I3-Delic

2006-10-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

Dealing With A Dog Food Allergy?

Just as humans allergies can show up as a sneeze or rash, your dog's allergies can manifest as itchiness -- or even ear infections. In fact, if your dog's allergic to his food, it can cause him to scratch himself constantly, even with no obvious parasite problem.

Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention. Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your dog's scratching habit.

Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let them help "clean up" the kitchen after a meal. Little do they know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it's best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they clearly adore and want what we're eating!

Narrowing Down the Problem

To determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you'll notice the effects. And if you still haven't found the right (and wrong) ingredients, you'll have to repeat the process all over again.

So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes -- give your dog a brand or type of food he's never eaten before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of protein source he hasn't been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog food that doesn't contain any of the ingredients you saw listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison -- great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common proteins.

Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog's allergies is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you'll know exactly what he's getting and what he isn't -- something that's extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag. Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets. To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb -- so long as your dog isn't already eating lamb and possibly displaying a reaction to it.

Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic reactions don't disappear overnight, you'll need lots of time and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem -- but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will probably make it all worth it.

About the Author
Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free toy dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog. http://www.poodle-oo.com/

2006-10-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

Puff Pastries Can Help You Cook!

If your family is anything like my family, they will be completely tired of eating meatloaf and spaghetti every other day. Kids need variety in their meals. The trouble is, sometimes the family cook runs out of ideas about the things to serve for dinner!

If this is true for you, it sounds like you need to have more variety in what you serve. If you use puff pastry, you're going to be able to serve a whole lot more choices to your family. Those of us who like to stock up may even have puff pastry already in our freezers. Puff pastry shouldn't scare you though-- it is delicious and so easy!

Baking puff pastries is easy. Get yourself an oven and a timer and get started! Puff pastries cook at 200-300 degrees centigrade. Always check your puff pastry slightly before you think it will have finished baking to avoid burning. You will do fine if you keep your eyes peeled!

It's great how puff pastries can turn a mediocre meal into a truly savory experience! I never would have guessed that lamb roast and mini pizzas could be such a flavor sensation by adding this one particular ingredient!

Perhaps you've never had the opportunity to incorporate puff pastries into your meals and are therefore not sure how they can be used to improve a meal. What dishes am I referring to? I will tell you.

For example, puff pastry makes great, simple, and delicious cookies. Get some cookie cutters together and try cutting out different shapes from the puff pastry. You can glaze these cookie pieces with a beaten together mixture of eggs and milk. Stick these cookies in your oven and once they are done, frost them or leave them crunchy and flavorful. Tada! Your last-minute guests won't go hungry now.

Cut four pieces of puff pastry out and put some peaches or strawberries in the middle. Fold the pastry up all around the fruit and crimp the edges with your fingers. Glaze the pastry with your egg wash and put an apricot with sugar on top. Finally, bake your creation for about 15 minutes. Your friends are sure to love this dessert!

There are so many ways you can cook puff pastry. Don't let your baking experience be limited by the options I have listed here-- go ahead and experiment with your own recipes! I guarantee that whether you are making mini pizzas, appetizers, or garnishes, your guests won't be disappointed!

You have seen some of the recipes from my own kitchen but now it's your turn. Get to baking and let your family get a glimpse of how creative you can be!

About the Author
Lorna Freemont is a prolific writer who keeps up on her interests in just about anything you could think of and she loves discussing all these subjects both in print as well as in person. Search for more articles by Lorna that discuss food at Food Fun Today.

2006-10-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

The 3 most popular french recipes

Despite new trends, hype and marketing, tradition has never been stronger. In France, good food still means authentic cooking by using natural products from diverse regions. This is how we celebrate human being by offering the best food to all our senses. Cooking home-made food and eating at the table make your appetite grow stronger. The challenge is to combine ingredients together to get the best taste out of them. However anyone from anywhere can explore the world of french cooking. To start with, let's find out what french people enjoy to eat.

Here are the top 10 most popular recipes in France:

Roast Chicken
Indeed roast chicken is not a notorious french recipe but cooked everywhere around the world from Asia and Africa to America. However it is the most popular french dish. Roast chicken is not stuffed inside. The secret is to baste the poultry several times during roasting with butter and cooking oil and to add an onion in the roasting pan. Roast chicken is traditionally served with potatoes and green beans.

Boeuf bourguignon
The most famous beef stew in France. Boeuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe from Burgundy. A recipe that french people use to cook at least once every winter. The beef meat is cooked in a red wine sauce, obviously a red wine from Burgundy. Bacon, onions, mushrooms and carrots add flavor to the recipe. But thyme, garlic and beef stock are essential to cook a good boeuf bourguignon.

Mussels mariniere

A typical summer recipe very popular along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Mussels are fresh and cooked in a white wine sauce with parsley, thyme, bay leaf and onion. It takes only 5 minutes to cook a tasteful mussels mariniere. The secret is to season carefully the meal and to discard any mussels that don't look good enough.

All these recipes are available at Cuisine-France, french recipes: www.cuisine-france.com - french cooking and recipe guide. Recipes are sorted out by region and type of course. Each recipe comes with a list of ingredients, the preparation and cooking time, the essential steps to cook and a wine suggestion.

2006-10-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

How To Remove Lobster From The Shell

Lobster is an an all-time favourite seafood with most people, and many dishes using lobsters require that the flesh be removed from the shell. Here are some handy tips when you prepare a lobster dish at home.

A preliminary way to prepare a lobster, which should be alive, is to grasp it firmly by the back, plunge it quickly, head first, into a kettle of rapidly boiling water, and then submerge the rest of the body. Be sure to have a sufficient amount of water to cover the lobster completely. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes; then lower the flame or remove to a cooler part of the stove and cook slowly for 1/2 hour.

Remove from the water and allow to cool.After being prepared in this way, a lobster may be served cold or it maybe used in the preparation of various made dishes. If it is to be used without further preparation, it is often served from the shell, which is usually split open. Mayonnaise or some other sauce is generally served with lobster.

The flesh is removed from the shell with a small fork as it is eaten.To remove lobster from the shell, first pull off the two large claws and the four pairs of small claws, and break the tail from the body. Then using scissors, cut a single slit the entire length of the shell covering the under part of the tail and remove the flesh inside the tail in a whole, large piece. The intestinal tract, which can be readily observed, will be found embedded in this piece and running the entire length. Slash the flesh and remove it.

Next remove the flesh of the body from the shell, retaining only that part which appears to be fibrous, like the flesh of the tail. The stomach, should not be removed from the shell.

However, care should be taken to obtain all the flesh surrounding the bones in the bony part of the lobster. The coral substance, that is, the roe of the lobster, should also be removed, as it can be used for a garnish.With the flesh removed from the shell, proceed to take out the flesh in the claws. Break open the large claws, using a nut cracker or a small hammer for this purpose, and remove the flesh that they contain.

If the small claws are to be used for a garnish, as is often done, remove the flesh without breaking them; otherwise break them as in the case of the large ones.

2006-10-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Cake Decorating

I am no baker.That is I'd by no means put myself forward as a cook at all, unless you'd call making spaghetti and browning minced-meat for bolognaise sauce culinary achievements.However, there's something about special occasions that brings the frustrated pastry chef out of me and sends me galoping into the kitchen, my head jammed with intricate cake decorating ideas.

It all started when my wife was approaching her thirtieth birthday. I decided to mark her entry into her fourth decade by baking her an amazing cake.I imagined her admiring gaze as she watched me pull this monstrous cake from the hidden depths of our under-used oven.By this time I was so keen to get started that I had to force myself to calm down, sit down, and get my ideas down on paper.I began to sketch a few decorating schemes in red pen on the back of an envelope in time-honored tradition, and eventually decided on a colossal triple-layer chocolate gateau with an enormous suspension bridge spanning a river of blue icing and a little plastic model of our family car perched in safety on top.

I'd like to be able to say that my cake decorating ideas usually come out as gorgeous as I imagine them, but I’m just not so good at being economical with the truth.In this case, the lovely triple-layer chocolate supension bridge cake decorating fantasy turned out as three limp, amorphous layers, crisp at the edges and doughy in the middle, featuring a delightful San Andreas fault running through the centre, as if there had been an earthquake in the oven.It tasted alright but it looked like something that had been salvaged from its own private earthquake.

So when my son's birthday came around, I resolved to try again.On this occasion I decided to plumb for a less imposing single layer cake swearing that I would sit tight and wait for the cake to cool before even thinking about decorating it.I reckoned that by waiting I would avoid the fault lines that had swallowed up the bridge and family car in the adventure on top of my wife's cake.Instead of cooking up intricate cake decorating ideas on the back of an envelope like a power-possessed architect, I resorted to a basic design that would be difficult for even me to make a hash of.Really, it's one thing being able to come up with tons of great decorating ideas, but quite another to pull them off.

I made the body of the cake and let it cool down according to the promise I’d made to myself (and according tothe instructions on the box).It took all my will-power not to dive in brandishing my trusty icing spatula.

This time, I’d chosen to frost with chocolate fudge icing and top it off with my own sketch of a lamb in the centre, which was meant to resemble the cuddly toy my son sleeps with at night, ringed with 5 candles.I figured if I held my natural cake decorating flamboyance in check, the cake would come out okay.And it did.Until I attempted to transfer my creation from the kitchen counter to the fancy plate I'd prepared, lost my balance and dropped it.The result resembled the aftermath of an earthquake, including fires and distraught wildlife.My wife commented on the 'natural disaster theme' that ran through my cake decorating repertoire, which was funny, I guess. At least they both had a good laugh.

I rescued the candles, but the lamb was badly singed and, sadly, did not survive.

2006-10-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Why Fair Trade Organic Coffee?

Coffee is the worlds second largest traded food commodity. However, because of the demand traditional coffee is sprayed with DDT, as well as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides which we know to be hazardous to our health and the environment. So the folks that demand organic coffee are in fact health conscious consumers.

Now as I said above, coffee is a high demand product, number two on the food commodity list tells the huge demand. However, the people that produce our coffee have been abused for years. We have been paying tiny amounts of money for their labors. Realize that most of the coffee you drink is HAND PICKED by poor coffee farmers in distant lands. These folks until now had little or no health care, and most of them weren’t even able to send their children to school. So the coffee trade had been a repetitive cycle in their lives, since they were able to do little or nothing else. Times have changed, with the Fair Trade movement these folks are getting their Fair Share of payment. However, you have to purchase Fair Trade certified coffee products in order to insure that a fair price was paid for the coffee beans we all love so much.

In essence, what more could you ask for…a healthy cup of coffee for you to enjoy, and knowing you made the world a better place by purchasing coffee that was paid for in a fair and just manner. Good for you, now go enjoy that steaming cup of coffee with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart for making such a difference!

2006-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Italian Restaurant, Antonino's, Ranked Top In Inland Empire By Major Food Critic

"Antonino's in Rancho Cucamonga is one of those fine dining restaurants that lots of the locals know about but those outside of the area are not familiar with. It is one of the top Italian restaurants in the Inland Empire," states Allan Borgen,

Allan Borgen is restaurant critic for the San Bernardino County Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin newspapers. He is also host of the TV show "Let's Dine Out" on KVCR, now in its 18th season.

"The décor is relaxing and romantic while the food is out of this world. The sauces are the main attraction of this restaurant for they are not only exciting and delicious; they also compliment the main entrees extremely well. "

"Some of my favorite entrees include the steamed whole Sea Bass with herbed butter, the Gnocchi with stupendous creamy rich Gorgonzola cheese sauce, the Pollo Chianti, Vitello Saltinbucca and the incredible warm Shrimp Salad. Why pay a lot more at some of the other so-called fine dining Italian restaurants when you can get near perfect dishes at prices that everyone can afford, continues Borgen.

"Featuring some of most stunning and delicious dishes from Northern and Southern Italy, Antonino's, formally known as Chianti Ristorante, is the ultimate in casual yet elegant dining. The beautiful and romantic dining room is decked out with large Romanesque classic paintings, etched glass and comfortable seating."

"They have a nice wine list as well as a full bar and the almost everything including the pastas, the bread and all of the desserts are made on the premises."

"The soothing Italian Arias and the tastefully appointed décor are the perfect setting for that romantic or special dinner at prices that are extremely fair.

Antonino's also has a nice size banquet room that can accommodate parties and business meetings," concludes Borgen. Antonino's Italian Restaurant is located at 8045 Vineyard Ave.Rancho Cucamonga, CA. 91730.

About the Author
For more information please call 909.941.0047 or go to: http://www.antoninosrestaurant.net/

2006-10-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Steakhouse in USA is the Ultimate Food Court to Enjoy

Are you thinking of partying at the best place? Do you love steak food? Then steakhouse in USA can be the ultimate destination point of your partying place. Just imagine that lip-smacking food, its aroma, the ambience and decorations of the steakhouse in USA. A steakhouse can be the ideal place to celebrate your wedding anniversary or birthday parties.

Any couple can enjoy a quite candle light dinner at the steakhouse. Dinning in the steakhouse can be a memorable experience for steak lovers. Steakhouse is the ultimate restaurant that offers you tasty steak to eat. Usually, the steak food consists of beef slices and a side dish. The steaks are cut into desired shapes and cooked properly, to lend the special taste to it.

Some of the customers demand less cooked steak. The main reason behind this is that the less cooked steak is juicier than the completely cooked steak. Just like the preparation of the food, its presentation is another factor that attracts the customer's attention. The decoration of the food item in the serving plate has to be beautiful as it adds to the overall dinning experience. It is the temptation of the steak that attracts steak lovers to a steakhouse. There is a wide variety of beef items in the steakhouse, that it becomes difficult to make selection.

You can place the order for grilled chicken sandwich, steak tid bits, bacon cheese burgers, turkey burger and lots more as the main course. In the case of appetizers, you can choose sizzling Canadian bacon, tuna, baked clams and many more. The list of the delicacies of a steakhouse can have endless number of different kinds of food. You just have to order your favorite dish and enjoy its taste. The steak food or beef products are not the only option for steak lovers or sea food lovers. The sea food lovers can order for specialized sea food for them. You can pick from the variety of tasty lobsters, mouth-watering crabs, calamari and variety of fishes.

A steakhouse can be the dinners' delight because of the food court. The sea food or steak food are accompanied with the side dishes. These side dishes can be baked potatoes, creamed spinach, sautéed broccoli and various other vegetables. All the food items in a steakhouse are cooked at various temperatures to lend a variety in taste. Steakhouse has to have various benefits that can act as the crowd pullers.

The hospitality, the interiors, the service timing and other arrangements have to be of high quality, so that the steakhouse can have a wonderful business. Everybody enters the market to earn money and do competitive business. They need to have certain special qualities that can get compliments for them and positive responses from the customers.

These factors are responsible for the growth of their business.

Steakhouse is the best place to have a peaceful dinner and celebrate a special occasion. There is a variety of steakhouse in USA that reserve certain days for organizing private parties. The drinks, the food and the other arrangements are done up with due care to lend a grace to your party. Well, you can get every type of ingredient for an enjoyable party and dinning experience in a steakhouse.

About the Author
Neil Folley holds a Masters Degree in Hotel Management. He is working for Markjosephsteakhouse. To enjoy food and hot soups in Steakhouse in USA and book for Sunday private parties visit http://www.markjosephsteakhouse.com/Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/38060.html

2006-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Cookware You Can Depend On

For over one hundred years, Beka cookware has been designing and manufacturing the world's leading gourmet cooking utensils. Founded during the year 1899 in Betzingen, Germany Daniel Braun and Jakob Kemmler were the originators of Beka cookware. After many successful years in Germany, Beka cookware began to expand globally dominating markets in France, Belgium, and eventually to America. Today, Beka cookware is categorized in two distinct categories. They are the Beka Classic collection, and the Beka Line.

The Beka Classic collection contains the Cook and Fry Stainless Steel, the Cook and Fry Aluminum collection, Tools and Specials, and the Cook and Fry Copper collection. The Beka Line includes the Cook and Fry Stainless Steel collection, the Cook and Fry Aluminum collection, and the Cook and Fry Copper collection. In the Beka Classic Cook and Fry Stainless Steel collection you will find the Creole, Fortuna, the Gourmet Club, the Juwel, the Krea, the Polo, the Saphir, and the Sully.

These stainless steel collections are elegant and will compliment every kitchen. They include glass lids, matt finishes, and decorative handles. Many of the cookware include inside capacity lines to let you cook with precision. Using the Stainless Steel collection offers the cook many advantages. Many have non-stick surfaces, and you should make sure that you always cook with wood or plastic utensils to make sure that you don't inadvertently damage the surface.

Caring for your Beka cookware involves a few simple preventive methods as well as making sure that you take care of any trouble spots or problems immediately. By taking care of these problems immediately, you will ensure the longevity of your cookware. You should always wash your cookware in hot soapy water and allow them to dry thoroughly.

When using your Beka cookware on a range make sure that only the base of your cookware is receiving direct heat. If the heat is higher than the base of the pan, it could cause permanent damage to the handles. Taking care of your copper cookware is just as important. Your Beka copper cookware will have a protective film over it.

You will need to remove this layer before using it for the first time. You can remove it by rubbing it off with Acetone, be sure to wash the pots thoroughly in hot soapy water to remove all traces of the Acetone. It is best to avoid dishwashers when cleaning your copper cookware.

You can however use copper polishing products to maintain the luster and beauty of your Beka copper cookware.

About the Author
Emeril Cookware - Find out how you can cook just like Emeril.

By Jennifer Nash

2006-10-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Restaurants : Looking for a great BBQ restaurant in Sacramento? A Southern Komfort Cafe..

Hello. Lately, I'd been thinking about finding a barbecue restaurant in Sacramento that has great food. I know, there are a few places around Sac, but most of them are just decent. Being originally from Oakland,CA., my family and I were so used to seeing bbq spots all over the city. You really did'nt have to look too hard to find a great place that served barbecue. The toughest decision was deciding which one to go to! The 3 that we visited the most were Flint's, Dixon's, and Everett & Jones. There are tons of others, but those were our favorites.

I set out to find a restaurant in Sacramento that could fulfill the need that I had for barbecue. One that could fill the void left from no longer residing in the Bay Area. We used to drive back and forth every now and then. We'd drive 100 miles just to buy our favorite bbq dishes. Believe it or not, we felt that the drive was actually worth it. Anyway, we finally found our favorite barbecue restaurant in Sacramento. Actually, it's in Citrus Heights. A Southern Komfort Cafe, barbecue and Southern restaurant. This is where you can find some of your favorite dishes. Also, there is Soul Food on the menu, so if you are from down South, you may be satisfied with the Gumbo, Jumbalaya, and collard greens that are etched onto the menu.

Personally, my favorite is the barbecue hot-link sandwich. It never seemed to matter which restaurant we decided to go to when we were in the Bay Area, I was always happy with the hot-link dish (hot-link sausages) or hot-link sandwich. At A Southern Komfort Cafe, it's no exception. The sauce is the best I have ever tasted; even better than what I was used to when we were in Oakland. It's hard to explain, but it's a sweet sauce, which you can also get in a spicy version. My favorite item on the menu is the bbq hot-link sandwich, followed by the beef tri-tip, which is a close second. This is probably because I like spicy foods. The tri-tip is more so sweet, and the hot-links are spicy.

There are also several other items on the list such as, macaroni & cheese, pork spareribs, seafood salad, banana pudding, peach cobbler, baked beans, red beans & rice, cornbread, yams, and others that I cannot remember at the moment. I initially thought maybe it tasted so good because I had'nt had good barbecue in a while, and maybe I was just falling for any decent tasting bbq... but after going back several times, I don't think that's the case. So yes, we found our barbecue spot in Sacramento. A Southern Komfort Cafe..."It Must be the Sauce!!" http://restaurantssacramento.blogspot.com

About the Author
L.W. Seals is a creative writer/researcher. For more info. on A Southern Komfort Cafe, please visit: http://restaurantssacramento.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/33580.html

By L.W. Seals