Wednesday, January 16, 2013

French Food Tips - How To Choose The Right Wine For Any Meal

When you think of French food, what drink to you tend to associate with it? It's a fair bet that you would think of wine, because French food and wine tend to go hand in hand, as though made for each other from the very start. The French love their wine of course, although here in the UK we like a fair tipple more than ever, with us British spending over £12 billion a year.

But if you're looking to serve a bottle of wine more by how it is able to complement the food than how much it cost or how pretty the bottle, then read on. In this article we're going to look at how to pair your traditional French food with a good bottle of wine that will see you pass favour as a culinary expert.

The thing to remember with wine drunk with a meal is that it should act as an integral part of the meal, complementing and balancing the flavours, and helping to cleanse the palate at the same time. Many people state that drinking wine with your meal aids digestion, although this may simply be an excuse of course! The one rule when it comes to choosing and serving wine with any meal is that red wine goes with red meats such as steaks, lamb and beef, and white wine goes with seafood, white meat such as pork, and poultry, such as chicken and turkey.

However, if this rule is the first and last one which you tend to follow, then here's a second rule to double up your understanding of how wine should be served with a meal: forget the first rule.

Although the first rule can be helpful, it can also be very limiting, and in many cases people may end up drinking white wine with a meal when really they much prefer red wines, or vice versa. Essentially you shouldn't just go by the colour of the liquid, because there are so many more factors which come into play. It may well be that when serving lamb a white wine goes down much better than a heavy red wine, and so it's best to look at how to pair French food and wine based on four basic factors. But don't worry, this doesn't mean you have to have an expert palate, as these factors can be detected by anyone.

The first factor is acidity, which affects how sharp a wine feels. Imagine having an apple, such as a Cox's. When you bite into this you get a tingle which you can tell on your tongue feels almost sharp. This is the acidity, and some wines will have a similar effect, whilst others will be less sharp, more like biting in to a Golden Delicious which is slightly more child friendly!

The second factor is the body, which you often hear wine connoisseurs talking about. This really means how thick the liquid is, comparing water to milk, and milk to cream. The heavier the wine the more body it has.

The third factor is the aroma, (or smell if you insist!) and this is best detected by swirling the wine in a glass and smelling it. You should be able to pick out elements such as earthiness, fruitiness, nuttiness and even floral elements.

The fourth and final factor to lookout for when choosing wines which match well with French food is the flavour of course, and this will be very much akin to the aroma. A nutty aroma will usually mean the wine will have a chocolaty, nutty flavour.

Once you have picked out these four elements, and don't worry - there's no wrong or right answer, as it's all entirely a matter of personal opinion, you can start to look at how to pair your wine with your French food. If you're serving a traditional French beef bourguignon then you may well find that a full bodied, heavier red wine with a strong flavour is best, whereas if you're serving Canard à l'Orange then you may find a lighter white wine with a light, slightly spicy or tangy flavour and a slight acidity to complement the orange sauce will work wonders.

Remember, when pairing French food with wine the only real rule is that there are no rules, so bear in mind the factors outlined above, and then rely on your gut instinct - literally!

For a wide selection of French food ingredients served directly to your door visit The Good Food Network.

Tips For Kids Eating Healthy Food

Providing children with healthy food can at times be difficult. Most parents feel challenged when trying to provide for the 5 x3 vegetables and fruit quota for their kids. They struggle and the more they do the more children are determined not to cooperate. Parents often feel guilty knowing their children need this quota for optimum health.

There is an answer and here are some great tips to get the veggies and fruit into our children and they will love you for it.

Gardening
Watching a child help in the veggie garden is a delight. They just love to put the plant in the ground and watch it grow. Then the thrill of tasting the veggie especially if it is pleasant, for example peas, tomatoes or strawberries. This is a good way to introduce new veggies into the diet.

Kitchen Hand
Children love helping Mum or Dad in the kitchen. Teach them how to peel the potatoes or an apple. This will also help them with their fine motor skills. Try using some cutting items to cut it into shapes and make it fun. When it is cooked ask the child to check if it is cooked and even taste it. This will reduce the drama at meal time as they will have an advanced tasting session.

Veggie Soup
Try a lamb shank bone with lots of veggies in it especially potatoes. You could use almost any veggies in it including spinach, carrots, turnips, pumpkin, etc. A good way to go is to blend the veggies together with the potato providing the thickening. Another alternative is to add some alphabet noodles cut into animal shapes. The kids get so engrossed in the interesting animals they hardly notice they have eaten the soup.

