A Taste of Nicaragua: Drinks

Some popular drinks in Nicaragua are pinolillo, horchata de arroz (sweet rice with milk), la macua (rum, guava, lemon, sugar), cebada (barley), fresco de pino y arroz (pineapple and rice), etc. The main ingredients used in these drinks are rice, milk, tropical fruits, grains, and corn. Horchata de arroz is a common drink in many Latin American countries that is made with tiger nuts, milk, rice, and sometimes people add cinnamon to add more flavor. You can buy horchata in any hispanic store or in your local supermarket. Another drink is pinolillo, which is a nutritious drink that is made with sweet cornmeal, cacao, milk and water. Pinolillo is a very traditional drink in Nicaragua that people will make almost everyday. Pinolillo is such a known drink that some Nicaraguans have nicknamed themselves, "Pinoleros", making Pinolillo a cultural symbol. Pinolillo can be made for parties for special praying ceremonies or just for breakfast with some other local dishes like nacatamales. Here is simplified recipe of Pinolillo or you can buy the mix online:

Ingredients

1 cup white cornmeal

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

5 cups of water

Put all ingredients in a pitcher.

Beat hard until the cornmeal and cocoa are well mixed. Chill.

Stir well before serving. Add milk and sugar to make it sweeter and enjoy!

sources: http://www.whats4eats.com/central-america/nicaragua-cuisine, http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Cornmeal_Cocoa_Beverage_(Nicaragua), http://www.backroadsnicaragua.com/culture.htm

A Taste of Nicaragua: Gallo Pinto

One of the biggest countries in Central America surrounding the Pacific Ocean and Carribean Sea is Nicaragua. Nicaragua is both a tropical and mountainous region where you can find turtles by the beach or cocoa crops growing in the high mountains. Nicaragua has many different cultures, depending on the region. In the west, where it was colonized by Spain, the culture is similar to other Latin American countries, but in the east that was once ruled by Britain, the culture is similar to Caribbean countries. Music and religion are very important traditions in Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans are Roman Catholics that celebrate exciting parties to honor their saints. The most important religious holiday isn't Christmas, but La Purisima that honors the Virgin Mary. With music, most Nicaraguans enjoy reggaeton, marimba music, merenge, etc. In the east coast, there are more people with African descents, which has influenced their music to have more sensual and intense rhythms. Ethnically, many Nicaraguans are mestizos, which are people with European and American Indian heritages that speak Spanish and English. One thing that most Nicaraguans have in common is food. For breakfast, they eat gallo pinto, which is rice and refried beans cooked together with different spices with some eggs and coffee or tropical fruit juice. Here is a simple recipe for gallo pinto that is great for vegetarians and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner:

Ingredients

2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 cup red beans or cooked black beans
1/2 cup of finely diced white onion
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro salt sour cream (don't add if you want a low-calorie meal)

Place vegetable oil on a frying pan and heat for approximately 1 minute.
Saute onions until caramelized.
Add entire pot of cooked beans and its gravy into the sautéed onions.
Stir over low-medium heat for a minute.
Combine cooked rice to sautéed bean mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add salt to taste. Add cilantro.
Cook on high heat and quick.
Serve immediately and add the sour cream to taste.
You can enjoy gallo pinto with some eggs, toast, and some fresh coffee or juice. Enjoy!

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Nicaragua, http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=100350

A Taste of Brazil: Fruits

With Brazil's river, the Amazon that flows across Northern Brazil, many tropical fruits such as papayas, mangoes, pineapples, acai, guarana, jenipapo, etc have flourished. Many of these fruits are sold by street vendors to be eaten fresh or made into tasty drinks and snacks. These outside markets are usually set up in a new location everyday. One popular fruit is Guarana, which is a small red fruit that is loaded with caffeine and tastes similar to creme soda. Guarana has spread to many countries, especially in U.S. health food stores. In Bahia, the fruit jenipapo is very popular and eaten when it turns into a dark yellowish color, meaning that it is ripe. Another fruit acai, which is a small dark purple berry that is usually eaten with granola, bananas, and honey. Acai has many vitamins and antioxidants that help our bodies and some even say will help with weight loss. Many Brazilian citrus fruits like mangoes, tangerines, limes, and oranges are made into smoothies and refreshing alcoholic drinks that are perfect during the summer. A famous alcoholic drink, Caipirinha is made from lime juice and a special rum called cachaca that is made from sugarcane juice. Here is a easy recipe for a sweet pineapple and orange drink that is enjoyed as an after-school drink:

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons crushed ice
• 2 Tablespoons sparkling water or seltzer water
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup pineapple juice

Pour the crushed ice and water into a large drinking glass. Add the orange juice and the pineapple juice. Stir and enjoy on a hot day.

sources: http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Brazil.html,
http://redmist-redmist.blogspot.com/2007/06/great-brazilian-fruit-off.html

Next week will be on the beautiful country Nicaragua!

