FoodRevo blog

If you haven’t experienced White Persian Melon tea, you’ve missed a real treat. White Persian Melon tea is a flavorful blend of white tea combined with sweet melon nectar. It’s one of healthiest and most refreshing beverages you can drink.

But, like other teas, some White Persian Melon teas are better than others. Making great White Persian Melon tea, of course, requires the best white tea with the best melon flavoring.

One of the features that people typically evaluate in determining good tea is when the tea is plucked. However, this is not the best way to judge the White Persian Melon Tea you’re buying.

White tea can only be harvested for about two weeks during March and April of each year. White tea, by definition, is a spring tea, harvested only from the very first buds the tea plant produces each year. Harvesting white tea requires particular temperatures and other environmental conditions.

It must be picked when the weather is dry and there has been no frost the night before. Therefore, all white tea is a “first plucking” unlike other tea plants, which are plucked multiple times during the growing season.

So, when it comes to choosing the best White Persian Melon Tea, it’s more important to understand the best varieties of white tea, so that you know that your White Persian Melon tea is high quality. These varieties are used by many different companies and can be found in several different brands of white tea.

Bai Hao Yinzhen Tea – A Chinese white tea, this is considered the very finest grade of white tea. It is usually referred to as Silver Needle tea and can only be plucked for a little more than two weeks of during March and April. There must be no rain or dew on the ground when it is plucked and there can be no frost. Only unopened and undamaged buds are used to produce this white tea.

Bai Mu Dan Tea – This tea is also grown in China, and is generally considered the second highest grade of Yinzhen tea. This tea is also picked during a short timeframe in March and April and requires correct environmental conditions, too. However, compared to Bai Hao Yinzhen tea, it contains more leaves and fewer buds. The very best tea of this grade uses only the top two leaves on the tea plant, along with the unopened bud.

Darjeeling White Tea – Darjeeling tea is grown in the Darjeeling region of India, the part of the world famous for Darjeeling black teas. Darjeeling white tea is a wonderful combination of the delicacy of white tea with the muscatel flavor that is unique to Darjeeling teas. You’ll find several grades of Darjeeling. To choose the best, be certain that the tea is 100% Darjeeling.

Ceylon White Tea – Ceylon tea is produced in Sri Lanka and is one of the most famous of the black teas. Ceylon white is rare and highly prized. It has a pale color and a hint of honey in its sweetness.

In addition to choosing a White Persian Melon tea that features one of the best white tea varieties, it’s also important to choose a tea that gets its melon flavoring from the highest quality sources. The best White Persian Melon tea is flavored with melon nectar that has a flavor that is a cross between the tastes of honeydew and cantaloupe.

High quality nectar is important to imparting the sweetness and lightness of the melon flavor and to ensuring that the melon’s anti-oxidants are protected.

Choosing high quality White Persian Melon Tea ensures not only that the taste will be as delicious as you expect, but also that you’ll get all the health benefits you’ve come to expect from white tea. And, with good White Persian Melon tea, you get even greater health benefits than with many other white teas.

Because white tea is not fermented during processing, it retains more anti-oxidants in their most natural state. In addition, melon is a potent source of anti-oxidants, as well. Anti-oxidants are important to our health because they fight free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are oxygen containing molecules that are created as our bodies turn the food we eat into energy.

Though they are naturally generated, they cause cell and DNA damage, which, over time, leads to aging and disease. Anti-oxidants neutralize these free radicals before they can damage our cells and DNA. For this reason, a diet full of anti-oxidant rich foods like fruits, vegetables and tea, are important to keeping us healthy and ensuring that we live a long life.

White tea contains, among others, the anti-oxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is one of the most powerful of any anti-oxidant. Much research has shown that life long consumption of the anti-oxidants in white and green tea can prevent cancer, heart disease and many other maladies of aging.

