Bean Soup aka Pasta e Fagioli

By: Peggy Bloodworth

Don't you just love bean soup in the winter? This is an Italian version that we think is very good. Use any dried white bean you have. I particularly like the white kidney beans, but any of them will do. I also like the little tubular pasta that isn't much bigger than the beans. It holds some of the thick liquid and the size seems just right. Also, have lots of extra parmesan cheese at the table for stirring in at the last minute. Add some crusty bread and a salad and you've got a perfect winter supper.

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 1½ cups dried white beans: navy, baby lima, or northern
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups canned Italian-style tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup each of celery and carrots, finely chopped and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped, or 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• ½ pound cooked smoked ham, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ cup macaroni (shells, bows, or elbows), uncooked
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Procedure

1. Place water and beans in saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
4. Add the onion, tomatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, smoked ham, and bay leaves.
5. Mix well and bring to a boil over high heat.
6. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until beans are tender (about 1½ hours). Stir frequently.
7. Add macaroni and mix well. Cover and continue simmering until macaroni is tender (about 12 minutes).
8. Remove and throw out bay leaves before serving.
9. Serve hot soup in individual bowls with a side dish of Parmesan cheese for the guests to sprinkle into their soup. Serve with crusty bread to dip in the soup.

Tips on Choosing a Good Dessert Wine

By: Derek Rogers,SITE
For people who love sweets, a meal is not completely satisfying unless it finishes off with a sumptuous dessert. Some of the most popularly sought after desserts include cakes, pastries, fruits, pies, nuts, sorbet, breads, pudding and chocolates. While they are great on their own, their flavours can be enhanced and complemented by the perfect wine. But how does one know what wine to match which dessert?

A good dessert wine serves to bring about the best in every dessert. The popular notion of wine is different when it comes to dessert wines though; this is because dessert wines are especially sweet. As such, a dessert that doesn't compete with the sugariness of the wine is a good option. For instance, dark chocolates that contain more than half of cocoa ingredients in it go well with a dessert wine. The basic guide then in choosing matching desserts and wines is to get to know how different dessert wine selections taste like.

Sauternes wines from France are made from Sémillon grape, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscadelle grapes. These wines almost have a yellowish or golden colour and they have a citrus taste. The Gewürztraminer and Tokay Pinot Gris wines in particular are great with chocolates and other intensely flavourful afters.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, the port red wines are known for their enticing flavours and alcohol content. They come in tawny, ruby, and vintage varieties. Tawny ports have a suave nut-like tang to it that go well with toffee and milk chocolates. In the meantime, vintage ports are so zesty that they are best with banana cream pies, dark chocolates, and walnuts. All the port varieties are generally enhanced with pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, chocolate mousse and cobblers. Similarly, Vin Santo from Italy has a nutty essence that is likened to a hazelnut. The sweetness is not that much that it can be taken with almond cakes, almond shortbreads, and biscotti.

Interestingly, there are wines that are manufactured from grapes that are covered with ice on the vine. In Germany, they are appropriately called ice wines and they have a balanced, sugar-enriched and invigorating acid flavour. Consequently, ice wines can be paired off with desserts like apples, peaches, pears and hazelnuts. Thinking about ice wines might make you imagine ice cream with dessert wine together, but unfortunately, the cold can mute the taste buds that sorbets are not to be served with sweet wines.

Muscat wines are for individuals who enjoy munching on raisins as they are crushed from grapes that are typically made into raisins. It likewise has this rich aroma and a taste that is very similar with mild fruits such as peaches and apricots. To achieve the palatable temptation of Muscat wines, the dessert should be composed of smooth Tiramisu, milk chocolate or white chocolate.

All these wines are highly recommended, however, tasting them on your own can prove to be delightful for you and your guests. This experience then can be used until wine and dessert matching becomes an addition to your expertise.

Indian Food

By: Malika Harricharan, SITE

Indian Food and Indian Restaurants are common in many parts of the world , but in my pocket of the world they seem to be few and far between. I realized that many Americans may not be accustomed to Indian Food; what to order at an Indian Restaurant or the proper way to eat Indian Food. Since I grew up eating Indian Food, it is natural for me to tear my naan up and soak up the yummy curry. That is why I wanted to put together a short article outlining some common Indian dishes and what you may want to order at an Indian Restaurant. I hope this will encourage you to give Indian Food a try.

More than likely, you will start out with complimentary poppadoms. These are like very thin crackers, but much larger. There are usually 3 sauces or chutneys that go along with poppadoms, a lime green sauce made with cilantro that is somewhat spicy, a dark brown sauce which is very sweet (save some for later, I will tell you why in a moment), and a mango chutney which is very good but pretty hot.

Appetizers:

More than likely you will see Samosas on a an appetizer menu at Indian restaurants. These are a safe option as they are full of flavor but not spicy. They are triangular pastries that are filled with potatoes, peas and other vegetables. The sweet, brown chutney I told you to hang on to goes great on these.