A Taste of Brazil: Carnaval

There are many popular festivals in Brazil, but the most famous festival is Carnaval for its fun and exciting atmosphere. Carnival is celebrated for 4 days before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of fasting for Lent. Originally it was celebrated in honor of the Dionysus, Greek God of wine, where slaves and masters would exchange clothes and have a huge alcoholic celebration. Carnaval is celebrated differently in every region of Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, Bloc parades are a known feature, where dancers and performers dress up in colorful costumes playing samba songs or mocking celebrities. The costumes can have many themes like a masquerade ball with horse drawn floats and military bands. In Salvador de Bahia, the main focus are the different types of music such as samba, samba-reggae, and axe blasting through huge speakers and boom-boxes. These types of music have the most African influences in Brazil to show African independence from racism and oppression. For food, there are many street vendors and restaurants that sell feijodas, pasteis (fritters filled with meat, fruit, vegetables), tasty smoked meats, bolinho de chuva, and many non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Most people drink water to refresh themselves from all the dancing or the energy infused soda Guarana. Carnaval is definately a festival to be a part of when visiting. Here is a recipe for a doughnut (bolinho de chuva) snack eaten during Carnaval:

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2-1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Vegetable oil for frying

In a deep fryer or skillet, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees (F). In a small bowl, stir the cinnamon into the 1/2 cup sugar and set aside. Mix the flour, salt and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Stir in the eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk with a wooden spoon. Add more buttermilk, slowly, until mixture has the consistency of a very thick cake batter. Stir in the baking powder. Using 2 teaspoons (or a small cookie scoop), scoop a generous teaspoon of batter and carefully drop it into the oil, using the second spoon to help scrape the dough off of the first one. Repeat with several more teaspoons, but do not overcrowd the doughnuts or they will stick together. Cook the doughnuts, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain briefly on paper towels. Roll the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar while still hot. Cook the rest of the doughnuts in batches. Doughnuts are best served warm, and can be reheated or kept warm in the oven. You can enjoy these delicious doughnuts by themselves for a snack or dessert or have them for breakfast with some tea.




sources: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/401011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Carnival, http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/snacksstreetfood/r/bolinhosdechuva.htm

A Taste of Brazil: Churrasco

In Brazil, a traditional way of cooking is barbecuing (churrasco) different kinds of marinated meats. In the past, Brazilians barbecued their meats by digging a pit to put coals into and then skewering the meat on wooden sticks. Many cowboys of Southern Brazil always cooked their meats using this technique only using salt to flavor it. Today, Brazilians have decorative coal pits or grills to barbecue meats, but the process of flavoring the meats is still the same. Most used type of meat is the picanha because of its tender texture that gives the beef a richer taste. Brazilians usually use beef or chicken and sometimes wrap the meats in bacon. For white meats (chicken), people marinate it with a mixture of salt, garlic, and lime juice, while red meats (beef) are still only marinated with salt. Brazilian barbecues have become very popular and many people can find them in different countries. Waiters will bring people different types of delicious barbecue every 5 minutes, so make sure to have a big appetite! Churrasco can be eaten for any occasion with salads, sauces, and farofa (manioc or cassava flour). Here is a recipe to barbecue picanha:

Ingredients

1 slice of picanha (ask for tri-tip or rump when buying it from your butcher)
Salt
Garlic paste

Cut the picanha into 2 inch-thick beefs

Leave the fat layer on it (just remove after grilling)

Rub the rock salt on the meat alone or with garlic paste

Arrange the meat in skewers or directly over the grill

Cook the meat to your preference.