Melon contains the anti-oxidant GliSODin, which is another of the most powerful anti-oxidants. GliSODin has been shown to neutralize some of the most powerful free radicals in our bodies and stimulates our bodies to make its own anti-oxidants. This is especially important because scientists believe that our own body’s anti-oxidants are more effective at destroying free radicals than those we ingest from our diets.

So, as you can see, White Persian Melon tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can add to your diet. Purchase your tea from the most reputable tea companies to ensure you’re buying only the best white tea mixed with only the best melon nectar. The delicious and refreshing flavor will be certain to please your palate while it protects your body.

Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about goldenmoontea.com tea, goldenmoontea.com/wholesaletea wholesale tea and goldenmoontea.com/blacktea black tea go to goldenmoontea.com

Today is January 15, 2007 and I just lived through another power outage. This is the third one in the midwest in the last six months.

The first in July, lasted 8 days and the temperature outside was a balmy 98F Plus. No air conditioning, no refrigeration, no power for even a fan. The second, in late November, missed me for which I am extremely grateful. This latest outage was due to an ice storm on January 12, 2007 and over 150,000 homes in my area were without power. At last check there were still some 80,000. Lucky me, I was one of them. Also, Lucky me, I got my power back in less than forty eight hours.

Again I realize that most of you think I am just ranting but there is a point to this rambling.Sitting in my freezing home by myself – I sent my family to relatives homes – I realized how much I miss the taste of BBQ. I miss the backyard gatherings with family and friends and I cannot wait for the warm spring and hot summer when I can fire up the pit and cook up whatever my heart dictates – ribs, chicken, pork steaks (for those that are unfamiliar this is pork shoulder or butt cut into steaks – 3/4 inch thick is best), burgers, simple hotdogs. Potato salad & cole slaw, watermelon, beer and wine coolers. I am ready. Winter is just too dreary.

I can sometimes satisfy the urge with an electric indoor grill that I have had for years. While it is not the same as a charcoal grill (I prefer charcoal over propane) it does satisfy a need when you combine it with your favorite BBQ sauce, be it bottled or home-made. Now, just for you, if you do not have access to an indoor grill, I am going to give you my absolutely favorite recipe for getting past the BBQ urge in winter. Your can do really great BBQ chicken in the oven:

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of chicken pieces – either a whole chicken cut up or pieces of your favorite parts – I usually use thighs & drumsticks as I prefer the dark meat
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup – use jalapeno ketchup if you want to spice it up a bit
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of either Dijon or Hot Sweet mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper – like cayenne – if you want a little heat.

Heat oven to 400deg F. Arrange chicken pieces in a deep baking dish and season with salt and pepper if desired.

In a bowl combine water, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and red pepper if desired and pour over chicken pieces.

Bake about 45 minutes, uncovered, then tip the baking dish and skim off the fat.

cookwareforhomecooking.com/ Quality Cookware makes Better Home Cooking

This dish will take care of any BBQ withdrawal without having to stand in sub-freezing temperatures in a foot of snow. It goes well with either your best home-made or deli potato salad and a green salad or hot green beans. Use your imagination and enjoy. Whatever you would make for a summertime gathering will work here equally as well. Feel free to come and visit me at cookwareforhomecooking.com/ Cookware for Home Cooking or visit my cookwareforhomecooking.com/cook_books_kitchen_tips.html Links for links to some very exciting cookbooks and cooking tips.

When you walk down the aisle of your supermarket, have you ever wondered who makes that product that you eat? Sometimes you buy a food that keeps you alive. Novartis Medical Nutrition is one such company that produces clinical nutritional supplements to maintain and improve the health and well being of millions of patients and consumers in a medical facilities (such as hospitals or nursing homes) or at home.

Previously, clinical nutrition focuses on caloric intake, but modern science now creates highly specialized disease-specific products to treat Diabetes, Oncology, Digestive Health, Obesity, Surgical and Critical Care, Malnutrition, Dysphagia, Wound Care, and Pediatric Nutrition. Healthcare professionals and scientists are highly involved in these developments.

