What are some of the best ways to get juice out of a lemon? This video for beginners says to get the juices flowing microwave the lemon for 15 seconds or roll the lemon under your plam on the counter top. You'll want to strain the lemon to remove those pesky seeds.
WSJ.com columnist Eric Felten shows the recipe for the original martini, which was originally a sweet drink made with sweet vermouth and gin. Felten also talks about the recipe has evolved over time.
The Seattle Timesreports that a combination of a weak dollar and higher shipping costs is making gourmet and specialty items more costly. Basic grocery food items are also on the rise.
A weak U.S. dollar and higher shipping costs mean less buying power in many parts of the world, especially Europe, where it costs about $1.44 to buy one euro, up from $1.30 this time last year.
Combine those factors with rising wheat and rice prices and poor harvests of products like saffron and figs, and Seattle area importers, distributors and gourmet shops say to expect higher prices on a host of items, from olive oil and vinegar to cheese, pastas, wine and English sea salts.
"I would expect the grocery bill to spike fairly significantly at specialty or gourmet stores, particularly those importing their products," said Darren Brewster, an international trade specialist with Tacoma's World Trade Center.
Some items may become so expensive that you won't be able to find them anymore says the Seattle Times article.
At EvZe World Gourmet in Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood, that missing product will be Fideo, a Spanish pasta with squid ink. Owner Tony Aikens likes to cook it with canned octopus, smoked paprika and olive oil, but he doubts customers will buy a bag of pasta for $8, no matter how flavorful. Now he's absorbing price increases on a favorite brand of Italian lentils, hoping they don't suffer the same fate.
In the market for cataplanas? Once the domed copper clam cookers from Portugal sell out, The Spanish Table won't restock.
If you are using a lot of imported gourmet food items you should probably expect your monthly food bill to rise.
Chef Brian Johnson and Sous Chef Amanda teach you how make some tasty looking mexican pizzas. This is a spicy pizza with a thin crust and taco style toppings.
A lot of people are trying to start healthy diets and lifestyle this time of year. Fitness expert and health-guru Denise Austin offers the following suggestions for getting your year off to a good healhty start. She's also teamed with Tyson foods as you can see in the tips and in the video clip.
Moderation is key: Balanced food choices will put you on the path to success. Including Tyson recipe-ready chicken or steak in one or two meals a week will help cut down on fast food eating, and giving your family new and healthy meals to try. Try eating well 80 percent of the time and treating yourself the other 20 percent.
Mix it up: Don't get stuck in the rut of eating high-calorie foods for convenience sake. Tyson recipe-ready chicken or steak allows you to prepare a fast meal that is both tasty and good for you. Chicken or steak strips on a salad, in pasta, or even inside a wrap make a great, high-protein lunch, dinner or snack.
Curb snacking: Try putting an 8 p.m. curfew on your kitchen or brush your teeth after dinner to help keep temptation at bay and put a mental cutoff on eating plans for the evening.
Make it convenient: Even if you don't hit the gym every day, make exercise interesting by making walking dates with friends, or even just finding reasons to get up from your desk at work and move around.
Get in a routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, giving yourself eight hours of sleep for maximum energy. And make sure to start your day with a healthy breakfast; studies reveal that skipping meals can actually lead to overeating and weight gain.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is easier said this done but it does make a routine easier if you can pull it off. Here's Denise Austin teaching you how to make Southwestern chicken salad.
