Don't Just Throw You Wine Rack On The Counter!

A counter top wine rack is a perfect solution for wine enthusiasts (or wine enthusiasts at heart) looking for a short term storage solution for smaller quantities of wine.  Not only are they stylish, but they are also available in so many varieties of styles, materials and capacities that there is a counter top wine rack to fit the personal tastes of almost anyone.  What most people don’t understand, however is that using a counter top wine rack is not as simple as placing it on a counter and filling it with bottles of wine.  If your wine is going to be consumed quickly this might be ok, but if you are looking to store a bottle of wine for even more than a couple of weeks there are a few things which should be kept in mind to help keep your wine tasting it’s best when you pop the cork.

1. Temperature:  A wine rack should never be placed where it is going to be in close contact with extreme heat, whether it is a counter top wine rack, floor standing or wall mounted.  Never place a wine rack near a heater, stove, oven or other appliance that generates heat.  Wine that becomes too hot can “cook” and degrades the wine.  On the contrary, some wines should never be store in extreme cold either.  For example, a wine rack storing red wine should never be stored near cold drafts.
2. Sunlight:  can also affect the aging process.  It is important to keep wines out of direct sunlight, which is one reason many wines, especially reds, are distributed in tinted bottles.  As such, white wines are usually the most susceptible to sunlight.  Even though UV rays can still affect and if left long enough ruin, a bottle of wine, if your are using a counter top wine rack for short term storage of wine just keeping the bottles out of direct sunlight will be sufficient.
3. Vibration:  If storing wines for any length of time it is best to put it in a place where large heavy vibrations will not be occurring.  For example in my kitchen I have an under counter washing machine/dryer which tends to vibrate and shake quite a bit when in the spin cycle.  It would be unwise of me to put a counter top wine rack on that counter because the vibration from the washing machine would cause the wine to become shaken up and disturb the sediment.

Keeping these three simple factors in mind might initially make it a little more difficult to find the perfect place to put your counter top wine rack, but you will thank yourself for it when you open your first bottle of wine and it tastes perfect!

Different Types Of Malaysian Fruits

Malaysian fruits have many benefits that are very helpful to humans.  Some of the different types of Malaysian fruits are Mangosteen, Starfruit, Pulasan, Jackfruit, Rambutan, Mango and Dragon Fruit.  Malaysian fruits are an excellent source for healthy eating and taste great at the same time.

Mangosteen is grown in Malaysia.  It is probably one of the best tasting fruits I have tasted.  Mangosteen fruit helps with the prevention of cancer and heart disease.  The skin is reported to be the healthiest part of the fruit.

Starfruit is available all year long.  Starfruit is often used for decorations.  Starfruit is also a good source for potassium, fiber, vitamin c and copper.

Pulasan is also only grown in Malaysia.  This fruit is grown seasonal normally grown between August, September and December, January.  The skin of Pulasan tastes like a sweet grape.

Jackfruit is also grown only on Malaysia.  This is also a fruit that tastes really good.  Jackfruits are very large in size, so one Jackfruit can be fed to many people.  Jackfruit is low in calories and contains good amounts of potassium and Vitamin A.

Mangoes are grown all over the world.  The Chokanan Yellow Mango is a great mango to eat.  The Chokanan Yellow Mango has a very sweet taste to it.  Chokanan Mangoes are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  Chokanan mangoes are an excellent source for dietary fiber, protein and amino acids.

Pitaya is also called Red Dragon Fruit.  Pitaya is grown on a cactus.  The color of Pitaya is awesome, it has a fuchsia color to it.  Pitaya tastes somewhat like a Kiwi.  Pitaya has large amounts of antioxidants and it is a great source for Vitamin C.

These are only some of the Malaysian fruits available but finding other Malaysian fruits should not be to hard.

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!

Cooking: 3 Ways To Bring Summer Dishes To The Table Year Round

When it comes to summer foods, most people want to look forward to it.  Summer food cooking does not have to be limited to the summer months, though.  Even during the fall and winter, you can get out that grill and make some great dishes that will feel good and remind you of warmer days of relaxing.  Here are three ways to easily bring the memories of summer to the table.

