Archive for the ‘Gourmet Foods’ Category

The Secrets of Iberian Cured Ham

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Iberico Ham, Jamon Iberico or Pata Negra as it is generally called is because of their black feet. These Iberian pigs are bred and grown only in Spain and it is considered a luxury in some parts of the world.

To tell you more about its exquisite taste and texture here are the top four secrets to this special cured ham:

Good breeding practices. These pigs have never been touched by the filthy hands of mass production and therefore are free from chemicals that alter their sizes, breeding, and growth cycles. Let’s leave that to the fast-food chains and dime-a-dozen restaurants. Iberian acorn-fed cured ham is made from pigs that only feed on acorns. The result is their fat is evenly spread throughout the meat and after the curing process. The meats melts in your mouth easily and becomes so tender. The taste of the cured ham is somewhere between sweet and salty which is just delicious.

Special Pig Pedigrees. These kind of pigs only come from Spain and Portugal, they are called “Iberian Pigs”, this is the reason why these type of cured Spanish ham is called Jamon Iberico. The Spanish cured ham is made grown from pigs in different parts of Spain and Portugal. They are named according to their diet and region. The pigs can be crossbred but must at least have at least 75% of their Iberian heritage to be called Jamon Iberico.

The pigs have a wide expanse of pasture for them to roam. Each town or village has a “dehesa” or a pasture studded with oak trees that were made many centuries ago. This pasture was made to serve many purposes and the oak trees that produce the acorns comprise 30% of the area. Cows, sheep, and other animals feed on the surrounding grasses. Eventually, fallen acorns will become fodder for the pigs that roam the pasture. These Iberico pigs are bred in luxury unlike modern practices where pigs are locked up and fattened until they get slaughtered.

Environmentally Sustainable Farming Industry Iberian pigs are not only fed acorns but can also feed on exposed roots and hunt for its own food. Migratory species also make the dehesa their home for a few months together with the pigs, sheep, and cows. The pastures have their own water supply from springs and streams which maintains its stability for a very long time.

Lamberto Fresnillo is the Director of FIDIAS Consulting. His expertise includes giving information about Videos, VSAT satellite tracking images , visual recipes, reports and further information.

Eating Raw Food

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

There is no doubt that eating raw vegan/vegetarian will improve your mental and physical well being.Let me show you how.

‘Let food by Thy Medicine’

Hippocrates taught this message in 431BC. For thousands of years cultures have been aware that the food we eat can have a profound effect on our mind.

The Greek Historian Herodotus found that cultures with a mainly vegetarian diet were more advanced in art and spiritual development than those who ate a mainly meat based diet.The latter tended to be more war like. It could be said that the diet a whole nation follows will have a profound effect on that country’s mental well being.

Ayurvedic yogis have know this for thousands of years have divided food into three categories sattvic,rajasic and tamasic. A sattvic state of mind is common amongst religious groups with a prayer and meditation tradition.

A rajasic state of mind tends to be active restless and aggressive.This would be typical of a warrior or the high flying corporate executive.

A tamasic state of mind is common amongst people who commit crimes.People who resort to criminal activity fall into this category.

For a western person the sattivc diet would be one that is vegetarian and would consist of 80% raw food and 20% cooked. Examples of such food would be greens, grasses, honey and some rice. Rajasic foods stimulate the nervous system and include meat, coffee garlic and peppers butter eggs cheese and sugar.It will leave people with a sense of restlessness and eventual burnout.

Such people tend to be adrenalin junkies seeking pleasure in sky diving or white water rafting or other risky sports. Tamasic foods tend to be the worst of the lot, what we would call fast foods, heavily processed and full of preservatives additives and colors.

Foods eaten in this category would include flesh that has not been recently killed ie all the meat you see in the supermarket.

We often hear how are ancestors ate meat and this is used as a justification for a meat based diet.The meat they ate was fresh and still held life force which adds to mental well being.

Also our ancestors ate all the animal not just the muscle which is high in protein,hence a more balanced diet. Living on such a diet will make meditation and other calming activities almost impossible. Research has shown that people who have a history of violence display a marked drop in such activity when switching to a diet based on fruit and vegetables.

The bottom line is a switch to raw food eating will boost your well being both mental and physical.

