by wildcherry on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 | Dining, Travel | No Comments

A good wine choice can mean a lot of difference to your food. Wine connoisseurs know that there are wines that compliment certain kinds of foods. Knowing which wine goes with what dish is a great skill. If you have seen a wine menu or a wine list, you would know that ordering wine can be daunting especially if a restaurant offers a wide selection of wines. You can’t be blamed if you’d end up confused.

If you have no idea at all what to get, you should always seek assistance. It’s always better to admit ignorance then to commit mistake by pretending that you know what you are doing.

A good wine menu has all kinds of information about every wine listed. You would find the name, manufacturer, country of origin, wine description, vintage and meal suggestions. If you have guests, it is a good idea to get their wine preference. Courtesy dictates that you should let your guests choose their meal and wine combination. There are people who have particular taste for wines. Their choice may not suit a particular dish but let them enjoy their wine and meal.

These four questions will help you choose the right wine.

1. What is the main dish? Is it fish, chicken or beef?
2. How will it be cooked? Will it be grilled, baked, lightly fried, or pan-fried?
3. Is the main dish accompanied by a sauce and if so, what kind of sauce and what are its flavors?
4. Will there be any side dishes and how will their flavors impact your wine choice?

There are many different types of wine choices available today, so the basic wine rules may not always apply, but generally speaking these rules remain for the most part, still accurate for helping you make the right wine choice: white wines with poultry and fish, and red wines with beef.

When choosing your wines “think wine power”.

Generally speaking, red wines will work best with dishes that are rich, heavy and have a big flavor. When choosing a beef dish, you should consider the powerful strength of beef and choose a wine that has equal power. This rule also is effective for dishes that are served in rich, thick, heavy, full-of-herbs types of sauces. The reason why red wines and beef goes well together is that red wines contains tannins which mixes with proteins, allowing the flavors to blend well together. White wines do not contain tannins and therefore generally do not work well with red meats.

White wines works best with light foods, such as chicken, turkey or fish. Color and the aromatic smells of the flavors influence taste buds and wines that are lighter, such as white wines, will complement the meal and not overpower the flavors of the foods. Even in light types of foods, the type of sauce that is paired with the dish can influence the taste of the wine with the food. This changes the definition of light, and now that dish might be better paired with a red wine or Rose or a wine that has a bit more spice.

When you are having a multiple course meal, you should have more than one wine choice. To make one wine work for an multiple course meal would be difficult because of the multiple of flavors. If possible, choose a wine that is appropriate for the appetizer or first course, and then change the wine for the main dish, and then change the wine again for the dessert choice.

Start off with a lighter wine (usually white, or light tasting wines) and then move to the more full-bodied types of wine (red wines and burgundy’s) and then move to the dessert wines (ports & muscats.) Wines that have low acid can often be overwhelmed even with foods that are light in taste. Acidic wines that you would not drink alone can be quite wonderful when paired with the right food choice. The following examples of going from light to more full-bodied wines are: White Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewrztraminer and Chardonnay. In the red wines, go from the lighter tasting red wines to red wines that are more full-bodied: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

You can’t go wrong, when you choose a wine that you know you like.

Tags: Red Wine Pairing, White Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairing, Wine Connoisseurs, Wine Delivery, Wine Online, Wine Pairing, Wine Rating, Wine Reviews, Wine Shop, Wine Shops, Wines

by nate on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 | Attraction, Diary, Dining, Knowledge, Places to Visit, Tips, Travel | No Comments

I just made a recent visit for my brother’s wedding in Bali, one of thousands unique and exotic islands in Indonesia. It has been 11 years since my last trip to the “Dewata (gods) Island”, when about 100+ friends of mine were celebrating the Junior High graduation. My first word when I arrived there was,” AWESOME”

Bali has been famous for its beaches and their waves (surfing), historic spots, friendly locals, tropical weather and their exotic foods (babi guling). When you visit Bali, you’ll see foreigners are everywhere from the main street to the small streets. I would say it’s one of the world’s destinated island. You’ll also encounter with happy and very friendly people there. One funny statement comes from my driver’s words was that Bali is the short of “BAnyak LIbur” (lots of holidays). This might be true because majority of visitors are there for a vacation all seasons, just like Hawaii. Unfortunately, according to few locals whom I had a chance to speak with, the bombings happened in October 12, 2002 (Kuta) and the latest one was in 2005 (also in the month of October) by terrorists attacks had caused Bali to suffer the down-streaming of tourism. Numbers of people in Bali had gone jobless, as they depend their daily income from the tourism sector. GOOD NEWS!! Indonesian government in Bali and Bali’s locale have strengthen their security and in result, they have regained back the trust of tourists around the world. The newspaper at the airport says that the current number of tourists that visit Bali has increased more than 50% from last year. No wonder, most of the streets are busy nowadays.

