Cuizine Tourism

Indoor Gas Grill For Year Round Grilling Goodness by Robert Hull

2009-10-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Most people believe that a gas grill would be convenient to use for outdoor cooking such as in the backyard or in the patio where the rest of the family or your guests could gather around. But there are certain times of the year, such as during winter, wherein this isn't possible. An indoor gas grill will provide the best solution for this dilemma, such that you can enjoy grilled food anytime of the year.

The most important thing you need to remember, before you are even tempted to do so, you are not allowed to take your outdoor grill and take it to your home for indoor use. This is not allowed even if you transport it onto your garage. This is due to the release of massive amount of carbon monoxide by gas grills, which can be fatal. Although this bit of advice might seem obvious for some, there are still many who practice this in their home.
You can proceed onto your local supply or appliance store, or even online so you can pick from a wide selection of indoor gas grills. If you are not familiar with these type of grills, then make sure to ask the expertise of the staffs in the appliance store about your needs so they can provide professional suggestions.
There are two basic types you can choose from: open and folding contact grill. An open drill looks and functions much like any regular outdoor grill with a heating element and a cooking surface where you can place your food. The folding contact grill, on the other hand, functions like a panini press and is ideal for making grilled sandwiches, such that it cooks both sides of the food evenly and at the same time. This is really convenient for modern cooking as it cuts your cooking time in half.
Once you have purchased your indoor gas grill, you need to consider a few factors during usage and practicing safe storage of your grill at home. Proper ventilation is one of the most basic things to keep in mind. Therefore, there is no such thing as a portable indoor grill but it is rather installed in your kitchen, such that it would look like a cooktop when in fact it is a grill.
An indoor gas grill is often made out of stainless steel, which equals its cooking capacity with other high-end cooking appliances that you'd find in the market. You can choose though whether you want a indoor grill that runs on propane or gas. Other features include a pull out drip pan for an easy cleanup process.

Cooking for Company by Frank Thomas

2009-10-07T02:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had to worry about cooking for a bunch of friends? It can be a daunting task. My wife and I have hosted several Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners where we will have close to thirty guests. Let me tell you, that the rules to cooking change when you have more than four or five visitors. Here are some tips to help you when you are about to have a household full of company.

Know how much of each thing a guest will eat. Either you or your spouse will probably have a pretty good idea on how much food your family normally eats. The trick here is to take the ingredients and multiply it by the guests you are going to have. For example, our family of five will normally eat about seven medium sized potatoes in a meal. If we were to have 25 people show up, I would multiply that number by five and add it to the potatoes I'd normally use, for a sum of 42 potatoes. Then I would toss in just a couple more for good measure.
Extra food can go home with guests or saved up for tomorrows leftovers, but it's pretty tough to cook more after all the cooking is done. So, that's where you'll start. If you find your family will normally eat a two or three pound chicken, for the same number as mentioned earlier, you would cook up probably a 12 to 14 pound turkey. Just double check and error on the side of excess.
Now, cooking will be a challenge. You will want to start the cooking one day in advanced. You'll need much bigger pots or just a bit of organizing to cook the larger amount. We've sided on the side of organization personally. Cook up one thing at a time in two or three pots. Using the potatoes example, we would cook up potatoes in three or four pots at the same time. As the potatoes finish, prepare them in their pot, mashed or whatever. Then get yourself some larger tin pans, the disposable type, and put them all together there. Immediately seal them up and put them into the fridge. They will stay fresh till morning when you'll start to re-heat them.
Continue with the remainder of the dishes that you will be preparing in pretty much the same fashion. Once you complete all the dishes and have tucked them into our fridge, you can take the remainder of the time and clean up. I actually recommend to make a bit more and serve it for supper that night to your family. The next day around three hours before the event, place your oven on about 250 degrees and let it warm to temperature. Finally places as many of the dishes as you can into the oven and let them all warm up slowly. If you need to do them in shifts, then do so.
There you have it. An easy and smart way to cook for company when you are having a lot of company!

A New Way to Cook a Delicious Turkey by Roger Walker

2009-10-07T02:43:00.000-07:00

You're probably wondering how you can go about cooking a turkey this way because it sounds complicated. It isn't exactly complicated, but you're not going to have the equipment lying around the house for something like this. You need a rather large pot full of oil to cook a bird of this size and as you can guess it is going to take a lot of energy to heat up the amount of oil to cook an entire turkey.
You typically have to get an outdoor propane powered deep fryer because it is about the safest way to go. You obviously don't want a big pot full of oil being heated by propane in your house. All you do is place the turkey in the lowering basket. Let it cook for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the bird, and you have a delicious turkey to eat.

How To Get The Best Taste From Herbs by Sandy Y

2009-10-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

How Much To Use: Gourmet cookery is achieved when you figure ¼ teaspoon dried herbs for each four servings. This the measure for the famous "pinch" of herbs and spices. How To Use: Before adding the measured amount of the herb, crush it in the palm of one hand, using the fingertips of your other hand. This permits the speedy release of the flavor.

When To Use: Here is a secret of culinary chefs: cooked foods are flattered (there include stews, soups, sauce) if you add the selected herbs during the last hour of cooking. Raw foods (such as salad dressing, fruits, vegetables, raw juices) are enhanced if you add the selected herbs as long before serving as possible. Give raw foods plenty of time to "marry" the herbal flavors and become supercharged with wondrous taste. When Herbs Should Not Be Used: Be selective. Just one herb course to a meal is sufficient. A meal in which every dish is herb-treated can become a disaster. So even though several herbs do go well together, be sparing. Which Herbs To Be Used: Consult the Select-an-Herb Chart to find the appropriate herbs for specific dishes. Of course, the final decision lies with your own taste! Seasoning with herbs is an expressive culinary art. You are the artist. To try a new herb adventure, crush a bit of it. Let it warm in your palm. Sniff it. Taste it. If it is delicate, be adventurously bold. If it is strong and pungent, proceed with caution. How To Store Herbs: When you buy a new container of dried herbs, they are supposedly full strength. The longer you keep them on your shelf (it should be room temperature), after you have broken the seal and exposed the, to air, the weaker they become. So keep the lid tightly packed. Buy herbs in small quantities. They do not improve with age. Keep in small, air-tight containers such as jars or cans. Do not expose them to air any longer than necessary. Open only at the moment of using and speedily close tightly. If you open the lid and do not detect any fresh, strong aroma, it means the potency has evaporated and taste-healing powers have likewise been diminished. You would do well to discard the, and replace with a fresh purchase. How To Avoid Herb Specks In Food: Flecks of herbs may sometimes add appeal in proffered dishes; other times, they tend to look unappetizing. To have a blear dish that has the flavor of herbs but none of the flecks, prepare an herb packet. Place selected herbs in a little cheesecloth bag and insert it during cooking time. Remove before serving. For raw foods, insert the same bag and let the aroma steep into the dish. Remove before serving. How To Get "Instant Flavor" From Herbs So many cooks are hurrying at the last minute. If you have to prepare some speedy dish and time precludes long steeping of herbs, here's a gourmet trick to bring out "instant flavor" from herbs. Select the desired herb and let stand in a few drops of water (or oil or a drop of milk) about 30 to 45 minutes. The herbs must not float in this liquid but merely be dampened! Drain before using. This releases the flavor and it has an instantaneous reaction in the foods being "herb kissed." For even faster reaction, for a "Jet Herb Flavor" tip, tie the selected herbs in a little cloth packet. Plunge into boiling hot water for five seconds, then dip into ice-cold water for another five seconds. Shake off excess water and then use.

Secrets to Saving Money - Buy Whole Chickens

2009-10-07T02:40:00.000-07:00

When it comes to buying chicken, today's supermarket gives us so many choices. You can by breasts, thighs, wings, legs, individually frozen, in value packages, pre-cooked, pre-flavored, boneless or skinless varieties. I may have even missed one selection but my point is that there are so many choices out there it can make you dizzy. If you're a family on a budget, you can really benefit buying chickens whole versus buying chickens packaged in individual pieces.

Whole Chickens Keep Longer
I can guarantee you on any given day that if you take a whole chicken packaged on the same date as a package of chicken cut in to individual pieces, the whole chicken will remain fresher, longer. For one, a whole chicken is minimally processed. Chicken that is pre cut and pre packaged has passed through several hands and or machines and more of the meat and flesh is exposed to air, thus advancing spoilage. Buying a whole chicken guarantees minimal processing and less exposure to the elements.
Get At Least Two Meals from One Chicken, Guaranteed
Cutting and seperating your chicken into pieces is easy. All it takes is a sharp knife and a little bit of skill. If you can manage to seperate the carcass from the individual pieces, you can use that carcass to make chicken broth, which can be a base for an entirely different meal. Furthermore, do not discard of the neck. That will also come in handy making a stock.
Seperate the leg, thigh, breast, and wings in to individual pieces. Cut the wing tips off at the joint and add them to the pile of pieces you will use for chicken stock. Cook those individual pieces the way you would normally when you buy the individual pieces in the store.
So You Want Boneless
Removing the bones is very easy. To summarize, you are basically scraping the meat away from the bone with a sharp knife. Simply Google "deboning a chicken" and you'll find plenty of resources and instruction on how to debone a chicken. When you buy your chicken boneless in the store, you miss out on the opportunity to use those precious bones for chicken stock or soup. This is where the true money savings comes in, buying whole chickens. Those bones, wingtips and carcasses can create a second meal.
The Second Meal
To make a flavorful chicken stock which can be used for soup or a number of other recipes, take your chicken pieces and place them in a stock pot. Add three carrots, three stalks of celery and one large onion or two small ones. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Once the pot boils, cover and simmer for at least 5 hours. Season and add salt to taste. At that point you can remove from the heat, strain and seperate the broth from the chicken parts. Once the chicken parts cool down, remove any edible pieces of meat from the carcass and set aside. This will be used later. Discard the carrots, onions, celery and remaining bones. Allow the broth to cool. Once the broth has cooled, remove the solidified fat and discard.
At this point a number of different recipes can be employed by using a little creativity. One thing my wife and I like to do is slice up some fresh vegetables and cook rice and vegetables in the stock to make a rice porridge. The possibilities are endless at this point.
Buying whole chickens not only guarantees more freshness over individually packaged chicken pieces, but enables you to do more with parts of the chicken that most people simply discard.

Rice Cooker Reviews - Zojirushi, Panasonic, Tatung by Robin OBrien

2009-09-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

If you have spent any time reading through the top rice cooker reviews, there are three brand names that you are undoubtedly more than familiar with. While the kitchen appliance market may be saturated right now with various products within many different price ranges, there are a few industry leaders which have emerged from the crowd with particular models that outshine the rest, hands down.

The Zojirushi RIZO rice cooker has received a lot of talk in Japan, the United States and around the world. The brand's newest model has a very sleek, elegant stainless steel design that has been noted as a trendsetter.
The RIZO Micom rice cooker has a very convenient LCD clock and timer on the front and is equipped with a spherical heating element which heats from all directions for very even cooking patterns. It will even reheat the warmed rice to the perfect serving temperature! With four different settings, it is capable of cooking every type of rice just perfectly.
A similar model is the Panasonic SR NA-10 Fuzzy Logic rice cooker, which is one of the brand's most advanced models with a lot of technological advances packed into one compact design. Beyond advanced cooking settings that cook various foods even beyond rice, it will turn itself off if it starts to get too hot, preventing a possible fire. It also has a warming mode which will keep it at the perfect temperature for up to twelve hours.
This Panasonic rice cooker has a very modern design that is easy to tuck away for later use, or even to set out on the counter as a complement to any style.
The Tatung 6-10 Cup Stainless Steel Rice Cooker is a sleek silver and black design model that can be purchased with a six or ten cup capacity. Beyond perfectly cooking rice of any variety, it will hold it warm up to eight hours. It comes complete with a steam tray and other necessary accessories, and the cord detaches for easy storage.
If you want to narrow down the many rice cooker reviews to really find the best cooker steamer for your purposes, then looking into products from these top competitors is a great place to start. Instead of trying to chase one name brand, it helps to compare different ones together. You will find that often the features found in the most expensive models can be purchased for much less in a different model from a different reliable manufacturer.

Kuhn Rikon vs WMF Pressure Cooker - Which is Best? by Robin OBrien

2009-09-01T03:29:00.000-07:00

If you are on the market for a top of the line pressure cooker you actually do have some options available to you - especially if you are willing to pay considerable more. In looking for a top of the line brand for your own home you do want to keep in mind that Kuhn Rikon and WMF pressure cookers are among the best on the market.

In considering Kuhn Rikon and WMF appliances you will find that both of these stainless steel pressure cookers share the same features. This includes similarity in cooking options and related functionality. In other words, both companies offer some more basic models as well as some other more feature heavy options. Therefore, if you want a basic appliance for preparing family meals, both manufacturers have products that will fit the bill. Additionally, if you have more diverse or even complicated cooking objectives, both of these manufacturers can also fill the bill.
However, there are some differences between Kuhn Rikon and WMF. But, there are more similarities between these manufacturers than there are differences. Perhaps the most notable of these differences between Kuhn Rikon and WMF centers on safety features. While both companies clearly have focused a great deal of their design attention on making certain that these appliances have a full array of different safety features, they have taken slightly different courses to get to the same point. Despite differences in safety systems, both manufacturers have sound records when it comes to safety. Moreover, both companies offer cookers that are easy to use and utilize safety features and systems.
In looking more specifically at what you get, a Kuhn Rikon Duromatic review gives you a clear picture of what is available from this manufacturer. From durability to ease of use to safety, the Duromatic is an industry leader when it comes to pressure cookers. Similarly, the WMF Perfect Plus (in different capacities) also serves the needs of a consumer thoroughly and leads the industry as well.
In the end there are definite advantages to the pressure cookers offered by both of these well regarded manufacturers. Both Kuhn Rikon and WMF pressure cookers are fine appliances; however, the WMF Perfect plus just nudges the Rikon into second place. Nonetheless, no matter what your final selection will be, you will be well served by either of these brands.

Indoor Gas Grill For Year Round Grilling Goodness by Robert Hull

2009-08-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Cooking for Company by Frank Thomas

2009-08-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

A New Way to Cook a Delicious Turkey by Roger Walker

2009-08-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to talk to you about a new way for you to cook a delicious turkey. If you think back to any of your Thanksgiving days you probably remember your family sitting around eating a delicious baked turkey. But I want to talk to you about a much different approach that you might not be aware of. Deep frying isn't a concept that we associate with good cooking. You might associate it with a depraved desire for something greasy, but we don't view it as good cooking. What you might not be aware of is that you can deep fry a turkey and produce a delicious bird.
You're probably wondering how you can go about cooking a turkey this way because it sounds complicated. It isn't exactly complicated, but you're not going to have the equipment lying around the house for something like this. You need a rather large pot full of oil to cook a bird of this size and as you can guess it is going to take a lot of energy to heat up the amount of oil to cook an entire turkey.
You typically have to get an outdoor propane powered deep fryer because it is about the safest way to go. You obviously don't want a big pot full of oil being heated by propane in your house. All you do is place the turkey in the lowering basket. Let it cook for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the bird, and you have a delicious turkey to eat.

How To Get The Best Taste From Herbs by Sandy Y

2009-08-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

. When To Use: Here is a secret of culinary chefs: cooked foods are flattered (there include stews, soups, sauce) if you add the selected herbs during the last hour of cooking. Raw foods (such as salad dressing, fruits, vegetables, raw juices) are enhanced if you add the selected herbs as long before serving as possible. Give raw foods plenty of time to "marry" the herbal flavors and become supercharged with wondrous taste. When Herbs Should Not Be Used: Be selective. Just one herb course to a meal is sufficient. A meal in which every dish is herb-treated can become a disaster. So even though several herbs do go well together, be sparing. Which Herbs To Be Used: Consult the Select-an-Herb Chart to find the appropriate herbs for specific dishes. Of course, the final decision lies with your own taste! Seasoning with herbs is an expressive culinary art. You are the artist. To try a new herb adventure, crush a bit of it. Let it warm in your palm. Sniff it. Taste it. If it is delicate, be adventurously bold. If it is strong and pungent, proceed with caution. How To Store Herbs: When you buy a new container of dried herbs, they are supposedly full strength. The longer you keep them on your shelf (it should be room temperature), after you have broken the seal and exposed the, to air, the weaker they become. So keep the lid tightly packed. Buy herbs in small quantities. They do not improve with age. Keep in small, air-tight containers such as jars or cans. Do not expose them to air any longer than necessary. Open only at the moment of using and speedily close tightly. If you open the lid and do not detect any fresh, strong aroma, it means the potency has evaporated and taste-healing powers have likewise been diminished. You would do well to discard the, and replace with a fresh purchase. How To Avoid Herb Specks In Food: Flecks of herbs may sometimes add appeal in proffered dishes; other times, they tend to look unappetizing. To have a blear dish that has the flavor of herbs but none of the flecks, prepare an herb packet. Place selected herbs in a little cheesecloth bag and insert it during cooking time. Remove before serving. For raw foods, insert the same bag and let the aroma steep into the dish. Remove before serving. How To Get "Instant Flavor" From Herbs So many cooks are hurrying at the last minute. If you have to prepare some speedy dish and time precludes long steeping of herbs, here's a gourmet trick to bring out "instant flavor" from herbs. Select the desired herb and let stand in a few drops of water (or oil or a drop of milk) about 30 to 45 minutes. The herbs must not float in this liquid but merely be dampened! Drain before using. This releases the flavor and it has an instantaneous reaction in the foods being "herb kissed." For even faster reaction, for a "Jet Herb Flavor" tip, tie the selected herbs in a little cloth packet. Plunge into boiling hot water for five seconds, then dip into ice-cold water for another five seconds. Shake off excess water and then use.

Secrets to Saving Money - Buy Whole Chickens by Chris Rubenstein

2009-08-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Whats the Best Oil to Cook With?

2009-08-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

First and foremost I understand that certain oils are needed to cook with for certain meals but let it be clear this article is written for the health conscious in mind.
When you cook with most oils they are either unhealthy or become unhealthy in the heating process. Hydrogenated oils are what most oils become under high temperatures. Hydrogenated oils are trans fat and known now to be a factor in heart disease.
Olive oil is very healthy but it is the opinion of this author that coconut oil is the best to cook with. This oil is the least susceptible to change and is very healthy for you. At first glance you may look at all the saturated fat in and immediately deem it unhealthy but this somewhat miraculous oil as has short and medium chained fatty acids which studies suggest are very healthy and beneficial to your body.

Conventional vs. organic
Organic is almost always healthier but is a bit more expensive and price is one of the many reasons why individuals don't buy organic. I would choose organic over conventional any day.
Unrefined organic is the absolute healthiest oil around and I highly recommend it to increase your health.
Most unsaturated cooking oils become rancid in a short period of time not only affecting the taste of your food but also the shelf life (or fridge life) of your food. Keep in mind it will not become rancid and coconut oil tastes very good. It gives a new flavor to otherwise common foods.

How to Cook Baked Potatoes - 3 Techniques, 5 Steps

2009-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today, the potato is one of the most important of all foods. So it's surprising to think that this vegetable wasn't widely used until the last half of the eighteenth century. The potato is a tuber, which is an enlarged underground stem with buds (or eyes) that become new shoots. Potatoes are classified as either starchy, low-moisture varieties or as waxy, high moisture varieties.

How To Cook Baked Potatoes In A Conventional Oven (Regular Oven)
1. When you are baking potatoes, try to use russets (these are the best kind for baking) or other regularly shaped starchy potatoes.
2. Scrub well and pierce the ends with a fork or skewer so steam can escape.
3. For crisp skins, rub lightly with oil. For more tender skins, leave dry.
4. Place on sheet pans or on sheet pan racks in a preheated 400 degrees F oven and bake until done. This should be about a hour. To test doneness, squeeze gently. Done potatoes will give in to gentle pressure. (using sheet pan racks eliminates the hard spot that forms where the potato is in contact with the sheet pan)
5. Remove from oven.
To hold for service, keep warm and uncovered so the potatoes will not be made soggy by trapped steam. Hold no more than 1 hour, if possible.
It is important to note there was nothing said about wrapping potatoes in foil. Foil wrapped potatoes do not bake, they steam in their own moisture. The texture of a steamed potato is entirely different from a baked potato. So save yourself the trouble, work, and expense of wrapping the potatoes in foil paper and make better baked potatoes.
How To Cook Baked Potatoes In A Microwave
1. Wash the potatoes, and pierce with a knife once or twice all the way through.
2. Place in the microwave on a paper towel or plate. Plates do not stick to the potato.
3. Try to cook about 4 at a time.
4. 4 small potatoes = 7 minutes, 4 large potatoes = 10 to 11 minutes (microwave oven times vary)
5. If only one potato is being put in the microwave, when using a 1200 watt microwave, set the timer to 3:00 for a very small potato, set it to 4:30 for a medium-sized potato, and set it to 6:00 for a large potato. Huge potatoes will require 7 to 8 minutes.
Let the potato stand for five minutes. This will allow the inside of the potato to finish cooking with hot steam that is trapped inside.After waiting, cut open the potato and garnish with your choice of toppings.
Some microwaves have a baked potato button.
How To Cook Baked Potatoes On A Grill
1. Wash and scrub the potatoes well.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork or skewer so steam can escape.
3. Baste the potatoes with oil or butter.
4. Place the potatoes on a hot grill and sear them on all sides.
5. When the potatoes give in to pressure easily when touched, there ready to eat.
Baking the potato on a grill is probably the fastest way to achieve baked potatoes (next to baking them in or on an open fire. Another way to grill a potato is to par-coook the potatoes first. This method cuts down on the coooking time on the grill.

Green Cooking Tips - How to Cook Greener, Save Energy and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

2009-08-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Living a greener life is not only good for the planet's health, it's good for your health and the health of your family. Maintaining a bright green kitchen - in terms of energy efficiency and energy use, not color - can reduce your carbon footprint, but it can also help you feed your family a healthier, more delicious diet. The way that you shop, cook, serve and clean up after serving meals all contribute to creating not just a healthy kitchen but a bright green kitchen.

Shopping Tips for a Greener Kitchen
1. Buy local when you can. It means less fuel was used to transport your food, and less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
2. Shop at farmers' markets. You know you're buying locally, and contributing to the local economy as well. Keeping local farmers in business is good for everyone.
3. Skip "serving size packs" of food and buy in bulk. It reduces the amount of trash going into the landfills.
4. Bring your own bags. Every plastic bag you don't use is one less bag in the trash. For an added bonus, many stores will take 5-10 cents off your grocery bill for every bag you bring.
5. Look for the recycle symbol on products that you buy in plastic bottles to make sure you're buying containers that can be recycled.
Green Cooking Tips
1. Raw foods use no energy at all in preparation. Serve fruits and vegetables au naturel as snacks and desserts.
2. Use the right size burner for your pots and pans. Don't put a small pan on a large burner - it wastes up to 40% of the energy used to heat the burner.
3. Think small. Use the smallest cooking appliance possible when cooking. A full-size oven wastes a lot of energy heating empty space. Try a counter top oven or slow cooker to use less energy when cooking.
4. Skip the food processor and electric mixer for small jobs. Some of the best kitchen appliances use no energy at all - an old-fashioned egg beater, for instance, can whip cream or egg whites with just a little elbow grease.
5. Don't preheat your oven. Most modern ovens heat quickly enough that preheating is redundant.
Serve It Green
1. If you must use disposable dishes and serving ware, use paper which can go into your compost, or look for post-consumer recycled materials.
2. Using fewer dishes means washing fewer dishes - less energy needed for cleanup. There's no need to dump vegetables from the cooking pot into a serving dish.
3. Garnish food with edible fresh flowers and herbs from your own garden. Gardening is one way to reduce your carbon footprint by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
4. Serve food when it's ready to avoid having to keep food warm.
Green Kitchen Cleanup Tips
1. If you only have a couple of plates and cups, wash them by hand instead of running the dishwasher.
2. When hand-washing, fill the sink instead of washing and rinsing under running water.
3. Compost fruit and vegetable peels and leftovers. Good for your garden, good for the planet.
4. It's actually kinder to the environment to run the dishwasher for a full load of dishes than to wash them by hand.
5. Recycle as much as possible - glass, cans and cardboard are all recyclable. The more you recycle, the less goes into the landfills to clog up our earth.

How to Bake Salmon

2009-08-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Known as one of the oily fishes, salmon is very nutritious since it is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and protein. There are several ways of cooking the seafood. You can broil, grill, fry or steam it. However, to reduce the level of cholesterol present in the fish, some dieticians recommend baking the seafood. To improve your understanding on how to bake salmon, below are some of the simple recipes that you can easily learn and follow.
Yin-Yang Salmon
Before proceeding with the steps, prepare all the needed ingredients, which include two pounds boneless salmon fillet, ½ cup hot red pepper sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, two tablespoons butter and a tablespoon of honey. To enhance the flavor of the delicacy, include two tablespoons lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ cup chopped green onions as well as ¼ tablespoon mixed pepper and salt.

Mix the brown sugar, hot sauce, honey, butter and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture in a saucepan and heat. Stir constantly for about four minutes. Set the mixture aside. Pour the olive oil on a casserole dish and fry the fish. Pour the sauce over the seafood, add salt and pepper as well as green onions. Marinade for half hour. Bake the fish in an oven that was preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Serve with a side dish.
Baked Salmon Fillets with Goat Cheese and Coriander
In this tasty dish, you will need four boneless salmon fillets, 1/3 pound crumbled goat cheese and four tablespoons chopped fresh coriander. In addition to these, you will use four tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup chopped onion, a tablespoon of finely chopped garlic, ½ cup dry red wine, four tablespoons capers and a tablespoon of chopped rosemary. To enhance the flavor of this delicacy, you can add a teaspoon of fresh oregano, 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, 1/3 cup canned tomatoes, ½ tablespoon mixed pepper and salt, 12 pitted black olives and two tablespoons anise-flavored liquor.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and onion. Cook for two minutes and add rosemary, capers, wine, oregano, tomatoes, salt, pepper flakes and olives. Let the mixture boil and simmer for another five minutes. Pour a tablespoon of oil in a baking pan. Place the fish fillets in the pan. Top the fillets with cheese and pour the liquor over the dish. Put the dish in an oven that was preheated to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for five minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve.

How to carve fruit

2009-08-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

You are probably one of those people who stare in amazement at fruit carvings because you feel like they are very difficult to do. But actually, carving fruit is very easy and simple-of course it depends on the pattern or design that you want to carve. For beginners, you might want to start with something really easy and simple. If you want to know how to carve fruits, here are some tips and advice.
First, you have to choose a design or pattern for your fruit carving project. Again, since you are a beginner, do not choose something really complicated. You should know your limitations and capabilities as a novice in fruit carving.
Once you have chosen your design or pattern, you should prepare all the necessary materials such as a sharp knife, melon scoop, spoon, tray, marker, toothpicks or sticks, and of course, the fruits. Place all the materials that you will need somewhere nearby so that you can easily get them.

