Tag: Gourmet

What Are Some Popular Mexican Desserts

When it comes to Mexican deserts there are many to choose from. Flan is a common and popular dessert. It is caramel custard. The dessert includes rich custard with a layer of soft caramel on top. The dish is known as flan in most of the world, even though it is a French word. Flan is simple to make and usually consists of vanilla flavored custard. You may be able to find them made in other flavors such as coconut, lemon, and other fruits.

Empanadas are another dessert found in Mexico. It is a stuffed pastry that contains different sweetened fillings depending on the country. Some fillings you can find in Mexico are cream, pumpkin, and a variety of fruits. In some states in Mexico, the empanadas are filled with different meats. Empanadas can be served as a dessert and also a breakfast food.

Chocolate has a rich history in Mexico. The Aztecs adopted the use of chocolate from earlier Mayan culture. Chocolate played an important role for the Aztecs. They used it both as a food and as currency. One of the items that the Spaniards acquired from the Aztecs was chocolate. The Spaniards took the chocolate back to Spain where it became the King’s official drink. The Aztecs made a variety of drinks with the chocolate which also included nuts, seeds, and honey. Champurrado is a chocolate drink that is very popular at breakfast time in Mexico. It is warm and thick. You can find people in the morning buying a cup by street vendors. It is also considered a dessert which can be served with Churros.

A dessert found in the Yucatan is called sapotes dulces. Sapotes are a fruit grown in Mexico. It is very rare to find the fruit in the United States. Sapotes have an orange flesh that has a unique flavor of being juicy, creamy and can often be said simmiliar to the flavor of coconuts, and vanilla. Sapotes dulces is a dessert using the fruit and mixing it with orange juice, rum, and sugar and served chilled. It is easy to make and has a great flavor.

Cajeta is syrup made in Mexico that’s main ingredient is caramelized milk. The process of making the syrup consists of slowly cooking down the sweetened liquid until it is thick. Sweetened milk is the most common ingredient of the syrup. Cajeta is eaten by itself, on pastries, and even as a topping on ice cream. The Hershey Company introduced their own cajeta targeted for Mexican food lovers that live in the United States.

There are many more Mexican desserts to please your sweet tooth. There is a wide variety of chocolates, cakes, cookies, candies, just to name a few. Recipes can allow you to experiment and discover new sweets. If you would like to sample them before making your own, some local authentic Mexican restaurants include these desserts. You may also have luck finding them at a Mexican grocer in your area. It will be easy for you to get hooked on these tasty and enjoyable treats.

Having a Hidden Allergy Can Contribute to Making You Ill

Having a Hidden Allergy Can Contribute to Making You Ill

One out of two individuals suffers from hidden food allergies, and this includes around 70% of chronically ill people. If you’re one of those unfortunate people, what will you do?

Persons suffering from discomfort and unnecessary pain usually exhibit classic symptoms like weight gain, bloating, food cravings, irritable bowel, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, depression, chronic fatigue, bedwetting, hyperactivity, rhinitis, rashes and itches, eczema, sinus problems, asthma, mount ulcers, ear infections, migraines, and joint pains. If these symptoms happen frequently for no reason at all, then more or less you already have a food allergy. You can overcome most food intolerance and allergies, and if you want some help, you can purchase a book written by Patrick Holford and James Braly.

Their book is all about hidden food allergies. They explained the benefits if you exclude certain foods in your diet but only for a certain time. After a couple of months, you can eat the same kinds of food safely.

Holford is a well-known nutrition expert in Britain, and many of his books are international bestsellers. Braly on the hand is a medical researcher and is also top in his chosen field.

Both of the authors have also suffered form hidden food allergies, and that’s what encouraged them to write such book. If you’re constantly having the symptoms mentioned above, there is a great chance that you have intolerances and allergies. This can add to your troubles and are usually the major cause of your health problems. Unnecessary suffering is the least possible thing that any individual would want to experience.

