Tuesday February 9, 2010
Countdown to Valentine's Day: 5 days
Do your Valentine's Day plans involve spending an intimate evening at home with your sweetie? What could be more romantic than dipping bite-sized chunks of tropical fruit and Sponge Cake into a warm bath of melted chocolate? To enhance the romantic atmosphere, serve the chocolate fondue in a small ceramic pot that uses a candle as the heat source. (Tip: If you're using dipping forks for the fruit, draw the forks right through the chocolate. This helps keep the chocolate at the bottom of the pot from burning).
More Decadent Chocolate Recipes:
Tuesday February 9, 2010
What is it that makes chocolate so irresistible? Partly it's the taste - a bite into a smooth, creamy piece of chocolate satisfies the most intense craving. But several chemical reactions are at work as well. Face it, chocolate just makes us feel good.
Now scientists have believe that chocolate may be good for you. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, contains the same powerful cancer-fighting anti-oxidants that are found in green tea. Take at look at my feature "Is Chocolate Healthier Than Green Tea?" and indulge your chocolate cravings on Valentine's Day (Besides, chocolate is rumoured to be an aphrodisiac!). Recipes include Shrimp With Green Tea Leaves, Chocolate Coated Fortune Cookies and a decadent Chocolate Fondue with Asian dippers.
Turning the tables - In Japan, women give chocolates to men on Valentine's Day.
Chocolate and Tea Leaves Photo © copyright 2006 by Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc
Monday February 8, 2010
Countdown to Chinese New Year: 6 daysFrom Spring Rolls with plum sauce to Sticky Rice Cake, these
recipes all feature symbolic foods that are considered to be lucky in Chinese culture. They are especially popular during the Chinese New Year season, but you can enjoy them all year long!
More Chinese New Year Recipes - Includes vegetarian and quick and easy dishes
Spring Rolls photo, Copyright © Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc
Sunday February 7, 2010
Red-cooked dishes are the perfect cold weather food. Red cooking consists of gently braising food in a flavorful soy sauce-based liquid with sugar and spices such as five-spice powder. In this recipe for Red Cooked Pork, chef Martin Yan marinates pork in a soy and five spice blend, and then braises it with an assortment of root vegetables in a Tsingtao Lager hoisin sauce.
More About Red Cooking:
Red Cooked Pork With Beer photo, Copyright © Martin Yan and TeamWorks Media, licensed to About.com, Inc
