-
Page Peel Ads
-
Forever Sponsor
Oct
9
What kind of Pizza You Love to Eat?
Filed Under jurnal online | 2 Comments
Just asking you, did you love to eat pizza?
Oct
8
You Eat Red Apples?
Filed Under jurnal online | Leave a Comment
Ps: Its shiny apples right? I love to eat red apples. How about you guys? Its good for your diet girls.
Oct
4
Did you love to eat Frying Tofu?
Filed Under cooking, healthy recipe, recipe | 2 Comments
Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the curds formed into blocks. Tofu, on its own has a very little flavor or smell, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, it can be seasoned or marinated, depending on the dish requirements.
Tofu is low in calories and has no saturated fat. It contains beneficial amounts of iron, especially needed by women of child bearing age and those in the premenopausal stage. Depending on the production and the kind of coagulant used in producing the tofu, it may contain high amounts of calcium which is very important to bone development and maintenance. Tofu has significant contents of magnesium which is important to athletes. Tofu, also contains soy isoflavones, which duplicates natural human estrogens and may have a variety of beneficial and harmful effects, depending on quantities consumed.
There is a wide variety of tofu available in both Western and Eastern markets. Tofu production are classified into two categories. It is either the fresh tofu which is made directly from soy milk and the processed tofu, which is produced from fresh tofu.
Fresh tofu are produced into three different varieties: The soft/silken tofu which is also known as “soft tofu” or “smooth tofu.” In Japan, it is called the “silk-filtered tofu” and the Koreans call it “pure tofu”. Another variety of soft tofu is called the tofu brain. It is often eaten as dessert, because of its very soft texture, it could not be eaten with chopsticks and instead a teaspoon is used.
The Asian firm tofu also known as “cotton tofu” in Japan still contains a great amount of moisture. It has the firmness of raw meat but springs back readily when pressed. The texture of the inside of this tofu is similar to that of a custard. The skin of this firm tofu is more resilient to damage than the inside.
The Western firm/dried tofu is extra firm with the least amount of moisture. It has the firmness of fully cooked meat and a rubbery feel. When sliced thinly, this kind of tofu can be crumbled easily. Western firm tofu is milled and molded after the pressing and formed flat and sliced into long strips with a cross section. It resembles loose cooked noodles and can be served cold for stir-fried.
There is a need to preserve the fresh tofu, thus the tofu had to be processed in different ways to achieve unique textures and flavors. One method used in preserving fresh tofu is fermentation. A classic example of fermented tofu is the pickled tofu. It is cubed tofu that have been allowed to fully air-dry under hay and slowly fermented from aerial bacteria. It is then soaked in salt water, Chinese wine, vinegar and minced chillies or in a unique mixture of whole rice, bean paste, and soybeans.
Another fermented tofu is the stinky tofu. It is a soft tofu that has been fermented in vegetable and fish brine. The blocks of tofu smell strongly of certain pungent cheeses and are described by many as rotten and fecal. This tofu is fried to a crisp, usually served with soy sauce, sweet sauce and/or hot sauce.
The flavored tofu was innovated to preserve the fresh tofu. Sugar, fruit acids, and flavorants are mixed directly into curdling soy milk while the tofu is being produced. The product is what we call the sweet dessert tofus which include the peanut tofu, almond tofu, mango tofu, coconut tofu. These sweet tofus have the texture of silken tofu and are served cold.
Another famous flavored tofu is the Savory Egg Tofu often called the “Japan Bean Curd”. Whole beaten eggs are filtered and incorporated into the soy milk before the coagulant is added. The infusion of egg makes the tofu to have a fuller texture and flavor than a silken tofu.
Frying is the easiest method of preserving fresh tofu. All forms of tofus could be fried, except for the softest tofu. Thin and soft varieties are deep fried in oil until they are light and crispy. Asian firm tofus and dry tofu can be cut into bite-sized cubes or triangles and deep fried until golden and crisp. This maybe served with sauces or maybe cooked longer in sauce. This is also best added to hot pot dishes.
Frying, as a method of cooking tofu is my favorite. Fried tofu is very versatile. I have been adventurous and experimental especially with sauces and side dishes. My favorite vegetables complement the tasty tofu. It could be served with a wide variety of other foods. I have to remind you though, be choosy with your choice of cooking oil.
