What are Hoshigaki?

Hoshigaki are Japanese dried persimmons. There are mainly two kinds of persimmons: amagaki (sweet persimmons) and shibugaki (astringent persimmons). Amagaki are delicious eaten raw, but shibugaki are not. When shibugaki are dried in the sun, they become sweet and delicious with the sugar crystallized on the surface. Hoshigaki making is usually done in late autumn when persimmons are harvested and the weather is cool.

How to Make Hoshigaki:

1. Wash fresh and firm shibugaki with stems intact.

2. Peel persimmons.

3. Tie strings in the stems and hang persimmons in a sunny and dry place in the way that persimmons don't touch each other.

4. When persimmons become darker and softer a few weeks later, they are ready for eating as confections. The longer they are dried, the harder they become.

How to Store Hoshigaki: Store hoshigaki in a gift box or container in a dark and cool room. It's best to eat hoshigaki before harden or moldy. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and hoshigaki can be stored longer in the freezer.

The Cook and the Fig

Family Features) - Figs, those California fruits that love sunny climates, are turning up on more and more restaurant menus and family dinner tables. We're fig-uring out that these sweet and luscious fruits bring depth and variety to many different dishes.

Brought to California by Franciscan missionaries, figs taste great and are most versatile in their dried state. Look for deep purple Mission and golden, nutty-flavored Calimyrna varieties. Take them along with you for a sweet, fiber-filled portable snack. The sunny flavor of dried figs also stars in Italian biscotti cookies, coffee cakes and muffins, stuffing for the holiday bird or a pork loin, rice dishes, salads, appetizers-especially with Gorgonzola cheese, and the "figgy pudding" of English lore. Dried figs combine well with other fruits like apples and pears in comforting, cold weather desserts like Apple-Fig Crumble.

But figs are more than just great tasting. They're also good for you. Just five figs give you 5 grams of dietary fiber-that's a significant contribution toward the recommended daily total of 25 to 30 grams. Along with fiber, figs contain a wealth of essential nutrients including calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and copper. Naturally fat free, cholesterol free, trans fat free, and sodium free, dried California figs are becoming a must-have pantry staple.

Winter Breakfast Sandwich With Maple Syrup, Toasted Walnuts and Cream Cheese

The warm, crunchy, golden brown staple on breakfast tables in more than 90% of American homes is one of life's simplest pleasures. This humble breakfast hero is also an iconic symbol of all that's right and good in American life.

Toast is the great leveler, a symbol of democracy: Crunchy toast is enjoyed in humble homes and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

America's love of toast has given birth to toaster collections, a national toaster museum, children's book, songs about toast and cookbooks full of toast recipes.

One hundred years since the introduction of the first electric toaster, Americans are faithful to their long-lived love affair with toast. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation and conducted by Harris Interactive indicates that more than 93% of respondents say they enjoy toast any time of day.

How passionate are Americans about toast?

Nearly 10% of adults surveyed confessed they'd rather enjoy their morning toast than, um, a passionate interlude with their significant other. More than half of the survey respondents would choose toast over candy, and nearly 40% over chocolate. That's some serious craving for toast.

Hum a few bars in the key of "T"

"Americans are passionate about toast!" exults comedian Heywood Banks. Banks is singing all the way to the bank, having hit solid gold with his song about toast that he's parlayed into an animated cartoon (at comedyhome.com). Banks has created a children's book, t-shirts and music CDs based on the lyrics to his song "Yeah, Toast!" Toast lovers like Banks are delightfully quirky - he plays a toaster as a percussion instrument.
Love, craving and science in the kitchen

"There's nothing more satisfying than a piece of perfectly toasted bread," says Ted Allen, cookbook author and food and wine consultant for television's popular "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." "One of the most comforting, simple moments you can have is to make yourself a slice of toast. The scent of bread caramelizing in the toaster is wonderful."

The process that caramelizes toast - cooking the sugars in the bread and turning them golden brown - is the Maillard reaction, which gives toast its flavor and its crunch.

So push that lever down, get out your favorite toppings and tap your toe to the toast dance while waiting (im)patiently for the tantalizing aroma of caramelizing bread. If that's not true love ...
For more intriguing, fun and delicious information on grain-based foods like bread and toast, visit http://www.grainpower.org/.

Write down this recipe for ... toast
Chef and toast enthusiast Jesse Ziff Cool has written a tome to toast. "Toast: 60 Ways to Butter Your Bread & Then Some" includes toothsome toast recipes, from sweet to savory, for every meal occasion.

"Toast is still the greatest thing since sliced bread - and getting better all the time. Toast is the perfect beginning for an appetizer, sandwich, entrée, snack - even dessert," says Cool, chef, restaurant owner and cookbook author.