Here some of the highlights I had during my trip:

• Seminyak shore (views from the rear gate of the hotel I stayed at my first night).

I personally think this beach is cleaner and nicer than Kuta for a relaxation, since there are less people in there. Just like other beaches in Bali, there are locals who offers service of unique tattoos, local jewelry and accessories, and massage theraphy.

•  Bali’s scent. Composed of small herbs and flowers, used as a “good luck charm” wishes, they put it inside their vehicles, or you’ll see it a  lot outside their stores.

• Jimbaran. This is the place where we had dinner, right on the beach, beau, beauty, beautiful places. The food is considerably cheap and has a very tasty signature *everybody would recommend this seafood place if you’re looking for seafood restaurant to eat.

• FREE traditional music entertainment while you had your delicious food.

• Jimbaran at Sunset (courtesy of “Ella”)

• Taliwang Chicken, a signature food of Lombok Island, an island further east to Bali.

• traffic in Bali

• the famous “Tirtha Uluwatu” chapel *sorry I can’t upload their full-architectural images due to their copyrights.

• sea views from the chapel, cliffs

• Quicksilver trip.
After the wedding day, we had a chance to enjoy the vacation by riding a submarine. First, they took us on a small cruise ship. This isn’t a pleasant ride for everybody, I really recommend you to try to get inside the deck, 1st floor and take the pill they provide to avoid seasick/ motion-sickness. After a ± 50 minutes ride on the ship, we, then transferred into a small harbor, full with food ( all-you-can-eat) but personally, the food is not that great and I recommend you to eat just enough, not too much, since you’re gonna do a lot of activities.

From the temporary stop place, you can choose variety of activities from snorkle, going to the nearest island (Petantu Island), going to the submarine, etc or you can just stay there for the food-fiesta. We decided to visit the island first to get rid of the motion sickness feelings.

• a woman making a traditional garment

• We took off to the submarine from the island and viewed a very beautiful under water creatures and corals right inside the submarine.

• pasar ubud

This market sells accessories and gifts

• Antonio Blanco museum

Admission is Rp. 30.000,- per person, and you’ll get a coffee taste-welcome tea on top of world’s rank paintings and his story of life, very very good!!!

Tags: Antonio Blanco, Bali, Bali Bombings, Bali Hotels, Bali Travel, beach, beaches, coconut, Denpasar, destination, exotic fruit, exotic place, Mario Blanco, museum, places in Bali, sunset, ubud, vacation

by bintangkecil on Friday, September 11th, 2009 | Dining, Travel | No Comments

Hoki is a type of fish in the hake family, found off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia. The fish are known by a number of other names, including blue grenadiers, blue hake, whiptails, whiptail hake, and New Zealand whiting. The fish have dense white flesh which is rich in omega-3 acids, making it a good dietary choice. Studies on the hoki fishery have also suggested that the fish are a reasonably environmentally sustainable choice, for consumers who are concerned about fishery management.

The fish tend to live in the middle depths of the water, and they feed on small crustaceans. Larger fish species as well as humans find hoki quite acceptable food, but the fish reproduce in large numbers, so the population stays relatively stable. Hoki fish also mature very rapidly, growing to a size of up to 47 inches (120 centimeters). These factors were considered when the hoki fishery was evaluated for sustainability, along with other issues like fishing techniques and accepted practices on fishing boats.

In appearance, the fish have long wedge shaped bodies which become narrower at the tail, with slim fins and a blue-green to silver color pattern. Their eyes are quite large, and the fish also have the classic protruding jaw associated with many hake and cod. The large eyes make the fish appear perpetually startled, and they are probably quite useful in the murky waters that the fish favor. Should you care to address a hoki formally, the scientific name for the fish is Macruronus novazelandiae.

In New Zealand, hoki comprise the largest commercial fish species. Because of the high volume of catch, the fishery is closely monitored to ensure that the fish are not being excessively exploited. Although the fish population appears to be stable, some concerns have been raised about bycatch and dumping related to the hoki industry. By aggressively managing the fishery, the New Zealand government hopes to keep hoki sustainable and economically viable.

Most typically, hoki is available frozen, as the fish does not keep well otherwise. The fish can be used in cooking just like hake or cod would be. The dense flesh holds up very well to saute and grilling, and the fish may also be baked or steamed. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet, and the fish pair well with a wide assortment of sauces and vegetables.

