Category: Food

4 Italian Dishes You Must Have

The entire human race can spend all their birthdays thanking their stars for blessing them with this sect of super humans called Italians. Yet, they would not be able to thank enough. Be it the field of art, literature, sports or food, Italians have given us everything on this Earth which is amazing like hell and is sure to be forwarded to the progeny. If we talk about Italian cuisine, we would notice that it has its origins in Greek and Roman cuisines. The simplicity of Italian dishes make them stand out in the crowd of loud cuisines. Italian dishes have a subtle taste to them which is loved by all, irrespective of their quirky individual preferences. The way Italian dishes are cooked and the kind of spices that go into them, make them a really healthy option when pitted against other cuisines from all around the globe. Not just spicy food, Italian cuisine has some great desserts too, one of which we have include in this list too. There are some Italian dishes that one must try in order to feel the awesomeness of Italy’s food. Here are listed some Italian dishes that you have to have. No questions asked.

1. Pizza

Pizza is round flat bread baked in the oven and topped with tomato sauce, cheese and various other toppings. Classic Margherita pizza is one that most of the people abide by. It is topped with tomato sauce, cheese and basil. The simple taste of this pizza is way better than most of the other over-done dishes that we find in other cuisines. Pizza tastes absolutely lip smacking, whether it is topped with bell peppers, jalapeno, pineapple or chicken. Pizza can also be a healthy option as it is rich in carbohydrates due to the base and the toppings and cheese provide various other nutrients. It, thus, becomes a sort of melting pot of various toppings which are rich in nutrients as well as taste. If one picks up a healthier pizza base and cooked with a little bit of calculation and smartness, one can include it as a diet food option. However, with oodles of mozarella, one can definitely suit it to one’s sinful cravings. Pick up one you like!

2. Arrabbiata Pasta

You talk about Italian cuisine and you do not talk about pasta? Are you serious? Pasta is to Italian cuisine as Britney Spears is to rehab. The main ingredients of arrabbiata sauce are tomatoes, red chillies, garlic, clove and olive oil. It is often given a tinge of oregano, basil or parsley, as per one’s preferences. Pasta has a number of variations in sauces and arrabbiata sauce is one classic sauce. It has a spicy flavour that is very rich on tongue. A fun fact would be that the word “arrabbiata” literally means “angry” in Italian. The sauce has been named such because of the fuming heat that is produced due to the red hot chillies. So, what are you waiting for? Get that anger out of yourself onto your pasta and it would not even mind, because it knows that it can straighten out that rage of yours in a jiffy with its heat which is too-hot-to-handle. Grab this and you are in for a delightful experience!

3. Tiramisu

Now, you have had that super spicy pasta and you feel you will die in the next moment if you do not have something to burn that heat. Then, tiramisu is the answer to all your worries and discomforts. It is an italian dessert that is highly recommended to anyone who has a sweet tooth and to anyone who does not have a sweet tooth. It is made in the form of layers of biscuits that are soaked richly in coffee liquor and covered with a thick dollop of mascarpone cheese and egg yolk mix. At times, its taste is enhanced by adding cocoa and rum. Owing to its delicious taste, it remains Italy’s most famous dessert, despite the fact that there are innumerable debates regarding its origin. Tiramisu has a light feel attached to it which makes it an object of envy for other desserts that make you feel as if you have eaten a huge chunk of Mount Everest itself.

4. Risotto

Risotto is a dish that is made with rice and has broth that leaves it with a creamy consistency. It can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian as the broth tastes equally palatable when meat based as it does when it oozes with numerous vegetables. Risotto is served in the first course. However, there are some heavier versions of it that are served in the main course. Romana and Milanese are two variants of risotto which are most popular and relished by people of all ages. The presence of delicious butter, crispy onions and and gooey parmesan cheese make it a sinful craving.

July 14, 2014
Why Vegetable Oils Are Not Good For Your Health?

We often consider the vegetable oils as healthy and so we prepare our food items with them. We believe that since its name has the term “Vegetable”, it is good for the human beings. It is true that the vegetables are good for our health but the vegetable oils are not. The results of the various studies conducted prove that the consumption of the vegetable oils is not appropriate for human health and so it should be completely eliminated from the diet. People generally believe that since the vegetable oils have rich amount of unsaturated fats in them, they are beneficial in maintaining good health. But they do not pay attention towards the side effects of these unsaturated fats supplied to the body. These oils have completely different composition of the fatty acid in it which has several negative impacts on the body and consequently on health. These types of oils can cause serious harm to your health and you many get diagnosed with the chronic diseases. Here we are terming the cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil among others as the vegetable oils.

