Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Sunday 6 November 2022

Have you ever Tasted Boiled Peanuts? - Food 29

USA peanuts consumption increasing year by year. Per Capita consumption hit record at 7.9 pound (3.6 kg) in recent years.



Image 1- Boiled peanut, sold in the gas station

I believe that almost people have ever enjoyed consuming roasted peanuts. Its popular all over the world, I think.

However, boiled peanut is one of favorite “snacks” in our state, Louisiana. We may find this snack in many places across state.

During Summer to early Autumn seasons, we like to buy raw, because of cheaper price. The peanuts also fresh, just harvested from farms and brought to the market by farmers.



Image 2- Boiled peanuts, ready to be eaten



Image 3- Boiled peanuts sold at the gas station.

Since raw peanuts have been cleaned, free from soil, then we may boil them immediately.

Place the peanuts into cooking pot, then drain the fresh water into pot. Heat the cooking pot with high heating for about 15 minutes, then lower the heat for about 110 minutes.

In fact, the price of boiled peanuts sold in the gas station is quite expensive (in increasing nowadays):

- price of small bowl with weight of 16 oz (454 gram) for US$ 2.29
- price of big bowl with weight of 32 oz (908 gram) for US$ 3.29

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Wednesday 2 November 2022

Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 2 - Food 27

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 1 - Food 27



Image 1- Cashew milk, sold by Amazon

Cashew apple (enlarge fruit ripe), seeds, wood and other parts are used for multiple purposes.

The fresh fruits or cashew “apple” can be eaten raw. Juice from fruits is consumed as:

- beverage
- fermented for wine, jam and jelly

Gum is used in pharmaceutical industry such as substitute for the expensive Arabic gum.



Image 2- The flowers, illustration



Image 3- Cashew seeds, sold by Walmart

Oil from the seed- shell for varnishes. seeds also for oil and milk. We familiar with seeds for snacks in vary presentations, such as roasted cashew or chocolate cashew.

It is said cashew timber may be used for furniture and charcoal. The properties of the cashew plants are also used as folk medicine.

Moreover, different countries use different part of cashew for preventing and healing the signs and symptoms of the certain disease process.

# To be continued to part 3

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Monday 31 October 2022

Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 3 – Food 25

You may read previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2):



Image 1- Tangerine from backyard

The ingredients may include pears, hydrated Chia seeds (water, Chia seeds), sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (to protect color), Carmine, vegetable extract for color.

I love the taste of Pears in blackberry flavored chia. The package looks very nice and appealing.

The crisp chunk pears are juicy, but the juice mixed with chia is quite thick for me, and some people.



Image 2- Wild flowers, illustration



Image 3- Chia seeds floating on the surface.

They look great and whoever like chia seeds for their benefit, great cups for snack. The only one thing, Del Monte use carmine for their natural food color which is give the red or crimson color.

Since carmine is produced from bugs or insects, I feel I do not eat 100% fruits from these cups. Just reminder for who have allergic reaction to extract insect, it could be cause to mild hives or anaphylatic shock.

Note: “Off course we should consume fresh one. In storms areas like our state, we need to store the packages of foods and drinks.”

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Friday 28 October 2022

Differences between American and Italian Mozzarella Cheeses – Food 28

I know the word of “Mozzarella” comes from specific region of Italy, and the word refers to specific cheese.



Image 1- One of American Mozzarella cheeses, sold by Walmart

Hence, off course, Italian Mozzarella cheeses have unique characteristics, some of them are following:

- generally, Mozzarella made from buffalo milk.
- some regions of Italy use sheep and goat milk for Mozzarella
- high moisture
- tend to white in color
- milk is not considered pasteurized enough



Image 2- Candies, just for illustration

# Important posts:



Image 3- Mozzarella cheese on the shelve.

American Mozzarella cheeses have a “little bit” different compared to Italian cheese, few of them:

- mostly made from cow milk
- low moisture
- yellow in color due to cow milk
- milk MUST be pasteurized because of American regulations.

Have you tried both American and Italian Mozzarella cheeses?

If yes, what do you think?

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Saturday 22 October 2022

Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 1 - Food 27

Have you seen the cashew tree?

Do you use any part of this plant?



Image 1- Creamy cashew milk

If you answer yes, then what part and what is the purpose?

From some sources, we know that cashew plant originates from Brazil, then spreading to the countries along the equator line and the other tropical areas that have good:

- soil
- temperature
- and the length of sunlight for this plan to grow.



Image 2- Two kids to play game, Just for illustration

The plants can reach between 26 – 50 feet (or 8 to 15 m) in height. A quite tall plant.



Image 3- The cashew milk is thicker than dairy whole milk and soy milk

Cashew (from word Caju) belongs to Anacardiaceae family, and the species Anacardium occidentale is most commercial plant.

Interestingly, people in our state, Louisiana can use any part from the cashew plants for multiple purposes.

From a cashew tree, people use almost all its properties: leaves, barks, seeds, shell of seeds.

# To be continued to part 2

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Wednesday 19 October 2022

Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 2 – Food 25

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 1 – Food 25



Image 1- Grab some goodness from 2 - 7 oz.cups.

