As much as I spend hours on end at my computer, I wish I didn't have to and can carry on with life like it never existed. But, I am so lost without it. Right before Christmas my laptop went beserk, so had to completely wipe out the hard drive and start fresh.
I have not brought it up to speed what with so many of my graphic applications still not installed. So, I cannot update my kitchen web site or add any new graphics to it. Hopefully, I can get it going in the next couple days. Have a lot of catching up to do.
In the meantime, mark your calendars for the next kitchen workshop scheduled for February 5th. You may email me at vswamy@verizon.net for more details.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sex, Pizza or Self-esteem
Think about it. What will make you happy? I answered all three. But given a choice...well, being a woman who loves food would I say pizza? Nah, I would go for self-esteem.
This survey was done on college campuses and guess what? Students picked self-esteem over any other. This can be interpreted in several different ways. 1. That young people are too interested in themselves, or 2. They are too smart to take a chance with sex or food. Kids are smart.
But the interpretation to this answer is our children belong to a self-absorbed, narcissitic society. If the answer were one of the other two, then that would have been criticized as sickness. Sure, Psychologists have to keep their jobs.
This survey was done on college campuses and guess what? Students picked self-esteem over any other. This can be interpreted in several different ways. 1. That young people are too interested in themselves, or 2. They are too smart to take a chance with sex or food. Kids are smart.
But the interpretation to this answer is our children belong to a self-absorbed, narcissitic society. If the answer were one of the other two, then that would have been criticized as sickness. Sure, Psychologists have to keep their jobs.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Port Wine tasting in Portugal
The highlight of my trip to Portugal was the wine tasting we did at the cellars along the Douro Valley. I visited 5 different unique cellars. Unique because of the types of port wines each one specialized in, their size, their origin, and the facilities themselves.
The origin of Port wines is Portugal. Its called Port because of the formula used in these wines, which is basically the addition of spirit to stop the fermentation process. Then they are aged in big oak vats inside cellars that are climate controlled. The taste of the wines vary depending on age and the alocohol content. A very interesting detail here is port wines contain more alcohol than regular wines upto 20% in some varieties. I got to taste all ages of port wines and decided I like the 'tawny' variety the most. It is dark in color and the sweetest of them all.
There is also the LBV, Late Bottled Vintage which is fairly expensive. These wines bring the taste of Vintage Port but without the need for lengthy bottle aging. One of my purchases included an LBV bottle.
There is more to these Port Wines than what I have here such as how they should be served, stored and consumed which I will touch upon another time. Until then, look for port wines in stores and try the LBV in particular.
The origin of Port wines is Portugal. Its called Port because of the formula used in these wines, which is basically the addition of spirit to stop the fermentation process. Then they are aged in big oak vats inside cellars that are climate controlled. The taste of the wines vary depending on age and the alocohol content. A very interesting detail here is port wines contain more alcohol than regular wines upto 20% in some varieties. I got to taste all ages of port wines and decided I like the 'tawny' variety the most. It is dark in color and the sweetest of them all.
There is also the LBV, Late Bottled Vintage which is fairly expensive. These wines bring the taste of Vintage Port but without the need for lengthy bottle aging. One of my purchases included an LBV bottle.
There is more to these Port Wines than what I have here such as how they should be served, stored and consumed which I will touch upon another time. Until then, look for port wines in stores and try the LBV in particular.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Chewing gum for heartburn? Really?
Now that's odd. But apparently it works.
'Chewing on a piece or two of gum, it seems, helps force fluids back into the stomach and flood the esophagus with alkaline saliva, neutralizing acids that cause the characteristic burning sensations'. Who would have thought to test something out like acid reflux by chewing gum.
When I chew gum, I more often than not gnaw the inside of my cheek or bite down on my tongue that hurt and bleed; or swallow too much air. So, I rarely chew gum.
'Chewing on a piece or two of gum, it seems, helps force fluids back into the stomach and flood the esophagus with alkaline saliva, neutralizing acids that cause the characteristic burning sensations'. Who would have thought to test something out like acid reflux by chewing gum.
When I chew gum, I more often than not gnaw the inside of my cheek or bite down on my tongue that hurt and bleed; or swallow too much air. So, I rarely chew gum.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Do you have any special requests?