We generally call all of the above mentioned oils as vegetable oils and for a common person vegetable oil sounds to be perfect for health as they are not aware of its consequences. These oils have a rice amount of biological fats in them which prove to be harmful when consumed in access. They have Omega 6 polysaturated fatty acid in them. Do not get confused with the coconut oil and the olive oil as they are completely healthy for you and they are not into the league of the vegetable oils that we are here talking about. The methods involved into the production of these vegetable oils are unhealthy and are not appropriate. It involves addition of several solvents, chemicals and other processing methods during which the essential nutrients and minerals present in them gets lost and as a result artificial ingredients are added to compensate for the lost ones. Many researchers believe that these vegetable oils are inappropriate for the human consumption. While it is true that some of the healthier brands use the cold pressed methods in the production of these vegetable oils and so it can be used occasionally. But again the major issue here is the amount of Omega 6 fatty acid in them which is not acceptable and is also not fit for regular consumption.

The acceptable ratio of the Omega 6 fatty acid and the Omega 3 fatty acid in the body should be 4:1. But with the use of these vegetable oils which are present in the market, this ratio is drastically affected and often leads to various diseases. These fatty acids have several important tasks to perform in the human body and when their balance is not maintained, your health is the one which suffers. The scientific explanation to this phenomenon is that these unsaturated fatty acids have more double bonds in them which make it highly reactive. As a result the unsaturated fatty acid consumed with these vegetable oils reacts readily with the oxygen present in the blood and causes the initiation of various chain reactions which damages the integral parts of the human body. This structural change inside the body damages the DNA and leads you to life threatening diseases.

Further these two types of fatty acids together form the eicosanoids in the body which is stored in the cell membranes. These eicosanoids play a major role in the inflammation and cellular messaging. The acute inflammation inside the human body is very much helpful but when this inflammation is spread to all parts of the body, it causes serious damage. The Omega 3 fatty acid produces anti-inflammatory eicosanoids while the Omega 6 fatty acid produces the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids. Both of them compete with each other and harm your health. Consequently they contribute to various cardiovascular diseases, depression and arthritis.

Another major concern with the vegetable oils is the presence of the Trans fats. These Trans fats have large amount of artificial ingredients and chemicals so that they can remain in solid state in the room temperature. Obesity, cancer and various heart diseases are developed due to Trans fats present in these oils. Almost every government food agencies around the world have now made this a point that the amount of the Trans fats should be reduced from the edible products. Recent studies have concluded that these vegetables oils are not fit for regular consumptions. If you are among such people who regularly consume these vegetable oils then you should stop it immediately as there are high chances that you may get diagnosed with the various cardiovascular diseases. The human heart gets the major adverse effects of these vegetable oils. These cardiovascular diseases alone cause a massive amount of human death each year globally. It’s time you stop playing with your health and start paying attention towards maintain a healthy body so that your life span increases and you live a happier life.

July 14, 2014
Monsoon’s Here!

It’s start of July and there had been few showers to subtly start the season of drizzle. Monsoon’s here! Except the all unpredictable showers and muddy pools on the road, there are so much beautiful stuffs to root for. Romantic day offs and bread pakoras!
Thinking of bread pakoras, we all have specified snack list for almost every season. Summer season had Mango chutneys, ice creams, shakes and squashes. For the monsoons spicy and crispy snacks do the roles of best treats. One of strong points of evening snacks are they gratify the hunger between the two meals that is lunch and dinner. Whether it may be a school going child who came home after playing outside for hours or a housewife retiring from chores, evening snack refreshes us. Now, what snacks could we relish especially in some seasons, like for instance you would not want samosas on a summer evening or ice cream in winters? And as the topic goes all in for monsoons, we won’t deny relishing warm snacks on the rainy days.
Just before we start, notice for all the calorie-watchers! Snacks mentioned below aren’t in any order put up considering their calorie values. So, indulge in the post warding off the concern for fat count.

BREAD PAKORAS!

For the stale yet to be passing the date of expiry bread loaf, stuffed pakoras are a delicious rescue. It can either be stuffed with preferably mashed-spiced up potatoes or cheese and then can be shallow or deeply fried. The bread is soaked in gram flour and then fried. Bread pakoras like many varieties of pakoras are best when served with mint/coriander sweet, sour and spicy chutney. The chutney is prepared by grinding coriander and mint leaves along with ginger and garlic. Salt and a small amount of tamarind paste can be added, totally as per your taste preferences.

CHOLE BHATURE!

Next in the line is the best Punjabi meal to energize up a lazy damp afternoon.
Chole Bhature is prepared in two parts and served as one dish. Chole is made by soaking chickpeas and then is prepared in typical North Indian style which includes ingredients like chopped onion and tomato cooked with coriander seeds, spices and ginger and garlic paste. Dried mango powder or as known as Aamchur powder is often used too. Bhature part is basically a kind of Puri made up by dough containing maida flour with yogurt, baking powder and sugar (as per taste). This dough is covered in damp cloth and kept overnight in a clean and dry place. Chole Bhature serves as a perfect mouth watering meal for an unpredictable monsoon afternoon.

SAMOSAS!

