Whiskey or bourbon, what is the difference

Many people do not know what is the difference between bourbon and whiskey, although differences are not large, but they make a difference is the taste. While all The Bourbon is whiskey, not all whiskey is bourbon.

Whiskey or whiskey (as presented by the Scots and Canadians) is a fermented mash of different grains and water. They will be different in taste, appearance and smell because of the different types of local grain and water used in fermentation and distillation process. It is then aged in wooden (usually oak) barrels. Also each distillery has its own methods for distilling and aging, this will also make a difference.

All governments closely monitor summarize and aging of all whiskeys, both for imports and exports.

Whiskey is distilled spirits produced from starchy materials of different grains. The grains are first ground in a mixture a bit like cornmeal. This mash is then fermented, distilled, blended and aged. Although not always necessarily in that order. This is where the differences come in to play.

There are different grain mixes, many different distillation methods, hundreds of different mixing methods, with about as many different aging methods.

Canadian whiskey is a blended whiskey, distilled from rye, corn and barley. It can only be produced in Canada under strict government control. The Canadian Whiskey sold here in the United States must be at least four years, and 80 proof. Much lighter in flavor and color than most other whiskeys. Canadian whiskey and Scotch will be very similar, since in the early days of whiskey making Scottish immigrants came to Canada and began distilleries use their original recipes from Scotland. Canadian whiskey is Black Velvet, Canadian Club and Windsor Canadian, just to name a few.

Irish whiskey is a blended whiskey made from barley malt and grain. Malt is dried in coal-fired furnaces, so the aroma of the fires did not taste of malt. Irish whiskey is heavier, sold at 86 proofs and can only be produced in Ireland. Bushmills and Jameson are the top sellers of Irish whiskey.

Scotch Whiskey is a blended whiskey made generally from malt and grain whiskey. This whiskey is famous for its smokey flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires. Can only be produced in Scotland, to be exported to the USA, the Scots be at least 2 years, even if fewer than 4 years, an age statement shown on the label and possesses a 80 to 86. Popular covers Dewar Scotch and Johnnie Walker. There are also single malt Scotch like Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Single Malt Scotch is produced at a distillery using a barley malt and must be filled in 3 years.

Bourbon Whiskey is distilled from grain mash containing 51% corn and aged more than 4 years in new charred oak barrels. It is amber in color and slightly sweeter and heavier in texture than other whiskeys. Bourbon gets its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it originated. Examples include Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Makers Mark.

Rye Whiskey is distilled from a grain mash that is at least 80% corn then aged in charred oak barrels. Jim Beam makes a rye whiskey and Old Overholt.

Straight Whiskey is a whiskey that is distilled from grain, but is not mixed, unless mixed with another whiskey made from the same distillery or the same lot. This whiskey aged in charred oak barrels for at least 2 years.

Kentucky Whiskey is a whiskey in the state of Kentucky and includes Early Times.

A Tennessee Whiskey is a whiskey made in Tennessee, including Jack Daniels and George Dickle.

All information about a whiskey can be found on the label. For example, Jack Daniels, the label that it is a Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey, which means it was made in Tennessee and mash used in the manufacture of a batch of whiskey is added to the next. Hence the term sour mash.

Another example is Johnny Walker Black Label. The label is clear that this is a blended Scotch whiskey. Thus, this whiskey is made in Scotland from a mixture of several different batches of whiskey.

As you can see there are many different types of whiskey. The best way to determine which is best for you is to just try them. As you will see that each has its own smell, taste, appearance and texture. If you really want to try the different flavors, it is best to drink it neat (straight up) or with a few drops of water added.

First look at the color, while most are amber colored, there are different degrees of shade. Generally, if a whiskey has a light color, the taste will be lighter too.

Now look at the viscosity, this is the amount of whiskey, which clings to the side of the glass when swirling. This will tell you a little about the texture of whiskey. If a large proportion of whiskey sticking to the sides of the glass, this means that it is a heavier whiskey.

Now smell, you get to smell alcohol, but keep the smell, you smell a bit of smoke, charcoal? How about a little sweet smell? After time, you will be able to pick up other scents other than alcohol.

Finally, taste, take small sips to start, there will be an alcohol burn, but got past that you will be able to pick up other flavors. Peat, smoke, sweetness of the grain and oak from the barrels will slowly come to you. There are different after taste too. As your pallet is more experienced, you will be able to tell the different cores, which were used to make whiskey. While more cheap whiskey is fine for mixing, expensive whiskeys are made for sipping. You can find a price range as wide as the variety of whiskeys available.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of butter and ghee when it comes to cooking

From a nutritional point of view, is both butter and ghee is mainly made of fat from whole milk. Even butter in the U.S. are almost always made from cow's milk, the ghee used for cooking in India are often made from buffalo milk. Both ghee and butter are usually 80% fat or more in terms of their composition, and around two thirds of that fat is saturated fat.

How butter is made :

Butter is made by separating cream from milk. Since fat-based cream portion of milk is lighter than water and milk solid portion, will the cream of fresh milk eventually rise to the top of the milk over time if the milk is simply stopped. However, a centrifuge, which features very strongly can be used to accelerate this process. (When the milk is centrifuged, the lighter cream will stay closer to the center and the heavier water and solid portions will air on the outside of the centrifuge.) Once the cream has been separated from milk, it can be churned until it reaches a semi - Solid State. This product is what we call butter.

Clarified butter or ghee :

Clarified butter is butter that is melted over low heat, and allowed to bubble and simmer until most of the water has evaporated. Clarified butter is also called drawn butter. Ghee is clarified butter important, although the traditional ghee-making processes (originating in India, where ghee is very commonly used in cooking) place emphasis on the exact steps and specific qualities of the clarified butter. Cooking process is usually extended for a longer period of ghee, to remove more of the moisture and also cause dry milk to caramelize for possible removal from the ghee through strainers. The highest quality ghee is obtained when the long-simmered butter is allowed to cool, and only the top most layer is skimmed off. (This layer is ghee, which are considered top-quality, and used in cooking.)

Health consequences of Ghee and butter :

Research in ghee and health is limited but fairly consistent. When ghee is consumed at a level above 10% of total calories may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. (For a person consuming 1800 calories per day, would 10% of calories be 180 calories or about 20 grams of fat, equivalent to about 2 tablespoons of ghee.) At a level below 10% of total calories, however, ghee appears to help lower cardiovascular risk, especially when other fats that are consumed during the day, is entirely of plant or vegetable oils.

Butter ghee, can increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases, if consumed in large quantities. A research study has shown that the 3 tablespoons of butter per day over 4 weeks may increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. For this reason, if you want to cook with butter, you'll want to keep the amount at a moderate level of no more than 1-2 tablespoons.

The benefits of butter at moderate levels that do not yet have the same level of research support as ghee. But there is growing interest in research into butter, which has some unique advantages of its own, especially in relation to its vitamin K and vitamin D content. This content can vary, depending on diet and living conditions in the dairy cow. (We look forward to new research in this area, particularly with respect to vitamin K2.)