Main Entrees:

Tandoori: Tandoori is always a safe option. This is not a hot and spicy dish at all. It has no heavy sauce to it either. It is simply cooked in a clay oven known as a Tandoori, hence the name. Do not be freaked out by the color. It will come out with a red color especially if you order the chicken. It looks a little weird but it tastes great.

Biryani: (Pronounced beer-e-ani)Think of Biryani as the Indian version of Chinese Fried Rice. It is rice with vegetables (usually including raisins) with your choice of meat. Lamb Biryani is really good. Really it is good with any meat. I probably would not recommend getting Biryani with shrimp. Again, this is another safe choice as it will not be a spicy dish.

Curry: This is really a thick gravy full of cumin, garlic, tamarind and a bunch of other tasty spices made to the hotness of your request. Curry is by far the most well known Indian dish. I like it with beef, lamb, chicken or shrimp.

Masala: This is a creamy tomato sauce which is extremely tasty. Usually it is not overly spicy but you should ask just to be sure. One of my favorites at Indian Restaurant is Chicken Tikka Masala. As a matter of fact, I read somewhere that Chicken Tikka Masala is the number one most ordered dish in England. Having a large Indian population, Indian restaurants seem to pop up everywhere in England. In fact, Indian Food is all I ever want to eat when I go to England.

Vindaloo: (Pronounced Vind-aloo) HOT HOT HOT!! This is one of the hottest dishes you can order. Again, it is made with various spices like curry, but it is really hot. It is so hot in fact, I am not able to eat it and enjoy it. To my palette, the pepper overpowers any other flavor and I cannot enjoy the dish. WARNING: This dish is not for an Indian Food virgin.

It is typical for these dishes to come with basmati (Indian white rice). But you are missing out if you do not order some delicious nann (bread pancakes) to eat with your curry. Part of the experience of eating Indian Food is using your hands to soak up the gravy with the naan.

Although there are various types of naan I recommend starting with something simple like plain nann, or garlic. You usually get 2 pieces which is a gracious plenty for 1 person. You might want to consider 2 orders for 2 people and if there are leftovers they are great for breakfast in the morning.

Indian restaurants do not typically offer any vegetable side dish with the entrees. This is probably because so many Indians are vegetarians, the vegetable entrees are a main course by themselves. Indian curries tend to have very rich sauces and those along with rice and naan will fill you up quickly. But if you feel it necessary to order a vegetable I recommend something with aloo (potato) or baigon (eggplant).

Traditional Chinese Food - For the Dragon Boat Festival

By: Ian Ford, SITE

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This usually falls in the first half of June.

The festival honours Qu Yuan, who was a poet and high official in the state of Chu. There are several variations on the story but all end with Qu Yuan drowning himself in the Miluo River on the 5th of the 5th, 278 B.C.E.

One versions says that Qu Yuan believed passionately in social reforms but this upset more conservative members of the court. They talked the king into banishing Qu Yuan, a punishment he was unable or unwilling to accept.

Another version says that he warned against the threat from a neighbouring state only to be ignored. When that state attacked and took the capital he wrote one last poem before committing suicide.

The festival arose as his fellow countrymen honoured the memory of Qu Yuan by racing Dragon Boats to the presumed spot of his drowning. They threw special pyramid-shaped sticky rice cakes wrapped in leaves into the water to feed his soul. These Zongzi now form an essential part of any Dragon Boat Festival.

Some say the rice cakes were made like this to feed the fish, preventing them from eating his corpse. Others say that Qu Yuan appeared to fishermen in a dream complaining that their original offerings were being taken by a local dragon, hence the need for a lily leaf wrapping.

Whichever story is true, it is interesting to have a symbolism to any foodstuff, and nice to see a patriot being honoured, even if a little too late.

Zongzi are made from sticky or glutinous rice and shaped as a pyramid. Over time, the style of the wrapping and the contents have evolved to suit local conditions all over China.

Zongzi now often contain bean or nut paste in the centre (peanuts and walnuts being favourites), or even egg or meat.

The wrapping is usually of any common local leaf. Bamboo leaves are used in the south, maize and other similar leaves further north.

The Zongzi are steamed or boiled for hours allowing the flavour of the contents and the leaves to seep into the rice, producing a whole range of snacks rather than one distinct dish.

Japanese Food - Five Dishes for Newcomers

By: Michael Russel, SITE

Japanese food, once little more than a niche occupant in the greater scope of American cuisine, has become increasingly popular in recent years. The harmony of flavors and lightness emphasized in the typical Japanese dish appeals to the palettes of many in the United States, where heavy and often deep fried foods have long dominated the market. Many people remain reluctant about exploring this aspect of ethnic cuisine, however, for fear that they'll find something on their plate which appears as though it came from the Iron Chef. This is far from the truth! The intent of this article is to introduce readers to a variety of different Japanese dishes, that they might go out and try something new without fear of what they'll be eating.

Domburi: This dish is quite simply a bowl of rice adorned with some sort of topping. A variety of toppings are popular in Japan, many of which have successfully migrated across the Pacific and into American restaurants. One example of this dish is oyakodon, which uses both chicken and egg for its topping. Another sort of domburi, gyudon, is beefy in flavor and more popular in Japan as fast food. Those of you who are especially outgoing tasters might like to sample unadon, a type of domburi wherein strips of grilled eel coated in a thick soya sauce are used to top the rice bowl.