How can we discuss an Indian snack list and not mention the very popular Samosas? A samosa is a fried pastry with filling of generally spicy mashed potatoes, onions and lentils. Very popular yet not expensive at all and relished snack all over India, WAIT! Abroad too, Samosas are just blessing on a cold monsoon evening. You wouldn’t like missing on to some Green or sweet chutney with it.
Like samosas, kachoris are also a popular spicy snack alternative and can be easily prepared in the household.

POPCORN TIME!!

Watching a movie? We all know that popcorn is a must. So, why it is specially mentioned here? Well, it’s about how we wade away the clamminess of weather by adding some flavors to the popular snacks. Butter, chili flakes or cheese can be added in the popcorn for that warm snack for the movie time. If you are not much fan of popcorn, then you can also prepare “Pyaaz (Onions) ke pakore”! It serves as an excellent movie time snack and one or two of pakore equals a handful of popcorn, so you munch less.
Easy to prepare pyaaz ke pakore is prepared by chopping onions in long slices and dipping them in mixture of Besan (Gram Flour), water, salt and chili powder. The dipped onions are then shallow or deep fried and served with the obvious green chutney or even tomato ketchup would do.

FOR THAT SEASONAL FEVER.

It’s not unknown to most of us that whenever season changes and especially from summer to winters or monsoons, there is a scare of catching viral fever and cold. For the cold, soups and dals are the best. Now, how can we make it more tasteful? Yes! Additions! Manchurian balls, chicken and mushrooms!
Okay, before we miss. Dal Makhani! Perfect cure for the “mood gloom”. Nutritional balance? Check. High on potassium and sodium value, it doesn’t deny the presence of calories but that shouldn’t be an excuse for not indulging into this elegant rescue from the taste bud numbness caused due to the cold.

Jeez! CHINESE!

Discussing soups and just about to forget Chinese food! Almost everything available in this cuisine goes so well for the monsoon season snack. Yes! Especially Maggi Noodles! Now, if you’re bored with noodles, MOMOS!
Momos are steamed/fried dumplings stuffed with either vegetarian or non vegetarian ingredients. They originally belong to Nepali culture Hot momos served with the chili sauces are just the excellent evening snack ever. Other to be mentioned Chinese snacks and starters just for this weather are (In no particular order) :
(a)    Spring rolls
(b)   Shanghai Chowmein (Well, it comes under noodles category)
(c)    Siopao (Stuffed steamed dumplings)
(d)   Jian Bing (Chinese crepes)
So, here there you have! This checklist mentions just some of the worth savoring snacks and dishes for the monsoons, all must tries. Other than that, experiment and make your own custom season based dishes checklist!
Don’t let the rain damp away the hunger pangs! Happy Monsoons!

July 14, 2014
AMLA has it all…

The well known fruit Amla is something that can be considered as a food for fitness. It is a powerhouse of Vitamin C and many other nutrients. The benefits of amla can never be undermined and are always well recognized by its sour, succulent taste and vibrant green colour. Indian Gooseberry, being English name of amla and Phyllanthus emblica being scientific name, this fruit has many versatile uses in Indian kitchen. It is famous because of its anti viral and anti microbial properties and has achieved great recognition in Ayurveda. Grown on deciduous trees, this astringent, sour tasting fruits is consumed as an ingredient in sweets, juices or pickles or chutneys or it is taken in raw form. It is flavourful and really healthy food with very low calories of only 60 calories for 100 grams. It is a very rich source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, carbohydrates and have minerals like iron, calcium, phosphorus and is also contains antioxidants.

Well, if you wonder why it is recommended to eat atleast one amla or its dish every day, here are some key benefits it can provide you with. Amla is such a superawesome fruit, fulfilled with all the wonderful benefits. Just go through it and you will be amazed;

Amla promotes healthy eyes and skin: Many eye diseases can be prevented by its use. Because it is rich in vitamins A and C and has antioxidants, which helps in protecting the retina from oxidative damages and also prevents cataract and nearsightedness. The regular use of amla can even avoids the age related eyesight problems. In addition, amla is excellent for maintaining skin health and makes it glowy and soft. The vitamin C present in amla helps in flushing out toxins, which results in reducing blemishes, acne and also rejuvenates the skin. So, amla is something that is really good for eyes and skin health.

Amla is good for hair too: Indian markets are flooded with products containing amla calling it, amla hair oil, amla hair shampoo and many other because of its superb benefits for healthy, lustrous hair. Eating raw amla or in any other form or making a home-made amla shampoo or amla conditioner for your hair will do the wonder and makes your hair awesome looking.