Filleting hoki

Deep-sea hoki is caught during winter and sold as fillets. Since the mid-1990s most hoki has been caught by large factory trawlers and is filleted and frozen at sea. But in 1992, when this photo was taken, the fish were being brought ashore for processing. These Cook Strait Seafoods workers were filleting between 30 and 35 tonnes a day.

Tags: blue grenadiers, blue hake, deep-sea hoki, filet o fish, hoki, hoki fish, hoki fish picture, hoki fish pictures, hoki fish wiki, hoki new zealand, hoki nz, hoki pictures, hoki wiki, hokie, Macruronus novazelandiae, New Zealand whiting, orange roughy, whiptail hake, whiptails

by bintangkecil on Monday, August 24th, 2009 | Dining, Health, News | 3 Comments

The KFC Double Down is the latest brain child from the people at Kentucky Fried Chicken, looking to take advantage of fans of their products. The KFC Double Down sandwich isn’t your typical chicken sandwich either, as this selection is going to be served without bread (yes, no bread!!), all with the intent to become a niche product that people enjoy as an alternative to the regular burger. The KFC Double Down sandwich is a bold move, taking full advantage of the chicken that has made Kentucky Fried Chicken such a household name, but at the same time it could also be considered one of the unhealthiest options on the market.

The KFC Double Down sandwich is actually being called the KFC Double Down Burger by those who have seen it first hand, and from the pictures; wow it is quite a sight. The KFC Double Down sandwich is going to consist of two slices of bacon, a slice of pepper jack cheese, a slice of Swiss cheese, and some of the Colonel’s secret sauce. Serving as the bun on both ends of the sandwich will be two filets of KFC original recipe chicken. You read that correctly, the bun on this sandwich is actually two pieces of KFC original recipe chicken, making it an interesting, if not intriguing option that could appear on the KFC menu.

Where the KFC Double Down is being sold, the response has been quite positive. One of the testing locations in Omaha, Nebraska reported that the sandwich had even exceeded expectations at the store. That is pretty impressive for the KFC Double Down already, and shows that this type of fast food fare may actually have a place within the industry. A test commercial has already been making its way around the Midwest, and could lead the KFC Double Down to becoming a menu item around the country if it finds some quick success. One news source calculated the nutritional value of the KFC Double Down though, and the results aren’t very healthy. According to the Vancouver Sun, they claim that this one sandwich could provide more than the daily recommended allowances of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and protein in one sitting.

Tags: bembos, big tasty, double down kfc, double down sandwich, healthy fast food, kentucky fried chicken, kfc, kfc double down, kfc double down sandwich, kfc new sandwich, kfc sandwich without bread, martin knoll, meki, solaria, unhealthy fast food

by justinmark on Monday, May 25th, 2009 | Dining, Knowledge, Travel | No Comments

Baskin Robbins is chain of ice cream parlour around the world. It has lots of verity with different age groups support. Baskin Robbins has products about ice cream, shakes, crepes, beverages, sandaes and cakes, It has lots of verities with every category based food products. But how the Baskin Robbins did come into eyes of people and became of taste of tongue.

Baskin Robbins is founded by two men with hard work and for their dreams come to true. This is combination of two competitors of each other in same business type that comes into one unity in 1953. There were two men, both were brother-in-law named Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins, they both have their venture related to Ice cream with respectively name Burt’s Ice Cream shop and Irv’s Snowbird Ice Cream. Snowbird Ice cream served ice cream with 21 flavors and after merging, they came to market with 31 flavors.

Baskin Robbins is known for its slogan “31 flavors” and this idea came with came from the Carson-Roberts advertising agency, in 1953. It claims to be world’s largest ice cream franchise with more than 5800 locations. It sells ice cream among the 30 countries like India, Pakistan, UAE, UK, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Bahrain, South Korea, Panama, Taiwan and Malaysia.

In Corporate, with first franchise was executed of Ice Cream in May 20 in 1948 for the store at 1130 South Adams in Glendale which was one of six opened stores in 1948. Next succeed year, they opened their production facility. They decided to sell their stores to managers, and then first franchised food business. In 1953, they hired to Carson-Roberts Advertising and with 31 flavors based store was opened in 804 North Glendale Ave. in Glendale, California. In November of 1962, the company was succeed to Baskin Robbins Inc. with past name of Huntington Ice Cream Company. This company also became first to introduce ice cream cakes.