After this, get the fruit and start tracing the outline of your design or pattern on the surface of the fruit using your marker. If you want to learn how to carve fruits, you should also learn basic drawing skills. You do not need to be a Rembrandt or a Picasso. Just some basic lines and shapes are okay. Make sure that the fruit is not wet or the ink will create a mess on the surface.
The next step is the carving part. This is the most difficult part among all the steps on how to carve fruits. You need a steady hand to follow the drawings or outlines that you have created. Fruit carving requires good dexterity, or you will end up with unidentifiable fruit mess or worse, a cut finger. Use a sharp knife because it is easier to use than a blunt knife. And always remember to be careful when handling knives.
Once you have finished carving the design or pattern on the fruit, erase the markings using wet cloth. Make sure that the ink will not spread because it will make your fruit carving look messy and dirty.
Finally, place your carving on an attractive tray. But before you do that, place a lettuce on the plate to make it more attractive. You can also decorate your masterpiece using some colourful fruits like mangoes, strawberries, or grapes sliced or cut in interesting shapes.
Learning how to carve fruits is not just very easy and simple, it is also very fun and enjoyable especially when you do it with your friends or family

How to cook a roast beef

2009-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Roast beef is one of the most popular meal or even as a snack for most people. It is simple and it clearly presents the distinct taste of beef. It may be served with any preferred sidings such as potatoes and vegetables for dinner, or simply between two pieces of bread for an uncomplicated sandwich.
Roasting is ideal when using large cuts of meat. For beef, there are a number of ideal cuts for this cooking process. The loin is a very tender part of the beef located behind the ribs, generally a more expensive cut, but is ideal for roasting. Examples of loin cuts are the tenderloin and tri-tip. Behind the loin is the round. The round section is generally tender, thus a common choice for most. Rump roast, especially the boneless rump roast, is most frequently used for everyday casual cooking. Before cooking, the meat should be at room temperature to make sure that during the roasting process the beef is evenly heated and cooked.

For seasoning the meat, this may simply be salt, pepper and/or garlic although the meat may be seasoned using either a marinade or a rub. A marinade is a solution where the meat is soaked for at least an hour or two so that the taste permeates through the meat and helps in making the roast beef tender and juicy. Others prefer marinating the meat overnight prior to cooking. Dry rub on the other hand, is simple a mix of different seasonings and herbs that are rubbed over the meat before cooking. Salt, pepper, basil, garlic, lemon, rosemary and thyme are some of the common seasonings and herbs used as rub.
A shallow pan is preferred for roasting. This ensures that the heat is evenly distributed on the meat thus, cooking it evenly. As in any cooking done in the oven, preheat the oven prior to cooking the roast beef. Cooking time is largely depended on the size of the beef cut. One may also consider the amount of fat and bone in the meat, as well the grade of the meat.
Though there are general rules regarding cooking time, a meat thermometer is a must to ensure that the meat is cooked to the preferred done-ness. For those who prefer rarely cooked roast beef, 9 minutes should be devoted per pound of meat with the temperature of the meat at 120-125°F. For medium, it is about 14 minutes of cooking time for each pound of meat, with a central temperature of 145-150°F. For well-done cooking, 18 minutes per pound is ideal with a central temperature of 155-165°F. After cooking, it is ideal to let the roast beef sit between 15-20 minutes covered in foil. This allows the juices of the meat to stabilize and assures that it is still juicy when carved and served.

Tips on barbecue

2009-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Let's become familiar with basic barbecuing techniques makes cooking outdoors over the charcoal grill even more pleasant.
Follow the manufacturer's directions for your grill. If the firebox needs a foundation for the charcoal, you can line the firebox of a brazier-type grill with heavy-duty foil and top it with a one-inch base of pea gravel, coarse grit, or expanded mica insulation pellets. Change the liner when it gets full of greasy dripping. You can wash gravel or grit bedding to dry and use again. Discard insulation pellets. Determine the approximate amount of briquettes you'll need. Small, short-cooking foods need fewer briquettes than thicker meat cuts.
Mound briquettes and start them with liquid lighter or jelly fire starter, following label directions. Or, omit the fuel fire starters and use an electric starter. Don't use gasoline or kerosene! Once started, let the coals burn until they die down to a glow. Arrange the coals with long-handles tongs.

To check, the temperature of the coals, hold your hand, palm side down, above the coals at the distance the food will be cooking. Start counting "one thousand one, one thousand two," etc. If you need to remove your hand after 2 seconds, the coals are Hot; 3 second, Medium-Hot; 4 seconds, Medium; and 5 or 6 seconds; Slow.
As food cooks, control flare-ups by spacing coals farther apart or using a pump-spray bottle filled with water. Don't douse the coals!
Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of roasts. Insert it so the tip reached the thickest part of the meat, without touching fat, bone or the metal spit rod. Check, the final temperature by pushing the thermometer a little farther into the meat. If the temperature drops, cook longer.
When turning steaks, use tongs to avoid piercing the meat. If you don't have tongs, insert the fork into a strip of fat and flip the steak with the aid of a turner.
The cooking times for chicken, ribs and chops can be shortened with the use of a microwave oven. Just partially micro-cook these foods before placing them on the grill

How to boil chicken

2009-08-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

How to boil chicken is much less complicated than boiling eggs. For those who know how tricky cooking perfectly hard-boiled eggs can get, the opening statement should be an assurance that even new cooks can learn how to boil chicken the right way.
Learning how to boil chicken is a nice first step either towards simply enjoying a fat-free meat meal or a more elaborate recipe. Boiled chicken is used in many different recipes including salads and noodle dishes and even pastas. Basically, chicken is boiled beforehand to make it easier to shred. For salads, which are uncooked most of the time, boiling chicken prior to mixing is essential because you cannot eat it raw.

Although how to boil chicken is much simpler task, you must remember a few things to ensure you are on the right track.
Tip#1: Never boil the chicken or any meat for that matter that is frozen without thawing it first. The process of thawing can be done in two ways: by placing your chicken in a platter and inside a refrigerator and by placing your chicken in a plastic bag and then onto a bowl of cold water.
Tip #2: Place the chicken in a pot with water. Make sure that the amount of water you put in is enough to cover the meat.
Tip #3: Mind about the cooking time. You can boil a whole chicken, deboned meat, or just chicken breasts. That's depending on your requirement and the recipe you intend to use the chicken for. Make sure, though, that you know the cooking time is according to the size or the amount of meat you are boiling. A whole chicken naturally cooks for about an hour, depending on the size and the amount of meat on. One way to check if your chicken is cooked is by using a meat thermometer. The inside temperature should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit before you turn the heat off. The other way of checking if the chicken is cooked is by making an incision on the meat. Your chicken is cooked if the meat is no longer pink.
Tip #4: Make sure that your chicken you buy is fresh. This is the most basic yet most important detail that anyone must not leave out. Fresh chicken will make into a perfect boil no matter how inexperienced you are around the kitchen. That's because how to boil chicken is a pretty easy task. If you get your meat fresh, you can store it in the freezer and use it after a few days without making any difference on its freshness. It's a different story altogether when you are dealing with an aged meat that was kept lying for hours without freezing.

It is All About Cooking Fresh

2009-07-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

Just how many people do you know use the freshest ingredients that they can when they cook a meal or just something to tide them over until the next meal? You surely do not know a lot of them because there is actually not a lot of people who cook things from fresh ingredients.

This is primarily because a lot of people nowadays buy their food from supermarkets and when you go to supermarkets, there is only a limited number of fresh ingredients that you can get. The fresh ingredients are not necessarily that fresh even because they had been harvested and then transported and then worked on so that they will be ready for the supermarket people. And in supermarkets, you will find a lot of processed food.

Processed food has been one of the main reasons why not a lot of people cook fresh food. When there is food all ready for cooking without having to do much, people would rather choose that over cooking from fresh ingredients. Those who study this habit of the population say that this is because of the fast lifestyle that most of us have. Most people do not have the time to cook food because of the tons of things that they have to take care of. Thinking about this, we all can really say that life is not that simple anymore.

But just in case you are interested in cooking a meal using real fresh ingredients, you have to start preparing yourself. This is not going to be the same kind of experience that you have using the type of ingredients that you will find in the supermarket. And you have to have a knack for cooking because most recipes that you will find will ask you to use ingredients that can be found mostly in supermarkets.

Experts say that if you are interested in cooking the freshest ingredients, you should learn how to use recipes but not necessarily stick to what they tell you. You should also be flexible enough to know that you are not going to follow everything that the recipe tells you.

You have to improvise on the ingredients which have been offered you. This is going to be like Dutch oven cooking and using - you will have to follow the guide but have to improvise in case what happens with the food that you are cooking is not exactly what has been described in that recipe that you have in your hand.

Top 6 Varieties of Dried Chilies

2009-07-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

These are the more popular dried chilies, with a short description of what they look and taste like, as well as what the pepper is called before drying. These dried peppers are listed from the mildest to the hottest.

Ancho Pepper (also named Pasillas):
The ancho is the dried form of the poblano chile. It is a very dark brown and wide chile. Anchos have the most flesh of any chile, and their pulp has a little bitter flavor combined with a sweetness, similar to raisins. They are usually a very mild pepper, but every so often one has a little heat to it.

Guajillo:
These are a tapered pepper with a smooth, shiny, reddish skin. It has a tart, medium-hot flavor. When the guajillo is soaked and pureed, it gives the food it is in an orange color. Dried Anaheim peppers are sometimes referred to as guajillos, but they are generally bigger and milder.

Pasilla:
With a long, skinny, black, and slightly wrinkled skin, the pasilla has a stronger, very satisfying flavor for any number of dishes. These chiles range in heat from medium-hot to hot. On the west coast of Mexico and the United States, the fresh peppers are also called pasillas.

Red Chile (Chile Colorado): This is actually the dried form of the Anaheim pepper. In New Mexico and West Texas, red ripe chiles are hung on strings and dried in the side. The chiles are then sold whole or in a pulverized form. These chiles have varying heat levels, usually from hot to very hot. Sometimes the guajillo is used as a substitution.

Chipotle Pepper:
This is a smoked and dried jalapeno. It is a small, wrinkled, and slightly brown chile. The chipotle has an intense, rich, smoky flavor that is usually very hot. Smoking jalapenos has been very popular in Mexico since long before settlers from Spain arrived.

Canned chipotles are readily found in supermarkets today, and they can be used in most recipes that call for the dried variety. They come soaked in a vinegary sauce called adobo. All you have to do is stem and seed them, then puree them with some of the sauce from the can.

Chile de Arbol:
This is a small, shiny red chile with a thin tapering body of about 3 inches long. This dried chile has a high heat level, and is usually chopped and simmered with tomatoes to make a table hot sauce.

Billy is the writer and editor for Food in Texas, a website devoted to the celebration of traditional homemade Texas Food. With simple recipes and cooking ideas that bring out the best in classic Texas cuisine, Food in Texas is creating its own culinary legacy.

How Fresh is Your Coffee?

2009-07-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

If you are buying your coffee right off the grocery store shelf in bulk, then you may be in trouble. The truth of the matter is that for your coffee to have the best taste, flavor, and aroma, then it needs to be completely fresh. You cannot purchase it in the same consumer way that you would bulk flour because of the fact that it will go stale within two weeks of being roasted. The odds are even worse for you if it is freshly ground because you only have a few hours before it starts to go stale. This means that if you are buying coffee directly off of your grocery store shelf, then it has been stocked up for months at a time, and the flavor quality is low.

Coffee is something that needs to be seen and valued with the maximum freshness and perishable quality so that you can only have the best taste in your cup of Joe. Your coffee is best enjoyed directly after it is roasted, so it is recommended that you purchase from online retailers that actually will freshly roast the day that they ship it to you. Within one to three days after your coffee has been roasted, it starts releasing carbon dioxide, thus losing some of its flavors. Your beans will be at their peak during the first week after they have been roasted, and they begin to go stale after about two weeks after roasting. It is still important that you store them properly to make sure that you don't cause them to go stale faster by using a vacuum storage so that they are limited from contact with oxygen, which will cause them to oxygenate and go stale faster. If you have had beans lying around for months at a time, then they are not going to give you the flavor value that the packaging promises, no matter how good the brand is. This is all referring to whole beans only, and once you freshly grind your coffee, you only have a few hours to enjoy it before it is completely stale.

This is something that you need to consider when buying pre-ground decaf coffee from a grocery store shelf, especially since decaf is a less popular and less purchased choice. If you have found that your pre-ground coffee has been sitting on the grocery store shelf for months at a time, then you can double or triple that for how long the decaf has been sitting there. Again, when you start searching for online retailers that will freshly roast and ship their coffee to you right away, they will also often offer you a decaf choice, so this is the best way to enjoy fresh tasting decaf coffee.

Ideally, you should only have purchased enough coffee for the week so that it will remain fresh the whole time. If you want even more control of the freshness of your roast, then there are home roasters available for purchase at a fairly low cost that will allow you to customize your roast within your own home. It doesn't get fresher than that!
by Chuggin McCoffee

About Orange Juice

2009-07-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

Florida is the first place that comes to mind when oranges are mentioned. But did you know that India too shows great interest with oranges and well, orange juice? Although people from other countries around the world have switched to consuming other 'healthier' and more exotic fruits like Acai for instance, Indians are continuous in showing appreciation for the benefits of eating and drinking oranges. Studies about whether or not using artificial orange juice powders, substitutes that are easy to prepare but contain tons of sugar and preservatives, is really advisable have been keeping Indian food experts busy for these past few years. And of course, judging by the amount of publicity oranges receive in the nation, it is not surprising that the drink sell like pancakes there.

Questions about whether or not drinking orange juice really is healthy plague consumer catalogs in India. Anyway, as health-conscious people, it is only inevitable for Indian consumers to keep on asking questions about such things. What conscious Indian consumers should know about orange juice to wane whatever worry they have about the product is, it really has nutrition.

But the thing is, only when it is a prepared the natural, laborious way, can a regular serving of orange juice hand its fullest nutritional capabilities. Effort is needed to get the biggest health benefits of orange juice -- you actually need to squeeze actual oranges yourself. Home squeezed oranges contain 50 times as much nutrients as commercial juice and juice powders - actually, instant orange juice does not at all fit as a substitute to fresh orange juice.

As such, if you want to receive the greatest possible orange juice health support you should make the effort to squeeze actual orange fruits. But if you do not have the time for that, your next best bet is going for frozen orange juice. However, be careful with buying such merchandise. Do not get fooled by those orange juice bottles in stores saying that they contain 100% vitamin C, etc - they are far from being frozen orange juice.
by Enelra Myers

How to Make Money For Cooking Tips

2009-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

To make money online many people jump right in before they are properly prepared. You know that to be a rocket scientist, a doctor, a brick layer, a construction worker, an office worker, a teacher there are prerequisites, things you must learn, before you can be successful, you don't just jump right in unprepared.

The same applies to the Internet marketing industry even though there are unsavory people out there who'd have you believe it's a "Walk in the Park" and requires no more than the belief that you can just do it.

And I'll have to admit, it is a walk in the park compared to what you have to put up with in the working world punching a clock being a subordinate to someone who does not have your interests in mind, but there are still rules you have to follow and pitfalls you must avoid to actually make Internet marketing work for you.

Most people will not make a dime online and yet there are others who will make more in one month than most people make in a whole year. Why is that?

My answer begins with the age-old chicken or egg question, "what comes first the chicken or the egg"? Personally I vote for, well never mind, each argument you or I make comes back to the same old conclusion - I have no clue and I don't think many of us do either.

But one thing I do have a clue about and know for sure is that to make money online you must first have Passion for the company products and/or service of any Internet business from which you expect to make money.

Passion in this sense simply means that you've researched and like the company and products or services. It is then that you translate that like (or Passion) into the education, excitement and work that usually accompany Passion.

I will have to say that many online entrepreneurs are so good at what they do that they ignore passion because they can sell anything. But I'm concerned about those of you who are not so knowledgeable at working an online business successfully.

Now, I'm not trying to make anyone believe that Passion is the only thing necessary. Because to be successful you must also have a good website, good marketing, widespread advertising, company support, effective keywords, and etc. Those things are often learned from the company you join - but sidestep Passion and you reduce your chances for success dramatically.

It therefore follows that, if you have no Passion for the company and the products and services provided by that company, again, you won't attempt to do the work you are being taught.

Internet marketing work is typically not all that difficult or time consuming but it does take motivation caused by Passion to get you off and running with a sustained effort so that you won't stumble.

You have a great resource in the Internet search engines to search about the Internet Marketing industry for business opportunities, USE IT!

Your research should uncover a company that you like and have confidence in. It should be solid, founded on great principles, and easy to understand with great products and services that are sell-able for which you can have Passion. If you don't find it move on, You can find the right opportunity containing the attributes identified above.

Comments like, well, that one sounds good and the compensation plan is excellent so I guess I'll start that business - does not sound like a decision based on anything near Passion. And remember when you hear that an Internet "guru" does that, don't be tempted, because as I said earlier they are experienced and can sell just about anything, without being Passionate about the company products and services.

Note: By the way it's your goal to get to the point where you can sell about anything online. That end skill and goal is a worthy one indeed.

Remember, there are other steps you must make before you step into Internet Marketing but if you don't first find the right company products and services to be passionate about, all of those other steps may just cause you a lot of frustration instead of bringing you great success.

Not being Passionate about a company and products and services that has market proof that it will sell is a pitfall you simply must avoid.

Maverick Money Makers is a private society that will teach you how to build a six-figure a month business on the internet.

5 Reasons Why Terrorists Target Tourists

2009-07-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

This question is always at the back of our mind. Why are tourists among the favorite prey of almost all terrorists? Let me give you 5 of the many reasons why terrorists target tourists.
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Firstly, it is a common knowledge that tourists are easy to attack. Like any other undertaking, terrorism needs precision which in turn requires predictability. Take into account the travel time of a group of tourists who will be ferried from one place to another via tour bus. From the time of the departure from their hotel to the time they reached the tourist spot that they are going to visit is something researchable to the terrorists. Say with a daily schedule, five or seven days a week is an ideal target because knowing these data, a perfect plan can be made.

Secondly, tourists are better targets than the locals. More often than not, terrorists reside on the place where the attacks took place and the public knew of their existence. While it is true that targeting the tourists can cause anxiety among other members of the society, targeting the locals would likely enrage the public, a situation wherein terrorists avoid to happen.

Thirdly and among the more important reasons is that targeting of tourists, particularly international tourists can generate a big deal of attention, causing tourists to avoid travelling to that part of the globe.

Experienced terrorists continuously evaluate their status; as to whether it is satisfying or unsatisfying; depending on the goal they wish to achieve.

Fourthly, another reason is political. Attacking foreign tourists can bring world attention to bear on a cause. Economically, scaring away potential visitors can hurt an economy. Thus, it can be said that tourists are used as pawns to wider political struggles.

Another interesting reason is that simply terrorists wanted to spread fear among enterprising tourists just to draw international attention; letting the world know that situation in there is not normal.

One more reason among terrorists is to trade prisoners. They held as hostage some of the tourists so they can make demands like letting go of some prisoners who belong to their group.

Obviously, terrorism is not new. It has been used since the time history has been. Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable outrage. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. It confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Terrorism, in many cases, has been a means to carry on a conflict without the adversary realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Because of these characteristics, terrorism has become increasingly common among those pursuing extreme goals throughout the world. But the truth of the matter, terrorism is a criminal act. The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that can draw the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. The terrorists plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. The effectiveness of the terrorist act lies not in the act itself, but in the public's or government's reaction to the act.

Summarily, there are three other perspectives of terrorism: the terrorist's, the victim's, and the general public. The phrase "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" is a view terrorists themselves would accept. Terrorists do not see themselves as evil. They believe they are legitimate combatants, fighting for what they believe in, by whatever means possible. A victim of a terrorist act sees the terrorist as a criminal with no regard for human life. The general public's view is the most unstable. The terrorists take great pains to foster a "Robin Hood" image in hope of swaying the general public's point of view toward their cause. This sympathetic view of terrorism has become an integral part of their psychological warfare and needs to be countered vigorously.

The New Trend in Fusion Cuisine

2009-07-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

For many years, fast food chains have made burgers, fries and shakes as menu staples of these establishments everywhere in the world and people across regions have learned to like these types of food however different they may be to their native dishes. But now, gone were the days where restaurants just stick to what they usually serve as more and more people are looking for variety as well as that new yet familiar taste that they have grown accustomed to with their local food.

So, in the Asian region, alone, restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which originally serves American cuisine, have revamped its menu by introducing new dishes that would hopefully capture the target local customers. KFC decided to expand its menu that combined Western Cuisine with Eastern influences in order to not just provide more food choices but also adapt to the local palate. Thus, this quirky and innovative restaurant has strengthened the establishment of a new trend in fusion cuisine, which is called Chitalian culinary art style. This new kind of fusion cuisine combines Chinese and Italian ingredients as well as cooking preparation techniques to come up with new, healthy and sumptuous dishes.

Now, one of the dishes this famous fast food chain has introduced recently to the Asian market is the Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, a blend of sweet and spicy chicken strips heaped over the oh-so traditional spaghetti noodles. And ever since its inclusion in the menu offering, it has received mixed reviews from customers. After tasting this new dish, some customers said that the Kung Pao Chicken Pasta is a terrific blend of sweetness and spiciness in the chicken. Meanwhile, other consumers said that it does not provide value-for-money quality that they are looking for as the serving was too small for them. In addition, there was even one customer who said that he preferred the peanuts on the dish to be crushed and not whole.

If you find yourself stuck home alone and you don't have enough cash to buy KFC Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, you can surely try this easy recipe on your own.

Kung Pao Chicken Pasta *Makes 4 servings Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts, de-boned and cut into strips 400 Grams (14 oz) spaghetti noodles 2 Tbsp white wine 2 Tbsp Soy sauce 2 Tbsp olive or palm oil 2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour, dissolved in 2 tbsp water 2 Tbsp chili paste 1 Tsp vinegar 2 Tbsp refined sugar 4 Onion shoots, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped ½ Cup peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. Boil water with salt in a pot. Put spaghetti noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard. Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool off.

2. For the marinade, mix together the white wine, soy sauce, olive or palm oil and the cornstarch or flour mixture in a bowl. Then, put the chicken on the bowl and mix well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for one hour for the chicken to absorb the marinade completely.

3. For the sauce, mix together the rest of the white wine, soy sauce, olive or palm oil, cornstarch or flour mixture, chili paste, vinegar and refined sugar in a bowl. Then, put the chopped onion shoots, chopped garlic and peanuts on the bowl and mix well. Put the mixture on a sauce pan and heat it up until fragrant.

4. While the sauce is simmering, get the chicken off the marinade and saute it in a pan until the meat turns white. Then, combine the sauce with the chicken and simmer until the sauce is thick enough.

5. Place the chicken with the sauce on the pasta. Toss and mix well.

Regardless of the differing views that the local market has regarding KFC Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, this restaurant would still continue to introduce new and innovative dishes for many years to come.

Chicken Korma Recipes by Timur Hassan

2009-07-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

It is generally believed that the roots regarding the Chicken Korma Recipe extend from Mughlai Food, and a Persian - Indian mild curried dish that has been dated right back to the sixteenth century. Despite that, the creamy coconut sauce does suggest it is, as many others feel, a dish from the south of India. Coconut is used extensively in southern Food, not only coconut milk, but also oil of coconut and grated coconut are used. For those who favour more subtle flavouring, this creamy dish is a very good. Western coastal areas of India use coconut oil for curried dishes, while the more inner regions tend to use groundnut oil. As a rule, Korma dishes describe a dish where the meat or vegetables are cooked with milk of coconut, cream or yogurt. Sometimes, nut and seed pastes may also be added. The Chicken Korma Recipe usually calls for milder Spices, it can be one of the mildest of all the Indian curried dishes. A wonderful mix of mild Spices, which includes the mixed Indian spice Garam Masala, coriander and cumin.

Despite this, a Chicken Korma Recipe might be for a curried dish which is hot or mild, a lot depends on the chef. A certain recipe might have come from a particular region, and that almost certainly will be thought of as the more authentic way of preparing it. However, in a different region, with different preferences, the ingredients and preparation will be subject to changes, more in keeping with that regions preferences. Northern Chefs would most probably add chilli to a Chicken Korma Recipe, because this is a favoured ingredient for the Food in this area. A lot of Chefs have 'secret ingredients', perhaps even unique methods for preperation. Some guard over them, but luckily, others don't mind sharing their secrets. A good Indian Chef won't measure many of the ingredients as a rule, many add Spices based on instinct and knowledge. However if anyone is new to using Spices, and Cooking Indian Food, a traditional Chicken Korma Recipe is definite reading!

Chicken Korma was traditionally cooked in a pot over a low flame, with the lid piled with charcoal, ensuring an even distribution of heat. A Chicken Korma Recipe is a lot of peoples top choice out of all the various Korma Recipes available, some may use lamb or beef and some include vegetables, like spinach. SometimesNow and again the word 'Shahi' might be used alongside Korma, this is a traditional term which indicates this Meal is regarded as a prestige dish, not an everyday one. Indian Food is the top choice takeaway food on the planet. It is that love for Indian Food in the West which is driving lots of people to try out a Chicken Korma Recipe at home. Why not? It's really easy!

American: Lamb burger with capsicum relish by Partha Ghosh

2009-07-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS :-

6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tbsp grated lemon rind 1 tbsp black peppercorns 800g lamb loin, trimmed and lightly flattened 200ml olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling 2 medium brown onions, chopped Salt Freshly ground white pepper 2 bay leaves 2 red capsicums, chopped 80g brown sugar 80ml red wine vinegar 1 turkish bread, cut into four and then in half 2 handfuls rocket, washed 4 heaped tbsp hummus

Method Crush four garlic cloves, lemon rind and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or roughly chop and spread on lamb. Drizzle with olive oil and refrigerate overnight or for an hour. For the relish Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add onion and remaining garlic and season. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add bay leaves and capsicum and cook for a further five minutes. Add sugar and vinegar and simmer to reduce liquid, about 30 minutes. Preheat a barbecue or grill to high. Scrape marinade off lamb and cook meat to your liking on the barbecue. Slice on an angle. Grill bread and fill with rocket, hummus, lamb and a large spoon of relish to serve.

Serves 4

The Treasures of Hungarian Cooking by S. Tanna

2009-07-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hungary is home to an interesting and in some ways exotic cuisine, especially if you compare it the cuisine of some of the country's neighbors in central Europe. One of the main exotic elements of Hungarian food is that dishes are often flavored with paprika - according to some, this spice was first introduced to Hungary by the Ottoman Turks when they invaded the country in 1526. Hungarian ingredients often include eggs, sour cream, and beef (there is a strong cattle-herding tradition associated with the Hungarian plain). Since Hungary has no sea coast, seafood is not commonly eaten, however, there are dishes that make use of river fish such as carp, catfish, perch and pike.