In the Brazilian way, you can slice the outer layers and keep the rarer meat in the grill for more cooking. Serve with white rice, vinaigrette, or any sauce you like and enjoy!

sources: http://www.cookbrazil.com/picanha.htm, http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_barbecue.htm

A Taste of Brazil: Brigadeiro

A favorite dessert with the kids is brigadeiro, which is a creamy chocolate fudge candy. These fudgy candies are eaten for many special occasions like birthdays or New Years. Brigadeiro was named after a famous politician during the 1920s, Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomez, that some say was for his handsome looks. Desserts have always been popular in Brazil even since the Portuguese colonists arrived. Portuguese settlers found that the soil was fertile for growing many sugarcane crops, resulting in many rich dessert recipes. Most Brazilian desserts have milk, eggs, sugar, coconut, avocado, and corn. There also has been many African influences such as olho de sogra (sweet coconut stuffed prunes), which is another popular kids dessert. Here is a simple recipe to make brigadeiro:

Ingredients

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon of margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Cook over medium-low heat, stir vigorously the sweetened condensed milk, margarine and cocoa powder.

Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to show the pan bottom during stirring.

Pour the mixture in a greased dish and let it cool to room temperature. Take small amounts of the mixture with a teaspoon and make 1 ½ inch balls.

Roll the balls over chocolate jimmies to decorate.

Hint: Grease your hands with margarine to make the balls easily.

If the balls don't hold the shape and flat down like coins, it means that you did not cook enough. Cook additional five minutes, take a small sample and dip it in a glass with cold water. If you cooked enough, this sample should hold the shape after cooling down in the water.

The cheapest , low grade sweetened condensed milk is the best to make the brigadeiro because they have more starch on them, which helps the candy to hold the shape.
Enjoy these sweet fudgy candies!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayra/31394483/



sources: http://www.cookbrazil.com/brigadeiro.htm,
http://books.google.com/books?id=RJz8oLBI18oC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0

A Taste of Brazil: Feijoada

Brazil is a large and diverse country in South America where people can visit the Amazon rain forest, eat different kinds of tasty meats, listen to samba, participate in the huge celebration Carnival, and do many other fun things. Brazil grew in ethnic diversity after the colonial period when Native Americans, Portuguese, and Africans mixed together and later branched to other European races such as Italian, German, Spanish, etc. Today, Brazil's main language is Portuguese, which is a country ruled over Brazil for more than 3 centuries. Most popular pastimes in Brazil are playing soccer or volleyball and listening to samba (similar to jazz music), hip hop, frevo (fast tempo music), or classical. When it comes to food, Brazil has various regional differences from north to northeast and central west to southeast. The North, which has a more Native American population uses more vegetables (yams, okra, tomato) in their cooking while in Central-West uses more fish because of the abundant rivers. One popular national dish is feijoada, which is a delicious blend of beans, pork, and spices that is usually eaten for lunch. In the past, slaves use to make feijoada with pork ears, snouts, or tails, but today Brazilian cooks use the more tasty parts of pork.
Here is a recipe to make feijoada:

Ingredients

16 oz. Canned black beans
1 lb. bacon (cut into squares)
1 lb. smoked pork sausage (sliced thick)
1 lb. pork sirloin (cubed)
2 onions (diced)
4 garlic cloves (crushed or finely diced)
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
hot pepper sauce (optional)
4 tsp. light oil

Heat the beans in a pot along with the salt, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp. oil and the bay leaves. In a separate pan add 2 tsp. Oil sautéing the onions with 2 cloves of garlic. Once the onions are clear drain the pan and reserve the onions. Cook the bacon, sausage and sirloin in the same pan adding back the onions once meats are near completion. Add meats and onions to the beans and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add pepper sauce if desired, remove bay leaves and serve with rice. Enjoy!!!

sources: http://www.braziltravelvacation.com/food-recipes.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Brazil

A Taste of Liberia: Banana and Pineapple Nut Bread

In Liberia, there are many traditional holidays that have been celebrated since the 1800s. Some of these holidays have been carried over from America like Thanksgiving and Christmas. A major theme of their holidays is freedom because it is the most important human right in a Liberian's view. As a result their most important holiday is Independence Day, which is celebrated in July. On Independence Day, many family and friends have huge parties with tons of traditional dishes. The majority of these dishes are breads like pineapple bread, rice bread, or plantain bread that people enjoy with some ginger beer. Liberians bake some of the finest breads by making the bread from scratch and putting the time and patience in it. Breads can also be eaten for dessert, along with some sweet coconut pie. Other dishes eaten are various types of fish or meat stews with boiled cassava. Here are recipes to make a Liberian banana or pineapple nut bread depending on your tastes:

Banana Bread:

In a 4-quart bowl:

Combine: 2 cups CREAM OF RICE (cereal)

4 Tbs. SUGAR

4 tsp. BAKING POWDER

1 tsp. SALT.

