Last posts on food

FDA to Require Faster Reporting of Food-Safety Problems

2009-11-23T16:50:00+01:00

All companies that manufacture, process or distribute food for people or animals to eat must now report any problems that could lead to food-borne illness within 24 hours, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.Notification must be made using the online Reportable Food Registry, which was mandated by Congress two years ago in the hope of speeding up the process of alerting the FDA of contaminated foods and cutting down on the distribution of such food."The purpose of the Reportable Food Registry is to provide a reliable mechanism for FDA to receive reports from the food industry of food safety problems and to be able to track the patterns of adulteration in human food and animal feed in order to support efforts by FDA to protect the public health to prevent food-borne illness," Michael Taylor, senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA, said during a morning news conference.Starting today, food companies covered by the new law must file an electronic report to the FDA when there is a probability that a food will cause serious sickness or death, Taylor said. Companies must report problems within 24 hours after a problem has been found, he said.Companies that fail to report problems within that time period could have their products seized and could face criminal charges, Taylor said. The information submitted to the FDA will not be available to the public, he added.The only exceptions to the new law are dietary supplements and infant formula, which have their own reporting procedures, he said.Outbreaks of food-borne illness have plagued the U.S. food system in recent years. An estimated one in four Americans gets sick from food-borne illnesses each year, but the actual number is probably much higher. Of those people, about 300,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yoghurt drinks could beat bugs that pile the weight on

2009-11-12T02:50:46+01:00

Bugs that live in our stomachs could be causing us to get fat, research suggests. Scientists have shown that the type of bugs in our gut change depending on the food we eat. And bacteria that thrives on junk food may make it easier for us to pile on the pounds. The discovery, by U.S. scientists, suggests that bugs found in the digestive tract are helping fuel the obesity epidemic.

The research could also open the way to designing probiotic yoghurts similar to Yakult (pictured) to combat weight gain.

Food and the Rain

2009-10-16T20:31:50+02:00

Friday, October 16, 2009:
Thursday: 5:30 P.M.
I rushed to the soup kitchen line, but there were only a few men waiting. Most were against the wall of the church on 51st. Street. The rain came down and down. I was already all wet from walking all over Manhattan.
Usually when the weather is bad, we get fed early, but this time something must have happened to delayed them. I placed myself in the line reserved for the ladies. The first lady, I thought and I smiled.
A volunteer came out and told us there’d be no food, to come back tomorrow. When he saw the look of consternation on my face, he laughed. No! I can in the rain for this? I thought. Got all wet for this?
A few minutes later, the first Coalition for the Homeless truck arrived. More waiting for the truck to be opened so that the heavy containers could be carried to the cafeteria. James, the supervisor, opened the truck and some of the men carried the stuff inside. More ladies joined the line and he told us to wait inside. I could see that we'd get a lot of food—the volunteers were setting the tables and there was plenty of everything—salads, sandwiches, bread.
The men who had helped carry the food got their share and we, the women, went to get our portion.

I can eat pork. I just don't want to.

2009-09-21T04:11:14+02:00

Most of my friends know that I do not eat pork. I am not a Muslim nor a Jew, but I somehow observe their diet when it comes to pork. Somehow because I can still eat pork.

It all started when I was 7 or 8 years old. I've always been fond of reading. We had enough books at home to keep me interested. One day, when I was quite bored or perhaps just curious of the books we had at home, I checked our cabinet and looked for something informative and interesting.

I found Modern Medical Guide. I decided to read anything from the book. As I was turning the pages, I found something about worms then I saw a picture of a pig and how it is fed. A pig eats anything and almost everything it can put into its mouth, including what goes out of the body. With such piggy character it is not impossible for the animal to have worms. These worms are not easy to be eliminated. They even settle beyond the digestive system.

I remember a picture of pork that has not been cooked or prepared properly and the pork was about to be ingested (or eaten) by a man. It was when I decided that I shall eat no more pork.

Whenever I refuse to eat pork, people usually ask me if I am a Muslim. What a pity. Muslims are not the only people who do not eat pork.

Of course I have eaten pork in the past two years. I broke my "oath" when a friend of mine told me that I only live once. I was craving for a Siomai but the only Siomai available was Pork Siomai.

When I bought the Pork Siomai, I was bothered. First, because I broke my "oath" and second, the taste was quite bothersome. It's been years.

During summer last year, I also ate pork. It was barbecue. To my surprise, I liked it. Perhaps eating barbecue with friends was a factor why I liked the pork barbecue. But I think those barbecues were the last pork I consumed.

Oh, not actually. I had another pork a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't have eaten it if it wasn't because of someone who prayed for the food. I only refuse to eat pork if the person knows that I don't eat pork or, at least, he can understand that I don't eat pork.

If I happen to come to a house where I will be served with nothing but pork, I shall eat it. I give justice to the food served for me. It'd be impolite.

If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.
-1 Corinthians 5:27

[Fotolog] : Sekilas pandang...

2009-08-29T19:03:19+02:00

Dah lama sangat aku tak hapdet blog ni. Lama... Bebulan dah. Ada masa, mood tak ada. Ada mood, internet takde. Jadi, bersawang je lah blog aku ni. Aku sekarang dah Part 6 program Bachelor of Legal Studies (Hons.) kat UiTM Malaysia. Sekejap je rasanya. Macam baru lagi aku masuk pre-law fasttrack uitm. Tau2 sekarang da Part 6 dah. InsyaAllah, hujung tahun ni grad dan tahun depan, sambung LL.B (Hons.). Huhu..

Kat bawah ni gambar2 yang aku ambik sepanjang kebosanan aku..hehe

Gambar sebahagian budak kelas aku. Ambik sebelum sesi fotografi kelas...

Caption sama macam yang atas ;)

Lauk jimat aku. Nasik ngan tempe. Tapi tak jimat gak sebab untuk yang ini, aku dicaj RM 2.50. Asalnya 2.80.

Haa... yang ni jimat. Makan tengahari kat kafe bisnes kat belakang bangunan fakulti. Nasik, sayur, sambal belacan. RM 1.30. =)

Larian SAF 2009. Akmal ngan rem ada dalam gambar ni.. haha

Kuih muih beraneka jenis. Mak aku jual kat bazar ramadhan alam megah [depan kfc] seksyen 28, shah alam. Lot mak aku nombor 74. Moh le datang... hehe

Batch aku. BLS (Hons.) * graduating class of 2009 *

Food Recipes - Largest Storage

2009-07-11T10:31:04+02:00

Tens of thousands of free cooking recipesFood Recipes - Largest Storage

[Fotolog] : Sarapan @ Josh and Jana's...

2009-05-31T17:40:05+02:00

Pagi tadi aku bangun lewat. Malam semalam makan ubat selsema. Baru je mak, maklong ngan adik Ati gerak pergi sarapan, sahabat baik aku masa sekolah rendah yang pindah Parit Raja, Batu Pahat lepas habis darjah lima call aku. Rupanya dia ada depan rumah. Huhu. Mandi cincai2, sembang2 ngan dia jap.Pastu pergi Giant Putra Heights, nak sarapan kat Josh and Jana's.

Sedap makanan kat sini. Harga dia lebih sikit dari Old Town. Tapi makanan dia best dan banyak. Berbaloi dengan apa yang kita makan. Aku makan Clear Soup with Chicken - Meehoon [bahasa mudahnya bihun sup] ngan Milo panas. Adik Ati makan fish and chip, maklong makan Nasi Lemak Sambal Sotong, mak makan roti bakar dengan fries.

Tapi makanan dia memang best. Tauke dia, yang kebetulan jaga kedai masa kami makan, sangat baik. Tak pasti sama ada tauke dia memang mat saleh betul atau kacukan. Tapi, cara cakap dan muka ada macam mat saleh sikit. Huhu... Sekarang tengah ada promosi. Siapa-siapa yang nak pergi, Josh and Jana's [tagline: A new lifestyle kopitiam], letaknya kat tingkat atas, Giant Putra Heights, depan farmasi Guardian.

p/s: Tadi ada kenduri kawen orang depan rumah. Sekarang tengah lapar, teringat nasi minyak, ayam masak merah ngan daging tadi. Haa!! Baru teringat. Kek Choc Mud aku ngan Ejat tak makan lagi kat rumah...

Foods that Promote Sleep

2009-05-30T03:27:00+02:00

How foods can affect sleep?

What you eat affects how you sleep. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods keep you awake.

Sleepers are tryptophan-containing foods. Tryptophan is the raw material that the brain uses to build sleep-inducing substances. Adequate serotonin levels promote deep, restorative sleep. A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear those amino acids that compete with tryptophan from the bloodstream, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep-inducing substances. Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain.

Foods that are high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein are ideal for promoting sleep:

Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
Honey
Almonds

more...

Sleep-inducing bedtime snacks:

glass of warm milk with honey is one of the oldest and best remedies for insomnia.
apple pie and ice cream
whole-grain cereal with milk

more...

People Who Gave Their Name To Food

2009-05-18T03:23:06+02:00

Caesar Cardini: It is a common mistake to believe that Caesar Salad is named for the Roman Emperor, but in fact it was named after Caesar Cardini, a Mexican restaurateur in Tijuana, Mexico. On the weekend of July 4th in 1924 Caesar served finger foods by placing garlic-scented leaves on platters. He eventually started shredding the leaves into smaller pieces and it evolved into a salad. The salad became famous when it was a big hit for Hollywood stars who visited Tijuana. Soon it was added to the menus of many famous restaurants such as Romanoff’s and Chasen’s.

More...

Best and Worst Brain Foods

2009-05-13T05:31:10+02:00

FOR SHORT-TERM MEMORY
Drink This!: COFFEE

Fresh-brewed joe is the ultimate brain fuel. Caffeine has been shown to retard the aging process and enhance short-term memory performance. In one study, British researchers found that just one cup of coffee helps improve attention and problem-solving skills.

more...

