The Eclectic Cooking Newsletter
Monday, August 27, 2001
Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm
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=> Featured article: Cocolate, book review.
=> Guest article: The Secret to Permanent Weight Loss
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer
=> New Recipes of the Week
=> Hot Tip
=> Fruit/vegetable in focus
=> Joke/Story of the Week
=> Next week's Issue
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---------------------------Featured Article-------------------------
COCOLAT
Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts
Alice Medrich
If you are interested in some unusual, elegant
chocolate desserts, this is probably one of the
most unique books in the category of desserts.
The introduction to the book explains the author¹s
interest in cooking, more particularly desserts.
The author acquired many of her techniques
and cooking knowledge in France. After
returning from Paris, the author opened her
own dessert shop delighting her customers
with her delicious creations.
The author¹s desserts are elegant but simple.
Ms. Medrich feels that a dessert is the lasting
impression of a meal or gathering. Her recipes
exemplify her philosophy.
There is a wonderful explanation of ingredients
with many shortcuts and production tips, tips on
working with chocolate as well as a section on
finishing techniques - how to make that dessert
look impressive.
Some of the desserts which caught my attention
were Chocolate Orange Torte, Mocha Pecan
Torte, Apricot Soufflé, and Strawberry Basket .
The recipes are divided into sections such as
Chocolate Tortes, Designer Desserts, Special-
ties of the House, Petite Rewards, Special Occa-
sions and Christmas Desserts and Gifts.
A truly exciting, challenging experience in
creating desserts with which to delight and impress
your guests.
More articles:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/articlesindex.htm
---------------------------Guest Article--------------------------
The Secret to Permanent Weight Loss
By Kathy Thompson
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple and
basic. Just three little words --- DON'T BUY IT! If you
don't buy it, you won't eat it. If you don't eat it,
you won't get fat. So your problem starts at the store
or restaurant.
Since your diet starts at the store, were you ever
taught how to shop for food? Probably not. The grocery
store can destroy your diet and get into your pocketbook.
First, you need to check the layout of the store,
---where everything is. Leave the produce for last, so
it will be as fresh as you can get it.
REMEMBER: 70% of the products are there just to take
your money. Notice how many rows they have of soda,
cereal, and snacks. Look what they've done to the
potatoes--instant potatoes, mashed potatoes, french
fries, tater tots, shoe string, chips, twice baked.
Notice the shelves along the aisles. Everything is
conveniently displayed close to your reach--a ploy by
the store to entice you to buy those products. On the
lower shelves are products aimed at kids. Look lower
or higher, and you will find the same products--
for less. If nature didn't make it, you don't need it.
Stay away from processed and imitation foods. Try
to stay away from canned food (you never know
what's in the can). Stick with the fresh and frozen foods.
Check out the PACKAGES carefully. That box or package
may not be full.
1 -Solids are measured by weight-- ounces, pounds. .
2 -Liquids are measured by volume-- gallons, quarts, pints.
3- Price -5% of the price for the product is for the
product itself. 95% of the price is for packaging,
manufacturing, transportation, middlemen, salaries,
insurance, utilities, etc. Let's say a gallon of milk
costs $2.00. The milk is 10 cents, the rest is $1.90.
According to the FDA, LABELS must be specific and
truthful. If the label says, "Pasteurized Processed
Cheese Food," it is not cheese. If it says, ³Breakfast
Orange Drink"--it is not juice. Check out the
nutritional values, particularly fat---stay away
from saturated fat. INGREDIENTS must be listed in
dominance order. If sugar or water is listed first,
it is mostly sugar or water. The last ingredient is
least significant. Anything after salt is of little
use. Do you know what those ingredients are? Can you
pronounce them? And do you want to feed this to your
family?
COUPONS are a gimmick to get you to buy something you
don't need in the first place. Save 50 cents on chips,
when you can save $3 if you didn't buy them. Do you ever
find coupons for REAL food? ³Marketers² know you need
the basics. Nature didn't make candies, it made nuts and
raisins. Nature didn't make chips, it made potatoes. Nature
didn't make soda pop, it made water and juice. Nature
didn't make wieners, it made fish. Nature didn't make
Nature didn't make fritoes, it made corn. Our society
is food oriented. On every corner there is a restaurant,
fast food outlet, and everything in between. You are
bombarded with ads from the media. Your body knows
what it needs. It knows when to stop eating apples, not
candy. Once you start eating Mother Nature's diet, you
can lose weight and feel much better about yourself.
Listen to your body.
Add exercise to your lifestyle, and you can add years
to your life. Do something every day, even if it¹s
walking, climbing stairs, playing with the kids. A
good exercise program should include aerobics (running,
swimming, jumping rope, fast dancing), endurance (working
with weights), and flexibility ( calisthenics, yoga) .
Your body was meant to be used, not abused. You
deserve it.
Kathy Thompson. Personal Success Coach can help you
with a weight loss program, guide you through the store
and show you how you can lose weight and save money.
To Contact Kathy emailto:
healthyu@thompsonis.com
512-353-7663,
1348 Thorpe Lane #602,
San Marcos, TX 78666.
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How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer:
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Please contact the editor or Email your article to:
Lydia Jensen at Eclectic Cooking: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
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Added recipes and article for August 27
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RECIPE: Fresh Peach Sangria
RECIPE: Grilled jumbo shrimp
RECIPE: Paraguayos Fruit Salad
RECIPE: Chicken with Raspberry Sauce
ARTICLE: Book review: COCOLAT (fantastic chocolate recipe cookbook!)
GUEST ARTICLE: Kathy Thompson: The Secret to Permanent Weight Loss
Fresh Peach Sangria
(Serves 4)
3 regular peaches
3 white peaches (Paraguayos)
250 g (ca. 8 oz or 1 punnet) fresh strawberries
1 nectarine
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 bottle (ca. 1 quart) red wine
1/2 liter (1/2 pint) Seven Up or Sprite
Sugar to taste
Ice cubes
Peel the peaches and nectarines. (This can be
done by submerging them in boiling water for
2-3 minutes, then rinsing them under cold water.
The skin can then be pulled off easily.) Cut
the fruit in bite-sized pieces.
Wash the lemon and oranges and cut them
in thin slices. Remove any seeds.
Wash and hull the strawberries. If some of
them are very large, cut them in half. If you
use frozen strawberries, just add them to
the mixture below.
Mix the wine, Seven-up/Sprite, sugar and
the fruits in a large punch bowl. Stir gently.
(You can dissolve the sugar quickly by
putting it in a small amount -1/4 Cup - of
boiling water to make a syrup and then
pouring it into the punch.) You may also
sweeten the punch with a little warm honey
and water.
Let the punch rest in the refrigerator for
about an hour; add the ice cubes and serve
in a large wine glass with a spoon.
Add a couple sprigs of fresh mint to
decorate and give contrasting color.
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Chicken with Raspberry Sauce
(Serves 2-4)
4 -6 chicken thighs
150 g (5 oz or half a bag) frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp apple vinegar
Mix the raspberries, sugar and vinegar. Wash and
clean the chicken thighs and place them in an
oven-proof casserole dish. Pour the marinade
over the chicken thighs. Marinate for an hour or
two if you wish or season with a little salt and
pepper, cover with foil and bake in a slow oven
150-160 C (300-325 F) for 45 minutes. Turn the
chicken pieces and continue to bake for another
15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15
minutes at 200 C (400 F) or until the skin side
of the chicken is golden brown. Remove chicken
from oven, pour off the raspberry marinade through
a sieve into a saucepan. Throw out the pulp from
the raspberries. Set the chicken aside but keep it
hot.
Add a little sauce thickener or mix 2 tsp cornstarch
with a little water and add to the strained raspberry
marinade and stir until thickened.
Pour the sauce into a separate dish and serve
with the chicken or pour the sauce over the chicken
pieces, sprinkle with a little fresh rosemary.
Good with plain rice and coleslaw or carrots and
peas. This sounds like an unusual chicken recipe,
but it is very good and very low in fat and calories.
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Fruit Salad Paraguayos
(Serves 4)
2 Paraguayos (white peaches)
2 regular peaches (yellow cling peaches)
200 g (ca. 6 -1/2 oz) fresh strawberries
(or one punnet)
2 fresh pears
1/4 fresh pineapple
2 bananas
honey or syrup
Grand Marnier or Cointreau (liqueur - optional)
Skin the peaches and cut into bite-sized pieces.
You can skin the peaches as follows. Fill a saucepan
with enough water to cover the peaches and bring the
water to a boil. Add the peaches and reduce the heat just
so the water keeps hot. Leave the peaches for about 3
minutes or until you can peel off the skin. Rinse the
peaches under cold water and remove the skins.
Wash and hull the strawberries. If some of the straw-
berries are too large, cut them in half. Wash the pears
and cut them in bite-sized pieces. Peel and cut up the
bananas. Remove rind and core from the pineapple
and cut into small wedges. Mix the fruit in a large
relatively flat bowl.
Combine sugar and water (2-4 Tbsp sugar to 1/2
cup - 1 dl water) and bring to a boil. When the sugar
is dissolved, let the syrup cool. Add 1-2 Tbsp Grand
Marnier if you wish and pour over the fruit. Gently
mix the fruit with the syrup and set aside for about
10 minutes. If you leave the fruit longer, the fruit
may change color. Top with fresh sprigs of mint and
serve plain, with whipped cream or a little vanilla
ice cream.
If you wish to avoid sugar, you can leave the fruit
plain or add a little honey to sweeten.
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Barbecued Jumbo Shrimp
(Serves 4)
300 g (10-16 oz or 5 large shrimp per person)
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil (or olive oil)
4 wooden skewers
250 g (8-10 oz) rice or egg noodles
1/4 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 fresh, ripe mango
Dressing:
1-1/2 Tbsp sesame oil (or olive oil)
grated rind of a lime or lemon
1 large clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp cashew nuts (optional)
Prepare the noodles according to the directions
on the package. Mix the noodles with a little
sesame oil, a little lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce
and fresh herbs if you have some e.g. oregano,
spring onions, parsley.
Shred the lettuce; peel, remove stone and cut half
the mango in thin slices. Mix the dressing and
season with salt and pepper. Pour over the lettuce
and mango slices and mix.
Peel the shrimp and skewer about five shrimp.
Brush the shrimp with sesame oil and barbecue
quickly (about 1-2 minutes on each side or until
the shrimp turn opaque).
Serve on a bed of salad with the noodles.
More of our are recipes are here:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/recipesmenus.htm
----------------------------------Hot Tip--------------------------------
Strictly speaking, rice for fried rice should be boiled a day ahead to
give it time to dry out completely. However if the family suddenly demands
fried rice for dinner, here's what you do: Cook rice in large saucepan of
boiling salted water in usual way, drain, rinse under cold running water,
drain well. Spread out on shallow tray, such as a Swiss roll tin, heat in
moderately slow oven 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork.
Excess water will steam away leaving rice ready for frying.
-----------------------Fruit/Vegetable in focus--------------------------
Carica Papaya
Paypaya is known to originate in Mexico where it is also called
tree melon or angel fruit. Papaya can be found in most tropical
countries. The outer peel is a light green or golden color and
the flesh of the fruit can be a golden or orange color when ripe.
Papaya can be used the same as melon e.g. as a starter with
parma ham or plain with lemon or lime juice to enhance the
flavor. Papaya is a very juicy fruit but can taste a bit bland.
It is, therefore, best when used together with both tart and/or
sweet fruits in salads or desserts. Green papaya is often eaten
as a vegetable, cooked or fried. The fruit is usually cut length-
wise, and the seeds removed before serving.
The Papaya can last for a week in a cool place or one or two days
at room temperature.
Can be purchased year round.
From: www.online-cooking-recipes.com
------------------------------------Jokes--------------------------------
*Believe it or not Headlines*
Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years In Checkout Counter
New Study Of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead.
Wrong Footed
My daughter had it pointed out to her that her shoes were on the wrong
feet. She looked at the teacher, burst out crying and said, " They are
the only feet me got."
D.L.,Dandenong, Vic
From: www.online-cooking-recipes.com
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Next Week's Issue, August 27
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RECIPE: Oysters Kilpatrik
RECIPE: Oysters Mornay
RECIPE: Pan Fried Filet of Fish / Cauliflower Purè
RECIPE: Filet of Lamb / Thyme Sauce
RECIPE: Parfait with Mousse of Berries
ARTICLE: Food for Royalty and Guests
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm
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