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What Are Some La Quinceanera Foods

La Quinceanera is a celebration that takes place on a Hispanic girl’s fifteenth Birthday. This is a big event for the young girl and her family. Families are known to save money for the big party. The party involves the girl wearing a special gown usually in the colors of white or pale pink. Music, catered food, and even limousines are common for the event. La Quinceanera is also a spiritual celebration. La Quinceanera is celebrated in Mexico and other South American countries. This celebration signifies the girl’s journey into womanhood.

Food is part of the big celebration. Usually the party is catered so the food may vary from each catering service. This event has been compared to weddings, since it has similarities. This event usually has a fancy cake. The cake is either made by a family member or ordered at from a local bakery. It is usually the same color as the rest of the party decorations. There is also a doll placed at the top. It almost looks similar to a wedding cake. A popular design for La Quinceanera cakes is one that has a staircase that goes from tier to tier. Fourteen dolls, seven on each side, are placed as if they are climbing to the top, where the main Quinceanera doll is. Some cakes even have a fountain that cascades amongst the tiers. Besides cake, other foods that are seen at La Quinceanera include mole, cabrito, arroz, picadillo, and pan de polvo.

Picadillo is a dish that is made with ground beef and can be served alone. It is also a filling that can be used in tamales, and tacos. Cabrito is a roasted goat kid that is about three months of age. It is a regional specialty of the city Monterrey, in Mexico. Cabrito can be served as the main meat for the dinner. Mole is a chocolate sauce that can be added to many different dishes. As for desserts, Arroz is a rich and creamy rice pudding that can often be found at the event. Pan de polvo is also a favorite dessert at the party. It is Mexican shortbread cookies. The cookies contain cinnamon and anise. Party favors are also given to the quests. These may include treats inside of the favors. Mints are popular as they are in wedding favors.

Champagne is served for the toast. Non-alcoholic beverages such as sparkling soda water are served for the under-aged attendees. Sometimes it is encouraged that the young girl tries the alcohol as another rite of passage. Other drinks that are served at the Quinceanera are wine, beer, and hard liquor. These are typical drinks that you would find at wedding receptions.

La Quinceanera has been a celebration for more than 400 years, starting in Latin America. It is a celebration that even United States born Hispanics do, which reminds them on their heritage. It is a time to reflect, while getting a bit teary-eyed, and looking forward to the future. Food at the La Quinceanera is important. These foods are traditional and unique. They add flavor to the already happy event.

Natural Gas Grills

Summertime would not be complete without at least one outdoor barbeque. Once upon a time, there was a very limited array of foods that you could cook on your grill Today, modern conveniences allow you to cook pretty much any type of food on your grill.

The easiest grill to use is by far the natural gas grill. Natural gas grills are designed to hook directly into your homes natural gas line, eliminating the need to provide the fuel source. This cuts out all trips to the grocery store for more charcoal or propane.

Another advantage when using a natural gas grills is the ability to control the temperature in which you are cooking. Natural gas grills have burner controls which allow you to produce different temperatures for the different cooking areas on your grill. This allows you to cook your meat on one side while keeping your side dished warm on the other.

Natural gas grills have the ability to come with many different types of cooking surfaces. These different cooking surfaces include a BBQ surface, a flat grill, and a ribbed grill. Some grills even offer these types of surfaces as none stick, which allow you to cook a whole array of foods that you would not be able to cook on a grill otherwise. Some gas grills even contain a Wok type surface for cooking pasta and rise dishes, or a full rotisserie set that allows you to cook rotisserie chicken.

Natural gas grills are by far the easiest type of grill to clean. With other grills such as charcoal and smoker grills, you have to remove the wood and charcoal briquettes each time. Natural grills only have to be wiped down. Some natural gas grills even have a none stick feature.

Natural gas grills are not portable as you will need to be able to hook them up to your natural gas line, so weight should not be that big of an issue when you go to purchase your first grill. Instead, you should look at the surface area available. Will you be able to cook for just yourself and one other? How about a family of 5?

