FOOD NEWS

Saturday, 30 January 2016

Jaggery Benefits: Ever Wondered Why Our Elders End a Meal with Gur?

Now that you know how good jaggery is for you, don't feel guilty when you can't stop munching on Gur Pare at home, or while digging into Nolen Gurer (date palm jaggery) Sandesh at Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandy in Kolkata.

And surprisingly, this winter specialty is now available throughout the year since restaurants and sweet shops are using smart preserving techniques to feed the fan frenzy. Sudip Mullick from Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick shares his secret, "We preserve nolen gur in its solidified form or as patali gur at minus 25 degrees. This process takes place in March and the gur usually lasts till November." So if you haven't tried Bhojohori Manna's scrumptious Nolen Gur Ice Cream in the scorching summer, you're missing out! And how could we forget Gopala's Gur Rasgulla in Delhi? This jaggery jewel is unlike anything you've ever tasted.We're also in love with Chef Joymalya Banerjee's contemporary Nolen Gurer Madeleines at Bohemian, as well as his Prawn and Crabmeat Dumplings stewed in Spicy Nolen Gurer reduction. Chef Sabyasachi Gorai of Lavaash by Saby serves a scoop of refreshing Nolen Gur Ice Cream topped off with a jaggery glaze with an Orange Pound Cake and it is pure genius. Yes, there is some serious experimentation going on in kitchens across India, with chefs rustling up sheer magic with gur.

By: Rohit On 11:03

Best New Year's Diet Starts With Easy Kitchen Detox

Still looking for the perfect cleanse to start the year off right? Look no further.Whether you're following the brouhaha surrounding the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans or not, I'm betting you already know what the basics of a healthy diet (still) are: mounds of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean and sustainable proteins like beans, nuts and legumes. Healthy oils like olive, grapeseed, walnut and flax also play a role. If these foods are the stars of your plate, your year is off to a terrific start.So what of the other things we chomp, such as cookies, chips, ice cream, candy, chocolate, soda and the like? And if you did overindulge during the holidays, what's the remedy for restoring your health, and perhaps even losing a few pounds?Exactly right. You need a cleanse.Not that type of cleanseNo, I'm not talking about the kind of cleanse touted by too-skinny celebrities and junk-science food bloggers.

There's no evidence behind the vast majority of regimens floating around cyberspace. And guess what? Homo sapiens is a wondrous machine equipped with "detox" organs like the liver, kidneys and the gastrointestinal system, which work to clear your body of noxious substances you don't need -- including those found in food. That's not to say that treating your body like a dump is a good idea; it's not, and there's no reason to make it work extra hard by feeding it junk. But human metabolism is magnificent at removing toxins from the body, while a short-term diet or cleanse offers little in the long run to sustain weight loss and promote health; some may even be harmful.The cleanse I'm referring to doesn't have a catchy name (sorry) and doesn't require a blender (thankfully). And it's not some weird juice with strange ingredients and a funky flavor (happily). Most important, there are plenty of studies to support that this type of cleanse will, if done correctly, improve your health and weight.Now take a look around your kitchen pantry, counter, refrigerator and freezer. What do you see? If you're staring at gallons of ice cream, boxes of cookies, bags of chips and cans of soda (not to mention sweetened yogurts and granola bars), the thing that would most benefit from a "cleanse" is not your body, but your abode. And, unlike your human form, your habitat needs you to do the cleaning. Simply speaking, no matter your dietary vices -- and you know what makes you drool -- they don't belong in your house.Behavioral research studies examining eating behavior (like this one, for example) show that you shouldn't keep temptations close at hand, since that means -- Duh! -- you're more likely to gobble them up. Science aside, common sense and adages like "out of sight, out of mind" tell you exactly the same thing.Treats are often consumed in too-large portions that contribute substantial calories and few nutrients. They also tend to be loaded in sugar and refined carbohydrates (like white flour), and most of us eat more than is good for our health. Indeed, consuming foods with lots of added sugar (not the kinds found naturally in fruits) are related to a greater risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes; the risk remains, even if you're at a healthy body weight. That's why the new Dietary Guidelines state that everyone should limit added sugars to no more than 10 percent of daily intake.Enjoy, in moderationMake no mistake: I love indulgences like gooey brownies and crunchy potato chips just as much as the next girl. I developed a keen sweet tooth growing up and it took many years to tame. The key was learning to keep goodies special, as if a guest were visiting, and never give them a permanent place on my grocery list or on my kitchen counter. Certainly more logical (and less painful) than rigging the cookie jar with a mousetrap.I still think about savoring something sweet after everyday dinners, like many of us. But guess what? If there's nothing around, I get over it. Or I suck it up: you simply cannot eat what's not there. Excess-calories-I-don't-need and overeating episode averted. Following most suppers today, I enjoy cut-up fruit or berries, and occasionally a small piece of chocolate. (And I save the outrageous desserts that I adore for special occasions only.)Once every few months or so I'll take a trip to my local gelateria or pick up a pint of ice cream that my husband and I share over a couple of days' time. If I'm craving salty snacks, I'll buy a single serving bag or split a small sack with my husband. Do remember: ridding your house of temptation doesn't imply you'll never eat these scrumptious things, it simply means they aren't commonly found in your freezer. Over time, you'll find you have less of an appetite for sugar and salt as your taste buds adapt.You can't control many things in your environment, whether the workplace cafeteria, shopping mall food court or supermarket aisles. But you can control what you have in your house -- as well as your car and your office. The spaces where you spend the most time should be filled with food that nourishes your body, not packed with nutritional landmines ready to explode at every turn. To clean up your diet, clean out your house.It's the only "cleanse" you need.

