Gastronomy - A Fine Art

Some general definitions define gastronomy either as "the fine art and scientific discipline of good eating", the activity and cognition involved in preparing and appreciating good food, or as the survey of the human relationship between civilization and food. I for one think that gastronomy is all of the above and a spot more.

The word "gastronomy" is derived from the Ancient Hellenic words gastros (stomach) and nomos (knowledge or laws that govern), however the etymology of the word is also attributed to the statute title of a Gallic verse form from 1801 called "Gastronomie".

Although the foundations of modern Western gastronomy were laid during the Renaissance, especially inch Italian Republic and France, the first formal survey of gastronomy is probably "The Physiology of Taste" by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in the early 19th century. This was the first book that studied the human relationship between the sense and food, treating enjoyment at the tabular array as a science.

The conception of gastronomy have evolved from its original lexicon significance to a point where it necessitates to be studied broken down into subsets by culture. Gastronomy nowadays is an interdisciplinary activity combining the Fine Humanistic Discipline of dancing, painting, the dramatic arts, sculpture, architecture and music with exact scientific disciplines like physics, mathematics, biology, geology, chemistry, scientific agriculture as well as with the topics of anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology and psychology. All of these quite many and different topics of involvement can be establish with the adjutant of good observation to go around around nutrient in one manner or another.

The conception of gastronomy isn't limited anymore to just beautifying the rite of consumption; today's gastronomy connotes the ability to appreciate and understand the many avenues of cookery and nutrient production. Today's gastronomist necessitates to have got got got some basic cognition in regard with the chemical science and physical science of food, nutrient history , culinary anthropology and to have somewhat of a nexus to the many civilizations of the human race with the aid of the computing machine and the Internet.

Today's gastronomy aficionado necessitates to have a good apprehension of agriculture, aquaculture and the engineering of newer cookery methods and equipment. He or she necessitate to understand the impact of eating and diet upon health, including things like food-borne diseases and worldwide ecology. The lessons of gastronomy demand to advance how to taste, how to enjoy the whole dining experience, whether it is a household repast at place or a particular dining-out event.

Unfortunately in later times, the inclination to justice nutrient solely by what it looks like have increased. Almost everywhere in the modern human race taste sensation and olfactory property are demoted in favour of stylistic architecture, people no longer enjoy and appreciate the joyousness and satisfaction of eating and the entertaining and pleasant conversations over the dinner tabular array look to have got disappeared entirely.

The clip have come up for us to relearn or reemphasize how the senses can be used to fully appreciate and gusto the hedonistic pleasances of life. We as human beingness are equipped with the necessary anatomy and physiology the deadening biological mathematical function of eating to one of life's top pleasures.

Yea Mon - Jamaican Cuisine

The culinary art of Jamaica is definitely alone and quite flavourful, bringing with it a blend of the island's local crop and spice. The island's nutrient is represented by Jamaica's motto, "Out of Many, One People". Jamaican dwellers have got come up from around the globe, including the British, Dutch, French, Spanish, East Indian, Occident African, Portuguese and Chinese, who brought with them their ain alone cookery techniques, flavours, and spices, blending them with the island's bountiful harvest.

The original dwellers of Jamaica were the Arawakan Indians, who died out after the reaching of the Spanish in 1509, owed to disease and overwork. The Spanish then began importing slaves from Africa to replace their workforce. The Spanish brought with them their ain culinary influence. As well, many Spanish Jews also arrived during the Spanish regulation and contributed their influences to Jamaica's cuisine, such as as a dish still popular today, escovitch fish.

In 1655 the English took over Jamaica from the Spanish and turned much of the land into refined sugar plantations. The English influenced the development of one of Jamaica's most popular foods, the Jamaican Pattie, a spiced meat turnover rate that is the equivalent of the island's hamburger. Many assortments of Jamaican cakes are establish in many grocery store deepfreezes today.

A century later, indentured laborers of Chinese and East Indians replaced the African slaves after emancipation. These immigrants influenced the curry dishes that saving grace nearly every Jamaican bill of fare today, such as as curry goat, poulet and seafood.

A point of involvement is in the Jamaica population of the Maroons. The Maroons are people descendent of escaped slaves of the Spanish, ferocious combatants who took to the hills and were never recaptured. They settled in a distant cragged part South of Montego Bay in Cockpit Country. The Maroons now dwell in a completely self-sustained existence off the land are known as the island's top herbalists.