1. Use your grill year round.  It's that simple.  Your favorite ribs and your tasty steaks can be cooked on your grill during all months of the year.  If you have a porch or a garage, then you can have your grill.  Use caution, of course, to make sure that nothing bad happens, but there is no law that says the grill is only for cooking during the summer months.
2. Grill indoors.  One of the best tools that you can have in your kitchen is a grill pan.  These have little ridges on them to create those grill marks that are so important.  To spice up any meal, use one.  A great treat is to make cut up veggies on these pans.  Simply cut the veggies rather big.  Use a bit of extra virgin olive oil on them to keep them from sticking and you have an amazing summer side dish.  Do this with squashes, peppers, onions…just about anything.
3. Add some heat!  To make sure that the summer heat comes through, ad some heat to virtually any dish.  If you like spices, then you know your heat levels.  But, if you haven't had a lot of heat in your food before, start with a milder hot pepper or spice and work your way up.  Consider cayenne, for example.  Adding pablano chiles to any meal will bring the heat up and remind you of summer months.

Cooking for summer doesn't have to be just in the summer months.  With so many supermarkets providing high quality produce all year round, there is no reason not to have the best of the best when it comes to summer meals.

Coffee The Columbian Way

If you're a coffee drinker you have heard of, and probably tried, a cup of Columbian.  Bland, sometimes adequate, and sold everywhere.  But that's predominately coffee shop or grocery store coffee.  Would you criticize the fine food of a four star restaurant by comparing it to a cheap diner before you've tasted both?

Like any major producer, Columbia does generate a lot of average beans.  If you're willing to look a little deeper within that huge output you will find some great gems.

By contrast to Brazil, which dry-processes most of its coffee berries, almost all Columbian coffee is washed, which helps carry away impurities.  Done properly, it can still produce a flavorful, robust cup.

Soaked in cold water for 24 hours, the soaking initiates fermentation, which aids in producing a great aroma.  The beans are then washed in order to remove twigs, dirt and an outer layer of unpleasant material.

During the process, unacceptable beans are selected and discarded.  The beans are then dried on large open-air terraces and rotated frequently to provide even drying.  The result is a lower acid, smoother cup.

This has been going on since the early 1800s when coffee was first introduced into the country.  Today, Columbia is one of the largest producers in the world, providing 12% of the total.  The central region, along with Bogota and Bucaramanga in the eastern mountains produce almost the entire amount.

While much of that is simply ordinary, grocery store quality, the finest blends are the equal of any coffee anywhere.  The product from Buraramanga is heavy bodied, while coffee from Bogota is rich and low in acid.

Supremo from the state of Narino is another fine example of Columbian.  Providing an excellent cup when lightly roasted, it's perfect for a late afternoon drink when you want a rich cup, but don't want to be overwhelmed with acid and caffeine.

A line of 'Triple Seal' organic coffees from Columbia are becoming ever more popular.  Shaded Santos from eastern Columbia, gives a smooth, mellow cup of coffee.  Open a bag and you instantly smell a rich coffee aroma.

Though the actor who has portrayed 'Juan Valdez' for years in countless commercials is retiring, you can rest assured that Columbian coffee will still be offering some of the finest coffees anywhere.

Buy Local Food To Reduce Food Miles

I have to admit, I am becoming obsessed with checking where my food comes from and this is driving my partner mad.  Whether you are in the local market or a supermarket, it says South African apples, Israeli pears and peppers from Chile.  You would think that the UK and USA does not produce any food, if this is the case then where has the billions of pounds gone that our two governments pay in farmers subsidies?

By buying food from abroad, developing countries get to market their produce world-wide and we get out of season food all year round.  Everyones happy except the environment.  Food transportation across the globe is making a significant contribution to climate change.  Just look at the following examples:

• Food in the UK travels 65% further than it did two decades ago
• Heinz ketchup eaten in California is made with California-grown tomatoes shipped to Canada for processing and returned in bottles
• In one year, the port of New York City exported $431,000 of Californian almonds to Italy, and imported $397,000 of Italian almonds to the US

What is local food and how can it help?

For many, local food is interpreted as unprocessed food, to be transformed by the consumer or a local shop rather than by the food industry.  The food originates from as close to home as possible such as on a regional or national level.  As such, local food reduces or eliminates the costs of transport, processing, packaging, and advertising.  The go local food movement is currently flourishing with over 15% of people buying food locally and this number continues to rise as the number of farmers markets and local vegetable box schemes increases.