By: Rohit On 04:31

Friday, 22 January 2016

Fiber-Rich Foods You Should be Eating Everyday

Despite being the talk of the town, the importance of fiber remains underrated. Keeping the benefits of an efficient bowel system aside, there’s just so much that a high-fiber diet can do for you. It is a heart hero and reduces the risk of stroke and hypertension. It can help you manage your weight by keeping you full for longer and curbing unwanted cravings. It can even regulate the speed of digestion and keep your blood sugar levels in check.

(Do I need to eat more fibre?)

What is fiber and how much do you need?

Fiber is any non-digestible, plant-derived carbohydrate that comes in two forms- soluble and insoluble. As the name suggests, soluble fibers mix with water from the food you eat and result in the formation of a gel in the stomach which helps prevent unwanted food components to get absorbed by the body. This means that soluble fibers reduce the production of cholesterol in our body. On the other hand, insoluble fibers are known as roughage and their main function is to make the stool bulky which makes it easier to excrete. This type of fiber doesn’t break down in the gut. Skipping your daily dose of fiber may lead to constipation.

According Dr. Ritika Samaddar, a Delhi based nutritionist, “Fiber is a very important part of our daily diet and we should include both types as it is very important to maintain a healthy balance. Soluble fibers are generally recommended to people suffering from diabetes or high sugar as they dissolve and keep the sugar level under control. Insoluble fibers help in losing weight and also maintain the smooth functioning of the gastric system. An average adult should take about 15 grams of fiber every day.”

Increasing fiber in your diet is easier than you think. Before you do, here’s a word of caution. While increasing your fiber intake don’t forget to keep your body well hydrated. Fiber tends to pull water into the intestines which makes it essential to increase your fluid consumption as well.

By: Rohit On 23:31

Learn to Eat Healthy!

Tempting cravings come when you least expect them. Keeping the food cravings down and eating healthy food will keep you on track with your health and weight loss goals. By eating more nutritious foods, you are on the right path to a healthier and more balanced life for both you and your family. Below are a few tips to keep you on the right track:
Increase your fruit and vegetable intake.

On average, only 20% of high school students in our country are eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. You might be like many families who don’t have easy access to stores that carry the produce your family needs. And even if you do have access to fresh produce, it’s another challenge to get your family to eat enough fruits and vegetables to feel as full as they would from eating a meal from a fast food restaurant. It takes planning and trial and error to increase the fresh fruits and veggies your family eats, but you will see many benefits over time.
Eat Non-Processed, Real Food. As you may know, childhood obesity rates have been increasing steadily over the past 30 years. During these same 30 years, our country has seen a rise in the amount of calories our kids are consuming in the form of fast food, food from convenience stores, and the many other snacks our children eat outside the home. It’s more commonly called junk food. And we have the opportunity to lower the amount of junk food our families are eating by increasing the amount of healthful, homemade meals and healthy snacks they consume. Get Rid of the Liquid Calories. In this country, we are drinking more sugar-filled beverages than ever before. And this trend has hit hardest with our kids. Sugar-sweetened beverages are now the largest source of added sugar in the diets of our nation’s youth. But the good news is that most of these sugar-filled beverages are consumed at home, so we as parents, as caregivers, as big brothers and sisters, can have a direct impact on decreasing the amount of empty calories our families are consuming from these sweet drinks. For more eating healthy tips, talk to your physician about how you can stay on track and not give in to your cravings.

By: Rohit On 10:05

Tuesday, 19 January 2016

The Spices Board to Set Up E-Platform for Cardamom Sale in Sikkim

The Spices Board of India will set up an electronic auction platform in next six months in Sikkim for sale of organic large cardamom to help farmers fetch better price. Sikkim produces about 90 per cent of the country's total output of 4,500 tonnes of large cardamom.

"There is huge demand for large cardamom. The Board has decided to establish an e-auction platform in the next six months which will help farmers fetch better price," said its Chairman A Jayathilak, on the sidelines of an exhibition on organic products here today.

At present, Sikkim farmers are selling the spice on the physical auction platform, set up by the Board in 2010-11. "In hilly areas, collection and transportation of the produce is a problem. Once the electronic auction (platform) is set up, farmers can check prices on website and accordingly take decision. They need not take their produce to the market," the official said.

