Is it possible that the potatoes cross-pollinated with tomatoes?

No, Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes are in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, which are self-pollinated.

Under favorable weather conditions, potatoes produce fruits. The green fruit that is observed is really the true fruit of the potato that contains many small seeds. The fruit, although it looks like a small tomato, is poisonous and must not be eaten.

Although they have seed, potato fruits should not be saved for seed because progeny does not come true.

The best way to handle them is to remove these fruit once you see them. That way the plant is not putting energy into produce the seeds and can focus on making better potatoes.

Removing them right away also removes the temptation of children or trainee gardeners to eat the poisonous fruit.

Asian noodle salad is loaded with full of flavor

Pasta salads have traveled a long place from mayonnaise-soaked macaroni salad. In the last few decades, pasta salads have becomes colorful and fresh.

Pasta varieties now include whole wheat, cellophane, egg, soba and the standard semolina. Look in the Asian grocery aisle to locate the Chinese-style wheat noodles called for in this recipe. These noodles have a small give to them so they can be mixed without breaking. If it’s unavailable, use dried linguine.

Dark sesame oil is enriching with rich and nutty peanut butter to form the base of the Asian-style dressing. Fresh lime juice and spicy Chile paste to add a jolt of flavor. You could tame the heat by reducing or omitting the Chile paste.

A colorful sprinkling of shredded green and orange carrots and white bean sprouts complete this satisfying main-course salad.

How can you reduce the calories by hundreds!

Most people identify that black coffee has about zero calories. Add a few ice cubes to cool it off and you are not adding any more.

How can you reduce the calories by hundreds!

1. Milk: First, take the milk that's used, whether it is heated or foamed. For every eight ounces of entire milk in your beverage there are about 9 grams of fat - close to 80 calories just from the fat! Non-fat milk (formerly called skim) has virtually zero fat grams, so you can save 80 calories. And remember, that is for eight ounces - many of these drinks are using 12 ounces of milk, saving you up to 120 calories.

2. Syrup: Now, look at the syrup that flavors your coffee – such as hazelnut, vanilla, caramel, or chocolate. Many coffee bars put three or four squirt of sugary syrup in. So, how can you reduce the calories? They regularly offer sugar-free varieties of any flavor. You could save up to 80 calories by reducing the sugar in the flavored syrup.

3. Cream: Finally, most coffee drinks - whether cold or hot - are topped with a rather large dollop of whipped cream. This can easily be adding more than 50 calories, depending on how generous the barrista! So, ask for less or do without, and save a number of more calories.
You have now found three ways to reduce the calories in your coffee drink: less fat in the milk, less sugar from the syrup (by using sugar-free or reducing the amount), and less (or no) whipped cream.

Advertising against Soda Tax Debut

Despite the fact that there is not a current congressional proposal to tax soft drinks, this week, the American Beverage Association (ABA) launched a $2 million ad campaign against a soda tax, USA reports on august-19. The ABA ads portray a sugar-sweetened beverage tax as a tax on “simple pleasures.”

In July, the ABA joined with the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the National Restaurant Association to start the 110-member coalition Americans against Food Taxes, of which NACS is a member. While no healthcare bills being debated contain a tax on soda, proponents desire such a tax on all sugar-sweetened drinks, including fruit and energy beverages, as part of the fight against obesity.

Choose the best common fruit

For something that seems so simple, buying fruit can be extremely complex. If you look around in any grocery store’s produce section, you’ll notice people sniffing, squeezing, and examining their fruit very carefully. Apples - A ripe apple will be firm and intensely colored. Depending on the variety, there should also be a somewhat rosy tone. Blueberries - Look for blueberries that are dry, firm, and brightly colored. Pass up those that are moist, watery, or dull in color. Cherries - Look for a bag full of purplish cherries, mostly dark, filled in with a few bright red ones. The darker the cherries, the sweeter they’ll taste.

Oranges - When looking for a ripe orange, no need to worry about color. Oranges with green or brown patches can be just as ripe. For the best flavor, heavy orange with a thin, look for a firm, smooth skin. Pears - Most pears in the supermarket are not yet ripe, so prefer those that are firm, but not extremely hard, and free from dark soft spots. Plums - The best plums are those that yield somewhat to pressure and have a deep color and semi-soft tip.