For more information on the raw food diet go to http://rawfood-now.com

Serving Boneless Spanish Cured Ham

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Jamon Iberico de Bellota Deshuesado is a smoked ham that does not contain bones. This Spanish Ham is easier to slice and much easier to consume. Iberian Ham is the pride of Spain just like Beluga caviar is to the Russians.

Jamon Iberico is always a part of any Mediterranean meal and it is usually paired with tomatoes that enhances the taste of the ham and it also a good source of antioxidants. They are sometimes eaten with baguettes or “barra” in tapas bars and restaurants. Tapas consists of meat, fish, eggs,and vegetables served with bread and a glass of wine. The Iberian cured ham is not eaten as a main meal but as appetizers or food that is eaten between meals to help stave off hunger while waiting for lunch or dinner. The main meal is very rich in fat and so heavy that it has to be taken at least two hours before going to work to give your body time to digest. Aside from its taste, Iberian ham is alse well known for its antioxidant and cholesterol lowering properties.

This cured ham is never meant to be cooked and must be eaten raw. Deshuesado or Iberian ham that is boneless should only be served in small amounts and sliced very thinly. You can pair it with a refreshing, dry wine which can either be red or white. Jamon Iberico deshuesado must be kept in the refrigerator if you are not going to consume it. Once it has been taken out of its original packaging, it should be eaten within two days. If the cured ham is stored properly, it can be kept for two weeks. Carefully wrap the ham in cling wrap or keep it in an airtight container and always refrigerate the ham. Do not attempt to heat the ham in anyway and always serve it at room temperature. The delicate texture of the ham will be destroyed if you do so.

The very best way to serve the ham is by itself and with a few accompaniments such as cheeses, olives, tomatoes and simple crusty bread. Tomatoes are great for balancing the saltiness of the fats. You can also choose to grill the bread and then rub some garlic and drizzle olive oil to make great tapas. Take great care when storing and serving Iberian Ham, it costs twice than the normal cured ham. improper storage will cause it to lose its smooth and velvety texture. Ask your butcher to slice the ham for you if you do not have the right tools in your home. They have machines that can slice it extra thin.

Buy Fresh Seafood Online for Your Next Special Event

Friday, April 16th, 2010

by Chris Robertson

Lobster

When hosting a party for friends and relatives or a special group event, it can be difficult to determine a menu that will delight every guest. And when serving seafood, getting high quality, fresh seafood can be a problem. After all, where can you buy fresh seafood to provide a tasty meal or finger food that will make your guests say WOW?

Supermarkets offer seafood, but are sometimes limited in how much you can buy. And you really never know about the “freshness” of the seafood in a supermarket. What if you live nowhere near the coast but want to serve delightful seafood appetizers that can’t be found just anywhere? What if you need cheap lobster or a large amount of fresh jumbo shrimp and want to impress your guests with specialty cocktail sauce? The answer is right at your fingertips! You now have access to some of the finest seafood in the world…from your home computer.

Shrimp

The thought of buying fresh seafood on the Internet might startle you, but it’s really the best way to obtain the finest seafood if you don’t live near a harbor or a seafood specialty market. Buying online opens the door to many rare seafood products that you might not be able to find locally. And when buying direct from an exquisite seafood restaurant, you will benefit from the chef’s years of experience in seafood preparation.

Seafood Galore

Some of the tasty seafood you can order online includes gourmet lobster ravioli, canned smoked salmon, crab, ahi tuna, abalone, Cape Cod lobster, scallops, shrimp, oysters, octopus, mussels, clams and caviar. Online stores also offer their own special sauces and seasonings to prepare your seafood or for dipping. Some examples are Cajun tartar sauce, gourmet lemon dill tartar sauce, sushi ginger, red clam sauce, seaweed salad, tempura batter mix, wasabi paste, white clam sauce, garlic juice spray, pepper plant hot sauce, cocktail sauce, and horseradish sauce. Using specialty seafood sauces and/or seasonings can produce a tantalizing taste that your guests will never forget.

Also, ordering online provides the option to buy pre-cooked seafood. You can order mouth-watering appetizers and entree items already cooked and ready to eat such as smoked trout, smoked salmon fillet, crab quesadilla, canned albacore tuna, herring cutlets, seaweed salad, bay shrimp and more. You’ll also find special bargains on king crab legs, live lobster, fresh shellfish, caviar, Dungeness crabs, fresh abalone, fresh halibut or fresh salmon.