Eat better to protect your heart

2009-04-07T02:09:00+02:00

Your heart is a muscle. Exercise makes it beat faster, enabling blood to flow quicker, carrying more oxygen and nutrients to your cells and drawing away toxins and excess cholesterol. REMEMBER, FATS ARE GOOD Your body needs fat – but preferably only good fats, the ones with essential fatty acids that are found in seeds, nuts and oily fish. These fats may actually protect against heart disease by making your blood less sticky and reducing the likelihood of clots forming. FOOD RICH IN VITAMIN E Vitamin E is fat-soluble, so you need to eat fat to be able to absorb this valuable vitamin. Vitamin E-rich foods reduce platelets sticking together, lower blood pressure and help strengthen blood vessels. Stock up on avocados, green vegetables and wholegrains as well as nuts and seeds, which are all rich sources of vitamin E. more...

Test your knowledge of English and donate rice to the UN

2009-02-05T18:31:02+01:00

For each answer you get right freerice.com will donate ten grains of rice through the United Nations World Food Program to help end hunger. It's free (rice is donated by the sponsors of the program) it's fun (how big is your vocabulary?). WARNING! this game will make you smarter!!!Enjoy and contribute...

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2008-11-29T01:26:40+01:00

Had Thanksgiving leftovers tonight for dinner. Served the crab au gratin on English muffin, the last of the Pommes Anna alongside them, and a fresh batch of baby spinach sauteed with garlic in olive oil. With the rest of the Beringer's chenin blanc. And more pumpkin pie. Mmm.

Yellow

2008-10-27T04:22:00+01:00

If the Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization, then yellow (soy) beans must be what made me yellow.

I've been drinking yellow (soy) milk and dipping yellow (soy) sauce for all my life. Yet, I've never ever seen or touched a yellow (soy) plant until this week, when I travelled with a bunch color people to a 93% white suburb of Missouri.

It was such a strange feeling, that I had to go all the way across the globe to come face to face for with this pod of familiar beans for the first time.

I even remember that famous 7-step "bean" Classic poem from the 3rd century Three Kingdom.

No mum. I want a black president and I suck white cock, but I haven't lost my true color.

Meals This Week

2008-09-15T02:45:00+02:00

More Meals

Dinners since last post, so these are from 7 Sept -14 Sept.

Sunday: I made asparagus risotto, which uses arborio rice, white wine, chicken stock (or "chick-un stock" in my case -- chicken-free), onions, garlic, black pepper, a little butter and olive oil, and roasted asparagus. Served that with a green salad of mesclun, carrots, tomato, cucumber, and kalamata olives with a little Caesar dressing. Glass (or almost) of white wine, an Albet i Noya Xarel-Lo Classic 2007, which we bought after a wine tasting earlier this year. The usual s-f fudgecicle for dessert.

Monday: Tacos again, with soy crumbles, taco sauce and spices, onions, along with lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, Mexican cheeses, salsa, and taco shells. With a Geary's Autumn Ale. Sugar-free fudgecicle for dessert. I hadn't made tacos in more than a year until last week and now here they show up again!

Tuesday: Leftover asparagus risotto, to which I added peas and shrimp, plus a green salad with most of the usual ingredients. Served with the Albet i Noya Xarel-Lo Classic (white wine). Usual fudgecicle.

Wednesday: Seafood casserole (a la Amy Dacyczyn): mayonnaise, white wine, powdered mustard, canned tuna, shredded cheese, black pepper, and a celery soup made from scratch with butter, flour, milk powder, vegetable stock, and celery, plus whole wheat rotini. Baked for 35 mins at 350 (it was very chilly in the house that day, so the oven was a welcome heat source). Last 5-10 mins. of cooking, a topping of combined bread crumbs and melted butter is added and the top is removed from the casserole dish so it browns well. Served with the usual green salad, and a glass or two of a cheap ($8) red wine, Altano Duoro 2004 (Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca varietals). The usual fudgecicle for dessert.

Thursday: Yup, leftover seafood casserole, served with cooked spinach and a half-glass of the Altano Duoro red wine. Usual fudgecicle.

Friday: I wasn't very hungry, so I had just a green salad (with the usual, including hard-boiled egg and garbanzos), and some roasted potatoes I made. (T. finished the seafood casserole leftovers, and had potatoes and salad). We finished the Altano red wine and had some of the Bartlett's dry blueberry wine, too. S-f fudgecicle for dessert.

Saturday: Ate out at Chinese buffet. Had a green salad (romaine, hard-boiled egg, green pepper, kidney beans, black olives, cucumber) plus 4 cold shrimp. Egg-drop soup with crunchy noodles. Smatterings of brown rice, garlic green beans, pepper shrimp, veggie lo mein. Biscuit. A little mint chocolate chip ice cream. Lots of hot tea.

Sunday: Ate out at lunch, so just had blue corn chips, salsa and low-fat cheese for dinner, with a Geary's Autumn Ale. Football Sunday!

Bite into Coney Dogs in Detroit

2008-09-08T11:05:00+02:00

Have you just landed up in Detroit for their latest auto show, or to get yourself a mean machine you’ve lusted after? Then you’ll also be in pursuit of good belly fillers that could put you up to the task. You definitely have the guarantee that you won’t leave disappointed with their food selection either. The city that’s home to Kid Rock and Eminem, also harbors more than its share of eclectic cuisines and an impressive selection of restaurants. The Lafayette Coney Island should be the first restaurant in Detroit you try out. It serves the city’s unique hotdog, aka Coney Dog. May have very well been named after the place that started it. It’s an appetizing combination of raw onions, chili and mustard sauce. The American Coney Island probably has equally good Coney Dogs. Don’t miss them out no matter what; after all, you really haven’t eaten in Detroit if you haven’t eaten their Coney Dogs. Quite a few Detroit Restaurants serve scrumptious pizzas. The square deep dish version here is only next to the hotdog in popularity. Drop in to Buddy’s to try theirs; they serve the best of its kind. If you just want good ol’ American burgers or chicken wings, visit one of these- Sweetwater Tavern, The Woodward and Union Street Restaurant. Apart from these, Detroit also has a good bit of popular Italian, Mexican and Seafood cuisines, it can bashfully brag of. Your automobile trip will definitely not leave you starving for more.

More Meals

2008-09-07T15:30:00+02:00

Dinners since last post, so these are from 24 Aug - 6 Sept.

Last Week

Sunday: We ate out for lunch so just had sparse leftovers for dinner: a couple of tofu corn cakes, the green salad with tuna, and T. had half of his lunch meal that was left over. I think we had a new red wine with that, Bohemian Highway 2006, a Calif. cab sav., which I bought the day before at Whole Foods for $6. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert

Monday: I steamed two ears of corn-on-the-cob, and I made a one-dish meal of whole wheat rotini with pesto, steamed green beans, and grilled mahi-mahi. I grilled (really, broiled) the mahi-mahi on skewers in the oven for about 6 mins. total, after marinating them for a while in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh chopped basil, and black pepper. Split a Negra Modelo for dinner. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert

Tuesday: You guessed it: leftovers! The rest of the pesto pasta mahi dish, and I made two more ears of corn, plus I made another green salad with the usual ingredients (including egg but minus tuna), and then at the last minute I cooked up (pan-grilled) about 12 jumbo shrimp coated in Old Bay and divided those among the pesto pasta mahi dish and the salad. Split another Negra Modelo with that. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert

Wednesday: I ate alone; T was out fishing until late. Two jumbo soy dogs with low-fat cheese, one corn cake. Glass of Bohemian Highway red wine. For dessert, a serving of grapenuts and a half-serving of raisin bran with low-fat milk.

Thursday: Stir-fry of mahi-mahi (marinated in rice wine, soy sauce, a litte peanut oil, and black pepper), green beans, shredded carrots, spicy and mesclun greens and spinach, broccolini, leeks, summer squash, scallions, garlic, ginger, and whole wheat rotini. Served with the Bohemian Highway red wine. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert

Friday: Leftover veggie/mahi-mahi stir-fry, a couple of leftover corn cakes, and we finished the Bohemian Highway red wine. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert

This Week

Saturday: Ate out: artichoke and black olive pizza, anemic garden salad (iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, onion, black olives, italian dressing), a glass of Avalon cab sav 2005. Sugar-free fudgesicles for dessert

Sunday: Gardenburger (flame grilled style) with swiss cheese, lettuce and ketchup, and salad: mesclun greens, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, red pepper, shredded carrots, garbanzo beans, black and green olives, whole wheat rotiini and caesar dressing. Half a Negra Modelo. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert.

Monday (Labour Day): A slice of leftover artichoke and black olive pizza, the usual summer salad (see above ingredients, with tuna), wistful end-of-summer gin and tonics! Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert.

Tuesday: Tacos made with Morningstar soy crumbles sauted in taco spices and sauces with onions, and served with corn taco shells, diced tomatoes, mixed Mexican cheeses, romaine lettuce, black olives. With a Negra Modelo. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert.

Wednesday: Stir fry: shrimp, whole wheat rotini, broccolini, spinach, leeks, summer squash, shredded carrots, garlic and ginger, green beans, red bell pepper, water chestnuts, soy sauce, rice wine, and peanut oil. Split a glass of Avalon cabernet sauvignon 2005, which I quite like. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert and some moose tracks (toffee) ice cream.

Thursday: I ate alone - T. was volunteering: Taco salad from leftovers: soy crumbles, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, black olives, broken taco shell. A Geary's Autumn Ale. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert.

Friday: Leftover stir fry from Wed. and Swiss chard sauted with garlic. 3/4 of a Geary's Autumn Ale. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert and some moose tracks (toffee) ice cream.

