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08/27/2008 12:00 AM
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Need a Fresh Recipe?
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But you don't have to invest in expensive cookbooks or dig out old family favorites. Just visit a few reader-friendly Internet sites to find delicious dishes you can prepare for family and friends. How does key lime yogurt mousse sound? What about four-cheese Mexican tortilla appetizers? Wouldn't you love to be able to whip up an exotic beverage, entrée, side dish, or dessert and impress your mother-in-law or coworkers? You won't need to pay an arm and a leg, either. Many recipes are based on inexpensive ingredients and easy-to-follow directions so you don't spend half the day in your kitchen trying to figure out why the recipe isn't working right. Another bonus is that you won't have to worry about spilling things on your recipe card and soiling it; you can store recipes in your computer's hard drive or on a CD, and simply print a copy when needed. If it becomes worn, torn, or frayed, you can print another one.
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08/25/2008 12:00 AM
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Eating Out And Weight Loss
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Most experts will tell you that cooking yourself at home will be a lot healthier than eating out. Yes it is very true that it can be a bit healthier to cook ourselves. However, there are times that we have to eat in a restaurant. It will be even more problematic if you are trying to lose weight. A lot of food served in the restaurants will lead to weight gain. So the question here is what you can do when you are eating out in this case.
The first thing you have to bear in mind is that you should avoid junk food when you are dinning out. This is the most important point you have to remember. When you are eating junk food, the chance is that the calorie intake will be a lot more than you need. And junk foods are usually of high fat content. This will ruin both your weight loss plan and health.
You should avoid drinking soda when you are dining out. If you would like to get something to drink you should go for water. You will probably know that soda is in fact loaded with sugar.
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08/24/2008 12:00 AM
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Fish Cakes Recipe
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Ingredients:
1lb 9oz Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1lb 9oz Cod Fillet
1 pint Milk
½ Pack Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper)
1oz Plain Flour
2 Large Eggs, beaten
4oz Dried Natural Breadcrumbs Vegetable Oil for shallow frying
Lemon Wedges to garnish
For the green sauce
1oz Butter
3 tbsp Cornflour mixed with 3tbsp Water
1oz Capers
1oz Gherkins
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
2 spring Onions, chopped
Preparation
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and mash. While the potatoes are cooking, place the fish in a saucepan, cover with the milk and bring to the boil. Remove pan from the heat then drain, reserving the milk. As soon as the fish is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and any bones then flake the fish. Place the potatoes, flaked fish and the parsley in a bowl and season generously. Combine together well then shape into 8 cakes. Dip each cake in the flour, shake off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Chill until required. They may be stored in the fridge for upto 24 hours.
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08/22/2008 12:00 AM
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Edible Garden Flowers
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Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth with Flowers
Violets are not the only flower that can be candied. Many spring flowers with small, delicate blossoms have a sweet, somewhat spicy flavor that is enhanced by dipping them in sugar. It goes without saying that any flowers that you gather for eating should have been grown without the use of pesticide - by growing them yourself, you can be sure that they're untreated. A Candy Fleurist Garden that blooms throughout the summer can include:
Violets - Purple, blue or white, violets are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. They spread easily, and grow happily when transplanted into a garden bed - and you do want to confine them to a bed unless you love the look of a full carpet of blooms spreading across your lawn.
Pansies - A relative of violets, pansies are just as delicately flavored and can be used as a substitute in recipes that call for violets. They make beautiful border flowers to boot.
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08/22/2008 12:00 AM
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The Little Things
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Sometimes it's the little things in presentation that make a meal spectacular, such as a great table setting, artistically swirled sauce, or even a couple vegetable "flowers."
While it may seem silly, the appearance of a little radish rose on my salad plate has the power to tickle me from head to toe. Maybe it's my fondness for the concept of edible art. Moreover, can you deny that a pretty dessert or any other dish just seems to taste better? Even the slightest special touches in culinary preparation and presentation transform the mere act of eating into a full-blown aesthetic experience. Sprucing up a buffet for a party or a sit-down meal for guests (or an especially spoiled loved one) is easier than you might think and makes all the difference. People will be truly dazzled by these extra little touches. Here are some ideas to get you started in the art of food presentation. Good luck!
Presentation Basics
* Color- When it comes to color, it's all about creating contrasts. A dish with a white sauce is going to look boring on a white plate.
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