Natural Gas Grill Brands

Broilmaster- One of the most popular brands of natural gas grills is the Broilmasters. This company has been around for a long time and prides itself on creating great grills, even in its companies early years. If you are looking for a reliable name, Broilmaster would be the way to go. One of the most popular Broilmaster grills is the Super Premium Series, which puts out 40,000 BTUs of cooking power, and has a cooking surface area of over 695 square inches.

Brinkman- These simple natural gas grills put out a lot of power, and can be purchased for much less then its competition. The Brinkmans, like the Broilmasters, are built of solid construction and meant to last a long time. Typical power output is around 45,000 BTUs. Smaller units can range from 12,000 to 15,00 BTUs.

Lynx- Lynx natural gas grills were specially designed for cooking higher end meats such as steaks and ribs. This grill have a patent design that is suppose to lock in flavor and juices. The Lynx run on the higher end of the price range, anywhere from $500 to $3000. The typical cooking power is about 50,000 BTU and has a cooking surface area of 840 square inches.

The Italian Food Diet

It seems recently that among health circles Italian food has gotten a bad rep. With the advent of Atkins many former Italian food fans have steered clear of the cuisine because of all the pasta that is used. However, this idea that pasta will make you fat is largely unfounded. A diet of Italian food, especially from the Mediterranean is actually very healthy and will keep you looking and feeling great as long as you know what Italian food to eat and how to prepare it.

A great example of the fact that Italian food will not make you fat is in Sophia Loren. She told the world in her book that she grew up on spaghetti and ate it constantly. She says that it is not the pasta that makes you fat; it’s what you put on top of it. People who gain weight eating Italian food typically do so not because of the pasta, but because of creamy sauces like Alfredo sauce and because they eat in too large portions. Italian food from the Mediterranean doesn’t rely on rich, thick sauces and uses olive oil instead of butter, making it very healthy.

It all starts with the ingredients you keep. For good, healthy Italian food you want to make sure you stock the kitchen with quality pasta, olive oil, garlic, onions, lean meat, fish, and seafood. For seasoning you will want some herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. You’ll want to stay away from a lot of cheese and perhaps only get a little parmesan cheese to top your favorite Italian food dishes. The creamy and cheesy Italian food dishes are the ones you’re going to want to stay away from to keep a healthy diet.

There are several different light Italian food meals that you can prepare with these simple ingredients. Here is one to start you off, an Italian food classic, pasta with tomato sauce. You can use any type of pasta you want and you might want to try livening it up with variety. Italian food is not just spaghetti noodles. Boil the pasta in water with salt. Make sure not to overcook the pasta. You want it to be firm, yet tender. The most common mistake made in making Italian food is making mushy pasta. For the sauce simply chop up some garlic, an onion, and some tomatoes. Take a tablespoon of your quality olive oil and saut both the garlic and onions until they are soft. Once that is done add the tomatoes and cook until all the ingredients are blended together well. To top it off add your favorite herbs such as parsley, oregano, or basil. Try different combinations of herbs, there is no definitive herbs for Italian food so experiment and give your sauce your own signature flavor.

Serve this sauce over your hot pasta and if you want put a little sprinkle of parmesan on it. This is a simple Italian food dish that stands on its own and you won’t need to eat bread or anything else with it. This is a great example of how healthy Italian food is supposed to be, light and fresh.

Feel free to try different variations on this recipe. Italian food is full of a variety of pastas and recipes that can keep you satisfied and healthy as long as you stay away from the heavy sauces and creams.

Why Choose a Coffee Franchise?

A coffee franchise might very well be the perfect business for many would be business owners seeking the safety of buying into a name that is well know and well loved rather than engaging in the riskier business practice of building a business and a brand name from the ground up. If you are looking for a franchise opportunity consider carefully the gold mine that a coffee franchise can be in the coffee culture of the new millennium.

Some say it all began with Friends though there are those who will argue that the growth of the coffee industry has been a long time in the coming and that the popular situation comedy is only a testament to just how popular and iconic coffee houses were becoming. Regardless of why, one thing is certain. Coffee has become big business and those that are seeking a franchise business to build would do well to consider the value of owning a coffee franchise when making business plans and decision.