I would like my followers' input in preparing a menu for my next workshop. Do you have any food in particular that you would like to see demo'd? Let me know and I will work on accommodating it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Next cooking workshop on February 5, 2011
My next healthy vegetarian cooking workshop is on February 5th. This workshop is sponsored by 'Soul Source Center for Conscious Living', but will be conducted at my home. If you would like to attend, please email me at vswamy@verizon.net.
There is always a shadow of doubt
More so now than ever before researches on different health topics are inconclusive. So, for a lay person like myself there is no credible source to go to even for some simple things like drinking lots of fluids when you have a cold.
Coincidentally, I am having a very bad cold. And, I am feeling thirsty all the time.
I just read an article that says, it isn't clear if fluids really help. It looks like the truth is there is no scientific evidence to substantiate the age old myth that fluids can help cure the cold. All I can say is I don't think it will do any harm.
Coincidentally, I am having a very bad cold. And, I am feeling thirsty all the time.
I just read an article that says, it isn't clear if fluids really help. It looks like the truth is there is no scientific evidence to substantiate the age old myth that fluids can help cure the cold. All I can say is I don't think it will do any harm.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Soups for your cold and this cold winter weather
One good thing about winter are the hot soups that most families serve with their meals. I love creating these hearty soups with winter vegetables and generally make a meal out of them.
I think the first secret in these soups is the broth. For my creations I start out with a medium-light broth made either from a mix of vegetables or just with tomatoes. The next secret lies in the spices. Coriander and Cumin play a major role. Once you add these two flavors with a touch of fresh coriander, it can beat hands down any restaurant soup.
Guess what's for dinner today!
I think the first secret in these soups is the broth. For my creations I start out with a medium-light broth made either from a mix of vegetables or just with tomatoes. The next secret lies in the spices. Coriander and Cumin play a major role. Once you add these two flavors with a touch of fresh coriander, it can beat hands down any restaurant soup.
Guess what's for dinner today!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Technology can be a big problem!
Yes. My computer gave up right before my vacation. Luckily, I had all my work backed up. The problem is I am still installing programs and have not installed any of the graphic programs I use. So, I do not have pictures for these new recipes I am posting. I need to edit them before posting and can't do that until I have my favorite PhotoShop installed.
Spanish Paella
After reading the Spain guide book, marking off places to see and foods to eat; Oh, also some elementary Spanish to speak to impress my family, I decided I would try a new dish every day at a different restaurant.
The first night I went to a traditional spanish restaurant right across from the hotel in Barcelona. And, decided to go for the traditional spanish dish called Paella. There are several variations of Paella and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they even had a vegetarian option.
I can assure you this is one of the most satisfying soul foods. It has rice and also some colorful vegetables and peppers. The magic of the taste apparently lies in the variety of rice that it is cooked with. So, here is a recipe with my own twist to it.
Ingredients
•Hearty rice with texture. I would suggest Arborio or parboiled rice.
•olive oil
•garlic
•yellow onion, chopped. Use yellow onion although a spicy palette is what most people think they should go for
•vegetable broth to cook the rice in
•2 cups (16 oz) rice
•tomatoes
•some colorful peppers
•artichoke hearts chopped
•lemon
salt to taste
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a wok. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is tender and translucent. Simmer the broth in a separate pot. Pour the rice into the wok and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the veges and tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes. Add the simmering vegetable broth. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until almost almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Sprinkle the artichoke hearts with a few drops of lemon juice. Serve the paella straight from the pan, with some attractive garnishes.
The first night I went to a traditional spanish restaurant right across from the hotel in Barcelona. And, decided to go for the traditional spanish dish called Paella. There are several variations of Paella and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they even had a vegetarian option.
I can assure you this is one of the most satisfying soul foods. It has rice and also some colorful vegetables and peppers. The magic of the taste apparently lies in the variety of rice that it is cooked with. So, here is a recipe with my own twist to it.
Ingredients
•Hearty rice with texture. I would suggest Arborio or parboiled rice.
•olive oil
•garlic
•yellow onion, chopped. Use yellow onion although a spicy palette is what most people think they should go for
•vegetable broth to cook the rice in
•2 cups (16 oz) rice
•tomatoes
•some colorful peppers
•artichoke hearts chopped
•lemon
salt to taste
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a wok. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is tender and translucent. Simmer the broth in a separate pot. Pour the rice into the wok and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the veges and tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes. Add the simmering vegetable broth. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until almost almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Sprinkle the artichoke hearts with a few drops of lemon juice. Serve the paella straight from the pan, with some attractive garnishes.
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