The benefit of locally grown fresh food is that it can be consumed almost immediately after production leading to an increase in food quality and taste as it may be sold fresher and usually riper.  Also, the need for chemical preservatives to artificially extend the shelf-life can be reduced or eliminated.

Buying local food does not necessarily mean giving up all food coming from distant countries, but rather favoring local foods when available.  Why buy apples from South Africa when you can buy British apples?  But often buying food produced abroad can be cheaper (yes, cheaper) than locally produced food due to the subsidies the farmers receive and economies of scale from these large plantations.

It is also argued that national borders should preferably not be used to define what is local and instead measurements made in miles.  The growth of Sat Nav systems maybe able to help in calculating the exact number of food miles that food has undertaken.  For people living in, say, the south of England, food produced in northern France is more local than food produced in Scotland as it is closer.  The local food movement in the European Union has been furhter complicated and hindered by EU rules requiring items produced in the EU, including food, to be marked as products of the EU, rather than as products of any particular country.  The instinct of customers to buy nationally produced food in the name of patriotism was deemed to be a barrier to free trade and anti EU.

Studies need to be undertaken so that people can have faith and knowledge that the food that they are buying is actually reducing their carbon footprint on the earth.  For example, we need to assess whether it is likely to be more environmentally friendly for tomatoes to be grown in the hot climate of Spain and transported to the UK than for the same tomatoes to be grown in greenhouses in the UK requiring huge amounts of electricity to light and heat them.

Brewing Beer

Beer drinkers see a pint of beer as a magical golden brew.  Many have said that it's surely the Nectar of the Gods.  In reality, most beers are based on a basic four-ingredient recipe, and undergo a simple brewing process before bringing joy to the parched bar patrons of the world.

Beer is created using a basic mixture of water, hops, malted barley and yeast.  Depending on the type of beer being brewed, taste enhancements such as flavourings and sugar will be added.  Starches are also incorporated into the beer so that sugars will easily ferment during the brewing process.  The fermented sugars add body and flavour, while increasing the alcohol content.

Water

Beer is mainly composed of water, so the source of the water and its characteristics has an important effect on the character of the beer.  Many beer styles were influenced by the characteristics of water in the region.  Some beer makers claim that spring water or mountain water create their unique flavour and body.  Understanding the effects of water minerals can be complex, but basically soft water is suited to light brews, where hard water is more suitable for dark beers.

Hops

Since the seventeenth century, hops have been used as a popular bittering agent in beer.  Adding hops is important, as the bitterness helps to counteract the sweetness of the malts.  Hops also contribute a variety of aromas ranging from herbal to citrus.  The bitterness in beer is generally measured using the International Bitterness Units scale.  Hops also provide an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms.

Malt

Every beer requires malt in its basic recipe.  Brew masters can choose to use malted oats, rye, wheat or rice, but malted barley is most commonly used.  Malted barley has high amylase content, and a digestive enzyme that helps break the starches down into sugars.  The choice of malts depends heavily on what grains are cultivated locally.  To create malt the grains are soaked in water, allowed to germinate, then dried in a kilt.  As grain is malted, naturally occurring enzymes work to gradually convert starches into fermentable sugars.

Yeast

Yeast is a living microorganism that creates fermentation.  The brew master will choose from different strains of yeast, depending on the type of beer produced.  Yeast helps metabolize sugars extracted from the grains, and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as a result.  Before the functions of yeast were fully understood, beers were fermented using wild or airborne yeasts.  Today there is a variety of yeasts available, with ale yeast and lager yeast being most commonly used.

Clarifying agent

Many brewers prefer to add one or more clarifying agents to beer, but are not required to publish these agents as "ingredients".  Isinglas, bentonite, gelatin finings and Irish moss powder are all commonly used as clarification agents.  Isinglas is a gelatinous substance obtained from the swim bladders of fish, so if you're concerned about consuming animal products, be sure to ask of detailed content information from the brewer of your preferred beer.

Next time you pour yourself a cold pint, stop to consider the careful choice of ingredients and the lengthy brewing process that were involved in creating your little glass of heaven.  Raise a toast to your brew master, and leave your car keys at home.