Foodmall

On your restaurant menu if you come across a dish by name “beancurd made by a pockmarked woman‘, how would you react? Puzzled or may be horrified.
Many foreigners in China are complaining that they are often puzzled and even startled by the menu when they dine in Chinese restaurants, saying the awful translations of the names of the dishes often give them no small culture shock.

The names of many Chinese dishes are translated literally into English, though these English words might not make any sense at all.

For example, “Lu Da Gong” (a Beijing-style dessert), is translated into “rolling donkey,” and “Ma Po Dou Fu” (one of the most famous Sichuan dishes) is translated into “beancurd made by a pockmarked woman.”
A “tiger dish” on the menu is actually only a cold dish made of tomatoes, green peppers and onions, and of course has nothing to do with tigers at all. The Chinese name of the dish comes from its hot and spicy flavor.

The translation of “Tong Zi Ji” (broiler) is perhaps the funniest of all, as it is translated into “chicken without sexual life” on the menu of some restaurants.

The names of Chinese dishes are mostly imbued with some kind of artistic flavor, as they usually describe the appearance of the dishes. In the opinion of the Chinese, “Se” (good appearance) is even more important than “Xiang” (fragrance) and “Wei” (taste). No wonder the Chinese give such beautiful and rhythmic names to their dishes.

However, the names of Western-style dishes are usually simple descriptions of the material and the cooking methods of the dishes, like pot roast. Thus it is natural for Westerners to guess the materials and the cooking methods of the Chinese dishes through their names, which in many cases just do not work.

Nevertheless, Zhou, a translator in Beijing, insists on translating the names of Chinese dishes word for word, in order to “keep their unique cultural and artistic flavor.” “It’s part of our culture, and perhaps a better part, thus we can’t afford losing it via translating them into Western style,” said Zhou.
Via: Chinanews)

Mc Donald’s is set to become world’s largest producer of brewed coffee in UK. It’s the first fast food chain who will be selling ethically sourced coffee. Rest of its outlets in UK will buy coffee beans from poor farmers to help them sustain in modern world.

This deal will not only satisfy hard coffee lovers but also help poor farmers financially and hence help in economical growth of the country.

UK Mc Donald’s president said that coffee deal would transform the market. In UK the hamburger chain will franchise with farms approved by Rainforest Alliance. It has been found that such deals will progress in different parts of the world and double the income of coffee brewers.

Via: The Independent

It’s a 20 storied, one of the world’s tallest cake, created by mass of Anhui province for New Year celebration in China. People created a six meter tall cake from 11280 eggs, 610 kg of milk, 175 kg of flour and 216 kg of oil and decorated it with 9,999 roses.

Via: Spluch

I do not know what exactly Brussels sprouts are. After searching the web, I found that it’s a wild cabbage grown in the autumn and springs. The ingredients of the vegetable help fight cancer and enhance body’s defense system.

This vegetable is not liked by most of us and children hate eating it, but they forget that it’s beneficial for health.

Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferous vegetables are chopped or chewed, hence trigger the liver and detoxify cancer causing chemicals. They are good source of various nutrients such as vitamins A, K, C, B1, B2 and E.

These are excellent source of vitamin C, body’s primarily soluble antioxidant. It supports immune system and helps in manufacture of collagen. It also plays an important role in bringing that natural glow to your skin.

How to select and store

Good quality of them is firm, compact and vivid green. They should be freed from the wilted and yellow leaves. Avoid getting ones with perforations in their leaves. Choose them in a regular pattern, as they’ll cook evenly. These can be stored in refrigerators for a long period of time. Wash them properly and rinse of the extra dirt.

Here’s a salad dressing recipe

Ingredients

6 medium sized Brussels sprouts with excess stem removed
1 large carrot cut into small chunks
200gms of broccoli florets
200gms green beans (sliced)
500gms of mushrooms (sliced into thin pieces)
1 medium red bell pepper cut into small chunks
Medium sized union (sliced thinly)
Marinade:
3tbsp honey
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
3 medium cloves of garlic (crushed)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Pinch of red chili flakes

Preparation

1. In a pan boil the salted water. Place colander in sink and set up bowl of ice water.
2. Cut your vegetables into chunks.
3. When water begins to boil then add carrots, Brussels sprouts and cook for four minutes.
4. Add broccoli, pepper, green beans, mushrooms and onion. Cook them for another 4four minutes.
5. Drain the water and immediately put these chunks into ice cold water. Let them chill and drain off ice water.
6. Make marinade by whisking together ingredients by adding olive oil little by little.
7. Put these vegetables into a bowl, add marinade, cover and let it refrigerate for at least for an hour.