But Cool was not the first to document toast recipes. The White House cookbook of 1887 contained five entire pages and 21 recipes devoted to toast.
Mighty toast and nutritionGuilty pleasure? Hardly.

"Toast is one of those perfect foods that will never go out of style. Warm, crunchy and golden brown, toast is delicious, affordable, easy to make and a low-fat, low-calorie source of grains," says Judi Adams, MS, RD, president of the Grain Foods Foundation. "With the variety of vitamins and nutrients packed into a slice of bread, it is one of the more nourishing choices for breakfast, or any time of day."

Cuisine of Thailand

Influence and Western popularity : Thai food is known for its enthusiastic use of fresh (rather than dried) herbs and spices as well as fish sauce. Thai food is popular in many Western countries especially in Australia, New Zealand, some countries in Europe such as the United Kingdom, as well as the United States, and Canada.

Serving : Instead of a single main course with side dishes found in Western cuisine, a Thai full meal typically consists of either a single dish or rice khao (Thai: ข้าว) with many complementary dishes served concurrently.

Rice is a staple component of Thai cuisine, as it is of most Asian cuisines. The highly prized, sweet-smelling jasmine rice is indigenous to Thailand. This naturally aromatic long-grained rice grows in abundance in the verdant patchwork of paddy fields that blanket Thailand's central plains. Steamed rice is accompanied by highly aromatic curries, stir-frys and other dishes, incorporating sometimes large quantities of chillies, lime juice and lemon grass. Curries, stir-frys and others may be poured onto the rice creating a single dish called khao rad gang (Thai: ข้าวราดแกง), a popular meal when time is limited. Sticky rice khao neow (Thai: ข้าวเหนียว) is a unique variety of rice that contains an unusual balance of the starches present in all rice, causing it to cook up to a sticky texture. It is the daily bread of Laos and substitutes ordinary rice in rural Northern and Northeastern Thai cuisine, where Lao cultural influence is strong.

Noodles, known throughout parts of Southeast Asia by the Chinese name kwaytiow, are popular as well but usually come as a single dish, like the stir-fried Pad Thai (Thai: ผัดไทย) or noodle soups. Many Chinese cuisine are adapted to suit Thai taste, such as khuaytiow rue, a sour and spicy rice noodle soup.

There is a uniquely Thai dish called nam prik (Thai: น้ำพริก) which refers to a chile sauce or paste. Each region has its own special versions. It is prepared by crushing together chillies with various ingredients such as garlic and shrimp paste using a mortar and pestle. It is then often served with vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage and yard-long beans, either raw or blanched. The vegetables are dipped into the sauce and eaten with rice. Nam prik may also be simply eaten alone with rice or, in a bit of Thai and Western fusion, spread on toast.

Thai food is generally eaten with a fork and a spoon. Chopsticks are used rarely, primarily for the consumption of noodle soups. The fork, held in the left hand, is used to shovel food into the spoon. However, it is common practice for Thais and hill tribe peoples in the North and Northeast to eat sticky rice with their right hands by making it into balls that are dipped into side dishes and eaten. Thai-Muslims also frequently eat meals with only their right hands.

Often Thai food is served with a variety of spicy condiments to embolden dishes. This can range from dried chili pieces, or sliced chili peppers in rice vinegar, to a spicy chili sauce such as the nam prik mentioned above.