As seen from above, Jamaica's nutrient is influenced by its history. "Bammie", a toasted level bar eaten with deep-fried fish today, was made from the cassava starch grown by the Arawaks. The Maroons, slaves who were always on the run, devised a manner of "jerking" meat (through spicing and slow cookery pork) that is popular in Jamaica today. Breadfruit, yams, root veggies and akee were brought from Africa to cheaply feed the slaves. It is said the breadfruit tree arrived with Captain William William Bligh on the Bounty. And, as mentioned, the Chinese and East Indians brought with them their parts of alien spirits in their curry and other spices.

Added to the parts of the foreign influences, indigenous vegetables, such as as cho-cho (a squash-like vegetable) and callaloo (similar to spinach) are also popular in Jamaican cookery today, along with the island's fruits of bananas, coconuts, mango trees and pineapples. Among the more than alien fruits popular in Jamaica are guineps, pawpaw, sweetsop trees and the star apple.

The indigen sweet pepper tree conveys allspice tree to many Jamaican dishes, as make ginger, garlic, nutmeg, and the Score Bonnet peppers, which are considered some of the hottest common common peppers on earth. The Score Bonnet is indispensable to making the dork pork, poulet and fish for which Jamaica is famous. The Maroons marinated meat for hours in a mixture of peppers, sweet pepper seeds, scallion, thyme and nutmeg, and then cooked it slowly over an out-of-door cavity lined with sweet pepper wood. Jerk stand ups can be establish all over the island today offering tourers and dwellers alike the alone spicy spirit celebrated all over the world.

Negril, located on Jamaica's western shore, is celebrated for its "hippie" era. Flower People put up a settlement there and enjoyed a laid-back lifestyle and "ganja". From here, vegetarian repasts abound.

Middle Quarters, an country of the South coast, offers dried peppered runt which is sold by the bag. Postage and Go (saltfish fritters eaten as an appetizer) and mackerel Run-Down (pickled fish cooked in seasoned coconut meat milk until the fish just falls apart or literally "runs down"), as well as boiled greenness banana trees and yams are served over the whole island.

Jamaica is also quite celebrated the human race over for its Blue Mountain coffee, which acquires its name from the Blue Mountains where the java edible beans are grown. The java industry in Jamaica began in 1725, when the governor brought seedlings from Martinique and planted them on his estate. Mountains cover approximately four-fifths of Jamaica, with the Blue Mountains reaching a tallness of 7,400 feet. The java is planted on patios along the mountain slopes, 1,500 to 5,000 feet above sea level, and which is often shaded by alligator pear and banana tree trees.

Jamaica's national dish is saltfish and ackee, an island breakfast dish. Ackee, when cooked expressions and taste sensations much like scrambled eggs. Ackee is toxicant until it is mature and is always served cooked.

Rice 'n peas is also a popular island dish, but is not really peas but edible edible beans (usually reddish kidney beans.) Other front-runner Jamaican dishes include reddish pea soup (again kidney beans, salted hog tails, beef cattle and vegetables), difficult dough bread, fish tea (a fish bouillon), Rebel bars (fried or adust breads), mannish H2O (a spicy soup made from goats' heads), blister (a spicy bun), fret peas (a soup of reddish peas or gungo peas), Solomon Gundy (an appetiser made of pickled fish) and festival (a type of bread).

As one can see, Jamaica offers a huge assortment of dishes influenced by the island's history. From British, Spanish, African, East North American Indian and Chinese, the culinary art of Jamaica is quite flavorful and often spicy, and is a culinary experience that all volition enjoy.

Bartending Terms

Drinks requiring only shaking are covered with a plastic mover and mover and shaker cup and amalgamated within the glass; whereas shaken and labored or stirred and labored drinks are originally amalgamated within (a) shaker cups (glass & unstained steel) and then transferred to a glass. Remember to always fill up your mover and shaker full of water ice before mixing drinks requiring either stirring/shaking and straining. The same uses to glassware; always begin with a full glass of ice.

*SAFETY PRECAUTIONS*

Please maintain in caput that while ways such as as "shoot drink", "drink without using hands", "ignite drink", or "while leaning head over barroom pour drink into mouth" are all reliable formula components, they are only suggestions and should not be attempted if you experience that they might present a jeopardy to your health. Brand certain to never conveyance or transport a lit drink, as alcoholic beverage is a burnable liquid and should be respectfully treated as such. Before drinking, completely snuff out any drink suggesting ignition.