Types of fats in Ghee and butter :

When comparing the ghee to butter in terms of health, one of the reasons for the favorable previous research record of ghee versus butter may be the increased volume of medium and short chain fatty acids in ghee. Butter contains about 12-15% of those between-chain and short chain fat, ghee contains about 25%. (Our bodies metabolize medium-chain and short chain fatty differently than long-chain them, and medium and short chain them are not associated with cardiovascular problems like the long-chain them there are.)

Ghee has a Smoke Point higher than Butter :

Ghee tend to have a higher smoke point than butter. For butter, smoke point is typically reached between 325Ëš-375ËšF (163Ëš-191ËšC). Some clarification Butters also falls within this general framework, but ghee usually has a higher smoke point, between 400Ëš-500ËšF (204Ëš-260ËšC). This higher smoke point can be an advantage when cooking at high heat, then smoke point is that when the heat damage to some components of a grease or oil is insufficient to be visible in the form of smoke. When it comes to our health, heating the smoke point is not a good idea with an oil or fat.

Cooking Recommendations :

For people who choose to cook in fat over high heat in 400Es-500EsF (204Es-260EsC) range, ghee makes sense for us, provided it is used in moderate amounts (no more than 1-2 tablespoons per day). Even for a person who decides to cook in fat, but the use of butter at a higher heat does not make sense for us because of the lower smoke point (325Es-375EsF/163Es-191EsC).

The use of butter and ghee to the lower heats (300Es-375EsF/163Es-191EsC) may be acceptable if, once again, that both of these animal fats are used in moderate amounts. There are significant advantages to the use of butter at lower heats versus vegetable oil are not clear to us from existing research. Generally, however, we do not like the idea of heating plant oils because of the sensitive nature of their polyunsaturated fats and phytonutrients. When butter has far fewer polyunsaturated fatty acids than vegetable oils, it can give a lower heat cooking alternative for this reason. Would be phytonutrient and vitamin content of butter still be susceptible to heat damage, and since we have not seen research to confirm the health benefits of butter over low heat cooking, we can not recommend this practice without the benefit of more research. On our website we offer a method for healthy sautaing, which requires no grease or oil of any kind. You can visit Healthy Cooking section of our website to learn more about this method.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is not a single chemical substance, but rather a family of chemically related compounds, which goes by the generic title of "vitamin K." Over the last 20 years, has no vitamin family undergone a major change in the form of our scientific understanding of its chemistry and function. In the past, members of the vitamin K family have traditionally been referred to as vitamin K1, vitamin K2 and vitamin K3. This terminology is largely being replaced by another set of terms to describe what is now determined to be a more complicated set of vitamin K compounds.

All types of vitamin K fall in a large chemical group of substances called naphthoquinones. Within this category naphthoquinone, there are two basic types of vitamin K. The first type, called phylloquinone, is made from plants. The second basic type, called menaquinones, are made of bacteria. (The only exception to this rule involves a special group of bacteria called cyanobacteria, which makes phylloquinone instead of menaquinones.) Contrary to some previous scientific assumptions, we get most of our dietary vitamin K in the form of phylloquinone from plant foods. Actually coming up to 90% of our dietary vitamin K in this form, and within these 90%, more than half comes from vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables. Many different types of bacteria in our guts can make vitamin K in the form of menaquinones. While this synthesis of vitamin K in our digestive system can contribute to our vitamin K requirements, this contribution is less than previously thought.

What can high-vitamin K foods do for you? :

Let the blood to clot normally

Help protect your bones from fracture

Help prevent postmenopausal bone loss

Help prevent the calcification of blood vessels

Give maximum protection against liver and prostate cancer

What events can indicate a need for more high-vitamin K foods?

Excessive bleeding, including heavy menstrual bleeding, gum bleeding, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, or nosebleeding

Easy bruising

Problems with the calcification of blood vessels or heart valves

Problems with fractures or bone weakening

Excellent sources of vitamin K include: spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale and mustard greens. Very good sources include green peas and carrots.

What are the functions of vitamin K? :

Promotes healthy blood clotting :

With regard to health, research, vitamin K is best known for his role in healthy blood clots. Indeed, initially using the letter "K" in the name of this vitamin came from the German word coagulation.

Although blood clotting may not sound like a body process that is crucial to our daily health, it is really important. At one end of the spectrum when we get a skin wounds (even a simple cut) we need sufficient blood clotting ability to close the wound and prevent excessive bleeding. At the other end of the spectrum, we do not want too much blood clotting ability, because when we are wounded, we do not want our cardiovascular system to "throw a clot" and mistakenly block a otherwise well-functioning blood vessels. Vitamin K is one of the most important nutrients to keep our blood clotting ability at the right level.

We owe much of our knowledge about vitamin K and clotting of the early experiments with the prescription drug warfarin. Also known as Coumadin, warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant drug that works by inhibiting the body's synthesis of coagulation factors (including coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X).

Vitamin K is sitting right in the middle of this coagulation. If the clotting factors that could close a wound, they need a way to stay at the nearby tissue surfaces. What gives them this "sticky" is a chemical event called carboxylation. One of the amino acids in clotting factors, called glumatic acid, is the part of the clotting factors that are carboxylated. Two enzymes are needed to keep this process running smoothly. Warfarin acts as an anticoagulant and interrupt this process by blocking one of these enzymes (vitamin K epoxide reductase). When this enzyme is blocked, vitamin K can no longer be recycled and "recharged" to help the clotting factors reach their proper stickiness. For people with an excessive tendency to form blood clots, blood thinners such as warfarin may be lifesaving. These warfarin-related discoveries have led to our current understanding of vitamin K as an essential nutrient for healthy blood clots.

Protects bones from weakening or fracture :

The relationship between vitamin K to bone health has been fairly well studied, and in the big picture, the vitamin K proved to be a critical nutrient for bone health. Most convincing is the research showing protection against fractures, which occur when vitamin K is consumed in sufficient quantities. Individuals who are vitamin K deficiency has been clearly shown to have a higher risk of fracture. Moreover, for women who have passed menopause and have begun to experience adverse bone vitamin K has been clearly shown to help prevent future fractures. These bone-related benefits of vitamin C appears to depend on at least two basic mechanisms.

The first of these mechanisms involves a type of bone cells called osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are bone cells responsible for bone demineralization, they help to minerals from the bones and make them available for other bodily functions. While the activity of these cells is important for good health, we do not want too many osteoclasts (or too much activity by osteoclasts) as these imbalances would mean too much bone demineralization. Vitamin K makes it possible for our bodies to keep this process in check. One of the menaquinone forms of vitamin K (MK-4, also called menatetrenone) has repeatedly been shown to block the formation of too many osteoclasts, and perhaps also to start their programmed cell death (a process called apoptosis).

A second mechanism involves the role of vitamin K in a process called carboxylation. (This process is the same as discussed earlier in relation to the stickiness of coagulation proper blood clotting.) For our legs to be optimally healthy, one of the proteins found in bone-a protein called osteocalcin-be chemically altered through the process of carboxylation. (Osteocalcin is not just a typical bone proteins. It is a protein that is particularly linked to our bone mineral density-BMD and for this reason, it is often measured in our blood when doctors try to determine the health of our bones.) When too few of the osteocalcin protein in our bones are carboxylated, our bones and increased risk of fractures. This unwanted risk seems to be particularly important in connection with hip fracture. Scientists refer to this bone problem as one involving "undercarboxylated Osteocalcin," and they have found that vitamin K can greatly improve the situation. Since vitamin K is necessary for proper activity of carboxylase enzyme that allows carboxylation of osteocalcin protein in our bones, vitamin C can restore these bone proteins to their proper place in our bone structure and strength of the composition of the bone. It is menaquinone MK-4 form of vitamin K, which has been best studied in this respect.