Saturday: Scrambled eggs, half-English muffin, cooked spinach, with 1/2 glass of Avalon cab sav. Sugar-free fudgesicle for dessert and some moose tracks (toffee) ice cream. After dinner: Half-glass of Bartlett's dry blueberry wine (accidentally aged about 10 yrs -- we forgot we had it -- and it's tasting fine!).

More Food Choices: Local or Vegetarian?

2008-08-31T17:50:00+02:00

If you need to make a choice, don't worry so much about eating local food as about eating less meat, says this study (pdf), reported at Marketplace, and cited at Marginal Revolution, where Cowen offers his suggestions for non-meat meals:

"Maybe you don't like tofu but sardines are delicious, or use Goya small red beans with shredded Mexican cheese (even the Kraft package is decent) and ground chile on a corn tortilla. Don't forget the lime on top."

Speaking of food ...

2008-08-29T20:00:00+02:00

Joe Posnanski blogs in some depth about favourite childhood foods that don't taste the same to the adult palate. And so far, there are 167 comments.

Q.v., Baseball Card Gum ("As a child it tastes like: Bubble blowing magic. As an adult it tastes like: Sugared sandpaper"); Beanie Weenies; Candy Cigarettes; Cotton Candy; Dinty Moore Beef Stew; Fig Newtons; Fluff; FunDip; Hungry Man (Turkey TV Dinner); Kentucky Fried Chicken; Necco Wafers; Pink Snowballs; Pop Tarts; Spaghetti-O’s; and Tang.

Meals

2008-08-22T16:05:00+02:00

I feel like blogging what I'm eating and making for dinner these days, I'd love to hear what other people are eating and making, too. I'm trying to incorporate more fish and fiber into my diet. A lot of that happens at breakfast (fiber -- 10 gms. in the oatmeal!) and lunch (fish and fiber) but I'm focusing on dinner here.

Last Week

I was on vacation in Boston, MA, and in Rehoboth Beach, DE. To the best of my memory, this is what I had for dinner (I didn't cook any of it):

Saturday: I attended an outdoor wedding of people I don't know with X, who does know them. Ate some appetizers like spicy cold shrimp and spanikopita (one of my favourites), along with champagne, then dinner for me was veggie kabobs and something else veggie with rice. Red wine with dinner, and lots of water. Dessert (the wedding cake) was scrumptious, moist red velvet cake. We ate outside, overlooking a meadow, and it was idyllic. I talked with my tablemates (an interesting ex-Presby pastor now working with juveniles in the prison system and his wife, an Episcopal Sunday School teacher/learning disabilities teacher) about Girard and mimetic theory! God knows what I said.

Sunday: My friend R. made dinner. It was broiled or baked flounder, baked macaroni with cheese (and maybe tofu in it?), and some veggies I can't recall but I'm sure they were good. We had X's delicious chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and blueberries and other fruit. Dogfish beer and brewed iced tea for drinks.

Monday: We (6 of us) went out to a Chinese place (Confucius) which was very good. (It was the only place we could get into at 9 p.m. without an hour's wait.) As Ch. said, it shouldn't be called Chinese; it's gourmet. I had excellent crispy fried halibut, as did Ch. I thought it was going to come with the head on and I was prepared to cut if off and ignore it, but thankfully it was headless (and more importantly, eyeless). X had sweet and sour flounder (yum), R had spicy duck that she was very pleased with, and the two vegetarians had veggie fried rice and some kind of broccoli rabe. We also shared out some appetizers, like a yummy garlic spinach. Some of us had wine, I think, and some had beer, and I had a pot of hot jasmine tea. Our only complaint with this place was that it was annoyingly loud and there weren't that many people in the room we were in. Must be the acoustics. Still, fun. I brought back half my dinner and Ch. ate it for lunch the next day.

Tuesday: R. made dinner again (for 8 people), with help. She marinated and grilled shark, mahi-mahi, and bluefish, and all were tender and delicious. We also had corn cakes with tofu (yum!), maybe ratatouille?, a tomato/avocado/? salad, fresh pesto pasta, and other veggies. Red wine to drink. Then various ice creams and X's chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and sliced peaches and plums. I had a blast with Ch and N especially, laughed to the point of pain.

Wednesday: The least best meal, at the Rusty Rudder in Dewey Beach. It was buffet for R and me, and crabcakes for Ch and X. (The kids all defected.) What was really fun was time on the deck by the canal, in the sun, beforehand, with beachy drinks (hurricanes for me), listening to Calypso music and eating a half-pound of Old Bay-spiced hot shrimp -- the kind you can't get where I live now, alas. Even the buffet was good for me, with all-I-wanted yummy crab balls (my second dose of the day), pan-battered fried shrimp, crab-stuffed flounder, lotsa veggies and green salad. We four shared a bottle of red wine with dinner.

Thursday: The best, 4 dozen large Maryland blue crabs. Mmmm! Plus those yummy corn cakes again, ratatouille, the tomato/avocado salad, and probably other things I ignored in my obsession with the crabs. I think I ate a dozen and there were 7 of us crab eaters at the table (plus two vegetarians). Drinks, thanks to J and Ch, were Modelo Especial, PBR, Blue Moon, and various (locally brewed) Dogfish beers. And iced tea. Ice creams (including cookie dough) and fruit for dessert. X shot some video of this dinner.

Friday: Before we went out to eat, we had lovely vodka cocktails at the beachhouse. Our last beach meal was at Porcini House Bistro and Treetop Lounge (they don't have a website), on 2nd St at Wilmington Ave, which I heartily recommend for nice, fairly high-end Italian dining in a casual yet elegant space. We wanted to eat in the treehouse (upstairs deck) but because it was raining buckets right up until meal time at 7, we sat in the glassed-in front porch, very comfortably. (And they contacted us in the afternoon to let us know our reservation for the treehouse would be honoured inside.) Again, it was 9 of us (including two minors, who are both vegetarians). We had two bottles of red wine with dinner, shared out some appetizers, and I had a green salad and the half portion of crab risotto for dinner. The risotto was OK (could have been more crabby -- but then, what couldn't?), but X's mushroom soup was heaven (this said by a mushroom hater), the salads (including the caprese, with ripe summer tomatoes) were fresh, the steak, flatbread and fish-eaters seemed happy with their lot, the truffled mac & cheese (using orichietti) was perfectly creamy and savory, the desserts (chocolate mousse, lemon tart, and something else) were delish, and the service was extremely attentive -- until we were charged for 3 bottles of wine (at $39 per pop) instead of 2. That put a slight damper on the evening but we got it worked out and left happy.

Saturday: I was in Jamaica Plain and ate at a place fast becoming a favourite, Alchemist Lounge. They have absinthe! X and I didn't order that this time but I got the lovely, wonderful St. Germain Champagne cocktail (then a glass of red wine) and she had the Leatherlips IPA from Haverhill Brewery. We started with guacamole and chips, and then for dinner, I had the broiled haddock (with rice and asparagus) and she had the fish and chips. (I've tried to find the St. Germain elderflower liqueur since but have not been able to ... )

This Week

Sunday: Home again. We ordered out for Chinese. Mine was shrimp cashew with white rice, T's was shrimp lo mein. A bottle of Gritty's Vacationland Summer Ale with dinner.

Monday: More of the Chinese.

Tuesday: I made a hybrid meal of macaroni (whole wheat rotini) and cheeses (cheddar and Parmesan) with a roux/white sauce (butter, flour, mustard powder, milk -- should have added white wine, will do so next time), baked that with thawed frozen peas and a couple of cans of albacore tuna, with breadcrumbs and Parmesan on top. and served it with cooked spinach and a green salad (mesclun, red pepper, cucumber, black and green olives, shredded carrots, corn, Caesar dressing). Red wine with dinner.

Wednesday: Same as Tuesday.

Thursday: Same as Wednesday, with the addition of a hard-boiled egg in the salad. We finished up the bottle of wine we started on Tuesday, a Portuguese red wine I got cheap ($6?) at Whole Foods, Cerejeiras Vinho Regional Estremadura 2007. It was so-so. I don't think I'd buy it again.

Friday: I made the pan-fried tofu-corn cakes we had at the beach (corn, tofu, egg, milk, flour, butter, baking powder, scallions, salt, pepper), and a salad of mesclun, cucumber, red bell pepper, shredded carrots, black and green olives, garbanzo beans, whole wheat rotini, and albacore tuna, with Cardini Caesar dressing. With the Gritty's Vacationland beer.

Saturday (ate dinner alone): Green salad as on Friday (with tuna and beans), plus a couple of corn cakes. Lots of decaf iced tea.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

2008-08-17T15:42:36+02:00

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins RecipeFrom http://www.delicious-food.org2 c. whole wheat flour 2 t. baking powder 1 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. nutmeg pinch allspice 1/2 t. ginger 1/4 t. salt 2 eggs 1/4 c. maple syrup (or honey) 1 1/2 c. plain cooked pumpkin 1/4 c. oil 1/2 c. golden raisins 1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease muffin tin. 2) Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in another, mix raisins in with wet ingredients. 3) Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Spoon into muffin tins (very thick batter), and bake about 20 minutes. Makes 8-12 muffins depending on sizePrev: Whole Wheat Pancakes Recipe Next: Yummiest Vegan French Toast Recipe

Bias and Diet

2008-07-29T15:55:00+02:00

Stuart Buck at Overcoming Bias looks at the overarching theme of bias in Gary Taubes' book Good Calories, Bad Calories [published as The Diet Delusion in the UK], "a book of some 600 pages (nearly 70 of which are the bibliography). ...

"Why is Taubes so interested in bias? For several decades, it has been the conventional wisdom that dietary fat (and especially saturated fat) contributes to obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Judging from Taubes' exhaustive research -- indeed, I'd be surprised if any other book examined bias within a particular scientific field in such detail -- the conventional wisdom was based on unreliable and slender evidence that, once established and institutionalized in government funding, set a pattern of confirmation bias by which further research was judged (or ignored)."

