Candy Isn't Just Candy, it Can be Hot, Hot, Hot!

As the country's Latino population grows, marketing companies are coming to realize there is a growing need for sweets and snacks which appeal to tastes other than those of the conventional American ilk.

Candy conventions are beginning to see more Mexican candy importers, and they are not supplying typical chocolate bars; though those are available too. No, the fact is that Hispanics' often have different desires when it comes to the taste of candy.

The Latino population loves their candy, but they like it hot! hot! hot! The traditional American impression of hot candy is a strong cinnamon flavor. When considering Mexican candy, think more Jalapeno pepper hot. You may see lollipops covered in Chili or flaming, hot spicy Cheetos. Yes, the children love the unusual flavors, and seem to desire candy in flavors which offer more than one taste experience, such as mango and chili-flavored lollipops. Tamarind, a seedpod fruit grown in Asia, is a highly valued and desired flavor, and candy containing this fruit is a hot selling item. Even the gummies can be chili coated. Hum! That sounds interesting!

A new item on the Mexican candy market is Salsaghetti. Hot watermelon candy straws and Gusano tamarind sauce are packed in a simulated pasta package. This spicy candy looks like real spaghetti with marinara! Sorry, meatballs are not included.

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Preparing Your Barbecue For The Summer Season

One of the greatest pleasures of the long summer days is standing over a scalding barbecue grill in your backyard blackening a row of your favorite sausages.

When daylight saving starts, barbecues across the country will be wakened from their winter hibernation and prepared for the summer season. That is the time to do a few routine checks and preparations which will keep your barbecue operating safely for the season.

Cleaning the inside of your barbecue

The first step to annual barbecue maintenance is cleaning. It has to be done!

The secret to cleaning your barbecue is to do it every time you use it, but don't go over the top - a coat of natural food oils on the cast iron parts protects them from rust. Eventually those oils, fats and burnt-on food will build up excessively and need to be removed.

Warm barbecues are easier to clean than cold ones, so start it up for a short time first then turn it off and disconnect the gas before dismantling the entire barbecue to wash all the parts one by one.

The grills can be spread out on some newspaper and scraped clean with a grill scraper which is normally specially shaped to fit around the grill bars.

Alternately, grab a grill stone. These man-made stone blocks are soft enough to grind to the shape of the grill as you use them, removing grease and burnt-on food as you go. This is a great tool as it customizes to your grill shape.

Spray on some cooking oil before scrubbing the grill clean with warm water and soap mixed with white vinegar to remove any residue. Once dry, spray on a little more oil and spread it with a paper towel or cloth. Make sure that the soap mixture is well cleaned off.

If you have ceramic flame-tamers or cooking grids these should be cleaned with soapy water and a brass wire barbecue brush. Soak in the soapy water for an hour first.

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Nothing Beats the Taste of Authentic Mexican Food

Mexican food has become a billion business! With all the outlets combined, it is clear that Americans are enjoying the flavors of Mexican food. Food experts say Americans are acquiring more adventurous tastes, as well as cravings for new flavors and ingredients. It is an acquired taste for some, but for others it is an immediate love and sometimes even an obsession.

This has been built upon from many diverse cultures. It is a combination of the Spanish cuisine which was brought in by the Spanish settlers, mixed with the native foods of the Mayans and Aztecs. It also includes flavors from the Mojave and Apache tribes. You will find a lot of similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisines, especially in the use of chillis, tortillas, salsas, and rich sauces.

Salsa, the Spanish word for sauce, is uncooked and sometimes pureed until chunky, smooth, or chopped. In modern salsas ingredients include large red tomatoes, tomatillo, chipotle {a staple in the Aztec diet} and the avocado. These are the same core ingredients used in the past. Salsas, relishes, and chutneys can liven up even the dullest of dishes. It is rare to find any Texas style food without one of these accompaniments.

Mexican food uses authentic ingredients that come from its particular geography and culture. It varies by region, because of local climate, geography and ethnic differences. The north of Mexico is known for its meat dishes and beef production. The Southeastern Mexico region, on the other hand, is known for its chicken-based dishes and spicy vegetable.

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Healthy Mexican Food

Mexican cuisine is a style of food that began in Mexico, and is widely known for its vibrant flavor and amazing decoration. Rice, beans, tortillas, and a wide variety of spices are commonly used in many Mexican dishes, along with beef, pork, chicken, and a range of different peppers. Mexican recipes vary from region to region, but many of the same original ideas are still seen all over the globe today. Mexican cuisine is typically cooked in large amounts of grease and fat, making it one of the most fattening styles of food in the world.

Although authentic Mexican food can be unhealthy, there are many great recipes available for healthy Mexican meals. One ingredient that can easily be replaced is grease, which is usually a staple when making dishes prepared with tortillas. Many Mexican recipes involve frying tortillas, such as taquitos, tacos, and even tostadas. While the fried tortillas are usually the main portion of the dish, using oil to prepare them adds unhealthy fat and caloric intake. One alternative would be using soft tortillas, such as making soft tacos rather than frying the tortillas. There are also several recipes that involve tortillas without being fried, such as quesadillas or baked tortilla chips.

Another problem that can make Mexican food unhealthy is the amount of sodium in the dishes, which gives the food the strong flavor many love. The excessive use of salt and salt-based spices can be eliminated, but the flavor can still remain with the use of hot chili peppers and fresh vegetables such as onions and bell peppers. Rice can be prepared with low sodium chicken broth rather than using salt, and bean dishes can be prepared with the use of fresh ingredients as well.

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Who Invented Ice Cream?

Unlike pottery, arrow heads and metal tools, traces of ancient ice creams are not really something that archaeologists can unravel. The ice cream history is therefore elusive and not very well known. People living in climates where ice and snow formed naturally are believed to have enjoyed a form of sorbet since prehistoric time by flavouring snow with fruit, berries and honey. This was probably especially popular in warm regions with high mountains, since snow could be gathered from the high altitudes and brought down to regions where it provided much sought after relief from the heat.

Even though ice cream itself leaves no visible mark in ancient history, items and buildings used for its creation can. Icehouses are for instance known to have existed as early as 2,000 years B.C. in Mesopotamia. Wealthy Mesopotamians had them built along the River Euphrates and used them to store food. We also know from historical sources that several Egyptian pharaohs ordered ice to be shipped to them in the hot and sunny regions in which they lived.

Once of the earliest known instances of true sorbet – not only ice and ice houses – are the honey and fruit flavoured snow cones that you could buy in Athenian markets during the 5th century BC. Later on, the Romans adopted a lot of Greek traditions, ice cream eating included. The Roman emperor Nero who reigned from 54 to 68 AD did for instance have ice transported to Rome from the mountains and mixed with fruit and toppings.

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Green Tea Ice Cream

Green tea ice cream is ice cream made from certain types of green tea powder usually from matcha or maccha. This delicacy has its roots in Japan. Japanese ice cream distributors market varieties of this treat based on the specific green tea type from which it was made.

The Japanese sometimes serve their ice cream in a rather unusual way. Sometimes it is served in a bowl, similar to the way it is served in the west, but they also serve green tea ice cream in between monaka. Monaka is a Japanese sweet that is made with two sweet wafers that is then filled with a paste. In Japan, these wafers are filled with green tea ice cream making a delicious treat similar to what we know as an ice cream sandwich.

This delicacy is made with many of the traditional ice cream ingredients such as egg yolks, sugar, and water. Both cream and milk are usually included in a recipe for green tea ice cream. As the main ingredient, tea powder, derived from either maccha or matcha tea, is added.

Because matcha or maccha tea powder is used to make green tea ice cream, it gives it a wonderful green color. Matcha and maccha tea are common elements in customary Japanese tea ceremonies, and are usually kept in most Japanese households. The ice cream is usually made by cooking the ingredients and then freezing them.

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Caramel-roasted Apricots With Vanilla Ice Cream

A refreshing apricot and ice cream dessert .

Ingredients:

10 apricots, halved
225g/8oz caster sugar
1 orange, juice only
25g/1oz butter
25g/1oz Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
25g/1oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped
25g/1oz pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
200g/7oz raspberries
500ml/18fl oz vanilla ice cream

Beat the summer heat with a mouth-watering ice cream for dessert!

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