The most famous of Hungarian dishes is of course Gulyás (known overseas as "goulash", although overseas dishes often differ greatly from the original Hungarian recipe). Hungarian Gulyás is made from beef on the bone such as shin, shoulder or shank. The meat is seasoned with paprika and then browned. It is then slow cooked as a soup (not a stew) with the addition of onions, peppers, and sometimes chopped potatoes as well. Herbs may also be used to flavor the dish too. Gradually, the bones in the meat release gelatin, and starch from vegetables (particularly from the potatoes if they are being used) are released during the cooking process, resulting in a very thick and tasty soup.

There are also many other wonderful Hungarian dishes - far to many to be mentioned in short article - and they includes recipes such as paprika chicken (Paprika Scsirke), fish soup, Transylvanian veal stew (Borjutokáy), and desserts such as deep-fried cherries (Cseresznye Kisutve) and coffee cake (Bába Kalács). If you have not tried dishes such as these, why not give them a go, or even learn to cook them in your own home?

6 Reasons To Go Gluten-Free by Roger Holden

2009-07-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

First Of All, What Is Gluten Anyway And Why Should I Care?
FDA Gluten Definition (Glutten, Glottin, Gludin, Gluton, Glutten) anyway you want to spell the word, its really "GLUTEN".

Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. These exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperms of some grass-related grains, notably wheat, rye, and barley. Gliadin and glutenin compose about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is an important source of nutritional protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.

The seeds of most flowering plants have endosperms with stored protein to nourish embryonic plants during germination, but true gluten, with gliadin and glutenin, is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from wheat gluten by lacking gliadin. The glutenin in wheat flour gives kneaded dough its elasticity, allows leavening and contributes chewiness to baked products like bagels.

Although wheat supplies much of the world's dietary protein and food supply, as much as 0.5% to 1% of the population of the United States has celiac disease, a condition which results from an inappropriate immune system response to gluten.[1] The manifestations of celiac disease range from no symptoms to malabsorption of nutrients with involvement of multiple organ systems. The only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Gluten as an Additive
The "Codex Alimentarius" set of international standards for food labeling has a standard relating to the labeling of products as "gluten free", however this standard does not apply to "foods which in their normal form do not contain gluten". Gluten is used as a stabilizing agent in products like ice-cream and ketchup, where it may be unexpected. Foods of this kind present a problem because the hidden gluten constitutes a hazard for people with celiac disease: In the United States, at least, gluten may not be listed on the labels of such foods because the U.S, Food and Drug Administration has classified gluten as GRAS (Generally recognized as safe). Requirements for proper labeling are being formulated by the USDA. In the United Kingdom, only cereals currently need to be labeled, while other products are voluntary. In fact, in the UK most gluten free food is clearly labeled so, as is non-gluten-free food Between 0.5 and 1.0 percent of people in the United States are sensitive to gluten due to Coeliac disease (or celiac disease, also called gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE)). Coeliac disease is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to partially digested gliadin. It probably occurs with comparable frequencies among all wheat-eating populations in the world. Certain allergies and neuropathies are also caused by gluten consumption and inhalation.

Coeliac disease (pronounced /ˈsiːli.æk/), also spelled celiac disease, is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy on up. Symptoms include chronic diarrhoea, failure to thrive (in children), and fatigue, but these may be absent, and symptoms in other organ systems have been described. A growing portion of diagnoses are being made in asymptomatic persons as a result of increased screening.

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat (and similar proteins of the tribe Triticeae, which includes other cultivars such as barley and rye). Upon exposure to gliadin, the enzyme tissue transglutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to a truncating of the villi lining the small intestine (called villous atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients, because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption. The only known effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. While the disease is caused by a reaction to wheat proteins, it is not the same as wheat allergy. This condition has several other names, including: cœliac disease (with œ ligature), c(o)eliac sprue, non-tropical sprue, endemic sprue, gluten enteropathy or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and gluten intolerance. The term coeliac derives from the Greek κοιλιακός (koiliakόs, "abdominal"), and was introduced in the 19th century in a translation of what is generally regarded as an ancient Greek description of the disease by Aretaeus of Cappadocia.

So In Conclusion to this Information
At present, the only effective treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet. No medication exists that will prevent damage or prevent the body from attacking the gut when gluten is present. Strict adherence to the diet allows the intestines to heal, leading to resolution of all symptoms in most cases and, depending on how soon the diet is begun, can also eliminate the heightened risk of osteoporosis and intestinal cancer. Dietician input is generally requested to ensure the patient is aware which foods contain gluten, which foods are safe, and how to have a balanced diet despite the limitations. In many countries, gluten-free products are available on prescription and may be reimbursed by health insurance plans.

When you consume the nutrient rich foods your body is designed to eat whilst eliminating over-processed, nutritionally dead, sugar laden foods, your body will begin to function optimally and as a result you will achieve optimal results in your health!
1) Increased Energy
2) Increased Sex Drive
3) Clearer, Smoother Skin
4) Weight Loss Results
5) Better Performance and Recovery
6) Stronger Immune System

When you consume foods we as humans have evolved to eat, while simultaneously eliminating the over processed sugar laden foods now linked to causing the many diseases we are faced with in society today, your body will be provided with the pure nutrition that will assist in normalizing your body weight.

How to Bake a Chicken Breast

2009-07-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

First things first when getting ready to bake a chicken breast - you need to prep the oven (I like to set it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit) and prepare your seasonings. The number of ways you can season your chicken breast is endless - you can put a little olive oil, salt & pepper; some lemon and a touch of butter; or even some spicy Cajun seasoning. These are really just a few of the ways in which you can season your chicken.

Now, you need to put the chicken in an oven safe dish. I like to put a light coat of olive oil in the bottom of the dish so the chicken breast doesn't stick too bad when it's done. Now put your chicken in the oven and finish setting the table and making the salad!

The important thing to remember with chicken is that it must be cooked thoroughly for the safety of those eating it. The chicken can potentially be carrying Salmonella bacteria, which can make you very, very sick and can even kill you. By ensuring that the core temperature of the chicken breast is at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, you can be sure that you're eliminating any traces of bacteria.

As for cooking time, it usually takes about 20 minutes in an oven that has been pre heated for one or two chicken breasts. But this may vary from oven to oven - the best way is to check the core temperature with a meat thermometer to be sure your chicken breast is done!

9 Tips for a Successful Barbeque

2009-07-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

here are thousands of tips to be found when it comes having a successful barbeque. There's a wide variety of subjects that can be covered from how to cook different cuts of meat and what type of grill to use to how to achieve a particular taste for your barbequed foods. But there are some basic tips that can help anyone with the basics and will get them started successfully barbequing. By following the 9 tips listed below you can start you career as a backyard barbeque master the next time you fire up your grill.

1. The most important thing you need to do when barbequing is to control the heat. If your fire gets to hot or flares up out of control you can easily burn and dry out your meat. This is not something that is fun to have happen because it effectively kills the whole barbeque experience.

2. Rub you grill with oil before you fire it up to help prevent your meat sticking to the grates. If your grill is already hot you can use a regular spray bottle filled with cooking oil. Just spray the grates before you set your meat on it.

3. Use tongs or a spatula to turn your meat. Never use a fork because piercing the meat allows the juices to escape.

4. Bring your meat to room temperature before grilling. This will allow your meat to cook evenly throughout.

5. Always pre-heat your barbeque. For gas turn on high for 5-10 minutes then adjust temperature as needed. For charcoal light the coals 30 minutes before you intend to start cooking.

6. A clean barbeque grill is a happy grill. See step 2 above. By keeping your food from sticking to the grill it will stay cleaner.

7. When using a barbeque sauce be sure to wait until the outside of the meat is cooked before applying the sauce with your brush. If you add your barbeque sauce to early it can char and cause flares ups when it drips off the meat.

8. The larger the cut of meat the further away it should be from the heat source. This will allow the meat to cook evenly all the way through.

9. If you are doing shish-kabobs and using wooden skewers be sure to soak them in cold water for an hour or so to prevent them from burning.

These tips are a great general guideline to follow for anyone wishing to become a backyard barbeque master. They will give you a good base to start from and any recipe or technique you attempt will have a much better chance of success.

Want To Learn How To Make The KFC Fried Chicken Recipe?

2009-07-06T22:57:00.001-07:00

rispy, tasty fried chicken! Is there anything better? Running to get a big bucket of chicken for your friends and family to enjoy around the dinner table is a great thing. Just like in the commercials, it's a nice meal to enjoy together.
Of course it's easy to run out and get a bucket of chicken. But have you ever wanted to make great tasting fried chicken at home, for yourself, your friends, or your family? You can--it's not too hard and it doesn't take too much time.

You know cooking at home can be a great money saver and a fun activity to do either by yourself or with other people. Even if you've done little cooking it's not too hard to get started cooking and making great tasting food like fried chicken. Once you learn how to make great tasting food, you will feel so proud of yourself and your family and friends will be so impressed.

But where do you get the info and the knowledge to make a great tasting meal. Finding the right recipe to cook from is the big challenge. The internet is full of recipes, just search on KFC Fried Chicken Recipe and you get 118,000 results. There might be a good one in there, but how would you know? Some recipe sights have reviews of recipes, but how long will it take to find one with good reviews of a recipe--possibly forever...

Trustworthy cookbooks is the answer. If you can find cookbooks with great recipes for food you like and that have wonderful testimonials for happy customers, that's a good sign. It shows you can trust the cookbook and that these recipes have been tried and that people are happy with them.

Chicken Steak Recipe

2009-07-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

Eating steak has always been a symbol of prosperity. During the turn of the century, steak houses were patronized by the elite. The cattle and the oil barons ate their thick cuts of sirloins smothered with oysters or stuffed with them making it too expensive of a place for the common folk.

This is one source for my inspiration. How many times have you been into a restaurant, and had a dish that was just so good, you had to try making it for yourself at home? I know I have. At least one of my better recipes was inspired by a dinner I had on my first anniversary at a local Italian restaurant.

It is very rare for chicken fried steak to be made from a top quality cut of beef. After all, the steak is not being expected to stand entirely on its own, so it is not vital that it be perfect. Additionally, the frying of the steak has a tenderizing effect on the meat, which also permits a slightly lower quality cut of meat to be used. Obviously, there is a limit, but chicken fried steak is more forgiving than steak on the grill.

Wing sauces aren't just useful for chicken wings you know. You can use them on any chicken part. You can even use them on ribs, pork chops and steaks. While wing sauces are typically mixed with the wings after frying, you can use wing sauces to marinate meats as well. They also make great seasonings to such viands like steak, meatloaf and various fried foods.

For something a little more unusual from the list of steak recipes, chicken-fried steak has become an enjoyable alternative to the same old steak. While you probably would not use a high grade of steak for this particular recipe, it is a nice addition to the repertoire when the steak is nothing to shout about.

Steak Lover`s Fettuccini Alfredo

• 1 ounce clarified butter • 4 ounces beef tenderloin tips • 1 cup broccoli, red pepper, portabella strips • 1/4 cup corn, scallion, red and green peppers (small diced) • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic • 1 cup heavy cream

If need be add more seasonings half way through the cooking. Also you don't want to over cook the rice, it will come out very mushy and not good, keep an eye on your rice, stirring occasionally. Bon Appetite!

A popular addition to menus in recent years in restaurants, cafes and bars is a king size or giant Yorkshire pudding filled with onion gravy or different meat, vegetable and gravy concoctions. This dish is served as a separate course emulating the original filler course.

Now for the recipe, I don't use specific amounts. Eye ball it and adjust for your own tastes. What's most important is that you soak your chicken in buttermilk (about 15 minutes), after dipping in flour let it rest before frying (at least 5 minutes), make sure your oil is hot enough, and only fry a few tenders at a time.

Outback is one of my favorite restaurants. Their steak is juicy and delicious, but their chicken recipe entrees are just as good. The next time you go down to the land down under, I recommend you try one of these entrees I have suggested!

KFC Fried Chicken Recipe - Have You Found The Secret Recipe?

2009-07-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

It is possibly the most famous secret recipe of all time? The KFC Fried Chicken Recipe has been moved to a new high-tech, secret vault to provide extra protection to secure its safety. Imagine, the recipe written by Harland Sanders in pencil on a piece of paper is now guarded around the clock.

Only a few super select people know the exact recipe. To ensure the secrecy, no company is allowed to mix all of the 11 herbs and spices. Two companies mix part of the ingredients and a third company mixes the ingredients from the other two companies together. This way no one but the select few at KFC can know the recipe. Other companies like Coke and McDonalds go to these extensive lengths to protect their products.

Okay, so the recipe is so well protected, what is up with all these people saying they have the Colonel's "secret" recipe. Well, they don't actually have the secret recipe, but they have figured out how to get it to taste as close a possible. Chefs are well trained and can figure out most ingredients in food. And after they have guessed the ingredients and how to make the item, they can experiment with their new secret recipe and get it right.

Recently on episode Hell's Kitchen, Chef Gordon Ramsey had the contestants try to figure out the ingredients in a dish he prepared. Only one person was able to figure out all of the ingredients. While it's difficult it is possible to figure out someone else's recipe.

I'm pretty sure the old Harland's actual recipe will be safe, but there are some great recipes that pretty much get it down.

Sai Prasad Foods Wins Prestigious International Quality Excellence Award

2009-07-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Pune, India - June 16th, 2009 - Sai Prasad Foods Ltd a leading suppliers of daily consumed products & FMCG products in India, today announce wining of The International Business Productivity Forums' (IBPF) prestigious International Quality Excellence Award 2008 In recognition of outstanding performance in quality & services. Sai Prasad Foods Ltd Pune India also earns top national awards like Global Technocrats Achievement Awards & Business Leadership Award for Industrial Development.

"It was honor to receive this International Quality Excellence Award on behalf of Sai Prasad Foods Ltd. This award effectively represents our dedication and commitment to excellence. We will continue to deliver quality of products & seamless services for our customers to build up the relation." Mr. S. L. Shrivastav - CEO - Sai Prasad Foods Ltd.

Every year International Business Productivity Forum (IBPF), New Delhi, India presents this International Quality Excellence Award to the one company that shows the high quality standards and technology in their chosen area.

About Sai Prasad Foods Ltd:

Sai Prasad Foods is one of the leading suppliers of daily consumed products such as tea, Pickles, Tomato ketchup, Fruit Jam, Raisin, Chilly Powder, Haldi Powder, Dhania Powder, Garam Masala, & many more. Sai Prasad Foods also active in other sectors such as agriculture products, Biodiesel, Horticulture diesel & petroleum, real estates.

Italian Cuisine Restaurants Melbourne

2009-07-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Italy, the birthplace of the mighty Roman civilisation and home to the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is also known world wide for its cuisine (or 'cucina' as the Italians would say). Italian cuisine is popular all over the world because of the subtle flavours and universally likable tastes that constitute it. It has captured the imagination - and more importantly the taste buds - of people all over the world and it is impossible not to find an Italian restaurant in any of the major cities of the world.

Located close to the city in Richmond, Church Street Enoteca is an award winning restaurant offering modern Italian cuisine and a comprehensive range of wines from Australia and around the world. They were recently awarded their first "chef's hat" at the 2009 Age Good Food Guide Awards, and two "wine goblets" from the Gourmet Traveller Wine List of the Year.Church Street Enoteca is also well-known for it's versatility as a venue for corporate dining and social events. Two function rooms are available and can cater for up to 12 guests in the Private Dining Room, and up to 60 guests in the Gallery. The art deco elements of the building and original floor boards dating back to the 1800's make it a stunning venue for functions accommodating up to 140 guests. Church St Enoteca also welcomes group bookings of 10 to 20 guests in the restaurant matched with a limited a la carte menu and bookings are essential.

Two course lunches are also available from late January to November and change on a weekly basis. If you want to have an unforgettable dining experience with the best of Italian cuisine and Australian and other wines, come to Church St Enoteca; the restaurant about which 'The Age' wrote "The food is unpretentiously modern, mostly Italian, and generous. The wine list suggests a serious interest in the subject. And the experience is reinforced by attention to detail and attentive service." To know more about the restaurant and check out the menu, please drop by at

Taste of Hungary

2009-07-05T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hungary is a country in central Europe. It is known for its unusual and distinctive cuisine. Hungarian dishes often use eggs and sour cream, and are frequently flavored with paprika (which was introduced into Hungary in 1526, when the Ottoman Turks invaded the country). Additionally, a number of Hungarian dishes derive from the cattle herding traditions of the Hungarian plain (which actually extends far beyond the present borders of the country).

Here are some popular Hungarian dishes:

* Gulyás (also known as "Gulyásleves") - This is the original Hungarian dish from which westernized versions of "goulash" ultimately derived. The Hungarian original is a thick beef and vegetable soup (not stew). It is made by browning paprika-seasoned beef on the bone (usually beef shoulder, shin or shank), and then slowly cooking with vegetables (onions, peppers and sometimes potatoes are used) with herbs. During cooking, the soup becomes very thick with a stew-like texture, because of the gelatin released from the beef bones and starched released from the meat bones.

* Pörkölt - A meat stew containing onions, sometimes bell peppers and tomatoes, and flavored using paprika and sometimes caraway seeds.

* Fozelék - A traditional Hungarian dish of mixed mashed vegetables. It can be eaten as a main course, and is sometimes top with hard-boiled eggs, meatballs or pörkölt.

There are of course many other Hungarian dishes that you also might enjoy. Whether you are of Hungarian descent yourself, and perhaps wishing to prepare dishes for this reason, or you're not and simply liking for some exciting and interesting new recipes, they are certainly worthlearning to prepare in your kitchen.

Better ways to tastier sponge cakes

2009-07-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have made several cakes but yet the sponge cakes are always my favourite of all the cakes i have tasted.The best fact about them is they are very easy to be made and so tasty to eat.The components needed for the preparation of a sponge cake are eggs,sugar,flour and the baking powder if you need it to add to the mixture.To all the cakes i prepare i usually do not add the baking powder to the mixture.A better way to make the sponge cakes is to let the air that is trapped by beating the ingredients make the cake spongy.

Start the preparation of sponge cakes by beating the eggs along with the sugar.It is also a normal process to separate the whites and the yolks of the eggs and then to beat the yolks along with the sugar.I normally dont separate the whites and the yolks.It is your choice though.After getting a creamy mixture stop the beating process and now you can add the flour to the mixture and mix them well.After mixing them pour it into a tin and then bake it.One thing you need to remember during making a sponge cakes is that all the utensils and tools that you use should be very clean and especially should be void of all the fatty substances.It is better to use the dish bar and especially the lime juice to remove any substances sticking onto it.It will be great if you turn the cakes into different shapes to impress your family and also try to add almonds and cashews to the cakes.Chop them and then add them to the cakes .

Gentle Cooking Retains Vitamins

2009-07-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

What's gained by careful buying of vegetables at the market can be lost by careless cooking in the saucepan. Vitamins and minerals have a hard time surviving certain cooking conditions, and it's wise to know how to treat those greens and other good vegetables after they come into your kitchen. Some vitamins can stand rougher treatment than others, but gentle cooking is always good advice when it comes to vegetables.

Vitamin A is the sturdy member of the family, not seriously affected by cooking. Vitamins B and C, on the other hand, are subject to considerable loss, and they need a little coddling to preserve them. Cut down vitamin loss to the minimum by cooking vegetables just to the point where they're tender, and not one minute more!

Mineral salts, so essential to the body's chemistry, dissolve in water, which is one of the reasons why the water you cook your vegetables in should never be thrown away. That water contains valuable calcium, needed to build sound bones and teeth, and even iron, essential for making rich, red blood. Cook vegetables in as little water as possible and if there is any appreciable amount of liquid left over after removing the vegetables from the saucepan, use it in sauces, vegetable cocktail drinks or in soups.

Some of the vitamins inevitably lost in cooking can be replaced by the clever cook who has a keen eye toward food values. Dressings and sauces for vegetables, when properly concocted, can add up the vitamin score to a higher total. The new vitaminized margarine makes a thrifty melted dressing for greens that adds extra vitamin A, for the best margarine on the market now has 9,000 units of vitamin A per pound which makes it equal to the year-round average of butter.

Potatoes With Savory Sauce

4 potatoes, cut in strips 2 small onions, cut in rings 4 tablespoons vitaminized margarine 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons pimiento, chopped Grated cheese

Cut the raw, pared potatoes into long match-like strips. Cook them in boiling water until tender. Drain and turn into a warm dish. Brown the onion rings in the vitaminized margarine. Add the flour, stirring thoroughly; add milk, salt, pepper and pimiento and cook in double boiler 20 minutes. Pour over cooked potatoes, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Vegetable Chop Suey

1 large onion Small head cauliflower 1 green pepper 3 cups celery, diced 1 cup string beans 1 cup peas 1 cup boiling salted water 4 tablespoons vitaminized margarine 1/2 cup parsley sprigs

Peel onion. Separate cauliflower in flowerets. Shred or slice green pepper, onion, cauliflower, celery and string beans. Cook all vegetables together except parsley in boiling salted water 15 minutes, or until tender. Add vitaminized margarine. Turn into serving dish and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6.

Lima Beans Parisienne

Melt 4 tablespoons vitaminized margarine in double boiler, add 4 tablespoons flour and mix well. Add 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup bean stock and 1/4 cup celery stock gradually until thickened. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and Va teaspoon pepper. Add 1 cup grated American cheese, 3 cups cooked Lima beans, salted, and 1 cup cooked celery, diced and salted. Mix well. Sprinkle with paprika. Serves 6.

Should You Learn Healthy Cooking Recipes?

2009-07-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Should you be looking to learn to cook healthy family recipes from home? If you really want to enjoy healthy food there is no way you can rely on the processed rubbish you buy in the stores with it's many toxic additives. What can we do to ensure we are giving our family the best possible cooking possible that is healthy and nutritious for them.
The first step you need to take in order to create good healthy cooking recipes is to start simple, all too often we pick up a cook book and are overwhelmed with the instructions we need to follow. Start simple use one primary product at first, experiment and try and find out how to do it the way you like. Eventually you won't need any sort of instructions to be able to create your families favourite recipes

There are some significant advantages to cooking and learning healthier recipes for your family. We first noticed it in our children. Normally evening meals would consist of package food thrown in the oven, a little bit of garlic bread or pizza for something on the side, it was either this or some sort of takeaway. We knew this was wrong but lead busy lives and seemed like we had little time to worry about cooking.

One day we decided to make a stand and start cooking our own evening meals from fresh recipes. At the beginning of the week we would make a note of what meals we were going to have each evening that week. We then prepared the shopping list to make sure we had no excuse not to do it. We even got the children involved in the action and they loved spending time mixing and slicing.

One of the major differences we noticed ini our kids was the fact they were less hyper active and seemed to have an increase attention span. There natural palettes also increased and they began to appreciate good home cooked food. Weight was lost and eating habits were truly transformed. These are just a few of the reasons you should be looking to learn healthy recipes that you can cook from home. Don't be afraid to get it wrong cooking should be a fun learning process and as you begin to understand what the family likes you will be able to conjure up delicious healthy cooking every evening for your family.

Have Fun Cooking Easy Recipes

2009-07-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Is it me or are only certain types of people able to have fun cooking? Are some people just naturally able to follow recipes and get them right every time? I personally think the way to really enjoy cooking is by making easy cooking recipes that taste great.

We have always struggled cooking dinner on a daily basis for our family but when you begin to see the fun in cooking, doing it daily becomes a breeze. Focusing on easy to cook recipes will assist in the fun element of cooking but in order to make the process run smoother we need to break cooking down into it's basic elements, prep, execution and clearing up.

Personally I would say that by preparing well will be the difference between how much you enjoy the execution and the overall cooking experience. Have you got all your ingredients? Do you have the necessary utensils? What needs slicing and dicing? What order do you need to do things and how long are individual elements going to take to cook?

Taking the preparation stage one step further, we always found it to be a good idea to plan our meals in advance. Make a checklist each week before you go for groceries, decide on the meals you are going to cook and make sure you have a list of necessary ingredients for each one.

You don't need to make the ingredients too complex either, start off small, make a nice pasta dinner with your own bolognaise made from fresh products, Grill some chicken and prepare your own marinate.

Once you have learned to enjoy the process try some advances methods, but remember to add you own preferences to what you cook, make it your own and this will add to the fun.

The benefits that you will receive through cooking your own meals will be more than you would have expected. Not only are you saving yourself and your family from the toxins of processed food or take out junk but you are also developing new skills. Encourage the family to become involved in the cooking process, let them give suggestions and let young children help prepare the meals. Getting everybody involved will only enhance the cooking experience and make it easier to do it on a consistent basis.

The important aspect of cooking to remember is the more fluently you can go through the process the more you will enjoy it and the more you enjoy it, the easier it will become.

Some Important Guidelines For Beginner Cooks

2009-07-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, the tiny and seemingly insignificant tips that you can get for cooking can turn you from being a good cook into a great one. It is with cooking suggestions that preparing dishes can be made very simple. Short on knowledge? Lacking in patience? You can still give the illusion of being a skilled chef in no time after a few tiny suggestions. The following cooking suggestions are just a few that will help you in the kitchen.

Having food that tastes its best is most easily accomplished when you make sure that the products you buy are fresh. Whether shopping in the supermarket or the produce market, make sure you double check each item you buy for freshness and ripeness. You can easily judge a packaged food by the given date of expiration, but with fruits and vegetables, you need to examine each item carefully. You should also make yourself familiar with the general produce and the ability to spot quality produce in your local market. Beef, poultry, and fish should always be fresh, as well. Additionally, when preparing meat for a meal keep all meats refrigerated until using, any utensils you use with the meat or that come into contact with the meat should be cleaned with soap and water.

When serving your meals, make sure that they are cooked thoroughly and reach a safe temperature. Your meats should reach at least 140 degrees F. and you can check this using a cooking thermometer. Likewise, if you are preparing a chilled food, you should do so at a temperature that is less than 40 degrees F.

As you probably know, a good mechanic always uses the right tools to fix a car. Thus, a good cooking suggestion is to likewise keep the right items in your kitchen to help you create dishes easily and properly. What exactly you need depends on what kinds of dishes you want to prepare, but knives, pots, pans, and measuring cups are standard, and most dishes require the use of a blender or a food processor as well.

Many people make the mistake of associating low fat cooking with being bland, tasteless. However, it has been proved over and over again that low fat dishes can be made in a way that makes them colorful, vibrant, and delicious. Simply think out your dishes carefully before you prepare them, and then use a lot of fresh spices, olive oil and herbs to emphasize the taste. It's important to choose lean cuts of beef and pork, and to use the least amount of oil as you can. You can reduce the amount of fat your meals have, as well as the amount of calories, but substituting chicken, turkey, and fish instead of beef or pork.