Prevents calcification of blood vessels or heart valves :

A common problem in many forms of cardiovascular disease is unwanted calcification, the build up of calcium inside a tissue that is normally soft. This accumulation of calcium sheep tissue to harden and stop functioning properly. When calcium builds up inside arteries, it is typically called arteriosclerosis. A direct way to inhibit the development of calcium along the arteries is to maintain ample supplies of a special protein called MGP in the body. MGP, or matrix Gla protein that directly blocks the formation of calcium crystals inside the blood vessels. For MGP to function in this way, it must first be present in its carboxylated form, vitamin K is necessary for this carboxylation process. In other words, heart-protective benefits of MGP in preventing calcification depend on vitamin K. In animal studies, both basic forms of vitamin K i.e., phylloquinone and menaquinones-found to provide excellent calcification-prevention benefits. Researchers have found that people with vitamin K deficiency are at greater risk for atherosclerosis than people with healthy vitamin K intake.

Other roles for vitamin K :

Researchers continue to investigate a wide range of health-supportive roles for vitamin K. At the forefront of this research has roles in three major areas: (1) protection against oxidative damage (2) proper regulation of the inflammatory response, and (3) support of brain and nervous system structure. With regard to protection against oxidative damage, has Vitamin K does not seem to function directly as an antioxidant in the same manner as other antioxidant vitamins (like vitamin E and vitamin C) do. But both phylloquinone and menaquinone forms of vitamin K seems useful in protecting cells, especially nerve-cells from oxidative damage. In terms of inflammatory response, several markers of pro-inflammatory activity, including, for example, release of interleukin-6 (IL-6)-are significantly reduced by healthy vitamin K levels. Finally, with regard to the brain and nervous system structure, Vitamin K is known to be required for the synthesis of a very important family of the brain and nervous system fats called sphingolipids. These fats are important in the formation of the myelin sheath, which forms an outer packaging around the nerves, and both phylloquinone and menaquinone forms of vitamin K have been found effective in supporting the synthesis of these central nervous system components. All of the above roles of vitamin K have been studied primarily in laboratory experiments on animals or in laboratory experiments on human cell samples.

What are deficiency symptoms for vitamin K? :

People who lack vitamin K is primarily likely to have symptoms related to the problematic blood clots or bleeding. These symptoms can include heavy menstrual bleeding, gum bleeding, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, nose bleeding, easy bruising, blood in urine, prolonged clotting, hemorrhaging, and anemia. Another set of vitamin K-deficiency symptoms involving skeletal problems. These symptoms may include loss of bone (osteopenia), decrease in bone mineral density (osteoporosis) and fractures, including common age-related fractures as in the hips. Another set of vitamin K deficiency symptoms include the deposition of calcium in soft tissues. These calcifications-based problems include arteriosclerosis or calcium-related problems with heart function.

What are the current public health recommendations for vitamin K? :

In 2000 established the National Academy of Sciences following Adequate intake (AI) levels for vitamin K:

Males and females 0-6 months: 2 micrograms

Males and females, 7-12 months: 2.5 micrograms

Males and females 1-3 years: 30 micrograms

Males and females 4-8 years: 55 micrograms

Males and females 9-13 years: 60 micrograms

Men and women 14-18 years: 75 micrograms

Men 19 years and older: 120 micrograms

Females 19 years and older: 90 micrograms

Pregnant or lactating females 18 years and younger: 75 micrograms

Pregnant or lactating females 19 years and older: 90 micrograms

Varieties Of Berries

Black Raspberries :

Black Raspberries, affectionately called Blackcaps of growers, based in North America. These unique flavored berries are popular in specialty foods, especially jam and ice, and used as a coloring agent as well. The fruits are blue-black, round and small (2.0 g) and exhibits a whitish bloom on the outside of berries. Black raspberries have a distinct and moderately tart flavor, small seeds and, like the red raspberry, a hollow core contains.

Red Raspberries :

Oregon red raspberries are known for their brilliant red color and deep flavor. The Willamette and Meeker varieties are prevalent among the commercial varieties grown in Oregon, where a majority of the crop is processed as individually quick frozen raspberries, frozen raspberry puree, or frozen raspberry juice concentrate. Other processing methods include canning, drying, processed bakery fruit fillings and essence, and aseptic packaging. Raspberries are different from the blackberries and other Dewberry in the same family in the fruit separates from the container producing a hollow core. The fruit is medium to bright red depending on variety, medium size (3.0 g) and moderately tart with small seeds. Red raspberries are well suited for commercial or home freezing, as well as jams and jellies, with a small percentage of the crop that is destined for new markets locally and globally.

The Boysenberry :

Another link in Berry history was the discovery of Boysenberry. In the late 1920s, George Darrow of the USDA began tracking reports on a large, reddish-purple berry that had been cultivated by a man named Rudolf Boysen. He enlisted help of Walter Knott, a Southern California farmer known as something of a berry expert. Knott had not heard about the new berry, but agreed to help Darrow in his search.

The couple quickly learned that Rudolf Boysen had abandoned his growing experiments several years earlier and sold his farm. Undaunted by this news, Darrow and Knott also out to Boysen's old farm, where they found several frail vines surviving in a field choked with weeds. They transplanted the vines to Knott's farm where he nurtured them back to fruit-bearing health. Walter Knott's began selling berries at his farm stand in 1935 and soon noticed that people are held back to buy the large tasty berries. When asked what they were called, Knott said, "Boysenberries." As their popularity grew, Mrs. Knott began making preserves which ultimately made Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California world famous.

The Loganberry :

The origin and history Loganberry in 1880 was the beginning of the use of breeding to obtain better commercial varieties. Judge J.H. Logan was an interested backyard plant breeder who began experimenting with breeding small fruits at his home garden at Logan Heights near Santa Cruz, California. Dissatisfied with the many varieties of blackberries, Judge Logan tried to cross two varieties of blackberries and inadvertently planted beside an old variety of red raspberry, which had been abandoned for many years in the area. The canes of all three fruits and flowers together and Judge Logan collected and planted the seed. The 50 plants grew and produced a plant similar to the BlackBerry parent Aughinbaugh variety but much larger and stronger. This course was Loganberry, a cross between blackberries and raspberries. The remaining 49 plants were Mammoth Blackberry, the longest fruit of any variety ever grown. Since that time, viable crosses were made between varieties of raspberries and blackberries produce offspring as Logan to confirm its parents.

While Logan proved to be productive and well adapted to western climates, taste was not popular with customers and marketing difficulties made it desirable to search further. The legacy of the Logan, is a bramble of raspberry cross, stimulated interest in using it for breeding and thus overshadowed the use of wild varieties of many years. Why Logan was a famous parent in the breeding of many cultivated varieties are now commercially grown in the Northwest. Logan himself is grown mainly for juice, pies and wine.

