to share....!!!

WATER
It doesn't come with any slick advertisements or cutesy cartoon characters to sell it, but plain old H2O is one of the quickest energy boosters out there. When kids become dehydrated, their energy plummets and their brain gets foggy, which makes it hard to concentrate.

How to get them to drink it: Kids often don't realize when they're dehydrated, so keep water handy and offer it often, especially if they've been playing a lot or have been out in the sun. Skip flavoring packets, which are often full of artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors. You can try adding a squeeze of lemon for flavor, but I've found that most kids don't like any "floaties" in their water. The trick is in the packaging-let your child pick out a fun water bottle (they can even decorate it themselves with permanent markers) or stock up on twisty straws and funny ice cubes. You'll be amazed at how much water they'll drink.

OATMEAL
Grains have been getting a bad rap lately, but whole grains are still one of the best sources of energy we have-especially for little bodies that are still growing. The fiber and carbohydrates in oatmeal provide a long-lasting, consistent source of energy that can be dressed up in a million different ways.

How to get them to eat it: Skip the pre-fab packets and cook your own. Microwaving a serving of rolled oats won't take you any longer than the packaged stuff, and you'll save on all the added sugars, flavors and colors. Add some real butter (yes, it's okay now!) for satiating fat, then cool it down by adding frozen berries (another great food for energy). To make it fun for little ones, let them add a few sprinkles or chocolate chips on top.

EGGS Everyone knows that protein builds strong muscles and helps keep you full, but I've yet to meet a young child who wants to sit down with a big steak and a bottle of horseradish. Thankfully, eggs are a clean and easy source of protein, and with as many different ways to cook them as there are kids, it's easy to keep them interesting.

How to get them to eat it: Scrambled eggs with cheese is classic kid comfort food, but a boiled egg can be a fun addition to a sack lunch (draw a funny face on it with a pen or marker!). German pancakes (or egg pancakes) are a tasty option for tots who prefer sweet to savory.

BANANAS Many kids are surprisingly potassium deficient-a problem that can manifest in a variety of ways, including lethargy and memory problems. This necessary nutrient, which is also found in dried apricots, figs, and plums, helps regulate the body's nervous and muscular systems.

How to get them to eat it: Thankfully, most kids already love bananas but if your little one has an issue with the texture or taste, try blending frozen banana chunks with yogurt and fruit for a creamy smoothie.

FISH Research shows a link between memory, test-taking skills and, gulp, eating fish for breakfast. While that's not typically pleasing to little palates, the benefits are huge. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish like wild salmon have been proven to reduce depression and hyperactivity and increase focus and concentration. In addition, all that high quality protein keeps kids' blood sugar (and therefore their moods) steady while keeping them full for hours.

How to get them to eat it: Studies have shown that pregnant women who eat fish have kids that are more likely to enjoy the taste. Since the womb is a one-way ticket; however, the next best thing is repetition. Try starting with something familiar like tuna melts, then adding some canned salmon to scrambled eggs. You can also try a milder-tasting fish like cod. Encourage kids to eat whole foods over supplements. Sadly, goldfish crackers don't count (although they are yummy!).

...Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever...

...I tell people all the time, you have to be in love with that pot. You have to put all your love in that pot. If you're in a hurry, just eat your sandwich and go. Don't even start cooking, because you can't do anything well in a hurry. I love food. I love serving people. I love satisfying people...

.....Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others....!!!

ENJOYS.......!

Cooking Secrets

If you add too much salt to a soup or stew, drop in a raw potato and boil for 5 minutes. When you remove the potato, the overt salty taste will be gone

When making soup, to absorb the grease that settles to the top, place a leaf of lettuce on the top of soup while cooking. Remove when it has done its job

Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling. It will help seal the egg.

Sprinkle a little salt in your frying pan before cooking to keep the grease from splattering.

For lighter fritter batter, substitute an equal amount of club soda or beer instead of liquid called for.