Oct
3
A good dinner is never complete without fresh green salad. Here is my version of a simple green salad that is cheap but complete. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare:
Ingredients:
6 cups torn pieces of iceberg and/or romaine lettuce
2 small tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
1 medium-size cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 medium-size sweet green pepper, cut into rings
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
for the dressing:
2/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
Just follow this simple procedure:
Toss together lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a serving bowl. Top with green pepper rings and feta cheese. Set aside. Whisk together all the ingredients for the salad dressing. When ready to serve, toss salad with the dressing. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Credit to jocyclarke
Ps: So, what do you think about this salad?
Sep
30
I Love Corn Syrup!
Filed Under Health Issue, diet, food, fruit | 1 Comment
It’s almost impossible anymore to pick up an item in the grocery store and not find some form of corn syrup listed among the ingredients. Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, glucose syrup, and fructose are all forms of corn syrup or its derivatives. What is this love affair manufacturers have with corn syrup? Is it just a sweetener or does it serve other purposes as well?
Answers.com describes the many places you will find corn syrup: “Corn syrup is one of several natural sweeteners derived from corn starch. It is used in a wide variety of food products including cookies, crackers, catsups, cereals, flavored yogurts, ice cream, preserved meats, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, beers, and many others. It is also used to provide an acceptable taste to sealable envelopes, stamps, and aspirins. One derivative of corn syrup is high fructose corn syrup, which is as sweet as sugar and is often used in soft drinks. Corn syrup may be shipped and used as a thick liquid or it may be dried to form a crystalline powder.”
Corn syrup consists mainly of glucose. It is only about 75% as sweet as table sugar (sucrose), which is about a 50-50 mix of glucose and fructose. Because corn syrup lacks the full sweetness of sugar, it is often paired with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which has a fructose-to-glucose ratio that is almost identical to sugar. Often HFCS is used alone as a sugar substitute.
What other roles does corn syrup play besides that of a sweetener? One purpose is as a thickening agent, such as in relishes. Another is as a humectant (moistener), extending the freshness and shelf life of baked goods and other products. Additionally, it does not crystallize as easily as sugar, making it preferable over sugar for frostings and jams. It also helps keep the ice crystals off ice cream and other frozen desserts, makes jam taste fresher, and provides a sweet balance to sour ingredients.
All of these reasons are great for food manufacturers-they are able to manufacture foods that taste fresher, last longer, and are cheaper to make than foods with sugar in them. Why? Because corn is cheaper than sugar in the United States. (Perhaps you’ve noticed just how expensive sugar is on a recent trip to the grocery store.)
Why is corn cheaper than sugar? Government subsidies and tariffs. The U.S. government has placed high tariffs on imported sugar and massively subsidizes the U.S. corn industry. There is no free market economy at work here; it has been highly tampered with. Guess who benefits? The big guys in the corn industry, who just happen to make massive campaign contributions, but that is another story.
Many people are quick to blame the current obesity epidemic on the prevalence of corn syrup and HFCS in the American diet. This is in part due to a scientific paper written in 2004 by Barry M. Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and George A. Bray, a professor of medicine at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, which noted a remarkable surge in obesity in Americans that paralleled an increased use of HFCS by food manufacturers. However, in a July 2, 2006 NY Times article entitled “A Sweetener with a Bad Rap” Popkin was quoted as saying “It was a theory meant to spur science, but it’s quite possible that it may be found out not to be true. …I don’t think there should be a perception that high-fructose corn syrup has caused obesity until we know more.”
It is more accurate to say that Americans are consuming much more “sugar” (including corn syrup and HFCS) than a generation ago. Soft drink consumption alone has quintupled since 1980, and it is difficult to find a soft drink in America that is not sweetened with HFCS. Most consumers are likely unaware of how much corn syrup they really consume. As Americans continue to cook less at home and eat more prepared food, they are consuming more foods that even a generation ago did not contain any or at least as much corn syrup and HFCS. A manufacturer may add corn syrup to its product for a reason other than sweetening, but the result is still higher amounts of sugar and calories, and that is what fuels obesity.
For a more thorough discussion of the history and manufacturing of corn syrup, see www.answers.com/topic/corn-syrup.
My advice: If you want to know more about corn syrup and want to learn anything about that, go and read more at this articles too.
-
People