The Young Berry :

The Young, Berry was another great breeding line used in many of our cultivated varieties. It was developed in Morgan City, Louisiana by BM Young in 1905. The Young Berry is a hybrid between the phenomenal (a black very similar to the Logan) and Mayes Dewberry or subsequent blackberries. It was not introduced until 1926, but it quickly became important to replace Logan largely in California and to some degree in Oregon and Washington.

Thor Less Evergreen Blackberry :

The most productive of all the commercially grown blueberries are Thor Less Evergreen, or Black Diamond. This variety is very popular with growers because it is easily in the growing and higher yields. The Thor Less Evergreen vigorous, disease resistant and productive, giving 6-10 tonnes per hectare. The fruit is black and half inches long, firm and sweet. The seeds are quite large, is one of the least desirable qualities. One problem with Thor Less Evergreens is that the season is very late, making it more difficult to harvest because of weather and labor problems.

Cuttings from Chehalem by Olallie cross has been outstanding in productivity that has great size and high flavor. The most significant of these choices is Marion Blackberry or Mr Berry. The Marion was introduced by Waldo in 1956. Custom western Oregon, the Mario Berry is named after Marion County, where it was tested thoroughly. The fruit is medium to large, round in diameter and somewhat longer than wide. The Mario Berry is a subsequent power generators, which normally produces only a few long canes which grow up to 20 feet. The ramifications are large and numerous, and fruiting lateral, long and strong, with many fruits. The Mario Berry produces up to 5-6 tonnes per hectare. The quality of Mr Berry is high, with better taste than the Boysen or Evergreen. Marionberries are suitable for use in local fresh markets and for commercial or home canning, freezing, pies, ice cream flavoring, jams and jellies.

Types of Bread

Baguette Classic - long, French bread, but imbued with our natural sourdough starter, which creates a crackly crust, a hearty crumb and mellow sour flavor. Also available in demi size, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, topped with sesame seeds, or rolled in our seed mixture of poppy, sesame, caraway, anise and thyme. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, kosher salt, malt syrup.

Traditional Baguette - Parisian baguette with the requisite thin, crisp crust and delicate interior. Perfect for a sandwich. Try making garlic bread with this one! Unbleached flour, water, kosher salt, yeast.

Country Sourdough - Our most popular bread. Leavened only with our sourdough starter, this dark, burnished boule has a very moist and open structure and a robust sour taste. Significant enough to turn a simple salad and bread for a meal. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter motor, kosher salt.

Farm - A medium dark sourdough with a solid crust. Addition of whole wheat flour gives this bread a nutty tang and rustic appearance, complete with flour marks from our proofing baskets. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, bran flakes, malt syrup, kosher salt, yeast.

Olive - Provencal-inspired rustic bread packed with dry cured and Kalamata olives. Delicious with a soft, mild cheese, or try this bread as croutons for soup or salad. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, olives, wheat germ, kosher salt.

Ciabatta - the funky shape of our rustic Italian bread contradict his exquisite taste. The thin crispy crust and moist, porous interior creates a perfect "Backhoe" in olive oil and tomatoes. This bread only lasts one day, but it should not be a problem - it is a bread, you can not stop eating. Unbleached flour, water, durum flour, salt, yeast.

Rustic - Not a sourdough, but all have an acidic characteristics: crunchy, caramelized crust, moist and open internal structure. The difference is in the sweet, wheaty flavor. Unbleached flour, water, wheat germ, salt, yeast.

Rosemary - A fragrant, fresh rosemary boule has a hint of rich olive oil. Wonderful with meat stews. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, olive oil, wheat germ, rosemary, kosher salt, yeast.

Cinnamon Raisin - A rich, white sandwich bread with gooey cinnamon swirls throughout. Makes fine French toast. Unbleached flour, milk, water, butter, whole eggs, brown sugar, golden raisins, kosher salt, yeast, cinnamon.

Brioche - Available plain or with golden raisins. Unbleached flour, milk, eggs, butter, (raisins), sugar, kosher salt, yeast.

Dill potato - baked potatoes with this bread very moist with a long shelf life. The delicate internal structure will surprise you, flavor enlivened by fresh dill. Great with tuna salad. Also available without dill. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, potatoes, wheat germ, dry milk, dill, kosher salt.

Harvest - Another of our biggest sellers. If it is possible to make a sweet sourdough bread, we've done it. This is a healthy dark bread filled with six whole grains. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, oats, cracked wheat, wheat berries, sunflower seeds, flax, sesame, millet, bran flakes, honey, kosher salt, yeast.

Ricotta Polenta - A cracked corn bread silky with fresh ricotta. This one also has a very moist interior and is perfumed with oregano. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, skim ricotta, polenta, cracked corn, wheat germ, dry milk, kosher salt, sugar, yeast.

Sesame Semolina - A golden brown Sicilian bread is enrobed in sesame. Rich and buttery inside, you will not believe this is a low-fat bread. Unbleached flour, water, semolina & durum flours, sourdough starter, cornmeal, malt syrup, kosher salt, yeast.

Italian - This wheel shaped Roman bread has a thin, crisp crust and delicate crumb. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, olive oil, malt syrup, kosher salt, yeast.

Onion Bread - You can not eat just one piece of this. The combination of caramelized onions and cheese is addictive. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, olive oil, malt syrup, onions, Asiago cheese, kosher salt, yeast.

Fougasse - A decorative bread from Provence, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh rosemary, this Tree of Life shape creates a latticework that pulls off a great snack. Unbleached flour, water, durum flour, olive oil, salt, yeast, rosemary.

Raisin Pecan - This bread is close to fruit and pecan halves. Try it with nothing more than a little butter. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, raisins, pecans, sugar, wheat germ, malt syrup, kosher salt, yeast.

Sourdough pretzel - Ever buy a soft pretzel from a street vendor? It is what it is - only much, much better. Makes a delicious ham sandwich with mustard. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, malt syrup, pretzel salt, kosher salt, yeast.

Honey Wheat - This dense and healthy bread contains nine cores and is a natural for morning toast. Even for those not on a high fiber diet. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, sesame, sunflower seeds, wheat berries, flax, cracked rye, cracked oats, cornmeal, millet, triticale, malt syrup, honey, kosher salt, yeast.

Rustic Rye - Featuring a corn rye, this medium rye has an unusually mild flavor. When was the last time you made a great Rueben? Available plain or rolled in caraway. Unbleached, white and dark rye flour, water, white and rye sourdough starters, rye chops, molasses, kosher salt, yeast.

Garlic Thyme - Studded with roasted garlic and fresh thyme, this rich bread is rounded out with a slightly sour taste. But beware, it will fill you up. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, olive oil, garlic, wheat germ, thyme, kosher salt.

Walnut - A very special bread, walnut halves spot this dough almost purple in its long fermentation. Our most sour bread, have it as an appetizer with fresh goat cheese and cracked pepper. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, walnuts, sugar, milk, malt syrup, kosher salt, yeast.

Chocolate Cherry - Valhrona Dried sour cherries and chocolate combine to make this singularly unique bread. Have breakfast all day with this one. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, semi-sweet chocolate, butter, sugar, sour cherries, cocoa powder, kosher salt, yeast.