What Is Good About Vegetarian Food

2009-06-30T02:18:00.001-07:00

Whether to become a vegetarian might be something you have been thinking about for some time but do not really know if will change anything for you. Although people considering this will ask what difference will one person make? Ok, so one person won't change things much but many individuals who think the same way can make a difference and even one person can help. This point is very well highlighted by the instances of heart disease in people that have a meat rich diet in America.

Circulatory, heart problems, high cholesterol and heart attacks are primarily caused by the regular consumption of dairy products, eggs and meat; a reduction in this consumption would lower these health problems. The organization Earth Save has calculated that a vegetarian has only a quarter of the chance of a heart attack as someone who has meat in their diet. Those individuals that have gone one step further an become vegans have around a ten percent chance of a heart attack as opposed to people on regular diets. But these are not the only health benefits of choosing to be a vegetarian.

There is less likelihood of cancer owing to the reduced number of preservatives that will be in your diet compared to a person that regularly eats meat. Hormones used in animal feed are obviously not present either in vegetarian meals, which have proved to create hormone problems in people. And you won't consume as much lactose, which most people cannot digest properly and which some dietitians have suggested is a cause of digestive problems. n addition to health benefits you will receive as an individual by becoming a vegetarian, you will also reduce your share of the suffering human beings inflict on animals.

The appalling death toll statistic suggested by Vegan Out-Reach is that over 2,700 animals will be eaten by an average American during their life. Just in a couple of decades, many hundreds of animals would not need to loose their lives if you were to make this commitment. The suffering of many cows and battery farmed hens would also be reduced if you were to give up eggs and milk as well. It is difficult to ignore the impact that eating meat has on the planet and makes the case for becoming a vegetarian stronger. It matters to the thousands of animals you could potentially save and it matters to you as an individual because you can greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease.

Healthy Good Beverages

2009-06-30T01:39:00.000-07:00

A new home testing kit to test the caffeine content of beverages such as tea, coffee and soda may be commercially available.

General Food and Drinks is an International wholesaler who source and supply the best quality alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, we also provide niche dry good products from around the world under our own general food and drinks branding, so you know that you can trust the quality.

Nutrition analysis of Healthy Beverages mangoes- It gets the entire sweet flavor from its carbohydrate content. There are many varieties of mangoes, and most of them have high carbohydrate content. Since the carbohydrates are fruit based, its complex carbohydrates sucrose. There is almost no fat or protein content in mango.

It provides you with more than your daily requirement of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It also contains fiber, magnesium, iron and antioxidants. So, as you can see mango is overall a nutritious fruit.

1 ripe mango 120ml/4fl oz of plain yoghurt 1tbsp light honey, perhaps acacia 100ml/31/2fl oz water

Peel and chop the mango and place in a food processor, along with the yoghurt and honey.

Orange Juice:

1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup 2% milk 1 cup water 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or less as desired) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 10 to 12 ice cubes

Place all ingredients into container of electric blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately

weight loss healthy eating

2009-06-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

The idea of combining both the healthy and balanced diet plan is to: * provide variety in the diet * consume more grains, fresh fruits & vegetables which help increase energy levels * low fat intake - especially saturated fats * reduce sugar intake * lower salt intake * provide optimum health & vitality - it gives us the energy to be more active, this = rapid weight loss! By now everyone has heard of eating a balanced diet for better health but some believe a healthy diet also means a balanced diet. In fact they are both different. A balanced diet enables us to obtain all essential nutrients present in a wide range of foods.

If the balanced diet plan is consistent it will also provide a regular supply of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients ensuring optimum health and vitality. Optimum health means less illness and health complications but more importantly increase energy levels for physical activity, this is great news for dieting and rapid weight loss. Its important to be aware that a balanced diet can also provide too many fats, refined sugar and salt. If any diet provides too much saturated fat, cholesterol and refined sugars it may be classed as unhealthy and not much use in any program. A healthy diet plan is mainly a consumption of natural, fresh and wholesome foods for each meal of the day, foods chosen are usually low in fats, sodium and refined sugars. The difference is a healthy diet plan provides us with some nutrients but the balanced diet plan provides us with all essential nutrients. The problem starts because we tend to eat very similar food every day especially if its our favourite we'll naturally want to eat it more often. Consuming the same foods or types of food can lead to a deficiency in a certain nutrient only present in another food group, one not chosen in our diet plan. While on a diet we really need to obtain all nutrients the body requires while at the same time maintain a natural and healthy weight loss. Normally a healthy diet plan can help weight loss but a combination of the healthy diet and a balanced diet plan would be great for permanent weight control. We would consume low fat foods plus gain all nutrients. Providing all nutrients regularly gives us the vitality to exercise effectively. Possessing little vitality can give anyone that "can't be bothered or too tired attitude", I mean ever wondered why sometimes we feel so down and low in energy. Some experts believe deficiencies in some nutrients can reduce our ability to produce enough energy making us feel lethargic, although more research is needed

Should You Learn Healthy Cooking Recipes?

2009-06-30T01:36:00.000-07:00

The first step you need to take in order to create good healthy cooking recipes is to start simple, all too often we pick up a cook book and are overwhelmed with the instructions we need to follow. Start simple use one primary product at first, experiment and try and find out how to do it the way you like. Eventually you won't need any sort of instructions to be able to create your families favourite recipes.

Healthy Eating for College Students by P. kanmani

2009-06-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

Healthy Eating in College:

When you go away to college, you are thrown into an unfamiliar environment.Sleeping in a bed that is not your own and dealing with a new room mate you don't know may be difficult enough, but you can't forget about learning how to eat healthy foods while at college.

Healthy eating is important so that you keep the weight off and keep your immune system healthy.

Eating Routine at College:

It is first important to settle into an eating routine. At home, you would probably never eat after a certain time at night-doesn't at college either.If you're used to eating breakfast, wake up before classes in enough time to do so.

At the very least, be sure that you have time between classes for a balanced

lunch and dinner. Don't skip meals.

If your schedule is hectic, as most people find, you'll need to schedule time to eat. Instead of grabbing food from a vending machine when you are hungry, plan ahead. Take a healthy salad or sandwich with you to eat if you have class over mealtime. Most professors don't mind if you bring food to class as long as your eat it quietly.

Colorful and Nutritious Meal:

When you do have time to eat in the cafeteria, it is important to make healthy decisions. Most colleges offer pizza and a variety of desserts every day, but that doesn't mean you have to eat them! Look for choices that have a balance of the food groups in every meal. A good indication that you have a nutritious meal is color. If your trey is colorful, with fruits, vegetables, and proteins, you are on the right track.

Avoid fried or greasy foods:

Of course, not every college has a cafeteria, and even if yours does you might choose to eat elsewhere. It's very tempting to order Chinese food or other delivery, especially when participating in study groups. Try to find the best options here and allow yourself to splurge only on special occasions. For example, if someone is ordering pizza, see if the pizzeria also offers salads. This may be a healthy option.

Try to stay away from fried or greasy foods.

Final Note:

College is one of the best times of your life. Don't let poor eating choices ruin the experience. You might also want to note as a closing thought that alcohol has more empty calories than most of the foods you can eat at the cafeteria combined. Staying away from it can not only keep you safe, but also healthy. Add an exercise routine at a local gym, and you'll never see that freshman fifteen!

Whats Make a Good diet for diabetic

2009-06-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

As we have mentioned from time to time there are certain foods that diabetics should be mindful of when eating. Since everyone is different in what their bodies can tolerate and what foods they may have allergic reactions to. There is not a one size fit all approach in creating a good diet for diabetics.

However there are certain guidelines that make it easier to come up with a diet for diabetics meal plan. The guidelines that a diabetic should follow are:

#1 Incorporate more fiberous foods. As we discussed before these are foods such as beans, whole grains, vegetables and fruits and should be at least 14 grams per every 1,000 calories that you consume.

#2 Try to eat foods that have a low glycemic index such as beans, fruits (apples and oranges), oats, barley, beans, lentils, legumes, and low fat dairy. Kefir is an excellent alternative to drinking whole mile and it is an excellent probiotic as well.

#3 The ADA has recommended that a diet for diabetics include 2 grams of plant sterols and stanols. Apparently, these can help in lowering a persons LDL cholesterol level. You can typically find these plant sterols and stanols in such items as margarine spreads, orange juice, cereals, and granola bars. It is important that you pay special attention to the amount of carbohydrates, especially in orange juice since drinking orange juice can cause a spike in sugar levels.

The best thing that a person with diabetes can do to manage the disease is eat a healthy diet for diabetics. Stay away from processed foods and eat more natural foods and you should be able to control your sugar levels just fine.

Want to Know What Are the Best Foods For Diabetics? Then Read This by Donna McAlister

2009-06-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

When you are cooking for people who have diabetes, you have to be aware of what some of the best food for diabetics are. While a person who is versed well in diet and nutrition can assist you with a diabetic meal plan. There are a few basics that you can follow to ensure that they are getting the proper nutrients while keeping there sugar low.

The first thing is to make sure that there is enough fiber in the diet. A person with diabetes should be eating at least 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories. And this can easily be included into any meal plan, because fibrous foods include beans, vegetables, whole grains, and some fruit. So right there you have a variety of food for diabetics to eat.

Secondly, try to incorporate foods that have a low glycemic index. Once again beans are apart of this list as well as oats, lentils, kefir (an excellent alternative to milk) and barley. You also want to drink plenty of water. Water is our bodies way of flushing out the toxins. And there have been published reports of how keeping your inside clean will help in keeping you as disease free as possible.

Also is has been noted by the ADA that a person with diabetes should be including plant sterols and stanols to the tune of 2 grams per day. These are not only beneficial to assisting with blood sugar but can also help with keeping LDL cholesterol in check as well.

Basically, the best food for diabetics is going to be foods that are healthy and wholesome. Stay away from eating fast food and processed food as these are not good for any one. If you are able to go the organic route that is even better. As organic food even tastes better than the food that is found at a traditional grocery store.

So if you want to keep your diabetes sugar numbers low, then invest in eating foods that are good for you. Once you begin to replace that piece of fried chicken with a piece of grilled chicken and realize how much better your body begins to feel. You will never go back to those bad eating habits again.

Secret Restaurant Recipes

2009-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

We'll teach you the Jealously Guarded Secrets behind the actual dishes from Billion Dollar Restaurants, and show you how to easily make them at home. Save money and skip those long lines-get the step by step instructions for making America's most wanted recipes in your own kitchen. Impress your family and friends with exact replicas of famous pasta dishes, fried chicken and many more from your favorite restaurants.

Cook dishes like the Pro's do in a matter of minutes! Save Money-just imagine the sheer amount of cash you will be able to save just by cooking these dishes yourself at home. If you just prepare these meals once per week, you will save well over $180 each month at the bare minimum. Not to mention the satisfaction you will get when people find out you made these famous dishes from your own kitchen. Each recipe is written in fine detail, right down to the exact proportions and amounts of ingredients you should use. All have been time and taste buds tested for the greatest results. You can cook like a master chef and there is no training required. Stop wasting time and money, start cooking your favorite burgers, wings and pizza in your own kitchen for all your family and friends.

Count your Chicken after They Hatch: Lesson Learned from My First 50 Mile Ultra Marathon by Article Manager

2009-06-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

My first triathlon coach gave me some very wise advice regarding preparing for a race. He told me that the things that we most worry about affecting us on race day NEVER happen. Instead, it's always something that we don't expect. So far, after 12 Ironman races, about a dozen marathons, four 24 hour world record attempts and my first 80 km ultra marathon, this advice has proven to be very true.

I was quite nervous going into this 50 mile (80 km) ultra marathon because it was my first shot at running farther than the standard 26.2 mile marathon distance. My right knee had been swollen and sore for about 3 weeks leading up to race day. Most of my training has been on steep hills and the constant downhill pounding really affected my right knee.

Thankfully, and true to my coache's advice, my knee injury never really bothered me during the race and instead I was inflicted by something else that I never expected- I got stupid and assumed my success, counting my chickens before they were hatched. I had eggs sold, the chickens cooked and the money spent. Basically, I got a bit stupid for a while and it cost me about 1.5 to 2 hours in additional running! Here's the story:

The race started at 5:00 am with the blow of a horn and I kissed Helen goodbye (she was running the half marathon that started at 10:00 am), turned on my headlamp and joined about 80 fellow 50 miler runners as we launched ourselves through the start line and disappeared into the forest for a very, very long day. A few minutes after we started our first climb I heard a voice calling out from behind me down the trail.

It was my buddy Dennis from Boulder, CO who had driven out to Bellingham, WA to run the race with me! It was so great to see Dennis and I had totally forgotten that he was coming out, so it was a really cool surprise to learn that I had someone to run with. Our paces were very well matched- I worked to keep up with Dennis on the up-hills and he worked to keep up with me on the downs. I think we were pushing each other.

The course is a brutal 13,000 feet of elevation and rated 4 out of 5 for technical difficulty, and 5 out of 5 for elevation. You are either running up or down - never flat. We were both feeling pretty good and after a few hours of 'warm-up', so we started to 'pick-off' runners one by one as the day wore on. We would see a runner down the trail and take aim, focus on our pace, eventually pass them and move on to our next 'victim'.

Chicken Coop Plan Top Tips To Remember When You Build A Chicken Coop by Mark Eastley

2009-06-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Too many people are under the impression that chickens donâ€™t need an awful lot to be content. Granted, they donâ€™t need TVs and PCs like us humans to get through the day, but they do need some basic necessities if their new home is going to be one that is comfortable and enjoyable to live in. To say one thing is more important than another wouldnâ€™t be doing the chickens any justice. Every piece of the puzzle is important. And those pieces are numerous

Your chicken coop should be strong, sturdy and impregnable. In other words, no unwanted critters should be able to get inside. It should also be warm and dry. Chickens, contrary to popular opinion, donâ€™t like the water. If you think Iâ€™m kidding, try giving one a bath. You also want to make sure the coop is properly ventilated. You donâ€™t want your feathered friends suffocating inside. Make sure you build your coop so that it gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. Also, chicken feeders should be placed so that they are easy to get to.

I have no doubt that your chickens are important to you. Thatâ€™s why you want to build the best chicken coop possible. It is therefore critical that you keep these things in mind, as well as the actual appearance and design of your coop. I mean after all, you donâ€™t want their home to be an eyesore. Make it something that you can be proud to show off.

If youâ€™d like more great info on building chicken coops, check out the link in my signature. Youâ€™ll be building the absolute best chicken coop possible in record time.

How To Build A Chicken Coop- 3 Simple Things You Need To Know When Building A Coop by Tony Smith

2009-06-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Building a chicken coop is easy. Especially when you have the right plan and instructions to follow. It's also one of the best ways to ensure your chickens' safety. You're probably not sure of the things you need to know before building a coop.

So, what I'm going to do is share with you some tips on how to build a chicken coop. That way, you will have an idea of the size and type of house to build.

The tips on building the coop are:

1. The first thing that you need to do is figure out how many chickens you want to have. You will need to build a bigger coop if you want eleven or more birds. You will need to make sure the size of the chicken house is correct for the amount of birds you want. If it's too small, your chicken won't lay their eggs properly.

2. Another tip on how to build a chicken coop is to make it according to your climate. Think about the weather. You want to make sure you build the right chicken house that will help protect your chickens and the coop. It will help you determine which materials you will need when it's time to start building the coop.

3. The third thing you need to know when building a chicken coop is whether or not you want it to be a mobile coop. A lot of people who own chickens want to move their coops around. They do this for cleaning purposes or because they want to take the birds inside the house. Either way, before you build your chicken house, be sure you know if you want it to be mobile.

7 Easy Tips for the Perfect Fried Chicken Recipe by Recipes Writer

2009-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

There is no need to be an expert chef to get your fried chicken to come out just right. Discover the secrets and tricks experienced cooks use to get their fried chicken extra crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside. Fried chicken is commonly considered Southern fare; however the crispy appetizer is enjoyed the world-over. From olive-oil fried "healthy" versions in South Korea to the crunchy 'Chicken Chipees' of Australia, fried chicken has made it the world over as a popular finger food.

For truly American fried chicken, there are 7 easy guidelines to follow for the perfect crispy finish. Spoil your family and guests with juicy chicken fried to golden perfection.

1. Easy receipe: Choosing the Chicken
Avoid the common mistake of choosing pieces that are either too large or too small. Large cuts will result in the outside being over-fried and the inside remaining undercooked. Cuts that are too small will lose their juice quickly. Strive for the golden middle and choose medium-sized chicken pieces. Aside from improving the taste of you chicken recipe , these cuts will be easier to handle when eating.
2. The Skillet

For best frying results, a cast iron skillet is the optimal choice for creating an even heating temperature. Oil warmed in a cast iron skillet will take longer to warm up, so be sure to test the temperature of the oil before starting the first batch. If you are preparing an extra-large batch, you may want to consider deep-frying the chicken. Oil temperature is easiest to regulate in a deep-fry setting, and you can get more done at once.

3. The Oil Makes a Difference

It is recommended to use fresh oil for each frying session. A trick of the trade is to add a few pieces of diced celery to the oil. The celery will enhance the flavor of the chicken and give a beautiful golden color to the fried pieces. Although it is less healthy than other oils, peanut oil can be used for additional flavor enhancement.

4. The Temperature

Frying at the right oil temperature is critical for good results. If you choose to use a thermometer, the ideal temperature of the oil should be just around 375 degrees. Be aware that once chicken pieces are added to the oil, the temperature drops significantly. It is therefore recommended to fry in smaller batches. For best results, make sure the temperature of the oil does not drop below the 350 degree mark.

A food thermometer is recommended for a greater precision in temperature control. If you do not have a thermometer at hand, the temperature can be tested simply by dropping a pinch of flour into the oil. When the temperature is right, the flour should fry well upon contact without turning black too quickly.

5. Brining

Many cooks will credit the juicy texture of their fried chicken with their brining technique. Brining requires soaking the chicken pieces in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours prior to preparation. The classic brine mixture contains buttermilk, finely minced garlic, paprika, sugar and salt.

6. The Batter

No matter what recipe you are using, be sure to include baking powder in the batter mixture. Baking powder will give the fried chicken a crispier, crunchier crust.

7. Cooling Tips Once the chicken pieces are removed from the oil, place them on a brown paper bag to cool off. This method will allow extra oil to drain off, while preserving the crispy texture of the chicken. Cooling on paper towels is not recommended for any fried fare, as this can decrease the crispiness of the food. Do not cover the chicken while cooling.

How to Cook Chicken Legs on the Grill by Ralph Serpe

2009-06-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Grilled chicken legs are not only a delicious summer meal, but they are also economical as legs are one of the cheapest parts of the chicken. Just because they are cheap, does not mean they have to lack in flavor. Actually, the dark meat of poultry has more flavor as it contains more fat.

One of the biggest problems grilling enthusiasts face however is with cooking times and temperatures. One of the most frequently asked questions is: how long do you grill chicken legs?

It really isn't possible to give an exact answer to this question as it really depends on the type of grill you are using, the grilling method and how big the chicken legs are.

It really is an excellent idea to invest in a good quality cooking thermometer. I personally own a voice alert electronic thermometer. It really is a fantastic little cooking gadget and I would be lost without it. It is extremely accurate and eliminates all guessing, and guessing is not an option when cooking meat, especially chicken.

CHICKEN GRILLING METHODS

Boil the Chicken Legs First

The goal with this method is to cook the meat all the way through before it goes on the grill. This greatly reduces the risk of any food born illnesses and also cuts down the grilling time significantly. The downside to this method is a serious lack of flavor. Since you will be cooking the meat on the grill for a much shorter period of time, the meat will not have a chance to pick up that delicious grilled flavor.

MARINATE THEN GRILL

Marinating your chicken legs first is always a good idea. Not only does it give your food a fantastic flavor, but it also keeps the meat moist during the cooking process. For the best results, marinate the chicken over night. Below is an excellent marinade that I use often and it is quite versatile. It works well with seafood like shrimp and scallops as well.

Citrus Herb Marinade

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Legs

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup Freshly Chopped Cilantro

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chicken legs. Add chicken to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Refrigerate for several hours, over night if possible.

LETS GET GRILLING

I have found that the best method for cooking chicken legs on the grill is to first sear the meat and then finish the cooking process over indirect heat. The result is a nice moist chicken leg with a delightfully crispy skin.

Step 1: Remove chicken from marinade and rinse. This is to remove any ingredients from the marinade that are stuck to the chicken. If left on, this can burn. Coat the chicken with some oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill.

Step 2: Clean the grill. The best method for cleaning a grill is to turn the grill up high and allow the heat to burn off any grease and grime. Use your grill brush to scrape the grates clean. For charcoal grills, just light up the charcoal and allow the fire to heat up the grates and scrape the grates clean.

Step 3: Heat the Grill. We are going to set up our grill for the searing/indirect cooking method. For gas grills, this is pretty easy. All you do is turn one burner up high and leave the others off. For charcoal grills, it is a little more involved, but not rocket science. All you do once your charcoal is ready, is push all of your charcoal over to one side leaving half of the grill without charcoal. The side with charcoal is for searing and the other side is for the indirect cooking.

Step 4: Begin Cooking. Once your grill is good and hot, go ahead and put your chicken legs on the hot part of the grill and sear on all sides. Only sear your legs for a few minutes per side. You are looking for a nice sear, so avoid burning the skin. After you sear them, go ahead and move them on over to the cool side of the grill and cover.

Let them cook for a good 20 minutes and then get out your basting sauce. If you used the citrus herb marinade from above, try and find a thick basting sauce that compliments the citrus flavors. Baste the legs on all sides and then cover. After another 20 minutes or so, using your thermometer, go ahead and check to see if the legs are done. You are looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the legs are done, If they aren't as crispy as you like, put them on the hot side of the grill again for a few minutes before removing them from the grill.

A Vegetarian Diet - Lower the Chance of Heart Disease and Create a Healthy Digestive System by Bill Hansen

2009-06-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

The well known saying 'we become what we eat' is generally true, as it has been established over and over again, that healthy people consume healthy foods. When we make the correction from eating meat to a vegetarian diet, our cholesterol levels drop, our body fat reading decreases, we are less likely to contract many types of cancers, the chances of having diabetes reduces, our blood pressure falls into a normal range and generally, our overall health and fitness improves. Moving towards a meat-free way of life has been shown statistically to decrease the occurrence of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries.

A great benefit of a meat-free lifestyle is the plentiful supply of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts that assist in the prevention of certain cancers and also create a healthy digestive system. The majority of vegetarians who are genuine about changing the way they eat have also eliminated poultry from their daily diet. They feel repulsive about the way chickens are contained in such crammed and inhumane conditions and filled with growth promoting substances and antibiotics making them taste nothing like chicken should taste with reduced nutritional value.The best result is to eliminate red meat from your eating habits altogether. At least you are stopping and controlling the worst villain of all when it comes to diseases of the digestive tract and a number of other body functions. Apart from reducing your cholesterol or blood pressure, you may reduce your risk of diseases including colon, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. All of these cancers have been connected in studies to western style meat-based eating habits. Vegetarians don't eat animal fat known to link to these cancers.

Deciding to make healthy food choices that are known to be good for your heart can really lower the chances of heart disease. Thousands of American people die each year from obesity related illnesses the most common being diabetes and heart disease. Finding out the advantages of vegetarian style eating can change your prospects for the better, of a prolonged and vigorous life. Not taking action about your well being is like waiting for a miracle 'health fairy' to fly down from the heavens and wave her magic powers to make you feel better.

Immediately after the decision has taken place to shift to a more healthy way of living, you will have the opportunity to appreciate a variety of wonderful, nourishing and hardy meals that all of the family will acknowledge and appreciate. With some creativity on your part, you will be surprised the amount of variety you are able to create with your vegetarian meals. By learning about the number of meat-free dishes available you will quickly become the expert and will be able to pass this knowledge on to the people you care for the most.

Good Nutrition Without Extreme Measures by Art Gib

2009-06-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

There are two types of people in the world, those that are concerned about the health and well being and those that do not have any concern about their health and nutrition. On the one hand some people become fanatical about what they eat and how often they exercise, while on the other hand the extremists give no thought whatsoever to exercising or what they put into their bodies.

The two extremes have radicals on either end to balance them out but closer to the middle of the road there a people that are concerned about proper dietary health and nutrition yet do not know how to go about starting a healthy regiment of diet and exercise.

For people that are aware of their past eating habits and want to do something to start making small changes to their lifestyle without becoming an extremist there are many options available to help them get on to the path of healthier living. Nutritional supplements are an important first step in cleaning up the body and clearing out the toxins and free radicals that are left behind from improper nutrition.

There are a number of antioxidant health drinks on the market that have been scientifically engineered to cleanse the body of harmful toxins and chemicals while rejuvenating the body from the inside and promoting greater natural energy and vitality.

One of the leading sources of the healthy juice ingredients is the acai berry. One of natures super fruits, the acai berry is distilled into an antioxidant juice that scientists are formulating into three varieties of health promoting products.

Specifically designed to add valuable nutritional value to the human body each of the three juices help to improve blood flow through the cardiovascular system by reducing cholesterol level in the blood stream, improve flexibility in the joints by repairing tissue damage and add energy at the cellular level by eradicating free radicals and toxins while at the same time replacing needed vitamins and minerals.

As each juice is specifically formulated to work on one area of nutrition to revitalize the body they all are derived from one nutritional source, the acai berry. Believed by some to be the super fruit of the future the acai berry is a native of the South American rain forest and is harvested from the Amazon region of northern Brazil. Although the acai berry has only been used a little as ten years ago in the United States the natives of the rain forest have been utilizing the fruit as a health benefit for centuries.

Methods Of Food Preservation by James Thompson

2009-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Preservation of food can done in many ways other than using a refrigerator and here we will look at some of these options. First let's ask ourselves a question. Why do need to preserve food? Well simply put food is essentially biological and was at one point alive and just like us when we die we start to degrade or rot. Some foodstuffs are seasonal so if we did not preserve them the majority of food would be wasted as most of it would become ripe to eat at the same time resulting in too much food at this point and none at others. Preservation processes must be non damaging to the food and non toxic to us so this narrows down the options.