Always overstock on ice, fresh resupply is critical in the care of professional standards. Whenever glasswork or bottles are broken in the locality of the H2O water water ice bin, run the ice with hot water, clean the bin, and restock with new ice.

Ice

Ice can be one of the most of import factors in determining a drink's quality. Generally speaking, the little square-shaped "slices" usually referred to as "bar" water ice are best. Aside from preventing premature liquidizer destruction, the littler style water ice cube, will by virtuousness of increased surface area, do for a significantly colder drink. The consequent decrease in vapour pressure level (fumes) from the alcoholic beverage do for a more than palatable amalgamated drink.

As mentioned before in the subdivision on Ice, whenever glasswork or bottles are broken in the locality of the H2O water water ice bin, run the ice with hot water, clean the bin and restock with new ice.

A 2-speed commercial liquidizer is practically a must for quality frozens. Don't destruct a 15-speed kitchen liquidizer trying to oppress ice; it's simply not made for the job. Waring® bring forths a good line of commercial 2-speed Blender theoretical accounts that start at less than $90.00.

Liquor Measurement

The usage of a shot system have been adopted, whereby a shot is equal to whichever size shot glass you use, keeping in head that the formulas are based on a 1 1/2 oz. shot. When using a different size jigger, right proportioning tin be main­tained by using larger glasswork and more than sociable if the "shot" is bigger or frailty versa if smaller. Use a 1 1/4 oz. shot and the specified sizes and measurings for a milder formula variation. Splashes are 1 oz., make a scoops are 4 ozs. and elans are from 3 to 5 drops. This system was chosen not only because it's quick and easy to utilize but most importantly, because it's adaptable to your bartending style.

Liquor Measurement Key:

Dash-------3 to 5 drops

Scoop------4 ounces

Shot-------1 1/2 ounces

Splash-----1 ounce

Tablespoon-'/2 troy troy troy ounce (3 tspn.)

Teaspoon---'/6 ounce

A.K.A.-----"Also Known As"

S.A.-------"See Also"

V/O--------"Variation or Option"

/----------"or"

R----------"Registered Trademark"

Healthy Cooking Classes for Children

As parents, the need to teach children how to cook may not seem very important when they are at young age. With modern life style and the abundant supplies of ready, pre-cooked and convenient food, it is no wonder that the children obesity problem is getting more severe as our society advances.

Many adults cook and eat with unhealthy bad habits because they were taught these habits when they were very young and lived with them most of their lives. Healthy cooking classes for kids will teach children at an early, impressionable age, to be aware of what they eat. To really see the significance of what they choose to put in their bodies and how it can affect everything in their lives. Their health, their energy levels, the longevity of their lives.

Instead of teaching children only how to heat up frozen Pizza, thaw food in the microwave and cook instant noodles, it is good to start exposing children to healthy eating and food preparation. Show them what the best combinations of foods will not only create the best tasting dishes, but will be the most wholesome for themselves and whomever they cook for.

All kids love to be involved in the kitchen if given a chance. It is therefore important to get your child involved in food preparation from young age. Most parents would want their child out of the kitchen as they are worried that the child making a bigger mess rather than of of any real help. However, the little mess that you bear with will have much desired longer term benefits to both you and your kids. Not only you them the importance to help out at home and also the important ingredients needed to go into a balance healthy meal.

Start by involving your 4 or 5 year old in the fruit or vegetable washing process. Give them a butter knife or a blunt knife to help cut bananas or some soft fruit in making your fruit salads.
As they are helping, explain to them the importance of eating fruits and vegetables of different colour. Make kitchen time a fun time for your kid so he or she can prepare his/her own favourite rainbow fruit salad by mixing different colour fruits.

Allow them to help cutting cookies with cookie cutters, help to mix the flour in a mixing bowl, help to pull out chicken skin or watch you trim the fats of meat. Educate them along the way why you are doing what you are doing. Explain to them the different vitamins different fruits or vegetable have. Let them help in sprinkling the different toppings on Pizza.

Kids will take their responsibility very seriously if you give clear, specific instructions. Of course wisdom will have to be exercised when you assign age appropriate jobs to the kids.

We already know we should exercise regularly, go to school, etc. But the emphasis for healthy eating habits is something that is an important and essential part of living a full, healthy life. Healthy cooking classes for kids will give children a chance at a better life overall.