Amla protects your heart: Regular consumption of amla or a glass of amla juice daily will prove to be super awesome for your heart health. It is a great remedy for many heart problems as it makes heart muscles strong and enable the heart to pump blood easily and also reduces the cholesterol and helps in monitoring any heart disease. It actually reduces the risk of strokes or heart attacks as, being rich in iron and fiber, it is very effective in controlling the oxidation of LDL(bad cholesterol) and thus maintain the cholesterol levels , thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

Amla controls Diabetes: It has beneficial effects on secretion of insulin, it controls the blood sugar levels. Amla, a polyphenol-rich fruit has properties that can assist in absorbing the insulin which leads to drop in the blood sugar in diabetics patients. It protects the body from oxidative properties of high blood sugar. Amla variants, if taken regularly or amla juice taken with turmeric powder and honey helps in controlling diabetes and keeps check on blood sugar levels.

Amla protects from Cancer: Due to the anti-oxidant properties of amla, it prevents the formation of free radicals and thus protects the body from cancer. It even inhibits the further growth of cancerous cells and has the potential to protect the body from harmful effects of chemical which are carcinogenic and thus reduces the risk of cancer.

Amla is great blood purifier: Amla juice is something that acts as a blood purifier by flushing out the toxins and thus detoxifying the body. This detoxification is very necessary, in order for the organs to function well. Also, regular intake of juice purifies the blood and increases the haemoglobin.

Amla protects your liver and prevents gastric problems: In order to keep your liver safe and healthy, amla has properties that t can heal the damaged liver from the oxidative damage from alcohol or smoking. Also, amla having fiber, polyphenol and water content combined with inflammatory properties is a great antidote for upset stomach and acidity.

With so many perks of amla, let’s have a look on this simple recipe having all the nutrition of amla so that you can avail all these benefits and keep diseases at bay.

AMLA JUICE RECIPE:

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of cardamom powder and turmeric powder, 1 cup amla cut into pieces.

Method: Wash the amlas and dry them and keep them in a bowl. Place this bowl in a pressure cooker having 1 ½ cup of water and remove the pressure cooker from gas after one whistle.

Now, remove the bowl from cooker when there is no pressure and touch the amlas to see if it has become soft and has cooled down.

Then, Press the amlas with hands to remove the seeds and break them into pieces and then grind them with little sugar and salt into a fine powder.

Now, to prepare the amla juice concentrate, mix this amla paste with sugar powder and salt and can place this concentrate in the freezer.

You can add 2-3 teaspoons of this paste in water and make a juice of it and drink regularly. You can add cardamom or turmeric powder as per your taste for some flavor.

Drinking this amla juice regularly can keep you away from many health problems. Because AMLA, the Indian Gooseberry has it all; yes, all the nutrition.

Healthy Eating. Happy Life.

July 14, 2014
Most popular Icecream brands

I scream, you scream and we all scream for ice cream. Ice cream is worth screaming for. Mostly all the people enjoy eating ice cream. The love for ice cream is widely growing among the people. Ice cream is served as a very common icy desert since a long time. No one can stop their mouth from watering if the favorite ice-cream is presented in front of them. So many kinds of ice-cream are available in our nearby stores and everyone has their favorites. There are many popular brands of ice-cream in the world. Based on the popularity there are some major brands of ice cream that are given below and if you are an icecream lover then make sure that you give each one a try.

Ben & Jerry’s: Everyone has certainly heard about Ben & Jerry’s as it so famous across every part of the world. This brand is available in almost each and every country. It has become the most prevalent brand of ice-cream because of its mouthwatering flavors and delectable taste. Ben & jerry’s is the first choice of every ice-cream lover. This is an American company which was started in 1978 by two friends namely jerry and ben, hence owing to its name. The headquarters of the company is situated in Vermont in United States.

Baskin-Robbins: Another brand which is globally liked by the people is Baskin-Robbins. None of the outing is completed without visiting the Baskin Robbins Store. This is an American company which was originated in California in the year of 1945 by Burt together with Irv. There are numerous outlets of this brand across the entire world. This brand is hugely recognized for its ‘31 flavors’ saying. Baskin Robbins provides their consumers with around 100 of distinct flavors, some of them are massive triumphs in the market. The most popular flavor of Baskin Robbins is “Steverino.”

Nestle: The first brand that comes to the mind when we hear about food & nutrition is Nestle. Nestle is a renowned brand especially for its ice-creams. The company was originated in Switzerland in 1905. The company was provided with the tag of biggest maker of ice-cream in the entire world in the year of 2006. The company offers employment to great number of people and it is operated in around 86 countries all over the world. The nestle ice creams are filled with so many tasty flavors and are quite reasonable to buy.

Haagen-Dazs: When taste and flavor is the priority then certainly this brand is the best choice. It was founded in the year of 1961 in New York. During the beginning the company provides their customers with mainly 3 flavors chocolate, vanilla and coffee. These days the company has its outlets in many countries all over the world. It has been found out that the company uses milk of very high quality as well as organic stuff for the different flavors of ice-cream. People love their ice-creams for its smoothness, creaminess and rich flavors.

