benefits of goji berries Information

Tobacco - It's one of the healthiest things for you? - San Francisco Examiner

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:08:00 GMT
I'm going rogue here, but just follow my impeccable logic before you start stoning me with goji berries and golden flaxseed. Moderate amounts of natural tobacco or nicotine will ...

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Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:36:09 EDT
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The Power of 5! Anti Aging Health Drink!

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:02:29 EDT
'The amount of antioxidants that you maintain in your body is directly proportional to how long you will live' , quoted by Dr. Richard Cuttler, Former Director of the National Institute of Aging, Wash...

Wonders of Goji Berry Juice

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:01:24 EST
Goji Berry, English wolfberry, Matrimony vine or Chinese boxthorn, whatever you wish to call it, is an evergreen shrub which is generally found in subtropical regions. This fruit is also known as a �...

Wonders of Goji Berries

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:59:57 EST
Don’t be taken by surprise if I say that there is a tiny red fruit that comes packed with so many health benefits that it can increase a person’s longevity and may serve as a cure to cancer. These...

benefits of goji berriesThe Candy Corn

This may surprise some but candy corn has been in circulation for more than a hundred years. This popular confection was the brainchild of George Renninger who was an employee of the Wunderlee Candy Company in 1880 and the candy was first produced there. In 1900, the Goelitz Candy Company started its production of candy corn. The company changed its name to the Jelly Belly Candy Company and still continues production of the candy corn to this day.

The first batches of the candy corn were simple and became popular among the farmers and consumers from the Midwest. This was because of its agrarian 'corn kernel' appearance. When the manufacturers added a tri-color design, it was revolutionary and it caused a nationwide craze. The lack of machinery, however, meant that the candy corns were manufactured seasonally; only from March to November. The appearance and the taste of the classic candy corn have remainedd the same throughout the century of its production.

In its early years of production, candy corn has been made mostly by hand by thousands of people who worked during the eight months a year it was in season. The process of making candy corn is similar to the making of most candy products but with added steps.

Like most candy, sugar, corn syrup and other ingredients were placed in large kettles which were heated until they were slurry. Then, marshmallow and fondant was added to the mix to give the candy crunch and a smooth consistency. When the desired texture was achieved, the forty-five pounds of hot candy was poured onto big buckets called runners. These runners were then carried by people called stringers. These stringers walked backwards while pouring the candy out into trays. These trays were imprinted with kernel shapes and padded with cornstarch. The stringers made three passes and poured candy of different colors to make the signature tri-color look of the candy corn. The three colors were white, yellow and orange. The candy corn then cooled, hardened and the cornstarch allowed easy detachment from the mold. These were then grouped in bags. In the starting years, the candy corns were presented in special wooden boxes, tubs and cartons. They were then delivered to candy stores by wagon.

Nowadays, the candy corn making process is done mostly by machines but the process in essence has not changed much. Modern candy manufacturers utilize a method called the 'Corn Starch Molding Process'. In this process, a tray with depressions filled with cornstarch is used and the candy corn is made from the bottom up in three color passes to produce the tri-color effect. The first step of the process is filling one quarter of the depression on the tray with yellow syrup which is then allowed to partially set. When it is hard enough, the orange syrup is poured over the yellow syrup while leaving enough room and is again allowed to partially set. When it is set, the depression is then filled with the white syrup and is cooled until hard. In the cooling process, the three layers are able to stick together. When cool, the candy is removed from the trays and become little candy corns with three colors. The candy corns are grouped and packed in pouches and then shipped to the different candy shops nationwide.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Candy

All About Restaurant Sanitation

Restaurants have a natural challenge that just comes with the territory: cleanliness and food safety. It seems not a day goes by without another horror story in the news about contaminated food products. Restaurants get routinely shut down by the Health Department. Even if things don't get that bad for your business, all it takes is for a delivery person to see a puddle of muck on the floor in your kitchen for a bad word-of-mouth campaign to start circulating about your establishment. The media reports cases of food poisoning on a daily basis in spite of the fact that the fast food business is flourishing.

It seems fast food has become the American way and the public will go blindly forth ordering with the expectation that the food has been prepared in sanitary conditions. From bug problems to breeding bacteria, fast food restaurants especially have countless issues behind their counters. The rules are put into place and enforced by management, inspectors, the Food and Drug Administration, and so forth, are there as the minimum defense, and just the beginning. If you are the manager, awareness on your part isn't enough; you have to be vigilant in ensuring that every employee knows and follows the rules to the letter.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is bacteria transfer, which is due to food not being properly cooked or kept at the proper temperature. With such a demand for fast food, it is often all too easy for the employees to compromise their duties for the sake of saving time, and before they know it, they've served a meal that carries a nasty risk of food poisoning. The rules should be followed every time, not some of the time, as is unfortunately sometimes the case.

