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Archive for July, 2007

Seafood

Monday, July 30th, 2007

Eat healthy, eat fresh seafood Prepared to perfection, fresh seafood can make you want to be on a seafood diet for ever. Seafood is more healthy for you than eating red or white meats that contain lots of fats.

Fresh seafood does not always mean that it has not been frozen; it sometimes means that it was frozen fresh. After all, if you didn’t buy it frozen, you would be limited to only a few choices of seafood instead of being able to enjoy seafood from around the world. If you decide that really fresh, unfrozen seafood is what you prefer, there are a few things to look for to ensure you are really receiving fresh seafood.

The first thing you look at are the eyes, make sure they are clear, not bulging. Next the gills should be red, not even slightly pink. The flesh of the fish should feel firm.

Most importantly the fish should not have a fishy smell to it. To keep the seafood from going bad you should store it at 39 degrees and cook it as soon as possible. Remember, if there are any doubt as to rather seafood is fresh or not, don’t take a chance on eating it. Seafood that has spoiled can make you very sick. The best way to cook seafood is when it is still frozen.

A lot of people prefer the taste of it when it has been cooked on a barbeque grill. Wrapping it in foil helps give it the most favorable taste possible. Seafood can also be cooked in a frying pan, or baked in an oven. If you do thaw out the seafood before cooking it, then you have to make sure it is cooked immediately upon thawing and should never be refrozen. Seafood is good for you because it is low in fat and high in protein. Most fish contain oils that are called omega-3. These oils can help prevent some diseases and treat certain types of illness. The eel is one type of seafood that contains a high fat content, but only a very few types of seafood contain fat.

Being on a seafood diet can be considered a very smart and healthy thing to do. There is a long list of diseases that eating fresh fish can help prevent. In countries where the women eat less red meat and more seafood, they have less problems with breast cancer. Another disease that seafood seems to help prevent is Alzheimer’s.

You can also take fish oil instead of eating seafood if you prefer. Seafood is a great source for women to receive iron and iodine, which are two vitamins that help your thyroids. If you want to add iron and zinc to your diet try eating scallops and mussels. By eating seafood on a regular basic you can enjoy many healthy benefits.

Gourmet Foods

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

Many people claim that they do not like gourmet foods; but this may be the case only because they have not tasted enough varieties. The types of gourmet foods are endless. Not only are there meats, drinks, cheeses, fruits, and deserts, but there are hundreds of kinds of all of these. Gourmet foods are a delicacy and they taste absolutely heavenly.

Whenever anyone thinks of gourmet foods, the first thing that often comes to mind is cheese. If you are in the market for cheese, remember that gourmet cheese is not like American or Cheddar cheese. For example, Agour Ossau-Iraty is a cheese made in Poland from sheep’s milk. 34 Degrees Australian marinated feta is produced in Israel and is made from the milk of sheep and goats, with spices added. It is difficult to pick out one cheese with this many types available to try. If it is possible for you to do so, smell the cheese before you buy it. Especially if you are in France, buy what smells good to you.

One of the best tasting and most popular categories of gourmet foods is deserts and sweets. Favorites include cakes, candies, cookies, and chocolate. Varieties of cakes are sponge cakes, cheesecakes, and chocolate, lemon, and raspberry cakes. Gourmet cookies can be plain or decorated, and come in a variety of flavors. Toppings, such as syrup, honey, creams, jellies, jams, and spreads, are another gourmet favorite. While any of these can be made at home or bought at the grocery store, the delightful texture and taste of the gourmet desert versions are to die for.

Another well known gourmet food is exotic tasting coffee and tea. Whether you want loose tea or tea bags, ground coffee or whole beans, hot chocolate or a chilly frappuccino, there is a gourmet drink out there for you. These drinks can give you the extra energy you need to stay awake, warm you up on a winter’s day, or be just the right complement to an excellent meal. What better for going with coffee than biscotti? These are good by themselves, or dipped in coffee, tea, cappuccino, milk, or wine. Biscotti come in all sorts of flavors, like hazelnut, chocolate, gingerbread, and many others.

If you like gourmet food and are one of those people who can’t live without your meat, there are still lots of options out there. That’s right — there is such a thing as gourmet meat. You can get Angus beef strip steaks, caviar, escargot, hot salami, free-range turkey, pheasant, Danish brown sugar slab bacon, and many more.

Gourmet food is great no matter what the occasion. The holiday season is an excellent time to try new gourmet foods, or even give them as a gift. They can be purchased in a gourmet food store, through a catalogue, or even online. Once you have tried gourmet food, the taste will have you hooked.