Examples follow, including that dietary researchers ignored or suppressed "studies showing that diet, cholesterol, and heart disease were not even correlated ... or even that low cholesterol raises other risks of death."

Taubes' contention, by the way, is that heart disease and other "diseases of civilization" are more likely caused by high triglyceride levels, which are elevated by eating refined carbohydrates.

In a January 2008 interview with the Telegraph, he admits "that he himself might be biased: 'What are the chances of writing an article that says the entire medical establishment is wrong, and them going, "Good point, thank you, Gary. Can we give you an award?" When people challenge the establishment, 99.9 per cent of the time they are wrong. If I was writing about me, I'd begin from the assumption that I am both wrong and a quack.' ... 'I have a friend who says that, if I'm wrong, I will have to live in Argentina with all the other mass murderers."

(Is that a real cat in the photo??)

Feed The Palestinians

2008-07-11T00:05:04+02:00

"Letter To The NDP, Germany, And Nazis Worldwide" June 23, 2008 Dear Sirs, Isaiah 59:19 tells us that at the time of the floods, when the enemy is moving in and the straits are narrow, that it is the time to raise the standard against it, and to point the way out. The standard is the Third Reich, the Blood Standard of the red and black and white of the Nazi Flag. We are also told in Isaiah 57:14 to clear the way for the people, build the highway, clear out the stumblingblock, and to heap it up. Pile them up, the corpses of the wicked, meaning the Jews. Shocking? I doubt it, for any true-blooded German reading this. I have no doubt that this is what God intends, and that the Third Reich was His delight, in all its brute strength and determination, and all its cruel aggressions against the well-deserving Jews.The floods are upon us, catastrophic floods in various regions, and God tells us very clearly that this is the time to start pointing the way home. It would be very inappropriate to grieve the loss of the past, because God plans to seam it up with our future. The fall of the Third Reich was in His hands, to be used for the final capture of the great beast. This is the truth that everyone of spirit needs to grasp fully. God gives His blessing of peace upon Hitler and his people in Isaiah 57:17-21, and gives us the understanding of what happened and what is to happen. "And I will heal him". (Is. 57:19) As a sort of meditation, the entire passage reads as a description of a mystical event of two fisherman standing on distant shores, divided by time and space, casting a huge net in the sea, and slowly pulling it out to catch the great serpent. If you read in Isaiah 14:29-32, you can get another idea of God's plan here. Israel must not rejoice because the Third Reich was brought low the first time around, because in its third generation a new aggressor will emerge, and this is Zion. Hitler knew what he was doing, and that this was the beginning of the thousand year reign of Christ, and the beginning of Zion. Please remember, never to allow the Jew to tell you that it is over. The spirit will reemerge, because it is the spirit of humanity, and God's eternal kingdom. Undoubtedly the wicked in your ranks will block you against taking appropriate action against them. For the righteous of the Third Reich, it is time to stay low and do only what can be done without the Jew killing you, what is feasible in the midst of the terror and oppression. In the appropriate time the wicked will be removed from the ranks, so stronger actions can be taken. The Third Reich is a global Reich, and the nations of the world are looking forward to joining the ranks. "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." (Is. 60:12) It is time for all humanity to join in the fight against wickedness, meaning the Jews and then their followers. This is the common bond we all have. God wants this for all of us, because the strength and fortitude of the Third Reich is the only answer against the wickedness of the Jews. There is no other way. The legacy of the Nazis is a joy for everyone, and it is as good for Palestine, Lebanon, and Afghanistan, China, Myanmar, and Indonesia, South Africa, Sudan, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, as it is for Germany, France and the U.S. And so on. This is our only way to liberation from captivity, and to establishing full and everlasting peace on earth. Everyone is invited to the festivities. The enemy is coming in like a flood, both by the constrictions in our freedoms and rights in the face of the Jewish presence and Jewish privileges and hegemony, through slavery, rape, vomiting, and tortures, but also like a flood by the promise of future catastrophes, natural disasters, starvation, bloodshed on a massive scale, and eventual destruction of the human species. The Jew is the serpent and is the enemy of humanity, and the signs are around us now. God has told us what to do. Point the world in the right direction to give them hope, and the promise of their salvation, through our God-given birthright to destroy the wicked and remove them from our midst forever. I am including a letter I am just now sending out to different people, concerning food for Palestine. This is a project that most people can get involved in, no matter how constricted they may feel, and something that the NDP can put themselves in the middle of. I am trying to solicit donations of food and money to help the Palestinians, and eventually all of the Middle East, and the hungry of the world, to help tide them over during this horrible siege against humanity. In our world of western abundance, this is the least we all can do. I am also trying to get reparations started between the U.S. Pentagon and Palestine and Iraq, which at this time amounts basically to more provisions, to help ease them out of crisis, and all of us away from a possible global catastrophe. National Socialists worldwide can help in the dissemination of this request and this information, and those with any resources at all could help with donations and time. Another way you could help would be to offer a voice to the U.S. military and the U.S. government concerning the need for them to withdraw support from Israel, and the need for them to follow through with offerings of supplies and food throughout the Middle East. Likewise, you could offer a voice to your own government and your own military to support this position and this effort. Third, you could send this message out to encourage others to do the same. Below you will find a string of some letters concerning this issue. Please send this along as well as you can. Thank-you very much. Heil Hitler! Susan F. Smith-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Blog That Was Rejected Because I Was Trying To Help The Palestinians"June 19, 2008 To Whom It May Concern,I wanted to share with you two letters I tried to post on blogger.com, but I was rejected for no apparent reason. The excuse they gave me was that the bottom didn't agree with the top, in terms of computer language. Undoubtedly, the unspoken reason was because I was trying to find food donations for Palestine. I am offering this for your enjoyment. Perhaps your offices could share this around.Thank-you very much.Heil Hitler!Susan F. Smith-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Food For PeaceBelow you will find a letter I wrote about a year ago, requesting food and supplies donations to Palestine. I want to share this with you today, on the first day of the current cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. I believe the letter is just appropriate today as it was a year ago. Palestine is under siege by the nation of Israel, and they have suffered unimaginable hardships on account of the paralysis and inaction by the international community to address the injustices of the illegal and brutal occupation by Israel. The people of Palestine have struggled and died for injustices that were no fault of their own. The land does not belong to Israel, and simply because of the fact that the popular government of Palestine, being Hamas, knew this fact well enough and were willing to stand for this truth, all of the Palestinian people have been attacked and put under siege by the barbarian regime of Israel. The Palestinian people, regardless of what recourse they have taken to try and save their land from theft and destruction, and their people from slavery and genocide, are the victims. It is time for the world to consider very seriously the wrong they have made to the Palestinians by turning away and taking no action as the Palestinian homes were bulldozed, their orchards destroyed, and their people and whole villages were massacred in cold blood, and at the same time crying out to everyone for help. It is time for the world to begin serious reparations for the damages that have incurred in the land of Palestine. Israel has absolutely no claim to the land of Palestine. Any claim by Israel to the right to live in peace on land that does not belong to them is a lie. The logic of this should be obvious to all. Any measure of punishment against the Palestinians simply for their trying to defend their land, regardless of what action they have taken, is completely unjust and based on lies. This means for seventy years the Palestinians have suffered land theft and devastation for something that was not their fault, while the world looked on doing almost nothing. It's time to turn this around. In addition to my request below for food and supplies donations, I am offering a new idea to make it easier for people to help out. Simply purchase a gift certificate card from your local supermarket or discount store such as Walmart, or even a bank gift card such as American Express, put it in a regular sized envelope wrapped in folded cardboard, in the manner most of us have received cards, and mail it to one of the addresses I have posted below. These are addresses of trusted embassies and U.N. missions, who will forward the card on to buyers who can make purchases and send these to Palestine. Perhaps if you are reluctant to send a lot of money at first in this manner, you can send a small amount, such as five or ten dollars, and see if this effort is successful. You could also send a number of cards with small amounts, either to one address or to several, and we can also see if specific embassies are more appropriate than others. I plan to watch to see if this is fruitful, and in a month or so I will make a report here and elsewhere about whether to continue. We need to make it better for the Palestinians. They have suffered much too long for something that they had nothing to do with. Israel's occupation is completely unjustifiable and is based on lies. Please do what you can to help them. They need to rest from this horrible and bloody siege against their people, and we need to do whatever we can to help them. Below I am offering some addresses of places where you can send the cards or donations. We all need to pray for a permanent peace, both in Palestine and worldwide. Thank-you very much. Heil Hitler! Susan F. Smith ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Addresses to send gift cards and donations: Embassy of Pakistan Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007 requests@daftar.org Telephone Numbers (202) 965-4990 (202) 965-4991 (202) 965-4992 (202) 965-4993 (202) 965-4994 (202) 965-4999 Fax Numbers (202) 965-1073 (202) 965-4990 Iranian Mission at the United Nations 622 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017 Tel: (212) 687-2020 / Fax: (212) 867-7086 E-mail: iran@un.int Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia 601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20037 Main Number: (202) 342-3800 Consulate/Visa Section: (202) 944-3126 Medical Office: (202) 342-7393 Commercial Office: (202) 337-4088 e-mail: info@saudiembassy.net, saudiarabia@un.int Saudi Arabia Mission to the United Nations 809 United Nations Plaza 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212)697-4831 Saudi Press Agency: (202) 944-3890 Consulate/Visa Section (202) 944-3126 Saudi Arabian Consulates General 866 Second Ave., 5th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 752-2740 5718 Westheimer, Ste 1500 Houston , TX 77057 (713) 785-5577 2045 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 479-6000 Saudi Arabian Mission to the United Nations 809 UN Plaza, 10th/11th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 557-1525 Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Ste 800 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 337-9450 Saudi Armed Forces Office 1001 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 857-0122 Saudi Arabian Navy Office 1755 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Ste 500 Arlington, VA 22202 EMBASSY OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT CHANCERY 3521 International Ct. Nw Washington DC 20008 TEL: 202.895.5400 FAX: 202.244.4319 202.244.5131 Email:Embassy@egyptembassy.net CONSULAR SECTION TEL: 202.966.6342 FAX: 202.244.4319 Email:Consulate@egyptembassy.net MEDICAL OFFICE TEL:202.296.5286 FAX: 202.296.5288 AGRICULTURAL OFFICE TEL: 202.966.2080 FAX: 202.895.5493 DEFENSE OFFICE 2590 L. St. Washington DC 20037 TEL: 202.333.1283 FAX: 202.333.7240 PROCUREMENT OFFICE 5500 16th St. Nw Washington DC 20011 TEL: 202.726.8006 FAX: 202.829.4909 202.829.5530 EGYPTIAN MISSION TO THE UN 304 East 44th St. New York, NY 10017 TEL: 212.503.0300 FAX: 212.949.5999 Embassy of Lebanon 2560 28th Street, NW Washington, DC 20008 Tel: (202) 939-6300 Fax: (202) 939-6324 Email: info@lebanonembassyus.org Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations 866 United Nations Plaza, Room 531-533 New York, NY 10017 Telephone: (212) 355-5460 Fax: (212) 838-2819 E-Mail: lebanon@nyct.net United Nations Mission Of Belgium One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza 885 Second Avenue, 41st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 1/212/378 6300 Fax: 1/212/681 7618 newyorkUN@diplobel.be French Mission At United Nations 245 East 47th Street 44th floor New York, NY 10017 Etats-Unis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Donations Request For Palestine" July 25, 2007 To Whom It May Concern, Palestinians are starving due to land usurpation, crop destruction, theft of water resources, and blockage of tax revenues that are due them. This is not to mention the ongoing inhibition of community and economic stability, the choking off of the land and water resources through the building of the security wall and the illegal takeover of Palestinian water resources. When a person's life is threatened, the threat can provoke the person to violence and chaos, as it provokes the individuals into an ongoing state of dread and panic. This can bring the person to panic and lash out at unstrategic times. The axiom from this is that if a person or nation feels sufficiently secure in its day to day needs, including the provisions of food, medical supplies, and necessary sundries, it will tend not to be so provoked into chaos and panic, and into lashing out against aggressors or by provocation. When a person or nation are more comfortable and secure, they will tend to be more willing to accept more peacful solutions to their problems. I want to mention briefly here some ideas that most people should know by now. The land of Israel simply does not belong to the Jews. Whether or not this land was promised to the Jews, in whatever capacity, through the politics of Great Britain and her emissary Lord Balfour, a promise that is based on false assumptions is null and void. According to international law, and all reasonable standards, the Jews had no valid historical claim to the land, as they had lost the land thousands of years ago, and it has been inhabited by the Arab people for the past fifteen hundred years. International law and custom determines that the historical occupants of the land have the legitimate claim to the land, and these would be the Palestinians. The second point is the fact that the Jews have no Biblical claim to the land, according to the terms of their own Covenant and Law. God promised the Israelites that they would stay on the land if and only if they obeyed His Law as it was written. If they did not obey His Law, they would lose the land. Once the land had been lost, the only way they were to return to the land, would be if they repented their wickedness, and returned to the true Law. It was to be God Who would guide them back to the land. They have never repented, as it should be obvious by the events happening now in Palestine. Another part of our understanding of God's Word, is the fact that as the Jews are understood to be God's Covenanted people, their existence is fully dependent on this very same Covenant. Their only righteousness is in obedience to God's Law. God determines whether or not the Jews have any right to live anywhere as a nation, and God told them they had no right to return to the land, until they had repented and turned back to Him. The Jews have no inherent right to live together in a state of their own. This right is determined by God, and is contingent on the Jews' obedience to Him. The Jews especially have no right to live in a state of their own, at the cost of loss and destruction of another righteous people. The world has been pandering to the Jews, showing them privileges and favoritism, to the detriment and destruction of the indigenous people of Palestine, without actually understanding the terms of the very Covenant and Law that they are supposedly trying to respect for the Jews' sake. In addition to the ongoing destruction and suffocation of Palestinian infrastructure and agricultural base, Israel has recently taken it upon herself to violate the terms of the Oslo Accord and the Paris Protocol, which she was signatory to in 1994, and is boycotting promised resources and fundings, as well as food supplies from reaching Palestine, causing an extreme humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel has taken it upon herself to take illegal and very inhumane action against the Palestinians for the simple reason that the Palestinians voted in a free election for a political party that Israel doesn't want in office. Again, Israel claims that she is doing this in self-defense, while the truth of the issue is that Israel has no real claim to the land at all, and therefore has no inherent right to self-defense whatsoever. The political party that Israel finds fearsome is Hamas, which has recognized this very truth that Israel has no claim to the land. Hamas was voted into office in a legal and free democratic election, while Israel, living on land that does not belong to her, has violated international laws and treaties, in order to suffocate, massacre, and starve out the indigenous people. I am writing to you here to make a special request for the sake of the Palestinian people, and for the sake of obtaining peace and stability in the land. If the Palestinians throughout the land, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, could find themselves with sufficient supplies so they would feel at rest, they would be much less apt to panic or be provoked into taking extreme actions against the ongoing irritant of the Israeli presence. This provision of rest for the Palestinians could very possibly be a first step to the establishment of a solid and permanent peace in the Middle East. I want you to look at this situation from another angle: We owe it to the Palestinians to provide for them so they can rest during these horrible times, and from the violences and degradations they have suffered for the last seventy years. This conflict was not of their choosing, and they have lost millions of their own people through terror, starvation, massacres, degradations, and the destruction of land and property, because the world looked on while they cried for help, and little was done. We owe it to them, to provide for them however we can with the abundance they need to see them through these days of violence and destruction. I am requesting that you make an effort to give whatever you can from your industry and resources to help provide the abundance of food and supplies that would help give rest and security to the Palestinians, until a more permanent peace and stability can be established. Here are some of the organizations who can help you with your donations: The United Nations UNICEF World Health Organization CARE OXFAM Much needed provisions include canned meat and bottled water, and all other protein products that have a shelf-life, such as canned milk and fish; dried beans and dried milk; flour, rice and other grains; canned vegetables and fruit; dried fruits, nuts and vegetables, nuts; sugar, cooking oil, salt, pepper, spices; vinegar; pastas, dried or canned dinner mixes such as canned ravioli or macaroni and cheese dinners; dried and canned soups and stews, sweets and chocolate; coffee and tea. Also needed are fresh or frozen meat, or even donations of livestock, poultry, and fresh fish, all other foodstuffs that could be used immediately; fresh produce and fruits that can be shipped quickly with minimal spoilage. Sundries include paper products, hygiene products, candles, matches, machine oil, kerosene, books, pencils and pens. Medical supplies include equipment, aspirin, bandages, rubbing alcohol, adhesive tape, cotton balls. The future of humanity is at risk of starvation and destruction, in the name of the very same lie that we are witnessing now in Palestine and the illegal occupation. It is time to turn events around, for everyone's sake. Any effort you can take to help will be greatly appreciated. Food, supplies, and cash donations are all welcome. Thank-you for taking this into your very serious consideration. Heil Hitler! Susan F. Smith