Blue Bell Creameries: Blue bell creameries are among the best ice cream brands that are cherished by the people. It was originated in the year of 1907 and it’s headquarter is located at Brenham in Texas. Around 250 distinct frozen stuffs are produced by blue berry among which there are 66 flavors of ice-cream. In United States, blue bell creameries is the 3rd biggest ice-cream selling company. Blue bell ice-creams are available in various rich flavors and each flavor is utterly balanced. The people are fond of the creaminess of blue bell ice creams.

Amul: Amul is an Indian brand of ice-cream which has succeeded in occupying a place among the best ice cream brands. The brand has achieved remarkable love worldwide and it was founded in 1946. Apart from India, the amul ice-creams are available in many other counties too. Its popularity owes to the fact that the amul ice-creams are very delicious and reasonable in price too. Moreover ice-creams are found with no preservatives and hence it is worth eating.

Dairy Queen: When it comes to soft serving ice-cream brand, Dairy Queen is believed to be the best choice. The 1st store of Dairy queen’s started in the year of 1940 in Illinois. The admirers of Dairy Queen’s ice creams are present in various countries and consider this brand as the best soft serving ice-cream brand. The brand has earned a lot amount of fame for the consistency and tastes of their ice-creams.

Cold Stone Creameries: It is an American brand that started in the year of 1988 in Arizona. It has already created remarkable presence in United States and trying to achieve popularity globally. It is the brand of finest quality ice-creams. The company uses real honey to serve the purpose of sweetener. People admire the brand for intense and deep flavors and they also claims that the ice creams of this brand are less in calories because they don’t contain unnecessary sugar.

July 14, 2014
Stay healthy during monsoon

Rains are awaited by all and it certainly creates a wonderful environment. Rainy season is a kind of relief from hot and sunny days. Every single person cherishes the rains. But there are some areas that need our attention. With rains come health irritations like aversions, illness and stomach problems. The level of humidity is increased during the rainy season that affects the digestion. But nothing to get worried about as certain changes in our diet and nourishment can surely solves the problem. So it is very essential to keep an eye on what we eat during the monsoon to stay perfectly healthy.

Drink lot of water: It is necessary to take in extra amount of water in rainy days as the humidity level increases and it becomes difficult for the sweat to get evaporated. Consequently, the body heat is not released properly. It has been also found out that drinking water prevents the various skin problems. As a result it is recommended to keep ourselves hydrated during the rainy seasons. Carbonated and gaseous liquids should be avoided because they can result in indigestion. Drinks like tea can work as a great substitute of it. So during this monsoon do not forget to possess a water bottle with yourself all the time.

Go for fresh and hygienic foodstuff: Keep in mind to wash every single fruit before eating them. While cooking, the vegetable should be washed thoroughly and steam them to destroy the microbes which are present on them. Filthy and unclean food stuff is harmful for the body and can result in sickness. It is advisable to take in cooked foodstuff rather than eating them as raw. Soups are too very beneficial during the rainy days as it provides the body with needed nutrition. Therefore always try to go for recently cooked food stuff.

Say no to outside food: This particular point is of great importance. You should keep yourself away from eating the street food. Street foods are quite enticing to all of us but they could possibly hold many germs which results in stomach diseases. Hence take a firm decision of not eating out.

Stay away from oily food: It is greatly recommended to stay away from the oily and fatty food items. The digestion in the body gets weaker during the rainy days as the humidity level goes up. Hence the ability of body to digest the oily food items becomes feeble and thus upsetting the stomach. Therefore, try to eat light and less oily food items.

Reduce the consumption of dairy items: The dairy foods have the supreme tendency of getting contaminated by germs. As a result the consumption of the dairy products must be low. It is better to consume curd rather than milk even if the milk is filled with all the desired nutrients. Apart from that, one should try to boil and disinfect the water before drinking it.

Intake of balanced diet: As we know that digestion is weak throughout the rainy days therefore it is advised to eat reasonably. Stop taking in food stuff even when you are not starving. Perfect balanced diet is much needed to stay from stomach problems at the time of monsoon. Fruits such as apples, litchis as well as bananas must be consumed. Along with them include carrots in your diet too. Spice up the food with pepper, turmeric as they advance the resistance of the body and supports ingestion.

Avoid drinking juices: Make sure you don’t drink juices especially from outside as they may apply water which is not filtered. It is greatly recommended to drink at once the juices prepared at home.

Sea food can be harmful: During the rainy season, make sure that you stay away from the sea foodstuff. Give more attention to fishes as well as prawns and greatly avoid eating them as rainy season is the propagating season for them. Even if you are taking in the sea food make it certain about its freshness as well as cleanness.

No spicy foodstuff: There are many people who deal with skin infections throughout this season. It is advisable for them to stay away from the spicy foodstuff, as the spicy items arouse the temperature of the body that certainly results in skin illness and infections. It is better to visit to a doctor if the infection stays for long.

