Custom Made Crafts » Food & Drink

There’s an Art to Making Coffee

admin — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:10:00 +0000

If you’re not a coffee drinker you may not realize that to many people there is an art to brewing coffee. It may seem insane to you that people actually spend hours debating the differences between french press and drip coffee machines and the merits of whole bean coffee versus ground — though most coffee snobs will be firmly on the side of fresh roasted whole beans to make the perfect brew.

The rise of the barista in the last few decades has taken the art of coffee to a new level. There are actually competitions for baristas to show off their skill in creating elaborate coffee drinks and to create new recipes of their own. Being able to match the personality and taste buds of a customer to the right coffee drink is as important to them as pairing the correct wine with a meal is to a sommelier.

There’s one other area in which coffee snobs take brewing to an art, and that’s in the creation of literal coffee art. This involves using cream, milk, and foam to draw designs in the top of a cup of coffee. Some baristas are able to draw actual images in a mug while still others create beautiful layered drinks that are best shown off in a glass coffee cup.

There’s an Art to Making Coffee is a post from: The Art of Business

Cafe Culture in Tel Aviv

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:10:00 +0000

For those who are accustomed to going to restaurants to eat, cafe culture can be a bit of a baffler. There seems to be an inversion of principles, where it’s difficult to gnosh and get back to the business of sightseeing, or to the beach where people are busy getting more relaxed than they were the day before. It’s a different way of looking at the world, and for anyone who’s never tried it, spending a day in a cafe will transform the way one perceives time.

Tel Aviv hotels are quite elegant, and offer the chance to set up base in a remarkable place. It doesn’t take very long to appreciate the city, but it does take some time to come to recognize its nuances. The local cafe culture is similar to ones of its kind in other cities, certainly. There are very few people with laptops who gather in public to perform the representation of solitude.

It’s a place to meet and have conversations first, and to eat and drink second. It does become apparent, however, that when it comes to eating, there is a passion here that few countries in the world can rival, but the important thing here is not to have the meal, but to engage with the people. It’s an exceptional moment when one first recognizes it.

Cafe Culture in Tel Aviv is a post from: The Art of Business

Restaurants in Modesto, CA

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:10:00 +0000

No matter where you go on this earth there are a few things that are a must do regardless of anything else. One of those must do things is eat. It is necessary and vital for our survival but also it is something that we as people like to do, have fun doing, and make into social outings many times. Modesto, California is a place that has a very diverse population and as a result of that there are many different restaurants and styles of food to choose from. In fact, coming to Modesto just to eat at the various restaurants would be a great trip. See hotels modesto to get a room for your stay and get out and start taste tasting.

One good spot to check out is Mountain Mike’s Pizzeria. The pizza here is loaded with whatever topping you choose and cooked to perfection. One bite will be all you need to know that you made the right decision by eating at Mountain Mike’s Pizzeria. There are other dishes and meals on the menu such as sandwiches, pastas, and such but the main event has to be the pizza.

Memphis Tip Top Barbeque in Modesto is so good its almost as if it is a piece of Memphis placed in California. The barbeque is authentic southern style barbeque and meat is smoked to perfection. With the secret recipe used for the sauce there is almost no need for napkins because everybody licks there fingers to get all they can out of it. Memphis tip top Barbeque also is a great choice to have cater an event for you. They do Bar and Bat Mitzvahs,BBQ’s, birthday parties, block parties, and basically any other event or reason you can create to order some great tasting barbeque.

Restaurants in Modesto, CA is a post from: The Art of Business

Jackson Valentine

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:29:36 +0000

Well if you are a snow bunny couple and like to snuggle up for Valentine’s Day then check out the winter town of Jackson in Jackson Hole Wyoming. There are many charming hotels around Jackson that you can find here that should ever everything you need to romance your sweetheart. When you make your reservations you can add on things like have a bottle of wine, cheese and box of chocolates in the room for when we arrive. There is nothing like getting into the luxurious room and having a glass of wine with a nice treat. It is a great way to start of the vacation.

Then you can get out and walk around the old western town. The square has a quaint little park in the center that has massive antler archways at each corner entrance. When you stand in the snowy center of the little park you can turn around and see it surrounded with shops, galleries, restaurants and saloons. It is a charming as it gets as you chat about your favorite subjects while swinging on a swing set under the snow filled trees. When the sun goes down you may start to feel the need for a hot totie as the chill hits your face and all you need to do is walk across the street to a place like the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse

The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is offering up some specials for Valentine’s Day along with other restaurants in town. The Mangy Moose has bee in town for a while and is considered quite the hot spot. It is a restaurant and Saloon that features live entertainment through out the week. You can head in for dinner or after dinner and catch a favorite cocktail and see The Ooo La Lahs for Valentine’s Day. They play bluegrass/folk music and should keep you twirling you love around the dance floor all night.