Today wasn't too bad:

2008-07-09T06:40:00+02:00

I ate the following:- Two Tim Horton Tim Bit Donuts- Four vegetarian breakfast sausages (gave half of one to my mom, she wanted to try it), (altogether = size of a hot dog)- Spaghetti sauce (no noodles, large bowl though, but not too large)

Trying out New Restaurants with Company

2008-06-26T12:29:29+02:00

Trying out a new restaurant with company is a tricky task. The name might sound interesting, the place might look great, but the service and food can let you down badly. Or the food and service might also be great but the pocket can take a thorough beating. The worst thing one wants is to cut a sorry figure when taking someone out for dinner, especially if it’s a date. It is of utmost importance to get a heads up on a restaurant before you go there. A great way to do this is references. A disadvantage here might be that what your friend or relative thinks is a great place might fall short of your expectations. Today, the internet makes restaurant search very simple and dependable too. Restaurant search engines are a great way to source out good restaurants that go with your personal requirements. They provide local restaurants reviews with emphasis on cuisine, ambience, service and pricing. Some very good search engines have an average of 800 reviews per restaurant, which can give you a clear idea of the place. Any restaurant that has more than 75 to 80 percent positive reviews can’t go drastically wrong. So the next time you want to take someone special out on a date, do your ground work before choosing a restaurant to save yourself embarrassment and to have a great dining experience.