Stir in: 2 cups MASHED BANANAS

2 LARGE EGGS

1 cup MILK

1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL.

Bake in a well-greased 8 x 12-inch rectangular or 9-inch round cake pan at 375' for 45 minutes.

Test with a toothpick.

http://southernfood.about.com/mbiopage.htm

Pineapple Nut Bread:

In a 4-quart bowl:

Combine: 2 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1 cup BRAN

1 Tbs. BAKING POWDER

1 tsp. BAKING SODA

1 tsp. SALT

1/2 cup CHOPPED ROASTED PEANUTS (or WALNUTS).

Beat 2 EGGS until light.

Add 3/4 cup CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, drained.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir thoroughly.

Bake at 350' in greased loaf pan for 1 hour.

Test with toothpick.

Serve with cream cheese. Enjoy!!!

sources: http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Liberia.html, http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/Bread.html#LIBERIAN%20RICE%20BREAD

A Taste of Liberia: Jollof Rice

Liberia also known as "land of the free" is a west African country with one of the most beautiful evergreen forests. Liberia was first founded in 1822 with the resettlement of freed American slaves. Another interesting fact is their capital city Monrovia is named after U.S. president James Monroe. Recently, Liberia has faced many civil wars and food famines that almost destroyed their country and are slowly rebuilding. Liberian culture has both Western and African influences making their culture very diverse. A visitor may see women dressed in American clothing wearing long cotton skirts and bandannas, but also adding their African roots with creative tribal designs. Agriculturally, Liberia grows a wide of range of crops filled with citrus fruits (papayas, pineapples, mangoes, alligator apples), sugarcane, plantains, cassava, and rice. The main staple of food is rice and cassava, where a majority of people eat rice twice a day. Liberia has many road-side restaurants called "Cook Shops" that sell specialty dishes such as jollof rice, which is a dish that can vary from each region, but most make it with leftover chicken or beef mixed with rice that is seasoned with different spices. Jollof rice is usually eaten as an everyday meal, but also for special occasions such as weddings or birthday parties. Here is a recipe to make jollof rice:

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken
½ pound beef cubes
½ pound bacon
½ cup oil or shortening
2 onions, sliced
1 pepper, sliced
3 ounces tomato paste
1½ pounds cabbage, cut into chunks
1½ cups rice
6 cups water

Cut chicken, beef, and bacon into ½-inch chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and coat with flour.Heat oil in a frying pan, add the meat in small batches, and brown the meat. Remove the meat, setting it aside in a bowl.Sauté the onions and pepper in the oil in pot until soft, about 5 minutes.Return the meat to the pot and add the tomato paste.Add water, cover, and heat to boiling. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.Add rice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat.Add cabbage, and simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes.Serve while hot.

Enjoy!




sources: http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Liberia.html#Jollof_Rice,
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/Liberia.html

A Taste of Guinea: Fried Plantains

In Guinea, most people have less freedom compared with many other countries in the world because of Guinea's oppressive government. Even though their government doesn't control everything, they make sure their people know who can take away certain necessities like food or shelter if they rebel. This leaves their culture very undeveloped, although they do some favorites past times such as music and football. Guinea is also one of the few countries to make hand crafts such as leather, jewelery, wood carvings, etc very ethnically genuine. Many don't get to see the creative and innovative side of Guineans because the majority of visitors are businessmen. In Guinea, an oppressive government not only effects their culture, but the food supply. Most families only can afford to eat one meal a day, unless they have a high paying job, which is hard to achieve because their education is one of the lowest in the world. The government has been raising food prices so high that there has been violent protests over bread, rice, vegetables, etc. Some organizations such as World Food Programme have donated food to over 50,000 people, but there are still lots of starving Guineans. Many people have to survive on what they can find to make meals for their families or sell snacks on the streets. One popular and tasty snack is fried plantains (bananas) that are usually sold for a penny, which may not seem like a lot, but can buy a week's worth of food. Here's a simple recipe to make fried plantains:

Ingredients

3-4 large bananas
2-3 cups of vegetable oil
pinch of salt

Heat oil until very hot in a fry pan or electric fryer. Put a little salt on plantains and fry until done. The thin lengthwise-sliced plantains will be a deep yellow and should be crisp. The thicker rounds will be brownish and crisp on the outside. The inside of the rounds should not be crisp. Add onion or other seasonings to give bananas a more savory flavor.