These specialized products are very familiar to the doctors, nurses, dieticians, and caregivers administering these live saving nutritionals. Many of these products can be taken orally by mouth or tube fed through the stomach or nasal tube.

Diabetes affects approximately 17 million people in the United States and 800,000 are newly diagnosed each year. It is important to treat this disease in its early stages as it is the seventh leading cause of death. Boost Diabetic is designed to meet the special dietary challenges associated with patients with Diabeties. It incorporates certain nutrients such as arginine, vitamin’s C, E and chromium to improve blood glucose levels and aid in preventing the long-term medical problems associated with diabeties.

Cancer takes the lives of more than 7 million people worldwide each year. With cancer treatment, you body is under attack, and becomes very weak. Weight loss and muscle wasting is known as cachexia. Resource Support was created to promote energy, help in the healing process, and build muscles when the body needs it.

Dyshagia is a swallowing disorder commonly as a result from strokes, brain damage, or anorexia. Since the patient can not swallow malnutrtion and dehydration can occur. Resource ThickenUp can modify the consistency of liquids which reduces the risk of aspiration and respiratory complications. Solid foods need to have a change in consistency so that the patient does not choke during feedings.

One such producer of these life saving products is Novartis Medical Nutrition manufacturers and distributes its clinical nutrtional products products in Minnesota with several distribution centers across the country. The other manufacturing plant is located in Osthofen, Germancy. It’s Headquarters is located in Nyon, Switzerland. They employ 2,500 people worldwide and Novartis Parent Corporation employs about 100,735 people worldwide

Ross Products was found in 1903 by Harry C. Moores and Stanley M. Ross. Ross Products is a division of Abbott Laboratories, and the Chief Executive Officer is Miles D. White and employs about 65,000 people. Currently Ross is the largest of the manufacturers of clinical nutrition.

Nestle will become the second largest producer of clinical supplements after it’s merger with Novartis is approved this year. It’s headquarters is located in Switzerland.

For more information on cwimedical.com/nutrition.html clinical nutrition please visit cwimedical.com. cwimedical.com.

Noah Lam has over 15 years of experience of providing high quality medical supplies and healthcare products from Acute Care Facilities to parents and children. His company, CWI Medical is a leading provider of Novartis Medical Nutrition products to healthcare facilities and for home use. In addition, CWI Medical is an ACHC Accredited organization maintaining standards of excellence in the Healthcare Field. For more information, please visit cwimedical.com CWI Medical.

For more information regarding cwimedical.com/novartis-nutrition.html Novartis Medical Nutrition please visit cwimedical.com cwimedical.com

After having read our article on ezinearticles.com/?id=34953 wine tasting parties you might be saying to yourself “great tips but I want to kick it up to the next level and do something that most people don’t do.”

Even though the farmer’s market is closed and the weather has turned quite chilly, the fall and winter have a lot to offer our palate. As we have told you before, leverage what you have and embrace the winter weather. Serve your guests wine, cheese and winter fruits.

One of our favorites is eiswein (pronounced ice vine). Eiswein or Ice Wine as it is called in this country is a wine that is made with the late harvest fruit by pressing it while still frozen…thus the name. Now here is the catch. Eiswein is not something you can pick up at your local supermarket and it doesn’t come in bargain basement $5/bottle prices. Here are a few of our picks and where you can get them.

Eiswein is usually sold in 1/2 bottles due to the high sugar content of the wine and the cost…less is more!

Locally: Total Beverage Check with your particular store because they don’t all carry the same items. Most of them have the Hubert Ganz Riesling Eiswein (1/2 bottle $40) and the Selaks Wines Ice Wine Kumeu (1/2 bottle $14). Some of them also have the Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine (1/2 bottle $70…and a favorite of ours)

On the Internet:www.champagnewines.com and www.internationalwine.com

And who says an eiswein has to be made with grapes. La Face Cachee de la Pomme in Canada makes a scrumptious apple ice wine (cidre de glace). For more information, visit appleicewine.com. In case you don’t feel like making the trek to Canada in the winter, check their website for US locations.