Jackson Valentine is a post from: The Art of Business

Hawker Food and Great Restaurants Are Part of Singapore’s Cuisine Options

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:52:21 +0000

One of the interesting things Tim discovered on his business trip to Singapore was that it was definitely a great city to discover you were hungry in. This happened to him during the second meeting of the morning on his first day there. He was surprised by how hungry he was and how suddenly it hit him. Then he remembered he hadn’t eaten anything since the previous morning because he had difficult time eating anything when he flew and he went to sleep almost immediately after settling into his hotel room. That morning he grabbed a quick cup of coffee and was nervous about the first meeting, so he didn’t even think about breakfast. Tim was one of those individuals that just couldn’t eat when he was nervous, worried or otherwise upset or concerned about something.

At least his urgent hunger indicated to Tim that he was dealing well with the work and was feeling okay in Singapore. The downside was that since it was his first meeting in town he hadn’t had the chance to explore anything yet and had no idea where he would go and the meeting wasn’t scheduled to end for another 45 minutes. Just as Tim worried it would, his stomach began to make loud noises and it gained him some unwanted attention by his project partner. The partner offered him a Snicker’s bar but Tim was worried that the sugar would upset his system since it hadn’t had anything but caffeine in it for the past 24 hours.

Luckily for Tim the meeting ended 15 minutes early and he rushed out onto the street determined to dine in the first Singapore restaurant he found. It turns out that he didn’t even need to wait for a restaurant and he discovered a new way of having lunch and a great new meal. He encountered a hawker food vendor and saw a small line of people in front of it. He joined right in and ordered a bowl of the rice and fish. It tasted so good and was just what he needed to get through the rest of the day. When Tim looked up from his bowl noticed a sign for the Majestic Restaurant across the street. That looked great he thought and found the perfect place to have his dinner. Tim thought he might eat his way through the city of Singapore while he was there.

Hawker Food and Great Restaurants Are Part of Singapore’s Cuisine Options is a post from: The Art of Business

Festival First Night in Sydney

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:04:37 +0000

On January 9th, Festival First Night kicks off, an annual free event for the Sydney Festival in Australia. The festival is one of Australia’s biggest arts festivals, which provides theater and dance and art throughout the first month of the year. Festival First Night began just two years ago, but it’s already considered a tradition, held in Hyde Park, featuring a family-centered host of activities: people are taught to dance and juggle; daredevils perform in an outdoor circus. There’s music throughout the afternoon, and, then, around sunset, lights in the park’s trees come on and over forty Rajasthani musicians provide an advance performance of the scheduled work, The Manganiyar Seduction.

During the festival, there will be a series of plays and concerts, including the following: Hamlet, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms, the Maganiyar Seduction, Ruhe, Oedipus Loves You, Happy as Larry, and others; concerts include Al Green, The Maganiyar Seduction, Ruhe, Fractured Again, Isy Suttie, Music Alive: Zeeko, and John Cale as a keynote performer.

The Black Arm Band, an inspirational indigenous group, is scheduled to perform as well, with a show titled Hidden Republic, which includes over 25 musicians and songwriters, backed by a full orchestra. The musicians include Ruby Hunter, Jimmy Little, Archie Roach and Dan Sultan, after which Al Green, gospel and soul singer, will appear for the first time in Australia.

All these performances will change the winter city into a playground in summer. Keep on the watch for the unanticipated!

The organizers of the event, suggest people prepare properly for the sun — wear your hats, sunscreen, and drink water, and also to leave behind items that might be troublesome at the park, such as pets and glass, skateboards and rollerblades, and thongs.

They note, too, that food and drink will be available throughout the day, but if you don’t want to have festival food, you might wish to avail yourself of any number of fine restaurants Sydney has to offer.

Festival First Night in Sydney is a post from: The Art of Business

Hong Kong Food and Wine Year

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:39:36 +0000

Asia has a mystique that’s too old and too vast to ever understand. One could spend a lifetime in each city, in fact, and still never get to the bottom of things. The major cities where you’ll find our luxury hotels are always changing and always evolving, and when you’re here, you add to the history and the mystery of place in some small way. It’s humbling to be a witness to the enormous cultural changes that happen here, and a fantastic way to enjoy the experience is in the comfort of our accommodations. We offer a splendid sense of tradition and innovation, and our hotels are carefully selected for their ability to combine old-fashioned hospitality with state of the art amenities.

You’ll love the way you can drift off to sleep in the splendor of our spacious rooms, and after a rest, and perhaps a meal served by world-class chefs, you’ll be ready to explore the new surroundings. Asia has enormous variety and diversity in all things, and that absolutely applies to the food. It’s impossible to decide which place has the best food, and even in terms of traditional food this is difficult, because the tastes from each country and region are spectacular. In a global society, when mixing and blending of styles and traditions are more commonplace, this is even more difficult. Generally, the more cosmopolitan places would offer a larger selection of foods, influenced by all the nearby countries, as well as the tastes of travelers from all over the world.

This is certainly true in Hong Kong, possibly the most cosmopolitan place on earth in terms of sensibility. But you can find the best of traditional as well as international food during the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year. Held for 10 days at the end of 2009, it’s a masterpiece in entertainment and cuisine, of course, where guests can sample all the best of the best that this place offers. If Hong Kong has the scene you’re looking for, and if you like to eat, this is a spectacular event, and one that is not to be missed.