Drying works on the principle that bacteria needs water to grow so by removing the water the growth of bacteria which rots the food is slowed or even stopped. This is a long established method of preservation involving drying out the food using the sun, wind or possibly smoking. An added benefit of drying is that it hardens the surface or skin of the food which stops dirt and other bacteria from contaminating the food. Dried or smoked fish has been a popular preserved food for hundreds of years and still regarded by many today as tastier than fresh fish. Meat is another product that can be dried although in many cases it is salted first, all red meats are able to be preserved in this manner. Fruits are also dried but undergo changes in texture and taste during this process some examples are drying a plum produces a prune and drying a grape produces a raisin. Vegetables are rarely dried as it takes all the flavor and vitamins out of them. Pickling is a method of preserving food by creating a chemical reaction which is safe to us but which bacteria are unable to survive in. There are various ways in which this can be done with the most common ones being the use of vinegar or brine. Brine is produced when fermentation of salted water produces an acid solution. As this is more a chemical system the method tends to change between different foods as foods with more moisture can produce brine much easier than dryer foods. Food can last for many months using this process which doesn't require a heat source like the sun or fire unlike the drying method of preservation. Sugaring is a method used to preserve fruit where the fruit is placed into a sugar based syrup this is popular with apples, pears, apricots and many other fruits. Sometimes the fruit is cooked in this syrup and then dried and stored and in some instances the fruit skins are used as dried fruit skins are popular as a delicacy in some countries. Freezing is the method that most of us use as most people have home freezers that are cheap to run. An advantage of frozen food is that many products can now be bought ready frozen to go straight into your freezer. Even foods that are unsuitable for freezing can be cooked and then frozen and many are prepared so that that defrosting before cooking is also not required.

Healthy Choices at Seafood Restaurants by Art Gib

2009-06-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people who say that eating fish is a much healthier alternative to eating other types of meats. Especially if you are trying to watch your weight, you might have someone recommend that you eat more fish in your diet. The truth is that seafood is healthy for your body because it contains omega-3 fatty acids which help the body protect itself from heart disease. One thing you might not know is that there are all different kinds of fish for you to choose from and some fish are much healthier for you than others. This article will list a few of the different kinds of fish and then also give you some recommendations for how often you should have this particular fish in your diet.

If you are looking to eat some of the common types of fish which are really popular in seafood restaurants, you will probably be ordering Alaskan salmon, Rainbow trout, U.S. farmed shrimp or bay scallops. These kinds of fish are healthy enough to eat about twice a week and they can do a lot of good things for your body. Other choices like Pacific halibut or white tuna from the U.S. or Canada should be eaten less frequently than those already mentioned, but are still okay to eat about once a week. It is very important to know where the fish is coming from because that plays a huge role on whether the fish has grown and lived in a clean environment and eaten clean food.

There are some types of fish you should probably only eat about once a month. Some of these choices are mahimahi, lobster, blue crab, wild salmon, sea scallops, wild shrimp, U.S. swordish and Pacific cod. Again these are just a few choices of fish that are recommended to be eaten only one a month. There is also a list of fish to flat out avoid eating altogether. These choices include Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, shark, and grouper. Most of these choices were made because of the high levels of mercury found in these fish depending on the area they are in. Also, fish were added to the four different categories depending on if how the fish were caught caused damage to our environment. So remember the next time you are out at a seafood restaurant, that you want to make a wise and healthy decision you will be happy with.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

2009-06-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

A lot of studies and research has shown that kids who eat breakfast perform better in school and have a healthier diet. Eating breakfast will help promote the proper growth and maximize school performance as well.

Breakfast is often times a victim of the morning time crunch. Even though you may be tempted to skip breakfast, you can simplify your morning routine by following these 8 tips:

1. Finish homework and pack school bags at night. 2. Decide on what your children will wear to school before you go to bed and locate lost shoes for the following day. 3. In the morning, get up 15 minutes earlier. 4. Give up computer games and morning television. 5. Have healthy foods on hand. You should also shop for breakfast foods with your kids and take into account their personal preferences. 6. Set the cereal out the night before. For younger children, fill a zippered plastic bag with her portion, then add the milk in the morning. 7. Allow your children to use the microwave often, as most breakfast foods can be prepared in under 5 minutes. 8. Allow your kids to eat in the car or on the way to school.

There are several foods that you can eat for breakfast, even leftovers from supper if they are sufficient. You can eat bagels, pizza with fruit juice, pretzels, or the normal bacon and eggs that breakfast is known for. Most foods are a snap to prepare, and won't take you but a few minutes.

The next time you are in a hurry in the morning, remember that you are probably about to skip the most important meal of the day. If you follow the tips above, you'll find that you have plenty of time for breakfast.

Homemade Chocolate Recipes for Health and Well-Being

2009-06-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

Commercially made chocolate contains very little cocoa, the important and healthy ingredient of chocolate, lots of sugar, artificial flavors, coloring and preservatives.

This is definitely not something a health-conscious individual would dream about.

Even if you buy a chocolate that contains over 60% of cocoa, in most of the cases it is still loaded with other unwanted ingredients.

Second, why we should include cocoa in a healthy diet?

Cocoa contains lots of vitamins and minerals. It contains more antioxidants than red wine, for example. It has also mood-elevating properties that help combat depressions, mood swings and junk food cravings. So, it is not only a healthy food but can also help lose weight. Since it contains lots of fat, it should be consumed in moderation for weight-loss purposes.

Third, how we can consume cocoa-containing products and at the same time not to consume harmful additives?

The answer is simple. Use homemade chocolate recipes and make your own desserts! This way you can really enjoy what you want without any additives and you can also have full control over the ingredients. Experiment with recipes - reduce the amount of sugar or use healthier sugar substitutes, add natural elements that can give a rich flavor such as cinnamon, vanilla, peppermint.

This is creative and fun process. It is also very rewarding - it will give you an opportunity to cook something nutritious and healthy for the entire family or... just to pamper yourself.

2009-06-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you eat to keep your body in great health. With healthy eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins and minerals you need, stay strong for activities you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with healthy eating.
1. Don't skip any meals Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight. When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more than likely to choose foods that aren't very good for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2. Learn about how to prepare foods Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying, microwaving, baking, and even boiling. You should also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Before you eat any type of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of it.

3. Avoid a lot of sugar Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of empty energy. What this means, is that the drinks contain a lot of energy that your body may not need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or minerals. If you plan to drink sugary drinks, don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4. Avoid thinking about diets There are no good food nor any bad foods. All food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation. You don't need to buy any low carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods normally have lots of other added ingredients to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

Self Motivation for weight loss and healthy cooking

2009-06-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

This article is a general one in that it wont give you facts and figures about weight loss, what programs work and don’t work and the best drugs to take for weight loss. This article is about self-motivation. Self-motivation is the main and underlying reason why a lot of people are over weight

A lot of people can blame weight increase on metabolism not being the fastest or they went through a period of stress. This is all well and good and quite understandable. However, if you want to lose weight, having no motivation is what makes you keep the weight.

Now we have all went through periods of mass gain weather it is a bit of a gut or an extreme case of gaining over 50 pounds. But to lose that weight growth, we need to motivate ourselves.

One of the underlying reasons for weight gain is the extreme amount of fast food places. They are everywhere on corners, main streets and side streets. Its unbelievable, you can step outside your house, walk 5 minutes and get a kebab or a burger king. This is the first thing you need to change as if you don't cut the fast food out, you can seriously forget about all the other ideas you have for dropping the pounds. Just think of a salad. It don't have to be boring with just leaves. Add chicken, turkey or even steak to your salad with a real tasty dressing. Salads can be some of the nicest foods in the world.

To speed up weight gain other than diet, would be exercise programs. This doesn't have to be strenuous exercise. Lets face it, not many of us like putting ourselves though unbearable misery. A simple jog or even a walk can help speed up the metabolism. In fact, experts recommend doing a small regime every morning. Even if it is only 5-10 minutes, as this will kick start your metabolism and boost it through out the day, beginning the process of burning fat cells. Many people underestimate this method, but it works. If you consider every skinny person, model and body builder you have seen, they do exercise in the morning for this sole purpose, to kick the metabolism and fat burning.

This again is where the self-motivation comes in as doing exercise in the morning is difficult to do. But a simple walk in the morning round the block will do the trick for the beginning.

This again is where the importance of breakfast comes in as people think skipping it will keep the weight off. Well that is a big fat wrong because as soon as you have your lunch or snack, your starved body will absorb overtime on everything, including all the saturated fats in which you are trying to keep off in the first place. Don't skip breakfast; eat a bowl of cereal, oats or some fruit to simply give your stomach to work with.

Bread safety and quality

2009-06-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Bread is the food par excellence, the more widespread both in the world and in the common imaginary. If we think about food in general, the first one that comes in our mind is almost surely bread.

Bread is a very simple aliment, made just of water, yeast, flour and salt. Although who tried to make bread at home, immediately has noticed that it is not easy at all to get good results.

To make good bread, you need time and a lot of experience. Also for this reason, finding good bread, especially in some areas of Italy, is becoming harder. Bread is a kind of food that wastes away very quickly, generally it becomes too hard and so it is very hard to chew, or in the contrary because it becomes too gummy. To avoid these unpleasant surprises, it is always better to trust some food consortium, where you could certainly find goodquality products.

One of the most sensible problems in this period is the one of food safety, regarding bread, the fresh one has no problems, because cooking temperature is so high that all pathogens are killed. The real danger comes from the creation of some kind of moulds, very probably if bread is not kept correctly. The cold-storage, preferably in a paper bag (transpiring), ensures the preservation of quality bread for some days (up to a week) avoiding the formation of moulds. If on the contrary bread is kept at room-temperature, you need to pay attention because an excessive humidity can make grow moulds even just after 2 or 3 days and also the organoleptic characteristics will expire much more quickly.

The production of bread is a complex process; the result directly depends on the bread-maker's experience. Today very few people have the time to buy fresh bread every day or so, moreover it is always harder to find some quality bread. This push a lot of people to buy wrapped sliced bread that, besides being of poor quality, it also has the defect of not satisfying and this leads to consume more than necessary. There are three possible solutions:

1) Buying only in quality bakeries and keeping it in the fridge. The thawed bread remains good; alternatively you can keep it in the fridge and heat it in the toaster when you have to eat it. It is better to choose "common" bread, without fat added.

2) Self-production with bakery machines. There are in the market various types of machines that can produce a good quality bread, which lasts up to one week if stored in the refrigerator, without difficulty and without loss of time. The biggest advantage is the choice of the ingredients: it is possible to produce bread of all kinds, customizing it on the tastes and nutritional needs of the moment. During a diet, for example, it is possible to produce low calorie bread.

3) Home self-production. The fans can try their hand in baking: from the beginning you can get good results, you just need to have the right recipes. After some practice, you can achieve very good results, certainly better than those of many bakeries. The degree of customization, of course, is total, after an appropriate phase of "training". It is very useful for this purpose to have a bread machine, which enables you to familiarize with the product and with the processing stages, before venturing into your own production.

How to Cook Very Healthy Vegetables

2009-06-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

We need to ensure that how we prepare them does not wash away vitamin contents and benefits of consumption. Overcooking can also break down the essential fiber which we need to clean our internal organs.Cooking vegetables can be complicated. Over cooking can make vegetables tasteless and mushy. My belief is that vegetables should not be boiled. Boiling not only robs us of vitamin content, it is the main culprit in turning vegetables to a lifeless, tasteless form.

If we cannot boil, what are the options?

Steaming vegetables is always a good choice. This will leave vegetables full of life and colour. They will be crisp and colorful. It will also not deplete the vegetables of their vitamin content.

It is a speedy way of cooking too. By rule of thumb, vegetables will only need a few minutes in the steam. In some cases you may be able to steam your vegetables on the table and immediately serve them up.

There is nothing so delicious as a selection of just-cooked steamed vegetables on the dinner table. You can almost smell the healthy goodness.

For those who do not have official vegetable steamers, an easy steamer can be fashioned out a of pot, a metal colander, and a pot lid.

Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a given pot. Fit the metal colander into the pot. Start to boil the water. You will begin the see the steam rise. Place your vegetables into the metal colander and place the pot lid over the metal colander and pot. This collection of kitchen items will allow you to steam vegetables as good as any fancy store bought steamer.

Another good option is to cook your vegetables in a wok. The secret to the wok is that it cooks quickly at a very high temperature. Vegetables retain their flavors, textures, and colors with very small amount of vitamin loss.

My favorite wok recipe for vegetables is to cook broccoli, carrots, bok choy, and snow peas in a very light garlic sauce. The vegetables remain crisp and the garlic adds just the right amount of flavoring. This combination can be served with any cut of meat including chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish.

I hope you will see that secret to cooking vegetables is not to over cook. Vegetables need to remain crisp and retain their texture. As you learn different tricks to bringing your vegetables to life, these will become the most requested dishes on your dinner table.

You will find that the more vegetables you eat, the more you will want to eat. It takes a few weeks of thought and dedicated effort to increase your vegetable intake, but the health benefits will become apparent very soon after you start.

Eating Healthy On Vacation

2009-06-24T09:27:00.001-07:00

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it's easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There are however, ways to watch what you eat on vacation.

It's easier than ever these days to request a low fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If you choose to instead drive to your destination, the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with you on the road.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down - as this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits, cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit over on a meal, simply cut back on the next.

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks, as your body needs fuel every four hours or so. When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you do, do not miss any meals.

When it's possible, you should avoid eating large meals at night. When your body gets ready for sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or poultry for your meal instead, and include vegetables as a side dish.

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn't really that difficult. All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren't good for you. This way, you'll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you shouldn't make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn't going to matter - as long as you know when to stop.

What Do You Eat ?

2009-06-23T03:10:00.000-07:00

his is a simple question, but may not be that simple to many people.

This question should be asked by a doctor when he or she sees a patient. When an individual goes to see a doctor, that individual may have a health issue, and it is the responsibility of the doctor to find out if there is any connection between the patient's diet and the health issue in question. Healthy eating is healthy living: healthy eating focuses on the nutritive value of food to eliminate many health problems in life.

What do you eat? Many people simply don't know what they are eating, or can hardly recall what they were eating even only a short while ago. If you ask someone in a fast food restaurant about the food he or she is eating, that person may not be able to tell you much about that food being consumed. At best, that person may be able to say the food is not very healthy, but may not be able to explain why is is not healthy. It is not surprising that people know little about food. They just eat without thinking.

Many people's food choice is based on only two factors: convenience and availability. To many, the nutritive value of food is never a priority. Even many doctors' knowledge of food is elementary, and very limited.

We are living in a fast-pace society, in which we compromise everything in the name of speed. There is a Spanish proverb: "A man too busy to take care of his health is like a craftsman who is too busy to take care of his tools."

You need to slow down, and appreciate your food. This is the first step towards healthy eating. When you appreciate your food, you will be mindful of what it is that you eat, where it comes from, and why you should or should not eat it. Mindfulness of what you eat is healthy eating.

For example, you may have second thoughts about eating processed food, which is no more than "destroyed" food. Processed food is nutrient deficient: the vital element in the food is removed, and is replaced by salt (to mask the bad odor of spoiled food), sugar (to increase your food cravings), food colorings (to make it more visually appealing), and preservatives (to make it last longer on the shelf). If you are more mindful of what you eat, you may start wondering why you, a living person, are eating "dead" food.

For any food item to be qualified as "food," it must meet certain criteria: it must provide energy and nutrients. You do not consume food that gives you only empty calories, that is, calories without the nutrients for energy and satiety. An individual needs a certain amount of calories - depending on the physical makeup as well as the level of physical activity - to sustain life and wellness. Insufficient calories will cause hunger and lack of energy; excess calories, on the other hand, will result in weight gain.

Food is simple and natural as provided by nature. But scientist would like to "improve" on it by additives and even genetically altering it.

What do you eat?

Knowing what you eat is healthy eating.

Cooking Tips for Gas Grills to make Grilling Quicker, Easier and Tastier

2009-06-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

by: Chef Todd Mohr
Grilling, like any basic cooking method, can be mastered. These cooking tips for gas grills will get you started on the road to expert grilling any time of year. Although most people see it as easy, grilling is actually one of the most challenging basic cooking methods. If cooking is like driving a car, grilling is like being strapped to a rocket ship! Since grilling is an intense form of direct heat cooking, controlling the heat can be tricky. This presents the greatest challenge to home cooks. As the weather starts to get nicer and the great outdoors beckons, attention starts to turn to outdoor cooking - and gas barbeque grills can't be beat for simplicity and convenience. Now more than ever, smart home cooks are looking for the best cooking tips for gas grills to make their work faster and easier - and their results better. But grilling only becomes EASY when you know these simple cooking tips for gas grills that are guaranteed to improve your results.

Preparing Recipes for the Grill

When preparing recipes for the grill, the most important thing to consider is how the grilling method of cooking acts differently on different types of foods. To begin, careful product selection is extremely important. Marinating meats when making recipes for the grill is the best way to apply some tenderizing properties before cooking because the grill will not tenderize meats. You must start with a tender product if you want to end with a tender product. You want to also make sure the product you choose will be able to withstand direct high-heat cooking. Different products will handle this differently and some are just not the best choice for standard grilling. A very delicate fish, such as tilapia, will not perform very well on the grill because the high heat may burn the outside of the fish before the inside cooks at all. Vegetables all cook at different rates, too, depending on their texture and fimness. When cooking different combinations of vegetables together (as in skewering), you will achieve far better results by par-cooking the "harder" items prior to skewering so that all vegetables are the correct done-ness at the same time.

Once you have considered the differences in the types of foods you will be grilling and preparing them accordingly, the basic procedure for creating recipes for the grill is the same across the board. First, heat up the grill as hot as it can get. Brush the food item with the oil of your choice and place it on the hot grates - presentation side down. Leave the cover open and let the item cook. After a few minutes inspect the item. You are looking for the item to start to brown around the edges and to see pink (almost clear) moisture bubbling up to the top. This will be your signal that the item is 75% cooked on one side and that is the time to flip it. Do not use a fork to flip the item and do not puncture it in any way. This will allow precious juices to escape, drying out your product. The ONLY way to know when your product is finished cooking is with a thermometer - testing internal temperature. Because there will be some carry-over cooking, remove the item 5-10 degrees BEFORE the desired final internal temperature.

A Gas Grill Cooking Twist

Although GRILLING is always done with the lid cover open, gas grill cooking can incorporate additional cooking methods that make it preferable to cook with the grill cover closed. With the grill lid closed, the grill changes from a CONDUCTIVE cooking vehicle to a CONVECTIVE cooking one - more like your oven. Of course you could just use your oven for using these cooking methods, but outdoor cooking does have some advantages over indoor cooking - particularly in warmer weather. So how do you turn your dry heat, direct source cooking vehicle (the grill) into one that can utilize a moist convective cooking process? It's actually a pretty cool technique for gas grill cooking. This is a trick I use most often with delicate fish, such as tilapia. First, I turn the heat OFF on the side of the grill that my tilapia will cook. Then, I add a pan of water to the bottom of the other side of the grill - right on top of the heat elements. Keep in mind that this "water" can be any kind of liquid you like. I use shrimp stock sometimes with fish, but you can season it with chicken broth, wine - anything that is liquid and imparts nice, complimentary flavors to the product you are cooking. Then, the fish is placed either directly on the grill (if you have a flat grate option) or you can put it in a cast iron pan and put it on the grill grates. The rest of the procedure for this type of gas grill cooking follows the normal grilling process - cook with your eyes and observations, flip after 75% done, use a thermometer to determine final temperature and remove a bit "early" to allow for the carry-over cooking that occurs. And that's it, now you can consider gas grill COOKING in addition to standard GRILLING for great outdoor cooking results.

Gas Barbeque Grills vs Charcoal Grills

You will hear from many self-proclaimed GRILLMASTERS that the traditional charcoal grill is far superior to the gas barbeque grill, but the gas grill has many advantages that make it a great choice for any outdoor cooking situation. I will admit that the charcoal grill provides opportunity for a deep, smoky flavor that is not fully achievable with the gas barbeque grill, but after that all of the "pros" go into the gas grill's column. For starters, the gas grill is much easier and safer to start because it uses propane as fuel and starts at the press of a button. Charcoal grills can be easily started with lighter fluid, but this can be dangerous, and can impart an undesirable taste into the food. Plus, the gas grill turns OFF as easily as it turned on! No waiting for coals to cool so that you can empty and clean the grill and no messy coals to dispose of. The other nice thing about gas barbeque grills is that they allow for consistent heat throughout the cooking process. With the charcoal variety, the cook has to really control the heat by actually moving products closer and further and this takes some practice and experience.

These cooking tips for gas grills seem simple but they truly are the difference between great grilling results and disappointing meals. The next time you get ready to grill, remember that careful product selection and a basic understanding of cooking methods is all you need to master the barbeque grill, creating outdoor meals and memories for life.

Why Organic Coffee Beans Make All The Difference In The World

2009-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

by: Dickson Yan
There are many opinions about organic coffee beans. The reason there are so many opinions is because there are many reasons you would want to buy organic. There is a major shift nationally to go to all organic products and coffee is no different. Farming methods that don’t use harsh chemicals and other materials that aren’t good for the environment are becoming increasingly popular and coffee beans are no different.

It should be very simple to know whether a coffee grower is organic or not. Coffee carrying the organic name must follow strict USDA standards, accreditation, and certification. One of the requirements is that a farm grow coffee for over three years without any harsh chemicals or artificial pesticides. They also must prove that they have a viable plan for crop rotation. This way they will maintain the fertility of the soil and reduce erosion down to a minimum.

If you are interested in organic coffee, it is becoming increasingly popular in the supermarket. In particular, organic food markets are starting to carry a wide variety of organic coffee that would be able to please even the most discerning organic coffee lover. Of course, it shouldn’t stop there. Organic milk should be used in the coffee, as using non-organic milk would destroy the added benefits of having organically grown coffee in the cup.

While organic coffee is traditionally more expensive than non-organic coffee, you will find that if you do some shopping online, you can find a good deal on organic coffee. Sometimes you can find specials that make the organic more inexpensive than the non-organic. On the internet, most companies will not charge a premium because they want to promote the organic nature of the product.

And don’t think that you are limited in your selection. More types of organic coffee are coming out every day, and such a wide variety is now available, particularly online, that you can find almost any time of coffee as an organic version.

Organic coffee is not a passing trend. You will start to see that certified organic farms, supermarkets, companies, and consumers will start to grow exponentially. The future of our planet rides on products like these.

How to Have a Healthy Meal at Resturants

2009-06-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

by: Michael Koh
If you love to eat at restaurants, you may think that this is not good for a healthy diet lifestyle. In many cases, you would be correct. However, you can still enjoy restaurants occasionally while maintaining your healthy diet. Its all about making good food choices, and this starts with learning about the nutrition you need to stay physically healthy, mentally well, active and cheerful!

When you pick up the menu, firstly, skip over the drink section. Although you may be tempted to enjoy mixed beverage or a beer with your dinner, these usually have many empty calories, which is bad for your body. The exception to this rule is wine, especially red wine, which can be fine if you have a single glass. It can actually help prevent heart disease for some patients.

Also skip over the appetizer menu, unless it is to over a side salad. The appetizers at restaurants are usually high-fat foods that are by no means to fill you up and can in fact make you crave even more high fat foods. Examples of these are potato skins, and wings. Instead, simply focus on your main course or, if you must indulge, share a single serving with your meal partners.

When choosing your main dish, it is of course important that you look at the ingredients of the dish. Anything with high-fat meats or cream sauces should be avoided, and pass up onion rings or the potatoes. Instead over side dishes like vegetables or ask for just the main course whenever possible. Remember to take note of the portion.

At the end of your meal, you can share a single desert with someone in the table if you feel compelled to order something. Many fancy desserts are restaurants have more calories than your entire meal! so keep this in mind before you call the waitress to put in an order! Of course, on special occasions, it’s alright to enjoy life a little, but overall healthy eating requires lots of self control, resisting the temptations which are all around you.

Homemade Chocolate Recipes for Health and Well-Being

2009-06-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Eating chocolate usually means steering away from a sensitive diet be it weight loss diet or any other "health-conscious" one. Homemade chocolate recipes can help dispel this myth.

First of all, why chocolate has a negative image?

Commercially made chocolate contains very little cocoa, the important and healthy ingredient of chocolate, lots of sugar, artificial flavors, coloring and preservatives.

This is definitely not something a health-conscious individual would dream about.

Even if you buy a chocolate that contains over 60% of cocoa, in most of the cases it is still loaded with other unwanted ingredients.

Second, why we should include cocoa in a healthy diet?

Cocoa contains lots of vitamins and minerals. It contains more antioxidants than red wine, for example. It has also mood-elevating properties that help combat depressions, mood swings and junk food cravings. So, it is not only a healthy food but can also help lose weight. Since it contains lots of fat, it should be consumed in moderation for weight-loss purposes.

Third, how we can consume cocoa-containing products and at the same time not to consume harmful additives?

The answer is simple. Use homemade chocolate recipes and make your own desserts! This way you can really enjoy what you want without any additives and you can also have full control over the ingredients. Experiment with recipes - reduce the amount of sugar or use healthier sugar substitutes, add natural elements that can give a rich flavor such as cinnamon, vanilla, peppermint.

This is creative and fun process. It is also very rewarding - it will give you an opportunity to cook something nutritious and healthy for the entire family or... just to pamper yourself.

Coffee Lifecycle

2009-06-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

by: Rogers Estate Coffees

There are two basic types of coffee trees: Arabicas and Robustas. Robustas are hardy, high-yielding trees that grow at lower elevations in the tropics. They yield low-quality coffee with a harsh astringent taste, so Robustas are generally blended with other coffees to mask their poor flavor. Most gourmet coffee roasters will not buy Robustas.

Arabicas, however, are delicate trees that yield top-quality coffee. They are grown in high elevations, usually above 3,000 feet, in partly cloudy or shady climates, where the coffee cherry develops slowly. The ripe, red cherry of Arabica trees are harvested by hand, so only the ripest, highest quality beans are processed. Indeed, since coffee trees have cherries that are in various stages of development, this is the only way to insure consistency and quality.

After harvesting, the coffee beans (actually the seeds of the cherry) are processed to remove them from the cherries. They are then sorted both by machine and by hand. This sorting process removes imperfections and separates the beans into grades. For example, in Colombia, the top 3 grades are Supremo, Excelso, and Milds.

Unroasted but processed coffee is called “green coffee,” and it is in this form that the coffee is exported from the origin countries in 60 or 70 pound burlap bags. Green coffee beans can be stored for about a year before losing the top end flavors. When the coffee is roasted, its lifespan will decrease especially when exposed to air. This is why the roaster must be close to the consumer and package the coffee as quickly as possible.

Cooking with Fresh Herbs: Add Savory Flair to Your Favorite Recipes with These Simple Tricks

2009-06-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

by: Jamie Jefferson

Fresh herbs add such savory flair to recipes, but if you don't know the basic rules for cooking with them, it can seem overwhelming. Here's what you need to know to start using herbs to liven up your favorite recipes.

Using Fresh Herbs

First, fresh herbs can be used in your baking, cooking and salads. They pack a lot more flavor than dried herbs. You can even grow the herbs yourself so that they are organic. You'll also save a lot of money because store-bought fresh herbs can get rather expensive.

When you use fresh herbs in a recipe, you need to make sure to use more than you would for dried herbs. Generally speaking, one teaspoon of dried herbs equals one tablespoon of fresh herbs. With this conversion measurement, you can use fresh herbs in any of the recipes that you currently make. You'll notice the difference in flavor right away.