Now that you feel like you speak several other languages, what cheese do you serve with these delectable wines? We recommend Roquefort. You need something with a little punch to it to counterbalance the wine. However, we do not profess to be wine or cheese experts so buy a bottle of eiswein and some of your favorite cheeses and have your own private tasting party before you serve to your guests. The wines could also be paired with some not-so-sweet desserts.

So the quick recap to plan your party:

Eiswein (not as many bottles as for regular wine)

Seltzer or Club Soda for non-drinking guests

Cheeses – 4 or 5 types

Fruits – apples and grapes

Non-sugary desserts (cheesecake is good) – 2 or 3 items

Have a great party and remember, drink and serve responsibly.

Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area, providing life management services. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and is available for workshops on wardrobe rejuvenation, entertaining and reprioritizing your life to get the most out of your personal time. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit onthego4u.net onthego4u.net

© 2005 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U

When I lived in the North End of Boston, in the nineteen eighties and nineties, I hung around a neighborhood bar from time to time, called The Corner Café. It was located on Prince Street near the corner of Salem Street. And it was indeed a neighborhood place. The owner, Richie Longo, was a neighborhood kid who grew up on Prince Street and duly attended Saint Leonard’s School—as his first generation Italian-American parents had—along with all the other neighborhood kids.

The regular patrons at the time, were neighborhood people too; all of whom seemed to have nicknames. (although, the nicknames were useful for identification purposes). There was Joe the Lawyer, who wasn’t a lawyer at all, but worked as an insurance investigator. Then there was John the Lawyer, who was a stockbroker, and John the Lawyer, who really was a lawyer with an office across the street. And I was always confused about Mary the Nurse, whose nickname seemed unnecessary; she was indeed a nurse, but she was the only regular named Mary.

Then there were the rest of the regulars: mostly young men ,who fancied themselves to be wise guys. Their conversations were peppered with phrases like ‘fuggeddaboudit,’ and ‘ba-da-bing!’ And they often talked about ‘needing to see this guy,’ or ‘having to take care of that thing.’ But despite the fact that they revered Robert DiNiro, and may have harbored dreams of being known by a nickname like “extreme unction,” the most serious crime any of them may ever have committed was betting on the Red Sox late in September.

When these local heros weren’t talking about ‘this guy,’ or ‘that thing,’ though, the conversation tended to stray toward food; often, toward Chicken Scarpariello. This was a hot dish—literally, and figuratively—during my years in Boston. And the folks often debated the qualities of one preparation over another. The talk often centered around the merits of Cantina d’Italia’s recipe, that included sausage, over Felicia’s, that didn’t. Sausage or not, though, Chicken Scarpariello is the kind of dish that would please any wise guy because it encourages eating with a fork in one hand an a torn-off piece of crusty bread in the other; the latter, used for sopping up the sauce, and for punctuating various exclamations of ‘fuggeddaboudit,’ or ‘ba-da-bing.’

The short version of the history of Chicken Scarpariello, ‘shoemaker’s-style’, is that it was named for the humble fellow who cobbled together the ingredients for the dish from his meager pantry. How it became a wise guy favorite is more obscure, and very likely lost to history. But I suggest that when you serve Chicken Scarpariello at home, the dinner table conversation will become animated and rise a decibel or two above normal. And will you and your fellow diners enjoy it? Fuggeddaboudit.

Skip’s Chicken Scarpariello
Chicken, Shoemaker’s-Style
Excerpted from my second cookbook, “Almost Italian.”