Hong Kong Food and Wine Year is a post from: The Art of Business

Washing Vegetables Made Easy

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:51:11 +0000

Having an outdoor kitchen invites a whole new lifestyle to your world. It suggests that you give a special place in your home for leisure, and place extra importance in being social. There is a splendid feeling that comes with the smell of grilling in the great outdoors, and this can be something that happens in your own backyard. As you begin to learn the intricacies of outdoor grilling, you’ll start to dream of making your set-up distinctive. You’ll move from being an occasional cook to an outdoor chef. One way to begin this transformation is with the addition of an outdoor sink.

An outdoor sink can make a huge difference in your cooking experience. It adds a certain level of convenience to what you do, and adds a special touch to the entire process. You probably hear about the importance of washing fruits and vegetables, to remove any traces of pesticides, and to counter any contamination that might occur from the many hands that have already touched the food. For maintaining the nutritional quality, as well as preparing food correctly, washing is extremely important, and now you’ll be able to move through the process very smoothly.

Even a brief washing can get rid of a very high percentage of the contaminants, and it’s also true that fruits and vegetables simply tastes better. Care and attention to the ingredients always comes through when the meal is served. It’s part of the magic of cooking, that turns it from science into art. One important discovery that all outdoor chefs make is that everything can be grilled. It’s simply amazing how many new tastes are waiting for you! Roasted garlic and potatoes are fantastic, and the same magic can be applied to oranges, mango, and papaya, to give your already savory meals and extra boost toward heavenly. It’s very to prepare when the sink is part of your set-up, where washing and peeling can be performed right there at the grill. It’s all at your fingertips, and great rewards come to those who dream big.

Washing Vegetables Made Easy is a post from: The Art of Business

Sevilla Landmarks and Cuisine

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:43:30 +0000

Sevilla, Spain, as of the latest count, is the countries fourth largest metropolitan area with a population count of almost one and one half million people. In the city itself, there are over 700,000 residents. Located on the Guadalquivir River, it is considered to be Southern Spain’s financial, cultural and artistic capital. The city is ancient, over 2,000 years old so one can imagine the numerous changes that have taken place during its formation. Over the centuries, millions and millions of people have lived, worked and worshipped here, forming the many varied cultures and beliefs that are found in Sevilla today. Sevilla Spain hotels are an experience of their own. From five star on down, you will find whatever fits your needs and your wallet. But rest assured, you will enjoy your stay; always welcome, always special.

There are many breathtaking architectural wonders here. One of the most beautiful monuments is the Cathedral of Seville, construction starting in 1401. Of all the medieval and gothic monuments, this one is considered the largest. It is ornately decorated, with gold being used lavishly throughout. The Bell Tower was originally known as the Giralda, which was a minaret until its conversion. Atop the tower is a statue known as El Giraldillo and represents Faith. Interestingly, when the tower was built, there were no stairs leading to the tower, only ramps so the Muezzin and other riders could reach the top on horseback.

And the cuisine, ahhh the cuisine. You will find a multitude of choices to satisfy any appetite. From the more exotic seafood such as squid and swordfish to the more common shrimp and local fish, fried, grilled or baked, with or without sauces. There is ham, lamb, snails and sweets. Try the pestinos, which are honey coated sweet fritters, or the fried slices of bread with honey, known as torrijas. Your taste buds will remember Sevilla long after your return home.

Sevilla Landmarks and Cuisine is a post from: The Art of Business

Caramelizing with Your Grill

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:08:11 +0000

Built in gas grills are a fantastic addition to a home, and will change the way you think about cooking. It will very likely suddenly turn from a chore into an art form. You may suddenly find yourself thinking about cooking more often than you think about eating, and you’ll become interested in food in an entirely new way. It is like entering into an alternate universe, where possibilities start revealing themselves. Everything will seem related to the sense of smell, and you might start to feel happily responsible for making your neighborhood smell heavenly.

There are hundreds of techniques, and endless variations on these techniques, for making interesting meals on your built in gas grill. One technique is caramelization, and here we’ll just have a quick look into how this works with fruit and vegetables. Essentially, caramelization is a process of grilling on medium heat until it’s browned on the outside, and a natural sweetness is captured (ok, granted, some of the sweetness might be from the butter, too). The overall taste and aroma are nutty, and it’s a very pleasing thing to the eye and the tongue.

There are some wonderful recipes for making caramelized onions. The most common ingredients for this include the onions of course (vidalia is very nice), butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Wrapping the onion and butter in aluminum foil and then cooking for at least an hour will bring out the taste of the onion, as well as mixing its essential flavors with the smoke. This time will also be sufficient to let the butter do its caramelizing magic on the onion. There are recipes for other vegetables, too, and all are worth looking into. You’ll want to start mixing it up once you see how easy it is, but also how elegant it makes a meal. Fruits are also beautifully prepared this way. Whether you’re cooking with peaches, apples, oranges, or anything else you can think of, the caramelizing process will make for a fantastic accompaniment to all types of flavors.

Caramelizing with Your Grill is a post from: The Art of Business