Author Archives: Francis Pitt

How to Approach Sushi for the First Time Ever

Posted on by

Share the post "How to Approach Sushi for the First Time Ever"

  • Facebook
  • X

Japan has so much food to offer. A traveler could get lost on an eating tour around the country. One of the top cuisine items it has offered is sushi. Sushi can be eaten in so many ways.

There are so many ways to get sushi now. You don’t have to wonder, “how do I find sushi that delivers around me?” Even curbside service is more than happy to deliver those little pieces to your car.

However, the thought of eating raw fish can be a turn off to the average person. But there is much more to sushi than raw fish. Once you get over that thought, sushi will be like Heaven dancing on your tongue.

You are probably asking, “Are there any vegan options near me?” And there are!

You don’t have to worry. There are so many ways to approach sushi for the first time. Here are some little tips to guide you when ordering sushi:

Seafood appetizers

Trying sushi for the first time can be an interesting experience. You need to ensure that you were eating a good sushi restaurants or you could get a very bad experience of this seafood platter. Don’t settle for the first seafood restaurant that you come across. Good sushi restaurants will specialize in top cuisine and fresh seafood. Sushi is one of those things that people either love or hate it but it is also an acquired taste. Don’t be surprised if you don’t like it at first. There are about 3846 sushi restaurants that are located in the United States but about 45,000 in Japan. This tells you something. Sushi originated in Japan so when you were looking for good sushi restaurants you need to make sure that the owner is Japanese or at least very well trained and knowledgeable in Japanese cuisine.

Cooked Sushi
Eating raw seafood can be very different from anything that you have encountered before so you might want to try the cooked items before delving into the raw ones. There are some sushi that are cooked such as eel which is typically served with a sweet and savory sauce. California rolls usually only have imitation crab meat as well as avocado and cucumber. Grilled squid or octopus and shrimp is a good place to start. Keep in mind, however that the rolls are typically made with seaweed between them so there may still be a strong fish flavor. You can ask your waiter to see if any of the rules can be cooked differently.

Begin with what’s familiar
This is always wise when trying new food but especially with sushi. Trying to think of sushi is just another type of fish. If you like grilled salmon then try a roll of salmon sushi so that you were getting the sushi experience without going too far out of your comfort zone. If you like calamari then try the squid role. Many people like scallops and scallop sushi is almost exactly like the seared scallops served in any other restaurant; fried on the outside, raw in the middle. By starting with what you know you will introduce your taste buds to the way that sushi is made and the flavors that are used without overloading or overstimulating yourself with new flavors.

Start mild
Starting out with the milder food items is a good idea too. Red snapper, halibut and tuna are all great place for beginners to start at good sushi restaurants. These fish or a very mild tasting fish and very common for sushi restaurants to carry. If you were extremely adventurous starting out with a mouthful of mackerel maybe to your liking but it may put you off sushi for life if it is not what you were expecting. Keep in mind that the less oily the type of fish is, the less fishy it will taste. This is a good rule of thumb when trying out sushi for the first time.

Cut rolls
Maki, or cut rolls is a way of serving sushi so that all the components of the role are inside. This might be more appealing and easier on the mental side of eating sushi. If you were hesitant about trying sushi then coveralls are the way to go. They are covered in rice which helps the texture and flavor as well as sealing all of the food inside. This is a perfectly acceptable way of eating sushi until you become more comfortable with the idea of raw fish. It may take you awhile to really get in to the whole concept and that is perfectly fine.

Everyone has different tastes and ideas about food, especially when it comes to seafood so there is no good or bad way to approach sushi for the first time. Keep within your comfort zone but don’t be afraid to take a few risks a little at a time. Sushi may be one of those things that has to grow on you and you may eventually grow to love it but there is nothing wrong with you if you hate it. Also, good sushi restaurants are used to people trying to sushi for the first time so they will have some great recommendations for you.

Party Appetizer Ideas Why We Love Hummus

Posted on by

Share the post "Party Appetizer Ideas Why We Love Hummus"

  • Facebook
  • X

Deviled egg recipes

Where is hummus from? What is its ethnic origin? We find this popular dish in a variety of ethnic cuisines: Greek, Israeli, Lebanese, Egyptian, all claiming hummus as their own. To whom does hummus truly belong, and why is this centuries-old recipe the subject of such a heated argument?
Whether you’re eating a Lebanese dish or a Greek dish, the primary ingredient in the hummus will always be chickpeas. What few people know is that Canada is one of the top exporters of chickpeas in the world. In 2012 and 2013, Canadian farmers grew 158,000 tons of chickpeas in response to a higher demand for hummus.