Ingredients:

2 ½ — 3 Lb. Frying chicken cut into 8 pieces
4 Tbs. Olive oil
4 Cloves garlic, peeled, and sliced thinly
1 Cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio are popular choices)
6 – 8 hot cherry peppers, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 14 oz. Can chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 Tbs. Unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Six Links sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1 in. chunks (optional)
4 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley

Preparation:

Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Add the chicken pieces to the sauté pan without crowding. Do this step in batches if necessary. Cook the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, until they’re golden brown all over; about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and reserve on a plate, covering them with aluminum foil.

Raise the heat to high, and add the wine. Boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of chicken that may have caramelized on the bottom of the pan, for about 2 minutes. Add the cherry peppers, chicken broth, parsley, and butter. Allow the mixture to return to the boil, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Lower the heat to the simmer, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. For a real wise guy presentation, add the sausage at this point too.

To Serve

Remove the chicken (and optional sausage) pieces to a platter, cover with the sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve with plenty of Italian bread for sopping up the sauce.

Serves four

Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: “La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents,” and “Almost Italian: Recipes from America’s Little Italys.” He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks: skiplombardi.com skiplombardi.com. For comments or questions, e-mail at mailto:info@skiplombardi.com info@skiplombardi.com

While green tea has been studied for its numerous health
benefits, there’s at least one area of interest that needs
more attention.

Can drinking green tea really enhance fertility?

Now that’s the one-hundred-thousand dollar question! There’s
a lot of conflicting opinions and research results
pertaining to that subject. We’ll try to be fair and present
both sides of the issue.

Any tea made from the Camellia sinensis bush contains
caffeine. On the bright side of the teapot, green tea has
only one-sixth to one-tenth of the amount of caffeine that a
similar amount of regular coffee contains.

For those of us who are trying to watch our caffeine intake,
that’s a good deal. If you need a caffeine fix though, green
tea isn’t going to give you what you’re looking for. Better
start looking for the nearest Starbucks.

How can drinking green tea increase fertility?

A study done by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program
in Oakland, California revealed that the chances of
conceiving doubled for woman who daily drank more than one-
half cup of green tea containing caffeine (American Journal
of Public Health, 1998). Because this wasn’t the case for
the other tested caffeinated beverages, caffeine wasn’t
deemed the causing agent. Some credit was given to the
possibility that the polyphenols and hypoxanthine, compounds
found in tea, resulted in a greater number of viable
embryos, and increased maturation and fertilizability of
oocytes.

Another conclusion of this study was that the healthy
lifestyle of many green tea drinkers, such as regular
exercise and decreased smoking and fat intake, might also
play a role in the enhanced fertility levels of the test
subjects.

How can drinking green tea decrease fertility?

Tannic acids, an element found in green tea, have been shown
to cause fertility problems and greater chances at
miscarrying.

While not an “initial” fertility situation, rumor has it
that EGCG, the main disease-fighting antioxidant known as
catechins in green tea that have been found to impede the
growth of tumors, might also effect the blood vessel growth
of a developing embryo.

Another post-fertility issue related to an excessive intake
of green tea involves the increased rate of birth defects.

Past studies have concluded that coffee consumption
increases the risk of miscarriages and that caffeine intake
enhances the negative effects of alcohol intake on
fertility. While not directly related to green tea, caffeine
is the potential cause of such problems.

Should I or shouldn’t I drink green tea for fertility
issues?

The best advice that we can give you is something you’ve
heard before. Check with your doctor first. Do your
homework. Then and only then can you make a truly educated
and well-informed decision about a very delicate issue.
Whatever you decide, we wish you the best of luck in your
quest for that new addition to your family. Cheers…

REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and
you include the copyright and author information (Resource Box) at the end. You may not use this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam)
Copyright: 2005 Vaughn Balchunas

*****************************************************************************
Vaughn Balchunas is a writer and publisher of health, and self-growth articles.
For more information about tea and health go to:

The story of the stove-top espresso maker begins in 1918, when Alfonso Bialetti returned to his native Italy from France, where he had worked in the aluminium industry, to start a small workshop manufacturing metal household goods.

