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July 3rd, 2008

Wild Watercress Soupt (Nasturtium officinale)

Posted in Fine Fare

Wild Watercress soup is a delicious and nutritious recipe with the leaves available in spring and early summer. Watercress is rich in Vitamins A and C, iron, iodine and phosphorus. Watercress has been used as part of a holistic response to cancer of the lungs, larynx, oesophagus, prostate, bladder, uterus, stomach and intestines. It can be used in the treatment of:

skin problems
bronchitis
winter colds or flu
liver or kidney fatigue
sinusitis

However there are dangers: watercress may cause cystitis in some people and its medicinal use is not advised for those who have a delicate stomach or suffer from acidosis or heartburn. Excessive or prolonged use may lead to kidney problems. Some doctors advise against its use during pregnancy. Wild watercress often grows in streams inhabited by water snails which carry liver fluke. There is also the possibility of bacterial infection. Eating wild watercress in a raw state is not advised for this reason. Cooking the leaves for a short period removes the dangers. Also make sure that the watercourse feeding the stream in which the watercress grows is free from industrial or agricultural pollution.

Ingredients for watercress soup: Pick the watercress from clean water areas by pinching out the tops of the plants. Uprooting them will destroy this resource for everyone. Gather a good handful for each person who will be sharing this delicious spring treat. Other ingredients for a soup for 4 people are:

2 large potatoes
generous knob of butter
dash of olive oil (to prevent butter burning)
stock cube (chicken or vegetable)
salt and freshly ground pepper
single cream

Instructions:

1. Cube the potatoes and cook them gently in the oil and butter until they are starting to soften
2. Add boiling water and dissolve the stock cube. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
3. Coarsely chop the watercress and add to the mix for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Liquidise and add in some single cream to taste. Add Salt and pepper to taste
5. Use some purchased raw watercress leaves and pepper to garnish

This nutritious soup is warming when hot and a refreshing summer soup when served cold. Watercress is part of the Nasturtium family whose peppery leaves are well known for their nutraceutical value. In addition to containing high vitamin C contents and antioxidant Beta-carotene, it contains vitamin E and is a natural antibiotic. It is sometimes used in complementary medicine to speed up the body’s detoxification processes.

Thanks to Dr A. Dracea, J. Lust, R. Phillips

From an ebook called ‘Wild Food’ underway at simonthescribe.
If you wish to republish this article (with this resource box intact) you will find excellent quality pictures to accompany it at http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/wildwatercresssoup.html

May 27th, 2008

Drinking Wine Keeps You Healthy?

Posted in Fine Fare

Wines are one of the most elegant of all drinks. Wine is not good unless it is served properly and chosen correctly. Did you know that there are hundreds of different choices? Did you know that you could make your own? Wine is a wonderful quality drink that can add a lot of flavor and elegance to a dinner party or to a simple dinner with a loved one.

Wines are available to all people over the age of 21 to consume. Do not forget that wines do have alcohol in them and therefore should be drunk in moderation. It is important that you never consume wine when taking medication as well. It can make you very sick.

But, back to the good stuff. Did you know that drinking a glass of wine a day can keep you healthy? It can and does. Think for a moment about the French. The foods they eat are rich and full of calories, yet it is Americans who have the most weight problems. Why do the French get to eat all that good food without gaining so much weight? It is because they drink wines religiously. Wine has some of the most powerful antioxidants in it. Antioxidants help to cleanse the body of harmful toxins. It can aid in digestion as well. So, in this area, wines can be quite healthy.

Wines can be purchased in a variety of flavors. It seems that everyone has their own preferences and choices. There are red and white wines. There are chardonnays and there are zinfandels. There are many options. In order to know which type you like, you are simply going to have to try several!

Wines are made around the world. In general, it is wise to purchase older wines that have aged. That is because as it ages, the flavors become bolder and fuller. If you have the time, patience and expense, you can actually make your own wines. It can be quite a learning experience! Adding wine to the diet can be a great way to add a lot of flavor and maybe even a little bit of health! Why not add wines to your diet?

Tim Jackson
Wines Directory

April 28th, 2008

How To Make Perfect Tea

Posted in Fine Fare

The best way to make tea has been a subject of great debate
for centuries. As a tea drinker of some 30 years experience
here is my contribution as to what makes the perfect cup of
tea.

1. Always use fresh water if possible. Spring water is best
due to its purity and lack of additives such as chlorine
and fluoride which can affect the taste. If you use tap
water then run the tap until the water is cold and fresh.
Good quality water is essential for the perfect cup of tea.

2. Preferably use a teapot made of china or earthenware.
Pots made of certain types of metal such as enamel silver
or copper can impart flavor to the water. Stainless steel
is okay.

3. Warm the pot beforehand with a little hot water.

4. Add at least one level teaspoon for each cup of water
that you are going to add. Adding loose tea to the pot is
the best way for the tea to infuse properly but many people
prefer to use a tea strainer or infusing basket for
convenience sake.

5. Pour boiling water directly onto the leaves and then
stir the water before placing lid back on the teapot.

6. Let the tea steep for between four and five minutes. If
using green tea three minutes is best.

7. Remove or strain the leaves to avoid overbrewing.

8. The cup that you drink out of can greatly affect the
taste of the tea so choose wisely. A good quality cup made
of china will definitely enhance the whole tea drinking
experience. Avoid wide shallow cups which cause the tea to
cool in next to no time.

9. Pour milk into the cup first. Ah, yes this is the step
that causes most controversy. Many an argument has been
had concerning whether or not it is best to add the milk to
the tea or vice versa. I have always preferred milk first
then tea but my husband argues that it is easier to
regulate the right amount of milk by adding milk
afterwards!