Tomorrow will be about a nearby African country: Liberia




sources: http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guinea.html, http://www.friendsofguinea.org/recipes.shtml#maffi%20hakko, http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T6003125002&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T6003125008&cisb=22_T6003125007&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10962&docNo=1

A Taste of Guinea: Fufu

Guinea or formerly known as the Republic of Guinea is an underdeveloped African country bordering Liberia, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau. A nickname of Guinea is Guinea-Conakry to not confuse visitors with Guinea-Bissau. The Republic of Guinea is a place of major diversity, with the main language being French and various types of races such as Fulani, Mandinka, Soussou, etc. The dominant religion is Islam due to islamization in the 19th and 20th centuries, with majority being Sunni Muslims. The Republic of Guinea has been heavily influenced politically and although they do have democratic elections, the military overthrew the government in 2008 and now rules over Guinea. There has been many social influences for food, mainly because of the social castes in Guinea. One important rule is to always eat in big groups, because most people will eat out of the same bowl to not waste food. In Guinea, people eat little or no meat because of their religion or cost. The main staples of food are rice, millet (small-seeded grains), cassava (root vegetable), and sorghum (grain). One very popular staple meal is fufu or porridge, which is a thick paste made from boiled cassava or bananas. It has a texture and taste similar to mashed potatoes that is usually added with tomato or fish soup. Here is a recipe to make your own fufu dish:

Ingredients

2½ cups cassava (also called manioc or yucca); do not use very center of cassava
5 plantains; do not use very center of plantains

Prepare the cassava and plantains by peeling them, slicing them lengthwise, and removing the woody core. Then cut the cassava and plantains into chunks and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water.
Heat the water to boiling, and then lower heat to simmer. Simmer the cassava and plantains until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain.
Return the pan to low heat and pound, mash, and stir the mixture, using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add a sprinkling of water to keep the mixture from sticking. Continue pounding and mashing for 15 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
Form into balls and serve.

Enjoy!

sources: http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guinea.html, http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-guinea-fried-sweet-potatoes

A Taste of France: Noël

Noël or Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday in France like in many other parts of the world. Christmas is celebrated on different days of December depending on the region of France, but most celebrate on Dec. 25th. Families will decorate their homes very festively, one way is by putting fruits, candies, nuts, and small toys on their tree for Santa. They also set up a manger to represent the Holy Family with little saints and other people part of the town. Children will put their shoes in front of the fireplace to hopefully receive some goodies from Santa on Christmas morning. Kids will also write letters to Santa with each child receiving a letter back from him. A popular event in France they have before Christmas are puppet shows, especially in Paris and Lyon. Then on Christmas Eve, some people will attend la Messe de Minuit (church) and then have a le Réveillon (Christmas feast) to symbolize the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas dinner can vary depending on the region like in Burgundy, they feast on turkey with chestnuts, while others eat oysters and pat de foie gras. Most dishes have goose, turkey, chicken and for dessert they serve Buche de Nol or yule log (cake made with chocolate and chestnuts), la Galette des Rois (round cake that is passed out by a child), and many other cakes to be given to the less fortunate. After dinner, people will leave wine, food, and a fire burning if Virgin Mary comes that night. Here's a simple recipe to make your own yule log that some French use to save time:

Ingredients

18 Sugar Cookies
1 teaspoon powdered cocoa
8 oz. heavy cream
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Colored sugars for decorating, or icings in a tube
A fork, a whisk, a mixing bowl, aluminium foil, and a large serving plate

Pour the heavy cream, sugar, and cocoa into the bowl.
Whisk cream until just stiff enough to stand up in peaks. Using about half of the prepared chololate cream, spread the whipped cream onto the cookies and sandwich them together to form a long roll.
Wrap the roll of cream and biscuits up in some aluminum foil and close up the ends.
Place the Yule Log into the refrigerator to set for 12-24 hours; cover and save the other half of the cream there as well.
Carefully unwrap the roll the next day and place the roll onto the plate and cover it with the rest of the cream.
Draw the fork tines across the cream to make the cream look like bark.
Sprinkle it with colored sugar and form snow and holly on top and cut servings between the cookies.