Some more tips: Food items such as barley as well as oats are found out to be very beneficial for the stomach during the rainy season. Garlic is also very valuable as it enhances the immunity of the body. Fruits are considered as the supreme source of energy. But make sure that you don’t eat watermelons during the monsoon. Instead of watermelons try to eat apples, pears more. It is said that taking anything in extra amount is bad for health so avoid doing that.

With the assistance of these advices try to stay healthy and strong during the monsoon and at the same time relish the rains of the monsoon.

July 14, 2014
Food of Gods

Waking up to the smell of ghee and sweets! The heavenly aroma of sweet pongal or “paal guava” the milk based sweet which never fails to satisfy your taste buds and the hot vada’s and payasam the typical festival food in any South Indian home. The Gods are served with different types of foods and over the years, festivals are being identified by the food which is served. It is not diwali if there are no more than three varieties of sweets and not Christmas if you don’t have cakes or Ramzan if you can’t find the biryani! The practice of extensive cooking and baking on festivals is an age old practice. So what do God’s eat? Do they get hungry like us humans? According to people who study food cultures this basically started because it is on these occasions that families and friends get together and there is no good outing without good food.

What did Greek Gods eat?

The Greek mythology revolves around its Gods and heroes. According to them, the Greek Gods walked, ate, fought and roamed the world just like humans. According to myths Greek Gods ate Amborisa the food, sometimes the drink, of the gods, often depicted as conferring immortality on who ever consumes it. Nectar is another drink derived from Latin nectar meaning drink of the gods, a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants.

What do the Hindu Gods eat?

In Hinduism, food plays an important role in rituals and worship, and the food offered to the gods is called prasada. The Sanskrit word “prasada” means “mercy,” or the divine grace of God. According to Hinduism, serving food to God is considered to be a kind of meditation and the food served is exclusively vegetarian as they feel any food obtained from pain caused to other living organisms cannot be served to God.

Foods like Onion, garlic are also avoided as ancient Vedic scripts explain that these foods excite the more passionate elements of the human psycho-physical constitution. Another important thing is that food served to God cannot be tasted and are meant to be served pure.

Lord Ganesha

Modak:

Lord Ganesha is a complete foodie. The enormous pouches on his body leaves no doubt that Ganesha just loves food. So, the easiest way to Ganapati’s heart is through his stomach. Modak or Kozhukattai is a particular kind of sweet that looks like dumplings. They are Ganesha’s favorite sweets and must be offered to him on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Fruits:

Coconuts and bananas are Ganesha’s favorite fruits. Ganesha’s head is of an elephant and thus has a weakness for bananas and all parts of the plantain. His idols are usually surrounded by banana leaves and also the stem of the banana plain.

Lord Krishna

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna states, “If one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it.” From this verse it is understood that we can offer Krishna foods prepared from milk products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains. Meat, fish, and eggs are not allowed though.

Islam

In Islam offerings to God are not made as food. Offerings could include:

->Charities to the poor.

->Sacrificing animals only for Allah’s sake at different occasions or even without an occasion.

Muslims have days of fasting and feasting. Fasting is considered an opportunity to earn the approval of Allah, to wipe out previous sins, and to understand the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also partly to be in control of appetite and to avoid food addiction. It is the fourth ritual observance in the Five Pillars of Islam.

Fasting includes abstention from all food and drink from dawn to sunset. Voluntary fasting is common on Mondays and Thursdays. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, is a mandatory fasting period that commemorates the period when the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Feast days include Eid al-Fitr (after finishing the fasting months of Ramadan), Eid al-Udha, and Maulud n Nabi.

Christianity

Like Muslims, Christians too don’t offer food to Gods, but Christians joyfully celebrate the goodness of food and drink as part of God’s glorious and abundant creation. They do not have any rules relating to food or drink which they are expected to keep. They believe that freedom is the consequence of the salvation that Jesus has brought to men and women. The freedom to eat and drink everything that is healthy is part of that.

From very soon after the life of Jesus his followers felt that they had been released from the restrictions that bound their fellow Jews. However, they were insistent that they would not do anything that offended other people. Instead of adhering to rules, they felt they should be led to do what is right by considering the impact they were having on others. In modern culture, Cakes are an important part of Christmas and Easter Eggs are synonymous with Easter.

Every Religion has deep linking with food and these food habits and food offerings have a lot to do with where these religions originated. Most of the religions which originated in the Middle East encourage meat eating whereas the ones which originated in the sub continent have a vegan influence. Despite all the differences all of us are linked through one common thing- Food, especially good food.

July 11, 2014
The Red Velvet Cake
Cooking is a story. Baking is another. It is chemistry. You need a great amount of skill, concentration and experience to excel at it. But, wait! You wanted to bake a cake for your mother’s birthday and the first lines of my article are kinda letting you down!? Well, in that case, you need not worry. Why fear when I’m here!Woo – ah-haha!!! (Yikes, got a bit carried away!)