Ramen: This soup dish has been a staple of the American college student's diet for years. Wildly popular around the world, ramen is to the Japanese what a burger and fries are to your average United States native. Ramen comes in a variety of bases and is best recognized for its long, slender noodles. Complimenting these noodles are such ingredients as dumplings, pork, miso (fermented soybeans) and soya sauce. It's interesting to note that ramen originated in China, rather than Japan, but the dish is almost always associated with the latter source nowadays.

Sashimi: This dish is often mistaken for sushi by those still new to the realm of Japanese cuisine. Although it is often presented artistically, the fact remains that sashimi is raw fish, a truth which turns the stomach of many a squeamish American. Several types of sashimi are served, the most popular of which is probably tuna. Diners should be lend particular attention to the scent when partaking of this dish. The fish used to prepare sashimi must be exceptionally fresh and as such, it should be devoid of any fishy scent.

Sushi: Perhaps the most well-recognized of all Japanese dishes, sushi has become particularly popular in trendy regions of the United States. It is served in too many variations to list completely in the space of this article. To be considered sushi, however, the dish must contain rice that has been prepared with sushi vinegar. The most recognized form of sushi is probably norimaki, or sushi rolls. These rolls contain sushi rice and various sorts of seafood rolled in sheets of dried seaweed. Norimaki often includes vegetables, as well.

Tempura: This dish has also become quite popular within Japan and across the globe. Tempura is something of a finger food, consisting of differing types of seafood and/or vegetables fried in a special batter. The end result is a delightful treat which is crisp without being heavy, as is often the case with deep fried cuisine in America. The ingredients featured in tempura are too numerous to possibly list and often vary wildly from one restaurant to the next.

Indonesian Traditional Foods

By: Sisca Azma,SITE
Your travel to Indonesia would not complete without having its traditional foods. Below are some of those foods you should not miss them when you come to that country.

Indonesia consists of many islands and many provinces. There are five big islands and more than thirty provinces altogether, and each provinces has its own unique traditional foods.

Jakarta, the capital city of the country, or as its original people called as Betawi, has Kerak Telor as its traditional food. This food can not be easy to find nowadays as Jakarta people like to flock to fast food restaurants and other modern foods which are scattered throughout the city. Kerak Telor would be easy to find on June and July when Jakarta celebrates its annyversary. The celebrations usually takes place at Kemayoran, and there will be many people selling Kerak Telor there. So, if you would like to try this Betawi traditional food, I would advise you to come to Kemayoran on June or July.

Another food from Betawi is Roti Buaya, made of bread in a crocodile shape. This Roti Buaya usually served at a Betawi’s traditional wedding ceremony. Beside Kerak Telor and Roti Buaya, there are also Ketoprak, and Soto Betawi.

Bogor is a small town near Jakarta. Its unique traditional food is Asinan Bogor. In the contrary with Kerak Telor, you can almost find this food anytime you want. Just come to this town, ask people wherever they are, they will guide you to any place selling Asinan Bogor.

Empek-empek is another Indonesian traditional food from Palembang. This province is located in Sumatra Island. This food is so popular that you do not have to go across that island to try this one. There are many Palembang people in Jakarta or in other town selling this food.

Bandung, the capital city of West Java, has many unique traditional foods. Lalapan is one of them. Lalapan is fresh vegetables accompanied by sambal or you may also say spicy sauce. Many believe that Bandung people, usually called as Sundanese, would struggle living in a vegetarial garden because of this lalapan.

Other famous Bandung traditional foods are nasi timbel, comro, batagor, peuyeum, etc. Nasi timbel is rice wrapped in banana leaves, usually served with fried chicken, lalapan, and sambal or spicy sauce. Peuyeum, which is soft and tastes sweet, made of fermented sago. Batagor, also called as baso tahu goreng, is fried meatball and tofu with peanut sausage.

Gudeg is another traditional food which comes from Yogyakarta. Gudeg is made of young jackfruit which is cooked in Javanese traditional way. Like other Javanese foods, gudeg is rather sweety than salty. Other ingredients accompanying the young jackfruit are egg, tofu, and tempe. People usually eat gudeg together with warm rice and spicy krecek. If you have a chance to come to Yogyakarta, do not miss to try this food as Yogyakarta is also known as Kota Gudeg, means The City of Gudeg.

Rawon rice is traditional food from East Java. Rawon rice is rice served with dark beef soup. The dark color of the soup comes from seeds of kluwek nuts. Rendang or spicy beef comes from Padang, West Sumatra. Padang is famous for its spicy foods, and many of its foods use coconut milk as ingredient.

Another Indonesian traditional food is otak-otak. This food is made from steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves. You can find the great taste of otak-otak in serang city. Beside otak-otak, Serang city is also famous for its Bandeng fish. Be sure to try them when visiting Serang city.