food sectionfood section
Eggplant belongs to the same family as tomatoes and sweet peppers. This vegetable has a distinctive smoky flavor when baked, however it can also be fried and is an important ingredient of many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Eggplants are at their best between August and October, however you should check the vegetable to make sure it hasn't spoiled before you buy. There are several easy things you can do, even while you're still at the grocery store.
Potatoes store well for a month or longer if kept in the right location. A 45 to 50 degree Fahrenheit dark storage area keeps the potatoes fresh and helps prevent spoilage. They require some ventilation and air circulation, but overly dry storage areas aren't suitable. A storage rack in an unfinished area of the basement usually provides good storage. If you don't have the best storage location, keep the potatoes in a dark pantry and check them regularly for signs of spoilage.
Unless you hail from a Latin culture or have a good Latin market nearby, chances are the yams in your yam-based recipes are sweet potatoes. Although they look like a lot like sweet potatoes, yams are tubers that are typically sweeter and more moist, and their flesh ranges in color from white, to yellow, to purple. Fortunately, you prepare yams in much the same way that you do sweet potatoes, and candied yams are a traditional, crowd-pleasing dish.
From major chains to small local diners, Chinese take-out restaurants offer American food with an ethnic twist. Although chefs debate over the authenticity of American Chinese food, restaurants serve dozens of items with slightly different choices that cater to everyone's tastebuds. You always want to do a little homework on a place before you order, so stop in to the restaurant to see the menu and check out the food. Otherwise, you might not know what you get when you order.
Chinese food has become a major part of the American food landscape. According to National Public Radio, more than 40,000 Chinese restaurants are spread throughout the United States. Relatively inexpensive, familiar Chinese take-out options include fried rice, orange chicken, lo mein, egg rolls, wonton soup and beef with broccoli. Ordering Chinese food is as easy as making your selections and placing the phone call to order.
Potatoes range in size, taste, shape and color. Consume a potato as a snack, serve it as a side dish or add it as an ingredient to soups and stews. When you are not consuming potatoes, store them properly because they have a long shelf life. The starchy vegetable spoils when stored in improper conditions. Spoiled potatoes may contain harmful bacteria or chemicals that can make you seriously ill. Before consuming a potato, always inspect and examine it closely to ensure that it shows no signs of spoilage.
It's difficult now to imagine that treasured American favorites like pizza and spaghetti were once considered exotic ethnic food. Today, with the ongoing globalization of food and communications, it's entirely possible for any small-town enthusiast to find, and make, recipes from all over the world. There are many ways to indulge a curiosity about ethnic foods.
When you're babysitting, the kids that you are watching will often expect to have a great time, since their parents have left. And even if they don't, you should do fun and engaging activities with them so that they look forward to having you over again. Try these fun and simple crafts, which you can make with household items, to become the babysitter that kids will ask for again and again!
Babysitters look for dishes to make for kids that are not only quick and easy, but something that they will like. Many kids are much pickier about what they eat than adults are. Here are a few effortless recipes for babysitters to make that kids will enjoy eating.
Halloween is a festive holiday, and you can make food dishes that are just as creative as costumes. These starters will put your guests in the mood for the holiday and also display your creativity. Regardless if you are hosting an adult or kids' Halloween party, these recipes will provide entertainment for all your guests.
Potatoes and yams are widely grown around the world as popular food crops. Potatoes are grown on more than one million acres every year. They are the leading vegetable crop in the United States with 41.3 billion pounds grown in 2008. Sweet potatoes are extensively grown in South America. They are genetically unrelated to yams, which are grown in Africa, South America and the Caribbean. The words yam and sweet potato are used interchangeably, but other than being tubers, the two are very different.
A staple food of the holiday season, fresh yams are often served with drawn butter and seasoned with sage and rosemary or marshmallows and brown sugar. Fresh yams are high in vitamins A and C, and a good source of fiber. Don't reserve fresh yams for the holidays though, when simply prepared, they are a healthy addition to your dinner table at any time of the year.
Traditional Appalachian is based on both wild and farmed foods and has both European and Cherokee influences, according to Eat Me Daily. Corns, beans and squash are staples in traditional Appalachian cooking.
As the Harvard School of Health points out, fads like the Atkins diet oversimplify our bodies' dietary needs. A healthy diet isn't based on avoiding certain foods in favor of others--instead, it's based on choosing a balanced variety of foods that give our bodies protein, fat, and carbohydrates in moderation.
You might overhear a cook in your local diner holler for more monkey dishes. What on earth is he talking about? Though he could be referring to primate gossip, most likely he wants a particular piece of crockery.
Chinese take-out is a tempting option for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Chinese restaurants offer many delicious choices on their menus. With a little bit of caution and planning, you can order a healthy Chinese take-out meal to eat in the comfort of your home. Your overall strategy is to choose more healthy ingredients and to avoid unhealthy ingredients. Chinese restaurants typically offer a wide variety of healthy choices, and you can find them easily.
Wheatgrass is one of the most alkaline green leafy vegetables known. It is part of the cereal grass family, which includes barley grass, oat grass and rye grass. Many people grow their own wheatgrass both indoors and outdoors for its many health benefits. "Folk medicine practitioners once used wheatgrass for everything from treating constipation to easing the pain of rheumatism," according to information on WebMD.
Dutch ethnic foods are based on the traditional fishing and farming of the Netherlands, a nation that is world-renowned for its specialty cheeses and chocolate. Though ethnic Dutch menus are not especially diverse, it's a very healthy cuisine, with a larger percentage of vegetables and seafood than meats. Hearty winter dishes are popular, along with sweet and spicy desserts and treats.
Hard economic times call for cutting down on a number of items in your budget, and food is one of the easiest on which to save money. While a depression-era lifestyle may be a bit drastic for you, changing the way you cook and eat can save a significant amount of money when unemployed or facing other economic hardships.
Healthy potluck dishes can be even more delicious than unhealthy ones. Whether you make a main course, salad or side, healthy versions of favorites can be prepared with minimum effort.
A good way to include more healthy meals in your diet, whether you have a lot of time for cooking or very little, is to prepare healthy meals ahead of time. If a healthy meal is already prepared and just needs to be assembled, thawed or reheated you are more likely to choose that meal over unhealthy alternatives like fast food or pizza. You can make a week's worth of healthy meals and freeze them or just prepare the basic components of healthy meals in advance for quick and easy dinner preparation.
There are many different types of eggplants available in a variety of colors. Green, lavender, light yellow, and orange eggplants of various sizes provide nutrients and add flavor to dishes around the globe. Eggplants tend to spoil quickly, which compromises taste and nutritional value. Understanding the difference between a fresh and a spoiled eggplant can make or break a meal. There are some simple observations you can make to help determine if an eggplant has spoiled.
Vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals that help protect children from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Children who develop healthy eating habits and enjoy vegetables maintain better eating habits as adults. Children should eat vegetables daily for good nutrition.
In the U.S., sweet potatoes are commonly called "yams," although the two are different species. They can be prepared similarly, however. Yams are delicious and packed with vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, fiber and beta-carotene. They are highly versatile, easy to prepare and can be baked, mashed or even microwaved. The American diet is typically lacking in yellow vegetables, and eating yams is one way to enhance our nutrition. Yams are native to South and Central America, Asia and Africa, and were introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus. They are widely grown in warm climates, particularly in Africa, southern…
Vegetable dishes are very nutritious and is a great addition to your daily diet. Preparing vegetable dishes does not have to be boring. There are a variety of different colorful vegetables that can be combined, to present colorful and tasty vegetable dishes.