Anyways, in this article I will let you in the perfect red velvet cake with vanilla butter cream frosting recipe.So that you can bake a cake for your mom on Mother’s Day and see the surprised look on her face or impress your friends and family with your baking skills or just bake a 9- inch cake and eat it all by yourself! Just for the love of cakes! 😀

I would definitely do the last thing!! Cakes, yum!! J

This red velvet cake recipe is easy, super – moist, melts in your mouth with that signature light chocolat-y red velvet taste.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened, cocoa powder
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
- 1-2 oz. red food colouring
- ½ cup of prepared plain hot coffee( DO NOT skip this step.Don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee but it just takes the cake a totally different level!)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set it aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and red food colouring until properly mixed.
5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
7. Generously grease and flour two round, 9-inch cake pans with shortening/butter and flour.
1. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
1. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.
1. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pans are warm to touch.
1. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
1. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool.
1. Frost the cake with vanilla butter cream frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.( You may have to refrigerate the cakes before stacking and frosting as they are very moist.)
If you are using a microwave oven then:

1) Heat the vegetable oil and the eggs for a minute or two and then add it to the wet ingredients.

2) After the batter is made, bake the cake on HIGH for 4 minutes or 5 at the maximum.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

Time: 10 minutes

Makes enough filling and frosting for one 9-inch layer cake, or two dozen cupcakes

Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons ( 1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 6 tablespoons of cream or milk, plus a little more if needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Use a fork or electric mixer to cream the butter. Gradually work in the sugar, alternating with the cream and beating well after each addition.
2. Stir in the vanilla.If the frosting is too thick to spread, add a little more cream, one teaspoon at a time.If it is too thin ( unlikely, but possible, especially after the addition of lemon or orange juice for variation) refrigerate ; it will thicken as the butter hardens.
You can reduce the amount of sugar being used in case you want it to be a little less on calories. Also, to avoid the melting of the frosting you can refrigerate the cake for an hour or so , or overnight depending on your level of paranoia *hehe ;)* or how long you have to travel.

So prepare this masterpiece of a cake and get ready for it to be devoured!!
July 10, 2014
5 Table Etiquettes You Must Follow

Table manners or etiquettes are a set of rules that one must follow while dining,whether at one’s own place, in a restaurant or at somebody else’s place. Different cultures have different set of norms and rules for table etiquettes. Within a particular culture too, table manners differ from family to family, at times. Dining etiquettes are present to maintain social decorum and standard. In addition to that, it helps in maintaining a certain level of atmosphere whih does not make you puke over the laid out food. Bad eating habits are a huge turn off for everyone out there. Nobody likes eating with a person who eats in a way that is enough to induce a wave of killing spree inside someone. In order to avoid being murdered and public embarrassment, have a look at the table etiquettes you must follow.

1. Do Not Make Noise

You are eating a lot of crunchy food. Chips and crisp lettuce are all that you have for dinner. However, that does not mean that you have to sound like an anaconda while munching them away. Imagine you are sitting on a table with your date having a romantic, candle-lit dinner. Everything is going pretty smooth and you imagine yourself having babies with that person but instead of the wailing of your future kid, all you can hear is Crunch! Poof will go those dreams! You do not want to be that cruncher yourself. You do not have to be too vocal about loving your food by constantly emitting sounds like “nyom nyom”. In addition to that, you do not have to open your mouth ha! h! ha! The first thing for table manners is not to make noise while you are eating. It is just not done.

2. Pass

When you are sitting on a table and you cannot reach that bowl or bread basket kept at the other end of the table, you might try matrix-ing your way through the table. No matter how cool that might sound and seem in your imagination, you are not supposed to do that. Nobody likes somebody’s sleeves dipped in the bowl of curry or a spilled glass of water on the table. It is thus important to learn to pass. You know you have been passing your time reading this article for so long, it is high time that you learn how to pass the bowls too. It not only makes eating less clumsy, but also helps in avoiding being stood up the next time you go on a date with the same person.

3. Let Everyone Finish

In almost all the countries and sub cultures, it is considered rude to get up from the table before everybody else has finished eating. You might have hogged like a ninja but you cannot expect the same from everybody. In some cultures, you cannot get up from the table until the host or the elderly person has gotten up. It is just a little sign of respect for the others around you. This sign of gratitude is one that requires you to just relax after having had your food. Now, who has a problem with having a few minutes to relax after you have eaten bucket loads of Butter Chicken? So, stay calm. Enjoy finding faults in others’ table etiquettes and feel like a Boss.

4. Use Correct Cutlery

Now, we do not mean that you need to know all the spoons and forks and knives that Jack is supposed to know in Titanic. But, at least you should not commit the heresy by dipping a soup spoon in you bowl of curry. And do not even think of eating your salad with your dessert spoon. You are an adult and you should be able to identify A from B. It is no rocket science and this much you can learn just by Youtube-ing the same. You should start picking your cutlery from outside and then use them for each course. If you are aware of the different kinds of spoons and their uses, who knows you might just impress the person with weird liking habits, sitting at the other end of the restaurant.