Fig Anise - The origin of this unusual combination dates back to Roman times. Black Mission figs complement the whole anise seeds in this delicious bread. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, cornmeal, figs, sugar, kosher salt, yeast, aniseed.

Poblano Cheese - Colorful and zesty, this bread is not for the faint hearted. Great as hors d'oeuvres. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, cornmeal, Jack cheese, red bell and poblano peppers, wheat germ, dry milk, kosher salt, yeast.

White Sandwich - More than respectable sandwich bread, our version is rich and buttery. Unbleached flour, water, butter, sugar, dry milk, kosher salt, yeast.

White Rye - Dense and studded with caraway, this is a perfect deli sandwich bread. Also available: onion rye. Unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter motor, white rye flour, cumin, kosher salt, yeast.

Challah - Our shiny, braided egg bread is not only a great accompaniment to a meal, but beautifully decorates the table. Unbleached flour, water, eggs, semolina and durum flour, canola oil, butter, sugar, kosher salt, yeast.

Pumpernickel - A great all-round black sandwich bread crunchy with the addition of rye chops. Unbleached flour, water, medium rye flour, white and rye sourdough starter, rye chops, molasses, kosher salt, yeast.

Apple Walnut Dark - crusted and wearing labeling of flour dough risen in a basket, this hearth-baked bread thesis celebrates fall harvest of these two fruits. Walnuts, Unbleached flour, water, whole wheat flour, apples, sugar, barley malt, salt, yeast.

Chocolate Babka - An extremely decadent version of the classic Polish sweet bread. Unbleached flour, water, sugar, butter, dry milk, salt, yeast, semi-sweet chocolate, brown sugar, cocoa, sour cream, raisins, candied orange peel.

Cranberry Orange - A delicious breakfast bread, loaded with pecans and dried fruit. Unbleached flour, water, whole wheat flour, dried cranberries, golden raisins, orange zest, pecans, olive oil, salt, yeast, Belgian sugar.

Lemon Rye - Only 7% rye, the big rye flavor is the result of 24-hour fermentation. The combination of the two sours - lemon and rye - making perfect bread for a ham sandwich. Water, unbleached flour, dark rye flour, wheat germ, natural lemon emulsion, lemon zest, salt, yeast.

Panettone - This buttery, Italian bread was invented in 1927 for Christmas and baked in the shape of a cathedral dome. Ours is made with wine-soaked apricots and raisins. Unbleached flour, whole eggs, butter, water, sugar, dried apricots, raisins, wine, dry milk, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, orange juice, ascorbic acid, yeast.

Wheat bread - Made from about 50% whole wheat flour, we have added cracked wheat, whole wheat berries and bran flakes make this one of the lessons of good nutrition. Water, unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, whole milk, honey, barley malt, unprocessed bran flakes, cracked wheat, wheat berries, butter, poppy seeds, salt, yeast.

Roasted Tomato Ciabatta - Tomatoes are marbled in this light and airy bread and although it tastes fattening, you will be surprised that the only fat is less than an ounce of Asiago and olive oil per loaf. Water, unbleached flour, durum flour, roasted tomatoes, barley malt, Asiago cheese, olive oil, salt, yeast.

Flatbreads - Thin hand finished rounds baked to form a crispy crust.

Tomato flatbread - brushed with olive oil and garnished with fresh basil.

Timeline of Bread

Timeline of Bread :

Around 10,000 BC, people first began to eat a crude form of flat bread - baked mixture of flour and water.

Ancient Egyptians believed to be the first to have baked leavened (raised) bread. Around 3000 BC, they started fermenting a flour and water mixture by using wild yeast which was present in the air. Since wheat is the only grain with sufficient gluten content to make raised or leavened bread, wheat was soon preferred over other grains grown at the time, such as oats, millet, rice and barley. The workers who built the pyramids in Egypt were paid in bread.

The Egyptians also developed ovens can bake more bread at the same time. Bread for the rich was made from wheat flour, bread to those who were wealthy was made of barley and bread to the poor was made from sorghum.

In 150 BC, was the first baker's guild formed in Rome. Wealthy Romans insisted on the more exclusive and expensive white bread. Roman bakeries produced a series of bread and distributed free bread to the poor in times of need.

In 1202 AD, England adopted laws to regulate the price of bread and reducing bakery profits. Many bakers were prosecuted for selling bread that did not correspond to the weights required by local laws. As a result of the "bread trials" in England in 1266, bakers were ordered to mark each bread, so if a non-conforming loaf appeared, the baker could be found. Bakers' marks were among the first trademarks.

Although the Egyptians and Romans and later bakers made leavened bread, it was not until the 1800s, the yeast was identified as a plant-like organism. Yeast converts carbohydrates into alcohol, producing carbon dioxide in the process, which is a maturing gas.

By 1850, the United States had 2,017 bakeries, employing over 6700 staff.

The 1928 invention and introduction of the commercial bread slicer was soon followed by the introduction of the automatic toaster. Toast consumption increased as a result of both inventions. But in 1943, prohibited the U.S. Department of Agriculture sale of sliced bread in an attempt to keep prices low in an era of wartime rationing.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, bread was selected as the basis for a diet enrichment program in the U.S. Diseases such as pellagra, beriberi, and anemia had become widespread. These diseases were associated with a deficiency of B vitamins and iron. Since bread was a daily food item for most Americans, even those with poor diet, certain quantities of iron, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and were added to white flour. This enrichment program was an important factor in the elimination of pellagra and beriberi in the United States, and reducing anemia among Americans. In 1998, folic acid, an essential nutrient in preventing serious birth defects, was added to all enriched grain foods, including bread.

In 1910, Americans were each eating about 210 pounds of wheat flour each year. That dropped to a historic low of 110 pounds in 1971, but has grown steadily since then. In 1997, American wheat flour consumption per person 150 pounds. In contrast, each Egyptians eat about 385 pounds of wheat each year.

Wheat is primarily composed of complex carbohydrates, which provide a source of time-released energy. Since 1990, the U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that Americans eat 6 to 11 servings of bread and other grain foods every day.

Sunchokes

The sunchoke is a vegetable that is actually a member of the sunflower family. Its root consists of an edible tuber, whose sweet taste is like a potato and an artichoke. Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, it is resident in the United States and is widely grown in Texas.

You can recognize a sunchoke by its similarity to a white potato, except that its outer skin has many bumps on it and is not easily peeled. Although you may choose to remove a sunchoke's outer skin, typically it is kept and included in the preparation of vegetables. Sunchokes can be purchased year round in the major supermarket chains and specialty vegetable markets. You may also be able to buy sunchoke seed in the home and garden centers to grow your own sunchokes home.

When you buy sunchoke tubers for cooking, choose only those that are solid to the touch and which do not contain many bruises or marks on them. Also look to ensure that the tubers are not moldy or curly. Once purchased, you can save sunchokes in your home for up to one week, provided that sunchokes still unwashed and are placed in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. To use sunchoke a few days after buying it and want to prepare for cutting slices in advance to use that a mixture of water and lemon juice, and dip slices into the mixture. When placing sunchoke slices dipped in a suitable container and store them in your refrigerator. Using this method, the sunchoke slices remain fresh for a few days before using them.