Ginger syrup is the hot new cocktail flavor

Move over, ginger is spicing up drinks all over town. Cocktails flavored with ginger have migrate from Asian fusion restaurants such as Shinsei and Asian Mint to Latin restaurants like La Duni and Masaryk Modern Mexican Kitchen. One of the most general cocktails is a boozy ginger limeade made with ginger-infused simple syrup. Equally Dragonfly and Shinsei spike theirs with Hangar One Kaffir Lime Vodka. At Masaryk, gingery simple syrup gives additional kick to a margarita and a kid-friendly lime agua fresca.

Ginger syrup even match up with green tea. It's easy to create your own ginger syrup. Since it keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, you can have it on hand for flavoring a large variety of drinks – even soda water.

Method for Irish cream parfait

1. Lightly grease a 1-litre pyramid-shaped terrine or loaf pan and line with plastic wrap, leaving plenty suspended.

2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmered water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Remove the bowl with stir until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat custard in a pan over average heat until just below boiling point. Mix with chocolate and leave to chill. Stir in Baileys.

4. Whip cream to soft peaks, and then fold into custard mixture. Place in terrine, cover with overhanging wrap, then freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until solid.

5. To serve, turn out parfait onto a plate, remove wrap and slice thickly. Dust with garnish and cinnamon with fairy floss.

Coalitions Petition FDA for Tobocco flavored clarification

FDA Week reports that under a latest law, the FDA has banned tobacco products that contain “an artificial or natural flavor or an herb or spice...that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke.” Retailers establish selling the banned products are subject to jail time and fines as high as $10,000, along with civil penalties of up to $250,000 per violation. However, the petition states that some products are not obviously labeled as containing flavors. The Coalition said that without absolute clarity from the FDA, retailers are at risk for "substantial and unnecessary economic losses" even when acting in excellent faith to comply with the Act.

"Even if manufacturers were to give information that a cigarette contains a natural fruit or artificial fruit, candy, herb or spice flavor, wholesalers and retailers would still be unable to determine the level at which the FDA would consider a exacting constituent or additive to be a 'characterizing flavor' of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke," the petition states.

The petition asked the FDA to begin the official rule-making process to implement the law's ban on both clearly identifiable flavored products as well as those with less definitive labeling. Under federal law, the FDA is necessary to respond to citizen petitions within 180 days.

Styles and varieties of Sichuan Food

Within China there are lots of regional cuisines. Everyone's heard of the Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan styles tout by Chinese restaurants in the U.S. Take for example Sichuan Food. Sichuan is famous for its spicy food, but there is a enormous range of flavors and styles throughout the province and describing them all as "spicy" is like describing all Italian pasta dishes as "wheat-flavored".

Another way to classify Sichuan food is by style or flavor which can cut across the provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing. There are a lot of signature styles that are considered "Sichuan".

The name "Yu Xiang" means "fish-flavored" in Chinese, which is the odd because there is no fish at all in it. Another flavor is Gong Bao, also known in the U.S. as "Kung Pao", means "Sichuan-flavored".

One of the most popular Chinese food dishes in America is Tang Cu or "Sweet and Sour". This is flavors that combine garlic, ginger and peanuts with the tingling, numbing huajiao peppercorns native to Sichuan.

Make pizza with nutrients and low in calories

A slice of pizzas from your local parlor, smother with cheese and topped with sausage and pepperoni, is a fat and calorie catastrophe. Make it yourself, however, and you could end up with a relatively healthy meal.

First, reduce up on the cheese. Part-skim mozzarella and other lower-fat cheeses are a great source of protein and calcium and frequently have half the fat and a third fewer calories than regular versions.

Add the lower-fat cheese with just a sprinkle of a flavorful, full-fat hard cheese, such as Parmesan or pecorino.

Don't be scared to slather on the tomato sauce. Tomatoes are overloaded with antioxidants, plus they are high in flavor and fat-free. If you like, you can make a white pizza sauce by purée roasted garlic cloves with a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil.