The actual idea for the stove-top espresso maker came from a simple washing machine. During the 1920s Alfonso Bialetti observed the local women of Crusinallo washing their clothes in a sealed boiler with a small central pipe. This pipe would draw up the soapy water from the bottom of the boiler and redistribute it over the laundry. Alfonso Bialetti hit upon the idea that he could adapt this washing machine and scale it down to make a simple coffee maker that would allow Italians to enjoy real ‘espresso type’ coffee in their private homes.

Alfonso Bialetti began tinkering away, building various prototypes. His prototype stove-top espresso makers were manufactured out of aluminium. This was due to there being an embargo imposed by Mussolini’s government on stainless steel. As Italy had a rich source of bauxite (aluminium ore), aluminium became the ‘National Metal’ of Italy.

It was not until 1933, after solving many technical problems, that Alfonso Bialetti invented the world’s first stove-top espresso maker; the Moka Express. The distinctive design and octagonal shape of the Moka Express was based on a silver coffee service, popular at the time in wealthy Italian homes. Alfonso Bialetti claimed of his Moka Express that “without requiring any ability whatsoever” one could enjoy “in casa un espresso come al bar” – an espresso in the home just like in a bar (coffeehouse).

Alfonso Bialetti began selling his Moka Express at local, and later regional markets, managing to make and sell around 10,000 units per year. It was not until after WWII, when Alfonso’s son Renato Bialetti joined the family business that sales of the Moka Express really took off. Renato Bialetti realised the potential of the Moka Express and launched a major national advertising campaign. This risk was greatly rewarded, with increased sales, production levels had to be raised to a rate of around 1,000 units per day. The Bialetti Moka Express soon became the market leader in Italy, suppassing sales of the traditional ‘Neopolitan’ percolator style coffeemaker, in which brewing occurs without pressure. Not only did the Moka Express produce ‘espresso type’ coffee, which Italians adored, it was also brewed coffee much quicker then its rivals.

Many companies saw the success the Moka Express was enjoying and copied the design to manufacture their own version of the stove-top espresso maker. This is why, in 1953 Renato Bialetti came up with the idea of adding a company mascot to every Moka Express to help promote the brand identity that is Bialetti. He used a caricature of his father Alfonso Bialetti to invent the ‘Omino Con I Baffi’ – little man with a moustache. This mascot proved popular as it created an image of an Italian father or fond elder relative who had lived their life in the coffeehouse.

The design of the Moka Express has hardly changed in over 70 years of manufacturing. Aluminium is still used to this day, as it is claimed that the residue of coffee from the previous brews, that taints the sides of a Moka pot, adds flavour and depth to future brews. This is why it is recommended that you do not clean your Moka Express too thoroughly.

Bialetti, now the world leader in the manufacture of domestic coffee makers, still strives to offer “in casa un espresso come al bar”. With the improvement in espresso machines in coffeehouses, Bialetti has sought to develop new technologies, creating new stove-top espresso maker models. They now produce: stainless steel models, such as the Venus; an electric model, the Moka Easy; a new pressure system, the Brikka – which produces a ‘crema’ top on your coffee; and now a stove-top cappuccino maker, the Mukka Express.

James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee: gallacoffee.co.uk gallacoffee.co.uk – Uk online retailer of designer coffee accessories.
Through the Coffee Knowledge section of his website he aims to help people understand more about coffee and give them tips on how to make great tasting coffee in their home.

Check out gallacoffee.co.uk/acatalog/Coffee_Knowledge.html gallacoffee.co.uk/acatalog/Coffee_Knowledge.html for more articles or if you have a question send it to: mailto:coffeeknowledge@gallacoffee.co.uk coffeeknowledge@gallacoffee.co.uk

My mother was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants who homesteaded our small Wisconsin dairy farm in the late 1800s. When my mother was a child, sweet soup was a traditional part of Christmas Eve, served cold with julekake, lefse, Christmas bread, or open-faced sandwiches. Sweet Soup is made with dried fruit and tapioca.

