Canary Islands Food and Drink

Canarian cuisine is a fusion of native Guanche, Spanish, Latin American and African foods. Because of the warm climate light meals are usually eaten as they are more easy to digest. Fish, fruit and fresh vegetables form the main diet with meat used in stews or eaten as steaks.

FOOD

Plantain Bananas
The Canary Islands are Europe's only plantain banana exporter. These delicious bananas are small and aromatic and are usually fried, they are very common in the West Indies. Mousse de Gofio is a desert made from gofio (grain flour), miel de palma (palm honey) and plantains and is absolutely delicious.

Tapas
Tapas is a Spanish concept, usually eaten before lunch or dinner with a beer or glass of wine. Tapa is a small light piece of food presented as a canape, pincho (on a stick) or as a mini-dish of a tradition recipe.

Papas Arrugadas or Papa Sancochada
Often used as a tapa, this is a dish of potatoes which have been boiled in very salty water and then served with mojo picon, a cold spicy sauce made with chilli, garlic, paprika and oil.

Arepas
These are tortas (Mexican sandwich) made from fine corn flour and filled with meat, cheese or sweet mango.

Fish
With fish being caught locally, you will find fish and seafood widely used in local and international dishes. Varieties of fish include sea bass, white sea bream, mackerel, parrot fish, wreckfish, damselfish and bogue. Fish is usually prepared in one of three ways - covered in salt, baked, fried or jareado (sun-dried and then seasoned). A popular fish dish from Tenerife is Sancocho Canario, a salted white fish served in a 'mojo' sauce.

Sampling the varied cuisine of the Canary Islands is a must when on one of the many travel deals available to these amazing islands.

DRINK

Beer
The Canary Islands have three locally brewed beers which are Dorada, Reina and Tropical.

Wine
Winemaking is a part of Canarian tradition. Many local people make their own wine with fruit from their own vines. The traditional sweet Malmsey wine is produced in the volcanic fields on Lanzarote.

Rum
Gran Canaria is well known for its rum factories. Ronmiel (honeyed rum) is a sweet drink made from rum and honey.

Barraquito
Also known as barraco, this is a coffee speciality from the Canary Islands and is very popular on Tenerife and La Palma. A barraquito is made from coffee, milk, condensed milk and a syrupy liquer called Cuarenta y Tres (43).

The Canary Islands are blessed with great weather, beautiful beaches, plenty of history, culture and traditional and welcoming friendly people who will go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your package holidays to these wonderful islands.

Ten Ideas For Creating Food and Drinks in the Blender

Smoothies are a delicious example of a drink that can be made in the blender. You can be as creative as you like with the ingredients and experimenting with tastes and textures is a lot of fun. You can whiz up milk and fruit, mixed fruit with honey and much more. If you have a blender and you only use it occasionally for making a smoothie now and then, you are missing out on a lot of other ways your blender can help you.

Here are some handy tips on how to make the most of your blender.

1. You can make your own baby food using the blender. This works out cheaper than buying baby food, plus you will know exactly what goes into it.

2. Blenders can help you with cooking because you can use them to chop and puree your ingredients, which is a real time saver. Some people prefer not to cook because they don't have time but using a blender can solve this problem. You can liquefy, chop, blend and puree in a blender and they come in handy with a multitude of different recipes.

3. You can make nice sauces using the blender to chop ingredients evenly. This is a great time saver as well as being easier and safer than using knives to chop your herbs, vegetables or whichever ingredients you are using.

4. If you have family or friends coming for a visit, you can whip up spreads, dips and other exciting mixtures in the blender. You can even make a business out of it if you are good at creating culinary masterpieces. All it takes is some experimentation and practice.

5. You can grate hard cheeses such as Swiss and Cheddar in the blender. Cut it into cubes and add them through the feeder cap while the blender runs.

6. Make breadcrumbs in the blender. Use fresh bread for soft breadcrumbs or stale bread for dry breadcrumbs. Again, you should add the pieces through the feeder cap while the motor runs.

