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Thursday, March 31, 2016

INTERNATIONAL: HERBS AND SPICES 21: PART 2: INDIAN MASALAS

Masala is a fragrant spice blend. It can be either wet (a paste) or dry (a blend of dried, often toasted and ground spices). The pastes frequently include fresh ingredients like cilantro, mint, ginger and garlic along with dried spices and oil. Dishes made with such pastes sometimes have masala in their name (e.g. chicken tikka masala).
Garam masala is a popular dry spice blend. There are many variations, from region to region and cook to cook. Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg/mace and cardamom are fairly common denominators, with several other spices -- including cumin, coriander, pepper and nigella -- often joining the party. 

  • Tandoori masala
  • Chatt masala and even 
  • Panch phoron, the Bengali five-spice blend

are three other members of the large family of dry masalas.



Ingredients for Sambar Powder (Podi) 


Dry Red Chilli/Sukhi Lal Mirch- 250 gms [Use long dry red 

chilli]

Coriander Seeds/Dhaniya - 250gms


Turmeric/Haldi - 3 pieces or tumeric powder - 1/2 tbsp


Split Yellow Pigeon Peas/Toor Dal - 2 tbsp


Bengal Gram/Channa Dal - 1 tbsp


Peppercorns/Kaali Mirch - 1/2 tbsp


Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 2 tbsp


Mustard Seeds/Rai - 1 tbsp


Fenugreek Seeds/Methi - 1 tsp


Asafoetida/Hing - 1 tsp


Curry Leaves/Kari Patta - 2 sprigs [optional]


You can get products on Amazon.com 


LINK FOR PREPARATION


LINK FOR RECIPES USING SAMBAR POWDER RECIPES













Tuesday, March 29, 2016

ITALY: PUGLIA April Food Festivals: Frittata/Frittato and Taralli



  • April

    On the 23rd, the Festival of San Giorgio celebrations at Vieste (Foggia) are combined with celebrations of the more prosaic frittato or frittata (omelette).




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What could be nicer than a festival of biscuits and wine? The Sagra dei Tarallucci e Vino takes place in Alberobello (Bari) from the 28th and celebrates both. The stars of the show are the little taralli - traditional sweet or savoury Pugliese biscuits.





Taralli Recipe 1

Taralli Recipe 2

VIDEOS BELOW


Italian grandma makes taralli:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsBt1n8sdRU









Friday, March 25, 2016

AMERICAN: Link to Weight Watchhers Casseroles from THE DISH





















FRANCE: From Allrecipes.com: Some French regional recipes









PRODUCT REVIEW: NUTRISYSTEM LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE AND MORE!!

I recently did a review on the company's pizza.  Here is the link:

http://internationalfoodblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/product-review-nutrisystem-pizza.html#.VvVw0OIrJD8 





I would have to say this product is much better.  Not a gourmet dish but edible.  The sauce is a little sweet but not bad.  This product was in-date unlike the pizza which was past the expiration date.  I went through the box of meals that I purchased at Walmart.  (I do not feel any umbrage to Walmart but I do to Nutrisystem. Besides the past due date on the pizza there were the following items past expiration date. (I bought the product in the middle of February.)

   - Cheese Puffs dated 13DEC15,
   - Chocolate Cake DEC172015,
   - Blueberry Muffinn 12202015,
   - Hearty Beef Stew Nov 27 2015,
   - Carrot Cake 12262015,
   - Honey Wheat Bagel 22DEC15 AND
   - Banana Nut Muffin DEC222015.


I know you can eat some things after the date but the principle is that 8 of the 20 products were expired and for $45.00 I think that was a ripoff. 



Thursday, March 24, 2016

International food blog: HERBS AND SPICES 20 - Melisse or Lemon Balm Links

INTERNATIONAL:  HERBS AND SPICES 20 - Melisse or Lemon Balm Links: About Melisse or Lemon Balm 







INTERNATIONAL: HERBS AND SPICES 20: MELISSE OR LEMON BALM LINKS










Melisse Whiskey Sour

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Melisse-Whiskey-Sour



Lemon Balm or Melisse Recipes

https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/12-things-to-do-with-lemon-balm/



Roasted Lemon Balm Chicken from All Recipes

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/214957/roasted-lemon-balm-chicken/



Lemon Balm Recipes from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/lemon_balm



Lemon Balm - What do you do with it from The Novice Gardner

https://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/lemon-balm-what-do-you-do-with-it/



Culinary Uses for Lemon Balm

http://www.lemonbalmcream.com/culinary_uses.html



Lemon Balm Uses from Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/lemon-balm-uses/




AMERICAN AS LEMON PIE - 11 LEMON RECIPES FROM BETTY CROCKER

AMERICAN AS LEMON PIE - 11 LEMON RECIPES FROM BETTY CROCKER




AMERICAN AS LEMON PIE - 11 LEMON RECIPES FROM BETTY CROCKER