Friday, 1 November 2013

What are Whole Foods ???

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added salt, carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and non-homogenized dairy products. Although originally all human food was whole food, one of the earliest uses of the term post-industrial age was in 1960 when the leading organic food organization called the Soil Association opened a shop in the name selling organic and whole grain products in London, UK.

The term is often confused with organic food, but whole foods are not necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole.



"Diets rich in whole and unrefined foods, like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidant phenolics, fibers and numerous other phytochemicals that may be protective against chronic diseases.


A focus on whole foods offers three main benefits over a reliance on dietary supplements: they provide greater nutrition for being a source of more complex micronutrients, they provide essential dietary fiber and they provide naturally occurring protective substances, such as phytochemicals.

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Some Crazy Foods


Here are some Foods with Amazingly Crazy attributes.


1. Honey  

Only food that never Spoils. Never Ever !!!




2. Watermelons in Japan 

Are designed to be cubical in shape. They get square watermelons by growing them inside of square glass cases. This helps to Stack better.




3. Cranberries 

Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them;  a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball.




4. Pineapples

The more you eat them, more is the weight you loose. It takes more calories to digest Pineapples than the calories present in them. Also one can speed up ripening of a Pineapple by standing it upside down on leafy end.




5. Osage Orange Fruit


This fruit is used to repel cockroaches. This fruit contains certain toxic compounds that repel them.




6. Apples 


There are 7000 varieties of Apples in our World !!!





 7. Lychee Seeds


They are poisonous and should not be eaten !!!




8. Tomato


Actually a Fruit. But Supreme Court gave a ruling in 1893 making it a vegetable.




9. Rice


It has more varieties than any other fruit or vegetable... nearly 15000 !!!




10. Carrots


They were originally red, purple, yellow or white. Orange carrots were not produced until the 16th century, when the Dutch cross bred yellow and red carrots to create the orange carrot, in honor of the the Dutch Royal Family, which was also known as the House of Orange.







Friday, 19 April 2013

Culinary Terms | Cooking Terminology | Cooking Terms

You can find below a glossary of most common terms used in the world of cooking. I used to get confused with the terms when i started cooking and thought an article exclusively on terminology would be quite helpful.

AL DENTE:

Italian term used to describe pasta that is cooked until it offers a slight resistance to the bite.

BARBECUE: 

Generally refers to grilling done outdoors or over an open charcoal or wood fire. More specifically, barbecue refers to long, slow direct- heat cooking.

BASTE:

To moisten foods during cooking with pan drippings or special sauce to add flavor and prevent drying.

BLANCH: 

To immerse in rapidly boiling water and allow to cook slightly.

BOIL:

To heat a liquid until bubbles break continually on the surface.

BROIL:

To cook on a grill under strong, direct heat.

CARAMELIZE:

To heat sugar in order to turn it brown and give it a special taste.

CURE: 

To preserve meats by drying and salting and/or smoking.

DEGLAZE:

To dissolve the thin glaze of juices and brown bits on the surface of a pan in which food has been fried, sauteed or roasted. To do this, add liquid and stir and scrape over high heat, thereby adding flavor to the liquid for use as a sauce.

DEGREASE:

To remove fat from the surface of stews, soups, or stock. Usually cooled in the refrigerator so that fat hardens and is easily removed.

DREDGE: 

To sprinkle or coat with flour or other fine substance.

FILLET: 

As a verb, to remove the bones from meat or fish. A fillet (or filet) is the piece of flesh after it has been boned.

FLAKE:

To break lightly into small pieces.

FLAMBE':

To flame foods by dousing in some form of potable alcohol and setting alight.

FRICASSEE:

To cook by braising; usually applied to fowl or rabbit.

GLAZE:

To cook with a thin sugar syrup cooked to crack stage; mixture may be thickened slightly. Also, to cover with a thin, glossy icing.

JULIENNE:

To cut vegetables, fruits, or cheeses into thin strips.

KNEAD:

To work and press dough with the palms of the hands or mechanically, to develop the gluten in the flour.

PARBOIL:

To boil until partially cooked; to blanch. Usually this procedure is followed by final cooking in a seasoned sauce.

PARE: 

To remove the outermost skin of a fruit or vegetable.

PLANKED:

Cooked on a thick hardwood plank.

POACH: 

To cook very gently in hot liquid kept just below the boiling point.

PUREE: 

To mash foods until perfectly smooth by hand, by rubbing through a sieve or food mill, or by whirling in a blender or food processor.

RENDER:

To make solid fat into liquid by melting it slowly.

SAUTE: 

To cook and/or brown food in a small amount of hot fat.

SCALD: 

To bring to a temperature just below the boiling point.

SCALLOP:

To bake a food, usually in a casserole, with sauce or other liquid. Crumbs often are sprinkled over.

SEAR:

To brown very quickly by intense heat. This method increases shrinkage but develops flavor and improves appearance.

SIFT:

To put one or more dry ingredients through a sieve or sifter.

STEEP:

To extract color, flavor, or other qualities from a substance by leaving it in water just below the boiling point.

STEW:

To simmer slowly in a small amount of liquid for a long time.

TRUSS:

To secure poultry with string or skewers, to hold its shape while cooking.


Veg Soft Noodles


          Preperation Time : 10 Min
          Cooking Time :10 Min
          Serves - 2



              Soft Noodles are the one of the most famous Fast foods in the market. These have a unique taste, quite delicious and tummy filling. If you are in a hurry these are a good quickie to have!!

             There are various ways to prepare soft noodles. Here we are going to help you prepare a very tasty version of Veggie Soft Noodles. Just gather the mentioned ingredients and follow the step by step procedure to cook your loved ones a very delicious dish of noodles.

Required Ingredients

Ingredient Quantity Preparation
Carrots 2     Nos long Chopped
beans 10   Nos Medium Cut pieces
Cabbage 50   gms long Chopped
onions 2     Nos Diced long
Green Chili 2-3 Nos slit along length
Noodles 200 gms
Salt to taste
Red Chili powder to taste
soy sauce 1    tsp
Refined oil 2    tsp
coriander leaves a small bunch
Ginger-Garlic Paste1/2 tsp                    

How to make Veg Soft Noodles


Step- 1: 

Take the noodles into a bowl and add 500 ml of water and boil until they become soft. Once the noodles appear soft strain them to remove all excess water.Now put 1/2 tsp oil and mix the noodles with a fork.


Step-2: 

Take the oil into a non-stick pan and warm it for 30 seconds. Then put the onions, cabbage,beans, green chilies and carrots into the oil and saute for 3-4 minutes.

Step-3:

Add ginger garlic paste, salt, chili powder and soy sauce to the saute and mix it well for 30 secs.

Step-4:

Now add the soft noodles mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add a little oil if the mixing does not go smooth.


Now your delicious dish of Veg Soft Noodles is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves and you are all ready for a tasty treat. !!!

Hope you liked the post.