Where to Buy Fresh Seafood Online

Bring the restaurant home….Shop Legal Sea Foods Today

Salmon over rice

Be sure to buy fresh seafood from a reputable website. Look for a company that is actually a fish market and/or a seafood restaurant. Read customer reviews about the company and check it out with Better Business Bureau and other online resources to verify its trustworthiness. Seafood companies online should provide adequate information via their website, such as who they are, how they obtain fresh seafood, what you can expect in terms of shipping and keeping the seafood fresh during the process, and how to properly store the seafood after arrival. Ordering from a fine seafood restaurant offers many benefits because you can read recipes, order specialty sauces and find rare seafood dishes. You can also benefit from specials and purchase cheap seafood at times.

Use these tips to buy fresh seafood for your next event. Whether it’s a company meeting, holiday party, anniversary party, graduation, birthday, or any type of celebration, serving fresh seafood is one way to provide a tasty, unique menu that your friends will talk about for months to come.


Legal Sea Foods

About the Author:

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Buy Fresh Seafood.

Article Courtesy of: Go Articles

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Why Smoked Salmon Makes a Great Corporate Gift

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

by Boyd Murray

Corporate Basket

A corporate gift that is appropriate, an executive gift that is appreciated, a client gift that is actually remembered; what actually works? Smoked salmon gifts have become in vogue for more than just party appetizers.

There are numerous industries which interact with clients that would be better off giving a real gift of appreciation at the close of a deal, or business sale, than gifting some cheap logo scribed trinket. For an executive gift or corporate gift you may consider a fine gourmet gift of class and distinction, Alaska smoked salmon.

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Real estate, mortgage, and corporate executives are constantly looking for the closing gift that will appear genuinely thoughtful, and be sincerely appreciated and remembered by their customer or client. A corporate gift, like a glass golf ball on the desk plaque, just doesn’t work for most people. You may say, ‘but it is cheap, and you can purchase them by the case, and even have them engraved.’ Sure you can, and you can certainly go with that, but your corporate image will reflect those same under laying tones. What does the recipient perceive? A cheap gift. You know, about as useful as the chiropractor’s bent pen.

salmon platter

One mortgage company came up with a great solution to this need. At the close of every deal, their clients receive a gourmet gift box of smoked Alaskan salmon. Inside the box is 8 ounces of smoked sockeye salmon from Alaska. A recipe is included for a smoked salmon appetizer. Smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres make the perfect addition to a party with smoked salmon appetizers and dips.

At Christmas, one University sent every member of their board, an executive gift of a smoked salmon Wood Gift Box. This beautifully crafted wood gift box enclosed an 8 ounce fillet of Copper River Sockeye Salmon. In gourmet circles, Copper River Sockeye salmon is recognized as the premiere red salmon of the world, for flavor and taste. Smoked sockeye salmon has the bright red appearance and succulent flavor that gourmet chefs from around the world, integrate into their entrees and salmon recipes.

lox and bagels

A corporate gift or an executive gift would be far more appealing if it were something unique and something really good to eat. Smoked salmon is an ideal choice. Today smoked salmon is packaged in foil retort packages and is COMPLETELY SHELF STABLE, which is easily mailed across the country. Smoked salmon gifts fits any gift giving occasion or designation. Companies can purchase wholesale cases of smoked salmon gift boxes for very affordable prices.

For corporate and business gifts, smoked salmon makes a great gift if a party is to be attended, you would be amazed at the reception. Imagine business associates asking, where did the smoked salmon come from? Who brought it? Does the glass golf ball on the desk get that kind of referral?

Do your business a favor, and make the investment of giving a gift that actually has ROI.
Remarkably, smoked salmon from Alaska is healthy and a good source for important nutrients and Omega 3. Can the glass golf ball do that?


About the Author:

To learn about red sunflower and mammoth sunflower, visit the Sunflower Plants website.

Article Courtesy of: Go Articles

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Enjoy Delicious Fresh Seafood On Your Next Beach Vacation

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

by John C. Banks

crab cake platter

Beach vacations offer a nice variety of activities, including fine dining. Practically every beach enthusiast looks forward to enjoying seafood while visiting their favorite seaside retreat. Depending on the location, visitors are likely to find excellent options in fresh local seafood. Experienced beach goers might choose to enjoy seafood after a day on the sand, or pack a cooler and take home some of the local items for later.