Butter the rim of a pan in which you cook rice or macaroni so it won't boil over.

"Dredging" in flour is simply when you lightly coat food (meat or fish) with flour in preparation for frying or sautéing. After dredging it in the flour, lightly shake off the excess and proceed with the recipe. You should dredge your ingredients just before you are ready to cook them. Dredging is not the same as breading.

Spray a bit of non-stick spray on your grater before shredding cheese. It prevents the cheese from sticking to the blade. 

Never have rice boil over again. Put amount of rice and recommended amount of water in a roaster, cover put in cold oven-turn oven to 350F and 25 minutes later, you have perfect rice with no mess and almost no sticking to the roaster. Try it-it really works.

A marinade should completely cover the food. If needed, weigh the food down by placing a plate on top of it.

Quickly discard marinade that was used for raw meat. You don't want someone dipping into the marinade after it's been used!

A "stick" of butter or margarine weighs 4 oz and is 1/2 cup US. Each 1/4 cup or half stick butter or margarine in US recipes weighs about 50 g. There are 8 tablespoons in 1/4 pound butter

Cook the low-fat way, rather than frying -- broil, roast on a rack, back or steam poultry, meat or fish.

Cut the Fat: removing fat from homemade soup with a paper towel or skimming it is a messy and slow process. Simply add three or four ice cubes and the fat will congeal around them so you can remove it with a spoon. You may need to reheat a little when you are done.

To avoid a mess when cooking thick soups: Pureed soups and other thick soups tend to splatter when they bubble. Protect your stovetop by using a splatter screen or by partially covering the pan with a lid. Or loosely cover the pan with foil that has been punctured in a number of places so that steam can escape.

To encourage soup to cook more quickly: Cut ingredients into small pieces.

To stretch a pot of soup that is slightly short for your number of guests: Serve it in wide shallow soup bowls. They can only hold a ladle of two.

Pasta: To Rinse or Not to Rinse?  The only time you should rinse pasta is after draining, when you plan to use it in a cold dish, or when you are not going to use sauce and plan to serve it immediately. In those cases, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain well.

Cooking Pasta:  Boil water till it bubbles...shut fire off...place pasta in pan stir once to separate ....cover....set timer for 20 minutes...after 5 minutes stir again then cover ..... wait till timer goes off...perfect each and every time...

To rescue a burning stew:  Immediately pour the stew into a new pot. Do not scrape any of the burned stew from the bottom of the first pot. If necessary, add more liquid to the new pot

Don't EVER bother boiling corn again!!!!  Save the nutrients, flavor and time.  Toss corn, husks, silks & all, into the microwave, 3 min. per ear on high.  Let sit for a couple of minutes.  Handle carefully with a couple of kitchen mitts.  Stand next to trash can, peel off husks and silks in one sweep each side.  Butter and enjoy!  You will be amazed at the difference!

Hunger finds no fault with the cooking....are you agree??

 Something that might boost our knowledge...small but sometime is BIG!!

COFFEE

Remove bitterness from percolators and other coffee pots by filling with water, adding four tablespoons of salt and percolating or boiling as usual.

To prevent cream from curdling when adding to coffee, use fresh cream. As cream ages, its lactic acid content increases. Acid can curdle cream. The acid in coffee, along with coffee's heat, favor curdling of cream.
Coffee from: 'Kitchen Directory and American Housewife' (1844)

"Use a tablespoonful ground to a pint of boiling water [less than a quarter of what we would use today]. Boil in tin pot twenty to twenty-five minutes. If boiled longer it will not taste fresh and lively. Let stand four or five minutes to settle, pour off grounds into a coffee pot or urn. Put fish skin or isinglass size of a nine-pence in pot when put on to boil or else the white and shell of half an egg to a couple of quarts of coffee."