If you're creating your own recipes you should know that some herbs are traditionally paired with certain dishes. For example, tuna tastes wonderful with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Dill is also a good herb to be paired with fish. Chicken is traditionally paired with rosemary, thyme and basil. Sage is another good herb to use with chicken dishes. Beef does well with allspice, basil, bay, marjoram, oregano and thyme.

Storing Fresh Herbs

When you grow your own herbs or buy them from the store, you'll always end up with more than you need for a recipe. In order not to waste your investment in time and/or money, you'll need to store them properly.

Start out by washing the herbs in cool water. Carefully inspect the bunches of herbs to be sure that there aren't any dead leaves or stems. If you've been storing the herbs in your refrigerator or they are store bought, make sure to inspect the bunch well for mold. Once you're confident that dead leaves and mold are gone, you are ready to prepare them for storage.

Pat the herbs dry with a clean towel and then place the herbs in a short container filled with water. Be sure that the stems are covered in water but keep the leaves out of the water. After placing the stems in water, cover the top of the herbs with plastic wrap or a small plastic bag.

Alternatively, you can dry your own herbs, which will make them healthier and longer lasting than regular dried herbs. Pick the herbs and then use sisal twine to tie the bunch of herbs together. Make sure that your slipknots are tight because the herbs will shrink as they dry. Hang them and let them dry completely. Check frequently to see if the herbs are dry by rubbing a few leaves together. Store them in an airtight container after drying.

With these herb tips, you can use fresh herbs in your recipes for maximum flavor or make your own dried herbs that are better than store bought.

Kintamani

2009-06-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Kintamani is the most favorite tourist destinations in Bali with the active volcano of mount Batur and beautiful lake. Kintamani is surrounded by the captivating nature and there are six ancient villages around cauldron of Batur Lake which is often conceived by Bali Age Village. The local people from these Bali Age villages own the unique cultures, houses and life style. Kintamani Area is consisted of some Villages those are Kedisan Village , Buahan, Abang, Trunyan, Songan, South Batur, Middle Batur, North Batur, Sukawana and Kintamani Village . The total of resident in these area are about 15 thousand who are mostly working as farmer, merchant, or work at industrial tourism.

Kintamani, Batur Lake, Volcano, Places of interest in Bali
Kintamani Volcano and Batur Lake
Kintamani Volcano, Batur Lake, Batur MountMount Batur is located at Kintamani and it has erupted about 24 times since year 1800 and still active up to now. Since the mount erupting, it has impacted to the local society life around this mount, like removing altar (Temple), improve or repairing the village and re-arrange the tradition. Lake Batur is the biggest lake in Bali and functioning as irrigation source to all farmers around it and it is also for all Bali society generally. Kintamani area has been founded some lodging, hotels and restaurants which are located in Kintamani and Penelokan Village. It is a famous tourist place because Kintamani area owns the beautiful panorama and it is encircled by the cold atmosphere.
Kintamani is a Place to Visit in Bali
Kintamani is beautifully seen at the day time around 10:00 am until 15:00 pm especially having fine weather where entire Kintamani area will be able to be seen clearly. Generally, all tourists who pay a visit to this place will arrive in the day time where they can enjoy the panorama or enjoy the lunch in the local restaurant with lake view. Mostly restaurants at Kintamani generally own very beautiful view where tourist merging into their lunch in this restaurant and meanwhile enjoy the panorama.

Location
Kintamani Bali, Batur Volcano, Places to visit in BaliKintamani is located in Kintamani sub district, Bangli Regency and about 50 km from Denpasar Town or about 2 hours by car. All roads are generally in good condition to access to this place. The fog will descend and blanket entire area of Kintamani with cold temperature in particular at late afternoon until the whole of night. The most amazing panorama at Kintamani can be seen in the morning time, when the sunrise emerges on the surface of earth precisely on the mount Batur .
Bali News Back to Places of Interest in Bali

Sengigi Beach, Lombok

2009-05-31T09:14:00.001-07:00

Senggigi is the most developed area for tourists on Lombok. You can find a variety of restaurants, bars, discotheques, travel agents, photo processors, money changers, souvenir shop and a range of accommodations starting from budget guest house to 5 star hotels. Restaurants and small cafes line the colorful main beach road. Swimming off the beach is safe.

Quick links:

The town of Senggigi spreads out along nearly 10 kilometers of coastal road. This road continues north to Bangsal, port for the Gili Islands. Along the way, a fantastic scenery of the north west coast of Lombok awaits. Most travelers start or end their stay at Senggigi because of the easy access to Mataram Airport and accommodations options are available to all budgets. If you are frugal or intrepid and take the slow ferry from Bali, it's best to arrange transport in advance from the ferry dock to Senggigi, since the dock on the Lombok side is in a remote spot several kilometers south of Mataram.

There are plenty of activities you can do to complete your holiday. Sightseeing or touring organized by reputable local tour operators is the best option to discover what Lombok has to offer. Renting a car or motor cycle is also good alternative to get around, either self-driving, or with a driver so you can relax and enjoy the view. Car rental in Lombok is more expensive than Bali. Tip driver pocket money for meals if you stop for lunch or diner. If you are pleased with service, tip the driver or local guide at the end. If you collide with anything, or it collides with you, you are responsible for all costs.

INFORMATION

Senggigi Post Office located on the main street of Senggigi, opposite from Pamour Art & Antique shop. Health Centre or Puskesmas located near Hotel Puri Saron. Drugstore or Apotik available next to the gate of Intan Lombok Hotel. Dentist available at Meninting Puskesmas 10 minutes drive from Senggigi towards direction to the airport.

Bank BNI available during office hours 5 days a week located near the Post Office. ATM's (Automatic Teller Machine) are easy to find. ATM BCA, ATM BNI, ATM Mandiri are available, you can swift your credit card and withdraw local currency IDR (Rupiah).

Police office located in Senggigi Art Market, near The Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort. Telephone Service (Wartel) available near Melati Dua Hotel. Internet Cafes are: Millenium Internet (opposite Papaya Restaurant) and Star Internet Service located in Senggigi Plaza with dedicated broadband speed at reasonable rates. Cellular phone in Indonesia is GSM and CDMA. If you have brought your cellular handphone, you can purchase prepaid calling cards to make outgoing calls at lower cost than calling on your home SIM. Shops which sell these cards are prolific. Major service providers are: Telkomsel, Satelindo and XL Ritel. Look for signs and banners with those markings.

Money changers are available almost in every corner of Senggigi. Double count your money before leaving the money changers to get the accurate amount. Hotel reception also change foreign money with lower rates.

Mini markets are located next to Bank BNI and near the Papaya Cafe.

Local Indonesian Foods sells nasi campur and warung Padang can be found right opposite from Taman Restaurant. At night, you can find the famous Nasi Goreng at Warung Cak Poer.

Tipping

Most larger hotels and restaurants automatically add Government Tax and Service charge up to 21% to the bill. Tipping is expected in main tourist area, but you're not compelled to tip at restaurants. If you like your driver or local tour guide, a tip of 10-15% is appreciated.

Carry small changes with you as taxi drivers often have none.

Airport or hotel porters expect Rp. 2000 - 10,000 per bag depending on the size and weights.

Disabled

Wheelchair ramps and van lifts are non existent. Many major hotels have limited handicapped facilities and accommodation. Advise your tour operators or hotel for special assistance.

Seplawan Cave, Purworejo

2009-05-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

Goa Seplawan located in the Village Donorejo, District Kaligesing with distance, 20 km to the East from the center of Purworejo with a height of 700 m dpl so that the air is very cool. Goa has a special characteristic ornaments found in the cave, among others staklatit, staklamit, flowstone, helekit, soda straw, gower dam walls and wall-like framework berornamen fish. The length of cave Seplawan + 700 m with branches cave around 150-300 m and 15 m. berdiameter Goa is very natural that this became even more stunning with the famous golden statue diketemukannya Dewa Dewi Syiwa and seberat 1.5 kg on 28 August 1979 the statue is now kept in the National Museum Jakarta.
Other places that also related to the history of Goa is Purworejo District Seplawan, which is located in the area of the Village Donorejo, District Kaligesing. Goa is a special-called because in a Prasasti Wood Arahiwang. In the inscription is clearly mentioned that one of the places that must be maintained because the purity is Seplawan Goa.

And presumably this is indeed correct. Because when you first found on 28 August 1979, in a cave alley found a pair of god goddess statue made of pure gold. The existence of a pair of statues of the gods goddess who is no other god Syiwa and Dewi Parwati (seberat 1.5 kg), and indicate if Goa Seplawan previously used as a place of worship.

The statue was then taken to Jakarta and stored in the National Museum Jakarta. Instead the government made a replica of the statue is right in front of the mouth of the cave. The aim is to remind the visitor that this cave is basically the holy places by people who disakralkan at the time of first. In addition to sacred, this cave also has a beauty that is very unusual. Stalaktit carpet and stalagnit lane in each cave, creating the impression for visitors to the cave. Not only that gemericik water from the rocks it will cave to anyone able to calm the heart to enter.

This cave has a length of 700 meters, with branches around the cave 150 - 300 meters and 15 meters berdiameter. So to go into the cave, visitors must tread through which enough melalahkan decreased. Feeling tired, which will be lost so soon start to enter the cave mouth. For the mouth of the cave is just beautiful stone carvings in the cave is clearly visible.

So no wonder that visitors like berlama-long stay in the cave. Sometimes there are even people who deliberately go and stay for a few days in the cave to do the ritual. And this can be hioswa and the aroma of perfume that menyeruak from one of the rooms in the cave. Presumably because the room was often used to perform the ritual.

Rituals in the cave is actually a series of rituals performed in the usual Gondoarum the temple is located not far from the cave Seplawan. Temple Gondoarum own at this time nearly shapeless again. The only remaining former-former basic foundation temple, a cursory look like ordinary stones into. But that is to distinguish, outline some of the carvings on some of the stone when dirangkai can contact each other.

"This temple was suspected to be older than the temple at Borobudur. Gondoarum and called for commemorative yoninya appointed time, out fragrant fragrance. So until now there are people who do not dare to do in this place is ugly. "

Yoni location phallus itself right next to the temple, and now has created a simple cungkup to protect it. In fact the museum intends to secure the objects. But the "watchman" it does not. So until now the stone is a symbol of unification is still life left in the first place.

Pasir Puncu Beach, Purworejo

2009-05-21T00:21:00.000-07:00

Twenty-two kilometers from the city or Purworejo eleven kilometers from the city Kutoarjo District to the south, precisely in Hardjobinangun and Ketawang District Grabag, we can enjoy a charming tour Puncu and Sand Beach Ketawang. This region has a distinctive charm with the panoramic view of South Beach Sea and captivating. Travel to the area quite enthralling. Kutoarjo from the city, along the way tourists can see many beautiful and unique natural Purworejo a carpet of rice field in the left-right side of the road and a series of mountains Geger Menjangan stunning. Travel akan feel increasingly short because of the way to tour the area planted to various types of shady trees, such as Java and Mahoni acid. Cool this seems to give a new feel of the felt, so that no tourists have entered the gate area is the beach tourism.
At the gate this is the amount of tourists akan with two sandy road, where the road to the left of the beach sand and Puncu Beach Road to the right with the distance still Ketawang each approximately 2 kilometers and 1.5 kilometers. The situation along the two roads are almost the same; the left - the right way as sugar cane plantation that is neat. Begitupula beautiful beach. South Beach with a beautiful beach break big waves and white foam. Sand beaches are Puncu has the rare distinction obtained in other places. This place is the mouth of times bamboo sprout, Kedungmacasan Times and Times Pedegolan. Third time berbapu that integrates into the mouth of the river became known as jali creates a charm that is quite rare. This condition is more beautiful when the sea water wave rolls kepantai welcome the return of river water. Fusion between the river water is muddy-colored water with a blue sea of the scenery is very beautiful.

Other interesting jobs that can be enjoyed by tourists in the beach sand Puncu on the side of the beach is a beautiful tourist boat with water in the creek tempel Jali. Puncu sand on the beach and Ketawang, tourists can witness how denganleluasa the beautiful atmosphere of sunset at the west horizon. To reach the area of tourism Puncu Sand Beach and Ketawang, tourists can use private vehicles, mini bus (Purnomo, Langgeng, and others) or use the carriage, which is always ready to serve every need. Conditions are asphalt roads, except for 1.5 to 2 kilometers before the object. Both beaches can also be achieved through Purwodadi District, about 12 kilometers from the city Purworejo. If this is the path would be, so tourists can stay over in the first tourism Jatimalang Indah Beach yangt idak less pulling Puncu with beach sand and Ketawang. Pantai Indah Jatimalang entry in the District Purwodadi, Purworejo.

Geger Menjangan, Purworejo

2009-05-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

Regions Geger Menjangan is a natural area tourism, the main object of many visitors is the beauty dinimkati Purworejo City and South Beach are seen from a height of top of the hill. In addition, the area still Geger Menjangan offers some object other recreation, the children's game parks, a swimming pool and table bilyard. Swimming pool and fishing parks located in the entrance area. Bilyard tables are located in the top of the hill. Treat more devoted to the subject is young minicross arena, rock climbing and general location of the various shows. Arena minicross a wide area with the contours of the land is very challenging. In these locations can also be used for general performance. Moderate climb tebih has been made permanent with the construction of steel berketinggian 15 meters. Looking from the natural beauty of the panorama that is the height of the area offered. Beauty that can be enjoyed with a very low cost and easy to reach. The beauty of the panorama is the principal object of much preferred the public, especially teenagers. To be able to enjoy the beautiful panoramic views, the visitor ditantang for sport berolah walking 1800 m sejaun the paths that have been built with block paving.

Travel from the entrance of the object to the top of the hill is quite diverting. Travelers ditantang to prove the reliability of the climb the high hill around 175 m above the surface slow. After reaching the summit, tourists will find a building measuring 10 x 6 meters, it is a relay pemanfangan deliberately built to enjoy the beauty of South Beach and Purworejo. Will enjoy the beauty of the more perfect dikala sunny. Another place of interest in the area Geger Menjangan is an old cemetery that is eating Kyai Imam Puro. Kyai is perhaps the story is one of the great figures of the existence of the District andilnya Purworejo. Moreover, because the size of the contribution Kyai Imam Puro, up-until history had offered a milestone anniversary District Purworejo. Location Geger garden tour Menjangan is located in the northeastern city Purworejo. Log In villages in the region Baledono District Purworejo. It's just one kilometer from the city center. Kendaran not need public transport to reach it. With the walk is rather delicious. Unfortunately, the area of 20 hectares is up to now still have problems. Guidance on the development pattern already exists, in the form of site plan of the area complete with a variety of programs. Also set in the general layout plan of the city (RUTRK) and the spatial plan area (RTRW). However, there are no investors who dare to embed the capital to open a business in the area in

Bedung Pendowo Purworejo

2009-05-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Purworejo, a city district in Central Java region of Indonesia,have a Charakteristik cultural areas of interest. Community-friendly variety of delicious dishes and places for tourism in the beautiful visit.
Purworejo is a historic town, many attractions that we can find in this town. One of the important legacy that is "Bedug Pendowo" which is located in the Great Mosque in Purworejo, in the middle of the city center. "Bedhug Pendowo" size is very large, and is the largest bedug in southeast asia. Napkin often met with in the "Kiai Bagelen". That's interesting Bedug Pendowo this year is pembuatannya namely in the year 1832-1840, namely the government's first Regent Purworejo Raden Cokronegoro which means I was around 170 years. Bedug Pendowo is also bedug in Indonesia and even in Southeast Asia. Bedug is made of teak with gelondongan full length 2.92 m and 1.94 m. berdiameter
Many tourists and in the Foreign Affairs visited to view.

Kawah Putih, Ciweday

2009-05-18T05:02:00.001-07:00

This place is located at an altitude of 2434 m dpl, the field configuration is generally hilly land to. The temperature around 8 - 22 0 C. water source, depending on the rainy season. Humidity 90%, while the annual rainfall recorded between 3743 - 4043 mm / year.

Story and the mystery of the White crater growing from one generation to the next generation of society. Up to now they still believe that White is a crater where the spirit of the gathering ancestors. In fact, according to Karna kuncen direction the current age of ± 105 years old and live in

Kampung Pasir hoe, wealthy village Mukti; crater in the cemetery there is a white ancestor, including: Keep Satru grandparent, grandparent Rangsa
Sadana, Camat grandparent, grandparent Ngabai, grandparent Barabak, grandparent and grandparent Jambrong basin. One of the summit of Mount Patuha, Peak Kapuk, trusted as a meeting place of the ancestors that are led by grandparent Keep Satru.

In this community a place to see (the unseen) set of woolly white sheep (sheep lukutan) who trusted as the reincarnation of ancestors.
Natural scenery around the crater is quite beautiful White; water lake with white greenness, very contrast with the white limestone around the lake. On the north side of the lake stood upright limestone cliffs that ditumbuhi gray moss and other plants.
Franz Wilhem Junghuhn now is no longer, but penemunya known by the name White crater is still elegant glamor to this day.

Curug Cilember

2009-05-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

Wana wisata ini terdiri dari 2 ha hutan tanaman (Agathis, Rasamala dan Pinus), potensi visual lansekap menuju lokasi cukup menarik dengan pemandangan alam berupa pegunungan & perkebunan, sedangkan bentang alam/potensi visual lansekap di dalam kawasan yang mempunyai karakteristik khas adalah tegakan tanaman hutan dan panorama kota Bogor.

Mandalawangi Cibodas

2009-05-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

WW Mandalawangi dengan luas 39,5 ha statusnya merupakan hutan produksi yang dikembangkan sebagai Bumi Perkemahan. Lokasinya sangat strategis dimana merupakan daerah tujuan wisata Cipanas – Puncak Bogor, termasuk wilayah pengelolaan hutan RPH Pacet, BKPH Gede Tikur KPH Cianjur, dan secara administratif pemerintahan termasuk Desa Rarahan Kecamatan Pacet Kabupaten cianjur.

Merapi Phenomen

2009-05-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Interpreters key leader of Mount Merapi, Marijan confess get wangsit (instructions) after prayer and meditation for 2 hours 2 nights in Labuhan location, Postal II path climbing to the top of Mount Merapi. "Wangsit I receive Allah later survived. Will not happen anything in the Mount Merapi, "said the leader Marijan detikcom found at her home in Hamlet Kinahrejo, Umbulharjo Kelurahan, Kecamatan Cangkringan, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Thursday (18/5/2006). Marijan leader does not explain the detail of how wangsit that he received. The reason, only the mempu catch it himself. Core wangsit: Mount Merapi remain safe. "Now this Merapi are building. So we ask that the community assist with the development of Merapi is not mine to keep sand and indiscriminate Merapi remain sustainable, "he said.

Parangtritis Phenomeon

2009-05-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 19: 30 WIB, some of Yogyakarta and Bantul surprises mysterious phenomenon with the emergence of bright light kilatan
moving quickly. Not long after the voice sounded twice boom. bright light appeared from the east to the west and leave a long trail of smoke with colour blue slowly disappear after two minutes. Various opinions had assumption. There is considered as a premonition of a future disaster (new). There is also considered as a message from the sea south of the ruler. In fact, there are also considered as the remains of the outer planes are falling to Earth.

Mansinam Island

2009-05-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mansinam is famous for its status as the island of Papuan Christian civilization. This was where European evangelists landed for the first time in Papua or formerly known as the Netherlands Nieuw Guinea to preach Gospel to the indigenous people. They were Otto and Geisler. They landed on the island on 5 February 1855. Two years later, a famous British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, visited them during his expedition to the Netherlands New Guinea in search of paradise birds.

Mansinam is only a small island located in the middle of Manokwari bay. It is a very calm island and suitable for tourists who like to relax and stay away for a while from the hectic life big cities. There are no motorcycles or cars. Most of the inhabitants of Mansinam island come from Numfor. The surrounding scenery from Mansinam is very beautiful. From the island you can see Arfak mountain, the town of Manokwari and another nearby island called Lemon.

Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands

2009-05-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands have become one of the most famous places to go diving in all of Asia thanks to the area’s pristine coral reefs and incredible diversity of marine life. In February 2008 I went on the MSY Seahorse’s 11 day diving liveaboard from Raja Ampat to Triton Bay, exploring the amazing underwater world of western Papua.

Raja Ampat and Triton Bay Diving: We visited four main areas on the 11 day cruise along western Papua in Indonesia: Raja Ampat’s Kri and Misool islands, Fak Fak and Triton Bay. All of these places are justifiably famous for jawdropping coral reefs and fish life. The Bird’s Head Peninsula of Western Papua (the sticky out bit in which Sorong is located) has been scientifically assessed to have the greatest marine biodiversity in the world. For divers, this means it’s an unparalleled experience in terms of the sheer overwhelming number of marine species you can spot whilst diving. Indeed, scores of new species have been discovered here, some so new they still don’t have names, and some so bizarre you’d think the scientists are making it up, like the walking shark.

While Raja’s remoteness used to mean it was a deeply obscure destination, the word is now out. Hardly a month goes by without a rave review in one of the dive magazines. Despite requiring multiple flights on domestic Indonesian airlines to get there, Raja has seen a big growth in liveaboard and resort operators in the last couple of years.

The good news is that despite Raja’s newfound popularity, its big enough and still remote enough to not encounter other divers or even other boats. This is especially true once heading out of Raja Ampat proper down towards Fak Fak and Triton Bay.

Triton Bay is a new area of Papua for diving - the visibility here is generally quite poor (5 to 10 metres) due to the incredibly nutrient-rich water, which means that it has tremendous soft coral growth and lots of schooling fish.

Beautiful Baliem Valley.

2009-05-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

We will take you to experience an exciting adventure by exploring the Baliem Valley and the unique, primitive traditions and way of live of the tribes who live in the valley.

Baliem valley it self is located in Wamena regency in Irian Jaya, West Papua which is well known as the home of the Dani tribes.To reach this area, you have to fly from Jakarta or Bali to Jayapura (the capital province of Irian Jaya / Papua), and then fly from Jayapura to Wamena. We can fly from Jakarta to Jayapura and then from Jayapura to Wamena in the same day.

This valley has been the most visited part of the island, especially in recent years. The Dani Tribe speak related Papuan, or non - Austronesian language and live in the high central range of Papua Island, the most eastern province of Indonesia.

Until the last decades the Dani tribes were some of the most isolated populations by swamps and mountains. They grew root crops, raised pig and used polished stone axes and adzes. They didn't make pottery (which means "sign of the modernity"), but otherwise their technology was very much like that of the Neolithic of the Old and New Worlds.

There may be 250,000 Dani Tribe living in the central mountains, many live scattered among the steep mountain slopes. The Baliem Valley has one of the highest densities of population in Papua Province. The Dani Tribe build their huts in a compound nicely express both environmental adaptation and Dani's character. The men's and women's huts have thick thatched roofs which keep rain, yet retain the heat from the earth, along with just enough smoke to discourage the mosquito.The temperatures of the highland are ranged from 26 degrees Celsius at the day time and 12 degrees at night.

The highlights of sightseeing are Dani Market in WAMENA Town, WAUMA Village and, which can be easily reach on foot or by car from Wamena. Farther out are AIKIMA, with its 250 years old mummy, SUROBA, JIWIKA and neighboring villages.With 2 hours climbing, you can see the salt spring where the Dani Tribe women make salt in primitive way fashion for centuries. Outer adventures are southward to KURIMA area, where the Dani and Yali Tribes' way of life mixed into a unique combination.

Wakatobi National Park

2009-05-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wakatobi ranks as one of the highest priorities for marine conservation in Indonesia because of the diversity of species, reef condition, and the opportunity to protect such a large network of Marine Protected Areas. Like many of Indonesia’s marine environments, Wakatobi National Park’s diverse coral habitats are threatened by overfishing and destructive fishing practices.

What the Conservancy Is Doing
We are working to build resilient networks of Marine Protected Areas that are linked by ocean currents and designed to preserve the area’s most important biodiversity by:

Conducting scientific surveys of the park’s natural resources
Raising awareness of the importance of marine protected areas for sustainable development and biodiversity protection
Building the capacity of park rangers and local non-governmental organizations through training in marine protected area management, monitoring and surveillance, sustainable resource use, and spawning aggregation protection.

How to boost your AdSense revenue

2009-05-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Google's AdSense is a superb revenue generating opportunity for small, medium and large web sites.

Some webmasters are designing brand new sites specifically for serving AdSense text ads. (It's against the AdSense rules to design a site purely for AdSense, so you'll want to include a few affiliate links or sell your own product, too.)

Here's the background info:

AdSense overview
AdSense FAQ
AdSense tech FAQ
AdSense policies

AdSense allows you to serve text-based Google AdWords on your web site and receive a share of the pay-per-click payment. AdSense ads are similar to the AdWords ads you see on the right-hand side at Google when you do a search there.

AdSense is having a huge impact on the affiliate marketing industry. It's often much easier to generate revenue from AdSense than from an affiliate program.

Weak affiliate merchants will die faster than ever.

If you're a merchant running a lousy affiliate program, now's the time to improve it FAST.

AdSense's advantages

AdSense is simple to join.

It's easy to paste a bit of code into your pages.

It's free to join.

You don't have to spend time finding advertisers.

Google provides well written, highly relevant ads - chosen to closely match the content on your pages.

You don't have to waste time choosing different ads for different pages.

You don't have to mess around with different code for various affiliate programs.

You're free to concentrate on providing good content and Google does the work of finding the best ads for your pages from 100,000 AdWords advertisers.

It's suitable for beginners or marketing veterans.

AdSense provides simple, easy-to-understand stats.

If you have affiliate links on your site, you ARE allowed to add AdSense ads. However, with your affiliate links, you must not mimic the look and feel of the Google ads.

You can filter up to 200 URLs, so you can block ads for sites that don't meet your standards. You can also block strong competitors.

Inevitably, AdSense is competing strongly for space on web sites with all other revenue sharing opportunities.

If you own a small web site you can plug a bit of AdSense code into your site and almost instantly relevant text ads that are likely to appeal to your visitors will appear on your pages.

If you own several sites, you need apply only once. This makes AdSense much simpler than joining a bunch of affiliate programs.

As you can see, I'm really keen on this revenue sharing service.

Disadvantages

One problem is inappropriate ads. You don't want spammy junk advertised on your site. Google's standards probably aren't as high as yours. You can filter out 200 URLs, but in some industries that won't be enough.

The stats Google supplies are inadequate. They're easy to understand at a glance. However, they don't tell you exactly which ads people are clicking on, or which keywords are involved. That's frustrating.

Also, I'd like to be able to identify and block ads that have very low payout rates, without doing a lot of sleuthing and messing around.

The ad panels say "Ads by Google" - free advertising for Google. You don't earn anything if someone clicks on that link.

The minimum payout is $100, which is regarded as too high by sites which don't receive much traffic. That won't worry experienced webmasters.

Also, sites that want to display AdSense ads may not include "other content-targeted and/or text-based ads on the pages displaying AdWords ads." However, human beings review the sites. Rejected sites have been able to appeal successfully.