Sot Suppe

6 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (depending upon how well you like the taste of cinnamon; you can also use a cinnamon stick)

2 cups dried fruit (use any kind you like: apples, apricots, peaches or a mixture of dried fruit)

1 cup raisins (dark or golden)

1 cup dried prunes

1 tablespoon lemon juice (you can also use 1 teaspoon of dried lemon rind or several slices of fresh lemon)

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and water. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in fruit (including the lemon if you’re using sliced lemon) and heat to boiling again. Cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the fruit is tender.

After the fruit is tender, if you’re using lemon juice, stir in the lemon juice (or teaspoon of dried lemon rind). Serve either cold or warm, depending upon your preference. If you use a sliced lemon, remove the lemon rind before serving.

For a light afternoon ‘Norwegian’ lunch (after hiking, sledding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing), serve sweet soup with Julekake or Christmas bread, Christmas cookies, open-faced sandwiches, and a variety of sliced cheeses.

Sweet Soup also is good served cold on a hot summer day.

About The Author

LeAnn R. Ralph is a freelance writer for two newspapers in west central Wisconsin, is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Assoc.) and is the author of the book, Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) (Aug. 2003); trade paperback. For more information about Christmas In Dairyland, visit ruralroute2.com” target=”_new ruralroute2.com

mailto:bigpines@ruralroute2.com bigpines@ruralroute2.com

Full Service Catering:

This can be heavy hors d’ oeuvres, sit-down meals, beautiful buffets and stations, beverages, cappuccino bars and other event planning. This can involve on-site cooking of some of the food using your kitchen space and oven, to setting up a temporary kitchen on site to prepare your meals. You have a full wait staff to set up the entire event and to tend to you and your guests needs during this special occasion. The staff will take down and clean up, and they should even take away the trash. They will work closely with your hired professional vendors to ensure that your event is perfect.

Private Catering Events at a Restaurant:

Many restaurants can offer you private use of their facility – often called a “buy-out”. They will close their restaurant during their regular hour for a price. Remember that they will turn away all business that would come their way, and there for patrons will go elsewhere for the evening. The price is usually expensive, but if it is your favorite place, what a better way to celebrate. You can bring in your own entertainment, floral and décor or let them take care of it all. You can do as much or as little as you would like. Show up, have a wonderful time, and go home with no extra work on your part.

Pick-up and Drop Offs:

Food that is mostly self-service. Many places will offer their popular items, hors d’ oeuvres or entrees, that can be picked up by you or delivered to the party site. You may consider hiring an outside service staff to assist you, or ask family and friends to help serve and clean up. The food can come ready to serve on platters or may require chafing dishes to keep them hot. Some caterers offer appetizers that are best when cooked right before serving and they can even supply you with the simple cooking instructions. This is a very cost effective way to cater, and the size of your event can dictate if this is really a practical way to go.

Meet with A Caterer!

Plan at least six months to one year before your wedding to begin planning. Look for caterers who are members of catering associations. By being a member they surround themselves with professionals and industry leaders. You need a professional who is constantly educating themselves to provide you the client, with the most up to date menu, trends and ideas to create the best event possible.

View their portfolio and see the style of their work. Many will create a proposal for you, based on your menu selection and style of catering service. There should be no charge for this service, and you should be able to change, add or delete items up until at least one month before your event. Of course this can affect the price. If this is an off-premise event, meet with the caterer at the site and discuss your vision for the location. Call a rental company to come out as well, to make sure your proposal is as accurate as possible. If you are comparing catering companies, please make sure you are comparing the style of service and menu selection. One caterer is not offering you drop off food in foil pans and the other is offering you a full service catering event with a 5-course meal and full staffing!

Once you receive the proposal make sure everything you asked for is included and you understand what is presented. Upon agreeing to the terms and conditions of the catering service a deposit is due to confirm their services with you for that day. The number of events a caterer does in one day varies with each event, guest count, style of service and the menu. You want to find someone who is not looking to be the busiest – only the best!

