Caramel apples for this Halloween treat

Caramel apples were a general Halloween treat. But now it seems that packaged candy is what goes into trick-or-treat bags, and caramel apples are relegate to the gourmet-food.

America's Test Kitchen gives some tips for successfully dipping apples:

• For the caramel coating, melt together soft caramel candies and a little heavy cream, this will enable the caramel to coat the apples smoothly.

• Coat the apples with caramel by spoon the hot caramel over the apples. It will flow easily around the apple to make a thin, uniform layer. Roll the freshly coated apples in the candy fast so the candy will stick fast.

• Candy bars with crunchy cookies, caramel or toffee are the good match for the flavors of the apple and caramel.

• Choose smaller, tart apples for the best flavor and part of caramel to apple. Granny Smiths or McIntosh apples offer a tart bite that cuts through the richness of the caramel and candy.

• Caramel apples keep 2 weeks refrigerated and covered.

Origins of coffee flavors

The origin of coffee was explained in a legend about the "flying goat." It is said that a goat rancher discovered the effects of coffee after notice that when his goats ate the cherries of a specific plant, they gained high quantity of energy causing them to "dance" or "fly." Some of the different process of drying the beans was also discussed.

There are basically two major ways to process the beans. They are either the dry or natural process, which allows the flavor of the cherries to come out more distinct in the final product. The other is by washing the cherries off of the beans. Each of the numerous countries where coffee is grown has their own way of doing it, and each of them believes their process is the best. These two processes finally lend themselves to specific descriptions of the coffee flavor, naturally resulting in an "earthy" or "dirty" flavor, and the wash having a "clean" taste.

Know about torani pumpkin pie syrup

The holiday drinks that crowd coffeehouse menu this time of year cheer and embolden us. Yes, embolden. Do we dare try and make a tasty caramel apple martini or pumpkin whipped cream pasta at home? We do dare, in truth.

And we'll likely begin with Torani's Pumpkin Pie syrup. You knew Torani did Vanilla and Hazelnut. Even our most favorite flavor name yet, Orgeat. But the Italian syrup maker also puts out the fall/winter flavors like Gingerbread, Pumpkin Pie and Shortbread.

Shortbread! Oh wonders do not finish. What kind of knock-the-guests'-socks-off cocktail can we build with that? Shortbread-tinis for everybody.

Health benefits: More spice, less fat

What’s a spice? A spice may be the bud (clove), rhizome (ginger), bark (cinnamon), berry (peppercorn), aromatic seed (cumin), or flower stigma (saffron) of a plant.

Nutrition research supports new reasons to season dishes with herbs and spices including cinnamon, oregano, ginger, red pepper and yellow curry powder. Blueberries, pomegranates and other deeply colored fruits might be famous for their high antioxidant content; but it turn out that some spices rank really high, too.

One teaspoon of cinnamon has the disease fighting antioxidant control of a full cup of pomegranate juice or half cup of blueberries. The specific kind of antioxidant compounds found in cinnamon called polyphenols have been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and fight inflammation which can raise risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Of course one of the best ways that spices can give to the enjoyment of a healthy diet is by taking the place of other seasonings that are high in fat, sugar or salt. Herbs and spices are classified as salt-free and calorie-free.

Familiar flavor of caramel apple cupcakes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes get you back to your childhood with the flavors of a fall festival treat.

The cupcakes are a snap to prepare with the assist of packaged cake mix, canned apple pie filling and dulce de leche sauce. They are a great ending to a casual autumn gathering or a school's fall bake sale.

Look for dulce de leche sauce (sweetened milk cooked down to a thick caramel) with the ice cream sauces in the superstore. If you can't locate it, substitute a jar of thick caramel sauce. The great choices are usually labeled "hot" caramel sauce.

Great way to use of light coconut milk

By adding tropical flavors to the traditional bird, the result is a soup that is big on taste and still maintains the nutritional worth of the turkey.

Coconut milk provides the essential tropical flavor to the soup.
Coconut milk is somewhat high in saturated fat and must be used sparingly simply for its flavor. The use of light coconut milk provides flavor with lower saturated fat content.

Lemongrass is regularly used in combination with coconut milk. The narrow foliage of lemongrass ranges from blue-green to gold and the flowers are white, green or cream. Underutilized in American cuisine, lemongrass has long been related with savory Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Cambodian cooking.

The lime and ginger finish the layers of tropical flavors.

Some people swear by soda made south of the border

You're probably familiar with the flavor of the most popular soft drink in the world: Coca Cola. But few people insist a version of the soda that's hard to find around here tastes better than the rest.

Most Coke sell in the U.S. is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, but bottlers in Mexico still use cane sugar. The majority of American bottlers switched away from cane sugar in the 1980s.

The Coca-Cola Company says there is no noticeable difference in taste between the two, while fans of Mexican Coke beg to differ. "I think it has a lot cleaner flavor,".

Additionally, Coke made with cane sugar is extensively available around Passover, and Pepsi recently launched a cane-sugar-only formula called Throwback Pepsi.

Tips to cook in healthy oils

Grapeseed oil: Extracted from the seeds of grapes, and naturally imported from France, Italy, or Switzerland, this oil also has a high smoke point, which makes it good for sautéing or stir-frying.

Avocado oil: Pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding this nutty-flavored oil, the avocado pit, like olive oil, is rich in monounsaturated fats. This also delicious in vinaigrette dressings or drizzled over vegetables.

