четверг, 29 ноября 2018 г.

Iced coffee with almond milk: the latest trend

Iced coffee with almond milk: the latest trend
Iced coffee is an exquisite drink that will help you feel more invigorated and refresh yourself on a hot summer day. It is low-calorie, which means that the drink will not ruin your figure either.
According to legend, ancestors of today’s Oromo people in a region of Kaffa in Ethiopia were believed to have been the first to recognize the energizing effect of the coffee plant, though no direct evidence has been found indicating where in Africa coffee first grew or who among the native populations might have used it as a stimulant, earlier than the 15th century. The story of Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd who discovered coffee when he noticed how excited his goats became after eating the beans from a coffee plant, did not appear in writing until 1671 and is probably apocryphal.
Other accounts attribute the discovery of coffee to Sheikh Omar. According to an ancient chronicle (preserved in the Abd-Al-Kadir manuscript), Omar, who was known for his ability to cure the sick through prayer, was once exiled from Mocha in Yemen to a desert cave near Ousab (modern-day Wusab, about 90 km east of Zabid). Starving, Omar chewed berries from nearby shrubbery but found them to be bitter. He tried roasting the seeds to improve the flavor, but they became hard. He then tried boiling them to soften the seed, which resulted in a fragrant brown liquid. Upon drinking the liquid Omar was revitalized and sustained for days. As stories of this “miracle drug” reached Mocha, Omar was asked to return and was made a saint.
This recipe for cold coffee does not require a set of exotic and expensive products, so everyone can make it. This drink is served in chic restaurants with Michelin stars, so you can also pleasantly surprise your guests at your next dinner party.
So, for the ingredients you will need:
1. Ground coffee.
2. Milk made from almond, coconut or cow’s milk.
3. Honey.
4. Ice
5. Cinnamon and vanilla to taste.
First, brew a pot of strong coffee such as an american or espresso. Be sure to boil ground coffee in coffee pot. No freeze-dried coffee, it will only spoil the taste.
Then pour the coffee into a shaker (blender or other container) and add one cup of milk (coconut, almond, cow).
After that, we put ice cubes into a shaker. 5-6 pieces will be enough.
Then, instead of sugar, add 2 teaspoons of honey and beat with a mixer.
Add a few teaspoons of honey, cinnamon or vanilla extract for a little sweetness if desired.

Food from the microwave. Are microwave ovens dangerous? What is a microwave and when was it invented?

Food from the microwave. Are microwave ovens dangerous? What is a microwave and when was it invented?
Microwave ovens have taken a strong position in our kitchens. They significantly speed up the preparation and heating of food. Together with the undeniable merits of microwaves, their harmful effects on humans are also discussed. This is what my post is about today.
The history of microwave ovens
The very first patent for a microwave was issued back in 1946 in the USA. The world’s first microwave oven Radarange was released in 1947 by Raytheon and was not designed for cooking, but for the quick defrosting of food.
The installation was used only in the military. The size of the system was impressive – about the height of a person.
The mass of the furnace reached 340 kilograms. The initial power was 3 kW. The installation went to the serial production only in 1949. The official price in 1949 was $3,000.
How does a microwave work?
In order to warm up food, high-power electromagnetic waves are used in a microwave oven. They act on water molecules, penetrating into the structure of the products. Molecules start to move around the electromagnetic field and a friction effect is created, which causes the temperature of the food to rise. The whole process is carried out from the inside and takes only a few seconds, unlike usual ovens.
Is it more harmful or beneficial?
When food is heated in a microwave, its molecules move at a breakneck pace. Because of this, the integrity of the structure suffers. There is a deformation of the molecules and the disintegration of their shell. And at the output we get a product with a completely different molecular structure.
This is a scientific rationale for the harmful effect of a microwave oven on human health. Here are several factors that, according to experts, make the use of the microwave dangerous for humans:
– changes in the structure of food and as a result, that the food is more difficult to digest;
– the release of harmful carcinogens that increase the risk of cancer;
– the human body does not absorb the vitamins and mineral substances changed under the influence of electromagnetic waves;
– radiation can penetrate through the walls of the microwave oven and adversely affect the person;
– useful properties of food when heated in a microwave are lost and it becomes alien to the human body;
– a metal object that was inadvertently inside the furnace can lead to an explosion and injure a person
Swiss scientists conducted an experiment: they hired a man who was alternately fed food from a microwave and food cooked in the traditional way.

