Category: Uncategorized

How your Fridge can Save you Money!

I know fridge is something you love to look at whenever bored or hungry. Fridge is exciting, full of food and all the variety. They help in food preservation and keep it fresh. Our fridge has everything from drinks to fruits and veggies to icecreams to frozen food to cheese to left out foods to what not. We love food, so we love our Refrigerators.

If we love them so much and keep our dearest food items in it, why not to make better use of domestic freezers and fridges so that food last longer resulting in less waste. In fact, if you learn to use it efficiently, you can save loads of money if we all used fridges to store certain foods and lowered the temperature. Even the food remains fresh for longer period of time and is healthy for consumption. Cleaning your refrigerator regularly with simple and easy techniques is also important so that preservation is upto the mark. Do you know what temperature your refrigerator is set to right now? If not, you could be wasting so much of cash and wasting electricity. See, such a awareness can save your money to such a great extent. The new research report by WRAP claims that lowering your refrigerator’s temperature to 39 degrees Fahrenheit or between 0 to 5 degrees Celsius can keep food from spoiling quickly and help preserve food for longer and in turn saves up your money. The report claims that maintaining the right temperature helps food to stay fresh for three days after its expected expiration date. By lowering down the temperature, the bacteria growth is slowed down and foods stays fresh for longer. Also, don’t overload your fridge, keep it no more than 3 quarters full with space in between to allow good amount of air circulation. This way all the food inside it is cooled evenly. Just simply Adjusting the temperature of fridge wont ensure the prolonged shelf life, but still its good way to start if you want to cut out the grocery bills and is also beneficial. Alongwith, cleaning the shelves of refrigerator and bins every 2 to 3 months will disinfect the surfaces and food will be healthy and delicious as you want it to be. Let’s jot down some points to make it an interesting task;

Store leftovers Smartly: After dinner, if you are left with too many food, instead of dumping it in a large container, rather store it efficiently in small clear containers or transparent bags. It will be good if you ration them in individualized portions. These leftover food can be consumed from two to three days whenever you like. At least you will be having something to eat in case of emergency or for a change of taste.

Keep fruits and Veggies Separate: Most fridge come with two separate drawers, so it is better if you keep the fruits in drawer and vegetables in other to ensure the maximum longevity. Because, like peaches and apples which have high amounts of ethylene can prematurely ripen and can spoil vegetables. So, it is recommended to place them seperately in fridge. Also, don’t wash vegetables until you’re ready to use. Better to place them in fridge straightway after fetching it from grocery store and wash them nicely when you want to use them. This is because prewashing of veggies can reduce the shelf life of veggies.

Maximize the Shelf Space of Fridge: The nicely organized fridge is always lovely to see and easy to handle. The shelf space should be consumed for eatables which actually need to be put in and requires cooling. If something doesn’t need to be kept cold, it can be kept out of fridge. It is a very good tip to not to overstuff your fridge, as proper keeping with some spaces will allow air circulation and keep things fresh in the fridge.

Keep appropriate things in the door shelf: The doors are warmest part of fridge so keep store-bought products like ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, water bottles or some tonics with long shelf life in the doors. Generally, the foods that don’t require cooking to be kept at top shelves like leftovers or yoghurt. Since, the bottom of the fridge is coldest, use this part to store sea foods, meat that need to be kept coldest and is cooked at high temperatures. Keeping the important and readymade things at door will also make more space for other things. The key is placing the things in fridge mindfully.

After being going through all the above listings, you will be well aware about how fridge is not important for food perspective but can also help in savings. You can see how an Organized fridge can cut down on your so many worries. Just little organization and mindful keeping of fridge can change all this. Start with top and work your way down. Though, it may seem like daunting task at first, but when you put your mind in it, and have put a fixed time and planning into organizing it, you will be fascinated by the results, as it not saved money for you but also lots of time where dinner is concerned.

September 14, 2014
YOUR BODY ON SUGAR

Contrary to what was previously believed-that all it really caused was tooth decay- new research maintains that the sweet stuff is so bad for our health, some experts want it regulated like a drug.

Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine? Studies show that too much sugar (both in the form of natural sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) not only helps make us fat, it also wreaks havoc on our liver, mucks up our metabolism, impairs brain function and may leave us susceptible to serious ailments. Experts say raising awareness isn’t enough, especially when so many of our food options contain sugar. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Nevertheless, after hearing the news, many of us shrugged and turned back to our cupcakes. Yet we may already be feeling the effects of too much sugar without even realizing it. Here’s how to beat the most common issues to prevent long term damage and feel your best right now.

STRESS EATING

For a pick-me-up, you may inhale a bag of toffees or gobble up a box of cookies. But the impulse goes deeper. To examine the hold sugar can have over us, substance-abuse researchers have performed brain scans on subject eating something sweet. What they have seen resembles the mind of a drug addict: when subject tastes sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic drinking a bottle of gin. A cookie a couple of times a week is fine, but on most days, go for a bowl of oats with no more than a table spoon of brown sugar. The whole grains fill you up, and the sweetness can satisfy you while raising serotonin slightly.