The northeast USA is home to clams, scallops, lobsters, cod, striped bass, swordfish and other seafood. Visitors to Maine, Massachusetts, New York and other areas are thrilled to find local restaurants and seafood stands where fresh lobster, steam clams and other treasures are served hot and ready to eat.

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crab cakes

As vacationers move south along the Mid-Atlantic coast, the variety changes to include blue crabs, oysters, saltwater trout, flounder and more.

The Chesapeake Bay area includes Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Local seafood restaurants, carryouts and markets serve crabs, scallops, oysters, clams, fish and other local items. Delicacies such as steamed crabs, soft crab sandwiches and crabcakes await summertime travelers. In the cooler months, oysters, clams and fish are in season and ready to enjoy.

crab cake meal

Beaches along the southern part of the USA feature a different style of cooking and variety of seafood. Once vacationers reach North Carolina and South, shrimp, snapper, cobia and other fish begin to dominate the cuisine. Fresh local shrimp are an integral part of beach cuisine thru the Carolinas, Georgia and into Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Beach lovers that venture into the Caribbean also find unique seafood dishes that might include unfamiliar dishes such as conch chowder, grilled rock lobster tails, mahi mahi and grouper. The mixture of tropical fruits, spices and local seafood offer visitors with exciting mealtime experiences.


Planning a beach vacation? Seafood lovers that like to enjoy seafood on vacation can visit online resources like www.fresh-seafood.net and www.chincoteague-island.net. These sites offer consumers with a wide range of articles, news, recipes and suppliers of top quality fresh seafood that is available locally or shipped to your door.

About the Author:

The author maintains seafood related websites including
Fresh-Seafood
, Commercial Fishing and Chincoteague Island Virginia.

Article Courtesy of: Go Articles

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Low-chem Agricultural Products Lead the Way to Healthier Food

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

by Alison Withers

Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers

tomatos

More than a third of our food purchases are now organic, less processed and free from chemical additives and the residues of chemical pesticides, according to recent UK research.

UK shoppers are increasingly switching to a safer, more natural shopping basket even though organic and fair-trade products are generally a bit more expensive.

A sample of 432 UK supermarket shoppers revealed that just over two thirds said their purchasing behaviour had changed significantly in the last ten years.

In particular, spending habits had shifted towards buying more free range (46 percent), more fair trade (42 percent), more locally sourced food (32 percent), and more organic and less processed foods (32 percent). So in the UK the numbers of shoppers choosing organic and fair trade products are slowly increasing.

However,TABS Group, a Connecticut-based US marketing and research looked at shoppers’ behaviour and found no significant year on year growth in in the number of U.S. shoppers buying such products between 2008 and 2009.

strawberries

According to TABS Group president and founder Dr. Kurt Jetta the usage results for its 2009 study were remarkably similar to the results 2008 with 38% of adults claiming to have purchased anything from the major organic categories in the last six months: “Identical to last year.”

The study found that organic fresh fruit had the highest purchase incidence, at 26 percent, with organic fresh vegetables close behind, at 25 percent. Seventeen per cent of respondents said they bought organic dairy products and 16 per cent said they bought eggs and milk.

But if you consider that these surveys were carried out in the midst of a global economic crisis, which has had a massive impact on consumer spending, the figures nonetheless show that roughly a third of food purchased is organic – surely a pretty significant proportion?

Can food be cheap and healthy?

Particularly in the developed world, however, consumers have been “educated” by the big superstores to expect food to be cheap and many of the big players now offer “budget-priced” own-brand cheaper options, particularly attractive during a recession. But what do we know about the quality of these products? And at what cost to the already-pressurised profit margins for farmers?

As more of the old chemical fertilisers and pesticides are banned by food standards agencies around the world is there an answer to these seemingly contradictory pressures between cost and quality?