Via: Cookingforengineers

those who know the difference between ‘food’ and ‘health food’ would appreciate use of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet. These contain beta-carotene; an antioxidant found in many of them helps you fight germ infections. Here is a simple salad recipe armed with loads of medicinal values and is quite indispensable for all health conscious gourmets.

Zucchini and carrots in Scapece (marinated eggplant).

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
500gms of Zucchini sliced into small rounds
2-3 elephant garlic cloves thinly sliced
250gms of freshly chopped basil leaves
150gms of fresh mint leaves, chopped
500gms of fresh carrot, slices into rounds
¼ cup red wine vinegar
According to taste:
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a fry pan.
2. Work in batches, add zucchini and fry until golden brown.
3. Transfer the fried Zucchini to the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper with half of the garlic, basil and mint leaves over the zucchini.
5. Add some oil to the frying pan.
6. Saute the carrots until golden brown, around 5 minutes.
7. Now transfer the saute carrots to the zucchini dish.
8. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
9. Sprinkle left over garlic, basil and mint leaves.
10. Pour red wine vinegar over the mixture and toss, to gently cover the vegetables.
11. Cool at room temperature, cover and marinate for about eight hours.
12. At last add the scapece to platter and serve. Serve with bread, fish or chicken.

Via: FoodNetwork

The celery stalks are engineered in Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Florida by cross-pollinating traditional celery with hollow stemmed wild celery. These hollow stalks are environment friendly, easy to store, adds flavor dimensions to ordinary beverages and are edible.

So, trash away your plastic straws and bag celery stalks (straws) in your alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Soon they will be available in nearby restaurants and hotels.

Via: Engadget

Its indeed a nice sight to see a cart filled with bright oranges. And for ages the health benefits of starting the day with orange juice have been emphasized in the Western part of the world.

The Vitamin C enrichment that this fruit provides is well known, but the freshly squeezed juice has only 25% of the Vitamin C of the whole fruit. The greatest concentration of this nutrient is in the coloured peel and the white pith which we unfortunately ignore.

Besides protecting the juicy flesh of the orange, the colored, outermost layer of the fresh peel holds the aromatic essential oils that carry the aroma and flavor of the fruit. When dried, the peel takes on a robust orange flavor with spicy overtones that can be used for flavoring tea, adding to spice rubs for dry-marinating meat or poultry, or flavoring baked goods.

Even the bitter white pith and seeds (pips) have special uses. In traditional recipes for marmalade, the flavor is intensified by adding the peel - with the pectin-rich pith left on to promote gelling as the preserves cook - and water in which orange seeds have soaked for a day.
To gain the most from an orange, here is a recipe:

SALAD OF ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGE
Makes 4 to 6 servings
5 medium beets
3 oranges
1 medium onion
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/ 3 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
Butter lettuce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim away beet tops. Scrub beets but do not peel. Place beets in a medium-sized roasting pan. Add water to half the depth of the pan. Cover and bake until beets are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of beets.

When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1 /2-inch dice. Transfer to mixing bowl.

Grate the zest of one orange. Halve and squeeze orange to yield 2 tablespoons juice. Peel and section the remaining 2 oranges. Slice onion and combine with orange segments.

Whisk together grated orange zest, the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon some of the dressing over the beets and over the onion-orange mixture. Keeping the beets and orange-onion mixtures separate, toss to coat with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate separately, at least 1 and up to 6 hours.
Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

To serve, line a shallow serving bowl or individual salad plates with lettuce. Arrange beets atop lettuce leaves. Top with onion-orange mixture. Spoon any remaining dressing over.

PER SERVING: 196 calories; 3 g protein; 20 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 13 g fat (2 g saturated); 0 cholesterol; 76 mg sodium

Via: The Columbus Dispatch

Hearty Herb Bread bags a prize in Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Baking Contest. The soft bread is rich in fiber; is a raw food one that is uncooked, made from grains. It can be eaten as a whole or can be made more delicious and healthy by adding to meals.

