Tag: Gourmet

The Proud Leonidas Belgian Chocolates

Leonidas Kesdekidis, an ordinary Greek citizen was the founder of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates. His company bears his name as the founder of the company who makes wonderful delights like pralines, truffles and other heavenly chocolate assortments. Mr. Kesdekidis arrived at Brussels in the year 1910 and a bit later on marrying one of the locals making him decide to get settled in the said place. He made a large array of pralines in his place situated close to Rempart de Moines for a living.

Mr. Kesdikidis and his descendants goal was to get his home-made wonderful delights of pralines as close as possible to as many consumers, not to mention every creators dream to let the rest of the world know their chocolate concoctions. His strategy of combining world-class quality and the best price is still unbeatable up to this date. Leonidas products are far different from the chocolates of other brands. The fact that only Leonidas has the most concern for the freshness of its chocolates makes it unique and unbeatable. Meanwhile the other brands strategy to make their products fresh is that they have to repackage the product to look fresh but what about the product itself? Yes, the package is fresh but the content is still the same. Whereas at Leonidas, the chocolates will only be boxed on the day that the customers order is received. Other chocolates quality of freshness may be risked for the necessity of longevity. What they do is they are likely to be pre-packed and or intended to be on a shelf of department stores or supermarkets, but not with Leonidas.

At Leonidas, longevity is not a problem because of the packing strategy; instead the main concern is not to compromise the quality of the produce in other terms. Like in the aspect of the ingredients. Most chocolate makers use vegetable fats on their chocolates but with Leonidas they prefer to use genuine cocoa butter. Because of the very high standards that Leonidas had they were able to obtain an ISO 9001 certificate for the produces quality, which by the way is very much over the needed requirement for the production of chocolates.

Leonidas deliver only at the places where there are Leonidas outlets like Hollywood and all over United Kingdom and Belgium. However, they refuse to export for the reason that they didnt want to risk the freshness of every chocolate bar that goes out of their stores but customers outside United Kingdom will be able to send to their loved ones that lives within the country. To date there is only a small number of sellers of Leonidas chocolates because of the high standard requirement that every seller has to comply with for the very cautious storing and freshness concerns.

The chocolates are wrapped in 500grams, 750grams, and one kilogram boxes. Upon order you will not be experiencing the hassle of putting it on presentation boxes for the box alone that Leonidas use will suffice for they are already gift wrapped and there also offer different sorts of gift wrapping, as well as the standard wrap, luxury and or seasonal choices.

These chocolates are supposed to be consumed within 21 days after it is purchased. They should not be kept too long otherwise the freshness and or the quality will not be the same of what is expected of it, although keeping it refrigerated will prolong the shelf life. Storing on the refrigerator, you have to keep it away from other foods that has a very prominent smell or odor, otherwise the chocolate will be ruined because it may absorb the odor of that certain food and may affect the taste and quality.

How Healthy is Mexican Food

If you ask majority of Americans on when the last time they ate Mexican food, usually it is within the last week. Mexican foods have become very popular in the United States. The problem is that the Mexican foods in America are not the same as they are in Mexico. Americans have added super fat and super sized the meals. If you go down to Mexico, you may not even find the same dishes because the dishes were created in America. Authentic Mexican food is rich in fresh vegetables, protein, and nutritious vitamins and spices.

Taco Bell comes to mind as a popular food chain that serves Mexican foods. You will find tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. People in Mexico usually do not eat big platters of tortilla chips in their everyday meals. Because of the food sold in the United States, it is not very healthy. The Mexican foods in America are not as rich in nutrients. It contains high fat, sodium, and calories. It also does not include as many fresh vegetables.

Most traditional Mexican dishes have less fat and calories. This doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the foods served in American restaurants. You can add more healthy foods to the dish. Tomatoes are high in vitamins and have lycopene which has cancer-fighting properties. Tomatoes can be added to many Mexican dishes. Beans carry high protein and fiber. Instead of eating the beans refried, try getting them whole. It cuts back on the fat. Corn is another vegetable that is healthy in Mexican foods. It is high in vitamins and contains fiber. Adding these to your Mexican dishes will make them healthier than what you are served at Taco Bell.

You may be wondering if people in Mexico eat healthier foods. In America we have the choice to go to health food stores where we can find organic foods and foods not as fattening. The only drawback is that not everyone can afford to buy these foods whenever they grocery shop. In Mexico, healthier choices are available. Each year the health food market in Mexico makes over $500 Million. The consumers make up 5 percent of Mexico’s population. Their age range is from 20 to 50 years old. They usually live in metropolitan areas and can afford to buy these types of healthier foods. If they cannot afford it, they still are not getting all the fats and calories that we find in American foods, especially fast-foods. Authentic Mexican foods still carry many vegetables and ingredients that are good for your body, and also the way the food is cooked is healthier.

You are probably wondering again, is Mexican food healthy for me. Authentic Mexican dishes are, because they carry many vitamins and are generally low in fat. America has fattened up the Mexican dishes making them not a good choice. If you want to go out to eat, try avoiding the major Mexican food chain restaurants. Find a restaurant that serves authentic dishes. It is healthier and will taste even better knowing you are giving your body good foods.