In 1972, The company became to public with selling of 17% share by the United Brands Company which hired to Baskin Robbins Inc after the death of Burt Baskin. 1793, the J Lycon acquired to United Brands and merged with Allied Breweries company and became to Allied-Lycon in 1978. Allied-Lycon is merged with Pedro Domecq S.A. in 1994 and became Allied Domeq.

Tags: Bahrain, Baskin, baskin robbins, dubai, gulf, ice creams, middle east, oman, Qatar, Robbins, Saudi Arabia, uae

by nate on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 | Dining, Knowledge, Places to Visit, Products Review, Travel | 2 Comments

by bintangkecil on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 | Deals, Dining, Hot | 1 Comment

Free pancakes will be served at area IHOP restaurants from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb 24, 2009.

IHOP restaurants will celebrate the day by offering guests a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes*, while asking for donations to the Children’s Miracle Network program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. IHOP nationwide hopes to raise $1 million to benefit children’s hospitals and other charities.

* There is a limit of one free short stack per guest. The offer is valid at participating restaurants for dine-in only while supplies last and is not valid with any other offer, special coupon or discount.

Visit IHOP website for more details!

Tags: fat tuesday, free pancake day, free pancakes at ihop, ihop free pancake, pancake day

by wildcherry on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 | Dining, Travel | 2 Comments

When will I get a lunch box like these???

Bento, boxed meals designed to be carried around and eaten away from home, have long been a part of the Japanese lifestyle. In the past bento were simple affairs consisting largely of hand-pressed rice balls known as onigiri. In modern times, however, numerous varieties of bento have evolved, including some that are so elegant and colorful in their presentation that they might easily pass for works of art. A boxed lunch typically contains a serving of rice and various small servings of side dishes, including a simple salad or some fruit.

Children take bento to school trips and sports days, while adults often take them to work and to outdoor events like cherry-blossom viewing parties. Another variety of bento is known as eki-ben (“station bento”). Rail passengers purchase these meals at stations and eat them at their seats as they watch the scenery go by. Many eki-ben feature delicious local specialties, and these boxed meals have become a highlight of long distance rail journeys for many travelers.

Made by Anna the Red, see more images via Flickr

Tags: bento, bento art, cute bento, cute lunch box, lunch box

by wildcherry on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 | Dining, Travel | 18 Comments

1. Rambutan
Native to Malay Archipelago, Southeast Asia
Coming from an evergreen tree, the Rambutan fruit resembles the Lychees, have a leathery red skin and are covered with spines. Rambutan is a popular garden fruit tree and one of the most famous in Southeast Asia. The fruit is sweet and juicy, being commonly found in jams or available canned.

2. Jackfruit
Native to southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka
Jackfruit is a common fruit for Asia and Australia and considered as one of the largest tree borne fruit in the world. The juicy pulp around the seeds have a taste similar to pineapple, but milder. Apart from canned jackfruit, it is also available as sweet chips. The wood of the tree is used for making various musical instruments, while the fruit is a common ingredient for many Asian dishes.

3. Passion Fruit
Native to South America, grown in India, New Zealand, Brazil, etc
The passion fruit has a soft, juicy interior full of seeds, being commonly found in juices to boost their flavors. There are two types of passion fruit: the golden one (maracuyá), similar to a grapefruit and the dark purple passion fruit (gulupa), comparable in terms of size with a lemon. However, the latter ones have been reported as being mildly poisonous.

4. Lychee
Native to southern China, found in India, Taiwan
Coming from an evergreen tree, the lychee or litchi are small white flesh fruits, covered in a red rind, rich in vitamin C and with a grape-like texture. The fruit has started making its appearance in markets worldwide, refrigerated or canned with its taste intact.

5. Star fruit
Native to Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka
The star fruit comes from the carambola, a species of tree with pink flowers grown even in the US. The golden-yellow fruit is crunchy, sweet, with a taste of pineapples, apples and kiwis combined. There are two kinds of star fruits - acidulate and sweet, both rich in vitamin C. The fruit is particularly juice, some even making wine out of it.

6. Mangosteen
Native to the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas.
The mangosteen is another evergreen tree that produces oddly shaped fruits. The fruits are purple, creamy, described as citrus with a hint of peach. It is rich in antioxidants, some scientists even suggesting it can lower risk against certain human diseases, such as cancer. There are even legends about Queen Victoria offering a reward to the one that brings her the fruit.

7. Kumquat
Native to China
The kumquats or cumquats are small edible fruits resembling oranges that grow in a tree related to the Citrus. As with most of the fruits in the Citrus family, the kumquats are eaten raw. They are often used in marmalade and jelly but also in alcoholic drinks such as liquor. The Taiwanese add it to their teas, while others boil it and use it as a remedy for sore throats.

