Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at
7:35 pm
CADUCEUS WINE : CELEBS AND THE WINE INDUSTRY
Celebrities are virtually at the peak of anything that is happening in our world today. To some people, that’s the idea of being a celebrity but many others will say they should stay at only what they know how to do; singing, acting, going for dinners and posing for the paparazzi. This is because when a celebrity starts delving into politics, policy making and other things that is outside their field of expertise just because they are popular enough to have their opinions heard, there is usually a lot of controversies that are created. But then there are a lot of celebrities that can do other things apart from just acting, singing or modelling. Some celebrities are even graduates or professionals in several other fields. Among these celebrities is the musician, Maynard James Keenan, who is into wine production.
The wine industry is one industry that comes as a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. I mean there are wine making families and regions of the world. James Keenan was from one of them. He came from the northern Italian wine makers. So apart from his musical career he is into the wine making industry. The name of his wine is the Caduceus wine which was named after an old symbol for commerce and the staff of a Greek god called Hermes. The taste of the Caduceus wine is said to be very good coupled with the nice smell from well nourished grapes.
Production of Caduceus Wine
Keenan has a vineyard and a winery where the caduceus wine is said to be produced. It was also said that he poured out his late mother’s ashes on his vineyard. A lot of variety of the caduceus wine has being produced. This caduceus wine includes the Nagual del Judith, the Sancha, the Nagual de la Naga and the Nagual del Sensei. Celebrities are generally into wine whether or not they are involved in its production. I mean it is so clear that they attend a lot of dinners and parties that range from birthdays to cocktails. Wines including the caduceus wine are all used in these parties.
It is because of this that the average celebrity should have a tongue that can taste a good wine and a nose that can smell one. So it is also not difficult to see why Keenan and his caduceus wine have being making a good name for themselves. The caduceus wine and cellars is a winery that is located in Arizona, the Verde Valley to be precise. This is of course in the United States.
Bottle of Caduceus Wine
Availability of Caduceus Wine
The first Caduceus wine was sold out and more are still being sold and used for several occasions today. So in general, being a celebrity in the wine industry, one can say that James Keenan finds himself in a very ideal situation. Because which celebrity is there that will say he doesn’t like the taste of a well juiced and produced grape wine? And the caduceus wine is one of such wines.
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at
3:45 am
Seasoning Cast Iron Skillets
How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet
How to season a cast iron skilletis a relatively simple process; it simply requires baking on several layers of oil. This is a process that only continues with time as you use a cast iron skillet more and more. This makes a cast iron skillet or other pan naturally stick-resistant, which means cooking with less butter and oils (a win-win). The oil when heated fills in the cracks in the pan, smoothing it out, which makes it harder for food to stick (none of those pesky little microscopic pits in the metal for the food to cling to). The oil also keeps water from getting into those same cracks and rusting your pan. This is how to season a cast iron skillet.You can buy preseasoned cast iron skillets if how to season a cast iron skillet seems like too much trouble for you (and heating the oil in the pan by itself like this for the hour required will make the kitchen smell like burning oil, surprise, surprise). You can also buy a used cast iron skillet and season it even if it hadn’t be seasoned before (and doesn’t look very good). This can provide you with a quality cast iron skillet (or skillets) but at a lower price. If you are concerned about implementing the steps of how to season a cast iron skillet this may give you an easy way to try without ruining a brand new skillet.
How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet and Care for It
There are a couple rules of thumb after you have learned how to season a cast iron skillet when caring for a cast iron skillet. Don’t put very cold water in a very hot pan. This can really damage a cast iron skillet. Make sure that you wash your pan with water to keep any excess oil from sitting in the pan and going bad; but don’t soak the pan or put it through a dishwasher. Some people do not believe in using soap to clean a cast iron skillet (much like a pizza stone) but professionals and health experts agree that rancid oil in the food is worse. Then you will have to follow the steps of how to season a cast iron skillet all over.
how to season a cast iron skillet
How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet and Cook with it.
Many professionals and amateur cooks and chefs consider cast iron skillets and pans to be the best for a lot of recipes. You will find that certain recipes actually call for the use of a dutch-oven. This is because a cast iron skillet is heavier than the flimsy pans often found in kitchens and therefore provides much more even heating of foods and the ability to cook without hot spots.Cooking with a cast iron skillet may require more patience not just using the steps how to season a cast iron skillet but also because the pan will take a little longer to heat up, but the results are well worth the wait. Some care is required when dealing with an electric range, as the range itself may have hot spots which can over time do damage to a cast iron skillet. Also, it is worth noting that food should not be stored in a cast iron skillet and given a chance to seep into the pores of your beautifully seasoned pan. Not only is it bad for the pan, but it will give your food a weird metallic taste as well. Now that you know how to season a cast iron skillet as well as how to care for and the basic principles of cooking with it, bon appetite!