To learn more about cooking, the different cuisines, recipes, cooking tips and news, visit http://whats-cooking.info

Cultural Food - Special Confinement Food For After Delivery Care

Among the Asian, many ethnic groups have their own after birth dietary care. This is based on the belief that the health of the mother is significantly weakened during the childbearing period and the labour process where lots of blood is lost.

For the Ethnic Chinese, the first 30 days after child birth is called the 'confinement period'. It is also the most crucial 'window period' where the mother's body is able to absorb the required nutrients in it's maximum capacity. During the confinement period, the new mother is to stay at home and avoid going out so as to minimise the exposure to wind (adverse weather condition) and crowd.

A live-in confinement lady is usually employed to do the cooking and caring of the mother and the new born.

There are variations in the type of food and the cooking among the different dialect groups (or different provinces in China). However, the main ingredients used are essentially the same.

In Chinese Confinement food, the main ingredients and herbs used are Ginger, wine and black vinegar.

Ginger is thought to possess warm and heaty properties which is needed to 'drive away the winds' in the body. The pores of the skins are believed to have opened up and the joints loosen to prepare for
labour and remain in a loose state for a short period after delivery. This is when the 'winds' from the climate will enter the body if one is exposed to a windy environment. The ginger would counter the coolness and the wind effect on the body.

Black vinegar is used to cleanse the womb of residual blood clot. It is commonly cooked with Ginger and Pig trotters and simmer for several hours until the trotters are tender and tasty. This dish is cooked in large pot and eaten over several days.

Wine especially tonic wine is helpful in warming and nourishing the body. It is also believed to help in the blood production and circulatory process. Therefore, food or soup are cooked with lot of wine and ginger for this reason.

Confinement mothers are also encouraged to drink tonic wine. If she is breastfeeding, timing of wine consumption will have to be carefully planned out.

Another common dish for breastfeeding mum is fish soup cooked with ginger and raw papaya. It is extremely effective in inducing milk production by the milk glands.

The Chinese believe that failure to eat these food during the confinement period will result in the woman aging faster, experience joint pain and other health problem in later part of their lives.

Food and Drinks are Social Pleasures

Two of the things in this life that none of us can do without are food and drinks. We must have food and drinks to survive but they also play a major role in our social lives. Interactions such as family gatherings, dating, or just sitting down with a friend for a drink or a cup of coffee. And how many business deals, both large and small, have been consummated over a lunch or dinner? The answer is "countless." Restaurants provide the ambiance for social gatherings and business meetings. After all, a great many of our parents had their first date in a restaurant, and got to know each other over food and drinks. Had they not done so, then some of us might not be here today.

In the different countries all over the world, with all of our cultural differences, food and drinks are what bring people together. In Hawaii they have the Luau, Germany has Oktoberfest, Russia has Easter Feast, Mexico has Cinco de Mayo, and your own home town has the police officers at the donut shop. Imagine what life would be like if we ate just because we had to. There would be no festivals, no galas, and very few social gatherings. Of course, we would still see the police officers at the donut shop because.....well , just because.

Let's face it. We just love to eat. We have taken great pains to insure that our food will always taste scrumptious, and is readily available. Gourmet food is a good example. We can even buy gourmet food gift baskets. And take it from one who knows, they are a special treat. As a matter of fact, getting a food gift basket for someone is a good idea. Come to think of it, getting one for yourself could be an even better one.

Being a RitzyShopper you have at your fingertips restaurants, gourmet food, food gift baskets, and drinks such as wine and tea. Take a peek and let your appetite guide you.

By the way, I just couldn't resist kidding the police just a little bit. I have a police officer in the family and have a great deal of respect for the people who put their lives on the line everyday so I can sit here and write this article. Thank you.

Why Some People Choose Their Freezer Wrap With Care

You can freeze a precooked ham that has been refrigerated and in its original wrapping. Be sure to overwrap the ham ensuring an air-tight seal (vacuum package, zipper bag with all the air removed, foil, butcher wrap, etc.). Ham has a quality freezer life of about three months so plan to use the ham by the 4th of July. With a lot of the food that you buy or get from family or friends and you would really like to freeze it just make sure that when you do that that you use the right containter. Some people use zipplock, freezer safe containters, or vacuum package. Make sure that what ever you use you are happy with it.

A lot of people that use vacuum package like them because they don't take up as much space as some of the other things that are sold on the market or they don't break from being in the freezer for so long. I am not saying that one kind of packing is good for everyone cause it is not! What I am saying is that you should not just stick to one kind of containter or bag, try them all out and see what you think would be better for your home or for your client to use.