Bon appetit!

Next week will be on the Republic of Guinea culture and cuisine!

sources: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-French-Christmas-Recipes,
http://french.about.com/cs/culture/a/christmas.htm

A Taste of France: Wine

France has been making wine since during the time of the Greeks. In the beginning, wine was for nobility such as high clergy members or royalty until the French Revolution. Now vineyards can be found in every part of France, it's especially popular in Burgundy and Bourdeaux. The location of where the grapes are grown is very important because the soil, altitude, hills, and terrain can deeply effect how the grapes will taste. Wine is made from fermented grapes, which becomes alcohol over time. There are many types of wine such as red wine, white wine, sparkling, and fortified. Variables that make these many types of wine is temperature, light conditions, and amount of alcohol. Most wine is served in France with dinner or lunch and each type of wine goes with a certain dish. Red wine is best served with beef or pork. White wine tastes best with seafood like oysters or fish. Lighter wines are made sweeter such as champagne, which can be served with desserts. People in France savor the taste of their wine by using all of their senses to enjoy it. To properly drink wine you must first swish your wine glass to heighten the smell, then take small little sips to thoroughly taste all of the wine's flavors. You must also always keep your glass half full and never empty. Today many French don't drink as much wine as before, so now wine producers must sell in foreign markets like America or England to keep their business running. For special occasions, people drink vin chaud, which has a mildly spicy and warming flavor to it. Here's the recipe to make vin chaud:

Ingredients

1 bottle of red wine
4 cinnamon sticks
1 5-inch by ½-inch piece of orange zest (white pit removed)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cardamon pods
5 whole cloves
1/3 cup Cognac

Mix all the ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to just under a simmer over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Do not allow the wine to boil. The mulled wine is hot enough when the sugar has dissolved and pulling and lifting a spoon from the wine brings up steam. If desired, strain the spices from the wine by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined collander. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Cognac to a mug and ladle the mulled wine over it. Serve with cheese, bread, or fruit.

Bon appetit!







sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_wine, http://www.ilikewine.com/wine-making-process.html, http://frenchfood.about.com/od/wineandwinerecipes/r/vinchaud.htm

A Taste of France: Famous Ingredients

Some of France's best known ingredients that are used in many of their traditional recipes are foie gras, truffles, and cheese. Foie gras is a very well known delicacy because it comes from a duck's liver. People fatten up the ducks using a technique called gavage, where they force-feed the ducks or geese. This technique is most used in Gascony, which is in the south-west region of France. Foie gras has a very rich and buttery taste that is usually made into pate and goes with bread or steak. Along with using gavage, the French use another popular technique called confit, where you preserve meat. Most meats used in this process are geese, duck, and pork that can be seasoned with garlic, thyme, nutmeg, or salt. Then the duck or pork confit are cooked into cassolet (stew made with white beans and rich meats depending on the region), confit sarlandais (confit served with potatoes), and salade landais (confit served with greens in a vinaigrette). There are many various types of mushrooms used in French cooking such as the truffle, a rare and prized mushroom found in Perigold region of France. There are very expensive, but the taste of the truffle will linger so many people use truffles in sauces. Moving on to cheeses, there are about 8 categories of cheese depending on how their made. Some are fresh cheeses (cow's milk is not aged and has lots of water), soft cheeses with a natural rind (cow's milk aged for about a month), and pressed cheeses (cow's milk that is pressed when being processed and ages for several months). Here is a simple and delicious recipe using the precious truffle:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3 cups mushroom broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 truffles, shaved
• 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
• Salt and pepper
• 1 truffle to shave
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the pan is smoking hot, saute the shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute. With a wooden spoon, stir in the rice and saute for 1 minute.

Add the mushroom broth 1/2 cup at a time. Add the cream, 1/2 cup at a time until all of the liquid is incorporated into the rice, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. The rice is done when it is tender but still firm. Fold in the truffles and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the risotto for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Spoon the risotto into a shallow bowl. Garnish with shaved truffles, cheese and chives.