Another disadvantage is that Google doesn't allow you to share your stats with other webmasters. The AdSense Terms and Conditions say:

"Confidentiality. You agree not to disclose Google Confidential Information without Google's prior written consent. 'Google Confidential Information' includes without limitation: ... (b) click-through rates or other statistics relating to Site performance in the Program provided to you by Google..."

That's really weird. Web site owners need to be able to share such information and discuss successes and failures.

A big disadvantage of the service is that Google doesn't say how much its AdSense partners will receive. You'll just receive an unknown share of the revenue.

Only a company with the goodwill and respect Google has earned could get away with such a cheeky offer.

Google says:

"How much will I earn through this program? The AdWords ads you are able to display on your content pages are cost-per-click (CPC) ads. This means that advertisers pay only when users click on ads. You'll receive a portion of the amount paid for clicks on AdWords ads on your website. Although we don't disclose the exact revenue share, our goal is to enable publishers to make as much or more than they could with other advertising networks."

So the only way to know how much you'll earn is to try it and see. If you want to bail out, all you have to do is remove the code from your site.

Don't put all your eggs in the AdSense basket. If Google discovers fraudulent clicks on ads appearing on your pages, it can dump your site from the service, and refuse to pay you all revenue owed. Some webmasters who claim total innocence have had this happen to them.

Google has made several changes to its AdSense FAQ, clarifying varying things. For example, it IS possible to apply for separate accounts for separate web sites. I've done so, and checked with Google that it's OK in my case. Read the rules - they look ambiguous to me. If in doubt, ask first!

Some time after the launch of AdSense, Google added "channels" which improve the tracking. I strongly recommend that you experiment with these.

Sites with "excessive advertising" are being rejected.

PLEASE read the rules and FAQ. When I looked, some advice in the rules contradicted advice in the FAQ. If in any doubt, ask their support staff. They're very helpful.

Danau Singkarak

2009-05-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Danau Singakarak terletak di Propinsi Sumatera Barat yang dinaungi oleh dua Wilayah yakni Kabupaten Tanah Datar dan Kabupaten Solok. Danau Singkarak merupakan danau terluas ke-2 di Sumatera setelah Danau Toba yang berada pada ketinggian 36,5 meter dari permukaan laut dan luas 129,69 km.

Danau ini merupakan hulu dari sungai/batang Ombilin yang merupakan sumber pengairan yang penting bagi lahan pertanian yang dilalui oleh aliran sungai ini. Air danau ini sebagiannya juga dimanfaatkan sebagai pembangkit listrik yang dialirkan melewati terowongan menembus Bukit Barisan ke Batang Anai untuk menggerakkan generator PLTA Singkarak di dekat Lubuk Alung Kabupaten Padang Pariaman.

Selain pemandangannya nan amat elok dan indah dicekungan kehijauan alam Bukit Barisan, Danau Singkarak juga menyimpan sebuah keunikan spesies ikan yang ada di dunia yakni IKAN BILIH (latin ; Mystacoleucus padangensis) Species Ikan ini hanya satu satunya di dunia (namun menurut beberapa sumber kiranya jenis ikan ini juga ada di Brazilia). Ikan ini merupakan andalan utama mata pencarian penduduk yang ada diselingkaran Danau Singkarak, selain rasanya yang amat khas, gurih dan wangi Ikan ini juga menjadi andalan kenangan anda dengan memanjakan selera untuk mencicipi makanan yang ada di warung/restoran yang ada di pinggir pinggir danau Singkarak, tentunya juga ada paket untuk oleh oleh dari Ikan Bilih yang sudah kering.

Dilokasi Danau Singakarak banyak terdapat Homestay/Losmen dan juga beberapa buah Hotel Bintang 2 dan Melati, seperti Singkarak Beach Hotel, Hotel ini biasanya ramai digunakan oleh para wisatawan mancanegara maupun domestik, juga ditempat ini sangat nyaman untuk dilaksanakan kegiatan kegiatan seminar, pelatihan maupun untuk rehat. Disamping itu dilokasi danau Singakarak juga ada tempat bermain anak anak bagi anda yang membawa keluarga seperti di pantai Tanjung Mutiara, ada disediakan kapal kecil untuk berlayar ria di danau singkarak serta aneka permainan anak anak lainnya.

Memang secara sarana dan prasarana lainnya, diseputaran lingkungan Danau Singakarak masih banyak keterbatasan seperti akses penyediaan Cinderamata, WC Publik, atraksi budaya, kebersihan pantai danau dan sebagainya. Hal ini kiranya bisa menjadi perhatian dan perbaikan bagi pihak pihak yang bertanggungjawab/pengelola Objek Wisata danau Singkarak, baik pemerintah, pelaku usaha, masyarakat dan pengunjung objek wisata Danau Singkarak sendiri.

Tetapi yakinlah kunjungan anda ke Danau Singakarak tidak akan sia sia apalagi jika anda menikmati lika liku jalan dipinggir Danau Singakarak yang dikelilingi sawah sawah yang berjenjang hijau, pemandangan bukit yang bergelombang, bangunan rumah rumah bagonjong yang estetik serta sepoian angin danau yang menyejukkan.

Walau kunjungan anda sungguh mengasyikkan tetapi harap selalu menjaga keamanan dan keselamatan anda dalam berwisata, harap hati hati jika berenang dan jangan mendekati ke areal yang dilarang oleh pengelola. Sebelum berenang atau mandi dipinggir danau harap melapor dan memberitahu pihak pengelola/penjaga dan menanyakan apa saja yang boleh dan yang tidak boleh untuk anda lakukan.

Java Island

2009-05-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

Jakarta - Djakarta

Jakarta has been called a study in contrasts : traditional and modern ; rich and poor ; spiritual and worldly stand side by side in this bustling metropolis. Among the 8 million people who call Jakarta home, one finds representatives of the many diverse ethnic and cultural groups which shape Indonesia, a reminder of the nation's motto : "Unity in Diversity". You may have to search high and low in this multi-cultural collage to find one of the proud ethnic Jakartans, called "Orang Betawi". Their language, Betawi Malay, has two variations, conventional Betawi Malay, spoken by elder people born and bred in Jakarta, and modern Jakarta Malay, a slang form spoken by the younger generation and migrants.

Jakarta is the port of entry for many tourists and business people. It is home to a dynamic contrast between Western - style skyscrapers, modern urban life-styles and traditional Indonesian culture. Its rapid growth into a metropolitan city reflects the economic, political, social and industrial development of the nation. In recent years, Jakarta has expanded its facilities for visitors with luxury hotels, fine restaurants, exciting night life and modern shopping centers. It contains many tourist attractions such as Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park), restored colonial period buildings, islands resorts in the Pulau Seribu ( Thousand Islands ), and an extensive beach recreation complex called Ancol.

The nation's capital, Jakarta, has a remarkable history. Its history as a trading center started as a small harbor town called Sunda Kelapa, but its actual founding dates back to the year 1527, when it was named Jayakarta by Fatahillah of the neighboring Sultanate of Banten. The name Jayakarta means City of great Victory. During the 17th century it served as the capital of the Dutch East Indies with the name Batavia.

Reminders of this period can still be seen today in the architecture of some of the northern parts of the city. When Indonesian independence was finally secured it was renamed Jakarta, and serves today as the center of government, business and industry, spreading over an area of more than 650 sq.km (410 sq miles ). Jakarta's architecture reflects the history of outside influences which came and left their mark on this vital seaport city. The Taman Fatahillah Restoration Project, begun in the early 1970's, has restored one of the oldest sections of Jakarta, known as Old Batavia or Kota, to one of the most picturesque areas of the entire city. An Old Portuguese Church and warehouse have been reincarnated as living museums. The Old Supreme Court Building is now the National Museum of Fine Arts and houses part of the superb Chinese porcelain collection of former Vice-President Adam Malik. The Old Town Hall has become the Jakarta Museum, displaying such rare items as old Indonesians historical documents and Dutch period furniture. Even the city's tower clock was returned to England to be repaired under its lifetime guarantee, a lifetime which has now stretched over hundreds of years !

As Indonesia's main gateway, Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta International Airport is the central transportation hub of Indonesia. It serves a growing number of international airlines and is the nexus point for domestic flights across the vast expanse of the archipelago. Local transport in all forms within the city is readily available.

West Java - Jawa Barat

The province of West Java is located in the Island of Java. Java is part of the Greater Sunda group of islands which consists of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Java as the main islands. It is in this region where a majority of the Indonesian population lives. And it is also in this region where the main economic activities of Indonesia are conducted.

The province of West Java with Bandung as the capital city came into existence on July 14,1950, under law Number 11 of 1950. The province of West Java today comprise 26 level II regions, which are divided into 20 districts and 6 municipalities. West Java is, geographically, divided into 3 (three) parts, ie. the Northern, Central and Southern parts of West Java. The Southern part of West Java is an upland strip / plateau that stretches from Ujung Kulon (Pandeglang) to Nusa Kambangan (the South coast plain of Ciamis).

As a means of transportation, the road network in South West Java has nearly all been asphalted. To increase and facilitate access to the flow of goods and people as well as to support tourism potential, the Southern road network is under construction to connect each district, from Labuhan at the west end to Pangandaran in the east. The network is 605 km in length and has several bridges over the rivers that flow in to the Indonesia Ocean.

Banten

This province combines many of the most important Industrial Zones in Indonesia and also has the exteded recreation areas along the western coast of Java and in the south the Ujung Kulon National Park and the mountainous areas which are home to the Baduy people. An endless variety!

Banten has the easiest access to Jakarta being merely an enclave in this province. This province uses its own unique culture and language, both called Sundanese which is also used to call its people. The ancient kingdoms of Tarumanegara, Pajajaran, Banten and Cirebon would make interesting studies for the student of archaeology Cirebon is located on the border between West and Central Java, having a mixed culture originating from the ancient Cirebon and Banten kingdoms, resulting in similar customs and dialects of the two people, although the city of Banten is located at the extreme western part of the province.

The city of Banten on Banten Bay was one of the first palces to begin trade with the Dutch. There is little to see of the past glories of this area today with the exception of the Grand Mosque which was completed in the year 1599 and is certaily worth a visit.

The Province has a great number of attractions, from the wildlife reserve of Ujung Kulon on the south-western tip of Java and the isolated communities of the mysterious Baduy to the unspoiled beaches. The villages are busy and attractive and the pace of life gets slower as you move towards the National Park in the south west.

From any point along the western coast you can see the "son of Krakatoa" volcano which rises impressively from the sea. To hire a boat to go there will cost about $150 and the journey takes about five hours. It has a number of sea resorts on its western coast which have modern hotels and are popular during weekends and holiudays.

Banten offers many different recreational experiences. The trip to the Anyer area from Jakarta is now quick and easy because of the toll road which connects the port of Merak with Jakarta. As you move further south along the west Java coast the lifestyle becomes more relaxed and after Labuan you move into more rural areas where the road conditions worsen and the lifstyle is relaxed. Here access to the forest areas begins and you can move back in time and enjoy the peace of nature. There is a bus each day from Labuan to Taman Jaya which is on the edge of the Ujung Kulon national park. There simple cabins can be hired and a ranger can then take you on a walk into the park. It takes about six hours to reach a camping site. Food is not readily available so take some with you from Matahari in Labuan! This is the cheapest way to get into the National Park. Boats from and of the west coast ports will also take you into the park often using the islands of Panaitan, Peucan and Handeuleum where accommodation is also available. Contact us through our email contact below for more information on ths park or proceed directl;y to the park office at Labuhan.

Central Java - Jawa Tengah

Solo is the city that never sleeps. As a business and cultural city, Solo's night life has never appeared to cease. At night, people usually enjoy the traditional food of Liwet rice along with a cup of tea, in the Keprabon, an area in Yogyakarta where locals usually gather for traditional meals.
Cultural tradition has also been passed through generations. With the two Sultanates in the city, Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran, Solo's cultural values have grown among the younger generation. Local government of the city has always nurtured ritual traditions, such as Maleman Sriwedari (celebrations welcoming the fasting month for the Moslems) , Kirab Pusaka (ritual of cleaning up inherited traditional swords), Grebeg Maulud and the Sekatenan (both celebrations of Prophet Mohammad's birth), Tourists in Yogyakarta wishing to see the Ramayana dance at Prambanan temple, can join travel and tour packages offered by tour operators in Yogyakarta, through hotels all over the city. Tickets can be purchased individually from hotels and tour operators in Yogyakarta.

Tourists should seek and confirm the show schedules first, before making the trip. As for the transportation to Prambanan, the temple's officials have provided shuttle buses with the price of Rp 15.000 ( US 2 ) one way, which is a cheap and comfortable option, rather than taking public transport.

Yogyakarta - Jogjakarta

Lying in the shadow of the aptly named "Fire Mountain", (2914 meter-high active volcano, Mt.Merapi), is the seat of the once mighty Javanese Empire of Mataram, Ngayogyakarto Hadiningrat.Yogyakarta (Yogya) came into being in 1755, when a land dispute split the power of Mataram into the Sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (solo). Prince Mangkubumi built Kraton of Yogyakarta and created one of the most powerful Javanese states ever. The Kraton is still the hub of Yogyakarta's traditional life and despite the advance of the refinement which has been the hallmark of its art and people for centuries.
Yogyakarta is one of the supreme cultural centers of Java. Full Gamelan orchestras keep alive the rhythms the past, classical Javanese dances entrance with visions of beauty and poise, shadows come to life in the stories of the Wayang kulit and a myriad of traditional visual art forms keep locals and visitors alike spell-bound. Yogya has an extraordinary life force and charm which seldom fails to captivate.
Contemporary art has also grown in the fertile soil of Yogyakarta's sophisticated cultural society. ASRI, the Academy of Fine Arts, is the centre of the arts in the region and Yogyakarta has given its name to an important school of modern painting in Indonesia, best illustrated by the renowned impressionist, the late Affandi.
The province is one of the most densely populated areas of Indonesia. It stretches from the slopes of mighty Mount Merapi in the North to the wave - swept beaches of the powerful Indian Ocean to the South.

East Java - Jawa Timur

Little of the Majapahit Empire's former glory still stands in East Java. Nevertheless, East Java has a variety of attractions, ranging from temple sites to unspoiled beaches, stunning volcanoes, extra ordinary highland lakes, resplendent marine parks and fantastic wildlife reserves. Magnificent mountain scenery includes the crater and legendary sea of sand at Mount Bromo, the "sulphur mountain" of Welirang and rugged Ijen Plateau. The island of Madura, famous for its bull races, is also part of the province and has its own traditions, culture and language.The provincial capital, Surabaya is second in size, population, and commerce only to Jakarta. It is also the most industrialized province in the nation with a strong economy based on agriculture, (coffee, mangoes and apples), fisheries and oil. The province is efficiently connected to the rest of Java by good roads, regular trains, and air services between Surabaya and other major cities in the country including Denpasar on Bali, which is only half an hour's flight away.

History of Pinisi ( Traditional Ship Sulawesi)

2009-05-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

The Evolution of an Indigenous Wooden Sailing Vessel in Indonesia

The "modern" wooden 'Pinisi' type has been derived from similar craft that have been in use in Indonesia for several centuries, according to some sources since prior to the 1500's. The sailing 'Pinisi' hull form in many ways resembles a cross between two traditional American sailing vessel types, the Pinky Schooner and the Tancook Whaler, even though the 'Pinisi' hull type pre-dates those Western hull forms by centuries... In other words, in its original form the 'Pinisi' was a
double ended hull type, having sharply raked stem and stern post. There was not a centerline rudder however, as with the American craft. Instead the local Indonesian craft have most often made use of twin rudders, one on each aft quarter.
Used both as transport and as cargo vessels, the craft we are calling 'Pinisi' have traditionally been built on the beach, where the logs have come from the forests of Sulawesi (Celebes), Kalimantan (Borneo), Java (Jawa) and Irian Jaya, then transported to the boat building sites.
Historically, several interesting rituals and ceremonies have been part of building such a vessel, beginning with choosing the right trees for critical parts of the structure. Just as with traditional wooden boat building in the West, various rituals continue throughout the building process to initiate and celebrate each stage, such as the all important laying of the keel.
The 'Pinisi' Tradition A few clarifications of terminology are in order...
The Builders: Although the builders of these craft are commonly lumped under the category of Bugis peoples, there are four cultural sub-sets of boat builders to be separately distinguished in South Sulawesi (per the writings of Horst Liebner).
The primary groups are the Konjo of the southern tip of South Sulawesi (from near the towns of Ara, Bira, and Tanah Biru), the Mandar of West Sulawesi to the north of Makassar, the Bugis from the region near Wajo on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Bone (the central gulf between the two halves of Sulawesi), and the Makassarese from the region around the city of Makassar. Among these groups, the Konjo of South Sulawesi appear to have had a primary and highly influential role as boat builders.
The Vessels: Technically, the term 'Pinisi' refers to the rig itself. In particular 'Pinisi' refers to the usual gaff-ketch type of rig. Locally this rig is referred to as a "seven sail schooner" even though the aft gaff sail is slightly smaller than the forward gaff sail, in fact making it a ketch rig.
Per Liebner, the correct term for the sharp-stern sailing craft is 'palari' or 'lamba' among the Konjo boat builders of South Sulawesi. When the stem and stern post are straight, and are set at a sharply raked angle to the keel, the hull form is the 'lamba' as opposed to the 'palari' which make use of curved timbers for both stem and stern.since the term 'Pinisi' has
come to be commonly applied to the hull form as well, we will use the word 'Pinisi' here to refer to the sailing hull type for the purposes of our discussion...
The 'Pinisi' have traditionally been built in a variety of sizes. Although in the past the craft tended to be smaller, it is not uncommon to find 30 to 40 meter vessels under construction, with an occasional Pinisi ranging up to around 50 meters (close to 165 feet) or larger.
The widespread use of a sharply raked stem and stern post is simply the practical result of making efficient use of the timber lengths that can be conveniently brought down from the forest. In this way the vessel can be quite large and still have a relatively modest length of keel timber.
In many Indonesian boat building locations, good timber has become difficult to obtain, therefore costly. Many builders have begun using shorter and shorter timbers, resulting in a compromised hull structure, particularly in larger craft. With many of the ritual ceremonies becoming less and less common, some may suggest that this too has conspired against the longevity of the ships.
One very significant improvement in the quality of available timber has been made possible by the Konjo builders themselves. . . The builders of larger vessels have actually re-located! Quite a number of the Konjo builders from Southwest Sulawesi have simply moved, in order to be close to larger supplies of good quality timber.
In so doing, the builders of Southwest Sulawesi have literally carved a new building site and a new village out of the jungle in Southeast Kalimantan (Borneo). The new building site is located just south of the town of Batu Licin, Kalimantan
Selatan, on the bank of a river. It is here that they can obtain the size and quality of timbers necessary for building wooden vessels of up to 55 meters in length. Pinisi Hull StructureIn prior years, teak would have been the preferred wood for the structure. Since teak is no longer plentiful, other tropical hardwoods are now used. Presently, Ironwood is preferred for boat structures. Obtained from the low land forests of Kalimantan, Ironwood is locally called Kayu Ulin (eusideroxylon zwageri). One of the hardest woods in Indonesia, Ironwood has a specific gravity of 0.88 to 1.19...!
Although quite heavy, it has excellent physical properties and is not vulnerable to termites or other tropical wood eating insects or fungus. Built in the same way as the Indonesian Perahu type of hull, Pinisi (variously spelled Pinissi, Pinisiq, or Phinisi) have always been assembled using wooden pegs to join the timbers. We would call the fasteners " trunnels" or tree nails. The sequence of assembly is different than we in the West would ordinarily assume. First the keel is laid, then the stem and stern post are erected, as usual. Then however, rather than setting up the whole array of sawn frames or 'mold frames' these vessels are built by applying the planking first. . . First the planks next to the keel (the garboard planks) are fit and pegged to the keel. Then the next planks are pegged to the garboard planks using "blind" dowels along the edges of the planks. One by one, additional planks are added until there is the shape of a boat. With the planking nearly completed, frames are fitted into the hull shell. The frames are pegged to the planks, to the keel, and to each other where the frame segments are joined. The frame butt ends either lap across the keel, or are joined to a floor member, depending on the tradition from which the individual boat builders have come. This "planking first" approach may seem odd to our rigidly defined approach to shaping a ship, but this is as the builders among the Indonesian islands have done it since no one knows when. This is very much the most common method used throughout Indonesian,
Malaysian, and other South and Southeast Asian waters, and the method has served the people very well. Differing
Boatbuilding Methods...Clinker Built Boats: As built by Western boat builders, 'clinker built' boats have each plank's lower edge lapped over the plank below. The laps are fastened with clench nails that function somewhat like rivets all along the overlap. The clench nails go from outside inward, then are bent over slightly onto dome shaped washers called roves (pronounced 'rooves') on the inside. In the West in modern times, the fastenings are usually bronze. In prior times, both in the West and elsewhere, the lap would have either been sewn with sinew or other strong fibers, or would have been fastened with 'trunnels' (tree nails).With clinker built boats, the frames are applied afterward and are virtually always steam bent or laminated out of thinner strips, glued in place. In the West, clinker built boats are almost always built over mould frames, though if the frames are laminated, one can create the laminated frames first, attach them to the keel, then begin planking onto the frames.In the West, small clinker boats are often built upside down, bigger ones upright.
The clinker style produces quite a light structure that is very rigid. Clinker style planking is usually reserved for smaller craft. There is no absolute boundary, but somewhere around 40 feet on deck is where these Clinker built types give way, and 'Carvel' planking begins to dominate.Carvel Built Boats: Carvel planking refers to the method of planking where the planks are placed edge to edge onto frames, which are are placed first. By this method, the planks are fastened only to the frames.The 'Pinisi' Method: In the areas surrounding the Indian Ocean, throughout Southeast Asia, and in some of the SW Pacific, the planking is done first, prior to the framing being placed. In order to do this, the planks are "blind edge fastened" to each other. In centuries past, edge fastening was accomplished by sewing the plank edges together. In current times on both larger and smaller craft, the plank edges are blind edge fastened using wooden dowels, locally called 'passak.' In these regions, mould frames are not used. Instead the boats are shaped "by eye" following the traditions of the local builders in each area. After the planks are in place, the frames are fitted into the emerging hull shape. Fastenings are then added to attach the frames to the planks.The planking on all 'Pinisi' is therefore what
Westerners would refer to as "carvel" even though the planking is erected and fastened similarly to the "clinker" style of planking. Although historically the Pinisi builders used 'passak' (trunnels) exclusively for edge fastening the planks, iron drifts have now become commonplace, placed about every fourth 'passak.' These iron drifts and steel bolts have not replaced 'passak' altogether. 'Passak' are still used at the plank scarfs, for the majority of the plank edge dowels, and for fastening every other plank to the frames. Steel bolts are then used to fasten the remaining intermediate planks. The steel bolts extend all the way through to also fasten the 'Lepe Lepe' (ceiling stringers) inside the frames. Per the writings of Adrian Horridge, the introduction of metal fastenings took place after the motorization of these vessels. This system is
very strong... it makes ultimate sense structurally. Pinisi Sailing RigAccording to most sources, Indonesian and Malaysian sailing craft of all sizes originally carried a triangular sailing rig of a type that is still in use by many of the smaller craft in
Indonesia. With various Asian and Western influences in the last several centuries, some of the larger craft began to make use of rectangular sails similar to the Lateen or Lug rig, some of which are also still in use today. The 'Pinisi' have been among the largest of the surviving local sailing craft. During the last hundred years or so, the local sailing craft adopted the Western fore and aft gaff ketch rig. This rig ordinarily carries three jibs, two gaff sails, and two tops'ls above the gaffs. These boats are referred to as Pinisi' or alternately may be called "seven sail schooners" even though the after sail is usually smaller than the forward sail, officially making the rig a ketch. Though it may have the look of a Western type of gaff rig, a few unusual features make the 'Pinisi' sail rig unique. First, the gaffs are left "standing." The sails are laced to the mast and to the gaff. In order to reef the sails, they are "brailed" to the spars. This is a very old method, but one that works well. Another difference is that on the Pinisi, the masts and the bowsprit are built as a tripod or bipod, depending on the local tradition. This makes practical use of conveniently available timber sizes. Aboard the Si' Lolona, we have also made use of the the traditional "seven sail schooner" Pinisi rig, along with traditional rigging methods wherever possible. Significant refinements have been made to the standing rigging in order to comply with Lloyd's, including the use of longer lasting rigging wire and chain plates to attach the rigging to the hull. The running rigging has also been upgraded, including modern sail cloth and Dacron line. These refinements will improve safety and performance, make the rig easier to handle, and will increase the life span of the rig. PowerUntil the mid to late 1970's,
the large fleet of cargo carrying Pinisi throughout Indonesia were strictly sailing vessels. Since around 1978, there has been a push to motorize the fleet of sailing Pinisi. The presence of an engine has changed these craft rather dramatically. Currently, the vast majority of the local cargo fleet have been given engines.
As a result, they are now referred to as 'KLM' for Kapal Layar Mesin, literally translated as "Boat-Sail-Machine" or "Motor Driven Sailing Vessel."Although the engines being used are always of a very small size in relation to the size of the vessel, per Horridge many of these engine installations seem to have resulted in the demise of the vessel itself. The presence of an engine allows the vessels to be used in ways that were not possible under sail alone. For example, the boats can now be driven against the sea and weather. The resulting stress on the structure seems to have conspired to shorten the life of these motorized vessels. As a result, the presence of an engine has encouraged a number of changes. One extremely visible change has been to alter the traditional "double ended" hull form which we have referred to as the 'Pinisi' type. The KLM (motorized craft) have preserved the forward half of the traditional 'Pinisi' type, complete with fore mast, gaff sail, tops'l,bowsprit and three jibs. The fore mast and gaff are used for loading and off loading cargo, as well as to hang sails as emergency propulsion in the event of engine failure. Gone is the aft mast and sails, and in its place is a large cabin structure containing the bridge. Although the bow remains virtually identical to the sailing Pinisi types, the KLM (motorized vessels) are given a wide overhanging stern. Additionally, the keel is extended farther aft in order to provide support for a rudder and to provide an aperture for the propeller. The presence of engines in this fleet of wooden vessels has forced changes to the structure as well. In addition to the usual 'wooden peg' fastened plank and frame structure, iron drifts and bolts are now used throughout. A further refinement to this would naturally be the use of hot dip galvanized bolts throughout, which oddly is relatively rare, primarily due to its cost. In the motorized fleet, in my view an additional refinement is needed; one that would allow the structure to better handle the stresses of an engine installation. This would simply be to add substantial structural bulkheads at each end of the engine space, combined with a pair of robust and long length engine bed timbers in order to spread the engine's forces over a larger portion of the hull's structure.
Although we have seen substantial bulkheads being used, we have not observed any vessels with heavy duty long length engine girders.
Throughout Indonesia, virtually all of the motorized Pinisi are vastly under-powered. A KLM of some 35 to 40 meters in size will ordinarily be given an engine of somewhere around 200 hp. This is adequate for perhaps 5 knots in mild conditions. Many of these craft are given even less power in proportion to their size. They are consequently very slow, but quite economical in terms of fuel use. "Bulan Purnama" carries a 107 hp engine, it is around 25metres in length and
has a cruising speed between 6-7knots.