7. Your blender can grind whole spices, coffee beans, nuts and crackers. You can make delicious nut butters or spice butters in this way.

8. Use the blender to grind poppy seeds, grate fresh coconut, dissolve gelatin and reconstitute frozen fruit juice and dry milk.

9. You can puree hot soup in the blender. Only fill it half full and leave the feeder cap open for the steam to escape. Begin on a very low setting and turn it up gradually.

10. And of course, there are smoothies!

The blender was invented in 1922 by Stephen Poplawski to create soda fountain drinks. He placed a blade at the base of a tall container and the first blender was born. Of course, the blender has been developed more since then and a blender is a frequent sight in most people's kitchens these days. Blenders come in glass, plastic and steel.

You can get ready-made mixes for smoothies or make your own from scratch. Whether the sun is shining or it is a cold day, juices and smoothies always go down a treat. A blender is designed to add air to a drink, to make it frothy, which is why blender smoothies always come out so good. So if you have a blender and hardly ever use it, why not try out some of the above ideas!

Blender Can Be Simple and Make Amazing Food and Drink

The blender is a fun little gadget that I use when I want to be creative. I do not have one of those fancy do every thing from dice to slice to chop kind of blenders. My blender is a very small one but it does what I ask it to do.

The most common reason I will use my blender is to make icy drinks. My kids love it on a hot sunny day when I take some drink crystal and mix it with ice to make snow cone style drink for the. Crystals come in all flavors. Many times I will have to make two different flavors that have contrast in color. Kids seem to really like having multiple color and flavors in one drink.

When I want to put a twist on my little blender I will add yogurt. You can simply blend yogurt and ice or you can add yogurt to a blended drink to make it creamy. You have to be careful about your colors and this kind of mixing can create a very unappealing color.

The blender is also a very useful tool when it comes to making salsa. My salsa is never the same twice which is too bad because I have made some amazing salsa with my blender. Every salsa I make is done the same way, half the ingredients are put into the blender and turned into puree. The puree is added to the finely chopped salsa ingredients. If you like your salsa chunky this is the way to do it. I would blend the beans is you like beans in your salsa as it will make it look more like mud.

This last one might seem a little strange but I was so surprised when I tried it on my self. Alfredo sauce is one on my favorite sauces to eat on pasta. We all know that Alfredo is also very fattening and great if you want to clog your arteries. I have tried eating lighter versions of Alfredo and I have never been pleased with the outcome. One day I tried something completely different. I put cottage cheese in my blender with enough half and half cream to get it to blend. I added some garlic, pepper and a pinch of cinnamon. I was blown away at the taste. The cottage cheese completely absorbed all the flavors and was creamy smooth without all the fat. The best part is Cottage cheese is loaded with protein so this was good for me.

I ate a lot of cottage cheese based Alfredo that year. I did lean it up by switching to milk instead of half and half. I hope these tips help you use your blender more.

Filipino Foods And Way Of Cooking

People of the Philippines loves to eat. The style of cooking and the foods included with it have evolved over many years from its random origins to a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic, Chinese, American, and other Asian influences adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate. This influences resulted into many delicious Filipino recipes.

Like other countries in Asia, Philippines is a heavy rice eating country. It is most often steamed and served during meals. If there is any leftover rice, it was often fried along side with garlic. It is commonly called as sinangag which is really great for breakfast along with cured meat, egg and sausages. In some regions, rice is combined with salt, condensed milk, cocoa, or coffee.

Filipinos do have many terms prior to their cooking style. Below are some of the most popular ones.

1). Adobo or Inadobo are dishes mainly cooked in vinegar, oil, garlic and soy sauce. It could also refer to just roasting on a wok, with light oil, garlic and salt. The most famous form or example of it is the adobong manok or chicken adobo.

2). Binagoongan or With Bagoong are cooked with fermented fish paste bagoong. Bagoong have strong odors which may be offensive to those unaccustomed to them. But this is what I can tell, bagoong taste really good and is good much with green mangoes as well. A popular dish for this kind of cooking is the binagoongang baboy.