This will also help farmers get higher price in view of rising domestic and export demand for the organic spice product, he said.

Currently, the auction price of large cardamom is ruling all time high at Rs 1,700 per kg here. "Farmers will get higher prices than this via electronic auction," he added. The Board is also planning to send SMS alerts with price details to the farmers registered with the Board as part of the Digital India programme, he said.

It will also hold a meeting of the state farmers with leading exporters tomorrow to promote export of ginger, turmeric and dalle chillies, among other organic products. India is the world's largest spices producer and exporter. The country's spices exports had touched a record USD 2.4 billion last fiscal.

By: Rohit On 11:23

Monday, 18 January 2016

The Secrets Of Laos In A Bowl of Soup

In a recent stroke of luck, I was able to join my parents on a last-minute trip to Laos. Naturally, the first thing on my mind was: What will the food be like? Never having encountered Lao cuisine in the United States, I had no idea what to expect. So my palate was piqued when we arrived in Luang Prabang, the country's former northern capital at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.

A Foodie Adventure

Once settled in we immediately sought out some local food and stumbled across a restaurant off the main road, named Bamboo Tree. Lured by the enticing scents of coconut and lemongrass and by a menu on which we recognized nothing -- always a good indicator of foodie adventure -- we sat down. The menu told of the restaurant's Lao chef and owner Linda Moukdavanh Rattana, who was raised cooking in her family's Lao restaurant and whose favorite dish was something called "Secret Soup," which combined classic local ingredients. Ordering it was a no-brainer.

Coconut Milk and Chilies

The soup arrived with a handsome buttery orange color that foretold of coconut milk and chilies, with green hints of basil and kaffir lime leaves. One slurp later I was in gastronomic exotica, floating through a savory journey of creamy coconut offset by tangy lemongrass, spicy ginger, citric lime, aromatic basil and kicking chili heat, rounded out by a rich harvest of vegetables. Somewhat to my culinary embarrassment, I am not usually a fan of coconut- and chili-based food -- Thai, mostly -- since I tend to find it too cloyingly sweet, spicy or oily. But this soup opened my taste buds to the complex yet comforting flavors these ingredients can have when plucked fresh and combined in a meticulous way that allows each subtle flavor to come forth. If this was Lao food, I needed to learn more. When I heard Linda offered cooking classes, I signed up.

By: Rohit On 09:56

Saturday, 16 January 2016

Every French Cook Knows How to Make This Simple Cake, and Now You Do, Too: Recipe

I've been a part-time Parisian for almost 20 years, but you wouldn't know it if you judged my assimilation by how lightly I tread in high heels, how stylishly I toss a shawl over my shoulder or how capable I am of eating a croissant without covering myself in buttery crumbs.

However, there's one thing I learned early on in my French life that I perfected immediately: the yogurt cake. It's as Gallic as a Duncan Hines cake is American, and it is as easy as the boxed mix, although it's homemade.For the most part, the French aren't ambitious home bakers the way we Americans are, but every French person I know, baker or not, can make a yogurt cake. And does. For Sunday lunch. For a kid's birthday. For an anniversary. For mama coming to town. For that time when you need a cake and can't get to the patisserie to buy one.And, by the way, when the French say "cake" (as opposed to gateau), they mean one baked in a loaf pan.The accompanying recipe has typical cake ingredients: eggs, sugar and flour. But instead of butter, there's oil, and there's always the eponymous yogurt. It's a very plain cake - think pound cake - with subtle flavor, firm texture, minimum sweetness and the ability to be just right, no matter the moment.I decided to take the recipe to the shores of the Mediterranean, substituting thick Greek yogurt for the yogurt ordinaire that's standard; swapping out vegetable oil for a mild olive oil; and flavoring the cake with more vanilla than is traditional as well as orange oil; and the hyper-aromatic zest of a couple of clementines, winter's sunniest fruit. I top the cake with the clementine pieces and glaze it with a few spoonfuls of warm honey, an optional touch, but one I like: For two minutes of effort you get a shine that's as good as a smile in the rain.To get all the flavor out of the clementine zest, grate it into the bowl with the sugar and use your hands to rub the two ingredients together until the sugar is slightly moist and very fragrant; if the mixture turns orange, so much the better. The rest of the recipe follows the usual add-and-beat progression. I use a whisk and a little vigor to beat the sugar with the yogurt, eggs and flavoring; a whisk and a little less vigor to incorporate the dry ingredients; and then a spatula and a softer touch to gradually stir in the oil.Turn the batter into a loaf pan, smooth the top, press the clementine segments into it, slide it into the oven, sit back and dream of Greek Islands, beaches in Spain, the French Cote d'Azur or any other paradisiacal port. This cake is a passport to your own personal Club Med.

By: Rohit On 12:21