CLARIFIED BUTTER

Clarified or drawn butter is clear, melted butter separated from its milk solids and water. To clarify, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove white froth as it forms on top. When the milk solids separate and settle at the bottom of the pan, carefully pour off the clear, yellow butter and discard the milk solids. Compared to regular butter, clarified butter can be heated to a higher temperature without burning and can be stored longer.  One pound of butter makes 12 ounces of clarified butter.

CORN OIL

Corn oil is odorless, has very little taste, and has a high smoke point, which makes it good for frying. It is also widely used in manufacturing salad dressing, mayonnaise and margarine.

Corn oil contains very little cholesterol. It's fatty acid content is 13% saturated, 62% polyunsaturated, and 25% monounsaturated

Crimini
Italian Brown Mushroom

Crimini mushrooms are similar to the button variety, yet they are darker in color, have a richer flavor, and have a more dense texture. Criminis were once an imported mushroom but are now grown domestically.

CLOVE PINK

Carnations, also called clove pink and gillyflower, are an edible flower with a spicy odor that are native to the Mediterranean region. They can be candied, pickled with spices, and used fresh in salads. In the past it has been used to spice wine and beer, and as a substitute for the more expensive clove.

Crab Apples

Crab apple trees produce small, very tart (acid) fruit, sometimes used to make jellies and preserves. They are also spiced and preserved whole.

In the Middle Ages crab apple juice was used much like vinegar is used today.

Galangal

The rhizome (root) of galangal resembles ginger in taste and appearance. It is predominantly found in Asian markets and sold fresh, frozen, dried, or powdered.

Galangal is also well known in European medieval cooking.

Selection and Storage
When ripe, galangal should be ivory white and firm with very little separation between skin and flesh.

Never buy galangal that is wrinkled or shriveled. Store refrigerated uncut and unwrapped for up to 3 weeks or, peel the root and place it in a jar of sherry and store it refrigerated for several months.

Galangal can be frozen if tightly wrapped in foil.

Preparation
Galangal can be sliced and used to flavor soups and stews (remove before serving).

It can also be mixed with lemon grass, chilies, shallots and garlic into a paste that can be used to flavor rice dishes.

Galangal can also be mixed into a curry paste for similar purposes.

interesting article for "US" to use alcohol in Cookery...SAVOR!!

Alcohol in Cooking

Alcohol Content and Substitutions

Contrary to what most people believe, and that includes most professionals, when using beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages in recipes, a lot of alcohol is left after cooking.      
Here are the facts from the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA (1989).

Alcohol remaining after preparation:
100% Immediate consumption
70% Overnight storage
85% Boiling liquid, remove from hea
75% flamed

Alcohol remaining: baked or simmered:
40% 15 min.
35% 30 min.
25% 1 hour
20% 1.5 hour
10% 2 hours
5% 2.5 hours

Suggested substitutions for Alcoholic Beverages in Recipes
Choose the substitute considering the sweetness of the dish you are preparing.

White Wine substitutes in recipes
• Apple juice or carrot juice.
• Vegetable stock or Chicken stock straight or with a little white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon white grape juice.

Red Wine substitutes in recipes
• 1/2 cup of grape juice with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar.
• 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
• Beef stock or chicken stock straight or with a little red wine vinegar.

Champagne substitutes in recipes
• Ginger ale, sparkling grape juice.

Brandy substitutes in recipes
• Apple juice, peach juice, white grape juice, pear juice.

Marsala substitutes in recipies
• Orange, peach or pear juice.

Orange Liqueur substitutes in recipes
• Frozen orange juice concentrate.

Beer substitutes in recipes
• Chicken broth, beef broth, ginger ale.

A Matter of Taste: Unfamiliar Foods

In the James Bond movie “Octopussy”, Roger Moore,
a.k.a., 007, is captured by the villain, an Afghan prince named Kamal Kahn.  Seated at the dinner table with his evil host, James Bond is revolted by the stuffed sheep’s head glaring at him from his plate. In gastronomic horror he watches Kahn twist out one of the creature’s eyeballs and gloriously pop it into his eager mouth.  Bond refuses to partake claiming he “loses his appetite when he’s stared at.”

       The foods that people choose to eat or not to
eat is an interesting subject of study.  If humans developed in a vacuum, free of all external influences, we would probably consume what naturally appealed to us. There are underlying biological reasons, (biochemistry, genetics, taste bud anatomy, etc.), that create individual differences in taste preferences.  If we were without our feelings we might choose our victuals much like Spock, the emotionless Vulcan of Star Trek: based purely on nutritive value. But we have not grown up in a vacuum nor are we passionless automatons. 

       We become accustomed to certain foods based on our life experiences.  People have a natural reluctance toward foods and food combinations that are unfamiliar.   My father loves veal cutlet and loves eggs, but place the eggs on the cutlet, (as in the classic German dish wiener schnitzel), and he recoils and makes a face. I make a delicious salad from mixed greens, asparagus, and potatoes topped by a green onion dressing.  My mother, who likes potatoes, didn’t eat them, simply because she “never heard of putting potatoes in a salad.” Go to the Internet, put “salad with potatoes” in the search box, hit enter, and watch reality contradict her experience.  But that’s not the point. It’s not objective reality that matters; it’s her reality that matters.

       If my anti-potatoes-in-salad-mother grew up in Southeast Asia, she’d be eating fried rats and insects.  But one needn’t traverse half way around the globe to encounter unusual foods. Growing up in northern NJ, my Italian friend’s father would bring home a goat at Christmas. He would eat numerous parts of the animal including the brains. I certainly have my own limits. I sautéed veal kidneys to perfection in cooking school but I refuse to eat an organ involved in an animal’s urinary process. I did however try the frog’s legs and yes they do taste a little like chicken. My mouth was saying “Hmmm, not bad”, but my brain was saying, “IT’S A FROG!” If kidneys or frogs legs had been a staple in my childhood, I probably would feel differently about consuming them.

       During a trip to Montreal years ago I treated myself to a top notch French restaurant each day.  I had wild boar, caribou, and ostrich and enjoyed them all. These delicacies are mildly adventurous at best. They were all reminiscent of tender beef loin and being an ardent carnivore, it wasn’t a great leap. I tried the escargot but my reaction was the same as the frog’s legs: tasted good but IT’S A SNAIL! 

       Some people avoid certain foods for religious reasons, their value system, or for health concerns.  That’s understandable.  But some also avoid certain foods purely out of misinformation. I’ve encountered individuals, who believe black pepper sticks to your appendix, eating peanuts after sundown causes stomachaches, fluids shouldn’t be consumed with meals, eating sugar causes diabetes, and schizophrenia is due to a vitamin deficiency.  And then there’s the minority whose sanity needs to be questioned.  One fanatical woman I knew was incensed about the “evils” of sugar.  One day after her church services the local school teacher was handing out lollypops to the children. This woman actually ran through the parking lot snatching the candy from the children’s hands.

       Avoiding certain foods because of your values or your health is one thing. But when foods are avoided simply due to a lack of experience, erroneous information, or mental aberrations, then we are placing arbitrary, irrational, or unnecessary limitations on the joys life has to offer. I am not recommending that you start frying grasshoppers, (as in Thailand and Mexico), consume mountain oysters, (steer testicles), or drink seal blood, (like the Eskimos). But I am hoping you will be open to analyzing and expanding your dietary gamut. I don’t think putting an egg on a veal cutlet, or eating potatoes in a salad is a radical course of action.

Expanding your culinary horizons provides three benefits:
*  1)If your diet is already restricted for health purposes or your value system, then you may need to increase your repertoire to combat boredom and monotony.
*  2)There are many foods high in nutritional value outside the scope of our usual regime. (Spock would agree with this one).
*  3)Finally, and this is my favorite given my hedonistic orientation, broadening your palate will result in greater pleasure.  The more things you like, the more you can enjoy the simple act of eating.

