Festive Finger Food Ideas

A lot of people will be hosting parties this season, and a sure fire way to impress guests is with delicious homemade part food and snacks. Here are some simple ones you can make yourself with little to no effort.

Volauvents, The Classy Finger Food

These delicious little pastry snacks are perfect finger food. To make the casing, all you need is pre-made puff pastry. Cut this into small squares, as big as you want them, and with a sharp knife, score a square border in each one each. Bake these for about 10 minutes at 160C, until they have risen, then pry the square centre out, leaving a hollow case.

For a filling you can use anything, but make a cream sauce as a base to cook your filling in. Melt a few knobs of butter in a pan, add two teaspoons of flour and some milk or cream, then your filling (mushrooms, sweetcorn or cheese work great). Once this is softened, season, fill the cases and bake for 5 more minutes, then let them cool and serve to your hungry guests.

Roast Pepper Crostinis For Spicing Up Festivities

This spicy snack will heat up a cold winter evening. The base of this is French bread, so get a long enough stick, cut it into small slices and bake these for about 15 minutes and 150C, until they’re nice and crispy. Next, roast and peel 2 big red peppers, dice them and pop them in a blender with a few spoons of grated parmesan, a glug of olive oil, some chopped garlic, chopped almonds, salt and a generous amount cayenne pepper.

When this is blended to make a thick paste (you can add more parmesan to thicken or more olive oil to make it runnier), spread it on the French bread, toast again for five minutes and serve!

The Season Of Cloves

Christmas is just around the corner, and with it comes all sorts of delicious foods that we love, but for some reason never eat until it’s Christmas. One foodstuff you may see a lot of this year is cloves, but just how much do you know about them?

Cloves originally come from Indonesia, and are the dried flower buds of plants native to that region. Nowadays they are grown all over Asia and are used in many different types of cuisine, and have even become popular in British food. You may have seen whole cloves embedded in various fruits, vegetables and meats, you may even have cooked with them before, and you have definitely eaten powdered cloves.

Powdered Cloves in Spicy Dishes

Powdered cloves are traditionally used as spices in many south Asian dishes, particularly in India, Indonesia and Vietnam. The famous Indian flavour garam masala is a combination of different spices, among them powdered cloves. The British have also gotten in on the act, as one a main ingredient of Worcester sauce is cloves, giving it that nice warm aromatic taste, and lots of fusion food relies on spices such as cloves. You can easily powder cloves at home too, by buying them whole and either putting them through a grinder or smashing them with a hammer.

Whole Cloves for that Seasonal Aroma

This time of year, you are most likely to see whole cloves studded in an orange used as a decoration. This releases the aromas of both the fruit and the cloves, and fills the room with a spicy, fruity seasonal aroma. In cooking, you can also use whole cloves to stud onions and flavour a homemade sauce, or stick them in meat like ham for the Christmas dinner. Just remember to take them out afterward!

Tofurkey, Turducken and other Delights

It’s thanksgiving season, and for many that means loosening the belt and stuffing th face with a wide range of delicious foods. For those not in North America, this is no reason not to take this opportunity to have a great feast, in honour of whatever you feel like.

Really, who needs a holiday as an excuse to get friends and family around and pig out? The traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece is usually a giant roast turkey, but recently folks have been mixing this up a little and getting creative, taking a whole new spin on the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Here is what happens.

Thanksgiving Tofurkey for Meat-Haters

When all the family is gathered around, a huge turkey is the usual way to satisfy everyone. However, nowadays more and more people are living with alternative diets, for reasons such as personal taste, fashion or an environmental conscience. For those that eschew the eating of meat, a new centerpiece has become popular: the tofurkey. Essentially a big casserole of tofu or seitan stuffed with grains, this is one option for those expecting many vegetarians at their Thanksgiving party. However, if you are the only vegetarian among meat eaters, err on the side of caution: your guests will not appreciate the taste of tofurkey as a replacement for real turkey, especially on this day. Maybe just stick to a nice salad instead of taking away the turkey.

Turducken: Scary Bird Bonanza

Going in the completely opposite direction, you have a dish which slaughters as many animals as possible: the turducken. This is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, all boned and roasted. This debaucherous meal is becoming more and more popular, partly because of the humorous/ridiculous concept and partly because people love meat. To really wow your guests try to take it further, and stuff as many birds as you can into one another, like a 19th century gastronomist Grimod de La Reynière, whose roti sans pareil combined 17 different birds inside each other.

With that in mind, enjoy your meal!

How To Make Your Own Ravioli

Like most traditional Italian food, ravioli is enjoyed by people all over the world, and for good reason. This delicious and attractive-looking dish is incredibly easy and fun to make, so here’s how to do it for yourself.

Making ravioli is so easy, but before you start, you need to decide what kind of filling you would like in these little dough packets. Here are the ingredients for two suggestions, but feel free to try your own ideas too. These are both vegetarian suggestions, but are sure to win over even the most ardent carnivore.

For the ravioli:

• 250g flour
• 2 eggs
• A splash of olive oil
• Salt
• Some warm water

But first, let’s start with the fillings.