Paper plate(dish) machine

2008-06-26T05:00:00+02:00

Model ZDJ-500 Intelligent Medium-speed Paper Plate Forming Machineintelligent paper plate machine, intelligent paper dishe machinePaper Plates, Paper dishes, Paper Trayes...........................................................Morepaper plate,paper dishe,paper trayProducts Description :ZDJ-500 Intelligent Medium-speed Paper Plate Forming Machine is designed for the market requirement, It has integrated the pneumatic and the mechanic technologies, which makes it has the functions of faster working speed, higher safety-performance, safer operation and easier maintenance .Model ZDJ-500 Intelligent medium-speed paper plate machine adopts high efficient pressurizing air cylinder, so that the Max. pressure can reach to 3T ,Compared with the oil pressure one, it has the advantages of high speed, environment protection and humanism desin .Model ZDJ-500 Intelligent medium-speed paper plate machine is our fourth-era equipments in paper plate forming .It is widely applied to make paper plates or aluminium foil plates, round or square paper plates, circular or rectangle paper tray dishes of different specifications, reqular or irregular shape plates etc paper dishwares.Technical Specification of ZDJ-500 Paper Plate Machine : * Paper Plate Size : 5--10 inch (mold exchangeable); * Raw Material : Paper/paperboard or One-PE coated paper or other; * Suitable paper weight : 100gsm--1000 gsm; * Rated Productivity : 80--100 pcs / minute; * Total Power : 3 KW; * Power Source : 220V 50Hz or other required; * Total Weight : 500 Kg; * Package Size (L x W x H):1700 x 1700 x 1900 mm ; * Air source : Working pressure 0.8Mpa ,working air volume 1 cubic meter/min;Pressurizing Air Cylinder Technical Specification : * MPT-63-150-3T-10; * Air flow vlume :0.8 cubic/min; * Air pressure:0.5-0.6Mpa; * Air cylinder stroke:150mm;Operating Video of ZDJ-500 Paper Plate Forming Machine ......Watch the Operation VideoDownload this Article Paper [ZDJ-500 Paper Plate Forming Machine]Related Link : The samples of Paper Plates,Paper trays, Paper dishes,ZDJ-300 Paper Plate Machine, ZDJ-400 Paper Plate Machine, Food Tray Machine,Send a message to inquire the price ? [Click to send an inquiry ]Quick Link : JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Machine, JBZ-S12 Paper Cup Machine, Paper Cone Sleeve Forming Machine, Paper Dinner Case Machine, Paper food pail machine, JBZ-D30 Paper Bowl Machine, JBZ-S30 Paper Bowl Machine,Tel : 0086-577-65027599 , 65027588 Fax: 0086-577-65027577E-mail: highborn577@gmail.com Online Catalogue http://www.hb-machinery.comRuian Huabang Machinery Co.,LTD offerPaper cup machine , Paper cup machine , Paper plate machine ,Intelligent paper late machine , Paper cake tray machine , Paper lunch box machine , Paper food pail machine , Paper cone sleeve forming machine, etc.

Paper cup machine

2008-06-26T04:58:42+02:00

Model JBZ-A12 Automatic Paper Cup Forming MachinePaper cup machine JBZ-A12Paper Cups ...............................................................................................Morepaper cups,disposable paper cupsOperating Video of JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Forming Machine......More Operation VideoProducts Description :Model JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Forming Machine is an automatic machine with multi-working station, which has the function of photocell detection, failure alarm, counter and the advantages of humanism design, safer operation and easier maintance.It produces one-side-PE-film-coated paper cups after running a whole procedure of automatic pre-printed fan-shape-paper feeding, cup-side-body sealing(heater), silicone-oil lubricating(for top curling), bottom punching, bottom pre-heating and pre-folding, main heating, bottom knurling, top curling and cup discharging.It is an ideal equipment of making hot drinks (tea, coffee, milk) disposable paper cups and ice-cream paper cups etc.Technical Specification of JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Machine : * Paper Cup Size : 2.5--12oz, height cup to 120 mm (mold exchangeable); * Raw Material : One-side PE(polyethylene) film coated/laminated paper; * Suitable paper weight : 135gsm--320 gsm (Recommend 170--280 gsm); * Rated Productivity : 40---50 pcs / minute; * Total Power : 5 KW; * Power Source : 220/380V 50Hz or other required; * Total Weight : 1300 Kg; * Package Size (L x W x H) : 2500 x 1200 x 1400 mm; * Electric Control Box Size : 730 x 600 x 1300 mmOperating Video of JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Forming Machine ......Watch the Operation VideoDownload this Article Paper [JBZ-A12 Paper Cup Forming Machine]Related Link :Paper Cup Samples, Paper Cup Size, Paper Cup Cost Analysis , Flow Chart of making paper cups,JBZ-S12 Paper Cup Machine, Paper Cup Sleeve Forming Machine, Cake Cup Machine,Send a message to inquire the price ? [Click to send an inquiry ]Quick Link :ZDJ-300 Paper Plate Machine, ZDJ-400 Paper Plate Machine, ZDJ-500 Paper Plate Machine, Paper Dish Box Machine, Paper food pail machine, JBZ-D30 Paper Bowl Machine, JBZ-S30 Paper Bowl Machine,Tel : 0086-577-65027599 , 65027588 Fax: 0086-577-65027577E-mail: highborn577@gmail.com Online Catalogue http://www.hb-machinery.com [url=http://www.hb-machinery.com/en-Paper-cup-machine-A12.html]paper cup machine[/url], , [url=http://www.hb-machinery.com/en-Paper-plate-machine-400.html]paper plate machine[/url], , [url=http://www.hb-machinery.com/en-Cake-tray-machine.html]food tray machine[/url]

Make Your Anniversary Memorable

2008-06-11T06:48:49+02:00

Is your anniversary around the corner? Then take your spouse for a candlelit dinner. But if your intention is to go to the same old restaurant that you frequently visit then drop it because it’s a bad idea; your spouse would be sick and tired of it. Instead you can search for restaurants that organize San Francisco restaurants for romantic anniversary dinners , provided you are in San Francisco.Some of the best places to check out would be:Café Jacqueline, a quiet and romantic spot with friendly service and excellent French cuisine. The Desserts are quite good especially the Soufflés.Matterhorn Restaurant has a nice and cozy ambience with a pleasant and calm European décor. It serves the genuine Swiss fondues, which is a local favorite. You will have the best dinner that you ever had with your spouse.Do you want unique dishes, awesome drinks and a romantic atmosphere? Well, Kokkari Restaurant has what you are looking for. The service is polite and friendly too.Aziza is a good restaurant in San Francisco for Middle Eastern, African, Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. It’s got a lively and beautiful interior adding to the romantic atmosphere to make your day a special one.Do you wish to spend your anniversary in France? Just reserve seats for two in Cote Sud restaurant in San Francisco. They have a collection of some great, rare wines and the service is warm and would help you with their recommendations to select the perfect wine that compliments your meal.If you are from some other corner of the world, there’s a way for you too to get great restaurant recommendations. So try any of these restaurants and enjoy the most romantic evening you both ever had.

Unique Dining Ideas for Father’s Day

2008-06-07T06:05:00+02:00

The best day to thank your dad for everything is Father’s Day. Apart from giving gifts, the other thing you can do, is to dine out since the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Now it’s decided that you will dine out but what kind of dining surprise do you have in mind? Well, you can entertain your dad in 5 different ways. 1. The first one is to dine in the home garden. Set up a barbecue and relish tasty dishes piping hot. Invite his friends, colleagues and all relatives and loved ones to leave a lasting smile on your dad’s face. 2. Dining on the terrace is a superb idea. On top of that if you set up a camp fire then it’s all the more exciting. Just bring home some of his friends and listen to him as he takes a trip down memory lane. 3. Your dad will truly love a picnic with his loved ones to a place he likes the most. It will make him feel special if the picnic spot selected is the one which he likes the most but never got a chance to visit. Also, you can carry packed lunches to add to the fun. 4. There is nobody who wouldn’t enjoy a home cooked meal on the usual dinner table. The icing on the cake would be if the menu selected contains exotic dishes of his taste. 5. The next best idea is to take him to a restaurant. But if you are tired of the usual restaurants and want to choose one that offers good service, good food, and good ambience don’t break your head; just search for restaurant recommendations and select a restaurant that suits the occasion.So gear up to make the D-day a memorable one especially for your father.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants in San Francisco

2008-06-05T08:16:03+02:00

San Francisco is the ideal place for a foodie as it is known for its excellent food and wine. So if you are planning to dine out with your wife and kids then there are several kid-friendly restaurants in San Francisco . You can get details of it online in restaurant guide.One of the top rated ones is the Savor Restaurant, which offers Mediterranean cuisine. It provides great breakfast options and therefore is crowded in the mornings. Those of you who want to avoid the lines can opt for dinner here. The staff is very friendly and polite. It offers a wide variety of savory crepes at low prices.Pacific Cafe with a friendly and cozy atmosphere serves some of the best seafood in San Francisco such as Calamari Steak, Filet of Sole Newburg stuffed with curried crab and shrimp baked in Newburg sauce and Lobster Tail. Kookez Café, a brunch restaurant is a nice place to hang out and is recommended for those who love a nice hearty meal in a pleasant atmosphere. It serves lip-smacking dishes exclusively made in the café itself, for instance Kookez Ahi Tartar with Wasabi Wafers and Kookez House Salad.Burma Super Star Restaurant is a good restaurant in San Francisco for Asian and Burmese cuisine. It is a small place, so it gets crowded quickly but the food, service and the atmosphere are all great. The Tea Leaf Salad prepared with imported Burmese tea leaves, tomatoes, lettuce, dried shrimp (or vegetarian), fried garlic, sesame seeds, peanuts, and split yellow peas is the local favorite.Bill’s Place has got a nice courtyard with a Japanese garden. They prepare their own beefs and French fries so its quality is guaranteed. It is known for its hamburgers; of which many are designed by celebrities and so are named after them. It has won several awards including the Best American Restaurants in United States.So enjoy a nice day with your family in any of these kid-friendly restaurants.

Father’s Day Special- “The way to a man's heart is through his stomach”

2008-06-04T07:10:00+02:00

Good food in a perfect ambiance is one thing that can set your Father’s Day party right. Partying is an essential ingredient in one’s social life. Every occasion in life calls for a celebration – Birthday, Graduation Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and more. Choosing a good restaurant is very important to enjoy your party to the max.Get to know your Dad’s preferences and the favorite dishes. Giving an added thought to research the preferences will go a long way towards making it a day. You know it would be a bad idea to treat your Dad to a Mexican delicacy, while it’s the sushi that he drools for. Always choose food that’s easy to eat and avoid struggling with lobsters - never forget you are there to celebrate and not out there to explore delicacies.You can go through some restaurant guide like BooRah to find a range of restaurant and food services that deliver to your specifications in your preferred location. Best is to look out for San Francisco restaurants for special occasions or whatever place you belong to. So give your dad a day to remember.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants in San Francisco

2008-06-03T07:29:59+02:00

Local Food

2008-06-02T17:12:51+02:00

Interactive map to show what's fresh in your state, by month. How come New Hampshire and Vermont have artichokes in June but Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut don't?

(via Rebecca)

Where to find Mexican food for little money?

2008-06-02T07:12:17+02:00

Mexican Food or Tex-Mex whatever it is that your hungry taste buds & stomach crave for is available in several good Mexican restaurants around United States with intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. The colorful chili peppers, green peppers, chilies, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes along with the Mexican-style soft farmer's cheese make the hunt for Mexican restaurants guide irresistible.Great food, that’s not all, one needs good service and comfortable ambiance too. Of course, something that suits your wallet size. Get amazing salsa and that too sold by the jar in Papalote Mexican Grill, if you’re looking for San Francisco restaurants. La Taqueria has some delicious double tortilla taco action- one crispy, one soft, melted cheese in between (Yummy).Irrespective of whether you’re looking for Mexican restaurants in Chicago with great burritos, margaritas, guacamole, salsa, crunchy tortilla chips; or in Las Vegas hunting down for crispy Tacos – find it all in the ultimate restaurant guide. As for the money aspect, check out the online menus with price tags attached, or get to know from restaurant reviews before you make your next dining decision.

Are you in the Mood for Italian Food?

2008-05-31T08:08:00+02:00

Italian cuisine with potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper and maize; or the role of cheese and wine – whatever it is that makes you crave for Italian Risottos, Pizzas, Pastas – you often find a way to satisfy your appetite. But how do you go about – the usual search engines or review guides? Checkout the better ways to find Italian restaurants in San Francisco that offer the authentic taste in the perfect Italian ambiance (though not exactly in Italy). Here’s some mouth-watering great places for tasty Minestrone, fresh toasted pita and spaghettis, pastas, pizzas with Italian wines like Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and others.Searches are getting simpler for diners & foodies as they can find out what professionals & other users are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. The growing search engine technology is also helping local business owners track their reviews reputation online, along with giving consumers the ideal food zones.With unlimited choices of Italian Restaurants, Chinese Restaurants, Pizza Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants dining out is great fun. The ultimate personalized restauran guide makes it easy to find local restaurants that serve great food and provide excellent service.

Are you a passionate foodie?

2008-05-30T08:50:00+02:00

If yes, how do you generally search for your next dining destination? There are several better ways for the ultimate restaurant search than the plain Jane Google or contradicting restaurant reviews.Searches are getting simpler for diners & foodies as they can find out what professionals & other users are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. The growing search engine technology is also helping local business owners track their reviews reputation online, along with giving consumers the ideal food zones. Residents and visitors in metropolitan areas can easily find great local restaurants through their mobile phones with sites like Boorah that have a tie-up with mobile services.The ultimate personalized guide for restaurants makes it easy to find great "clam chowder" in Boston, "great seafood" in Seattle, "Italian beef" in Chicago, or "ribs" in Atlanta by capturing community vibe through user generated content and thereby making the search for a fine dining guide far more quick and easy. Users can check the menus online, view the food, discount restaurant gift certificates and coupons; get driving instructions and maps; get home delivery and also get details on online restaurant reservations.The next your foodie attitude drools for great Dim sum or wants a perfect place for celebration do check out the San Francisco restaurants guide or whatever place you belong to.

Good Restaurants – “A smiling face is half the meal”

2008-05-30T08:40:00+02:00

Ever been to restaurants that offer great food in a great ambiance, but you didn’t enjoy a bit of it due to sour service? Restaurants are a part of the hospitality industry. Food is no doubt the main reason for a restaurants existence. But there is more to them than food – quick, pleasant service and comfortable and great ambiance. A restaurant might serve great food, but if the service is bad, that would be a competitive disadvantage. To have an increased future patronage, increased customer satisfaction is a necessity.The first thing you see before you get to eat the dishes you ordered for is the people at your service. “A smiling face is half the meal”. If the waiter or waitress is cool and pleasant enough, you might not give too much of importance to the minor taste differences in what you are eating. And what fun is it, if you get great tasting food but cold due to delayed service.That’s probably why people got down to writing restaurant reviews . Searches are getting simpler for diners & foodies as they can find out what others are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. With the web full of restaurant recommendations and reviews based on the diner’s experience – hunting for local restaurant reviews has surely become the first step while choosing a restaurant.

Are you in the Mood for Italian Food?

2008-05-29T14:20:00+02:00

Quick Way to Find Great Restaurants

2008-05-28T08:55:26+02:00

If you are on the lookout for the ideal dining experience that perfectly matches your taste buds, it’s surely going to be a grilling experience to choose from the oh-so-many restaurants, your past experiences, plus the millions of local restaurant reviews (not sure which ones to trust). Also if you are looking for great "clam chowder" in Boston, "great seafood" in Seattle, "Italian beef" in Chicago, or "ribs" in Atlanta – it could be grueling. Need a restaurants directory that’ll give you the perfect restaurant recommendations?Thanks to vertical search engines. They spruce up the search for good restaurants by capturing the community vibe and social essence of existing online groups, and comparing these results to an individual's search criteria; thereby delivering unsurpassed relevance with the broadest community reach.Of course, with popular review sites, consumers are having smart ways to find local restaurants. But nothing could be smarter than a Restaurant search engine with its fine dining guide that acts like a one-stop shop for diners. Boorah delivers pertinent information gathered from over a half million online restaurant reviews in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. It’s not just a restaurant guide for food, but also the service and ambience.ultimate personalized review guides feature detailed restaurants ratings, menus, photographs, discount restaurant gift certificates and coupons, keyword searches and other relevant restaurant information (like online restaurant reservations) compiled from hundreds of sources on the Internet. The use of Natural Language Processing(NLP) system to analyze various user comments to rate the sentiments expressed by users in plain-English text is sure to get better search results. It automatically summarizes a collection of online reviews from bloggers, professional critics and consumers, and allows consumers to search restaurants based on their personal preferences.Searches are getting simpler for diners & foodies as they can find out what others are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. Keep discovering!

Trail to your Favorite and Personalized Restaurants

2008-05-28T08:46:47+02:00

With unlimited choices of Indian Restaurants, Chinese Restaurants, Pizza Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants dining out is great fun. The ultimate personalized restaurant guide makes it easy to find local restaurants that serve great food and provide excellent service.Many web sites offer restaurant information, online reservations and reviews, but BooRah, the vertical search engine searches the Web and compiles all the restaurant reviews, creates a summary review and rating, and allows users to easily access the local restaurant reviews.

User-generated restaurant recommendations are automatically summarized from a collection of online reviews from bloggers, professional critics and consumers; and this allows consumers to search restaurants based on their personal preferences. They spruce up the search for good restaurants by capturing the community vibe.Even while you are on-the-go (travelling) BooRah’s vertical mobile search application makes the search for a restaurant guide smarter. So you’ll never feel like a stranger in any land. BooRah extends its restaurant reviews and ratings via its Syndicated Reviews Platform to the mobile phone. This service actually transforms millions of online restaurant reviews from across the Web into short, concise summaries and in-depth ratings.Searching for ones favorite and personalized restaurants has never been so easy.

Find All the Restaurant Reviews in One Place

2008-05-23T08:40:11+02:00

Foodies and gourmets can have a blast rejoice with the web getting smarter and offering all the restaurant recommendations in one place . Still stuck with Googling for information or hunting about in review sites? Vertical search engines are making web searches more time friendly and their search results more user-friendly.In the restaurant space, there is BooRah that provides all the reviews, recommendations, restaurant ratings, menu, address and other basic info accessible in one neat place. Boorah, the restaurants directory (actually, a restaurant search engine) has information that includes 1,000,000 Restaurant Reviews, 225,000 Restaurants, 45,000 Restaurant Menus, 30,000 Restaurant Pictures, 6,000 Discount coupons for various restaurants, 4,000 Restaurants with Online Reservation capability and more. People can find out what others are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. With the web full of restaurant recommendations and reviews based on the diner’s experience – hunting for restaurant reviews has surely become the first step while choosing a restaurant. Restaurant search engines like BooRah have an algorithm that captures this wisdom of crowds to bring it back to the users.The next time you search for restaurants look out for reviews, blogs, newspaper review columns, address, discount coupons, home delivery or online reservations; all in one place. Neat!!!

How to Find a Vegetarian Restaurant?

2008-05-21T09:20:34+02:00

More and more people are turning to vegetarianism. And it seems like restaurants don’t have so much to offer to the vegans as much as they do for the non-vegetarians. But it’s not quite true. One can be a far better vegetarian today with the given choices of a multitude of restaurants that offer unique cuisines and yet remain purely vegetarian.Usually when one wants to dine about, the obvious ways to choose a restaurant are to ask restaurant recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues. With the growing socialization through Web 2.0 sites, looking for restaurant reviews in review sites has become the next way out. The growing search engine technology has made available vertical search engines – a restaurant search engine, BooRah . A restaurant search engine reaches out to a focused audience, who are out there looking for a fine dining guide. One can easily find all the vegetarian restaurants in one’s locality just by keying in “vegetarian” in BooRah. The vegetarian restaurant recommendations are complete with the listings containing detailed restaurant information such as reviews, ratings, cuisine type, menu, signature dish, decor description, hours of operation, price ranges, discounts and more.The vertical search engine are more of ultimate personalized review guides featuring detailed restaurants ratings, menus, photographs, discount restaurant gift certificates and coupons, keyword searches and other relevant restaurant information (like online restaurant reservations) compiled from hundreds of sources on the Internet. Users can find professional and user reviews available from other Web sites. The search features allow users to search by name, cuisine or location. They also provide addresses, hours, driving directions, maps, etc. for all local restaurants. Searching for a vegetarian restaurant that offers delicious food for the right price was never so easy.

Restaurant search made easy

2008-05-20T09:20:56+02:00

Looking for a fine dining guide among plenty of options is a gambling for great taste. Referring to restaurant reviews certainly eases out the bulk of choices. Even foodie blogs do sometimes act as a restaurant guide to find exotic cuisine.Today’s Web technologies have made search engines smarter. Vertical search engines like BooRah act like a restaurants directory that provides all the restaurant info you’ll ever need in one place. As you always do, you can search for local restaurant reviews – both professional and user reviews, restaurant ratings on food service and ambience, timings, addresses, phone numbers, maps, menus, photographs, discount restaurant gift certificates and coupons, online restaurant reservations, home delivery services for all local restaurants. You can also some info on how it’s gonna effect your wallet.

BooRah, the restaurant guide is based on user-generated reviews and that’s why users can make an informed decision and choose a good restaurant for their choice of food. Why read restaurant reviews from just one site, when everything is found pooled up in one restaurants directory.Dining out is great fun especially when you can to a great extent know what’s in for you at your actual restaurant experience.

Find Vegetarian Restaurants in the US Metros

2008-05-19T09:15:00+02:00

Finding vegetarian restaurants in the metros of the United States is no huge task. With vertical search engines like BooRah it’s easy to find local restaurants based on one’s choice of cuisine, professional and user reviews, restaurants ratings on food, service, ambience and overall quality; online reservations and more.

Most newspapers in larger cities have on-line editions that contain large collections of dining recommendations and reviews. Finding restaurant recommendations online is far easier with the newer Natural Language Processing based search engines that almost act like a restaurants directory.Vegans can find great foodie places in the San Francisco restaurant guide, New York restaurant list, or Los Angeles restaurants. Dining out is great fun and it only gets better with good restaurants. Searches are getting simpler for diners & foodies as they can find out what professionals & other users are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. The growing search engine technology is also helping consumers find the ideal food zones. Residents and visitors in metropolitan areas can easily find great local restaurants through their mobile phones with sites like Boorah that have a tie-up with mobile services.The next you are on a hunt for a good vegan restaurant that serves you great food, do check out the restaurant search engine.

Net Restaurant Guide

2008-05-16T11:07:36+02:00

Looking for restaurants in the likes of San Francisco (with too many choices) is a gambling for great taste. Most people prefer to read restaurant reviews to find the perfect dining guide. Some others prefer their favorite foodie blogs to tell them what to eat next and where. Yeah, with many newspapers providing online restaurant reviews – that’s another way out. How if the goodness of all these online sites – review sites, blogs, newspapers, social networks is accessible in one-stop.Today’s Web technologies have made search engines smarter. Vertical search engines like BooRah act like a restaurants directory that provides all the restaurant info you’ll ever need in one place. As you always do, you can search for local restaurant reviews – both professional and user reviews, restaurant ratings on food service and ambience, timings, addresses, phone numbers, maps, menus, photographs, discount restaurant gift certificates and coupons, online restaurant reservations, home delivery services for all local restaurants. You can also some info on how it’s gonna effect your wallet.BooRah, the restaurant guide is based on user-generated reviews and that’s why users can make an informed decision and choose a good restaurant for their choice of food. Why read restaurant reviews from just one site, when everything is found pooled up in one restaurants directory.

Online Restaurant Guide

2008-05-15T07:05:16+02:00

Foodies and gourmets rejoice!!! The web is getting smarter for us to find restaurant recommendations. Still stuck with Googling for information or hunting about in review sites? Vertical search engines are making web searches more time friendly and their search results more user-friendly. In the restaurant space, there is BooRah that provides all the reviews, recommendations, restaurant ratings, menu, address and other basic info accessible in one neat place. Boorah, the restaurants directory (actually, a restaurant search engine) has information that includes 1,000,000 Restaurant Reviews, 225,000 Restaurants, 45,000 Restaurant Menus, 30,000 Restaurant Pictures, 6,000 Discount coupons for various restaurants, 4,000 Restaurants with Online Reservation capability and more. People can find out what others are saying about a restaurant before they choose to eat there. With the web full of restaurant recommendations and reviews based on the diner’s experience – hunting for restaurant reviews has surely become the first step while choosing a restaurant. Restaurant search engines like BooRah have an algorithm that captures this wisdom of crowds to bring it back to the users.The next time you search for restaurants don’t just look for reviews, blogs, newspaper review columns, but get all the restaurant info you need – address, discount coupons, home delivery or online reservations.

Web Search for Good Restaurants

2008-05-15T06:59:27+02:00

Delicious food served gorgeously is so inviting, and a whiff of the aroma wafting is so enticing. Savoring great food is what you expect to get with every visit to the restaurant, but how to find good restaurants. Searching the web in a generic search engine like Google, doesn’t always deliver the perfect restaurant recommendation.Thanks to Natural Language Processing technology and its use in building vertical search engines; in this context, a restaurant search engine called BooRah is simplifying searches. BooRah is a restaurant guide designed to analyze user-generated content and compile specific scores for food, service and ambience from user sentiments from across the web – blogs, review sites, social networks, wikis.So far the search engines have been powered by a keyword based technology, which has been making searches hectic with vast amounts of data mixed with a lot of irrelevant search results. But, the use of natural language interface can make search engines more precise in retrieving information.A restaurants directory is a great place to search restaurants that suit your social occasion. User-generated restaurant recommendations are automatically summarized from a collection of online reviews from bloggers, professional critics and consumers; and this allows consumers to search restaurants based on their personal preferences.Happy Chowing!!!

The Pizza Slice

2008-03-07T02:23:43+01:00

Friday, March 7, 2008: I sat down to dinner with my sister and her family. A few minutes earlier I had seen her take 2 small pizzas out of the freezer. I looked at them and wondered: Will I get one this time? After a few minutes in the oven, the pizzas were put on the kitchen counter. Can I have one?, I asked, looking at her husband Dave as he bit into a slice. No, there's not enough, was her answer. Whatever happened to sharing?

Popovers, mmm

2008-03-06T18:15:00+01:00

Popovers are one of my favourite foods to make and serve, especially as the first course in an afternoon tea, with butter and fruit preserves. The first time I recall having them at tea was outdoors on the lawn at Jordan Pond House, on a trip to Maine in 1993, though we may have had them in England earlier than that. I remember scones in the UK, which I don't like nearly as well, though they do go down a treat with clotted cream.

I have most often made popovers, on request, when a friend and her family (also friends) come to visit, because the daughter in particular likes popovers and/or perhaps the ritual of eating them.

Kim O'Donnel at WaPo tackles popovers today in her column. She mentions that there are many different popover recipes and philosophies, which I have also found to be true. Joy of Cooking mentions the same thing: "Everyone enthusiastically gives us a favorite popover recipe, and all are equally enthusiastic, but contradictory, about baking advice."

The recipe I use -- which is Susan Branch's, in Notes From a Vineyard Kitchen -- is almost identical to O'Donnel's, except that for Branch's recipe the oven temperature is lower, the cooking time is longer -- and Branch's recipe serves 12 while O'Donnel's serves 6; the difference is whether you use a regular muffin pan or a dedicated popover tin, with deeper cups. (They work fine in a regular muffin tin.)

Other variances I've noted in reading popover recipes over the years include whether to preheat the oven or to start cold, how high the oven temperature should be set to start and whether to reduce it at some point in the process, and how long to bake the popovers: suggested times range from a total of 25 minutes to 50. To wit:

Joy of Cooking starts at with a temp of 450F and after 15 minutes reduces to 350F for another 20 minutes; Martha Stewart does the same.

Cinnamon Mornings by Lanier starts at 450F for 15 mins, then reduces to 375F for 30 mins.

Great Food Without Fuss by McCullough and Witt (which has a number of good bread recipes) emphatically says not to preheat the oven and to bake at 400F for 40 minutes, or, for drier popovers -- why? -- at 375F for 50 mins; I found that 400F at 30 minutes works best for their recipe.

Fifty Ways to Cook Most Everything by Schloss (which I rely on for cooking rather than baking) recommends 450F for 15 mins, then 375F for 10 mins more, the briefest cooking time I've found.

Paula Deen (at Food Network) bakes for 30 minutes at 450F.

Beard on Bread doesn't include popovers. Can't find them in any of the five Moosewood cookbooks I have, either.

Two things everyone agrees on: don't overmix the batter, and serve them right away.

I'm baking chocolate chip cookies as I type this and it's confusing my brain to smell one delicacy while thinking about another...

<< Photo credit: Nicole at Baking Bites (see her recipe, too) >>

Foodieness - In Sickness And In Health

2008-03-06T12:00:00+01:00

Ok, I really must try to expand my Sick Recipe List.I'm feeling pretty run down right now, and that means that although I want/need something good to eat, the amount of effort I can put into it is rock bottom.Tonight, my boyfriend-flatmate and I are having my garlic chicken, which involves less effort than a pack of Supernoodles (although the latter is finished more quickly).No-one can say they can't be bothered to smear some butter over a chicken breast and add some garlic and seeds. Just two things I do have to excuse, before anyone blasts me - I admit that there are degrees of illness where this wouldn't be possible, and also that my boyfriend will be butchering the chicken a little for me (but that's his fault for only getting the part-boned chicken breasts instead of the boneless sort).The problem comes in the fact that:Firstly, I haven't shopped properly this week and lack many staples (like bread!)Secondly, my list hasn't many cheap light lunchesSo, what am I going to do this lunchtime? Given that yesterday's fodder of canned pasta shapes, cereal and ham-from-the-packet (not mixed!) is no longer in the store-cupboard and not good diet.I desperately crave tomato soup, but even if I successfully make it from passata, I've no bread to go with it.I'm off to search my food stocks and play a half-effort RSC...