Nut oils: The good thing about nut oils, such as almond, macadamia, hazelnut, peanut, pecan, pistachio, and walnut oils, is that they provide the same monounsaturated fats that are found in the nuts themselves (but they don't contain the fiber). Nut oils can go rancid fast, so store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Pumpkin seed oil: Made from roasted pumpkin seeds, this very flavorful, dark green, opaque oil is good to use in combination with lighter oils for sautéing or in salad dressings. It could also be used undiluted to add a distinctive flavor to fish or steamed vegetables.

Safflower oil: It contains more polyunsaturated fats than some other oil. The oil also has a high smoke point, which makes it fine for sautéing or stir-frying. You could mix it with more flavorful oils for heart-healthy salad dressings, too.

Most variations of coffee drinks

You can see most of these drinks contain two main ingredients - espresso and some form of milk. It is mostly in how the milk is prepared that differentiate one drink from another.

Espresso: The foundation of all espresso-based drinks, as well as a drink into itself, espresso is a small dose (generally 1 to 2 ounces) of concentrated coffee, hopefully containing all of the good and tasty elements of the coffee bean while leaving the less desirable qualities, such as bitterness, behind.

Latté: Espresso with milk steamed on 150 or 155 degrees. Some people will ask for an "extra hot" latté, but the milk must be steamed no higher than 170 degrees or it will scald and ruin the flavor of the drink. The milk in a latté also may be very little foamed as well as steamed. A latté made with steamed milk only a few times called a Flat White.

Cappuccino: Espresso with milk that is both steamed and foamed, making a creamier and a bit sweeter drink than a latté. A cappuccino is not the powdered drinks that comes out of a gas station coffee machine. Real cappuccinos require a level of skill and attention in properly preparing the milk that can only be accomplished by a human being, so far.

Beneficial special effects of fruits and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of some vitamins: such as orange, tomato and kiwi vitamin C and folate, carrots, apricots, green leafy vegetables of pro-vitamin A, legumes and Grains thiamin, niacin and folate. They are also an excellent source of minerals (green leafy vegetables, calcium and iron, the potato and tomato potassium), although the absorption of the latter is generally lower than that of the same mineral content in food source animal. Because they contain substances that act protected the beneficial effects of consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes also depends on the fact that some of their components play a protective action, mostly of type antioxidant, which is expressed by counteracting the action of free radicals, which are capable of changing the structure of cell membranes and genetic material (DNA), paving the method for premature aging and a whole series of reactions leading to various cancers. This protective action, plus the previously mentioned components (vitamins and minerals), was also held by other components, which, although present in relatively small amounts, are also very active from the biological point of view through several mechanisms: the largest of these is precisely what an antioxidant.

Among the different classes of antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables the most familiar are:

- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C). - Carotenoids . - Phenolic compounds . - Tocopherols (originate in oil seeds and green leafy vegetables).

Difference between vanilla extract and vanilla beans

Vanilla is available in many forms, including powders and pastes, but the most common is liquid extract. Naturally derived extract is amber in color, nuanced taste, with a robust, a rich composite of more than 200 flavor compounds in vanilla. Imitation extract contains chemically synthesize vanillin, the primary flavor compound. Because the other compounds are missing, the artificial version lack complexity and has a bitter aftertaste. Vanilla is used in small quantities and has a long shelf life, so it is worth buying the actual thing.

Even though extract is suitable in most dishes, vanilla beans lend a purer taste. Use beans in foods where vanilla is the defining flavor, such as ice cream and custard. Split the pod lengthwise, and scratch the seeds into a dish; the contents of one bean are equal to about 1 tablespoon of extract. Use the empty pod to infuse sauces and other liquids.

Cadbury Chocolate discards Kraft's $16 Billion Offer

A member of the family that founded the British chocolate company Cadbury has spoken out about a possible conquest by the American food company Kraft. Cadbury's management recently rejected a $16 billion suggest from Kraft. Felicity Loudon said she feels ''particularly saddened by the possibility of one of the last remaining British icons disappearing into an American plastic cheese company."

And today's Last Word in business comes from a Cadbury. A member of the family that founded the British chocolate company has spoken out about a possible conquest by the American food company Kraft. Cadbury's management recently rejected a $16 billion offer from Kraft and discussion continuing.

On oct 5th, Felicity Loudon, whose grandfather Egbert Cadbury was a managing director of the company, made clear her distaste for the possible deal. She told a British newspaper that as a Cadbury, she feels quote, "particularly saddened by the possibility of one of the last remaining British icons disappearing into an American plastic cheese company."

Great time to have fruit smoothies

Fruit smoothies are a great way to satisfy hunger pains and boost energy without resorting to an luxurious latte.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adamantly suggest eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain good health. But if eating five oranges a day does not sound appealing, there are other ways to figure in the fructose.

When choosing a fruit smoothie - and there are plenty of places to grab one on and off campus - the most important decision is to select a nutrient-rich drink. A fruit smoothie must foremost contain adequate amounts of fruit. And the fresher, the better.

To make a smoothie, for instance the famous strawberry-banana, Doan blends four or five regular-sized strawberries and one banana with 1/2 cup of crushed ice. The simplicity is key here, as the fruit is fresh and sugary enough to not require any added ingredients.

International flavor of world food day

World Food Day will be held at the Townsville Multicultural Support Group grounds on October 16, and will involves refugee and migrants showcasing healthy and affordable traditional foods during a taste testing event at lunch.

The Townsville Multicultural Support Group, in partnership with Queensland Health (Health Promotion Unit) and Townsville City Council are holding the occasion to promote the theme ‘Healthy Food is Affordable’ for World Food Day.

The event will complement a program in which up to 14 refugees and migrants are participating in education sessions, conducted by Naomi McGrath, on adopting a holistic, Community Nutritionist with Queensland Health, healthy lifestyle as part of the Eat Well Be Active Community Partnerships Program funded by the Department of Communities.