Their book can serve as your guide as you go through a maze until you finally discover which kinds of food can make you sick or ill, and the right foods to consume instead. The book also contains remarkable scientific advances that can help you in identifying if you have a food allergy. The authors explain how people become intolerant, and they reveal underlying food allergy causes. The book teaches the reader how to get rid of the causes to reduce the potential of an allergic reaction.

One more thing that might catch your interest, the book can teach you in three months time about desensitizing yourself to certain types of food. If you can do this, you can now eat the kinds of food that you’ve been trying to avoid. People who have allergies for life can’t use the method, but what the book offers is reduction in the symptom’s severity by using drug-free and natural methods.

When you say allergies, most people would think of chemical allergies; but did you know that household products or environmental factors are nothing compared to the kinds of food that you usually eat? Yes, that’s right. Food is the most common cause of your symptoms. Most individuals are unaware that they have the allergy that’s why it’s called hidden, and is yet to be discovered. Once you discover the types of food that your body is allergic to, you can avoid eating such foods and have other healthy choices of food items.

The book is for the entire family. It has several chapters that give useful information, score chart for your symptoms, and about gluten allergy. If you suspect any hidden food allergy, then you can purchase from your local bookstore or through online stores.

Hidden Food Allergies by Holford and Braly is quite affordable, besides, this is a good investment because you can learn a lot of things and perhaps this is also the answer to your health problems.

The Importance of Location for a Coffee Franchise

In the world of business, location is extremely important. Most of us have heard the saying “location, location, location”. There is a reason it is a saying and it is important for everything from the perfect photograph and romantic settings as it is in the world of real estate and business success. Spend time scouting out locations that you feel would be great places to open a coffee franchise business and ask yourself the following questions.

Is this is a high traffic location? Most people are rather lazy by nature. You want to find a location that people will drive by often. In other words, you do not want to select a location for your coffee franchise that is low traffic-at least not if big business is your goal. If you found a location that you think is perfect for a coffee shop sit back sometime and see how much traffic drives by the area you are considering. If the rate of traffic is busy you will get a good bit of advertisement value from putting up a sign and having people pull in on impulse.

Can customers easily get into and out of your location? As a customer there are few things that I find more frustrating than a business that is located in an area that proves difficult for entry and exits. Most coffee franchise customers are going to be in a hurry and on the go. You want to make the process as seamless as possible and this means you want a location that allows quick access off the road and back onto the road. People are more likely to make you a daily or weekly stop if your business is convenient for them to enter and exit. Many coffee franchises are electing to have two drive thru windows for added convenience, this is something else you may want to consider for your location if possible.

Is it near entertainment? You might find yourself awed and amazed at the number of people who stop in for a cup of coffee and perhaps a sweet treat after a night at the movie, theater, or even a game of bowling. Many people find that a great cup of coffee is a nice way to end the day (especially if you have a nice variety of decaf on hand). Even those that may not have considered it before will find they are often tempted to make the stop after a movie-especially those on dates that aren’t quite ready for them to end if they see the sign and the coffee franchise in question is located conveniently near the theater or other entertainment venue.

With these things in mind, make sure you choose your location carefully for the best possible effect. Location won’t guarantee success but a great location is a good deal of insulation against failure. When planning your coffee franchise keep all the locations in mind, ask the questions mentioned above, and go with the location that really is the best location to attract business rather than the location that has a certain look. Aesthetics can always be changed later on; the location is pretty firm once selected.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italian Food

Italian food varies greatly throughout Italy and pairing down Italian food to just the fifteen or so dishes that can be found at Italian food restaurants in the United States is very short sighted. There are many different regional cuisines in Italy that take their cues from surrounding countries and mix in a little local creativity in order to produce their own unique Italian food. One great example of this is the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

This region shares a border with the former Yugoslavia and shares a lot of the same traditions, including culinary traditions. The Italian food here is strong with Austrian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and Croatian influences. One of places that this is most apparent is in the beer halls of the area. Here they feature such dishes as Viennese sausage and goulash. Goulash, which originated as a Hungarian dish, has taken on a distinct Italian taste here and can often be found in fine Italian food restaurants both in and out of Italy. Goulash is immensely popular in this region and is a thick stew of beef and local vegetables such as onions and red peppers. It is very thick and seasoned with paprika and can be served with pasta. Another dish that makes a frequent appearance at the beer halls in this area is Bohemian hare.