A coffee franchise will require lower start up costs than many restaurant businesses and the operating costs for many of the smaller coffee businesses are lower than a typical full service restaurant and even the average fast food restaurant on a normal day. There is less staff involved in running a coffee franchise and, in many cases; there are lower energy costs involved in the daily operations of these types of businesses.

Another reason to consider a coffee franchise for your investment business is that they are popular and seem to be growing in popularity each and every day. Some communities are more open to a coffee house or coffee caf than others but those that accommodate these types of businesses often find that they perform quite well and turn nice tidy profits. The days of one big kid on the block when it comes to coffee are long gone. There are plenty of options available when it comes to coffee franchises and believe it or not, there are plenty of customers that are both brand loyal and that enjoy switching things up a bit. This means that there are plenty of opportunities for new customers on a regular basis as people expand their horizons, try something new, or find a new favorite brand to be loyal too.

In addition to a coffee franchise that deals solely with serving coffee to the demanding public there are plenty that also offer goods and services that compliment coffee quite nicely and go well with your coffee time. From wi-fi access and Internet cafes to those coffee franchise restaurants that offer smoothies, bagels, sandwiches, baked goods, and countless other enticements to get customers in the door there are plenty of options when searching for a great coffee franchise investment.

There are plenty of reasons why a coffee franchise is a sound investment decision. The bigger question you may need to ask yourself is why not choose a coffee investment with all the great things going for them?

Grill Features

When looking into different grills features, you may be faced with what seems like a foreign language. How are you suppose to pick the grill that is best for you if you do not understand what you are reading? While the language used when describing grills will not get any easier to read, understanding what the majority if what it means will help you make an informed decision.

BTU is the measure of the amount of cooking power the barbeque grill as. Simple math will be needed in determining the amount of heat that your grill produces. Take the amount of space available for cooking (typically measured by square inch) and divide it by the total amount of BTUs. Ideally you will want at least 95 to 100 BTUs per square inch of cooking space. So for example, if you have a grill with 50,000 BTUs and 450 square inches of cooking space, then you will be receiving about 111 BTUs of cooking power per square inch. Anything less, and you may want to consider a different grill.

The next thing you will want to consider is the cooking surfaces. How much space does it have? Will you be able to cook for just yourself, or you entire family? Depending on your situation, you may want to consider a larger or smaller grill.

Grills come in a wide array of surface types. These different cooking surfaces can include a BBQ surface, a flat grill, and a ribbed grill. Some grills even offer these types of surfaces as none stick, which allow you to cook a whole array of foods that you would not be able to cook on a grill otherwise. Some gas grills even contain a Wok type surface for cooking pasta and rise dishes, or a full rotisserie set that allows you to cook rotisserie chicken. Weigh your options, and remember that some grills even come with the ability to interchange the surfaces. This way, if you decide that you want to start cooking Rotisserie chicken, all you will have to do is buy the accessory kit for it.

Perhaps one of the most important things you should consider is the fuel type. Charcoal grills are one of the most used types of grills. Charcoal grills utilize charcoal and lighter fluid to heat up and cook your food. Charcoal grills come in all shapes and sizes, and vary in cost. Charcoal requires you to buy charcoal and lighter fluid each time you cook with it. It must also be cleaned out each time. Charcoal grills come in small sizes, which are ideal for apartment dwellers or people with small homes. Once you have used your charcoal grill, you can clean it, and store it away. Propane grills are also useful for someone in small areas, since they can come in smaller sizes. Propane grills use propane gas to cook your food. If you want to quickly cook foods while still maintaining a grilled flavor, you may want to consider Propane grills. Natural gas grills are a little more complicated then smaller grills, so they require more room. Natural gas grills are meant to hook up directly to your homes natural gas line, and can cook meat in record time. Smoker Grills are used when flavor is the number one priority. Smoker grills use wood to slow cook your meat. Flavor can be controlled by using different types of woods.

If you still do not understand the basic information provided about the grill, it may be a good idea to talk with a professional. There are stores designed specifically for barbeque grills and barbeque grill accessories. Other stores, such as your larger department stores may not have professionals trained specifically in barbeques, but chances are at least one employee in the store likes to barbeque, and can aid you, if on nothing else by personal opinion.