BRAIN FOG

Blanking out in the middle of the meeting? Too much sugar forms free radicals in the brain and compromises nerve cells ability to communicate. This could have repercussions on how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods. The fixes stay under the American Heart Association limit of nine tea spoon a day for men, five for women. Read labels and nutrition information and make wiser choices. A black coffee and plain yogurt with walnuts, sweetened with a tea spoon of honey is definitely better than a regular latte and donut.

AGING SKIN

Sugar contributes to pre mature aging, just as cigarettes and ultra violet rays do. When skin support structures collagen and elastin break down from sun or other free radical exposures, cells try to repair themselves. But this process slows down with age. And when sugar is present in the skin, it forms cross links with amino acids that may have been damaged by free radicals. These cross links jam the repair mechanism and, over time, leave you with prematurely old looking skin. THE FIX: once cross links form, they won’t unhitch, so keep sugar intake to as close to zero as you can. Avoid soft drinks and processed pastries, and trade sugar packets for cinnamon for your coffee- it seems to slow down a crossing linkage, as do cloves, ginger and garlic.

A SLUGGISH WORKOUT

Muscles mostly use carbohydrates for fuel because they break down into glucose, a simple sugar that can kick start your morning jog. But pre packaged snacks touting “natural sweeteners” may contain just fructose, a type of sugar mostly metabolized in the liver, not the muscles. This can result in bloating or even diarrhea. THE FIX: have a glucose packed snack with minimal fructose before exercise. Try a sports drink or an energy bar with a modest amount of sugar an hour before a vigorous workout.

SWEET SHOCK: IS SUGAR MAKING US OBESE?

Yes, in recent years, sugar – more so than fat – has been receiving the bulk of the blame for our deteriorating health. Most of us know we consume more sugar than we should. Let’s be honest, it’s hard not to. Sugar does more damage to our bodies than we originally thought. It was once considered to be just another marker for an unhealthy diet and obesity. Now sugar is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as many other chronic diseases. Sugar has adverse health effects above any purported role as ‘empty calories’ promoting obesity. Research suggests that the sugar has unique metabolic properties that prime your body to gain weight, especially dangerous belly fat linked to heart disease and diabetes. Your liver metabolizes much of the sugar you eat and converts excess to fat. Too much fat in the liver accelerates insulin resistance. Too much sugar doesn’t just make us fat; it can also make us sick. Individuals that get strong cravings for sugar and are unable to quit or reduce their consumption despite negative physical consequences (such as weight gain) are sugar addicts. Too much added sugar, from sweetened sodas, cakes, cookies and candy, increases your risk of death from heart disease.

Added sugars, according to most experts, are far more harmful to our bodies than naturally-occurring sugars. We’re talking about the sugars used in processed or prepared foods like sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, candy, ready-to-eat cereal and yeast breads. Your fruits and (natural) fruit juices are safe.

August 10, 2014
Meal is incomplete without Cereals

Cereals are the staple food in our meal providing unlimited benefits to our body and mind too. If one has choices available for healthy lifestyles, then cereals are the best choice you people can opt. The nutritional value of cereal is undoubtedly so high that no other food item can replace this staple item from our meal. It is highly rich in carbohydrate, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Cereals, being the main source of carbohydrates help in providing you with vigorous energy and increase the immunity of our body against cancer. It also aids in removing constipation problem and maintain the sugar level. Cereals are also supplemented with iron and fiber contents which keep your body away from any heart diseases and maintain the level of cholesterol in your body. Nothing could be better than having cereals in your breakfast as they are enriched with high protein contents. They are generally preferred to be accompanied with the glass of milk.

Cereals are also known as grains and are the most staple crops which belongs to monocot families. They are grown to gain the edible component of this fruit. The fruits are known as Caryopsis. It is largest selling crop grown all over the world and therefore it is farmed in huge quantities. The name has been derived from the word Ceres (Roman goddess of agriculture). It was firstly cultivated in South West Asia by the Neolithic founder.

According to the production statistics every country has its own staple food like wheat is mainly consumed in Europe and India; rice is famous in Japan, South East Asia, Pakistan and US; maize is widely popular grain in Africa and Northern America; millets are eaten in Africa and India.

You can find different types of cereals in your meal. It can be rice, brown rice, wheat, maize, millet etc. Let us discuss some of them. Rice is the most popular cereal eaten across the world. It is cultivated in tropical regions rather than cold regions. It is consumed in many countries with various different rice recipes prepared which are truly lip-smacking. Maize is the most staple crops found in South America and Africa. Popcorn and Cornflakes are the two other different forms in which this particular cereal is consumed. Cornflakes is counted in one of the healthiest snacks and popcorn is the favorite time pass during the movies. Wheat, this cereal needs no description. All the basic food items like bread, pastries, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, etc are incomplete without this cereal. It is mostly cultivated in agricultural zones. There are various different species of this cereal, which is grown all over the world.