What are in the delicious cups?

There are combination of pieces of delicate fruits and chia seeds sold in the markets:

- Apples in raspberry cherry flavored chia
- Mangos in pineapple flavored chia
- Pears in blackberry flavored chia
- Mixed fruits in tropical flavored chia
- Peaches in strawberry dragon fruit flavored chia



Image 2- Tangerine on the branch



Image 3- White flowers, illustration only



Image 4- Fresh grape

Sure, the package has nutritional values. Whole serving in the cups provide:

- 100% daily value of vitamin C,
- 800mg of omega-3 fatty acids,
- 4-5g dietary fiber

Note: Off course we should consume fresh one. In storms areas like our state, we need to store the packages of foods and drinks.

# To be continued to Part 3

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Monday 10 October 2022

Simple Homemade Coconut Oil glazed Beef Jerky – Part 2 - Food 24

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Simple Homemade Coconut Oil glazed Beef Jerky – Part 1- Food 24



Image 1- Homemade beef jerky

Then I pounded and cut the slices of beef, glazed the slices with the virgin coconut oil.

Next step, quick dehydrating. I heat them on the skillet until the side look brown then turned to another side.

Do it again and again, until both sides of beef slices look brown.

In a bigger bowl, I mixed sliced red onions, sliced jalapenos, and sliced green tomatoes, then I stirred them with virgin coconut oil.



Image 2- Tomatoes, illustration only



Image 3- Virgin coconut oil in the jar.

Afterwards, I added the sliced meat from the skillet into the bowl, mixed all together.

The final step, I took a photo (photo above, please see Imge 1) of my cooking before they're gone :)

What do you think about my quick and simple beef jerky?

I would like to say this is a special beef jerky because I like the taste of this virgin coconut oil.

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Sunday 9 October 2022

Sweet Tangerine at Backyard – Food 26

We have grown two Tangerine trees in our backyard. Luckily one grow well, and provides us with fresh fruit every year.



Image 1- Tangerine fruit on the branches

Another tree died at very young age, about 3 years old when it starts to produce “little” fruit. It died due to diseases; we guessed caused by fungi diseases several years ago.

Many of our neighbors have Tangerine, they grow the fruit either in front yards or backyards

Tangerine is seasonal fruit, start to ripe from October to early January in our neighborhood, and even in our state, Louisiana. 



Image 2- Some fruit on branches

In case of our Tangerine, we may pick the fruit about this time or second week of October.



Image 3- A fruit, ready to be picked.

Then, the fruit starts to fall down one by one in late November or early December when temperature dropping.



Image 4- Raccoon is one of critters consumes our fruit

Fruit may not reach January of next year. We are lucky enough if we found one or two fruit on branches in the cold month.

Unfortunately, we have at least two critters as competitors to consume our fruit, they are:

- raccoon
- and squirrels

Finally, have you tasted Tangerine?

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Thursday 6 October 2022

Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 1 – Food 25

Del Monte and Dole are very familiar brands for either fresh or packaged fruits or vegetables.



Image 1 - Fruits and chia seeds in easy-to-carry cups

For tidbits fruits on the go, I prefer Dole. The most I like is tidbit tropical fruits in small plastic cups.

What I do?

I empty the cup into the glass and add some ice. This is my way keep hydrate in the cool weather

When I picked what I need to fill the Food Bank, I also bought fruits, either in the cans or in the cups.



Image 2- Grape, just for illustration

I saw the bigger package of chunk fruits in the dark black packages with contrast color of fruits.


Image 3- Two cups of fruit and Chia

There is a series of Del Monte Fruits and Chia. The size available is 2 - 7 oz.cups.

The price depends on cup sizes and number of cups in the wraps or in the boxes (big number of cups):

+ US$ 2.78 for two cups of 7 OZ size.
+ Sure, we will have a good deal if we buy 1 box with more than 24 cups.

# To be continued to Part 2

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Note: We consume packages or can foods during emergency times such as during storm, hurricane seasons

Friday 23 September 2022

Simple Homemade Coconut Oil glazed Beef Jerky – Part 1- Food 24

Fresh meat and chicken are out, there are none either in my fridge or in stores. Since the Louisiana Health Emergency Proclamation, life was unpleasant.



Image 1- Thin cut of beef from Walmart

Groceries are almost empty everywhere in the city. Luckily, we have source of proteins as our stocks:

- fish cans
- packed tuna
- tofu
- frozen poultry
- frozen meat
- frozen salmon and tilapia.



Image 2- Street in the morning, just for illustration



Image 3- Half cut peppers

I chose meat (beef) than other proteins from our stocks. It is my last meat package, thin cut of beef.

I was so starving, and I could not wait for thawing and marinating. I did a quick and simple way in cooking.

I am thinking you can guess what I had done. Yes, you are right that I put the frozen beef into the pan.

By adding small amount of water, salt, coriander, chopped garlic and ginger, brought them to a boil.

# To be continued to Part 2

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Is Meat Not a Main Food of Fox? - Nature 129

We have talked briefly about a fox crossing street at our neighborhood recently at previous posting.  Image 01 - A fox, sitting on the stree...