Now scientists have waded into the debate and the verdict
is clear. The UK Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)has warned
against the practice of adding milk to tea after it is
poured. It seems that dribbling a stream of milk into hot
water makes “denaturation of milk proteins” more likely.
And who would want that?! At high temperatures, milk
proteins - which are normally all curled up foetus-like,
begin to unfold and link together in clumps. This is what
happens in UHT [ultra heat-treated] milk, and is why it
doesn’t taste as good a fresh milk,” says Dr Andrew
Stapley, a chemical engineer at Loughborough University.
It is better to have the chilled milk massed at the bottom
of the cup, awaiting the stream of hot tea. This allows the
milk to cool the tea, rather than the tea ruinously raise
the temperature of the milk.

So it is now settled. The milk or tea first debate is now
over! Umm, somehow I don’t think so!!

10. Lastly, drink tea without any sugar. I must admit to
being a reformed sugary tea drinker and you know what that
means. Yes, I am now passionately against putting sugar in
tea. As one who has sat on both sides of the fence I can
say that tea is so much better without sweetening. Sugar
only serves to mask the taste of the tea. Not only that too
much sugar is not good for you and why spoil what is now
being recognized as one of the world’s great health drinks
by adding sugar. When I stopped taking my two spoonfuls of
sugar in my tea it took me about three or four weeks to get
used to the new taste. However once I got used to it there
was no going back.

So there you have it - the perfect cup of tea!

Lorraine Bevere is the webmaster and operator of FOG
Tea which is a
premier source of information about tea. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:
http://fogtea.com

April 12th, 2008

Light Calorie Cooking: How To Cook Low Calorie Foods Which Still Taste Fantastic

Posted in Fine Fare

Many people these days want to control their diets so they are eating low calorie foods, but low calorie foods that still taste great. The way to get low calorie foods that taste great is through light calorie cooking. There are a few tips to consider when embarking on light calorie cooking adventures where the calories are low but the taste is high.

Margarine As Opposed to Butter

When following recipes when preparing a meal, there are many recipes that now list a choice between using butter as an ingredient or margarine. By using margarine in the recipe instead of butter the cook cuts the caloric content significantly yet still keeps a good taste overall. It is very hard to tell the difference between margarine and butter that is used in cooked foods and since margarine is lower in calories it is a great substitute. So, the next time you are cooking and run across a choice between butter or margarine as an ingredient make the healthy and low calorie choice by using margarine. The taste will remain great and it won’t affect your waistline!

Splenda as Opposed to Sugar

Another great way in which to save on the caloric intake is to use Splenda in one’s recipes as opposed to sugar. Splenda consists of sucralose, which was approved for sale on the market in the late 1990s. Not only is this ingredient low in calories but it is great tasting as well. Splenda is also a wonderful ingredient to use in baked foods as it is heat stable and there is no real loss of the substance during cooking. For these reasons, Splenda is a great ingredient to use when cooking using those recipes which call for sugar. You won’t notice a difference, but you will enjoy great foods and beverages with considerably less calories!

These are two ways in which a calorie-conscious individual can make fantastic light calorie meals that are abundant in the taste department and easy on the waistline as well.

DivineRecipes.com features over 25,000 food and drink recipes including light cooking and vegetarian recipes. Visit www.DivineRecipes.com to start cooking tonight.

March 31st, 2008

Cool Breakfast Facts

Posted in Fine Fare

According to a Harvard University - Massachusetts General Hospital study of children in Philadelphia and Baltimore schools, students who usually ate school breakfast had better math grades, higher standardized test scores, decreased absences and tardiness, reduced hyperactivity and improved social relations in comparison to children who seldom ate school breakfast.

The word “breakfast” literally means to break fast. As we know, fasting is the act of not eating over a period of time. We
may not think of it this way, but we virtually fast while we sleep even if we dream about food. The act of eating breakfast is literally breaking the fast!

The National Weight Control Registry is a database of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 60 pounds and kept it off for at least 6 years. Seventy eight percent of these people in the registry found that eating breakfast daily was an
excellent weight control strategy along with eating a low-fat diet and exercising for an hour or more every day.

Cereal is the number one food bought in supermarkets today. The first breakfast cereal was created in 1863 in New York by a vegetarian.

So What Is a Healthy Breakfast Anyway?

Is it pancakes slathered in maple syrup or green eggs and ham? Well, first and foremost, a healthy breakfast should be a
balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Fiber is also very important. The protein can come from meat, eggs, beans or soy
products. Fiber can be found in whole grain cereals, grains or in fruits. Sure, every once in a while you can treat yourself
to biscuits, pancakes or pastries for special occasions but on a daily basis, they should be avoided along with sugary
cereals and white breads. These foods will bring insanity to your blood sugar level, jolting you out of the Zone. Those
sorts of foods are digested quickly and will leave you hungry and tired in a just a couple of hours.

Research done by the Cardiff University School of Psychology, LED BY Professor Andrew Smith has shown that eating breakfast helps children function better in school than those who skip the first meal of the day. Dr. Smith says that it is
clear that starting the day with cereal enhances mental, cognitive and physical ability. The children are less emotionally distressed, less tired and less anxious. The study examined 213 children from 4 - 11 years old.

The results revealed children who start the day with cereal are:

9 percent more alert
11 percent less emotionally distressed
13 percent less tired
17 percent less anxious
10 percent less likely to suffer memory and attention span difficulties, than those that have no breakfast
33 percent less likely to suffer from stomach complaints.

Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. More Zone Diet information as well as Zone Diet products from Dr. Barry Sears can be found at http://www.nutritionzone.biz/products.html