Bon appetit!

sources: http://www.traditionalfrenchfood.com/famous-french-food.html, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_11262_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

A Taste of France: Light Breakfast

A French breakfast is a great way to start off the day, with a light, but filling meal. Breakfast is a meal that is the same in every part of France. The French never eat any heavy foods in the morning like sausages or pancakes, only baguettes (bread), crepes, fruit, coffee, hot chocolate, or yogurt. Most popular type of breakfast is having baguettes with butter or jam and some fresh hot coffee or chocolate. Baguettes are made of a lean dough with crispy crust that is baked in a deck oven, which is a combination of a brick and gas oven. This type of oven gives baguettes its light texture. In France, baguettes taste very plain because their laws state you can only add yeast, water, salt, and flour to bread. For breakfast, baguettes are usually dipped in coffee or hot chocolate to give it more flavor. You can buy baguettes at any local supermarket or bakery, but make sure to check that the crust is a dark caramel color with small irregular air holes. When ordering coffee there are many different types: cafe (plain coffee), cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk), cafe creme (coffee with hot cream), and cafe noisette (espresso with cream). French coffee has a stronger taste than other coffees around the world, because they use a french press, which keeps the coffee grounds with the water. This stronger flavor is also seen in hot chocolate, because the French never use powdered chocolate, only chocolate that has a high percentage of cacao and warm milk to give a creamier taste. Chocolate in France has lots of rich flavor and is slightly bittersweet, not like milk chocolate that most people eat. Hot chocolate is served with water to offset the rich flavor. Here's a recipe to make your own chocolat chaud:

Ingredients


1 ½ cups whole milk
2 ½ Tbsp. water
2 ½ Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, and sugar.
Place over medium heat and whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate.
At this point, blend the mixture.
If you have an immersion blender, you can do this directly in the saucepan; if not, you’ll need to transfer it to a traditional blender.
Either way, blend for 1 minute (on high speed, if using a traditional blender ).
The finished mixture should be very smooth and frothy.
Serves for 2 people.
Dip in bread if you want. Bon appetit!

sources: http://lafujimama.blogspot.com/2008/11/chocolat-chaud-hot-chocolate-french-way.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguette

A Taste of France: Crepes

France is a place of beauty, style, and diversity. Since the 17th century, after the French Revolution, France has been the center of culture and art with medieval cathedrals, fashion shows, wide varieties in music, delicious foods, etc. France has been heavily influenced by political and military leaders such as power-hungry Napoleon or French minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert that shaped French culture, fashion, etiquette, and architecture. France is a melting pot of different races that can range from Haitian, Italian, Spanish, or Albanian. In France, they are many different values to follow, especially when comes to family and privacy. French people take parenting very seriously and don't tell strangers about their life, only close friends and family. Friendship is also very important, where every person respects each other and make time in their busy schedules to keep in touch. Despite what most people believe, French people don't kiss every person they meet on the cheek, only close friends and family. When it comes to French food, it varies on each region of France, but cheese and wine are a major part of their cuisine. The French take food very seriously by critiquing their skills when making any dish such as pastries, seafood, pasta, desserts, etc. The are 2 types of cooking: haute cuisine (many courses of food in small portions) and nouvelle (lighter food with little butter or cream). One popular dish served for either breakfast or dessert is the crepe, which is a thin pancake that can be topped with any kind of ingredient. Crepes are usually sold by street vendors or small cafes, especially in Paris. Crepes are even eaten on a special holiday called Candlemas that celebrates the Virgin Mary. There are 2 types of crepes: sweet crepes (has wheat flour that is slightly sweetened) and savory crepes (has buckwheat flour that is unsweetened). Here is a recipe to make plain crepes and chocolate hazelnut fruit crepes:

Plain Crepe Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 eggs 1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs.
Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine.
Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.
Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe.
Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown.
Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fruit Crepes:

Ingredients

1 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread or nutella
4 crepes
4 bananas sliced
1 can of pressurized whipped cream

Spread 1/4 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread onto each crepe. Arrange 1 sliced banana down the center of each one. Roll up, and place in a warm skillet over medium heat. Let them warm up for about 90 seconds. Transfer to plates, and serve topped with whipped cream. This tastes great with coffee, tea, or cider. Bon Appetit!


http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=18554

sources: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Hazelnut-Fruit-Crepes/Detail.aspx, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%AApe, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine