Six Mouthwatering Italian Dishes

For a gourmet individual, Italian cuisine is an absolute delight. Italian gourmet hampers are sold at restaurants throughout the world. The origins of Italian cuisine dates back to the fourth century BC. This delectable cuisine has been inspired from different ancient cuisines like Etruscan, Greek, Roman etc. It also evolved with the exploration of the new world as new ingredients like tomatoes, maize and potato were added to it. This cuisine is known for its wide range. This article discusses some of the most sumptuous Italian cuisines:
Cacciatore- It is mainly in three forms IE chicken cacciatore, rabbit cacciatorem and salamino cacciatore. Apart from braised rabbit or chicken meat, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and wine are the chief ingredients of this dish. This dish is a must have for all those who crave for non-vegetarian food.
Baccalà alla lucana- This dish originated in the Basilicata province of Italy, but is now popular throughout the world. This dish is savored in most of the western nations during the Christmas period. The chief constituents of this dish are cod fish and crunchy red peppers. This dish is ideal for anyone looking for spicy sea food.
Cotechino Modena- Cotechino Modena is a famous Italian sausage made from pork meat. It is generally served with lentils, cannellini beans, mashed potatoes and sauce. It can act as an ideal snack before a main course meal.
Tortellini- They are also known as belly buttons. These are pasta shaped like a ring and are immersed with different varieties of meat and cheese. Originating in the Emilia region of Italy, this dish is now savored in different parts of the globe. As a variation, this dish can also be served with broth.
Lasagne- These are among the oldest types of pastas. These pastas have different layering containing sauce, mozzarella cheese and different varieties of meat and vegetable products. In order to make the dish delicious, other ingredients like wine, onion and oregano are added.
Minestrone- Before a main course meal, people generally look for sumptuous soups. Minestrone is a popular thick soup served in Italian restaurants. The main ingredients of this soup are vegetables like onions, carrots, beans, tomatoes, pasta and rice. Some restaurants serve this soup as a non-vegetarian recipe by including various meat products like chicken, pork in it.
You might be in any part of the world, but such is the popularity of Italian cuisine that you will find Italian restaurants everywhere.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9192269

Taco Cart Catering and the Film Industry

A fast way to ruin a production set is to run out of food. But with the convenience of taco carts, now with quality of cuisine, that shouldn't happen.
What do film production managers, line producers, assistant producers, actors, directors, grips and costume coordinators all fear equally?
The "hangrys" - i.e., the testy moods of anyone who is hungry and thus inclined to anger. It's bad enough in any workplace. But on a film production set, when take after take after take on a scene shows something is amiss, it may also mean postponing a meal a bit longer than the body wants. It's a dangerous feedback loop of hangry and underperformance leading to yet more of the hangries.
Hangries are not merely the stuff of cinematic imagination. Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a study, published by the National Academy of Sciences, which found that when blood sugar drops so too do moods. At some points during Amy Schumer's "Trainwreck" that might have worked, and the same could be said for many scenes of "The Hunger Games." We can even imagine Amy Adams channeling her hangry frustrations when on the "Julie & Julia" set, but with so much food present it's hard to imagine she couldn't sneak in a bite here and there. Had Dev Patel and Judi Dench not been fed at the right times when making "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," its winsome sweetness might never have emerged.
Film production needs food. Good food, and food that everyone can enjoy. Goodness knows there are many stars and starlets who have special requests. Perhaps the best way to satisfy everyone is through taco caterers.
The variety of what's possible inside a wrap or a shell makes it possible to satisfy just about everyone. Vegetarians can fill them with grilled vegetables and tofu. Carnivores have carnitas and Jamaican chicken and Caribbean carne asada to choose from. Seafood (tilapia and shrimp) tacos are de rigueur. Tofu tacos are all the rage. All of those things and lots of sides and toppings are available for individual orders. The mobility too helps on particularly difficult locations: if light and sound trucks can get there, so too can the taco team.
What's more, taco caterers are accustomed to a continuous stream of diners, as is often the case with production sets. And if anyone has a Zack Galifinakis' appetite (before he lost weight), the tacos just keep coming.
At the close of a production one additional item might be called for: the margarita bar. This beverage naturally goes with the food. And if there's a happy director and executive producer, it could well be worth a celebration for everyone involved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9193403

Margarita, With a Straw

"I do not want to protect the environment, I want to help create a world where the environment doesn't need protecting".
I read this quote on the internet and fell in love with it!! I truly believe that the greatest threat to the planet is our belief that someone else will protect it. In our busy lives we ignore the fact that small acts, when multiplied by millions of people can transform the world. In a survey by the United Nations Global Compact of 766 CEOs worldwide,

• 93 percent said sustainability issues will be a critical factor to the future success of their business
• 91 percent said they'd employ various sustainable technologies like renewable energies in the next five years
• 96 percent said sustainability should be fully integrated in business strategy;
• 88 percent said sustainability should be integrated into the supply chain.

I wonder whether they realized these insights while sipping with a "plastic" straws.
Although, it is true that plastic straws are a very a small part of the waste stream, but enough these straws are thrown away in the United States each year to fill up Yankee Stadium nine times over.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) wrote that, if businesses and countries want to accomplish their various sustainability objectives, they need to treat environmental compliance as the gateway to success.
Recently, campaigns to curb plastic straw use is gathering steam. However, this campaign is not about banning the use of straws, it is about being responsible in choosing a better option. It is an awareness issue since the marginal cost of replacement is very thin. Restaurants and other service industry partners who use straws need to give a choice to their customers between a petroleum-based product that is not recyclable or biodegradable and a natural agricultural product that is hand harvested, hand cut, and biodegradable.
The fact as of today is,

• Plastic waste makes up between 60 to 80% of total marine debris."
• In the UK alone, on average 3.5 million McDonald's customers per day buy a drink with a straw. That means 3.5 million straws a day are discarded just by McDonald's customers in UK alone.
• Scientists estimate that every year at least 1 million seabirds, 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die when they entangle themselves in, or ingest plastic pollution."

But here is the truth. We have used plastic straws your entire life and they are everywhere. We get it with our juice, we get it with our coffee, our cocktail and every single waitress hands you one with your dinner at a restaurant. Straws are skinny and we use are blissfully ignorant of their existence in our lives. Also it is not a big chunk of plastic. However let's do a little bit of math.
There are 7 billion humans on Earth. Assuming that 3 billion of them use about 2 straws each day, its 6 billion straws a day. One plastic straw weighs.03gms approximately which means 195 tons of plastics disposed every day, which is a staggering number. The plastic straws do not seem to be skinny anymore now.
Here are some facts about Plastic straws:
• They can't be recycled
• People only use them ONE time
• Can't be put in the dishwasher or boiling water, because they get too hot. There is possibility of chemical reactions which may release toxins that will go in the body when reused.
• Plastic degrades very slowly and almost lasts forever
• Fossil fuels are used to make to make plastic straws
• Plastic straws are one of the Top Ten littered products picked up on the beach.
• Plastic Straws rank in the Top 10 for marine debris
• Straws are easily swept up into gyres
• Straws along with other plastics can kill marine life
But what about them who wants their margarita with a straw?
People are working to make this possible. Straws made from straws are the stylish, sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws that we didn't even know but we've been waiting for!
A straw from straw is an all-natural, organic, sustainably-farmed, 100% biodegradable straw made from hand-harvested, hand cut winter rye. It is hygienic, flavor-neutral, FDA-approved as a food contact substance, and naturally cured for durability to stand up to that ice in your mojito. They're also beautiful.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9193976

Sumptuous Cuisine of Veneto

Veneto is situated in north-eastern Italy. Cuisine of Veneto has a long tradition of satisfying the taste buds of gourmet individuals. This cuisine is quite different from the other cuisines of Italy. This cuisine is quite varied as this region has varied landscapes. Gourmet picnic baskets containing cuisine of Veneto are popular throughout the world. Below mentioned are some of the most popular dishes of this region:
Brasato - This delicious dish is a must have for every gourmet individual. It's main constituents are braised beef meat, Amarone wine and polenta. This dish is ideal for a main course meal.
Gnocchi - These are thick dumplings made from wheat flour, egg, semolina, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs. This dish is served as snack throughout the world. This delicacy is also used as a substitute for soups. In some variations of this dish, melted butter along with sauces, pesto and sage etc.
Moeche - This mouth watering dish is an absolute delight for sea food lovers. It is made from Carcinus maenas, a unique species of crabs. The crab meat is fried and served along with sauces and potatoes.
Baicoli - It is a popular biscuit originating from Veneto. It is named as such as it resembles a Baicoli. These special biscuits are created by double baking and leavening. Savoring these biscuits along with coffee in the evening or early morning will make you feel happy.
Tiramisu - After a sumptuous main course meal, everyone desires a nice dessert. The main ingredients of this dessert are coffee, eggs, cheese, cocoa popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert. After a spicy non vegetarian meal, this dessert is ideal for your taste-buds.
Soppressa - This is a typical Italian salami served along with different varieties of sauces. This salami is made from different meat products like chicken, mutton etc. The best way to enjoy this dish is to have it along with a glass of beer.
Polenta e oxeli - Italy has an old tradition of game. Polenta e oxeli is a tribute to this tradition. This dish comprises of roasted birds like house sparrows, quails, larks, thrushes etc. It is served along with polenta.
Frittole - This is a very popular Italian dessert. It comprises of dough containing orange peel, raisins and lemon peel. In some of the variations custard and chocolate are also used. This dessert is prepared by frying and sprinkling in sugar.
You can enjoy the above mentioned Veneto dishes at any Italian restaurant throughout the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9199352