Depending of what kind of food that you would like to freeze you should find something that is air tigh. That way you will know that that product that you like to use is that kind of product that is air-tigh. Most of the name brand containter will say that they are air-tigh and that it will not get freezer burn or any of the other stuff that you could get from leaving you food in a freezer safe cooler. But you will not be sure unless you see for yourself which one you like to use.The kabobs should be fine if they were frozen in an air-tight wrap. Air is the enemy in the freezer as it causes freezer burn and flavor changes.

Normally the recommendation for using raw, defrosted meat is to consume within three to four days of purchase when stored in the grocery store shrink wrap. Since you say it was mostly defrosted on Thursday you would have three to four days after Thursday to safely use the product. Four days was Tuesday.

However, since you have it vacuum sealed, this should add a day or two do the three to four day recommendation. Air is the enemy when holding food in refrigeration/freezer before consumption. Vacuum sealing makes an air tight environment, much more air tight than the grocery store wrap. Therefore, I think you can extend the freshness of meat held in the refrigerator up to five to six days and be safe.

I hope this answered your question. And yes, vacuum sealing does make a difference on extending freshness in food. The removal of air extends the freshenss of foods beyond normal refrigerator/freezer storage guidelines. The freshness guidelines are developed for safety, Stretching the guidelines could result in harmful bacteria growing to a level that could make you ill.

You are right, they do give a range of days so it is not exact science because every situation is not under the same controls (refrigerator temperatures, amount of time out of refrigeration (grocery store to home), length of time from packaging of meat until purchased, etc. There are just too many variables to give an exact answer when you are dealing with consumers. However research has been done for many of these factors and the recommendation from that research is that the risk of bacterial contamination is so low within the guidelines (notice I don't say non-existent, meat is not a sterile food, it comes with bacteria)that the a range of days has been suggested for consumers to help them to judge when food should be considered safe to purchase, refrigerate and prepare.

You might be interested in knowing that within the next year or so you will start to see freshness labels on the front of meat that will turn colors as it ages. This is designed to help consumers know if a meat product is within the safety window for consumption. We've used our noses for thousands of years to determine if food is safe to eat. Unfortunately, the nose can be wrong, in other words the food could smell wonderful, taste great and look great and can still make you ill. However, we find that if you follow the meat holding guidelines your chances of being ill are very, very small, almost non-existent.

As long as food has remained frozen, it is safe to eat. Old, freezer-burned food is SAFE to eat, just not very good to eat. Recommendations for freezer food storage are based on the quality of the product, not the safety of the product. Frozen pork chops have a quality freezer life of six to nine months. After that time, quality changes (flavor, texture, color, etc) begin, causing the pork chops to change in quality. Remember, their are still safe to eat, just not as good to eat.

The key to keeping foods longer than the recommended freezer guidelines is to make sure they are in air-tight packaging. Air is the enemy in freezer storage so the more air-tight the packaging, the longer food can be stored with high quality results.

Ground Beef Hamburger Patty Recipe - Juicy Grilled Hamburger Patty

There's nothing worse than biting into a dry, unappetizing hamburger. You won't have that problem with this great grilled hamburger recipe. Hamburgers come hot off the grill with a delectable juicy texture that makes each bite really enjoyable.

2 pounds ground beef


1 egg, beaten


3/4 cup bread crumbs, dry


3 tablespoons evaporated milk


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat the grill on high setting.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and the garlic; mix ingredients with your hands. Form into 8 individual patties.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill hamburger patties for 5 minutes on each side, until well done.

=> Ground Beef Hamburger Meat Recipe: Hamburger with Ketchup Gravy

If there's one thing that we know goes great together, it's hamburger and ketchup. Now here's a tasty twist on using ketchup on a hamburger patty. This ground beef hamburger recipe will become one of your favorites. The meat marinates in the gravy while it cooks and is oh, so delicious.

1 pound ground beef


1/2 cup ketchup


1/2 cup bread crumbs


1 teaspoon onion powder


1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning, or to taste


Salt and pepper


2 teaspoons vegetable oil


1 large onion, cut up into chunks


1 cup ketchup


1/2 cup water, as needed

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, bread crumbs, onion powder, steak sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Form hamburger into thick patties or meatballs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides. Remove patties from skillet and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Drain grease from the skillet.