Besides its smooth and creamy texture that pairs perfectly with a base of pita bread, hummus is gaining popularity due to its health benefits. A 2014 study shows that people who choose to snack on hummus are 51% less likely to have high blood sugar than those who select other snacks. Not enough protein in your diet? Canada’s Food Guide states that three-fourths of a cup of hummus is the equivalent of one serving of meat.
Because hummus recipes vary so much from one type of cuisine to another, there is an infinite number of unique dishes one can prepare using hummus as the fundamental element. Hummus is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and kosher. With so many things to celebrate here in Canada, why not include hummus in your party appetizer ideas?
We all know that hummus can be used for dips and spreads, riding on the backs of pita chips or raw vegetables. However, there are many creative uses for hummus spread that will keep your party fresh and fun.
Try adding some hummus to the filling of your deviled eggs, or spreading it on toasted bread for a Mediterranean bruschetta. Hummus also makes an excellent substitution for mayonnaise on sandwiches or in wraps.

So, to whom does hummus truly belong? It belongs to you. Use it in any delicious form you choose, and share it with the world as party appetizer ideas or just a quick snack.

Which is Better for You When on a Diet Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt?

Posted on by

Share the post "Which is Better for You When on a Diet Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt?"

  • Facebook
  • X

Plastic ice cream cups

You are trying to lose weight or be healthy for whatever reason it is that you’re staying away from carbs and sugar. But you have such a sweet tooth and it’s killing you. You’ve done so good for two weeks and not even had a cheat meal, would one ice cream cup really set you back that far? It’s so hot outside and at least there are no bad carbs in ice cream. It’s the sugar right? Maybe if you just use tasting spoons you’ll eat less. You could justify but you know what happens if you cheat: you’ll spend the next month trying to get back on track after eating every single thing you’ve deprived yourself of for the past week. What about frozen yogurt? If it’s that much healthier than ice cream, you wouldn’t have to limit yourself or to eat it with tasting spoons or toothpicks or however you control yourself or even feel guilty. Could frozen yogurt really be healthy as they say? Well, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of frozen yogurt and see if that might be an option for you today.

  1. Frozen yogurt does have more minerals and nutrients than ice cream such as protein that can be beneficial to us.
  2. Frozen yogurt contains enzymatic benefits that help with digestion so that even if you are lactose intolerant, you may be able to digest frozen yogurt because of the enzymes that are naturally in yogurt already and therefore also in frozen yogurt.
  3. There is a fat free option if you are trying to stay away from fat.

However…

  1. If you do not choose the fat free option, the fat in yogurt can be almost as high as ice cream, depending on the flavor you choose because of the fruits and flavor enhancers that are added later to the yogurt.
  2. All frozen yogurt, even fat free options, are extremely high in sugar in order to get them that sweet taste. They are basically just as high in sugar as ice cream is.
  3. The protein in frozen yogurt could be no more then the size of one of those tasting spoons. Research has shown that frozen yogurt contains less than a third of the protein that the same size regular yogurt would have.

Let’s take a look at how frozen yogurt is actually made to help us get a better understanding of how it compares to ice cream on the healthy scale.

The lactic acid that is released in the milk of the yogurt by live bacterial cultures cause the milk proteins to thicken well at the same time protecting it against bad bacteria. The best yogurt for you still has the live bacterial properties at the end of the process.

Frozen yogurt in particular is made by replacing the cream content of ice cream with regular yogurt but other than that most of the same ingredients are used such as sugar. This is the main reason why frozen yogurt is not as healthy as regular yogurt. Sugar can be very bad for the body if to much is ingested.

Basically, you can put frozen yogurt between regular yogurt and ice cream on the scale of healthiness; not as good for you as a regular pot of yogurt, but not as bad as a bowl of ice cream either.

In order to make your frozen yogurt snack healthy enough to not feel guilty about you would need to find a fat free, sugar-free option which can be very difficult to find in a regular yogurt store. Try calling around to some different yogurt shops and see what they have. You may want to use tasting spoons to make sure than any sugar free, fat free options are even appealing to your taste buds and satisfy that sweet tooth.

However, to answer the original question or questions, although frozen yogurt is not necessarily as healthy as a piece of fruit or vegetables, it is definitely better than ice cream. You can think of it as the same as surveys or frozen milk.

