Using A Pasta Maker Saves You Time

If you are the adventurous type, then chances are you are the kind of person that likes to use a pasta maker to create your own noodles. This is a great way for you to get the type of noodle you want, and you will not only be saving money you will be able to design the type of noodle that you want for the specific meal. Many Italians are more than willing to roll up their sleeves to make their own pasta, and this is something that started thousands of years ago and continues today. Some of the best meals created in Italy, are ones that the cook actually made their own pasta just prior to cooking.

Manual Or Electric Rollers?

If you are thinking about making your own pasta, you are going to need a pasta roller. What you then need to decide is whether you want to go with a manual roller of one of the newer electric rollers. While the newer electric rollers allow you to not have to work as hard and not hurt your arms rolling out the dough, you do not have the level of control or options that the manual roller has. The old school manual roller is the best way to get the pasta exactly the way you want it each and every time. This is the best way for you to get the type of pasta that you are looking for, and if you ask the pros they will say the very same. The best Italian chefs will be the first to choose an old-fashioned hand pasta roller over an electric one.

Different Attachments

One of the most fantastic things about pasta rolling machines is that there are all kinds of various attachments that you can use to obtain many different forms of pasta. These attachments will allow you to make anything from Penne to angel hair pasta, and this is a great tool to have around the family kitchen. These pasta-rolling machines are great to get the type of pasta that you want to use, and this is especially helpful if you want fresh pasta that day. The machine is easy to clean, and you will be able to store all of the spare parts with it easily under a counter. When it comes to pasta, there are few tools that can be as useful or easy to use as the pasta rolling machines.

Cost Effective

The first thing you will notice with pasta rolling machines is how wonderful it is to make your own pasta. The second thing you will quickly notice is just how cost effective making your own pasta can really be. This will especially be the case if you are the type of cook that likes to use pasta for many dishes and several events per week or month. This type of device will not only save you a great deal of time, it will also save you a lot of money as well.

Detoxifying Your Body

The process of detoxifying our bodies results in the purging of harmful environmental and chemical poisons from our body. The buildup of these toxins can overwhelm the body's capacity to detoxify and may lead to such problems as hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, inefficient metabolism, and digestive and respiratory disorders. Those who utilize the detoxification process often find it can result in improved energy levels, mental capacity, skin tone and clarity, digestion, metabolism, and breathing while decreasing joint pain, body aches and headaches, constipation, anxiety, irritability, and aiding in weight loss.

Though the end results of detoxification are very beneficial, the actual process of detoxifying can be difficult. Headaches, nausea, and diarrhea can result as the toxins exit the body. It's important to keep in mind that, even though you're doing a good thing for your body by detoxifying it, you may even develop a cold or flu-like symptoms as your body works to purge the germs and poisons from the cells. Skin breakouts, anxiety, irritability and lethargy can also occur.

The healthier a person is when beginning the detoxification program, the lesser and fewer these symptoms will be. If the body has a great deal to purge, the process will be harder on the body. If the process is a huge change from the previous lifestyle, these side effects might be more pronounced.

Don't interrupt the detoxification process by taking any type of drug to relieve these symptoms. They are a natural side effect of the process. Try instead to get some rest and focus on the end result. Try treating yourself extra special during this time. Sit down and enjoy a good book, meditate, or even write in your journal about your detoxification experiences, so that during your next one, you can reflect back and remind yourself that what you went through was a natural occurrence, and also how wonderful you felt when the detoxification process was complete.

Comparision Between Vegetarian And Raw Food Diets

Is there a difference between vegetarian and raw food diets? A raw foodist is a vegetarian, but one who generally is not going to cook his vegetables or fruits. A vegetarian is someone who simply doesn't eat meat, fish or poultry, but only consumes vegetables, pasta, and rice. A vegetarian might eat meatless spaghetti sauce or order onion rings in a restaurant. (Not the healthiest choice, but sometimes it's hard to find something to eat in a restaurant if you're vegetarian - even harder if you're a raw foodist.)

There are different categories of vegetarians, like vegans, or fruitarians, and raw foodist is a category of vegetarianism. We haven't seen anything about sushi being considered a raw food, but it is. Raw food, though, generally means eating raw, uncooked fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, seaweeds, etc.

But to be a raw food purist means raw broccoli, not steamed. To a vegetarian, someone committed to not eat meat or fish or animal products, steamed vegetables are just as good, although everyone would agree that steaming can take out nutrients from foods, rendering them less nutritious. A vegetarian might consume dairy or egg products; however a vegan will not consume any animal products at all. And a raw foodist is a vegan who consumes only uncooked, unprocessed raw foods. Proponents of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes. It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our gut and arteries.