Manual Drip Coffee Makers

Many people don’t really know the difference between automatic and manual drip coffee makers. It’s really very simple. An automatic drip coffee maker pours the hot water over the ground coffee for you while a manual drip coffee maker requires that you do it yourself.

Manual drip coffee makers typically come in single cup to twelve cup varieties and basically give you similar results as an automatic drip coffee maker. Many people feel they get a better tasting cup of coffee when they have the ability to pour the water themselves and choose from a variety of filters and filter holders. A good thing about manual drip coffee makers is that they don’t use electricity and can be used wherever you happen to go. This makes them a great choice for camping. You can boil water over a fire or portable stove for your coffee.

The main components of manual drip coffee makers are the pot or cup, a filter, and a filter holder. There are more complicated varieties available but for most of them, this is all you will need. First you set your pot or cup on a counter, set the filter holder on top, add a filter and fill it with ground coffee. You boil water on a stove and pour it into the filter. It’s pretty easy but if you don’t know what you are doing or have the proper pot to boil water in, there is a potential to get scalded. Using a teapot or special pot that has a place for pouring is the best way to go as a saucepan isn’t designed for pouring water out.

Every manual drip coffee maker has a special filter and filter holder. The filters can be permanent metal ones or your basic disposable paper ones. Many people like the metal filters because they can be used many times and provide the same water flow each time. Paper filters, though cheaper, can end up costing more in the long run and each brand might let water flow a little differently. The filter holders come in hundreds of varieties but you usually get one with your manual drip coffee maker. If you buy a different one, you run the risk of overflow. Filter holders can be porcelain, plastic, metal, or glass and come in many different sizes.

The manual drip coffee maker pot or cup is an important thing to consider. Do you want to make a single cup or ten cups? A single cup version will take up almost no counter space and is a great choice for people who live alone or in a very small place. The ten to twelve cup versions are great for homes that drink a lot of coffee or for big camping trips. They aren’t as big as an electric coffee maker and can be taken apart for easy cleaning and carrying.

The most important part of any coffee maker is the type of coffee you use. Expensive coffee that is freshly ground will taste much better than coffee from a discount store. Try different types of coffee and decide what kind you like the best.

The Wonderful Tools of Cooking

Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.

When it comes to pots and pans and skillets you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may ‘stick’ to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen.

Kitchen knives are also important ingredients in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn’t have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you’ve tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands.

If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a jacquard. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn’t a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.

A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre grated and pre packaged cheese simply doesn’t touch the quality of flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn’t the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.

Of course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand? There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you’ve paid in the long run.

PPPPP

682

Gourmet Belgian Chocolates: A Taste of Heaven on Earth

When you think of gourmet food, you’d think of edibles that is expensive, heavenly delicious, and of very high quality. Gourmet Belgian chocolates are considered to be the best kind of chocolate in the world. It is so delicious that people from all over the world flock to Belgium just to experience the taste of the original Belgian chocolate because nobody in the world has successfully duplicated these sweet little things.

Belgian chocolates are the toast of the chocolate world. It is the gourmet of all chocolates that exist and nothing beats it for being in the number one list of all chocoholics. Even diabetics crave for it! The good thing is that there are now sugar-free Belgian chocolates that are now available in the market.

The special factor that makes Belgian chocolate standout among its contemporaries is the great respect for the chocolate manufacturing techniques that have been perfected by Europeans for centuries as well as the excellent quality of the ingredients used for making the chocolates.

In the age of mass production, everything seems to be just the standard to deliver the products to as many people as possible which sometimes have sacrificed a bit of quality of the products. Good thing that Belgian chocolatiers did not give in to the pressure of the global market and still stick with the old tradition of small production but with topnotch quality tastes of their chocolates.

The country of Belgium is populated with chocolate shops and manufacturers that up to now are still making chocolates by hand and/or with the original equipment from the olden days. The chocolate in Belgium is like wine to France. Like the French wineries, chocolatiers in Belgium provide chocolate tasting programs for the visitors to sample the gourmet chocolates.

Although Belgian chocolates has been around for a long time, the new way of making chocolates that is very popular nowadays only started in the early years of the 20th century. This new way of making chocolate is the placement of a filling inside a chocolate nugget. Fillings can range from fruits, creams, hazelnut, coffee, or other forms of chocolate. This kind of chocolate is called pralines, which refers to the chocolate covering.

Another factor that makes gourmet Belgian chocolates special is the technique of storing the chocolate nuggets before filling it up. The course of making the chocolates is quite interesting as the grounded cocoa beans are combined with the mixture of cocoa butter and sugar. It is then eventually spread out by tempering or gradual heat addition. A lot of chocolate houses in Belgium obtain their chocolate in forms of solid. These solid forms of chocolates are then heated again for it to be formed or structures into the desired shape and taste. Since the chocolates are not chilled, Belgian chocolates have the luck of preserving the cocoa essence much more than the other inferior chocolates.

A lot of Belgium’s old family owned chocolate houses have their own line of gourmet Belgian chocolates. They have been around for a long time and can be trusted of the high quality chocolates they manufacture. Through the years and generations of family owners, they have perfected the way of making the perfect gourmet Belgian chocolates.

These delicious sweets may come with a price but once you have tasted its palatable flavors you will realize that it is worth all your money. You can actually taste a part of heaven. And that is what makes gourmet Belgian chocolates tick.