Onions are an essential ingredient of many different global cuisines. Onions can be delicious not only raw, but also, for example, caramelized, oven roasted, sauteed, or sweated. Caramelizing onions is a process that is all about recognizing onion’s natural sugar content, natural moisture content, and understanding cooking principles of both time and also temperature. The time needed for “caramelizing” onions or another “aromatic” vegetable exceeds the time it would take for “sweating” the same vegetable. Both are classic techniques for cooking onions and other aromats and used for flavor profile building when cooking in cultures around the world.
Author: Stephanie
Stephanie grew up in an Italian family and Italians are passionate about life! Every aspect of life is important to them: living, loving, family, food, and all things cultural. Stephanie is an American Heart Association award-winning professional and also is a Registered Dietitian (RD)/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and is a State credentialed certified / Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist.
Tips To Honor 40th National Nutrition Month
It’s March once again and National Nutrition Month (NNM) is here! National Nutrition Month helps remind us of the unmistakable link between food, nutrition and health. You can find out more by visiting this year’s NNM site. In honor of the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month, we’d like to share 10 categories of tips with you. Won’t you join us in making this the best celebration ever of NNM?!
Immersion Blender Created Milk Based Whip
Immersion blenders can be used in many different ways. If you have an immersion blender equipped with a whipping disc (basically flat, but ever so slightly domed disc with no holes), capable of at least 6,000 rpm, then possibly you can make a quick and easy “whip” to satisfy sweet tooth desires. A whip is thicker than a shake would be, since a spoon can stand up in a whip and a whip has the consistency of thick whipped cream. Some devices have two speeds–6,000 rpm and 12,000 rpm. 6,000 rpm is adequate for whipping ice cold fat-free milk.
Demystifying Chocolate and Cacao Part 3 of 3
In Part 1 of this blog series we provided some background on chocolate and cacao including some cultural information surrounding the growing of theobroma cacao trees around the world and processing cacao beans from grower through manufacturer. In our Part 2 of 3 blog post we discussed some of the best known varieties of cacao trees, as well as some of the flavor notes associated with beans grown in different places in the world. Choco pieces courtesy of lusi via rgbstock.com. In this blog post, we’ll provide some infotainment regarding perceptions of “chocolate cravings” and a bit about flavor sprays,
Demystifying Chocolate and Cacao Part 2 of 3
In Part 1 of this blog series we provided some background on the highly successful, inextricable link between chocolate and Valentine’s Day. We also mentioned some cultural information surrounding the growing of theobroma cacao trees around the world. Finally we included some steps involved in processing cacao beans from grower through manufacturer. Image courtesy of albion80 at rgbstock.com Three of the best known categories of cacao beans that may make their way into chocolate worldwide include: Criollo which means “native” and this type of cacao bean may be found in Central America, and then in Venezuela in South America and some
Demystifying Chocolate and Cacao Part 1 of 3
Chocolate, pink or red hearts, pink or red roses, and angels or cupids–what do they all have in common? Their association with none other than Valentine’s Day! Once again, Valentine’s Day is upon us and we thought it might be an appropriate time to talk a little bit about chocolate. US marketers are delighted that chocolate and Valentine’s Day have been successfully and inextricably linked for so many decades now. In 2012, the National Confectioners Association reported that ~70+ percent of candy sales associated with Valentine’s Day were specifically just for chocolate. It is a retail category where last minute
Super Bowl Party Menu Ideas
With the 2013 Super Bowl coming up on February 3rd, you may be planning a Super Bowl Party Menu. If so, you probably already have some supplies on hand if you are intending on hosting a get together. Hopefully you’re considering a variety of offerings that might include some bean based dips you can whip up yourself, or maybe an eggplant dip, or possibly even doing up a homemade healthier pizza option that is easy and FAST to make. Photo of Make It Now Pizza by Stephanie B-H/Sensory Nutrition ©2013 A little planning ahead will make putting together any Super Bowl
Monk Fruit Sweetener Blend Advertising Increases in 2013
Monk fruit extract blend sweeteners have hit the marketplace with a bang! You’ve probably seen a major increase in advertising for monk fruit awareness since anything possibly having to do with weight control is always at a fever pitch in the January of any new year. “No-cal” and “Low-Cal” sweetener blend products of all types continue to sell well across the globe, but companies are always looking for something “newer” to the marketplace to promote. (Luo han guo image property of and used courtesy of the Fruit Species fruit blog). A monkfruit.org website is launched, and television, print, as well as online advertising, etc.
Read MoreMonk Fruit Sweetener Blend Advertising Increases in 2013
Behavior Change & 2013 Resolutions Part 3 of 3
In Part 2 of 3 of this blog series we mentioned that you’ve probably heard of the “stages of readiness” for making actual behavior change based on the work of Prochaska & other colleagues. In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we talked about what to expect from a professional resource and even touched on the subject of health coaching. In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we also cited an example of a chance encounter we had in the produce section of a supermarket highlighting that timing is everything and how it provided an opportunity to
Behavior Change & 2013 Resolutions Part 2 of 3
In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we mentioned a chance encounter in a supermarket with a man who had reached the produce section and wanted to buy more salad vegetables, but was stymied once he was actually in the store at the point of purchase. He almost walked away without any salad ingredients because he was still going through the stages of making an actual behavior change. All he needed was a little encouragement, information & support in his decision making once he was right there in the store. Timing can make such a huge difference in life!