Vegetables are filling, high loaded with nutrients and low in calories, so pile them high on your pizza.

Hand pies comes in variety of flavors

Small pies, frequently called hand pies, are much better travelers than a slice of pie. In fact, some retailers call them “pocket pies” because they are so simple to carry around.

While they may appear as American as, well, apple pie, hand pies circle the globe. In South America, small pies known as empanadas are made with both meat and fruit filling. Indian hand pies called samosas usually have a spicy filling, and Greek tiropita pies often are sold as a fast breakfast on the go.

Making hand pies involve a little more work than one big pie, but the process is almost the same. The filling, whether sweet or savory, is ready just like a regular pie filling, and then the dough is rolled out, cut and folded or crimped over a dollop of filling.

The world’s largest purveyor of hand pies, McDonald’s, is switched from fried pies to baked apple pies in 1992 (their pineapple pies, which they call empanadas, also are baked).

Cucumber - delightful crunch to complement the main ingredients

Cucumber is classified as a fruit and it is one of the parts of squash family. Cucumbers are loaded with the health benefits. They are high in water content (about 95 percent), helps your digestive system. Their fiber-rich skin and high levels of potassium and manganese help to regulate blood pressure.

Cucumbers are fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, low calorie and a good source of vitamin C. Since ancient times cucumber has been believed to increase the skin and is still found as a popular ingredient in skin care products.

There are almost 100 varieties of cucumbers full-grown around the world. Three of the most ordinary are the English cucumber, the 'slicer' cucumber, and the short, squat pickling variety.
The traditional English tea sandwiches may be the one place where cucumbers take middle stage. This classic starts with white bread, spread lightly with butter, topped with cucumbers. The crusts of the sandwich are then trim off and the sandwich cut into dainty triangles.

Swensen's New Ice Cream Mooncakes with an Amazing Flavors

Singapore - American restaurant chain, Swensen's, is launching an exciting array of ice cream mooncakes in period for the Mid-Autumn's Festival, with new interesting flavors, such as Strawberry Peachy Mango Yogurt and Mangosteen.

The specialty ice cream mooncakes will be obtainable from 1st September to 3rd October 2009, at all Swensen's and Earle Swensen's restaurants.

The Flavors

1. Sticky Chewy Chocolate : The all-time-favorite is back! Savor Swensen's Signature Sticky Chewy Chocolate ice cream that is good sufficient on its own.

2. Durian Supreme (Improved Version): With just a whiff of the aromatic fragrance and a bite of our better ultra creamy Durian ice cream is sure to send you clamoring for more!

3. Hazelnut Latte (New!): Hazelnut ice cream swirled with Cappuccino ice cream - a coffee lover's ideal choice!

4. Strawberry Peachy Mango Yogurt (New!): Delight and soothe your palate with the refreshing mixture of Strawberry ice cream swirled with Peachy Mango ice cream and yogurt.

5. Kiwi Raspberry (New!): Feel the zesty taste of Kiwi ice cream swirled with tangy Raspberry ice cream for a unique tropical practice.

6. Mangosteen (New!): Surprise your taste buds with rich and flavorful Mangosteen ice cream that looks and tastes approximately like the real thing!

7. Black Sesame Peanut (New!): Bringing back the traditional taste with a cool twist is the creamy Black Sesame ice cream swirled with perfumed Peanut ice cream.

8. Milo (New!): Revel in a latest way to enjoy this local favorite of Milo ice cream with diced almonds to give that extra crunch.

Health benefits of ginger flavor

Ginger root has been identified to have many health benefits. Some claim that it helps with migraines, fights off the general cold, and even helps with certain types of cancer.

The spice was also a flavor that was big in the United States in the 1940's and 1950's but for a few reason disappeared. It was supposed that ginger did not mix well with hard alcohol but thanks to some creative bartenders and mixologists, that myth has been dispelled.

A Pomegranate Ginger Champagne cocktail is a chill refreshing drink on a hot day or for that special occasion. Adding the flavor of ginger to other drinks is becoming popular. In the mood for something sweet? Enjoy with Ginger Snap Martini that goes down great in the winter or summer.