Carrot soup

I love this soup. Dare to try?
2 Tbsp oil3/4 cup chopped onion3 cups ground carrots (chop or run through a meat grinder)1 quart stock (can use bouillon)2 Tbsp tomato paste2 Tbsp barleysalt and red pepper to taste
In a 3 quart pot, sautee the onions in the oil. Add the rest of these ingredients to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in blender and return to pan. Then add these ingredients before serving.:
1/2 cup evaporated milk (or double strength powdered milk)1 Tbsp butter

The more Carrot you eat the longer and faster your hair growth
Got any discomfort? enjoy Carrot soup for digestion.

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The Amazing Banana

Banana a day keeps the doctor away... and the dermatologist...and the psychologist... and if current research can be trusted... death. It seems there's almost no ailment that the banana can't help cure. The word "banan" is Arabic for finger. The banana is unique among fruits. Rather than growing on trees, bananas come from the world's largest herb, Musa sapientium, which is directly related to the orchid family. They are believed to be the first fruit farmed by man. Available all year round, they are currently the most popular fruit in North America

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Okro: The drive behind this vegetable

This vegetable also known as Okra, Ochro, Okro, Bhindi, Bamia, Bamieh, Gumbo, quimgumbo and even Lady Fingers, is one of our planets most nutritious and mouth-watering vegetables.
Okra traces its origin from what was known as Abyssinia (Ethiopia) spreading right through to the Eastern Mediterranean regions, India, Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean. Though long popular South of the Sahara and in the Caribbean, it is only now being recognized and sold in non-continental supermarkets around the UK and in other Western Countries.
Hibiscus Esculentus is a small green pod best used as a thickener of soups. Its flavour and texture are unique. For comparison, its taste falls between that of the eggplant and the asparagus.

It blends well with other vegetables such as tomatoes, chilli peppers, spinach, mushrooms and exudes a sticky juice which when added to any liquid will thicken it.

Okra can also be breaded and fried, in which case the juice exudes less.
This unusual vegetable does not only offer a superb taste, but also is nutritious and medicinal. It is a good source of Vitamin C, Folic Acid, essential B vitamins as well as magnesium, manganese and potassium. Okra is also high in dietary fibre.
The ripe seeds of Okra are sometimes roasted, ground and brewed as a substitute for coffee. A close relative to the Okra plant – Roselle is used as a good source of cloth fibre. In countries such as Turkey and Cyprus, the leaves are used in preparing medicinal remedies to soothe and reduce swellings and inflammations.
In some southern regions the seeds are of more value than the pods because of their ability to yield oil. When the pods are ripe, their seeds yield edible oil somewhat equal to other more expensive oils such as olive or sunflower oils.
This vegetable is marketed processed as well as fresh and frozen. Small young pods no more than 3.5 inches long are the most tender and have the most nutritional content. As the vegetable matures, it becomes tough, dry and dull.
Okra can be served raw, or prepared in the several ways: boiled and microwaved.

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Facts you need consider about your Wedding

Wedding cakes will be one of the main focal points for your wedding. Guests will view your cake as a center point of a reception and many of your pictures will be centered on your cake. Furthermore, your wedding cake can tie together your wedding colors ,the appearance and the atmosphere you've worked so hard to create.

With today's pastry chefs, your choices are limitless. You can dazzle the taste buds with mousse filled cakes or cheesecakes. Others may want to have fruit or pound cake. And of course you can choose the standard chocolate and vanilla. Be imaginative! most experienced pastry chef's can decorate your cake just how you want. Consider also that each tier can be made of a different cake or flavor so everyone can enjoy!

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Agricultural superheroes

Whole grains—the basis for granola, muesli and other healthful cereals—have emerged as agriculture’s superheroes for their valuable nutritional benefits.
That formerly down-market granola, commonly purchased in bulk in health food stores, would emerge as an upscale specialty food once seemed unlikely. Yet, within the past decade, consumer awareness of the nutritive value of foods perceived to be fresh, natural and minimally processed has increased dramatically.

Whole grains supply a nutty flavor and a satisfying texture to cereal, while also being an important source of soluble fiber and complex carbohydrates—qualities that are important to consumers concerned about heart health and cholesterol levels. Ironically, the now-aging Baby Boomers who drove granola’s popularity in the 1960s are a leading consumer group for making healthful cereals trendy again.
Via:speciality food

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Children of the Rice...Burkina faso

The 'Children of the Rice' live in the wettest region of Burkina Faso in the Vallée du Kou close to the border with Mali. Along the River Kou, 1300 hectares of the broad valley bottom have been turned into rice fields. Small-holdings have been allocated to local families and to poor farmers who have migrated from the dry-lands of the Sahel in the North of the country.
Each of the families has one hectare, broken up into small paddyfields by a grid of earth dykes. Families either take turns to use the mechanical cultivator or plough with oxen. The rice-planting scheme has been running since the early 1970s and is supported by the Chinese and Burkina Faso governments.

"Our parents came here 28 years ago, when the scheme started," explains Ramata Ouédraogo, aged 24. "We were born here, and everything we know is rice. We’re called moui kamba - the children of the rice. We have students at grammar school and university but most of the children aren’t interested in school.

"The water is always there, throughout the year. We control it, starting and stopping it when we need to. The water’s always there for us. We work every day on the rice, except on Sunday. We’re friends and we work together. The work is hard; there’s no difficulty in sleeping after a day in the rice fields. We sell part of our crop and keep part for ourselves."

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African 'stock-cubes' are made from néré seeds

Néré seeds are used to flavour the sauces that accompany every meal of tô or rice. Néré trees are never cleared from farming land because their black seeds are a vital part of every meal. The seeds are fermented and shaped into balls, called soumbala or Maggi Africain (African stock-cubes). When a landowner leases a plot of land to another farmer, the rights of the tree crops go to the tenant. But if there are néré trees on the land the owner will always keep the rights to the crop

A trip to Africa

Staple foods include sorghum, millet, rice, maize, peanuts, potatoes, beans, yams and okra. Meat is a luxury in the villages, but eggs and fish - from the local rivers and reservoirs - are an important source of protein. Salad vegetables and strawberries grown in market gardens are commonly available in the towns.

Sauces are a mainstay of the Burkinabè diet - for example 'riz gras' is rice mixed with vegetable sauce, meat, and oil and 'sauce gombo' is a sticky okra-based stew. Sauces are usually served with tô (a stiff white porridge made of millet, sorghum or maize flour) or rice, and eaten with the right hand. In Bissa tô is known as wu, and in Mooré it is called sagabo. Specialities include brochettes (meat cooked on a skewer) and chicken dishes. In rural areas bush rat is considered a delicacy.

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Here's a tried and true recipe for a Nepali feast for four tomatoe condiment:

Heat a medium size sauce pan. Chop up an onion, garlic to taste, and hot chillies, also to taste. Sauté in olive oil until clear. Add a heaping tablespoon of curry and salt to taste. Next, add 4 large (or however many small) chopped tomatoes and melt them down. Cook on low heat until the consistency is of thick tomato paste. For added flavor, chop up some cilantro and add. This is a condiment that flavors the rest of the plate. It may be stored and used when needed. Nepalis call this "peekles", which I don't quite understand since a pickle is a pickle, and this ain't pickles...

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Sweet-and-sour Pork..(yue-style)

The Recipe
1 lb lean and fat boneless pork
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp dry cornstarch
1 medium green pepper
7 oz bamboo shoots
4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying
4 tsp garlic, sliced
2 tbsp scallions, chopped For the sauce:
4 1/2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 cup(120ml) water
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour) dissolved in 2 tsp water.
Procedure.
1. Wash the pork and cut into diamond-shaped slices about 1 inch( 25mm) long. Mix with the salt and let stand for 15 minutes, then mix well with the eggs and dry cornstarch.
2. Halve vertically, seed and wash the green pepper. Cut the green pepper and the bamboo shoots into diamond shapes, the same size as the pork. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat to very hot. deep-fry the pork slices until they turn golden brown and float to the surface. Drop the bamboo shoots into the oil and remove immediately, along with the pork. Drain well and set aside.
4. Make the sweet-and-sour sauce in another pot.
5. Pour the oil out of the wok, leaving only enough to cover the bottom, about 2 tbsp, Heat to very hotk, or until the oil surface ripples. Add the garlic and stir-fry. Then add the scallions and green pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sweet-and-sour sauce and bring to a boil. Stir the dissolved cornstarch to blend and add to the wok. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the pork. Stir to coat thoroughly. Remove and serve.Enjoy!

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Eating Meat the Intalian way

Italian meat dishes range from rich and hearty to light and simple. Make osso buco for a chilly autumn night, with rich, tender lamb shanks – it may not be quick, but it’s definitely easy. Or bring restaurant favorites home with a fast and simple veal Marsala

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Gateau Breton

I had several egg yolks on hand so when I came across this yolk-rich recipe from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess", it just seemed like a big mistake if I did not jump on it and use up my yolks now. Besides, the recipe is really rather uncomplicated and I am a sucker for slightly pretentious French names, in this case, to what is otherwise just a simple butter cake from the region of Brittany.Preparations were minimal and pretty much proceeded the way Nigella described. Very soon the dough was in the oven and 40 minutes later, the cake was out on the rack to cool. The cake turned out exactly what Nigella tells me, a hybrid between shortbread and cake. Cutting them into 16 squares was just a bit challenging as I was cautious about crumbling the thin layer of crust on the top.Nonetheless, the results were both foodporn worthy and tasted wonderful. It is very rich so I am glad I made them bite-size. To finish, I dolloped each square with a bit of chocolate cream cheese frosting and sprinkled some sugared stars around.
ENJOY!

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Reciepe of love

Weddings and Birthday anniversaries makes the month they occured very special.The particular month has alot of activities attached to it.I,most of the time neglect the feelings of those involve.From the picture above, you could see the creamy nature and how beautiful it could look when it cuts into sections.It reminds me of how sweet and beautiful it would be when we are together in love.Love is sharing therefore this reciepe of love potrays a get-together for comrades, friends, families and loved-ones. Where we can share our problems boldly with a hope of finding comfort.Got any problem? bake it with reciepe of love.

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Cooking Lighter could be a wonderful idea

What I ate last night." No one's that interested, right? BUT I need to make an exception for dinner last night. After a two hour walk along the waterfront in what can only be described as a picture postcard afternoon I "went the extra mile" in the health department and decided to make something special but healthy for dinner. Best of Cooking Light, published by the magazine earlier this year, contains 500 "all-star" recipes.

This recipe serves two which is perfect as although I cook for myself more than most, a lot of recipes serve 4, 6 or 8. (When will magazines start reflecting their demographics? half of the US population is single!). I am one Lady who will eat leftovers for one, maybe two meals. Also, I hate wasting food. So this recipe looked tasty (it was) and was fairly simple and needed less than 30 minutes from start to finish. This recipe is a keeper. It's all in the sauce. Scallops were a good source of protein but if you are watching your pennies you will enjoy the dish without it.