Sunchokes can be substituted in recipes that require potatoes. But they have one more nut-like flavor than potatoes. Sunchokes also has a crisp texture when raw and can be used raw in recipes as an alternative to water chestnuts. Thus sunchokes used raw in salads and vegetable dishes, or they can be baked, boiled, microwaved, steamed, added to soups or sauted with other vegetables such as onions and peppers, for use as a side dish.

When you use sunchokes, it is important to clean the tubers thoroughly under cold water before use. You can also use a scrub brush to clean the tuber. Note also that sunchokes not last as long as a potato when brought home from a store. Therefore try to sunchokes us that you bought as soon as possible after buying them.

Sunchokes is also a very nutritious vegetable. For example, sunchokes contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium. In addition, they contain traces of iron, calcium and potassium. They also contain vitamin C. For those counting calories, one cup of raw sunchoke equals approximately 115 calories. Thus sunchokes is a good dietary source of food.

The sunchokes is a unique vegetable that offers an alternative to potatoes in recipes and a delicious addition to raw salads and other meals. Because of this, sunchoke will continue to be used as a versatile vegetable in many dishes today.

Pretzels

Everybody loves pretzels - crispy, brown, salty heart-shaped snacks. You can buy a whole bag for little more than a dollar per sale. They are handy to have around for unexpected company or for munching in front of television. But did you know pretzels have been around for approximately thirteen one hundred and ninety years?

Somewhere both sides of the border in northern Italy or southern France, pretzels were invented by an ambitious monk baking unleavened bread for the Christian Lent. Possibly out of boredom, he made some small shapes with leftover bread dough. Because the Christians in those days prayed with their hands crossed over their chests, he tried to shape the dough to mimic this action. They were baked to a soft bread consistency and given as a treatment for children who memorized their prayers. Monk named his new deal 'pretiola' - a Latin word meaning 'little reward'.

These baked unleavened shapes were soft pretzels we know today, are sold in shopping malls, carnivals, fairs and even grocery stores stock them in the freezer aisles.

From this humble beginning, the pretzel famous throughout Europe. Expression of pretiola can be found in books from this period. The pretzel shape was a symbol of good luck and many thought that the shape was also a symbol of longevity and good health. The pretzel shape decorated many embroideries and other artifacts in Europe.

There is a special coat of arms hanging out of every Austrian pretzel bakery. Coat of arms shows a lion holding a shield with a pretzel shape in the middle. Vienna's king awarded this honor to the pretzel bakers. The story is that in the year 1510, the Turks invaded Vienna tunnel under the city walls. Although it was time for bakers to start the next day's pretzels, they abandoned their baking task to defend the city of Vienna. Bakers invaded the tunnels, using their weapons effectively squash the attack and kill Turks.

It's just soft pretzels found their way to America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, although it was never approved. It is known that enterprising colonists knew the recipe and sold these treats to the Indians, who paid dearly for them.

So how did the hard pretzel spring into existence? Skip to the end of the seventeenth century Pennsylvania. A baker's helper fell asleep trend pretzels baking in the heart.

When he awoke, the flames died, he thought the pretzels had not cooked long enough, and started the fire up again. When Master Baker came in, he was furious that an entire group of pretzels were not fit to eat. In the process of throwing them out, he tasted one and realized that he had hold of something big! Not only did he like the taste of these delicious crunchy bits, but realized because of the moisture is baked out completely, that freshness was preserved and they would stay longer to sell.

Today pretzels come in all shapes and sizes, and many companies experimenting with flavors. Butter-flavored pretzels are favorites that have remained in the public eye. Pretzels are lots of accessories for soups, salads, ENTREES and tavern owners will attest, beer.

Port Wine

Port is a fine after dinner drink with a great tradition. It is made from a range of grapes grown in northern Portugal. At a certain time in the fermentation process the wine is transferred to tanks where the local (very high strength) brandy is added. The brandy, called aguardente serves to stop the fermentation process. This process ensures that some of the grape sugar has been preserved, and at the same time fortifies the wine.

Port is a blend of wines from different estates (Quintas). Although the Port is actually made in the Douro region, it is transferred to the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto, the maturation process. Recently, the wine industry Portuguese renamed Port "Porto" to reflect its authenticity and the name of the city, whence it is shipped. They also want to avoid being confused with the Port is not produced in Portugal.

Port falls into two main categories-Wood Port and Port Bottle. Each has its own subcategories:

Wood Port :

Wood Port has spent his entire life, maturing in casks and is ready to drink as soon as it is bottled. Examples of this type of port covers, Ruby, Tawny and White.

Ruby Port - This is the basic type of port is often drunk with lemonade or other mixer drinks. It is a relatively young wine can be sold after only two or three years maturing in wood, but up to five years is more common. It has a distinctive, deep ruby color and fruity liquorices-like taste.

Tawny - Tawny Port is matured in casks for up to ten years (even longer for an old Tawny), or until it disappears in a characteristic brownish color. Tawny is often true quality Ports with a very rich character.

White Port - This is a very small part of the port trade. Winemaking is the same as for standard Ruby Port. It is sometimes drunk as apritif.

Bottle Port :

Unlike Wood Port, this type of Port matured mainly, or at least a portion of the time in bottles. Examples include Vintage Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and Crusted Port.

Vintage Port Port This style is made from grapes grown in a particularly good year, and produces the finest Port available. It is usually stored in wood for two or three years and then kept in bottles for up to twenty years or more, so it can enjoy a slow maturation process.

Vintage Character Port - This port mixed good quality wines made from different years. It is wooded for about four years and is ready to drink soon after being bottled.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) - LBV is a vintage style of Port, which has been matured for about six years and then bottled where it will continue to improve.

Crusted Port - This is a mix of quality vintage ports have been kept in casks for up to four years. When bottled, it develops sediment or crust, as it matures, hence the name.

Plantains and Bananas

What is a banana? :

Is it a fruit, an herb or fruit? Well, bananas are all these things. Bananas are the most confusing element that I have ever met in production. What is so confusing, you ask? The confusion is related to the definition of 'Banana'. The banana tree itself is an herb. The best definition of herbs, as far as I know, is this: Herb is a blooming plant with fleshy rather than woody stems, which usually die back in end of each growing season. The Banana tree trunk is a false stem formed by densely packed leaf sheaths. The Banana themselves from the berry family. The berries are a simple fruit with a skin that surrounds one or more seeds in a fleshy pulp. If we cut a banana in the longitudinal direction, in the middle, you will notice tiny black 'seeds'. So, banana is a fruit, herbs and berries.

Where was Bananas discovered and by whom? :

Bananas were discovered by Alexander the Great in India. They were brought to America in 1830 from Central America.

The most common fruits in the world? :

Bananas (Musa sapiebtum), together with its relative the plantain (Musa paradisiaca), is the most common fruits in the world. It is also the fifth most important agricultural commodities in international trade that comes after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa.

Bananas (Musa) :

That the highly perishable fruit of an exotic tropical plant should be one of the most inexpensive, everyday food in North America is a miracle of some sort. It is a miracle made possible by complex business organization, large parts of tropical countries, many workers, refrigerated ships and fast communication.