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Roast Platter

Biopesticides point the way forward

Biopesticides are derived from natural materials like animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. For example, garlic, mint, neem, papaya and baking soda all have pesticidal applications and are considered biopesticides. Compared to conventional chemical pesticides Bio-pesticides are less harmful because they generally have specific target pests and are therefore less likely to affect other beneficial insects, birds and mammals. They have generally lower toxicity levels, decompose quickly and thus do not cause the kind of environmental problems associated with chemical pesticides. Used as part of Integrated Pest Management programs (for example with biofungicides or biological control of insects by using their natural enemies to feed on them ) biopesticides can greatly reduce the use of conventional pesticides without compromising crop yields. Agraquest CEO Marcus Meadows-Smith, whose US-based company is a leader specialising in researching low-chem – or biological – agricultural products and their development, believes it is not right for farmers to have to compromise on yield and profitability as older, more toxic pesticides are getting banned, leaving gaps in their portfolios.

He says biopesticides now account for $1 billion (£638.5 million) of the global $40bn agrochemical market and over the next 10 years the biopesticides, or low-chem, market is expected to grow to $10bn.

And that could be good news for farmers, the quality of their land, and for health and price conscious consumers.


LaCenseBeef.com

About the Author:

As consumers demand more healthy food interest among farmers and other producers in low-chem and biological pest management solutions is growing. Ali Withers reports and finds out more from one leading US company, AgraQuest, specialising in developing effective low-chem bio-pesticides, disease control and yield enhancing products at http://www.agraquest.com/

Article courtesy of: Go Articles

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Seafoods are Tasty Treats

Monday, March 15th, 2010


Legal Sea Foods

Legal Sea Foods’ Mail Order

Our reputation for outstanding seafood has spanned over six decades. We offer great selection of superior quality fresh fish and shellfish products. Enjoy an outstanding gourmet seafood dinner at home or give as a gift delivered to their door and share the quality that you can only get from Legal Sea Foods.

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Great Hams for Great Meals

Monday, March 15th, 2010
Baked Ham

The Centerpiece of Your Meal

Authentic Country Hams – Dry Cured and Finely Aged

Johnston County Country Hams have a unique, lightly smoked aroma and mellow, lightly salted taste unlike anything else and are a true gourmet delicacy. Our unique flavor is a result of our curing process that is based on the techniques used by America’s early colonists. These techniques involved “salting” the hams and then letting the hams “cure” naturally though seasonal changes in temperature that occurred through the Winter, Spring and Summer, rendering the hams perfectly “cured” for the finest flavor and quality.

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We at Johnston County Hams stay true to these Colonial techniques. Using today’s technology that allows careful control of temperature and humidity we simulate the necessary seasons, speeding up the process a bit only because ideal atmospheric conditions remain constant. Each country ham is first hand rubbed with the “cure”, a blend of primarily salt and sugar. Winter days at just above freezing are necessary to allow salt to penetrate the meat as it draws out moisture. The rising temperature and lowering humidity of spring allow the salt to equalize throughout the meat and the bone. Finally warm summer days allow the ham to age and mellow to its rich characteristic aroma and flavor

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Grass Fed Angus Beef from La Cense

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

The reasons for choosing grass fed beef are many–taste, environmental impact and dietary quality are just a few. La Cense Black Angus beef truly qualifies as 100 percent grass fed

Black Angus

A fine Black Angus Bull

beef. None of the cattle are finished on hard-to-digest grain or given growth hormones. This distinction is important, not only for reasons of taste, but for your health.

Grass fed beef is lower in calories and fat than grain fed beef and can be eaten by even those who are on a heart-healthy diet. In fact, the high levels of beta carotene in grass fed beef make it possible to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease simply by including a tender, juicy steak in your diet occasionally. A six-ounce La Cense steak will have 100 fewer calories than a six-ounce steak from grain-finished cattle.

Understand the Flavor of Grass Fed Beef

Grass fed beef gets its flavor from nature–from the nutrients in the soil, and from the clean air and water. The La Cense Ranch in Montana offers wide open fields of abundant blue bunch wheatgrass and alfalfa. What the cattle eat have a direct and potent effect on how the meat will taste, and little is better for a succulent, rich flavor than what the natural Montana landscape has to offer. La Cense’s cattle are cared for without drugs or hormones and are monitored from birth to prevent any sickness spreading though the herds.

Try La Cense grass fed beef because it is savory and rich, a truly remarkable dining experience. Sophisticated palates will appreciate the meat’s full-flavored body, especially when paired with a robust red wine such as cabernet sauvignon. To order, simply choose the type of beef you’d like and browse the different available cuts.

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