canapes_cSmall party or dinner with friends is a very pleasant but not so easy thing. You have to make a menu, cook delicious dishes and serve some aperitifs before dinner. We offer you several advises how to make your dinner party great and realy pleasant, several recipes of canapes and some drinks before dinner.

Woman-Diseases_cToday, more than ever, women need to look after their health. As life has become steadily more pressurized, so the stresses and strains to which women are subjected have increased. A woman may be working full-time and holding together a family - cooking, cleaning, planning - being friend, mother and lover, all at once. As the emphasis of health care moves increasingly towards prevention rather than cure, women can use natural ways to alleviate some minor, yet irritating, conditions. They can also take control of their diet and make sure that they are providing their bodies with the best possible nutrition. Fresh juices, as well as other natural and unprocessed foods, have a role to play in achieving this.

food_decoration_cThe Chinese pay much attention to the presentation of their cuisine. This is why cutting techniques are so important since the size and shape of individual ingredients should harmonise with each other. We also like to decorate dishes with various kinds of garnish ranging from the simple spring onion brush to the elaborate tomato rose. Here are some instructions for making some simple, attractive garnishes.

pump1_cPumpkin's healing properties have been known for a long time. It is traditionally used for treating, for example, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol level, sexual inadequacy and cancer. This is a wonderful soup for the autumn: rich, golden and warming, and named after the 'heart of the sun' in its native South America.

overweight_cNowadays a lot of people suffer from obesity. Overweight people have more body fat than is optimally healthy. It causes many problems with health such as heart attack, diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, cancer etc. Even children often suffer from obesity. That's why we have to pay great attention to what we and our kids eat. And also there are some extraordinary methods of healing overweight. One of them is drinking a lot of juices that are made of certain fruit and vegetables (peaches, nectarines, apricots, broccoli, alfalfa etc.).

Chinese-Cooking-Techniques_cChinese chefs have their own preparation techniques: marinading, thickening, velveting etc., and cooking techniques: blanching, poaching, stir-frying, deep-frying, shallow-frying, slow-simmering, steeping, braising, red-braising, steaming, roasting, barbecuing, twice-cooking, re-heating foods and etc. To cook Chinese dishes you also need to know these techniques and picularities.

cuttingThe preparation of food for cooking is probably more important and more time-consuming in Chinese cookery than in any other cuisine. Although many dishes are cooked rapidly, this presupposes that every ingredient has been properly prepared beforehand and has been chopped into smallish, well shaped pieces to ensure even and quick cooking. This means that food can be cooked for a minimum of time so that it retains its natural texture and taste. The other reason for careful cutting is to enhance the visual appeal of a dish.

digestive-problems_cIndigestion, constipation, and bad breath are among the most common and frequent ailments to beset us. It's hardly surprising when you consider how busily the digestive system works all day long, supplied with almost constant food and drink. The meals that we eat are often too late, too much, too quick, too spicy, too fatty, and low in fibre; our chosen drinks are often fizzy, or caffeine-based; none of which helps our digestive systems to function at their best.

Watersuplies_cAre you worried about America's future? Who isn't?  When economic collapse strikes, who will you rely on? The government, your church, your neighbors, who? Yourself, that's who. Nobody else is in charge, but you. Your family is relying on you to see that they are well-prepared and in the event of a disaster, it's your duty to help them. Knowing how to store food for long term survival is an essential skill that few have. In early America food storage was necessary and practiced by all.

EquipmentTraditional Chinese cooking equipment is not essential for cooking Chinese food but there are a few items which will make it very much easier. Most items can be bought very cheaply, especially if you seek out authentic implements from a Chinese grocer rather than the more expensive versions sold in many department stores.

beef_mince_cEconomical and highly nutritious, mince is wonderfully versatile and can be used as the main ingredient in a wide range of dishes, from pates and pasta sauces to hamburgers, kebabs, meatballs and meat loaves. Mince is a cheap form of protein and a little can be padded out with vegetables, pasta or rice to make a more substantial meal.

chinese_ingredients_cChinese cooking would not be 'Chinese' without the use of a number of specialist ingredients which give Chinese foods their distinctive flavours. All the ingredients used in the recipes in this book can be obtained in this country, if not from your local supermarket then certainly from a Chinese grocer. There are now many Chinese grocers throughout the US. It is well worth the effort to find your nearest Chinese grocer and to build up a stock of the most frequently used ingredients. Many, particularly soy sauce, vary enormously in quality, but most Chinese grocers stock good authentic brands at reasonable prices.

pasta_cThere are dozens of different types of pasta and some are more suited to a particular dish than others, but pasta of a similar shape may be substituted in any of the recipes. Here are cooking time and advices for use of different types of Italian pasta: Lasagne, Pappardelle, Tagliatelle, Fettucine, Spaghetti, Spaghettini, Vermicelli, Macaroni, Bucatini, Rigatoni, Penne, Cannelloni, Conchiglie, Fiochetti, Farfalle, Fusilli, Tortiglioni, Lumache, Rotini, Anelli, Pastina, Egg Noodles, Rice Noodles, Transparent (Cellophane) Noodles.

chinese-cookery_cNowadays Chinese food is very popular in different countries, especially in US. But not all of us know much about Chinese cooking and Chinese culture in general. For example, do you know that Chinese greeting 'Chi fan le mei you?' is translated as 'Have you eaten yet?' For Chinese people food is more than a passion, it is an obsession, and good eating is believed to be essential to good living.

Steaming Shrimps in an Electric Food SteamerSteaming seafood, especially shrimps, in an electric food steamer is almost fool proof, for having perfectly cooked fish and seafood.

With an electric food steamer you just put your seafood in, fill it with water, set the timer and then you're free to do something else. We have cooked hundreds of pounds of shrimps in one of these. Once you get on to cooking with a food steamer, you will be cooking your entire meal in it.