Long before that everything fell into place, it was banana growing wild in the tropics of Asia, possibly Malaysia. One source gives banana a huge country stretching from India to New Guinea. Before cultivation, the banana was hard and full of seeds, which are the wild bananas today. Some unknown early agriculturalist must have seen promise in the hard fruit and selected the smallest seeded model for future propagation. Over time, seedless sweet bananas increasingly dominated and the resulting tame bananas became a tropical staple. Bananas grow from a rhizome in a tall green plant as tall as a tree, but which contain no woody parts.

Little is known of the plant's earliest trips from home base. Ancient wall inscriptions from Assyria in southwestern Asia goes back almost 7000 years, seems to depict the domesticated banana, but researchers are still uncertain. Archaeological excavations in the Indus Valley show banana was cultivated 6000 years ago. In the 4th BC banana made its first appearance in print of a Hindu holy book called the Ramayana.

Although Alexander the Great and his men encounter bananas in India, they made no attempt to bring them back to the West. The Arabs began growing bananas in parts of Northern Africa and then transported the plants to the Iberian peninsula. Bananas grew well in the south, but with the expulsion of the Moors at the end of 1400, died on banana out of the area and was then "rediscovered" growing in Africa by the Portuguese.

Bananas came to America at the beginning of the 1500s and eventually became a huge success in Central America and parts of South America. In late 1800, Costa Rica was the first "banana republic", it is a country with a single major export crop controlled by a foreign company. Ecuador and Guatemala, soon followed. Bananas are grown systematically by thousands of enterprise workers. The products were shipped in refrigerated vessels-the first in the world, and were available throughout the year.

Today, Colombia and Honduras are also major banana exporters. Hawaii, the only state where bananas are grown commercially, providing only 1% of all the bananas eaten in the U.S.

Plantains and bananas (Musa paradisiaca) :

Bananas - a strange herb and not a fruit at all - originated in India. The Arabs introduced it to the Middle East and northern Egypt in 6 BC, but it must have died out by Alexander the Great, on his all-conquering sweep across the known world, was quite surprised to find such a strange plant that grows in the Indus valley in 327 BC. Pliny the Elder wrote about them in the 1st century, referencing Alexander's discovery, and called them "fruit of the wise" by natives, who are said to live on them alone. Theophrastus and clarifications in the 4th century, says wise men sat in the shade of the plants grew and smart to eat its fruit.

Portuguese explorers were surprised in the 15th century to find them growing on the west coast of Africa. In 1516 did the Spanish missionary Friar Tomas de Berlanga it from the Canary Islands to the new world - it landed in Haiti, but quickly spread to Mexico.

Go the other direction, bananas reached China in 200 AD, mentioned in Yang Fu's Encyclopedia of rare stuff ... and so on, so that Captain James Cook found them growing in Hawaii in the 18th century.

Sweet varieties are eaten out of hand and vary in size and color dramatically. Cooking varieties called plantains are not sweet at all, very solid and starchy

Banana-Maturity Indices :

The degree of filling of the fingers, i.e. disappears waving long change in a cross-section. Bananas are harvested mature-green and ripened upon arrival at destination markets as the fruits ripen on the plant frequently split and have poor texture.

Banana-Quality Indices :

Maturity (the more mature the better quality when ripe), finger length (depending on the intended use and demand for different sizes), free of errors, such as insect damage, physical injuries, scars, and decay.

As bananas ripen their starch converted into sugar (increased sweetness). Other components that affect the flavor comprises acids and volatile compounds.

Lentil Beans

Lens (Lens culinaris) :

Among the world's oldest cultivated foods, lentils are also some of the most digestible legumes. The lenses that come in colors ranging from orange to pink to grayish green. Lentil pods grow on vinyl, green plants with long thin leaves. Lentils probably first appeared in northeastern Iraq. In Qalat Jarmo, Iraq, archaeologists have found lenses almost 9000 years old. Places in Greece and Turkey have also given up the old lenses.

The Egyptians were big lenses eat as early as 5000 years ago. An offer of mashed lentils were found in an Egyptian tomb. The Egyptians were lens traders as well and probably introduced them to both Greeks and Romans. At the beginning of the first century AD, of which 2.8 million pounds of Egyptian red lentils-packing "peanuts" in the era - cushioned a carved stone obelisk journey from Egypt to Rome. The memorial still stands in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, but the lentils that protected it has long since been eaten.

Lentil soup, a remarkably healthy dish, has been a French favorite for centuries. Originally a food of the poor, the little legumes are loaded with protein, fiber, iron and potassium The French may have brought lentils to the Northern America. Iroquois Indians in the St. Lawrence valley grew them in abundance from the beginning of the 1700s on.

India grows more than half the world's supply of contact lenses, about 800,000 tons per year, and eats it whole, imports more from Turkey. Canada and Australia are major exporter’s lenses.

How to De-gas Beans :

1) Put dried beans in a large saucepan

2) Cover with water

3) Bring to the boil

4) Remove from the heat

5) Add 1-2 tbsp. Baking powder

6) Let stand overnight

7) Next day - drain the water

8) Add fresh water, bring to boil

9) Reduce heat and simmer until tender

Note: Dried lentils and split peas do not need to be de-gased or pre-soaked. Canned beans need not be de-gased.

Snap Beans-Maturity Indices :

Snap beans (yellow, green and purple types) are harvested when they are rapid growth and development. Harvesting occurs around 8-10 days after flowering typically mature snap beans. Beans should be harvested when the fruit is bright green, the pod is fleshy and the seeds are small and green. After this period, reduces seed development, quality and pod becomes pithy and tough and lose green color.

Snap Beans-Quality Indices :

Beans should be well formed and, bright in color with a fresh appearance and offers, but solid. They should snap easily when bent. Leaves, stems, broken beans, still flourishes, insect attack should not be present. Reduced quality in post harvest processing is usually associated with water loss, chilling injury and decay.

What is the best way to make low-fat refried beans? :

Firstly, melt the lard. Oh, you say low fat? Well come to in a minute. Traditionally, to make refried beans, you Saut some onion (and garlic if necessary) in lard, add the cooked beans and mash them to a coarse paste and add the bean stock if necessary to get the right consistency. Continue to cook until done, which is described as somewhere between soft mashed potato stage and almost dry.

There are a few suggestions for making low-fat versions, although they begin to diverge significantly from traditional refried beans. The first step is to switch from lard (or bacon fat) with vegetable oil or olive oil and lower the amount used. While some recipes require nearly half cup lard to four cups of beans, others to cut - a quarter cup or as little as 1 tbsp. At the time, obviously you do very little frying of these beans, you're basically simmering boiled beans. To replace some of the flavor and improve the coherence of these simmered beans, some low-fat cookbooks tell you to add a cup or so of low-fat chicken stock and boil until you get mashed potato consistency. Basically, you’re making a really thick again warmed soup rather than refried beans. But it could be good for many of the dishes you have in mind. And for many people, the low-fat component may be more important than any sense of tradition.

Facts And Fun Stuffs About Apple

Apples-Facts :

The average size apple weighs about 5.5 ounces.

1 bushel = 4 whole barrel = £ 42. (approx)

The average apple has: Calories: 80, Carbohydrates: 18 grams Protein: 0.3 grams Fat: 0.5 grams, Dietary Fiber: 5 grams, cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 0, Potassium: 170 milligrams (about)

Cider can be stored for a longer period if they are kept just above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It will keep for a year or more if frozen in plastic jugs; draw some cider to make room for expansion.