Cereals are mostly eaten in breakfast meal. Breakfast cereal is a commercial food available in all the kitchens around the world. They are eaten as an individual item or sometime they are also accompanied with water or milk. According to our taste fruits are also added and some sweeteners too. Breakfast cereal is boiled or mixed with milk in order to make them soft before consumption. Some of the best examples of breakfast cereal are Corn Flakes, Porridges, oatmeals etc. Breakfast cereals are widely accepted in developing and developed countries, both as they are a single bowl of full nutrients. It provides you with full nutritional value while maintaining your health and weight.

Porridge is unconditionally the most nutritious breakfast anyone can have. It is fully rich in fibre and minerals. For making it sweet people use jaggery and it is decorated with almonds and raisins. Intake of this porridge in your breakfast helps in maintaining your sugar level. Poha is another version of rice which is generally prepared on every Sundays in the Indian households.

Cornflakes are the healthiest breakfast, loved by all the children. A bowl of this corn flake along with the milk fulfills the demand of all the nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and iron. Its intake is more effective during the time of monsoon as due to high moisture it becomes easy for your body to hold the water.

Wheat flakes are just the replacement of wheat porridge and is prepared using wheat. It is taken in the breakfast meal as it is highly rich in calcium. Oatmeal is best for those who are going through diseases like diabetes and cholesterol. There is no need to add sugar into the bowl of oats. It helps in exorcising depression from your mind. Muesli is the best choice among all the breakfast cereal as it consists of four types of grains along with almonds and raisins. It helps in the mental and physical growth of the child and keeps them fit and fine. The most amazing fact is it is served with yoghurt. Sometime people take it as their evening snack too.

Try some juicy cereals too for your child and enjoy all the nutrients in just a tiny piece of grain..!!

August 1, 2014
Biscuits:Easy-to-carry and Easy-to-store

In this neoteric world every person from adults to children is found to be a biscuit fan. A pack of variety of biscuits is always found to be in your handbags. The time you feel hungry and have nothing to eat around you then take this out and fulfil the demands of your stomach for once. They are usually known by their different names like cookies in Canada and United States and biscuits in Europe and India. It has derived its name from the two Latin words bis means twice and coctus means cooked (process of baking associated with them). It is the best option people used to carry on their long journeys as they are easy to store.

Biscuits or sometimes referred to as cookies are available in different sizes and shapes. They are manufactured by various different companies all around the world. The European or Indian variety is found to be more creative than English Variety. They are distinguished on the basis of sugar, cream, jams, butter, herbs, and cheese and so on while in the United States they are harder and flaky in nature. When we talk about its history the manufacturers used to create hardest cookies possible so that they can be easily stored in high temperature and during the time of humidity too. But now they are made as sweet as possible with a layer of cream sandwiched between the two biscuits to make them taste yummy.

Sweet biscuits are usually preferred in snacks in the morning time as they are made of wheat flour and oats. The taste of sweet is added with the help of honey or sugar. There a variation lies in their flavors like chocolate, jams, nuts, fruit etc. They are usually accompanied with the cup of tea. They are very hard to consume so people tend to dip this into their tea for a small amount of time so as to make them soft before consumption. It involves all the digestive biscuits and bourbon cream biscuits.

Savoury biscuits are the cookies which are consumed normally along with the meal or cheese. They are also known as crackers or matzos which involves water biscuits, cream crackers and crisp breads. These biscuits also contain some additives like melted cheese, onion seeds or olives. They are somewhat spicy in taste rather than sweet, but exception lies in Hovis biscuits. They are usually sold in the European supermarkets.

Digestive biscuits have several health benefits. They are very high in their fiber content. So if people are suffering from diabetes then they can take these biscuits and simultaneously avoid the increase of sugar content in their body. You can easily prepare these biscuits in your home too. Only a certain amount of extra ingredients like butter, brown sugar, oats, and baking powder will be required. They also help in digestion and bowel movement too. For example Nutri Choice which is high in dietary fiber is the best choice you can have.

Glucose biscuits help to address the deficiency of glucose in our body and mainly in children. The best choice is Parle-G. It is fully made of wheat flour and milk content. Parle Group is the largest manufacture across all over the world. Its nutritional value is very high and purchase cost is very low. It has several other products rich in nutrients like Krackjack which has a taste of both salt and sweet, Monaco which is a namkeen biscuit, hide and seek which is a mixture of chocolate and sweet both with chocolate chips endowed in it.

Ginger biscuits help in the treatment of nausea, vomiting and sweating. As we know ginger act as an anti-oxidants so intake of ginger biscuits helps to reduce the risk of cell damage and remove all the free radicals responsible for it. They are also preferred when glucose levels in our body are increasing.

Biscuits do have various advantages but their intake must not be so high. They must be consumed in a much planned way. Their consumption depends on the time when they are eaten. People tend to utilize them at the time of their meal sometime or sometimes as their snacks too. The best way of their consumption is they must divided into 2-3 pieces and then taken at their regular intervals during snacks or meals. Homemade cookies and cookies that are high in fiber content and low in fat contents are preferred. Before purchasing any pack you must check its ingredients and make sure that list involves whole grain, some natural preservatives and additives too. At the time of humidity you must store them in airtight boxes so as to prevent them getting stale. And if you are consuming canned biscuits, then make sure to store them in refrigerators.

Go on and consume this long-lasting item in your snacks or meal and have its all benefits along with the taste.

August 1, 2014
Potatoes: Goodness Unearthed
Potatoes are one of the cheapest crops grown all over the world. It is a tuberous and starchy crop which belongs to nightshade family or Solanaceae family. It is considered as the most comfort food, whether it is in roasted, mashed or baked form. It is the only crop available throughout the year as it is harvested somewhere in every month of the year. It has listed its name amongst the world’s largest food crop which already includes maize, rice and wheat.

Potatoes are found in different sizes, shapes, color and flavors. There are about 100 different varieties of potatoes found all over the world. Potatoes are classified in two two groups: mature potatoes and new potatoes. Mature potatoes include the White Rose and Russet Burbank while New Potatoes include Red Pontiac and Red LeSoda. The outer covering of this crop is generally red, yellow or brown in color while inside it is white or yellow in color.

As we know potato is a rich source of nutrients so to have all its nutritional value, we must consume it fully without peeling it. You can scrub the potato in the cold water so as to remove bruises or deep eyes and if needed you can use the knife. And if you are peeling it, then be careful and only remove thin covering so as to retain all the nutrients. After cutting, potatoes must be placed in a bowl containing cold water and lemon juice so as to avoid its skin from darkening. Avoid its contact with aluminium or iron pots as they are sensitive to it.

Common and popular dishes made from potatoes are: mashed potatoes, which are prepared by boiling the potatoes and then mashing it along with yogurt, butter or milk; French-fried chips, which is prepared by slicing potatoes into chips and then fried; potato pancakes; baked potatoes and many more.

Potato is one of the most substantial food sources across the world. It is almost like an ingredient in each and every dish. It is considered as the best remedy to cure blood pressure problem, but unfortunately people take its intake after covering it with butter, melted cheese to make it yummier and simultaneously adding more fat to it. This sometimes becomes a big contributor to heat related problems. Potatoes are the main source of Vitamin B6 and a very good source of copper, manganese, fiber and Vitamin C. It also contains several phytonutrients which has anti-oxidant properties and perform activities against free radicals. Recent studies show that quercetin, a chemical which is present in potatoes helps in cardio-protective activities and has anti-cancer properties. Several health benefits that intake of potatoes involve are:

It helps in lowering blood pressure: Scientist in UK found a compound called kukoamines which has a blood-pressure lowering capabilities in potatoes. Previously this compound was only identified in an herbal plant named Lycium Chinese, but now it is present in the World’s most available crop i.e. Potatoes. Potatoes in addition to this also contain several health promoting chemicals. So people who are suffering from high blood pressure problem must take a regular intake of this vegetable in any form.

It helps in building our cells and makes them stronger: Potatoes being a good source of Vitamin B6 provides strength to our cell. It is found that one potato contains a half milligram of this special nutrient in it. B6 is the most important nutrient that our body demands every time like during enzymatic reactions, formation of new cells etc. So presence of any potato based dish in our meal is enough to fulfil all the requirements of B6 in our body.

A good source of Vitamin C and iron: potatoes are the main source of Vitamin C and contain more amount of this nutrient than tomato. It helps in preventing cellular damage as it has an anti oxidizing capability. It also helps in collagen production along with the iron absorption, which keeps our gums stronger. Potatoes also help in supporting our immune system. One potato can provide 6% of the iron needed by our body. The intake of potato helps in oxygen utilization, neural development and control the overall functioning of cells.

Apart from the health benefits it has several uses too:
- Potatoes are used in the preparation of several alcoholic drinks like vodka, potcheen etc.
- Potatoes are one of the main parts of the meal of domestic animals.
- Potato starch is used in textile industry and in the food manufacturing industry too. This starch is also used in biodegradable packaging.
- Potato if taken with honey, then it is the best remedy for scratches and burns.
- It is also used in various researches involving plants.
- Various companies are recycling all the waste potatoes to polylactic acid. This acid is used in several plastic products.
So here we have seen that all the goodness of potatoes. This appetizing, family-favorite crop is not just have health benefits instead has several other uses too. So make potato a part of your meal and unearth all its comfort.
August 1, 2014
Food Addiction-A real problem
As a kid, most of us were asked to eat a lot. Growing up in an Indian family, if the child skipped a meal it was a sin and the mom would never forgive herself for letting her child skip a meal. We were forced to eat and sometimes just because some of us didn’t like normal food our parents introduced us to the world of junk foods! Pizzas, Burgers the chief culprits, and not to forget our first junk food the potato chips which we kept munching while watching our cartoons! Junk foods have now become a part of us. Most of the kids these days are addicted to junk foods and there are a lot of older people who have a craving for these monsters too!

Even though junk foods have been identified as a problem for a long time, until recently no one realized the actual enormity of this problem. Junk foods like drugs have become an addiction for today’s younger generation. Eating junk foods has now become fashionable and the problem of food addiction is huge and very real. Despite their best intentions, people repeatedly find themselves eating large amounts of unhealthy foods, despite knowing that it is causing them harm.

What is Food Addiction?

Food addiction is the extreme urge to eat junk and unhealthy foods, so much so that it affects your behavior and routine causing stress and tension. Food addiction is, quite simply, being addicted to junk food in the same way as drug addicts are addicted to drugs. It involves the same areas in the brain, the same neurotransmitters and many of the symptoms are identical. Food addiction is a relatively new term and there are no solid statistics available on how common it is.

Food addiction occurs because of the effect certain junk foods have on the human brain. They have the tendency to directly affect the neural system involving neurotransmitters and can clog brain functioning like how drugs do. Food addiction like other addictions cannot be diagnosed completely by medicines and they don’t necessarily have biological symptoms. They can be identified by certain behavioral symptoms.

How do we know someone is a Food addict?

There are certain behavioral symptoms which point towards food addiction. People who are addicted to junk foods tend to become restless when they haven’t had their daily share of junk food. Few of the common symptoms are:
- People who have become addicts to certain kinds of foods have a craving for the food, and as soon as they eat it they get a feeling of guilt and sadness. They try to stop themselves from eating it but are not sure how to control the urge.
- Food addicts get a sudden craving for a particular kind of food, and this doesn’t have any particular time or pattern. Despite being full they crave for their favorite food and after eating it they realize they should never have eaten it
- Another common trait is that Food addicts generally convince themselves that the particular food is good for health or sometimes they just convince themselves by saying it doesn’t matter what they eat things will remain the same.
- They know they shouldn’t have eaten that food in the first place, and try to hide this from everyone to save themselves the embarrassment of not being able to follow a thing as simple as controlling what they eat.
A real problem

Food addiction might not sound as bad as drug addiction or alcoholism but it is every bit dangerous as them. The symptoms and behavioral changes are the same according to some doctors. The social consequences are not as severe as drug addiction but the effects are equally bad to the addict. Food addiction might result in severe stress, obesity, increased blood and sugar levels and a high level of irritation. Food addiction can make the addict lose his self-esteem and become highly unhappy with his body and make one’s life miserable. It can lead to severe distress to the addict and affect his personality completely, sometimes making them prone to suicides and mental problems.

Ways to overcome Food addiction

Like any other addiction the first step in overcoming food addiction is self-acceptance. The addict must realize the harm it is causing to his body and must be in a state of mind to overcome this. The easiest solution is to avoid junk foods completely but in extreme cases it is not possible. Just like how a chain smoker can never become a casual smoker there is no question of a food addict eating junk foods occasionally. If the addict wants to get over it he should get over and done with it completely.

The best way to overcome food addiction is to find an alternate food, which is natural and healthy and at the same times satisfies your craving for junk food. Identify the fast food places which provide healthy food in your locality, this is important in case you are hungry and not in a mood to cook.

Mostly, it is not the lack of will, but the lack of proper planning which prevents people from getting over their addiction. It is important to plan your diet and healthily in order to overcome food addiction. It is high time people started realizing the importance of this, and overcome food addiction because the threat is enormous and requires significant effort.
August 1, 2014
Pocket-friendly Food!

When you want a sumptuous breakfast, that too under 150 bucks, where do you go?

You go to Blue Sky Café.

With burgers and grilled sandwiches priced in the range of 55 to 100, and mouth watering omelets, and yummy milkshakes with just the right amount of sugar – there seriously ain’t much to think about, is there?

I breakfasted there on 10^th of this month; had a Mushroom Chicken Cheese Omelet with some toast and shot all the cheese down (tried) with a glass of Hot Lemon. The food was well-prepared and simply delicious.

I seriously need to thank Rachaita (college buddy) for taking me to all these awesome food places. The last time we were internship hunting, we ended up having Chilly Pork (around Rs 200) at Chung Wah, a splendid restaurant in Chandni Chowk (mind you, if you do not know where it is, ASK! Not that people were of much help in our case; we ended up walking for more than 40 minutes trying to locate the place.)

And how can I proceed without sharing a home-made recipe of the divine Chilly Pork?

Chilly Pork

Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 800g pork fillet (cut into thin slices), 1tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil , 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, 3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, 4 garlic cloves crushed with the flat of a knife, 3 red chillies (cut in half lengthways, de-seeded), 6 spring onion bulb (halved), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, 350g jasmine rice (steamed)

Directions: Mix together the soy sauce, mirin, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and chilli flakes in a shallow dish. Coat the pork in the marinade and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Heat a wok over high heat and add one tbsp of oil. Add half the pork and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove pork from wok and stir-fry the remaining pork for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pork from the wok. Heat the remaining tblsp of oil in the wok and add the garlic, chillies, one tbsp of water and the onions. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar and return the pork to the wok. Cook for a final minute. Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve with steamed rice.

The other day, on our way to browse books in College Street, we stopped at Dilkhush, which is situated exactly opposite to the famous sari shop, Adi Mohini Mohon Kanjilal. And Google to the rescue, the specialties are: Mutton Breast Cutlet and Dimer Devil (Devilled Eggs). As expected, we had both. The total bill came down to a mere 113 bucks. Well, about the food – the crunch, the aroma, the taste – purely nectarous. So, I’ll just keep my mouth shut and allow your taste buds to do all the talking.

Mutton Breast Cutlet

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For Marinating- 8 pieces mutton ribs or chops, 2 tsp ginger paste, 2 tsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp of mint leaf paste or coriander paste, 1/2 tsp of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of cumin seed powder, 1 tbsp of golden fried jullienes of onion, 1/4 tsp garam masala (powder of equal quantity of cardamon, clove, cinnamon sticks), 2 tsp of lemon juice

For the batter: All purpose flour, 2 eggs whites, bread crumbs, pinch of baking powder, oil

Directions:

To prepare the meat- Take the mutton chops/mutton ribs and flatten the meat using a wooden hammer or any heavy kitchen tool. the flesh on the bone should be scrapped. In the marination bowl add all the marination ingredients and mix well with yogurt or lime juice. Add the mutton chops and smear the marination on it. Refrigerate it overnight. Add the Baking powder with the flour and sieve it.

To fry- Take the Mutton chops and dip it in egg white. Dust it with flour and then coat it with bread crumbs. Take a heavy bottom flat frying pan. Add Oil and let it heat up. Slowly add the Mutton chops and fry till golden brown. Serve it hot with cold coriander chutney

Devilled Eggs

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 1 medium potato, 1 medium onion, carrot or beet, Other vegetables as per availability, ginger and garlic, green chilies, hing (asafoetida), jeera (Cumin), garam masala powder, bread crumbs, maida

Directions: Boil 2 eggs and 1 potato for 15 minute. Cover the eggs with at least an inch of water. Cut onion, chilies, beans and grate the carrot/beet. Drain hot water, pour cold water (makes peeling off easier) and crack the egg shells. Cut the boiled eggs length wise and pop out the egg yolk in a separate container. Add peeled off potato and the vegetable mixture to the container. Add salt, pepper to taste. Mash them well. Heat a frying pan; put some cooking oil and then the onion pieces. Add the mashed potato-yolk-vegetable mixture. Fill the egg halves with the mixture. In a separate bowl, break an egg carefully and add a spoon of Besan. Add salt, pepper to taste and blend it well. On a pan, pour some bread crumbs. Heat a frying pan and add oil. Follow the sequence – roll the stuffed egg half in egg besan mixture, then in bread crumbs and then lower carefully on the heated oil. Fry well. Do this for each stuffed egg half.

Kolkata is filled with such similar pocket-friendly food places and each is better than the other. For us, college-goers, it sure IS the place to be!

July 30, 2014
4 Efficient methods to Meditate
The post informs about “4 Efficient methods to meditate” and is drafted after discussing all the Pros and Cons in the post before of why there is a need for meditation? For all the people down for it do need to know proper techniques and different types of meditation. As mentioned in the earlier post regarding meditation, it is not a onetime cure. It should be a lifelong habit. So after saying that, we should not be looking for any sorts of shortcuts to perform the task dutifully. Meditation is all about focusing your mind on anything that calms your mind, whether it may be listening to soft music or focusing your breath and stare on a burning flame. One can start either from baby steps to more focused approach or directly start with the demanding focused meditation.

There is no measurement as in which technique is better as all lead to the same result, it all goes down to what technique is one comfortable in. Just as you would be the one to practice meditation, you should be sure which technique resonates with your lifestyle and you. This will make sure the continuity of the practice for life long.

So, starting with listing below mentioned are some of the most efficient techniques to perform meditation mentioned in no particular order, But before that please not that information given here are just some brief introduction about different techniques and gist of the procedure.
1. MINDFUL MEDITATION
One of the most popular meditation practices especially in the west, mindfulness meditation is about staying in the present moment. Being aware of the moment and focusing only on one object while regulating your breath is what mindfulness meditation is all about. Also known as Vipassana meditation, it is rooted from the Buddhist traditional practice. It is often used in psychological treatments to get rid of many mental conditions like OCD and anxiety.