3). Guinataan/sa Gata recipes are cooked with coconut milk. Often times, it includes chili as well. Perfect example for this kind of cooking is the famous Bicol express.

4). Guisa/Guisado/Ginisa" or "Gisado" are dishes sauted with garlic, onions and/or tomatoes. The most common and easiest Filipino cooking style. Most common cooking for vegetable dishes.

Above cooking terms are just few of the many terms Filipinos have in terms of cooking. Although there are so many kinds, types and processes, one thing is common in the way people of the Philippines cooks foods, Filipino do cook with heart. Meaning, all the dish being prepared are absolutely done with quality taste and finest ingredients as well.

Food and Drinks Made Easy With Oster and Cuisinart Blenders

Choosing the best blender means it has to be tough, long-lasting and convenient to use. Oster and Cuisinart are brand names that guaranty first class performance every time. They dedicate their time, energy and research to provide customers with what they are exactly looking for.

Oster blenders are known for its quality and durability. It has millions of loyal users and followers because their products last for years. It is an excellent appliance for food preparation. They have produced so many models already but we mention here a few.

You can get the Oster Contemporary Classic Beehive Blender at $75. It has two speed settings to better control precision in grinding. The classic Beehive is resistant to scratch with a jar that can be cleaned in a dishwasher. It can serve up to five cups and has a stainless steel ice-crushing blade.

Oster also takes pride in another product, the Oster 14 Speed Blender with Food Processor. It has a first-rate mincing and chopping performance from its chopper blade or the reversible disc blade. This type of blender is convenient to use that can fill five cups. It has a scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe glass jar. The food processor has a three-cup capacity. You can pour in liquids as you use it with its food pusher and cover. This fine blender with food processor can also be put away conveniently with its cord storage. You can purchase this for only $46.38.

Oster offers another product, the Oster 14 Speed Blender minus the food processor. This costs $47.37. Having the same capacity and quality, this model includes a five-cup scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe glass jar. It also has a stainless steel ice crusher. It is designed with 14 possible speed options and brushed with chrome to look good on top of your counter. It also has cord storage so you can neatly put it away.

Cuisinart Blenders is another leading brand that equates to quality. Its PowerBlend 600 Blender features a 500-watt motor. It has a large capacity with a 56 oz glass blender jar where you can also pour in liquids through its clear 2 oz measure pour lid. Use its 7-speed touchpad controls to adjust its blending performance. You can pulse, stir, chop, mix, puree, liquefy and crush ice with it. Simply pack it away without the tangle of cords with its brilliant push-in cord storage. Buy this product for $59.95 with a limited 3-year warranty.

Food processors and blenders are good together with the Cuisinart SmartPower Duet blender/food processor. Its large capacity of 40 oz glass blender jar can prepare ice and frozen drinks for several people. The work bowl can handle a volume of 3 cups. This model is so easy to use with its electronic touchpad and 7-speed controls that has separate buttons for ice crushing and food processing. You can pulse, too, at any speed rate. The stainless steel chopping blade, reversible slicing/shredding disc and any removable parts are scratch resistant and dishwasher-safe. At $99.95, it comes with an Instruction and recipe book. Enjoy Cuisinart's 3-year warranty.

For quality and style, Cuisinart presents the SmartPower Premier 600-Watt Blender. You can buy this for $99.95 and enjoy its durability and flair from the cast metal and stainless case that has an embossed Cuisinart logo. Its special feature is the count-up timer that helps you keep up with the time indicated in recipes. The powerful 600-watt motor can crush ice with no hassle and can handle the roughest blending jobs with ease. You can serve your recipe to as many people as you want with its 50 oz glass jar capacity.

This particular model also features the Cuisinart easy-to-use push-button controls and an easy push-on cover with a removable measured pour lid. Enjoy Cuisinart's 3-year warranty service and explore new food ideas with the instruction/recipe book that comes with it.