CafeConfessions - Food Reviews and Healthy Eating

Dread Chopping An Onion? Try This No Tear Trick

Lanie Wise — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:58:15 +0000

Okay so most meals calls for minced or chopped onion and many people hate cutting onions. They make you cry and it’s just an overall horrible experience. Some people even go as far as buying mini choppers for their onions but this just creates more dishes to clean. If you are one of many who loves to cook with onion but hates to chop it here are some tricks to beat the tears.

An old trick that works for some is to light a match and blow it out right before you start cutting. The smoke will act as a barrier between your eyes and the onion. This is temporary as the more you cut the less the smoke will take effect. Some people swear by this trick but it isn’t full proof.

Another trick is to stick your head in the freezer as soon as you feel yourself about to cry. The cold air will stop any tears forming and will help temporarily. This trick does work but you may find yourself sticking your head in the freezer every 10 seconds.

The best trick out there is to refrigerate your onion before you cut it. A cold onion won’t produce the smell as fast as a warm onion. This way you can cut a whole onion without shedding a tear. Give it a try and see if it works.

What Is The Difference Between Sushi And Sashimi?

Lanie Wise — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:00:33 +0000

A great healthy food choice and one that is very popular is sushi. Many people haven’t tried sushi and are not sure if they even want to try raw fish. Others like sushi but want to explore beyond the safe California Roll. To get the dish on sushi and other things like sashimi, you won’t have to look any further.

Sushi is traditionally made with cooked vinegar rice and seaweed. From here you can put anything in your sushi but traditional sushi usually has raw ingredients like raw seafood or fish, cucumber, yams,or avocado. Sushi is extremely healthy for you and contains little or no salt or pepper. The most popular type of sushi in North American is the California Roll and the Spicy Tuna Roll. Other favorites include yam tempura roll or shrimp roll.

For those who want to experiment with sushi why not try some sashimi. Sashimi is only for the brave and isn’t recommended for your first sushi experience. Sashimi is pure raw seafood sliced into thin pieces and served with a dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is usually soy sauce and wasabi. It is also served with garnish like ginger or shredded radish. If you are interested try something simple like tuna. Try it with miso soup to make it a meal.

A very important thing to consider before trying sushi or sashimi is the location of the restaurant. It’s probably best to have sushi by the water such as the west or east coast. Los Angeles and Vancouver British Columbia has the best assortment of sushi, thereby making it tasteful and safe. So if you ever take a trip plan on going to some sushi places and enjoy a healthy and wonderful meal.

Fresh Baked Bread With A Bread Machine

Lanie Wise — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:06:52 +0000

Do you love the smell of fresh bread? Well you can have that in your home with a bread machine. If you always wanted to make rustic bread, here’s your chance to do it. From french bread to sourdough bread, whatever you choose, you can make it with a bread machine.

Why get a bread machine? Making homemade bread is a lengthy process and many people don’t have the time or dedication to make homemade bread. With a bread machine, all you need are the ingredients and then you wait. Simply measure out the flour, yest, water and any other extra ingredients, put it the machine, set it and wait. Many machines have different options like crust color and rapid bake options. If you need to make dinner in a jiffy and want warm fresh bread with it, simply press rapid bake and in under two hours you have bread.

There are many companies who have bread machines but Black-and-Decker seem to be ahead of all of them. They have vertical bread machines and horizontal bread machines. They have many options and recipes to follow as well. No matter what brand of bread machine you choose, be happy knowing that you are making your own food and know what it is in it.

Jamie's Food Revolution

Lanie Wise — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:37:57 +0000

Whether your a star cook or learning to cook, Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook, “Jamie’s Food Revolution” is the book for you. In this book, Jamie shows you step by step how to make all the best dishes you grew up with or want to learn how to make. He dissects each recipes and breaks it down so that a new cook can learn easily. There are step by step photos to assist you in learning to cook as well.