A person practicing this meditation needs to only focus on the ongoing happenings around and in his or her mind, like emotions and thoughts. This awareness sure has to be approached with no mental judgments whatsoever.
1. TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION
Primarily originated from the Hinduism was later promoted extensively throughout the world for its deep spiritual approach. A very simplified practice rooted from the Vedanta, in Transcendental meditation a person needs to chant mantra or a sacred word and focus is on being uplifted from all that belongs to the material world. Posture for the meditation is preferred to be sitting cross legged with back straight. This posture is known as “Lotus asana”, this asana is said to resemble a lotus and is said to encourage breathing proper to associated meditative practice and it also foster physical stability.
1. GUIDED MEDITATION
Another excellent technique to pursue meditation for the beginners, guided meditation takes an individual to a journey of guided visualization of different imageries and situations. The guidance usually consists of stories and set of sceneries described in a narrative sense. This technique is very powerful to experience one’s own psyche and thinking pattern. A person can truly introspect their daily activities and keep track of their doings and if they are doing it right through the regular practice of guided meditation. This will help your subconscious to solve some of the tangled issues which seems impossible to rationally be handled by the conscious brain. The meditation exercise starts with resting in any suitable and comfortable position, and then the person has to relieve all the stress stored in the different parts of the body from the head to toe. After the relaxed stage is reached, person is usually guided through stairs and doors to reach a peaceful place where colors and lights heal the self. Individual is allowed to relax there for few moments and asked to resolve any issues or find any required answers from the conscious life. It is believed that in this relaxed and calm state of the body the subconscious brain starts working which helps to increase our ability to see a situation from different perspectives; this resolves half of the problems.
1. CHAKRA MEDITATION
According to Hindu beliefs “Chakras” are believed to be the energy centers or spots are located at the physical counterparts of the major plexi of arteries, veins and nerves in the human body.

So, it is believed that opening and activating chakras will contribute to overall well being of an individual. In chakra meditation focus is given to the breathing of the individual while he or she is visualizing a spinning light that is connected to each chakra. Start from the root or base chakra (Muladhara) and then slowly move your way up through to the crown chakra (Shasrara). Each chakra has their specific colors.

At last, no method is difficult or easy to practice. They just differ in their approach. So, after finding the suitable type of meditation that relates to you, begin the practice! Meditation is not a onetime cure for anything and should be considered as a lifelong practice for the overall personality transformation. It affects the society in general if the individuals in it practice the same. The increased awareness in the society is beneficial for everybody on our planet as the very process of meditation brings unity and brotherhood among people.
July 30, 2014
Mad Over Donuts!!

A lovely box of donuts can brighten a day, is what is the mantra of the new upcoming stores like m.o.d ( mad over donuts) and dunkin donuts, which are known to have made a special place in the food industry recently in this decade.

Doughnuts or more precisely now called as donuts, could be categorized either into a dessert food or a fried confectionery. This deep- fried lip smacking snack is typically either a ring shape, which may have a hole or might be filled. donuts may be topped or flavored with a huge variety of flavors like chocolate, maple glazing, cinnamon or granulated sugar.

The donuts are known to have their origin in 19th century by dutch people in the North America, which at that time were referred to as oliekoek, which means ” a sweetened cake fried in oil” or “oil cake”. The ring shaped doughnut is known to have its history traced back to 1847, where an American named Hanson Gregory invented the ring-shaped doughnut when he was actually only 16 years old.

Today, the donuts might be shaped into a different kind which might include rings, balls or flattened spheres, which might either be twisted or given some other form. But the two most common types of donuts which are popular are- the toroidal ring donut and the filled or filler donut, which have fillings like fruits, creams and custards to give them a sugary sweet effect.

The donuts are actually prepared from the yeast based dough, which contains a good amount of oil which are fried for a good amount of time at a temperature of near about 374 to 388 F. After this frying process is over, topping is done with either granulated sugar, cinnamon, maple glazing or sometimes might have some sprinkled coconut, chopped peanuts or jimmies on them, in order to enhance the taste.

In India, the wonderful savory vada , is often referred to as the Indian doughnut which is a fried, ring shaped snack often taken with curd, known as the dahi-vada or can be taken along with the sambhar and coconut chutney. This vada is prepared from dal or potato flour and not from the wheat flour.

In Indonesia, donut kentang is a ring-shaped fritter which is made up of mashed potato and flour, which is then coated with the icing sugar.

In Israel, jelly donuts which are known as sufganiyah is the traditional food which is cooked in oil, filled with jelly and topped with icing sugar. In Australia, the hot jam donuts which are popular and unique in the Australian culture, these are served with hot red jam which may be either strawberry or raspberry is injected or filled into the deep fried bun and is then frosted with either sugar or cinnamon, sometimes these jam donuts are also frozen. Another variant of this donut, comes filled with custard.

Some interesting facts about donuts-

1. Donut king is the largest donut retailer in Australia.

2. A Guinness Book Of Records has the record with the largest number of donuts made up for 90,000 people in Sydney in the year 2007 as a part of celebration for the movie, The Simpsons Movie.

3. Canadians consume the highest number of donut, with also the highest number of donut stores per capita in the country.

4. National Doughnut Day is celebrated to commemorate the history of donuts and their popularity in different cultures. dedicated to this is a race held in Stanton, Illinois which features donuts and is called Tour de Donut.

Recipe For crispy and creamy donut-

1. 0.25 ounce dried yeast

2. 1/4 cup warm water

3. 2 eggs

4. 1 tsp salt

5. 1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk

6. 1/2 cup white sugar

7. 5 cup all purpose flour

8. 1/3 cup butter

9. 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

10. 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

11. 1/3 cup shortening

12. 2 cups confectioners sugar

sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let it stand until it turns foamy. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups of flour. Stir the mixture and beat in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour at a time, until no more dough sticks to the bowl. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Place this dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Set it into a warm place, until it gets double.