In the same skillet, slowly stir together the 1/2 cup ketchup and 1/2 cup water. You can add more water if the mixture is too thick, or, more ketchup if the mixture is too thin. Add in the onion and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add hamburger patties to the skillet and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir gravy. If the gravy is too thin, continue to simmer with the lid off until it thickens to the desired consistency.

=> Best Hamburger Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Hamburger

This qualifies as a best hamburger recipe because it is packed with flavor. It features two kinds of cheeses, onion, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and bacon. Wow. This recipe is a winner no matter how you serve it up.

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded


1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated


1 small onion, chopped


1 egg


1 tablespoon ketchup


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/8 teaspoon pepper


1 pound ground beef


6 slices bacon


6 hamburger buns, split

Directions

Preheat skillet or grill on high heat.

In a large bowl, combine the cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble the ground beef into the bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Shape mixture into 6 patties. Wrap one slice of bacon around the edge of each one. Secure bacon to patties with toothpicks.

Place patties into skillet or onto the hot grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side,
or until well done. Remove the toothpicks before putting hamburgers onto buns.

=> Gourmet Hamburger Recipe: Spicy Blue Cheese Hamburger

If you're a little adventurous, then you'll just love this gourmet blue cheese burger with a spicy twist. The hot wing sauce is that extra special secret ingredient that will have people trying to guess what it is. Maybe you'll tell them – maybe you won't, either way, these burgers are fabulous.

1 pound lean ground beef


1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled


1/2 cup onion, minced


1/2 cup hot wing sauce (normally used for chicken hot wings)


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1 teaspoon ground black pepper


1 teaspoon yellow mustard


4 hamburger buns, split

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, blue cheese and the onion. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper. Mix together well using your hands.

Make 6 patties and then place them on a plate. Cover patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill on high heat.

Take patties out of refrigerator. Pour hot wing sauce over patties until the tops (only) are well covered with sauce. Let patties sit there for 10 minutes.

Cook hamburgers for 5 minutes per side, until well done.

Try Something New- Taste the Difference on a Luxury Cooking Vacation

Cooking has never been my forte. To be honest I'm about as non-domestic as they come. I can just about make a stir-fry (throw stuff in a pan and fry, how hard can it be?) and with a bit of help I can maybe make a simple pasta dish but anything else is beyond me. I have often thought of taking cooking classes but always seem to have something else to do but if those classes were in say the South of France for instance then I may well be tempted.

Cooking holidays are fast becoming the trendiest holiday around. Celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver have made cooking cool and where better to do it than at some exotic location with fabulous surroundings.

Cooking holidays are offered at various locations including France, Italy and Spain. The accommodation on the holidays is always something special. Guests stay at chateaux, hotels, farmhouses, restaurants and beachside villas.

Talented chefs teach the classes and groups are kept small so learners can get all the help they need.

But make no mistake, cooking holidays are not confined to the kitchen. Days are varied and include tours of local wineries, excursions to historic towns to learn more about local cuisine ingredients and trips to gorgeously quaint markets where you can pick up fresh produce.

And when cooking is not on the agenda you get to explore your surroundings and enjoy everything you normally would on a holiday; night outs, restaurants, visiting cultural sites.

If you're as awful in the kitchen as me and you fancy improving your culinary skills in an exotic location then a cooking holiday might be just what you're looking for.

Weekend Getaway and Bacchanalian Feast With Friends in Ireland

Imagine a progressive bacchanalian feast of traditional cuisine and festive merriment. The setting was Dublin, Ireland and the weekend was coming to a close. It was our last night on our impromptu weekend getaway.

On that night the four of us in my group of weekend explorers could not decide on where we wanted to eat dinner. That was when we hatched our idea, a delicious and perhaps slightly hedonistic solution.

"Let's restaurant hop!" one of us suggested.

In a cooperative spirit of eager anticipation, we selected a different restaurant for each course of our dinner. Our inspiration was a take-off from an entertaining idea that had been popular back at home before we had shipped off for our semester in London, England. Glossy American gourmet-type books and magazines had been showcasing intriguing feature stories on how their readers could create progressive dinner parties.

Succinctly put, that last night in Dublin could best be described as 'progressive dinner meets pub-hopping without the stout.' We were drunk, but not on intoxicating and forbidden ale, but rather on the great joy of traveling with friends and experiencing life's serendipitous and unforgettable moments.

Among the foods that we sampled that evening was one of the rustic entrees that Ireland is famous for.