Food Wallpaper

Making the Most of Your Wine Tasting Experience

You are interested in learning about wine tasting. You have many friends who have raved about different wines. Where do you start? Quite simply, you start with the first glass.
Get a group of friends together and venture out wine tasting. Temecula Valley offers more than 30 wineries. Many of them have award winning wines.
Wine tasting is an experience. Here are a few easy steps to make enhance your wine tasting adventure.
Tasting wine is about knowing the wine. Keep in mind that wine has a unique taste, and each wine has its very own characteristics. Wine can be very rich and complex, and in order to fully appreciate it, you need to taste it properly. The true essence of wine tasting is to be able to identify the wine and get its true flavor. Every wine is different in flavor.
The basics of wine tasting are easy. You don't need any formal training and anyone can enjoy the experience. Always make sure that you have room temperature water, in order to cleanse your pallet in between tasting each wine.
Wine should be served in a stem glass. This way, you can hold the glass by the stem, while wine tasting. You want to avoid holding the glass by the palm of your hand. Oftentimes, this can warm up the wine and change the sample.
Start by looking at the color of the wine. The stemmed glasses should always be clean and clear, in order for you to see the wine and be able to look at it objectively. While looking at the wine, keep in mind that you will see many different colors. Not all wines are truly red or white. Red isn't always a perfect red. Older reds tend to be a little lighter in color. White wines may have a yellow, green or even brown tinge. While looking at the color, try and have a white background. This allows you to see the true color. If the wine is purplish in color, this indicates that the wine is young. If it is brownish in color, it means that the wine is an older wine.
Smelling the wine is the next step. Twirl the wine around in the glass, to air it. Take a deep breath through your nostril to smell the fragrance. By swirling the wine, you are releasing many flavors. Keep in mind that many wines have been bottled for many years.
When you smell the wine, you may detect fruit, flower, spice, wood or any earth essence. There are many smells that you may detect. Keep an open mind and remember that no observation is incorrect.
The third step is to evaluate your wine's taste or palate. Sip a small amount of your wine. Do no swallow. Allow the wine to roll around inside your mouth for a few seconds, allowing you to detect its flavors. You may want to introduce some air into your mouth, to further bring out more aroma and flavor. You will want to note the acidity, which is indicated by the watering of your mouth when acid is present. The tannin and body of the wine and the sweetness are the other qualities to note during the tasting. The tannin refers to the dryness or the drying sensation you taste. The body is indicated by the weight of the wine on your palate. The sweetness of a wine is actually controlled by the amounts of acid, alcohol and tannins present. Generally, the higher the alcohol, the sweeter the wine will taste. Sweet wines can taste fruity or not. Dry wines with low levels of sugar and no noticeable sweetness can still be fruity.
Too much acid can make the wine taste sharp and or tart. Too little acid will make it flat and un refreshing.
Too much alcohol will make it overly sweet, hot and biting as it is swallowed.
Too many tannins will make your mouth pucker. Tannins give wine its body and generally soften as wine ages.
The body of your wine is how it feels in your mouth. Wine will be light, medium or full bodied.
Finally, you will want to evaluate the wines finish. This is the sensation left in your mouth after swallowing. The longer the flavor lingers, the longer the finish.
Generally, wineries will have a receptacle available for wine to be spit out into. You may want to spit out wine because it is unpleasant, or because swallowing numerous wines may begin to cloud your judgment.
Additional tips to keep in mind. Don't sample more than six to eight glasses per tasting, as many more will tire the palate and cause you to lose focus. Avoid wearing perfume, so that it does not overpower the aromas of the wine. Try and go tasting after eating something, this way you won't get intoxicated, which could spoil the tasting experience for you.
In no time, you will discover what you like and what you don't. It will take months, or maybe years to fully detect the subtle variation in all types of wine. For the average wine drinker, this information is a good place to start.
By experiencing wine tasting and exploring as many wineries as you can, you will improve your pallet. It won't be long before you will be able to identify the many characteristics of wine that you taste. Most likely, you will have a favorite; however, don't limit yourself because of this. Always try something new that you have not tried…you never know, you may just discover a new wine that you may have passed up.

The Top Ten Reasons I Hate Wine - Ten, Home Brew

Despite this article's title I really do love wine and food from Italy, France, Germany, and other countries as well. And who among us can reject a bargain? But I also hate wine and many, many aspects of the wine scene. Let me explain my top ten reasons for this love-hate relationship. Previous articles discussed the unconscionable expense, the embarrassing lack of knowledge, no wine cellar, I can't get the ... bottle opened, insomnia, food problems, wine snobs, and the smells and tastes of wine, and wine colors. This article discusses home brew and the solution.

Why am I not a fan of home-made wine? To make it short and sweet I have yet to taste a home-made wine that doesn't taste like a home-made wine. When you know a little bit about the complexities of wine production, it's hard to believe that you can go to a store, buy liquid concentrate, pour it into bottles, squeeze on an ill-fitting cork, and in two months (or is it two weeks?) obtain a quality product. I know that I may be exaggerating somewhat, but the truth remains. History shows that time and time again dedicated amateurs have stood up to and even surpassed the professionals. But non-dedicated amateurs?

I think we can make an exception for people whose family have been making wine for generations. They may get their grapes from a brew-your-own outfit, especially if they live in a city apartment. But they don't just add water, stir, wait a few weeks and expect to get better than Grandpa's wine, except perhaps for the last batch he made when he was going blind and tried to push up the alcohol level with salt instead of sugar. Our humble conclusion, brew your own beer-maybe, wine-never.

There is one more problem with wine, but it's none of your business.
And now for the Solution. I have been told that the solution to these problems is to forego drinking wine and move on to mineral water, tofu drinks, or even single-malt Scotch. To which I reply, never. Now if you'll please excuse me there's this special bottle that I've been meaning to open for a long time. It was quite expensive, I'm not sure of its grapes varieties, it hasn't been cellared, I know I'll have trouble opening it, I won't sleep tonight, there's nothing but day-old pizza in the fridge, the guy in the wine store turned up his nose when I bought it, my nose is plugged and my color chart is nowhere to be found, but it's not home brew and I know I'm going to enjoy it. This might even tempt me to write a series on the top ten reasons I love wine. (But not the wine scene.)