Turn the dough on a surface covered with flour, and roll out a dough of 1/2 inch, cut the flour with doughnut cutter. Let the doughnut rise to double, and cover it loosely with cloth. Melt butter in a pan, stir in the confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove the mixture from heat, stir in 1 tbsp water. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 F, slide in the donuts in the hot oil. Turn the donuts over the other side and fry them till they turn golden brown on both the surfaces. Remove from the oil, and drain from the hot oil. Dip the donuts in the glaze, while they are still hot and drain of the excess glaze.

July 30, 2014
Fascinating Food Facts!

C’mmon! You all Foodies. You love food, I love food, We love food, All love food. But do you know the superawesome, amazing, unbelievably true random facts about food. Some of you may be say Yes, while others aren’t so aware. But here’s some bizzare facts about the food you swallow, that tickles your tastebuds, satisfy your cravings and love you back. In the world of food, some are healthy, while others are junk food. But Food is food and we eat it with all our consciousness and sometimes sentiments too.

Well, If you’re also excited like me to know about the 3Fs (Fascinating food facts), not so common, surprising and curiosity evoking, here’s some I have rounded up. Go on, read these startling facts and amaze yourself. Or whip out a few at your next party and you might even impress your friends; how much you know about food and nutrition;

A can of coke has more sugar than you’re supposed to have in your whole day. When you drink one can of Coca-Cola, you are consuming 65grams of sugar. Though it is refreshing and delicious to drink, it doesn’t do much good to you and your health.

Green tea is an elixir, No? But do you know, Adding citrus juice (lemon drops) to green tea stabilizes its ‘catechin’ content, boosting the level of antioxidants that survive the digestive system upto 13-fold and become all the more healthy drink.

I’m lovin it! Remember it? The McDonald’s. This multi national food joint has outlets all over the world. But Americans love it most of all and If you don’t know this fact that 1 in every 8 Americans has been employed by McDonald’s.

Now, something really interesting. Note it. Neither Strawberries, Raspberries or Blackberries are actually berries. While Bananas, pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes and avocadoes are all berries.

People love that diary white milk and most consume for the supplement called Vitamin D. But here’s this fact saying that Oysters provide 4 times more Vitamin D than skim milk.

You love chocolate? And you love Caramel in it? But do you know that Caramel was first invented for Waxing those unwanted bodily hair. It was originally used as that in Arabic countries until some bright spark realized it would also make a delicious dessert.

Saffron? Wow, gives lovely colour. Well, do you know that saffron is ridiculously expensive to buy and use in culinary activities, but yet super easy to grow. This is because it takes 200 crocus flowers to produce 1 gram of saffron. However, you can grow it straight into your garden and cut the middlemen. For that, you just need a few seeds, a sunny corner of your garden and a little patience while they grow.

Do you also feel that gluten free products are more healthier and do you use them often? Then maybe you have experienced it too. As On Average, Gluten-free food products are 242% more expensive than regular food products.

Love Coffee? Here’s a study by NEJM 2012, which found out that drinking upto 6 cups of coffee per day can reduce all cause mortality by 10% in men and 15% in women. Don’t believe me? Google it.

Cinnamon; quite flavorful and nice herb for sweet or salty dishes. And you know, Cinnamon is a potent antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of blood clots, controls blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity and thus as a result prevent gain of weight and diabetes. Wonderful !

Like this green fruit called Kiwi? Rich in Vitamin C, this fruit was called as Chinese gooseberry but marketers didn’t like the name so they renamed the fruit “Kiwi” after a bird that it resembles.

Oregano, a spicy herb inducing the taste on pizzas an pastas. A very common ingredient in Mexican and Italian cuisine is derived from the leaves of the herb. The fact regarding Oregano is that it has very high antioxidant content, even higher than that of blueberries. Its antioxidant activity is 20 times higher than that of any other herb. Oregano has 4 times the antioxidant activity of blueberries, 12 times that of oranges and 42 times that of apples. So, Keep lovin’ it.

Popcorns are perfect for movietime. But be little cautious. They are healthy because of corn but Microwave Popcorn gives off a toxic, lung-damaging gas when cooked. But 1 cup of air-popped popcorns contains more antioxidants in the form of polyphenols, than the average fruit or vegetables. So, Pop the popcorns but not in microwave.

Peaches are too good. For the skin, as a taste, for body and many more benefits. But do you know even the seed is useful. The seed inside a peach contains an almond-like nut which holds a potent anti-cancer medicine called laetrile and reasearches have suggested that this induces programmed cell death in cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Well, peaches are awesome.

Are you nuts about nuts? Well, that’s good. Because Pecans and walnuts have more antioxidants than strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, cranberries. So, keep munching them.

Woahh! These were some Amazingly awesome facts about food we all eat in our everyday life. Still don’t know them. The stuff you swallow has some facts attached and now, you know them.

Enjoy Food. Enjoy facts.

July 30, 2014