Culinary Trends
The Simple Way to Prepare and Store Homemade Baby Food
While I love to purchase organic baby food for my children it can be quite expensive.
The jars are two to three times as expensive as the regular baby food. Ouch! This caused me to do some research on what foods baby can eat at different ages and the best way to prepare the foods.
Now I love making my own baby food and wanted to share with new and experienced mothers who would love to make some delicious homemade baby food for their little ones. Read on to learn some great tips.
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Healthy Alternatives to Treats for Your Kids
When it comes to sweet deserts and rewards for your kids there is nothing like a tasty treat. We all loved getting them as children and our children love treats as well. While it is nice to share the fun with your kids it is important to look out for their health. In order to help make better desert choices here are some healthy alternatives to treats for your kids.
Fruit Leather vs. Fruit Rolls
While kids love to take fruit rolls in their lunch box to school they are not fruit at all. Most fruit rolls and fruit snacks are make with sugar, artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup. While they may have added vitamins there is nothing natural about them.
A healthy alternative to artificial fruit rolls is fruit leathers which are made with real fruit and sweetened with fruit juices. These are not loaded with artificial flavors or colors and are much healthier for your kids. Make sure you read the labels as the ingredients are the true test on how healthy the snack is.
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Coconut Oil Uses – The New Cooking Oil
Five Delicious Ways to Use Coconut Oil in the Kitchen
Delicious Coconuts Have Many Uses
One of my favorite ingredients to use in the kitchen is organic cold pressed coconut oil.
Coconut Oil is a hot culinary trend and it deserves to be. It has a delicious nutty flavor and a long storage life.
The cold pressed coconut oil is minimally processed so you do not miss out on the nutrients and flavor. You can purchase it in most grocery stores and health food stores. I buy mine in 5 pound tubs.
You can use coconut oil for many beauty needs as well so having a lot on hand is not such a bad thing.
The nice thing about coconut oil is that it comes in a solid form so it is not prone to spilling as long as you keep it cool enough.
To help give you some ideas of where you might use it in the kitchen I have come up with five delicious ways to use coconut oil.
Wine Connoisseurs Delight in San Francisco’s Napa Valley Tours
Wine Country near San Francisco
San Francisco, the city is nestled on the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and is near some of the finest wineries the West Coast – and the world – has to offer.
San Francisco is within easy driving distance of both the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and offers wine lovers the opportunity to discover delightful vintages they might not find outside San Francisco. Luxury hotel accommodations in the heart of the city provide a sensual respite where you can relax and recharge at the end of the day. The City by the Bay is a truly the perfect vacation spot for wine aficionados.
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Food Substitutions for Healthy Eating
Five healthy food substitutions you should try today
When it comes to the battle of eating healthy, each of us has our own guilty little pleasures that can sabotage even our best efforts to eat right. For some it’s chocolate, others it’s butter, and still others just can’t say no to that freshly baked loaf of bread that your favorite restaurant serves up before dinner. Whatever your weakness is, there is likely a healthy substitution that can help you satisfy your craving while not sacrificing your health.
As any health expert will attest to, eating healthy is a life style and not a feat to be taken lightly. But if you’re serious about making changes, beginning with these five healthy food substitutions is a sure-fire way to get started.
Replace ground beef with healthier substitutes in recipes- If you’re a meat lover then chances are you’re serious about your beef products and just can’t find it plausible that there is another meat that can come anywhere near to comparing to beef, but you’d be wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Eat Lower on the Food Chain
Eating low on the food chain can improve your health and the environment too
Never before has the message and necessity of adopting a healthy lifestyle been more urgent. In recent years, it’s been increasingly difficult to turn on the television and not see messages from the FDA and USDA urging consumers to return certain fruits, vegetables, and other products to stores because they have been contaminated either in their natural environments or in the process of being brought to sellers. With the rampant use of pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals, consumers face some really difficult decisions in deciding what foods they should purchase and consume.
Here are some tried and true tips for incorporating healthier food chain consumption.
Should I Buy Cage Free, Free Range, Organic, or Just Plain Eggs?
Tips for Decoding Egg Carton Labels
New York Times writer, Catherine Price, recently wrote an interesting article about one of the most common kitchen staples: the egg. As she says, in the past, “an egg was an egg.” Your only choice was size.
But now, consumers can choose from what some foodies call “designer eggs.” Some producers claim to treat their hens more humanely than other producers. Other cartons boast of extra health benefits from their eggs, such are more Omega-3 fatty acids.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of regulation of some of these terms; animal welfare groups warn consumers to pay careful attention when they buy.
Here’s a brief explanation of the controversy, a glossary of terms, and some tips for wading through the competing claims.
The Latin Influence: Traditional Culinary Trend with Taste
Latin influenced menus are enjoying great success in the culinary world today – and can be traced back to the homeland. South American-born chefs who perhaps started in an entry-level position in a restaurant now find themselves on the front lines, creating dishes and menus to tempt palates from all walks of life. They have brought with them a fusion of culture and a passion for preparing authentic cuisine.
There are several dishes and ingredients which are considered mainstays in the heart of the Latin chef. Such recipes often rely on tried and true common foods while at the same time lending colorful inspiration and a flair for the unusual.
Want to learn about some of the unusual ingredients that make Latin cuisine special? Read on.
Hot Restaurant Trends: Green Earth-friendly Practices
Restaurants across the United States are being encouraged to join the Green bandwagon and become environmentally friendly. The National Restaurant Association voted in January 2007 to promote earth friendly practices in its 900,000 plus member organization.
Recently 300 restaurants pledged to be come certifiably green under the Green Restaurant Association. This non-profit organization has the mission to create an ecologically sustainable restaurant industry. Restaurants can take steps to be “certified green restaurants.” National Public Radio covered the green restaurant movement in March 2007.
Foraging for Food Trends: Sustainables and Organics on the Menu
Cutting Edge Food Trends
Are you a student of the culinary arts, eager to learn where the food industry and your career could potentially be headed? Perhaps you’re a chef or restaurant owner, hungry for whatever the area’s competing restaurants might be serving up next. Get ready to go green… sources say that sustainable food service and organic ingredients could potentially become menu mainstays for the country’s finest food establishments in the not so distant future.
Culinary Trends
Here are the cutting edge food trends for the next few years:
Summer Food Trends: What’s Hot on the Culinary Scene
Culinary Tourism – Growing Trend in the Food and Travel Industry
Combines Love of Food with Love of Travel
Are you passionate about experiencing other cultures through regional food and drink? Picture yourself sipping Cava in Barcelona, organizing a Tuscan cooking class using local olive oils, or speaking to a local goat farmer while nibbling on fresh chevre in Normandy. Closer to home, you might don wooly mittens for a sugar-on-snow party during maple sugaring season in Vermont, or learn the two-step at an old fashioned Texas barbeque. Welcome to one of the hottest trends in the food and travel industries: culinary tourism. Read the rest of this entry »