Bangka Island

2009-05-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

GENERAL CONDITION OF BANGKA ISLAND

Bangka Island is one of the island belong to Bangka-Belitung Province. The name Bangka is derived from the word ''Wangka'' which means ''tin''. This word was also written in Sriwijaya inscription dated 686 AD and discovered near Kota Kapur in West Bangka. Bangka lies east of Sumatra. Pangkal Pinang is the largest town and the capital of Bangka Belitung, and Sungailiat is the second large city in Bangka Island. One village, called Kampung Kim Hin, lies to the south of Sungailiat, this village is known for a type of alcohol called arak, which is produced from fermented rice. While, Muntok is the principal port.
From Jakarta it is one hour by plane. It has beautiful beaches. Boat service from Palembang to Muntok or Pangkal Pinang is adequate and should not take more than an overnight voyage.

This Island population is approximately 600 thousand people; consist of different ethnic groups, which come from all part of Indonesia. There are a large number of Chinese in habitants especially in the north around Belinyu. Accountings for 30% of Bangka population, 66% of Bangka people still depend of farming, other descendants of the tin mining company worker, fishing and other activities. Bangka has its own unique crafts witch are made of Bahar root (a kind of seaweed), craftsmen make it into various kinds of souvenirs such as rings, bracelets, cigarette pipes, etc. There are also handicrafts made of tin or pewter.

The best product from Bangka Island is "BANKATIN", which has a worldwide reputation amongst tin consumers as standard tin or grade "A" tin. The other important products of the island are rubber and pepper. During the Dutch occupation in Indonesia, the Muntok white Pepper became very famous and continues to be one of the best export commodities of Indonesia.

Sepintu Sedulang dance performed to welcome distinguished guests, the dance describes the open-hearted character of Bangkanese people, it is also performed during festivals occasions, other dance is Lion dance, it is performed to chase away evil spirits, some dancers being under a magicians influence go into a trance.

Geographically
The province is surrounded by South China Sea, Bangka straights and Java Sea. Bangka lies just east of Sumatra, separated by Bangka Strait. The marine environment around these islands is colorful. Bangka Island, which is situated at the Southern of the China Sea, it's between Sumatra and Borneo Island. The land area is about 11,6 thousands square Km, stretching 180 km from Northwest to Southeast, the island has various highlands that are mostly located in the middle of the island and many rivers follow diverse of the open sea. There are many beautiful beaches located in the Northwest of Bangka Island. This Island is bordered by:
North Side: Natuna Sea
East side: Natuna Sea
South side: Pangkalpinang town and Bangka Tengah Regency
West side: Bangka Barat Regency, Bangka Strait and Kelabat Bay

Demographics
The majority of the inhabitants are Malay Indonesians and Chinese mostly Hakkas. The population is split between those who work the pepper farms and those who work on the tin mines.

Temperature
The average temperature on the island is 26 degree C and has an average rainfall of 179.3 mm per month; the rainy season is between October to March. The average humidity is approximately 80 %.

Antasari Azhar

2009-05-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Antasari heads Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, a mandated body charged with shining its investigative light into the darkest corners of the country's public service.

During a sojourn several years ago studying commercial law at the University of NSW, he made several visits to Old Sydney Town, the former theme park on the NSW central coast that dramatically portrayed our colonial roots until it closed in 2003.

"My approach to the law now is coloured by my Australian experience," the former public prosecutor says. "I visited Old Sydney Town three times in six months, and I saw there what it was with Australia's history, how strict the early law there was. I was thinking at that time, in fact, how could it be that Australians these days so willingly obeyed the law; how had society become so compliant? You know, just as with Singapore, (in Australia) smoking is generally not allowed, public toilets are clean, when you board a bus the elderly are given a place to sit up the front, that kind of thing.

"Now, I really learned from that. And (at Old Sydney Town) I realised that people must be made afraid first. Only then will they become obedient."

Dioramas depicting floggings and judicial executions in the colony, as well as live-action re-enactments of modern Australia's brutal seeds, became the former public prosecutor's touchstone for how he thought Indonesia's huge need for public service reform could be met. "Open-air courtrooms, a la ancient Rome, that really inspired me," he says. "It meant for us that if we wanted to enforce the law, we mustn't allow permissive thinking at first. First you have to frighten people, then they become compliant. After that, we may allow some permissiveness."

A harsh prescription, perhaps, but Antasari's campaign against Indonesia's porous public sector is showing outstanding results. The Transparency International network last month announced a vastly upgraded result for the country in its annual corruption perceptions index, an outcome welcomed by all observers. "It's fantastic, 30 per cent of the world is now below us," enthuses long-time Indonesia-based anti-corruption warrior Kevin Evans, a former Australian embassy staff member in Jakarta.

Jakarta's rise up the ladder, from 143rd place to 126th and, more important, its edging upwards towards the transparency rating of three on a 10-scale, was attributed by the world organisation in large part to the very public actions of Antasari's bureau.

The agency, known by its Indonesian-language acronym KPK, was created by former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, although Antasari has only been at its helm since last December. It boasts its own office of prosecutors and is responsible for an anti-corruption court that operates alongside, and with the same powers as, the regular criminal justice system.

There is a proposal for the accused in Antasari's court to be forced to wear garish prison smocks with the word "corruptor" stencilled across them while on trial, even before any verdict is passed.

Given the poor reputation of the public prosecutor's department, from which Antasari was plucked last year, it has been a signal achievement of the dynamic crime fighter that his former colleagues have been among the key targets of his attentions. Senior prosecutor Tri Urip Gunawan was last month sentenced to 20 years in jail for accepting a $US660,000 bribe to drop an investigation into a serious fraud case at the central Bank Indonesia, and Antasari says the KPK will be making more inquiries related to that case.

Despite allegations of his own complicity in shady dealings while at the South Jakarta prosecutor's office - including in the shambolic prosecution and escape from custody of Tommy Suharto, disgraced scion of the former strongman and now a convicted judge murderer - Antasari is sanguine in self-defence. "I arrived at Tommy's house at 5pm to serve papers on him and he was gone," Antasari says of the controversial sequence of events in November 2000, for which he bore responsibility as chief prosecutor.

"Why should it be that I'm the one who's said to have been late? It was not possible to put him in jail until the Supreme Court made its decision. They should have (ordered him) detained first."

Suharto was on the run for 12 months before his dramatic arrest while sleeping in a Jakarta house, but the escape, which Antasari's critics tried to sheet home to his incompetence, seems finally to have been forgotten amid the successes he has had since.

As well as his pinpoint attacks on the public prosecutor's office, he has made a dent in the culture of embezzlement with impunity at the central bank, including having three senior officials - one of them a former governor - put behind bars.

The commission has also swung its scythe through the national parliament, where bribes in return for favourable law-making have long been a part of the landscape, and - most recently - at the anti-trust commission, where a commissioner and the head of a pay-television network were arrested last month on bribery and collusion charges.

Yet for Antasari - always a political animal at heart - there is no one case more significant than another. It's always, as he learned at Old Sydney Town, about sowing a climate of willing compliance.

"Since I'm a law enforcement official, all cases are the same," he says genially. "Really, what makes me happy is that I can exist in a system that has integrity and which is able to enforce the law, that's all."

On criticism that his spotlight has not been directed towards potentially some of the darkest corners - the Government and cabinet of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who came to office on a strong anti-corruption ticket - Antasari is dismissive.

"The issue of big fish or little fish, that's a subjective matter. What's the measure? For me, corruption is corruption." he says, making the last point in English for emphasis.

Anyway, he says, he tends to take on cases with what he considers enough proof to proceed to trial. Too often in the criminal system, he believes, prosecutions stall on a lack of evidence.

As to whether corruption will ever be eradicated entirely from a society where "compliance fees" are part of the process, Antasari is under no illusions.

"Australia too will never completely eliminate it," he says with a wave of his arm. "What we're after is an improved life, more order, less corrupt activity."

Antasari also insists his agency is as much about education as it is about putting corrupt officials behind bars. To promote this arm of the project, he's allied himself with a range of popular figures, including the veteran Indonesian hard rock band Slank, which this year released an album of corruption-themed songs in Antasari's presence.

There was uproar in parliament over the venture, particularly given that one of the songs on the CD, an old number titled Gosip Jalanan (Street Talk) directly accuses politicians of taking bribes. Antasari, however, sees the band and its millions-strong army of fans, known as Slankers, as just another aspect of what he does. "It's extremely effective if they raise their voices against corruption, at the very least because millions of Slankers then become opposed to corruption," he says. "The KPK will join hands with anyone who is committed to fighting this."

www.transparency.org

The Bandung

2009-04-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Bandung is provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. Located at main island of Indonesia, the Java Island on a highland plateau 768 meters above sea level, at 6°55' S 107°36' E. Bandung is surrounded by mountains and located in the middle of prehistoric lake
As one of big city in Indonesia, Bandung can be reach from many other cities in Indonesia, even from another island such as Sumatra, Bali, and Borneo (Kalimantan). From Asia, Bandung can be reach directly from Malaysia and Singapore.
Beginning from "De Grote Postweg", The capital city of Bandung Regency were move from Dayeuh Kolot to Cikapundung riverside (near alun-alun now) and Parakan Muncang Regency to Andawadak (Tanjung Sari Now). This is based on article "Sadjarah Soemedang Djaman Koempeni Toeg Nepi Ka Kiwari" by Raden Asik Natanegara. Earlier Bandung was forest thats constract to become small village.

Walk in Bandung

The main part of Bandung lies to the south of the railway line that crosses the city from east to west. Most of the banks, airlines, tourist offices and 5 star hotels are located here, along with the alun alun, as the main square in Indonesian cities is called. The principal thoroughfare, Jalan Asia Afrika, is in this part of town, as is Jalan Braga, which was the up-market shopping area in colonial times and is now the centre of Bandung’s nightlife. Most of the city’s budget accommodation and any many of its huge shopping malls are also in this area.

On the other side of the railway are the elegant residential areas of the Old Dutch suburbs with their wide tree lined streets, gardens and parks. The urban area stretches north along two parallel arterial roads, Jalan Setiabudi and Jalan Juanda, to the hills of Dago. The offices of the West Java provincial government, the Bandung Institute of Technology and the zoo are located in this area.

Although Bandung is only about 200 years old it has many places of historic and cultural interest, not least its museums and art deco architecture.

Pajajaran Era

In 1488, the area now named Bandung was the capital of the Kingdom of Padjajaran. But from ancient archeological finds, we know the city was home to Australopithecus, Java Man. These people lived on the banks of the Cikapundung in north Bandung, and on the shores of the Great Lake of Bandung. Flint artifacts can still be found in the Upper Dago area and the Geological Museum has displays and fragments of skeletal remains and artifacts.

The Sundanese were a pastoral people farming the fertile regions of Bandung. They developed a lively oral tradition which includes the still practiced Wayang Golek puppet theatre, and many musical forms. "There is a city called Bandung, comprising 25 to 30 houses," wrote Juliaen de Silva in 1614.

Ducth Colonial Era

The achievements of European adventurers to try their luck in the fertile and prosperous Bandung area, led eventually to 1786 when a road was built connecting Jakarta, Bogor, Cianjur and Bandung. This flow was increased when in 1809 Louis Napoleon, the ruler of the Netherlands, ordered Governor General H.W. Daendels, to increase defences in Java against English. The vision was a chain of military defense units and a supply road between Batavia and Cirebon. But this coastal area was marsh and swamp, and it was easier to construct the road further south, across the Priangan highlands.

The Groote Postweg (Great Post Road) was built 11 miles north of the then capital of Bandung. With his usual terseness, Daendels ordered the capital to be relocated to the road. Bupati Wiranatakusumah II chose a site south of the road on the western bank of the Cikapundung, near a pair of holy wells, Sumur Bandung, supposedly protected by the ancient goddess Nyi Kentring Manik. On this site he built his dalem (palace) and the alun-alun (city square). Following traditional orientations, Mesjid Agung (The Grand Mosque) was placed on the western side, and the public market on the east. His residence and Pendopo (meeting place) was on the south facing the mystical mountain of Tangkuban Perahu. Thus was The Flower City born.

Around the middle of the l9th Century, South American cinchona (quinine), Assam tea, and coffee was introduced to the highlands. By the end of the century Priangan was registered as the most prosperous plantation area of the province. In 1880 the rail line connecting Jakarta and Bandung was completed, and promised a 2 1/2 hour trip from the blistering capital in Jakarta to Bandung.

With this life changed in Bandung, hotels, cafes, shops sprouted up to serve the planters who either came down from their highland plantations or up from the capital to frolic in Bandung. The Concordia Society was formed and with its large ballroom was the social magnet for weekend activities in the city. The Preanger Hotel and the Savoy Homann were the hotels of choice. The Braga became the promenade, lined with exclusive Europeans shops.

With the railroad, light industry flourished. Once raw plantation crops were sent directly to Jakarta for shipment to Europe, now primary processing could be done efficiently in Bandung. The Chinese who had never lived in Bandung in any number came to help run the facilities and vendor machines and services to the new industries. Chinatown dates from this period.

In the first years of the present century, Pax Neerlandica was proclaimed, resulting in the passing of military government to a civilian one. With this came the policy of decentralization to lighten the administrative burden of the central government. And so Bandung became a municipality in 1906.

This turn of events left a great impact on the city. City Hall was built at the north end of Braga to accommodate the new government, separate from the original native system. This was soon followed by a larger scale development when the military headquarters was moved from Batavia to Bandung around 1920. The chosen site was east of City Hall, and consisted of a residence for the Commander in Chief, offices, barracks and military housing.

By the early 20's the need for skilled professionals drove the establishment of the technical high school that was sponsored by the citizens of Bandung. At the same time the plan to move the capital of the Netherlands Indies from Batavia to Bandung was already mature, the city was to be extended to the north. The capital district was placed in the northeast, an area that had formerly been rice fields, and a grand avenue was planned to run for about 2.5 kilometers facing the fabled Tangkuban Perahu volcano with Gedung Sate at the south end, and a colossal monument at the other. on both sides of this grand boulevard buildings would house the various offices of the massive colonial government.

Along the east bank of the Cikapundung River amidst natural scenery was the campus of the Technische Hoogeschool, dormitories and staff housing. The old campus buildings and its original landscaping reflect the genius of its architect Henri Maclain Pont. The southwestern section was reserved for the municipal hospital and the Pasteur Institute, in the neighborhood of the old quinine factory. These developments were carefully planned down to the architectural and maintenance details. These years shortly before World War II were the golden ones in Bandung and those alluded to today as Bandung Tempoe Doeloe.

Post-Independence Era

After Indonesian independence, Bandung was named as the provincial capital of West Java (Jawa Barat). Bandung was the site of the Bandung Conference which met April 18-April 24, 1955 with the aim of promoting economic and cultural cooperation among the African and Asian countries, and to counter the threat of colonialism or neocolonialism by the United States, the Soviet Union, or other imperialistic nations.

The Climate of Bandung . . .

Due to its topology, climate in Bandung is relatively cooler throughout the year than most of Indonesian cities. The average annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 milimetres in the middle and the southeast region to 3,500 milimetres in the north of the city. The wet season conforms with other Indonesian regions, around November to April. The average temperature is 22.6°C, cooler than most Indonesian cities.

During the Dutch Colonial era, it was considered the equivalent of a Malaysian or Indian hill station.

The Jakarta

2009-04-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

Jakarta, the capital of the nation, has a fascinating history. Lots of different aspects have colored the city history and the life of people today. Since the fifth century, ships from China and Champa (Vietnam), and from all islands in the archipelago docked at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. Indian and Portuguese traders also visited this small town. Javanese sailors, carrying spices from Molucca, were also docked there. Nearly all people from the East and West left their trails to blend special flavor of Jakarta. During centuries later, the city port grew into a bustling international trade center. At that time, between 17th and early 18 centuries, ships could sail further up to the river Ciliwung. Towards the south of this drawbridge, the once busy harbor town of Sunda Kelapa stretched along both sides of the river between the 12th century and 15th century.

Sunda Kalapa was the main port of the Hindu Kingdom of Sunda. The capital of the Pakuan Pajajaran kingdom was located two days journey upriver, now known as Bogor. Ships often visited this port from Palembang, Tanjungpura, Malacca, Maccasar and Madura, and even by merchants from India and South China. Sunda Kelapa exported, among other items, pepper, rice and gold.

In 1513 the first European fleet, four Portuguese ships under the command of Alvin, arrived in Sunda Kelapa from Malacca. Malacca had been conquered two years earlier by Alfonso d' Albuquerque. They were looking for spices, especially pepper, to this busy and well-organized harbor. Some years later, the Portuguese Enrique Leme visited Kalapa with presents for the King of Sunda. He was well received and on August 21, 1522 signed a treaty of friendship between the kingdom of Sunda and Portugal. The Portuguese received the right to build a go down (warehouse) and to erect a fort in Kalapa. This was regarded by the Sundanese as a consolidation of their position against the encroaching Muslim troops from the rising power of the Sultanate of Demak in Central Java.

To commemorate this treaty, they put big stone, called a Padrao, which vanished for some years. This stone was uncovered later in 1918 during an excavation for a new house in Kota area on the corner of Cengkeh Street and Nelayan Timur Street. This Padrao can now be seen in the National Museum on Medan Merdeka Barat Street. The original location of the stone suggests that the coastline in the early 16th century formed a nearly straight line, which is marked by the present of Nelayan Street, some 400 meters south to the Lookout Tower. The King of Sunda had his own reasons for great danger from the expansive Muslim Kingdom of Demak, whose troops threatened his second harbor town, Banten (west of Jakarta). Sunda felt squeezed and was in need of strong friends. Thus, the king hoped the Portuguese would return quickly and help him protect his important harbor. But they came too late. For in 1527 the Muslim leader Fatahillah appeared before Kalapa with 1,452 soldiers from Cirebon and Demak.

According to some historians, this victory of 1527 provided the reason for Fatahillah to rename Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta, which means "Great Deed" or "Complete Victory." On the basis of this victory, Jakarta celebrates its birthday on June 22, 1527; the day Fatahillah gave the town a name of victory of over Sundanese Hindus and Portuguese sailor. Prince Jayawikarta, a follower of the Sultan of Banten, resided on the west banks of Ciliwung river, which in the early 17th century reached the roughly at our starting place, the Lookout at Pasar Ikan. He erected a military post there in order to control the mouth of the river and the Dutch who had been granted permission in 1610 to build a wooden go down and some houses just opposite there on the east bank. Dutch ships had already come to Jayakarta in 1596. The Prince tried to keep a close eye on these unruly guests.

To keep its strength equal to that of the Dutch, Prince Jayawikarta allowed the British to erect houses on the West Bank of Ciliwung River, across the Dutch go down, in 1615. The Prince granted permission to the British to erect a fort closed to his Customs Office post. Jayawikarta was in support of the British because his palace was under the threat of the Dutch cannons. In December 1618, the tense relationship between Prince Jayawikarta and the Dutch escalated. Jayawikarta soldiers besieged the Dutch fortress that covered two strong go down, namely Nassau and Mauritus. The British fleet made up of 15 ships arrived. The fleet was under the leadership of Sir Thomas Dale, former governor of the Colony of Virginia, now known as Virginia State in the United States.

The British admiral was already old and was indecisive. After the sea battle, the newly appointed Dutch governor Jan Pieter Soon Coon (1618) escaped to Molucca to seek support. Meanwhile, the commander of the Dutch army was arrested when the negotiation was underway because Jayawikarta felt that the Dutch deceived him. Then, the Prince Jayawikarta and the British entered into a friendship agreement.

The Dutch army was about to surrender to the British when in 1619, a sultan from Banten sent soldiers and summoned Prince Jayawikarta for establishing closed relationship with the British without first asking an approval from Banten authorities. The conflict between Banten and Prince Jayawikarta as well as the tensed relationship between Banten and the British had weakened the Dutch enemy. Prince Jayawikarta was moved to Tanara and died in Banten. The Dutch felt relieved and tried to establish a closer relationship with the Banten. The Dutch fortress garrison, along with hired soldiers from Japan, Germany, Scotia, Denmark, and Belgium held a party in commemoration of the change in situation. They name their fortress after Batavia to recollect the ethnic group Batavier, the Dutch ancestor. Since then Jayakarta was called Batavia for more than 300 years.

Under the relationship of J.P Coen, Dutch army attacked and destroyed the city and Jayakarta Palace on May 30, 1619. There were no remains of Jakarta except for the Padrao stone now stored at the National Museum in Jakarta. The Jayakarta grave was possibly located in Pulau Gadung. If we stand on top of Menara Syahbandar and look around, we can enjoy the beautiful panorama in the oldest area of Batavia. Certainly, we can't enjoy the remains of the city Sunda Kelapa or Jayakarta. Kasteel or the Dutch fortress, too, has been destroyed. Here we can see several remains from the mid-17th century. Nearly all of the remains are related to trade and sailing.

Syahbandar Tower was built 1839 to replace the old flagpole in ship dock located right on the side across a river. From the pole and later the tower, officials observed ships about to anchor gave signals. The tower then is used a meteorology post. To the West of the Lookout Tower, we can see the view of the present Bahari Museum. The museum represents a very old and strong edifice with Dutch architecture. The museum also provides several maps of the city, with stages of the city development shown. The museum is part of something in Dutch called Westzijdsche Pakhuizen (Warehouse on the West bank. Here nutmegs, pepper, coffee, tea, and cloth in a large scale were used to be stored.

The area around Syahbandar Tower was once the center of Kota Batavia. It was the center of a trading network with wide spread agents reaching Deshima (Nagasaki) in Japan, Surate in Persia and Cape town in South Africa. Inter-trade among Asia was more profitable than inter-trade between Asia and Europe. And the Pasar Ikan (Market Fish) once was the pulse. Here, the site where the origin of the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, came from.

Jakarta History Museum

Located in the historic Old Jakarta Kota area, Taman Fatahillah square offers three of the city's most interesting museums. Once the heart of the colonial administration in the 18th century the square underwent a major restoration in the 1970's. A fountain in the middle of square once as the main water supply for the former colonial capital. The Portuguese cannon on the north side of the square is reportedly an impressive font of fertility. Jakarta History Museum is the one displaying the history of the development of the City of Jakarta, both the events and the community, from the prehistory until these present days. This museum is located in a building of cultural property which in the past known as Stadhuis, the City Hall of Batavia. As written on an inscription of the Museum collection, the building was constructed in 1707 by the city government of Batavia during the period of VOC and Governor General Abraham van Riebeeck inaugurated it in 1710. This building is located in front of a park, which in the past was known as Stadhuisplein, the City Hall Park, and now it is called Taman Fatahillah.

National Monument

The National Monument, or "Monas" as it is popularly called, is one of the monuments built during the Sukarno era of fierce nationalism. The top of the National Monument (Monas) is Freedom Square. It stands for the people's determination to achieve freedom and the crowning of their efforts in the Proclamation of Independence in August 1945. The 137-meter tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kg of gold. The base houses a historical museum and a hall for meditations. The monument is open to the public and upon request the lift can carry visitors to the top, which offers a bird's eye view on the city and the sea.

Klungkung

2009-04-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Bali's smallest district Klungkung is located between Gianyar and Karangasem, and includes the island of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan. Klungkung itself is a bustling town. Based on the decree of the Governor of
Bali Province on 1993 number 528, Nusa Penida in one of with also fixed as a tourist resort in Bali. And then base of the Regency of Klungkung Government on 1996 decree number 284 there are 18 tourist object in the regency inclusive Nusa Penida. On reaching the town centre. Klungklung was the base of the ancient Javanese Hindu Kingdom in Bali, from where the Balinese royalty of today draws its bloodline. It is the oldest kingdom in Bali, with a most exalted

Kings. The famous Kertha Gosa or Royal Court of Justice was built in Klungklung in the 18th century, displays one of Bali's masterpieces. It has a wonderfully made ceiling displaying one of Bali's masterpieces (murals portraying the punishment of hell and the rewards of heaven, and elaborated in thousands of panels of puppets) all on the ceiling. Klungklung's golden glory is forever captured in its floating pavilion, elaborate garden, and charming lotus ponds. Klungklung satisfies one's wish of returning to the glory of the ancient past. he district of Klungkung has played a most important role in Bali’s history. It was the seat of rule of Bali’s history. It was the seat of rule of Bali’s most powerful dynasty of rajas, the Dewa Agung, under whom the island was united during a glorious period of rich cultural influence.

Gajah Mada, head of Majapahit, pacified and united Bali towards the end of the 13^th century, incorporating the island into the Majapahit Empire. He set king Kepakisan, the first Dewa Agung "Great Deity".

To rule over the island from his court at Samprangan, near the present town of Klungkung. Several generations later this seat of power was removed to nearby Gelgel, where it established much authority and prestige under the fourth succeeding Dewa Agung.

With the collapse of the Majapahit Empire in 1515, many thousands of Javanese Hindus, priests, nobles and entire followings of soldiers, artists and artisans fled the onslaught of Islam in Java. Pledging their services to the current Dewa Agung they settled in Bali, bringing fresh impetus to the already strongly Hinduism culture.

The 16^th century was a golden age for Bali. Under the wise rule of Dalem Waturenggong from his court at Gelgel the island became a strongly unified kingdom, so powerful it was able to conquer and colonize both Lombok and Sumbawa. Under the auspices of the royal court the transplanted Javanese traditions of language and literature, music, dance and sculpture, took firm root. The philosophy fitted perfectly over the beliefs and practices of the people.

Gelgel’s period of peace and prosperity was not fated to last, however. Under the rule of Waturenggong's grandson, Di Made, who misused his power to an extreme, the outlying colonies were lost, as well as much of the allegiance of the other Balinese princes. He flirted with the Dutch, and made himself so unpopular in his lifetime that his successor decided the place of Gelgel must be under a curse, and moved his entire court to a new site in Klungkung in 1686.

Although the Raja of Klungkung was still considered by the regional king’s the supreme ruler of Bali, he had little political power, and the structure of the many little kingdoms was more like a confederation at this stage. However, the Klungkung court continued to play a major role in government, diplomacy and the arts.

Most of Bali’s nobility are descendants of this royal lineage. Along with the other kingdoms, the Dewa Agung fought the Dutch to the bitter end, leading a ceremonial "puputan" in 1908 after heavy bombardment of both Klungkung and Gelgel by the Dutch artillery. This was the final conquest for the Dutch, giving them control over all of Bali.