Soy – a natural and affordable nutritional product from the twenty-first century

Soy – a natural and affordable nutritional product from the twenty-first century
Soy is a real wonder food that is cheap compared to other mass food products in the twenty-first century. It is a nutritious source of protein and more. This is what my post is about today.
The best-selling food in the world is soy in one form or another. However, why is everyone so afraid of this word? Is it worth being afraid of?
Soy is a natural product and you should not be afraid of soy. For example, for more than two thousand years it has been the basis of Chinese cuisine.
Fresh or frozen soybeans are good to boil or can be steamed as a side dish. It can also be added to soups. It is proven that the constant consumption of soybeans reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (and significantly).
Soy is often included in the so-called Asian diets. Soybean can even protect against osteoporosis. Soy has great advantages – it protects against colon cancer and breast cancer.
Soybeans are available in dried, canned and frozen form. Soybean milk, soybean powder, soy protein and soybean flour are all in great demand. This product contains a lot of nutrients, as a result doctors recommend including soy in the diet.
Useful properties of soybeans:
1. Soy contains proteins and estrogens – they help the heart and create resistance to cancer.
2. For people with high cholesterol levels, adding soy is mandatory. Soy reduces the so-called bad cholesterol and increases the values of good cholesterol.
3. For those people who have normal or borderline cholesterol (approximately 200), soy helps with cholesterol reduction.
4. Soybean when replacing animal protein in food can prevent clogged arteries.
5. Soy contains vegetable estrogens called isoflavones.

Best Mediterranean resorts: France and Spain

среда, 28 ноября 2018 г.

Все о баклажанах

Баклажан – король сада. Пурпурно-черного цвета, с глянцевым блеском и шапочкой, похожей на корону, он выглядит как настоящая коронованная особа. Да и его вкус по достоинству оценит даже королевская семья! Аппетитные баклажаны по-пармски, фаршированные или жареные – эти овощи всегда произведут фурор на столе. Об этом мой блог сегодня.
Начало выращивания баклажанов
Баклажаны существуют уже давно. Это выходцы из Индии, но были они известны и в Аравии, где шейхи и шахи очень высоко ценили их. Арабы познакомили с ними жителей Испании, которые позднее привезли их в эту страну, и уже к 1806 году здесь выращивали как фиолетовые, так и белые сорта.
Одна из самых ранних ссылок на баклажаны – китайская книга пятого века. Похоже, что китаянки считали очень модным окрашивать свои зубы черным красителем из баклажанов. Затем они полировали зубы, пока те не начинали сиять подобно металлу.
Но баклажаны как еда или модный аксессуар были популярны не везде. В Европе 15-го и 16-го веков баклажаны назывались “безумными яблоками”, потому что считалось, что их употребление в пищу делает человека сумасшедшим. Даже когда этот страх начал угасать, европейцы все равно отказывались есть баклажаны, так как считали их ядовитыми. Баклажан является членом семейства пасленовых, как и помидоры, картофель, табак и белладонна. Глазные капли, полученные из белладонны (также называемой смертоносным пасленом), использовались модными женщинами для визуального увеличения глаз. Время от времени кто-нибудь из употреблявших белладонну умирал от последствий отравления. Неудивительно, что, ассоциируя баклажаны со смертоносным пасленом, люди избегали употреблять их в пищу.
Среди других интересных названий баклажанов – яблоко любви, гвинейская тыква, овсяная фасоль, гороховое яблоко, кукумбер и теронг. Еще более впечатляют такие эпитеты, как “яблоко Содома” и “яблоко еврея”. Немногие продукты могут похвастаться таким разнообразием имен.
Интересное о баклажанах
Очень старая легенда о ближневосточном или турецком происхождении баклажанов рассказывает об имаме (мусульманском священнике), который женился на женщине, чей богатый отец зарабатывал деньги в качестве торговца оливковым маслом. Приданым молодой невесты были 12 бочек оливкового масла. В течение 12 ночей жена имама подавала мужу блюдо из вкусного баклажана, приготовленного на оливковом масле, но на тринадцатую ночь на тарелке не оказалось этого вкусного овоща. Имам полюбопытствовал, почему так произошло. Когда жена сказала ему, что у нее закончилось оливковое масло, имам просто свалился в обморок. С этого времени фаршированное блюдо из баклажанов, заправленное луком, томатами и оливковым маслом, начали называть “имам балди”, что означает “обморок священника”. В другой версии этой истории имам был настолько сражен необыкновенным ароматом баклажана, что потерял сознание.
Поскольку баклажан является неотъемлемой частью турецкой кухни, он может появиться практически в любом блюде. Один из иностранных гостей Турции однажды попросил в конце трапезы: “мне просто обычную воду, без баклажанов, пожалуйста”.