Shredded Cheese
Try steaming the veggies and sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Most kids love cheese and when it melts into the veggies they find the veggies are much easier to eat.

Mixing with other foods
Spaghetti Bolognaise is a typical meal children love. Add veggies to the meat sauce and the children will not even realize it is there. A good example of this is grated carrot, zucchini, pumpkin etc.

One at a time
Introduce one veggie at a time and see how they react. If they like one veggie less than another then its probably not a good idea to give it to them again for awhile. Try changing the taste a little, for example carrots - pour a little honey over them next time and I think it will be a really popular move.

Shopping Together
Take the child shopping and let them help you choose the veggies and when you might have them. Bring them into managhng the meals roster giving them a sense of belonging and sharing.

Rewards
If all else fails then it might come down to rewards. Having something they like for dessert is a great motivator or even lemonade once they have finished their veggies works wonders. Since veggies are usually served during the evening meal it is not a good idea to give children flavored or colored drinks especially close to bed time.

Smoothies
Most kids love smoothies and will often nag parents for one when they go shopping. Parents do not have to go shopping for a smoothie as it can be made at home providing another way to camouflage the fruit and veggies. So what do we put into a smoothie that takes away the flavor of vegetables that kids always seem to recognize?

Want to find more?

I recently found the answer and it is in this amazing Smoothie Recipe Ebook. These recipes improve general health, help reduce obesity, chronic diseases etc and save time trying to solve that difficult problem of giving your child the necessary veggies. Most importantly it means kids will be eating healthy food. So check out this eBook and take the worry or stress out of your life in providing healthy meals for your child.

Maureen Hamilton is a writer and stay-at-home mum living in sunny Queensland. Thanks to some extraordinary educational products and relevant tools Maureen developed an amazing Internet Business specialising in Internet Marketing and other online business strategies. One of Maureens interest is children having a website for kids promoting healthy eating and lifestyle for children. If you share in this interest and would like to learn more, visit http://kidsdiettoday.com//

Trends For Eating Healthy Foods

Eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

One of the top trends today for healthy eating is consuming fresh fruit and vegetables and not much meat. Some people eat primarily fresh fruits, grains and vegetable with occasional pieces of meat for protein. They have a diet low in fat and high in fiber. Consumers that follow this plan are less likely to develop hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Many studies show this is a healthy way to eat. People are looking for foods to eat with health benefits when dining out and cooking at home. Many consumers are interested in cancer preventing fruits and vegetable. They are looking at the ingredients in foods like calcium in yogurt and anti oxidants in some vegetables.

More consumers are buying food from local farm markets and farms. They are aware that sustainable food is often better grown locally. It does not have to travel miles to get to your supermarket or table. Some consumers are growing their own vegetables in the garden during warm weather months. Shopping for seasonal fruits and vegetables in season is another trend many consumers and restaurants have started. They cook recipes based around the seasonal fruits, vegetables and dairy items in the region.

Busier Life Styles More Convenience

Consumers are busy but still want healthy food that is convenient. Restaurants and supermarkets are addressing this issue by providing healthier choices for consumer to buy. Many supermarket and even some restaurants are hiring dietitians to consult with on what food items to eat. The dietitians combine the convenience factor with good sound nutrition. Some supermarket even have a dietitian for shoppers to consult on special diets or who give lectures and meet with customers.

Organic food is sold now in regular supermarkets. Slowly it is becoming more mainstream to eat organic fruits, vegetable, grains, meats, and other items. Local farm markets sell organic produce that consumers can buy. Even some restaurants cook with only organic products. Diets like the Mediterranean diet have given organic food some great press. There are many more farm markets in 2008 than there were ten years ago. Another trend is there is more concern over food safety. The food scare this year with tomatoes and peppers make consumer more aware of washing fruits and vegetables as very important. It is also important to know where products are grown and how they are handled for safety.

Consumers busy lifestyle and interest in food and dieting has created personal chef services for consumers with the necessary income. Some restaurants have meal delivery and many diet companies will deliver food items they manufacture to your home. Companies like Atkins, NutraSystem, and Zone Gourmet are a few of these companies Consumer want to know more about where the food they eat comes from and how it is packaged and made. Food with probiotics again like yogurt are becoming popular with consumers because they help digestion.