What is so great about these recipes is that Jamie states that they are quick and easy to make. Apparently these recipes are so easy to follow he has challenged regular non-cooks to cook these recipes. What is different from other cookbooks is that Jamie wants you to pass on these recipes to other non cooks and other people who cook. Give his evolution salads a try or his hardy spaghetti a try or even his perfect pot roast. Learn to be a pro with this cookbook.

Visit The Best New York Restaurants

Lanie Wise — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:31:48 +0000

Taking a vacation to the Big Apple is a cultural experience. One of the first things to try out are the restaurants. No where in the world can you find the best restaurants than in New York. Here is a list of some of the best New York restaurants.

New York Restaurants

Sapa – A great place to just hang out with the closest of your friends. Dine on great food and dance to some awesome music. Enjoy the beautiful scenery at Sapa too.
Buddha Bar – Celebrities go to the Buddha Bar so I’m sure you will sneak a peak at a celebrity if you arrive at Buddha Bar. Have fun with friends and enjoy a fun evening at Buddha Bar.
Savory – For some American food in a cozy place visit Savory. Take your loved one for a romantic dinner filled with romance.

Juice Your Way To Better Health

Lanie Wise — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:58:09 +0000

Did you know that getting a juicer will save your life? This fact is true. Juicing allows you to consume more vegetables and fruit with less calories. Getting a juicer will get you to make wonderful concoctions of vegetables and fruit and even some herbs. Finding a juicer can be tricky but once you find the right one for your family you are on your way to better health.

There are many juicers to choose from but the best advice I can offer is to find a company like Black and Decker that is reputable and that will offer an exchange if your juicer should fail to work before the warranty is up. Find juicers that is dishwasher safe.

The type of juices you can make are endless. The staple juice is usually compromised of carrots and apples. From here you can add lemons, oranges, cucumbers, celery and even some spinach. Whatever vegetables or fruits you choose, this is a great time to experiment and find what each family member likes to drink.

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients

Lanie Wise — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:48:27 +0000

The Barefoot Contessa, a staple on Food TV, has a great cookbook filled with 100 new recipes. It’s called “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients”. Ina creates fabulous french cuisine and in her cookbook she breaks everything down and focuses on giving each recipe full flavor. Ina also breaks down her book to cover party food, baking, professional tips and more. If you have a change, go get this essential book.

Kid Recipes – Easy Camp Smore's

Lanie Wise — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:27:31 +0000

I found a great easy smore recipe that is super easy and doesn’t involve pokers. If you enjoy camping, then smores is a staple in any camp-out. All you need is some grahm crackers, chocolate pieces, marshamallows, and tin foil.

Stack the smores by placing a graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow and chocolate and graham cracker. Wrap in tin foil and place on fire with cool embers (no flames) and wait a few minutes. You will have the best gooey smores ever! Try it out!

Superfood For Thought: Spinach

Lanie Wise — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:55:43 +0000

Superfoods and superfruits have been making headway in the news, on Oprah and even on the radio. One great superfood that people seem to not get enough of is spinach. Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin, and carotenoids.

Just 1 1/2 cups of raw spinach provides over a 150% of your daily value of Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps your eyes by helping them adapt quickly to changing brightness and darkness. Carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin also help with the health of your eyes.

It’s best to eat spinach raw to gain all the above benefits. A great way to incorporate spinach into your diet is to swap lettuce for spinach. Use spinach for salads and sandwiches. Toss fresh spinach into your pasta. There are many ways to make this simple green food part of your daily diet. So try today!

All-Clad Stainless Steel Cookware – Way To Go

Lanie Wise — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:49:32 +0000

When cooking for your family, yourself or for a party, you want to make sure that your pots and pans do you justice in the kitchen. When looking to purchase a set of cookware it is always best to go stainless steel as they last a lifetime and are durable to withstand heat and wear and tear. One of the best stainless steel cookware is All-Clad.

The Benefits of All-Clad Stainless Steel Cookware

It is easy to clean
The handles stay cool at all times when cooking
It is safe to put in the oven up to 500 F
Has an Aluminum core so that it retains heat
It has excellent balance and is ergonomic