fun and relax your body and mind.  Going camping, fishing, playing with your or the neighbor's kids, can assist you increase your recently dropped energy bucket and become involved again.

Most importantly, you have to get started.  If you begin doing something that can take you away from that couch or bed, you will witness the difference in your energy levels instantly.  Do not procrastinate.  Act today and boost your energy levels back up where they belong.

Food Is Innocent

Any organism needs to be fed in order to grow and survive.  Just like any animal, humans need food in order to receive the necessary energy with which they will grow and continue to function properly.  But food has lately been blamed as the cause of obesity, and has been accused to be linked to a number of diseases and eating abnormalities.  Fortunately for human beings, these accusations are far away from the truth.  In fact, what mistakenly people consider to be the enemy is not.  Food is not to be blamed because none of the food substances have a negative outcome if people do not oversize their food portions or eat without any control.  Thus it is important to understand what food is and what can we do to balance our eating habits, without loosing in taste or variety.

Food is any substance, usually comprised primarily of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that are consumed by all animals-including humans-for nutrition or pleasure.  It is also widely known that almost all foods come from plants or animals-except water, salt, baking soda, fungi, and processes foods-and humans as omnivorous animals are able to consume everything.  After developing agriculture and becoming hunters, humans managed to add to their dietary habits different tastes that came from mixing and matching a variety of ingredients to improve the final culinary result.  But recently, the once healthy portions of food people used to eat have dramatically increased and due to lack of time and focus people are now battling with their dietary habits against diseases and various types of illnesses.

In particular, concerns about foodborne illnesses have long influenced the human diet.  Dietary habits play a significant role in the health and mortality of all humans, and one needs only to consider that eating disorders interfere with normal food consumption leading to excess weight or a skinny human silhouette.  But food is not to be blamed for these dramatic results.  The changes in nutrient content of diets in industrialized countries have come to produce foods that contain more animal fat, sugar, alcohol and less dietary fiber, carbohydrates and antioxidants.  Today's working habits and family stress, alongside with reduced exercise patterns, have caused considerable concerns to health practitioners who examine the traditional eating habits and reveal negative results for humans.

Thus, it is imperative for contemporary people to be informed and educated from an early age in relation to the effects of adopting a healthy diet plan and maintaining their weight constant and within a logical range when they have reached adulthood.  Food is not the enemy in this issue;  people's dietary habits are the cause of the health problems related to food.

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