Filling for Ravioli

Here is what you need for either a truffle or pumpkin filling.

Truffle filling:

• 3-4 black truffles
• 200g porcini mushrooms
• Cooking oil
• White truffle oil

Begin by chopping the mushrooms small and fry on a medium heat in a small glug of cooking oil for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down low and grate the truffles over the mushrooms and mix with a few glugs of white truffle oil. Stir until mixed well, then add a small amount of warm water and mash with a fork until you have a puree.

Pumpkin filling:

• 250g pumpkin (boiled until soft)
• 100g ricotta cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg

Cube the softened pumpkin and mix well with the cheese, season well and mash until you have a puree.

How To Make The Ravioli

Ready with your ingredients? Good, then lets get started.

Sift the flower into a large mixing bowl, add salt and beaten eggs, and mix well. Add a decent glug of olive oil and a small amount of water as necessary, then beat and knead until you have a nice smooth dough. Roll this out flat and use a glass to cut circles. Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of each circle, but not too much, then fold each circle over and use a fork to press the edges together.

Boil up a pot full of water and add your ravioli to this. Ten minutes should be enough, then drain the water and serve with your favourite sauce, and some chives or pine nuts as a garnish. This is guaranteed to impress every dinner guest.

Macaroni and Cheese’s History in Britain and Health Issues

Other countries will often turn their noses up at America because of their seemingly simple and unhealthy diet. While this assumption can sometimes be true, America has given rise to some of the finest cuisine in the world.

But even some ostensibly simple and unhealthy dishes can be the most appealing. Macaroni and cheese is one of the simplest and most underestimated dishes that is favoured by students and those just in need of comfort food. While it may be a quintessential American dish, the origins may surprise you.

Macaroni and Cheese in Britain

Being a pasta dish, it can be taken for granted that macaroni and cheese originated in Italy. Basic dishes based on macaroni pasta baked with cheese and butter have appeared in old Italian cookbooks, but the dish similar to its modern appearance has also been very popular in Britain around the 14th century.

This food was a luxury, and could only be consumed by upper classes. Naturally, the dish made its way to the USA, and is believed to have become popular thanks to Thomas Jefferson, who served it at a White House dinner in 1802.

Mac and Cheese Variations and Health Issues

While the basic mac and cheese dish is merely pasta with cheese and butter sauce, many ingredients can be added to create something new. Popular variations include ground beef, chilli peppers, bacon, tuna and other vegetables such as peas, in order to include other food groups and nutrients in the dish.

This is a good idea, as mac and cheese itself is quite an unhealthy dish, containing a lot of fat. Store bought brands are popular, but can be even worse for you, though many brands now offer low fat, vitamin enriched versions. While macaroni and cheese is a tasty treat, even the healthier versions should be enjoyed in moderation.

Ideas to Make Your Salads Interesting and Healthy

Eating a salad with a meal is one of the best ways to get good food into you, as the combination of fresh greens and raw vegetables retains all of the food’s goodness. However, it is clear that many people just put up with a salad because they know it is good for them, and don’t actually enjoy it.

But there are many ways you can make a salad interesting and ensure that you aren’t just eating it out of obligation, but actually because it tickles your taste buds in all the right ways, leaving you satisfied and healthy.

Get Creative With Your Salads

There are many theories on what makes a good salad. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver even designed a chart so you can mix and match elements in order to create a comprehensive and delicious salad. This involves picking different types of lettuce, raw vegetables, cheeses and toppings such as croutons or seeds. Of course, you don’t have to have one from each category, but a general rule of four ingredients will ensure a nice salad that’s not too cluttered.

Adding cheese such as parmesan or goat’s cheese can give it a nice kick, and even adding some toasted pine nuts, olives, kidney beans or maybe even fruit (withing reason!) will give you a new taste experience, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Try Some Classic Salads

There are a number of classic salads that you will find on the menu at every nice restaurant, and these are classics for a reason: they combine ingredients in a way that works very well. Perhaps most famous is the Caesar salad, which comprises romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan, lemon juice, egg and Worcestershire sauce, but there are many others, such as the Cobb salad (chopped leaves, tomato, bacon, chicken breast, egg, avocado, Roquefort cheese and red wine vinaigrette) and Waldorf salad (chopped apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise). These can all be easily made at home, so give them a try and see how interesting salads can be.

Healthy Eating for your Immune System Against The Common Cold

Winter is well and truly here, and among other things, that means it’s the season for the common cold. Almost everyone you know will probably be afflicted with this at some point over the next few months, but what can you do about it?

The bad news is, there is no known cure for the common cold. The good news is, the illness normally lasts a rather short time, as it is a self-limiting illness. Essentially, all you can do is eat as healthy as possible to boost your body’s defenses in the hope you won’t catch it. If you do get struck down with the cold however, there are certain things you can do to alleviate the symptoms and make the experience less awful.