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at
3:25 am
Make Your Own Corn Tortillas
Corn Tortilla Recipe and Equipment
One of the most important things to know before you decide to try to find and use a corn tortilla recipe is that you need the right equipment. One thing you must have for a great corn tortilla is a cast iron pan. The right pan can make the difference between a successful corn tortilla recipe and a headache. You will also want a tortilla press. Trying to make corn tortillas without a press will be a lot more work, and if you have never done it before you may not get evenly sized and shaped tortillas. You can get a tortilla press for a reasonable price, so you are saving yourself time and effort from the outset by getting the right tools for the corn tortilla recipefirst.Corn tortillas are made from a special flour mix called masa harina. It should be just corn and lime (and for best results and flavor, make sure that is all that is in yours). All the ingredients that you need for your corn tortilla recipe is this corn and lime flour mix, some water, and a little salt (if you prefer; some recipes have it, some don’t).
Corn Tortilla Recipe Proportions and Getting Started
There are varying recipes online and in cookbooks that all dispute the masa harina to water proportions appropriate for the perfect corn tortilla recipe. They range from about 2 parts masa harina to 1 part water, all the way to equal parts masa harina and water. You may want to experiment with different corn tortilla recipes and proportions, or just add water until it seems like the consistency you want (if you have a good eye for dough consistencies). If this is too much hassle for you, there are some places where you can buy the premeasured and premixed masa dough. At that point all you have to do is press it and cook it (which is quite enough work to count as cooking it yourself).
Corn Tortilla Recipe Finishing Up and Going Beyond
From this point, you usually have enough dough to divide into approximately 15 balls of dough. You then want to put some plastic or wax paper on either side of the press (so that the dough isn’t on the tortilla press) and begin shaping your tortillas. As soon as your tortilla is shaped it should go into a hot griddle. It should only take about 30 seconds per side to cook, which means that once you get the hang of it, you should be able to press and fry your tortillas in no time.
Corn Tortilla Recipe and Instructions
If you are feeling very ambitious after the success of your first foray into corn tortilla recipes, there are also recipes out there for making your own corn tortillas without even using the masa harina mix. This means making your own masa dough from corn and lime. There was even a TV special with Alton Brown on how to make tortillas with this corn tortilla recipe, and the recipe can still be found on the food network website.
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at
3:16 am
Belgian Waffles Recipe
Belgian Waffles Recipe v. Regular (American) Waffles Recipe
The Belgian waffles, sometimes mistakenly referred to in the United States as Belgium waffles, are very obviously different from the waffles typically eaten in American. The primary difference is in the Belgian waffles recipe, though many Americans only see the aesthetic difference of “deeper holes” in Belgian waffles. The real difference is in how they’re made, not just the size of the holes made by the waffle iron that is used.Traditional American waffle recipes are much easier to make than a Belgian waffles recipe. American waffle recipes, to no one’s surprise, are also quicker to mix up, as they use baking powder instead of yeast and egg whites to help them rise and give them fluffiness. This is why a Belgian waffles recipe yields wafflers that are much deeper and thicker, but also lighter and fluffy, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
A True Belgian Waffles Recipe
The Belgian waffles recipe used by street vendors and restaurants in Belgium is, reportedly, impossible to get hold of. It is a recipe so strictly guarded that most of the street vendors don’t even make the dough themselves, they get it already prepared and simply prepare the Belgian waffles without a recipe.Of course you can find approximations online by those who are Belgian waffle enthusiasts and have spent time perfecting their Belgian waffles recipe. There are also a good many adaptations of the traditional Belgian waffles recipe to make it easier for the wanna-be American gourmand to make for brunch. In Belgium the waffles are traditionally sweeter and served as a dessert, not a breakfast, but Americans are fond of a sweet breakfast (to no one’s surprise), so you can still use a Belgian waffles recipe for your weekend morning’s repast.
American/Belgian Waffles Recipe Crossovers
While the true Belgian waffles are made to rise with yeast and egg whites beaten to soft peaks, while the true American waffles are made just with baking powder or soda, there are the occasional crossover recipes. There are some that use egg whites and baking powder, and some that use just yeast as the rising agent. While there is egg in any waffle recipe, the difference is of course whether or not you separate the eggs and beat the whites to soft peaks (as in a Belgian waffles recipe) or whether you just stir them in whole (American style).You can also use a Belgian waffles recipe in an American-style machine for a Belgian waffle with smaller holes, or conversely use a Belgian waffles machine with American-style waffle mix. You may have to tweak the recipe or use varying amounts of dough in each case to make it work with the machine, but either way you should end up with a tasty American- Belgian waffles recipe that you can customize for whatever hole-depth or crispiness you like in a waffle.
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at
12:20 am
Tea Chests for the Home
Tea chests have uses both practical and decorative, as they can be used both to display and to store all kinds of tea in the home. Tea chests can be bought from almost any gourmet tea shop or seller. Antique tea chests can also be bought, as tea chests are an innovation going back to when tea was first being shipped to the United Kingdom. Quality tea chests usually come in some kind of wood, and are usually made to be decorative as well as functional. Lower cost alternatives to the wooden tea chest are produced however, and are often made of cheaper materials like heavy cardboard.
Decorative Tea Chests
Many, if not most, of the tea companies available in the U.S. have, on their website, other tea-related merchandise. The giants of western tea, like Bigelow and Stash, offer tea chests in many varieties on their websites. Some of these are cheap and gaudy options, but some of them, especially by Bigelow, are very beautiful and decorative in their own right. These kinds of tea chests make great gifts for tea enthusiasts and look beautiful in any kitchen, and they are not hard to find online or in tea stores.
Low Cost Tea Chests
Unfortunately a low cost tea chest often means a flimsy or gaudy carboard affair, but there are a few places online where you can get a simple wooden tea chest. These tea chests aren’t as decorative as the pricier ones, but they still look good and they are useful for keeping a variety of teas organized and easily accessible. No more messy tea cupboard with a tea chest.
Antique Tea Chests
These are not as decorative as many online, as they were used to ship tea across oceans. They were simple wooden boxes, with metal rims holding it together, but they still can add an interesting touch to a home if used for decoration, and certainly are a conversation starter. Even better if you can get an antique one with the antique “shipping label” still written on the side of the tea chest.
Tea Chest
Customizable Tea Chests
One of the most interesting options available was customizable tea chests. There are websites where you can get a wooden tea chest engraved with a name or significant message on it. These tea chests may not be as flashy or as decorative, but can send a much more significant message to a tea lover as a anniversary, birthday, or Christmas gift. This gift is both individual and personal, but also speaks to the person’s interests in something widely popular and enjoyed.
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 at
12:14 am
Gyokuro Green Tea; the Jade Dew of Japan
Gyokuro, which translates to “Jade Dew” is a very fine and expensive kind of Japanese Green Tea. While sencha, the most popular form of green tea, is grown in full sunlight, the Gyokuro green tea is shaded for two to three weeks before harvesting. This keeps the flavor of the Gyokuro particularly light and fine, which is why Gyokuro Green Tea is a more expensive variety of green tea.
Gyokuro; Green Tea Preparations
Green tea is typically steeped at a lower temperature than most other teas. Most tea is steeped in just boiled water, green tea is steeped in water that was boiled at let to cool for five to seven minutes, but the water for gyokuro green teamust be even cooler than that. A mere 104 degrees F (40 degrees C) is used when steeping gyokuro green tea.The gyokuro green tea is also steeped a little longer than sencha, but shorter than many American green tea producers would have you believe. Most American sold green teas say three or three to five minutes of steeping time. Sencha steeps for only a minute, but the gyokuro green tea should be steeped for a minute and a half, or ninety seconds. This keeps the flavor delicate, sweet, and fine.
Hot Cup of Gyokuro Green Tea
Gyokuro and the Art of Japanese Tea
There are far too many complicated rules and rituals involved in a true Japanese Tea Ceremony to fit into a blog. Entire books have been written on the subject, and those can be quite a fascinating read for the curious gyokuro green tea drinker. But here is one tip on drinking green tea the Japanese way.No sugar or cream is necessary (or any other tea fixin’s). Many (if not most) Americans are very accustomed to drinking their coffee, tea, and other hot beverages with a thousand other things mixed in. True Japanese tea drinking would dictate that you simply listen to the flavors of the tea, rather than add a thousand other shouting flavors into the cup. It may be difficult for the western palate to appreciate the flavors at first, the subtle differences in sweetness, complexity, and intensity that different kinds of green tea have to offer. It may take several attempts at drinking tea the Japanese way before an American (or other westerner) can start to notice and enjoy the gyokuro green tea for what it is.
Gyokuro Green Tea for the Health
It’s nearly impossible to live in the U.S. without hearing about a new super-food that will cure all of your health ills almost every day. But green tea–including the gyokuro green tea–has been studied by a variety of groups and found to have positive effects on the heart, the brain, and other organs. While there are also other groups that make unsubstantiated and unlikely claims regarding the health benefits of green tea, this should not stop people from seeing the legitimate uses of green tea and imbibing accordingly. Gyokuro green tea is both good for the body, and enjoyable to drink.