Valerie Vollmer has been an off premise caterer for over 20 years. Is one of only 175 CPCE (Certified Professional Catering Executives) in the US. National Association of Catering Executives – 2nd National Vice President

Lunch is an important meal for low carbers. But who has the time to cook?

Instead of cooking lunch, one good solution is to cook more food the night before when you are cooking dinner. If you are having ribs or chicken for dinner, make a little extra so you can have it for lunch the next day. It doesn’t take any extra time and with convenience of a microwave your lunch will be ready in no time. In fact, ribs and chicken can also be just as tasty cold.

Another good idea is to do most of the cooking on days when you have more time. You can take one day and prepare some foods that will provide good lunches for you all week.

Chicken

Buy a whole chicken, clean it and boil. You can use it to make chicken salad to stuff into a bell pepper or tomato. You can also slice the chicken to make deli style lunch meat. Wrap it up in a piece of romaine lettuce with some mayonnaise. Yummy.

If you want to get a little more fancy you can wrap some ham around some Swiss cheese, then wrap the chicken slices around the ham and heat it in a microwave. It’s a great low carb cordon bleu. You’ll feel like you’re dining with royalty.

You can also buy packages of chicken legs and wings and fry them up with no breading. The skin gets crunchy and tasty. These make great grab and go snacks and lunches.

Ham

Boil a ham and slice it. This will be good for making ham and cheese roll-ups. You can also dice up some of the ham for omelette’s in the morning or ham salad that you can heap on pork rinds.

Beef

By a large roast beef and cook it in the oven. Slice it up deli style. Wrap this meat around cheese for a quick and easy lunch.

For a real treat top these roast beef slices with some previously sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms then top it with Swiss cheese. Heat that in a microwave until the cheese melts. Your tummy will be so happy when you dine on these tasty low carb Philly cheese steaks.

You can get a corned beef and boil it. You can have corned beef and cabbage one night for dinner and slice up the rest deli style for great lunches the rest of the week. Top the slices with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and some low carb Thousand Island dressing and you have a great low carb Reuben sandwich. (Diet ketchup mixed into some mayonnaise with some low carb dill relish makes a good low carb Thousand Island dressing).

Fish and Seafood

Get cans or convenient pouches of tuna. Add a little mayonnaise to the tuna with some low carb dill relish and stuff that in a half of a bell pepper or a half of a tomato. Split the top of the tomato into quarters so it falls open and easily holds the tuna. Try it with salmon, too.

Add some mayonnaise and a little chopped celery to canned shrimp or crab (check the carb counts – for some reason the leading brands seem to think we want sugar in our seafood). Take the seed out of a half of an avocado and stuff the shrimp or crab salad into the remaining whole. Delicious!

Even Faster Alternatives

Use processed foods minimally. They have chemicals that you don’t need. Don’t let the deli counter fool you. Most of those are processed, too and many contain sugars that add to the carb count. It’s best to boil or roast your own meats and fowl.

But if you are in a real big hurry, an occasional visit to the deli won’t hurt. You can purchase deli meats and wrap them around cheese slices for a very satisfying lunch without having to cook.

Even less desirable are the cans of meats and packages of lunch meats and cold cuts. These are handy when you know you are not going to be where you can get to any other low carb food. You can keep a couple cans of Vienna sausages in your car or at your desk for those situations.

Summary

The ideas presented here can be done in a few hours total and provide great lunches and even quick dinners all week long. On the day when you do the main cooking, you will also want to chop any veggies you might need for the week and clean some lettuce so it’s ready to go. Take your lunch to work in one of those lunch bags that keep things cold. It’s even easier if you are at home. Just reach in the fridge and start munching – low carb style.

That reminds me, it’s almost lunch time!

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to cooking-guides.com/ Cooking