Healthy Immune Systems and the Common Cold

A strong immune system is the key to avoiding and fighting the cold. Strong white blood cells are necessary for this, and in order to keep them working you need to eat properly. This means no crash dieting, and getting your 5 a day of fruits and vegetables, raw and fresh when possible. Drinking fruit juice, especially ones high in vitamin C, is a great way to boost your immune system and can also help fight a cold if you already have it.

Common Cold Symptoms and a Healthy Diet

If you find yourself with cold symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, cough, or a headache, the best thing you can do is get plenty of rest and eat right to alleviate these symptoms. Lozenges and anything with zinc have been shown to have a great effect, as well as exotic fruits like papaya. It may sound like a cliche, but spicy foods also help, as they can stop nasal congestion. One of the most important things though is to get plenty of fluids, especially juice and water, but lay off the alcohol. Follow these and you will see yourself through the winter with no problem.

Recipe: Winter Squash Soup

Out of all the winter vegetables that pop up and make our days tastier, the butternut squash is by far one of the most interesting. With this delicious vegetable, similar to a pumpkin, many dishes can be made, but one of the easiest and yet most interesting is a yummy butternut squash soup.

Cooking this for yourself is so easy, all you will need is a nice big butternut squash, a pot of vegetable stock, an onion, a couple of garlic cloves, a few tablespoons of butter, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want to get creative, feel free to add some carrots and celery, or some brown mushrooms chopped into cubes.

Starting Your Butternut Squash Soup

Start by boiling up your vegetable stock in a pot and begin preparing your butternut squash. You’ll want to remove the hard parts at the top and bottom, peel the squash, halve it and deseed it. Cook the butter and chopped onion and garlic in a large pan for about 8 minutes, then combine the stock, squash and cooked onion and garlic over a high heat. At this point, add your celery and carrots if you have chosen to use these.

A Delicious Winter Treat!

Once all the contents of the pot are tender (should take around 15-20 minutes) either use a hand blender on the pot or pour the mixture into a blitzer until it’s a smooth puree, then mix in salt, pepper and nutmeg. If you want to add mushrooms instead of vegetables, fry them very lightly in butter and scatter over the soup once it’s been served into each bowl. Now eat it while warm, with some bread for dipping, and enjoy this yummy winter meal!

The Principles Of Molecular Gastronomy

Cooking and gastronomy come in many forms, from classic cuisine, French and Italian, to fusion, to traditional foods from many different countries, but perhaps the most novel and interesting is the concept of molecular gastronomy.

This form of cuisine has developed in relative silence throughout the nineties and seeks to use molecular and physical science to examine how food is cooked, and by applying the knowledge create new and exciting dishes that would otherwise have been impossible. From its rather obscure roots in workshops in France and Italy that brought scientists and cooks together, molecular gastronomy has become quite well known, even infamous, particularly in the UK.

Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck

British chef Heston Blumenthal has probably done more to bring molecular gastronomy into the public consciousness than any other chef, having written many cookbooks and filmed many television shows on the subject. As part of Britain’s celebrity chef elite, he has captured the imaginations of many aspiring cooks, sometimes to disastrous effect. Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant, the Fat Duck, located in the small English village of Bray, has been voted the best restaurant in the world, with people traveling to the village just to sample his food.

The Future Of Molecular Gastronomy

Since molecular gastronomy has become more and more popular in the last few years, owing in no small part to Heston Blumenthal’s celebrity status, along with the elite status that comes with mastering such a complex art, it should come as no surprise to find new generations of young cooks taking up the challenge and trying these recipes themselves. With new blood in the industry, I think we can expect unseen levels of complexity and creativity gracing our plates in years to come.

Pumpkins in Cooking, Decoration and More

Winter is almost here, and that means that not only is the weather getting worse and the days shorter, but that we now have a whole new variety of food to choose from. With the cold weather comes some of the most interesting and delicious vegetables, with one of the most interesting and delicious being the pumpkin.

As a food used in cooking, baking and lots of other things, the pumpkin is versatile, and with a very distinct flavour. However, its uses don’t stop there. Let’s see what we can do with our pumpkin!

Cooking and Baking with Pumpkin

Being a vegetable, the pumpkin is naturally at home in food. Being quite tough, it can be tricky to cut a pumpkin up, but once you do you will find it works in almost everything. Risotto, mash, gratin, all benefit from the flavour of pumpkin. Baking too can avail of this great taste, as with the famous pumpkin pie, the staple of Thanksgiving dinners. Not only does the flavour work in savoury main dishes, but also in seasonal sweet desserts, from pies to cakes to muffins, so get baking and make them for yourself!

Pumpkins For Decoration

Everyone knows about the use of pumpkins as decoration; they are a Halloween necessity! Carving pumpkins for Halloween has long been a tradition in Ireland and Britain, and was later adopted by America.

Pumpkin Competitions

Apart from these, pumpkins can also be coerced to grow to quite ridiculous proportions. This has led to a craze in some parts of trying to grow the biggest pumpkin. These competitions are very popular throughout rural America, and there is even some crossover with other uses, such as the world’s largest carved pumpkin, at 666.32kg!