8. Durian
Native to Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia
Also known as the “King of Fruits,” Durian has a very particular odor, a unique taste and is covered by a hard husk. Having a disagreeable smell, compared to skunk spray or sewage, the fruit is forbidden in hotels and public transportations in Southeast Asia. Still, the whole experience is worth it, considering the absolutely divine taste of the Durian.

9. Dragon Fruit
Native to Mexico and Central and South America
Dragon fruit, strawberry pear or pitaya is a fruit of several cactus species with a sweet delicate taste and creamy pulp. The most common dragon fruit is the red pitaya, but other varieties include the Costa Rica pataya and the yellow pataya. Juice or wine can be obtained from the fruit, while the flowers can be eaten or used for tea.

10. African cucumber
Native to Kalahari Desert, Africa
The African cucumber, horned melon or melano is a fruit that can be best described as melon with horns. It originated in the Kalahari Desert and is now present in California and New Zealand. The dark green pulp reminds one of bananas, limes, passion fruit and cucumber. It is often used for decorating food but also in smoothies and sundaes.

Source:hotelclub

Tags: african cucumber, dragon fruit, durian, exotic fruit, exotic fruits, jackfruit, passion fruit, rambutan, star fruit, top 10 exotic fruits

by nate on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 | Dining, Travel | 1 Comment

I’ve had my most expensive meal… I think it was the Japanese fast-food “Yoshinoya” for about $120.00. Its basic price was less than $5, but then I got a traffic ticket (wrong-way driving) that cost me $115 more. =p

“The outer appearance is simply wonderful, artfully crafted and presented in the most attractive fashion, speaking stylishly of the flavors contained within. And this is just the packaging. Removing the bar reveals an equally stunning appearance only afflicted by minor swirling. The light brown-magenta color reflects the Porcelana genetics beautifully, while everything else suggests Amedei gave this bar top priority in the mold. Aroma isn’t a world beater, though. It’s fairly simple, giving off strawberries in the background but lots of raisin and wood in the forefront, which suggests a more aggressive approach than normally given to this fragile cacao. Definitely a typical scheme for Amedei, but for Porcelana, not so much since its character here is explained by the roast than the bean itself.

Considering the bean constituency, the chocolate is more aggressive than expected. It’s decisively dark and black in nature, suggesting currants and figs but then the profile softens as cream and a neutral chocolatiness assume control, which when combined form a ganache-like character that glides through henceforth. This component is classic Porcelana, but the fruitiness is somewhat of a departure, clearly caramelized and a result of Amedei’s standards. Texture is Amedei’s best performance, but the exclusion of lecithin has dramatically thickened the consistency, emphasizing the darker nature of the chocolate.

A little unexciting and somewhat ordinary, the chocolate comes off as one-dimensional and perhaps too dark as Porcelana’s high notes seem to have been washed away. Perhaps processing standards have changed, or maybe the bean constituency is too variable to yield consistent flavors. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Amedei has opted for something darker and more full-bodied for a cacao that doesn’t need this sort of treatment. In fact, this chocolate is more representative of Amedei’s stylistic leaning rather than the beans comprising it, but overall it’s a good effort, definitely worth the price for trying.”
Anyway, mind sharing your experiences on food?

I found one very surprising de$$$ert news:

Read this article for more interesting info:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0807/gallery.most_expensive_foods.fsb/index.html

“Golden Opulence Sunday is sold at Serendipity 3 (home of the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate) in New York City for $1000. It was created to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2005 and they sell about one a month:

-Made with 5 scoops of the richest Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla and covered in 23 carat edible gold leaf, the sundae is drizzled with the world’s most expensive chocolate, Amedei Porcelana, and covered with chunks of rare Chuao chocolate, which is from cocoa beans harvested by the Caribbean Sea on Venezuela’s coast.

The masterpiece is suffused with exotic candied fruits from Paris, gold dragets, truffles and Marzipan Cherries. It is topped with a tiny glass bowl of Grand Passion Caviar, an exclusive dessert caviar, made of salt-free American Golden caviar, known for its sparkling golden color. It’s sweetened and infused with fresh passion fruit, orange and Armagnac.

The sundae is served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18K gold spoon to partake in the indulgence served with a petite mother of pearl spoon and topped with a gilded sugar flower by Ron Ben-Israel.-”

taken from: http://www.chocolatebytes.com/the-most-expensive-days-worth-of-food-possible/

Tags: expensive, food