It takes roughly two pounds of apples to make one nine inch pie.

Cut an apple in half (across the core) and you will see a star!

Famous apple growers : Willard Scott, NBC's "Today Show" weatherman, Dick enberg, NBC sports caster and Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (used for commercial apple tree with one another for grafting purposes).

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest ever apple plucked from a tree, weighed three pounds, two ounces.

According to Country Living Gardener magazine, archaeologists have found evidence that people have enjoyed apples since at least 6500 BC

Around 300 different apple varieties grown in the U.S. You can find apples grown in many climates across the U.S.

Fun Stuff About Apples :

Famous apple growers: Willard Scott, NBC's "Today Show" weatherman, Dick enberg, NBC sports caster (who grew up in a Michigan apple farm near Armada), and Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (used for commercial apple tree with one another for grafting purposes ).

The Paula Red Apple black, was discovered around 1960 in the vicinity of some McIntosh trees at grower Lewis Arends of Sparta, Michigan. Mr. Arends named the new variety after his wife Pauline. Paula Red is a short-season apple is typically available through early October.

The Ginger Gold apple varieties planted in the growing number of Michigan farmers, apparently owes its start to Hurricane Camille, which roared through Virginia in 1969. The hurricane destroyed much of the plantation, Virginia growers Clyde and Ginger Harvey. Several years later, they found a tree that had grown from a seed that had apparently been washed into the orchard from elsewhere, perhaps in connection with the storm. They called it black after Mrs. Harvey.

According to legend, the Esopus Spitzenburg apple varieties Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple. Spitzenburg believed to be a parent of Jonathan apple variety. Although not found in many grocery stores, you can sometimes see Spitzenburg apples at the farm markets and roadside stands.

Today about 300 different apple varieties grown in the U.S. You can find apples grown in many climates across the U.S. - in deserts, mountains, plains, river valleys, and of course, along the Great Lakes.

Chenango Strawberry, Winter Banana, pineapple Pitmaston, Kid's Orange Red, Ashmead's Kernel, Ben Davis, Holstein, Summer Rambo, Liberty, and Hawaii are just a few of the many names for apples! Thousands of other Apple different names have been registered in horticultural journals throughout history.

Drinking single malt scotch

Few works of the distiller's art can evoke the kind feelings and strong reactions from his most loyal supporters who can Scots mentioned in his homeland as acquavitae, "water of life."

Scotch is what it is and gives rise to the emotions, it does because of what it represents - in the heart of the earth from which it springs. Single Malt Whiskey, in its annual aging, inhalation of the dish, in and out, summer and winter, through expansion and contraction, assumes the character of the local soil and weather conditions. Although the ingredients and materials used to make whiskey - the barley malt, wood or peat, copper pot still and aged sherry-wood or bourbon casking - are made or harvested locally, and there is no Scot who will tell them that he can not taste and smell much spiritual home when nosings his favorite whiskey. For people away from their homeland, a single malt from their part of Scotland is home.

Because of this, is the region of Scotland from which malt is distilled is very important, and each region is probably characterized by its own separate nose and taste characteristics. Traditionally, the primary whiskey types of regions are the Highland malt, which is characterized by a generally sweeter, smoother taste (and further subcategorized, with the largest category is the Speyside malt) Lowland malt, which is dry and has a slightly higher alcohol content ( but with fewer individual differences in the region; Islay malt, which is the most identifiable because of their powerful, peat-dried, nose, and their flavor savor a cold, windy outer Herbides country with iodine and seaweed flavor and hints of Campbell town, as is something between the lowlands and the highlands in the degree of sweetness, but with a pronounced smoky foundation with great body and a slightly salty tang.

Despite regional differences, all Scotch whiskey is produced by grinding a particular type of grain or grain to a very coarse texture - "crash" instead of soil - and then move the grain to a "mash tuna," where water usually from a protected and often revered local source, which runs through the grain by hot temperatures, much like the first step in making beer. The starch is extracted from grains in this process. But the question here is not just some Scots, but the single malt Scotch. "Single malt" Scotch whiskey must be made only from malted barley. The barley used to make singlemalts grown in special areas set aside by the distilleries, for their use. These barley hybrids are the result of generations of experimentation and breeding for a certain flavor, sugar yield (and thus higher alcohol content) and smoothness. Introduction of other types of grain requires that whiskey can be categorized as a "blend" instead of a single malt.

The resulting liquid in TUN then sieved through a Lauder tuna (and also like the liquid in the beer process called "wort"), then cooled to between 22 and 24 degrees and run back into a separate tank where yeast is added. Here is the solution fermentable sugars in wort are converted to alcohol. This is very similar to the first step in making beer.

The yeast is left in the solution for different amounts of time, depending on the wishes or traditions specific maker or whiskey distillery. Once fermentation is completed, a strong ale called pot ale still, which is about 9% alcohol. This solution is distilled, which means that most of the water is removed, and the strength is concentrated by heating in copper stills. These stills are either continuous stills, called a Coffey still grain whiskey, or the solution is distilled twice, in case of single malt whiskey through a pair of pot stills. Pot stills used in most single malt distilleries are onion or pear-shaped, with tall, slender neck, designed to help alcohol condense. The resulting liquid is cooled and placed in vats. The Macallan, for example, made entirely from expensive, soft malty "Golden Promise" barley, and the distillery uses Oaken sherry casks from Spain for aging his whiskey.

The furor over minute details about a particular whiskey in hand, the special circumstances Scots are not so demanding. Actually distilleries can identify three types of Scotch whiskey malt whiskey, which includes singlemalts with which most people know, different types of grain whiskey and mixtures.

Malt whiskey is made from one hundred percent malted barley, and only from malted barley. Grain whiskey is made from a variety of grains - rye, corn and even rice - and blend may or may not include malted barley. Blended whiskey, characterized by Johnny Walker brand of Scotch, is a mixture of malt and grain whiskey mixed in batches and placed in the same bottle.

Still, there are actual legal requirements that must be met before a drink can be called "Scotch." Scotch Whiskey is only if it has matured in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum three years. A second law requires that genuine Scotch whiskey shall be 40% alcohol. Contrary to some beliefs, there is no legal requirement for Scotch whiskey be bottled in Scotland, the requirements for designation as Scots are met by the aging and alcoholic specifications. The age of a Scottish whiskey, as shown on the label determined by how long it was aged in barrels, not the date it was distilled. So bought a Scotch in 2000, but distilled and casked in 1950 and removed from the dish in 1962, twelve years old, not fifty years old Scotch. And there may actually be a blend or "marry" other single malt batches from the same distillery. Some lots may be 25 years old, may be some fifteen, some ten. Age indicated on the label will be, by law, the youngest of these parties - if the younger party is ten years, so whatever the rest of the pollutants were all thirty years old: It is ten years old Scotch.

Whether you drink a Scotch to contemplate the beautiful highlands or imagine a windswept Islay country, or simply to experience the smooth, warm, malt sweetness and spicy smoke, knowing the ingredients, processes and history of Scotch whiskey makes drinking so much more enjoyable . Try it neat, in a small glass and enjoy.