Followers of a raw diet cite numerous health benefits, including:

• increased energy levels

• improved appearance of skin

• improved digestion

• weight loss

• reduced risk of heart disease

Gourmet Meat Gifts

A traditional holiday feast, weddings, and religious occasions—the pride of any holiday spread is most likely delicious succulent meat prepared lovingly, relying on old family recipes. Imagine a Thanksgiving without turkey; hard isn’t it? Sustaining life, these celebrations are almost food festivals, bringing people together. Be it Asian, African or American culture, symbolic food plays a vital role in ethnicity.

The culinary repertoire of any society is fascinating; skill and creativity enhanced all the more during religious festivals and pivotal holidays. Eating meat is an old human habit, and asking forgiveness of vegetarians and vegans, extolling the virtues of flavorful meat comes all too easily.

Gourmet meats are ideal gifts, and it is unlikely that they will find their way back to the store for an exchange! Gone are the days when eating meat was a rarity for medieval peasants, except when the calendar provided holidays. In vogue today are unusual meats and exotic cooking methods. The most common meats are poultry, beef, lamb, pork, and seafood. With convenience being the key factor, meat departments and butchers are busy with instant creations, which are ready for the grill or oven. Available meats are usually fresh, smoked, grilled, stuffed, roasted, and cooked in different regional styles with wonderful rich flavors of perfect additives or condiments.

There are gourmet fillets, smoked poultry and ham, spicy sausages, pâté foie gras, rib eye steaks, pork chops, boneless strips, marinated steaks, veal shanks or cutlets, ground meats, different styles of salami, bologna, and bacon. Medallions, ribs, tongue and many more exotic choices such as venison, rabbits, Elk, kangaroo, wild game, snake, alligator, ostrich and buffalo are becoming popular. Great samplers are available for the outdoor enthusiast.

There are prime meat cuts, styles, and seasonings to delight any buyer. The price aspect should be considered before buying gourmet meat. Expensive tender cuts are identifying characteristics of gourmet meat, and one shouldn’t deny oneself this treat! But it is important to have a balanced meal; after all it shouldn’t be like the English clergyman Fuller said, “much meat, much malady”.

Buffalo Burgers with Pickled Onions and Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

A low-fat alternative to beef, ground buffalo is becoming increasingly available.
Active Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 2 1/2 hr

Ingredients

For sauce
1 red bell pepper
low-fat buttermilk dressing
1 small garlic clove, chopped
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon hot Spanish smoked paprika*
1/4 teaspoon salt

For pickled onions
2 small red onions (1/2 lb total)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

For burgers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb ground buffalo**, formed into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties
4 English muffins, split in half
Special equipment: about 20 wooden picks

Prepation

Make sauce:

Roast bell pepper on rack of a gas burner over high heat, turning with tongs, until skin is blackened, 12 to 15 minutes. (Or broil pepper on a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.)

Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly, then let stand 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel pepper, discarding stem and seeds, and coarsely chop. Purée pepper in a blender with dressing, garlic, paprika, and salt until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Grill onions:

Peel onions and trim root ends slightly, leaving onions whole, then halve lengthwise and cut halves lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Insert 1 wooden pick through each wedge to hold layers together while grilling, then put onions in a bowl.

Heat vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small nonreactive heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Pour pickling liquid over onions, stirring occasionally to coat with liquid, and let stand 5 minutes (onions will brighten in color), then drain onions and pat dry.
Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal.

Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate. Grill onions on a lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until tender, about 5 minutes total. Remove and discard wooden picks.

Grill burgers:

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of burgers, then grill burgers on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once with a spatula, 5 to 6 minutes total for medium-rare. Meanwhile, grill English muffins, turning over once with tongs, until toasted, about 3 minutes total. Serve burgers on muffins topped with sauce and onions.

Cooks' note:

If you aren't able to grill outdoors, you can use a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan. Grill onions first, then burgers, then muffins, all over moderately high heat. (Burgers may take 1 minute longer than if cooked outdoors.) Lower heat during cooking as necessary. *Available at specialty foods shops and Tienda.com. **Available at Whole Foods stores.

Nutritional information

Per serving: 356 calories, 15 g fat (6 g saturated), 73 mg cholesterol, 638 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 25 g protein