There are more whole grain products available for consumers to eat. Breads now have a wide choice of whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, oatmeal, and sunflower There are some new grains on the market like quinoa, millet and amaranth. More consumers are reading labels on food looking at the sodium, sugar and fat content of products than ever before. Alternative sweeteners like stevia are on the market and bottled water is popular because it offers less calories and a more healthy drink with less sugar.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about trends for eating healthy foods [http://www.cookingforyourhealth.info/trends-for-eating-healthy-foods], please visit Cooking For Your Health [http://www.cookingforyourhealth.info] for current articles and discussions.

Change to Healthy Food

One of the most challenging things to do for the New Year is to rapidly change one's lifestyle. Most people resolve to take better care of themselves over the turn of a new year. Losing weight is a popular resolution for everyone, but what we often fail to understand is the aim to lose excess fat to be healthy inside and out. Crash dieting, more often than not is a temporary relief. Most people might refer to it as a form of detox, to rid the body of all toxins gained. Resolve to resisting fat and eating healthy food. Everything from a lifestyle change will radiate inside and out.

Opt to eat food that your body will benefit from. It's a commitment to always think of your well being above the pleasurable senses you can taste. Be aware what your body is taking in. The key to changing the way you eat is picking more suitable healthy alternatives for every craving. Start the small changes by replacing the usual sugar with something more organic just to kill that mid afternoon sugar rush, read fat or cholesterol content instead of caloric content, picking less sodium products. You might be itching to get something sinful and satisfying but after getting used to the change, you might find your body reacting positively to the organic input you are taking.

Choosing healthy food is the best way to alleviate fat. Eating right may be one of the biggest challenges for us. Good food is a staple especially when we feel stressed at work, home, or emotions. It can make us happy or relieve us from temporary melancholy. This is synonymous to all the sugar and preservatives we take on a daily basis and how it affects our health both physically and emotionally. We have to remember that it is only a temporary satisfaction we get from eating all the great stuff.

Healthy food offers long term benefits like ideal weight maintenance, dieting becomes a thing of the past, good blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and other health benefits. It can also enhance good complexion and skin and make a younger and active person.

Healthy Alternatives provides you with easy to make recipes that explore the healthier side of ingredients. Healthy Alternatives has recipes for a variety of dishes including lobster with a dipping sauce and an easy to make pie crust.

Making the transition to more healthy eating habits involves lifestyle changes and food substitutions in your favorite recipes.

http://healthierfoods.org/

Easy way to get all your restaurant needs

Restaurant can be one of promising business today. The needs of unique culinary make this business become an alternative for people who want to start a business. To start this business, you only need one thing to be found; that is restaurant supply. This is a place that provides everything you need to support your restaurant business. If you have no idea where to find this kind of place, you can try to find that place via online. With the existing of internet, I believe that there are many online stores that can be considered one-stop places for restaurant needs.

The one stop restaurant store is the place that offer almost everything that you need related to culinary business. It ranges from foodstuffs up to the kitchen wares. You can find all those thing in one store.  Internet will absolutely be able to help you to find such store. The store sells commercial kitchen equipment and any stuff related to culinary business. You will be very pleased if you can find such store because you do not need to worry about the kitchen wares as well as the daily supply that you need to run your business. It is even better when you find an online store.

The existence of internet does facilitate people to get anything they need instantly. They do not need to go checking every corner of the city in order to find a store that sells anything you need. But, now you sit in front of your computer to get everything you need, even it is something that you need to run your business. Everything can be done without any need to meet the seller. Online stores make your business run even flawlessly because everything you need has been fulfilled with the existence of online stores.

Easy way to get all your restaurant needs

Restaurant can be one of promising business today. The needs of unique culinary make this business become an alternative for people who want to start a business. To start this business, you only need one thing to be found; that is restaurant supply. This is a place that provides everything you need to support your restaurant business. If you have no idea where to find this kind of place, you can try to find that place via online. With the existing of internet, I believe that there are many online stores that can be considered one-stop places for restaurant needs.

The one stop restaurant store is the place that offer almost everything that you need related to culinary business. It ranges from foodstuffs up to the kitchen wares. You can find all those thing in one store.  Internet will absolutely be able to help you to find such store. The store sells commercial kitchen equipment and any stuff related to culinary business. You will be very pleased if you can find such store because you do not need to worry about the kitchen wares as well as the daily supply that you need to run your business. It is even better when you find an online store.

The existence of internet does facilitate people to get anything they need instantly. They do not need to go checking every corner of the city in order to find a store that sells anything you need. But, now you sit in front of your computer to get everything you need, even it is something that you need to run your business. Everything can be done without any need to meet the seller. Online stores make your business run even flawlessly because everything you need has been fulfilled with the existence of online stores.