Fiber is not only beneficial and essential for health, it helps reduce risk for some chronic diseases, prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Moreover, it helps prevent some cancers, especially, colon and breast cancer, lowers the LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), hence reducing the risk of heart disease, lowers blood sugar and reduces diabetes and helps you keep trim.

Being brown doesn’t make bread necessary whole wheat or whole grain. Some brown bread indeed is added with brown coloring.

You too can make it at your place!

Ingredients

5-1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
¼ cup wheat bran
1 cup of wheat germ
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 tbsp parsley flakes
1-1/2 tsp each: dried oregano, dry thyme, dry marjoram, pepper
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp each: dried leaf sage, celery seeds
2-1/4 cups warm water
¼ cup canola oil large egg
2 tbsp dehydrated minced onion
1 cup whole-wheat flour

Preparation

1. In a bowl mix 2 cups of bread flour, wheat germ, oats, bran, milk powder, sugar, yeast, parsley, oregano, thyme, marjoram, pepper, salt, sage and celery seeds.

2. Beat the mixture, until blended

3. Add water and oil. Beat for two minutes.

4. Add 1 cup bread flour and egg.

5. Beat vigorously for one minute.

6. Now blend a union

7. In another bowl, stir 2 cups of bread flour and whole wheat flour. Stir it into dough. Use 1/2 cup of flour to dust.

8. Place the dough onto a clean and smooth surface, already sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough; place it in lightly oiled bowl.

9. Cover with clean kitchen towel, let stand 20 minutes.

10. Remove dough from the bowl and divide into half. Shape it into two loaves

11.Place them in two lightly greased loaf pans.

12.Cover it with a clean kitchen towel; let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles.

13.Bake it in a 400F preheated oven; till it gets brown and finally divide into two loafs.

Via: TheStar

During summers when you feel thirsty, drink juices full of ice and fruity essence and if you are planning to visit Peru, do sneak into Alejandro’s blogs for more insight. The camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) comes with delicious and refreshing effects. Ice rolls dipped in juices and vivid colors are extremely appealing.

The aguaje (Moriche Palm) fruit is edible raw and in drinks. Pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) is served at breakfast and as a snack in the afternoon. The pitomba, commonly found in street stalls, in towns and fields, with tang, joins the jenipapo in this world of delights. The jenipapo yields a dark-blue dye used in body-painting, and is used in refreshments and wines.

The cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum) can be used to make ice-cream, juice, dessert, salami, wine, liquor and chocolate. Its seeds contain caffeine and theobromine.

Brazil is widely known for some of the beverages they produce. It produces a powerful, clear, raw rum called Cachaca made from fermented sugar cane alcohol.

Thanks: Alejandro

Via: GlobalVoicesOnline

Want different tastes and aromas; add pomegranates to your recipes, cocktails and salads.

Fruits, vegetables and spices combine to present a unique experience to your gourmet guests. Fruits such as peaches, plums, apricots, apples, cherries, pears, mulberry, figs, kiwi, pomegranates, strawberries and melons along with watermelons are succulent and rich in juices. A variety of wines and vodkas are made from these fruits.

Eating pomegranates is not an easy task, the fruit is full of juicy seeds. Some extract the juice and throw the seeds. It’s the native fruit of region across Iran to Himalayas in the north and is cultivated since ancient times.

Scientists in Israel have proved that a glass of pomegranate juice can prevent cardiovascular diseases. The juice is rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E. This fruit is gaining popularity in restaurants and serves as an important ingredient in chef’s recipes.

This fruit can be preserved in your refrigerators for two to three weeks. The berries can be extracted and chilled, mixed with sugar, salt and chaat masala.

Three easy steps to gobble it up with a minimum of fuss:

• Cut off the crown, and then cut the pomegranate into sections.
• Place the sections in a bowl of water, and then roll out the arils (juice sacs) with your fingers. Discard everything else.
• Strain out the water and then eat the succulent arils whole, seeds and all

Note: When buying this fruit be careful, best fruit is one with thin skin, brightly colored and heavy in weight.

Via: Csmonitor