"You must sample me Irish Stew!" the lad with the slurred Gaelic dialect told us. "Ai let me bring you out a sample. 'Tis the best in all of Ireland." The waiter promised before scuttling off to the kitchen.

Within minutes our Irish waiter returned to our linen covered table with a warm from the oven fragrant loaf of Irish soda bread, and shortly thereafter with four small steamy bowls of rich and earthy Irish lamb stew that we all later confirmed as simply divine.

An authentic Irish stew is made with large chunks of vegetables. However, in my version of the recipe, the chunks are prepared a tad bit smaller so that each person's portion of the stew can easily be ladled into individual round crusty loaves of homemade bread. These shepherd style loaves when hollowed out, brushed with flavor spiked garlic and herb melted butter and filled with mouthwatering lamb stew create a most delightful smile-popping presentation.

Add a crisp green salad, a basket of Irish soda bread, an impressive dessert, a carafe of Irish coffee, some fun Irish folk ballads and perhaps a small wrapped token of friendship at each place setting for a gracious Irish themed get together perfect for a St. Patrick's Celebration with friends in the comfort of your own home. Before you know it, your dinner companions will be singing ballads of joy and appreciation for blessing them with a wonderful and memorable moment in time.

My recipe for Old Fashioned Irish Stew is posted at www.letsentertain.blogspot.com

(c) 2007 Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron and Associates

Note to publishers: You may use this article in its entirety if you keep all copyright information and active links intact. Thank you.

How To Make Of Soup Preparation Something Easy

How to make of soup preparation something easy

Feel free to create as you wish! Use any combination of vegetables you want and to make a complete meal of a soup, just cut up any leftover (ccoked) meats and add at the last minute. If you have some frozen shrimp in the freezer, you can always cook them at the last minute by throwing them into the soup and leaving them to cook until they are no longer see-through. Then serve at once.

Three of the simplest techniques:

1. Basic Cream of Vegetable Soup.

Peel, wash and cut in big chunks any vegetable(s) that you want. Cover the vegetables with enough salted water (about 2 quarts of water to 2 teaspoons of salt) to cover them by an extra inch. Bring to the boil on high heat, cover with a lid, turn down and slowly boil for about 40 minutes (or until vegetables are soft all the way through). Remember, the thicker the chunks, the longer the cooking time.

Then blend by putting a handheld blender directly into the pot and blending the vegetables. The longer you blend, the smoother the soup. Add a little half and half or heavy cream if you wish.
Some suggestions for soup ingredients are: the whites of leeks with zucchini in about equal quantity, cauliflower by itself or with another vegetable, edible pumpkin (found in Spanish markets), any kind of squash and frozen green peas, potato etc. Onions are always good in almost any soup along with the main vegetables but not as the main ingredient, just one small one. Experiment for yourself and see what you and your family enjoy.

2. Better-Tasting Cream of Vegetable Soup

Using the same suggestions as given above, the tastier soup takes a little more time and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter.
Peel, wash and cut in big chunks any vegetable(s) that you want. Saute for 3-5 minutes in a little oil, olive oil or canola oil or a blend of the two or butter. Make sure that you don't brown the vegetables, as it will change the taste.

Put in a pot with water (enough to cover vegetables by an extra inch) and salt (and pepper if you like). Bring to the boil and turn down to a slow boil and cook for about 40 minutes (or until vegetables are soft all the way through). Remember, the thicker the chunks, the longer the cooking time.

Then blend by putting the hand blender directly into the pot and blending. The longer you blend, the smoother the soup. Add a little half and half or heavy cream if you wish.

3. Chunky Vegetable Soup.

Peel, wash and cut in small chunks any vegetable(s) that you want. (If you want to make minestrone, use zucchini, carrots and at least two other vegetables that you want, usually making sure that one of the cabbage family is represented, like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage or even just the leaves or well peeled stalks or these vegetables.

Sautee (in a pot) for 3-5 minutes in a little oil, olive oil or canola oil or a blend of the two or butter. Make sure you don't brown the vegetables as it will change the taste.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables by an extra inch and salt (about 1 tsp per quart) and pepper, if you wish. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a slow boil and leave to cook for about 40 minutes (or until vegetables are soft all the way through). Remember, the thicker the chunks, the longer the cooking time. Add a little half and half or heavy cream if you wish, just before serving.


Jean-Louis Vosgien as a food consultant has created numerous recipes for restaurants in many countries.

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