Party Catering Service a way for Bars, Restaurants to Increase Business

Posted on by

Share the post "Party Catering Service a way for Bars, Restaurants to Increase Business"

  • Facebook
  • X

Craft beer bars

Having a bar that also serves food or a restaurant with a liquor license is a good idea. Offering both services is much more likely to make your business successful. Your menu doesn’t even have to be that sophisticated. Just offering burgers for happy hour can be enough, because the average American eats about one burger a week. On top of that, the craft beer market is worth almost $20 million a year, so just by offering burgers and craft beer, you may be able to make a go of it. You don’t even need to offer wine and spirits, because 41% of Americans name beer as their top alcoholic drink. On the other hand, it’s always good to diversify and offer as many services as people will buy with your business, which is why it can be a good idea to offer party catering services.

When you offer party catering services, it can take your business to a whole new level by offering you additional business that is outside your regular bar or restaurant customers. To keep your catering business successful, however, you shouldn’t try to do too much. For instance, if your regular business is American craft beers and burgers, you shouldn’t try to offer wine and full course meals as part of your professional catering services. Because of that, your clientele is probably not going to be weddings or high school graduation parties. More than likely, you will be tapped to provide food for things like Super Bowl parties or bachelor parties.

If your bar or restaurant is big enough, you might even offer it as a party hall venue where people can host their events. If you require that they get the food and drinks from you while renting out your space, it can boost your business.

While a party catering service may help you boost your bar and restaurant business, you have to keep in mind that it is a lot work and may require extra time and money to get started. For example, you may need to get a separate catering license, and you may need additional equipment and additional staff to have enough people for the events you cater. You should weigh both the pros and cons before adding catering services to your business.

A Look at Hummus

Posted on by

Share the post "A Look at Hummus"

  • Facebook
  • X

Recipes with hummus spread

You may be among the thousands, if not millions of people who love hummus. However, there may be some facts about this tasty food that you may not know.
Hummus, as you probably do know, is a spread or dip made from mashed or pureed chickpeas, a sesame seed past called tahini, as well as lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil. In October 2008, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists petitioned the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade for protected status from the European Commissions for this dip as a uniquely Lebanese food.
Hummus is also a very nutritional food. The chickpeas in this dip are a good source of protein and dietary fiber. In addition, the sesame seeds in tahini are an excellent source of the amino acid. All of this combines to make hummus high in iron and vitamin C, as well as a great source for foliate and vitamin B6.
Traditionally, plates of hummus are topped with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of paprika, and chopped parsley. It is often served with pita bread, fresh vegetables, or chips, making it a party favorite. Hummus can also be used as a creative and tasty sandwich as a healthy alternative to the regular mayonnaise.
You can also add other ingredients to the basic hummus recipe to make it more unique. For example, you can try adding roasted red pepper for a more spicy taste. Other hummus dip recipes call for mixing spinach and cheese into the hummus and then baking it for a luscious warm dip.
You can also make salad dressings using the dip as a base. Simply add some oil and vinegar for a tasty new flavor profile for your salads. Other recipes call for mixing peanut butter with hummus to create an even healthier sandwich filling. More than likely, your family will love this alternative to the basic peanut butter sandwich.
As you can see, there are so many things you can do with this tasty dip. You can find all sorts of recipes using hummus online that will take the basic dip and turn it into exotic and flavorful dishes. And of course, it will always remain a party favorite!

Warning – Reading This Will Make You Hungry

Posted on by

Share the post "Warning – Reading This Will Make You Hungry"

  • Facebook
  • X

Salsa

Did you know that salsa first originated with the Inca people in the early 16th century? Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce, and it was given its name in 1571. But what is salsa? Most types of salsa are commonly used in Mexican cuisine, and they are tomato-based recipes. There are several kinds of salsa available, and each one is flavorful in its own way.

1. Classic mild salsa dips. Classic salsa dips typically contain only the base ingredients. Tomatoes, onions, and peppers, for example, are commonly found in nearly all classic mild salsa dips. Although adding additional ingredients will change the recipe, classic salsa closely follows the original salsa recipe that was created in the 16th century.

2. Southwestern salsa dips. Southwestern salsa recipes add a unique twist to classic salsa. In addition to the base ingredients, many southwestern salsa recipes add corn and black beans to the salsa. This gives the salsa a distinct flavor that is designed to resemble cuisine that is offered in the Southwestern United States.

3. Pico de gallo salsa dips. Pico de gallo also takes classic salsa and customizes it. Pico de gallo adds ingredients such as lime juice and cilantro to classic salsa in order to make it more unique. Pico de gallo tends to contain less liquid than classic salsa, though, so it is often used as a main ingredient in recipes using salsa, such as fajitas and tacos.

Since its creation in the 16th century, salsa has become a common food to consume. There are many types of salsa available, such as classic mild, southwestern, and pico de gallo. Although each type of salsa has its own unique characteristics, they are all flavorful in their own ways.