Kissing don't last: cookery do...:)!

A good cook is the peculiar gift of the gods.
He must be a perfect creature from the brain to the palate,
from the palate to the finger's end...

The discovery of a new dish...does more for the happiness of mankind
than the discovery of a star...are you agree??

Non-cooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet..Elegant!!

 I feel a recipe is only a theme,
which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation

What my mother believed about cooking is that if you worked hard and prospered, someone else would do it for you...

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather no...your saying??

 One cannot think well, love well, sleep well...if one has not dined well....so eat...love...and rock N roll...!! enjoy it...savor to the last...and tease your palate gorgeously...

Culinary on the Loop.

foie gras...story...Guilty Pleasure!!

To produce "foie gras" (which literally means "fatty liver"), workers ram pipes down male ducks' or geese's throats two or three times daily and pump as much as 4 pounds of grain and fat into the animals' stomachs, causing their livers to bloat to up to 10 times their normal size. Many birds have difficulty standing because of their engorged livers, and they may tear out their own feathers and cannibalize each other out of stress.

The birds are kept in tiny wire cages or packed into sheds. On some farms, a single worker may be expected to force-feed 500 birds three times each day. Because of this rush, animals are often treated roughly and left injured and suffering.

A PETA investigation at Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York (then called "Commonwealth Enterprises") found that so many ducks died when their organs ruptured from overfeeding that workers who killed fewer than 50 birds per month were given a bonus. Many ducks develop foot infections, kidney necrosis, spleen damage, bruised and broken bills, and tumor-like lumps in their throats. One duck had a maggot-infested neck wound so severe that water spilled out of it when he drank.

Other investigations at Hudson Valley Foie Gras and America's other leading foie gras producer, Sonoma Foie Gras in California, revealed that ducks were crammed into filthy, feces-ridden sheds and that others were isolated in wire cages that were so small that they could barely move. Investigators also observed barrels full of dead ducks who had choked to death or whose organs had ruptured during the traumatic force-feeding process. The investigators rescued 15 ducks, including two who were being eaten alive by rats because they could not move.

Foie gras is so inhumane that in 2004 California passed a law banning the sale and production of foie gras effective in 2012. Force-feeding has also been outlawed in the U.K., Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Israel.

Join Sir Roger Moore and countless others around the world in refusing to eat foie gras. You can even take one more step by giving up all animal products for one month. Take PETA's Pledge to Be Vegan for 30 Days, and we'll send you top tips on the best places to eat out, our favorite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and suggestions for the most delicious prepackaged cruelty-free meals

" Guilty... "

" Pleasure...."

 Mmmm. Sounds appetizing. Whether or not you agree, foie gras is generally considered a delicacy and can be rather expensive.

my little angel....Abah misssssed you....

I Love you little baby Ameera and i hope you know that mommy and Abah loved you VERY VERY much.. i talked to you EVERYNIGHT and EVERYDAY.. talkking to you about how beautiful you were going to be and how much i already loved you.. and how i was going to try to be the best Abah i could for you....

Adorable

Love you.... :)

Gorgeous

Cute

Abah...dede...et mommy.... :)

My Passionate about...and Glimps of Paradise

rejuvenate....!!

" white jacket Pirate Attack "

" Just "

You think...?

GCG

 " White Jacket High Tide..."

Asian Market...hemp..on Dbeach, moonlight...share with the one you Love...SAVOR...!

" Tuna Maki "

Chicken Teriyaki

Duck Pancake

Asian Market

Asian Market 1

Nibbles...oh...Nibles

Scallop trio...

Soft Shell Crab

Asian Market...!

Ichiban...means our First...savor...!!

sashimi....aMirantes

gunkan amuse

set up...Ichiban

inAction...

medium....

as starter

sashimi Lover's