5. Move That Elbow! Nudge

Do not think of me as a propagator of some Victorian norms. But, do not keep those elbows on the table, please. If you keep your elbows on the table, where do yoiu expect the person sitting next to you, to keep his/her glass of wine? Yeah, wine is more important than those non-manicured elbows. You do not want to constantly nudge the adjacent person unless you want to bring to their notice some quirky happenings around. On a more serious note, you need to keep your things within your space and do not intrude into somebody else’s. Be satisfied with what you have got, hungry fellow!

July 10, 2014
4 Things North Indians Can Never Get Tired Of Eating

Go to Delhi. You will find loud behaviour, devil-may-care attitude, style that could even make a Parisian resident feel ashamed, music that is fully capable of destroying your ear drums and great food! Delhiites are known to be big foodies and theere is no dearth of memes online that describe this spect of theirs. There is one such picture on the internet that shows how a Delhiite visualises rest of the parts of India according to the food available there. North Indian food is obsessed with ghee and butter. It is like you can prepare butter chicken without chicken but definitely not without butter! Here, the food has a high content of spices and chillies, so much so, that it is capable of putting your tongue on fire. Delhiites are known for their lively behaviour and fun loving attitude. This attitude, when clubbed with palatable food, evolves into a life-of-the-party package. The people of Delhi can eat almost anything and everything that comes their way. However, there are some dishes that they can have even while they are sleeping. Some of those dishes are listed as follows:

1. Shahi Paneer

The word “shahi” roughly translates into English as royal. Now, do we need to say more? Is it not self-explanatory? Shahi paneer is like oxygen to Delhiites whenever they go to a restaurant. If you go out somewhere and do not order shahi paneer, you might as well drown yourself in the finger bowl you will get after eating something weird as all non-shahi paneers are weird. It is the rule of law. The big fat Delhi weddings too are brimming with different varieties of paneer, be it shahi paneer, kadhai paneer, paneer butter masala and so on. The thing about shahi paneer is that it is so delicious that even a first timer cannot cook it really bad. It is a dish that has been sent directly from Satan, who is such a sinner. Courtesy: gluttony. And, calling paneer, cottage cheese or curd is just equivalent to disrespecting your great grandfather’s niece’s brother-in-law’s God!

2. Dal Makhani

Ask any Delhiite to say “shahi paneer” and he/she will automatically say dal makhani at the end of the sentence. Dal Makhni and Shahi Paneer are two siamese twins that no doctor in the world can unjoin. After all, who would even dare to think of such iconoclasm! Dal Makhani when garnished with some sort of cream and butter, tastes nothing less than heaven. It is so buttery that at the end of your dinner, you woould just end up having perfectly moisturised lips. Al Bukhara’s Dal Bukhara is one variant which people swear by and make a promise to themselves of having it at least once before they die. The rich ones, however, leave no stone unturned in making the less privileged feel like messy beings for not having had the most wonderful dal on this planet. However, dal makhni is a dish that tastes as brilliant in a roadside dhaba as it does in an air-conditioned fancy restaurant. Why? Because it is.

3. Butter Chicken

If you are a non vegetarian and a Delhiite, your eyes must have lit up as soon as you read those two words. Butter. Chicken. If you are a vegetarian, you must have heaved a sigh of relief after seeing this on the list as you know that Butter Chicken is to Delhi as shoe is to lace. Non-vegetarians strictly abide by this dish, in sickness and in health. Butter chicken has the two most favourite things of a Delhiite, namely, butter and chicken. The hardcore punjabi style in which it is cooked, leaves one licking their fingers till the last drop, no matter how posh a restaurant they are sitting in. And when it is about food, Delhiites do not give a damn to the surroundings. They are just having an intimate relationship with their butter chicken and the last thing you would want to do them at that moment would be disturb them by reminding them of table manners and etiquettes. If you do, then God save you from the wrath of a Delhiite. It is much worse than Achilles’.

4. Chhole Bhature

When we talk about a Delhiite, we have to talk about chhole bhature. However, a fun fact is that if you ask someone from deeper towns of Punjab, they would tell you that they are not as crazy about chhole bhature as a Delhiite. Delhiites love to have chickpeas and the way it is cooked in a Punjabi household, it is unmatchable. You have got to eat it to believe it. It does not then come as a shcok that most of the stalls are done with their stock of chhole bhature by 2 PM at the most. The al dante kind of texture of the chickpeas and the crispness of the fried bhaturas are a delicacy to relish. These are generally ahd for breakfast and thus, are way too cheaper than the other options mentioned in the list. This makes the dish pcoket friendly and thereby, student friendly who have their budget going by each penny. Chhole bhature are so filling and so tasty that there is no reason why they should not be on the top of any Delhiite’s list of favourite food.

July 10, 2014