The most often used meat in this area is pork. In fact, if visiting this area it is essential to try one of their world famous San Daniele del Friuli hams. These hams are a staple of the local Italian food. The whole region is known for their bacon and sausages. In fact there is a local dish called jota that is unique to the region and is a stew dish made with beans and bacon. The pork in this area is spicy and this may come as a bit of a shock to foreigners not familiar with this brand of Italian food. The pork is often cooked over an open hearth and is seen in many dishes even if it is not the main entre.

There are many other foods specific to the area. The sweeter side of the Italian food here includes strudel. Most of the desserts here are flour based and so strudel is very common. One of the most common dishes found in the area is polenta. This is a dish of boiled cornmeal and is a staple of the regional diet and can be found served with all types of Italian food including both meat and cheese dishes. It is most similar to American grits. Another Italian food staple that must be mentioned in this region is the cheese. The world famous Montasio cheese comes from this region. If you like your Italian food with lots of cheese, and not just mozzarella, than this is the region for you. One last dish that must be mentioned is brovada. This is a dish that is unique to the region. It is most simply turnips that are preserved in marc. This most certainly is not a dish that most people think of when thinking about Italian food, but it is a dish that is unique to Italy and is therefore an important part of Italian food. So the next time you’re up for some Italian food, branch out and try some different regional cuisines.

The Coffee Franchise for Women in Business

Women in business are a growing occurrence. Once relegated to the roles of caretakers more women are stepping up to bat in recent years and discovering that we are not only excellent caretakers and tenders but also exceptional providers and business minds. Savvy women in business often follow the path of least resistance. One way to do this is to buy into a coffee franchise as a business investment.

Why would a coffee franchise appeal to women in business?

There are actually quite a few reasons that coffee franchises are appealing to women in the world of business not the least of which is the fact that a franchise offers name recognition, which can cut years of struggling to build a steady customer base off the timeline. Customers are what makes money in businesses such as a coffee franchise and name recognition often brings customers in the door much more quickly than a new business that no one has ever heard of.

Coffee franchises also offer products that many women find personally appealing. This is often one level in which women in business differ from men. Women are much less likely to go into business offering a product or service that they do not genuinely like or believe in. If a woman loves coffee this is a business that she will see as an attractive business because she knows the product, enjoys the product, and is in a position to really be able to help her customers by making appropriate suggestions to those who seem to be at a loss (personally, I’m almost always at a loss in a coffee caf because there are so many wonderful goodies from which to choose).

Women in business also like the idea of coffee franchises in many instances because it presents a challenge but doesn’t overwhelm. There are plenty of new and wonderful things to learn when opening a coffee franchise but the vast majority of them are pretty straightforward and not overly technical or complicated. This makes the path to ownership much more attractive to women who are less technically or mechanically inclined than the average guy and some of those who would simply rather save mechanical or technical pursuits for pleasure rather than business.

If this isn’t enough however, there is always my personal favorite reason that a coffee franchise is more attractive than some of the other food centered franchises that are available for women: no frying. That’s right. Most coffee franchises do not require a steady supply of greasy food to prep, prepare, and clean up. There is no pervasive scent of fried food that seeps into pores, clothes, and nasal passages. While all women will not count this is a favorite reason it is quite possible that most women will at least somewhere down the road consider it a definite plus when it comes to coffee franchise ownership. The scent of coffee is much more attractive than the scent of French fries-especially in the early hours of the morning when most coffee franchise stores are busiest.