Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Espresso Chocolate Mousse
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 large eggs, seperated
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons superfine sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Set a medium sized bowl in the freezer- you will use this later to whip the cream.
In a medium sized bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the two egg yolks. Set in the refrigerator.
In yet another medium sized bowl, whip the two egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add two tablespoons of the sugar, increase the speed of the mixer, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, yet the whites are still glossy and not dry. Set aside.
Take the bowl out of the freezer, and in it whip the heavy cream, vanilla, and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form.
Remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge and stir in a couple of spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites to lighten it, and then gently but thoroughly fold in the rest. Fold in the whipping cream. Don’t stir, fold!
Spoon into individual serving glasses, eat right away, or cover and refrigerate. Makes 6 servings.
source
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 large eggs, seperated
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons superfine sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Set a medium sized bowl in the freezer- you will use this later to whip the cream.
In a medium sized bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the two egg yolks. Set in the refrigerator.
In yet another medium sized bowl, whip the two egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add two tablespoons of the sugar, increase the speed of the mixer, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, yet the whites are still glossy and not dry. Set aside.
Take the bowl out of the freezer, and in it whip the heavy cream, vanilla, and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form.
Remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge and stir in a couple of spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites to lighten it, and then gently but thoroughly fold in the rest. Fold in the whipping cream. Don’t stir, fold!
Spoon into individual serving glasses, eat right away, or cover and refrigerate. Makes 6 servings.
source
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Atkins Diet Plan - What's The Catch
The Atkins diet Plan breakfast can usually composed of eggs strips of bacon and coffee. A snack might include coffee with cream, and chunks of cheese. A huge steak fried in butter could be dinner. Doesn't this sound really good? It seems very tempting but there is a catch.
In the beginning you will have to give up most carbs, such as breads, potatoes, pasta, rice and other things like chocolate, cake, some fruits. In theory, when carbs are eliminated from the diet, the body burns stored fat. Weight loss is quicker because fat burns more calories than carbs.
Stable blood sugar levels help you to feel fuller thereby damping your appetite. The Induction is the first phase of the Atkins diet, which you follow for at least two weeks. Only 20 grams of carbs a day, but you can eat lots of red meat, chicken, fish, eggs cream and butter. That you want.
During this phase, your body learns to burn fat and not carbs. The ongoing weight loss phase is the second stage. Add 5 grams of carbs a day until you get to your critical carbohydrate level for losing weight. How many carbs can YOU eat and still lose between 1 and 3 pounds a week? Bread, pasta rice and potatoes are still taboo.
The pre-maintenance or third phase is started when you have only 5-10 pounds left to lose in order to reach your goal weight. Yes! Now you get to add 10 grams a day for one week, to your carb intake, to help your body adjust to the addition of carbs to your diet, and to the final phase of the diet.
Lifetime maintenance, phase 4, teaches you ways to stay motivated. Your carb intake is limited to 90 grams in a day. You will be eating low carbs for the rest of your life. Some doctors have expressed concern about the long tern effects of the Atkins and other low carb plans.
High saturated fat consumption may cause an increased risk of heart disease. The lack of certain nutrients in this diet could cause future health problems. The limited intake of calcium could possibly put you at risk for Osteoporosis. The low antioxidant nutrients could lead to cancer, heart disease and premature aging.
The Atkins diet is boring in the Induction phase. Vegetarians have a hard time with Atkins, particularly in the early stages, due to the limited amount of vegetables, nuts seeds and beans. The Atkins diet presents an image of good health from a proper diet. Some are concerned that once you go off the diet the weight comes back quickly.
The very low carbs in this diet could cause ketosis which can be dangerous for diabetics. The high cholesterol of this diet may cause constipation and heart disease because of the high fat content. This diet, low in fruits and veggies is consequently low in antioxidants that fight cancer. The Atkins plan is that it's not intended for long term use and has serious side effects.
The Atkins Plan works, it is that simple. Weight loss is rapid and you can eat as much protein and fat, as you would like. The carbs eliminated by the Atkins diet can cause a loss of antioxidants which are known to prevent some cancers.
This high fat, high protein diet can increase the risk of elevated cholesterol and heart disease. This Diet really works, although some believe you can't stay on it long term. If you go off the diet or cheat , you will begin to re-gain the weight. Once you start eating a more normal diet the initial weight loss will return.
As with any diet check with a physician-to make sure you are healthy to begin with. The Atkins diet, some believe, is not for long term use and that it poses some serous health risks. If you are overweight, you are already at risk for heart disease and other health problems, and Atkins could increase those risks.
In the beginning you will have to give up most carbs, such as breads, potatoes, pasta, rice and other things like chocolate, cake, some fruits. In theory, when carbs are eliminated from the diet, the body burns stored fat. Weight loss is quicker because fat burns more calories than carbs.
Stable blood sugar levels help you to feel fuller thereby damping your appetite. The Induction is the first phase of the Atkins diet, which you follow for at least two weeks. Only 20 grams of carbs a day, but you can eat lots of red meat, chicken, fish, eggs cream and butter. That you want.
During this phase, your body learns to burn fat and not carbs. The ongoing weight loss phase is the second stage. Add 5 grams of carbs a day until you get to your critical carbohydrate level for losing weight. How many carbs can YOU eat and still lose between 1 and 3 pounds a week? Bread, pasta rice and potatoes are still taboo.
The pre-maintenance or third phase is started when you have only 5-10 pounds left to lose in order to reach your goal weight. Yes! Now you get to add 10 grams a day for one week, to your carb intake, to help your body adjust to the addition of carbs to your diet, and to the final phase of the diet.
Lifetime maintenance, phase 4, teaches you ways to stay motivated. Your carb intake is limited to 90 grams in a day. You will be eating low carbs for the rest of your life. Some doctors have expressed concern about the long tern effects of the Atkins and other low carb plans.
High saturated fat consumption may cause an increased risk of heart disease. The lack of certain nutrients in this diet could cause future health problems. The limited intake of calcium could possibly put you at risk for Osteoporosis. The low antioxidant nutrients could lead to cancer, heart disease and premature aging.
The Atkins diet is boring in the Induction phase. Vegetarians have a hard time with Atkins, particularly in the early stages, due to the limited amount of vegetables, nuts seeds and beans. The Atkins diet presents an image of good health from a proper diet. Some are concerned that once you go off the diet the weight comes back quickly.
The very low carbs in this diet could cause ketosis which can be dangerous for diabetics. The high cholesterol of this diet may cause constipation and heart disease because of the high fat content. This diet, low in fruits and veggies is consequently low in antioxidants that fight cancer. The Atkins plan is that it's not intended for long term use and has serious side effects.
The Atkins Plan works, it is that simple. Weight loss is rapid and you can eat as much protein and fat, as you would like. The carbs eliminated by the Atkins diet can cause a loss of antioxidants which are known to prevent some cancers.
This high fat, high protein diet can increase the risk of elevated cholesterol and heart disease. This Diet really works, although some believe you can't stay on it long term. If you go off the diet or cheat , you will begin to re-gain the weight. Once you start eating a more normal diet the initial weight loss will return.
As with any diet check with a physician-to make sure you are healthy to begin with. The Atkins diet, some believe, is not for long term use and that it poses some serous health risks. If you are overweight, you are already at risk for heart disease and other health problems, and Atkins could increase those risks.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
A guide to gourmet coffee
Even a Coffee Bean or San Francisco Coffee outlet frequenter won’t be able to master the art of appreciating true gourmet coffee unless they know the history and info about gourmet coffee. Oh, of course, you don’t have to an EXPERT to enjoy and understand gourmet coffee, but knowing a little bit more than the grocery store owner who sells instant coffee would help you appreciate the taste, smell and absolute heaven that gourmet coffee fans know gourmet coffee is absolutely capable of.
Gourmet coffee is nothing like wine. With wine, the longer you leave (some wine, anyway), the better the taste, the higher the quality and the pricier it is. But with gourmet coffee, freshness says a lot. If possible, get coffee beans that have been roasted no more than 1 week before. And if you’re going to learn how to appreciate gourmet coffee, only buy 100% Arabica coffee.
It’s pretty hard to find freshly roasted coffee bean on the shelves of the local supermarket. Chances are, the coffee beans that you’re consuming today have been roasted at least 3 months back. One way to counter this problem is to buy the whole bean in batches and grind them with a home-coffee grinding machine as and when you need it. It’s really easy with the kind of machines they have today, so, if you want to learn how to appreciate gourmet coffee, grind it when you need it.
Once you’ve purchased the gourmet coffee beans, don’t just leave out there in room temperature. What you should do with gourmet coffee beans is to store them in an air-tight container in the fridge if you’re planning to use it soon. However, if you’re going to keep it, store the gourmet coffee beans in an air-tight container and keep it in the FREEZER.
You need the right grinder for the right brewer. Generally speaking, you can use about 2 tablespoons of gourmet coffee powder for 6 oz of water. Adjust the way you make your cup of gourmet coffee according to the way you like to drink your gourmet coffee.
With wine, the country where the grapes are grown makes a difference. With gourmet coffee, not only is the country of origin for the gourmet coffee bean makes a difference, the company that sells the gourmet coffee beans matters too. Buy only from reputable companies for gourmet coffee.
And one last thing about gourmet coffee is this – learn to enjoy it, appreciate the smell, love the taste, experiment with it and you’ll soon see the wonder of gourmet coffee. If you’re hurrying off for work in the morning, forget about gourmet coffee! During the morning rush, just stick to instant coffee.
Gourmet coffee is nothing like wine. With wine, the longer you leave (some wine, anyway), the better the taste, the higher the quality and the pricier it is. But with gourmet coffee, freshness says a lot. If possible, get coffee beans that have been roasted no more than 1 week before. And if you’re going to learn how to appreciate gourmet coffee, only buy 100% Arabica coffee.
It’s pretty hard to find freshly roasted coffee bean on the shelves of the local supermarket. Chances are, the coffee beans that you’re consuming today have been roasted at least 3 months back. One way to counter this problem is to buy the whole bean in batches and grind them with a home-coffee grinding machine as and when you need it. It’s really easy with the kind of machines they have today, so, if you want to learn how to appreciate gourmet coffee, grind it when you need it.
Once you’ve purchased the gourmet coffee beans, don’t just leave out there in room temperature. What you should do with gourmet coffee beans is to store them in an air-tight container in the fridge if you’re planning to use it soon. However, if you’re going to keep it, store the gourmet coffee beans in an air-tight container and keep it in the FREEZER.
You need the right grinder for the right brewer. Generally speaking, you can use about 2 tablespoons of gourmet coffee powder for 6 oz of water. Adjust the way you make your cup of gourmet coffee according to the way you like to drink your gourmet coffee.
With wine, the country where the grapes are grown makes a difference. With gourmet coffee, not only is the country of origin for the gourmet coffee bean makes a difference, the company that sells the gourmet coffee beans matters too. Buy only from reputable companies for gourmet coffee.
And one last thing about gourmet coffee is this – learn to enjoy it, appreciate the smell, love the taste, experiment with it and you’ll soon see the wonder of gourmet coffee. If you’re hurrying off for work in the morning, forget about gourmet coffee! During the morning rush, just stick to instant coffee.
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