It is up to the management to see that the employees are properly doing their job, and, of course, effective management makes all of the difference in this endeavor. Close supervision is a necessity to help ensure that the work is being performed properly. Employees must care about their job and in return feel valued so that they will be more willing to perform their responsibilities correctly. Too often, factors like low pay, long hours, and little recognition makes employees more likely to burn out and do less than what is expected of them. Also, improper training of staff leads to improper fulfillment of job duties.

Unclean areas like counters or tables where food has been prepared can also spread bacteria and cause food poisoning. That is why it is important for employees to clean up after themselves and make sure that their work space is kept fastidiously clean. Also, food containers that haven't been properly washed and stock that hasn't been properly rotated are havens for bacteria.

Employees who don't wash their hands before returning to their work station can unknowingly spread bacteria and other diseases. That is why it is of the utmost importance that employees wash their hands and also why every fast food restaurant should have at least one sink designated for hand washing only, with properly posted instructions, and including the necessary soap, paper towels. Wearing gloves when in contact with food helps as added protection, but even gloves can touch unclean surfaces just like hands can, so they need to be changed after coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces and items.

Even pests can present a challenge to cleanliness in fast food working environments, so it is important that restaurants are regularly inspected and treated for pests. No one wants an unwelcome visitor in their food, but it does happen more than we'd like to think. If an employee witnesses any pest making contact with the food, the entire amount of food in the container should be discarded.

Hair nets are a good idea for keeping stray hairs and dander out of food. Hats are more often the rule, but less effective in preventing hairs and dander from getting into the food. Wearing long hair tied back in a ponytail or braid is a must. And while we're at it, today's generation does need to be made aware that the extreme fashion statements are out of place in a professional kitchen. There are many work environments where dreadlocks, mohawks, and afros present no problem, but the kitchen is not one of them.

A fast food kitchen is set up to be convenient, but not always easy to clean. Every establishment should go above and beyond the norm to ensure that food is properly handled. Customers, before ordering their next meal at your restaurant, are these days taking a close look at the employees and the environment if they can. They may not be able to spot what goes on behind the scenes, but they trust their instincts for what they are able to observe.

This is one more reason why it's better not to understaff. Ensure that your expectations of your employees are reasonable, and hold regular training programs. Even taking a few hours out of a day between meal times to conduct a food safety drill, involving the whole team, will go a long way to promoting healthy practices in your kitchen. Dropping in for a spot check every now and then will also be effective. To prevent your employees from resenting your surprise inspection, show up ready to help out for an hour or so during the shift. You will have an opportunity to set a good example, as well as boost morale by showing the staff that you can work beside them as equals.

Freelance writer for over eleven years.

Restaurant Training Videos Restaurant Aprons

Hot Chocolate-A Drink From Long Ago

Can you imagine a better way to warm up than with a big mug of hot chocolate on a cold windy winter�s night? Things sure have changed from the xocolatl as it was known by the Mayans.

The Origins of Hot Chocolate

Xocolatl when it was transported to Europe by the conquistadors, was the reserve of the rich who first called the drink itself chocolate. Later, when solid bars of chocolate became more common, the term �hot chocolate� was used to avoid confusion. In fact at first the beverage was consumed cold and had a spicy flavor and was valued as much for its healing properties as much as an exclusive treat.

Originally, chili was a key ingredient of the drink hence the spicy overtones. It is only today that chili is making reappearance in chocolate as an enhancer of the cacao bean base of all good chocolate.

The xocolatl was first boiled then allowed to rest and was later drunk cold as a frothy but bitter concoction. The Europeans initially did not find the drink in its original from to suit their palate and made numerous changes, including using milk instead of water and adding sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. The Europeans also preferred their drink hot instead of cold, leading to what we now know as hot chocolate.

Varieties Available Today

Hot chocolate or hot cocoa, which came first? The Europeans were the first to melt chocolate bars in milk and called it hot chocolate. Cocoa powder became the base of a very different drink with a more bitter flavor. But the two drinks eventually malted into each other and the term hot chocolate was adopted as a generic term for both methods. The only real common ingredient however was milk and at least one form of a cacao bean!

You will quickly find a shop that will make your chocolate drink �just right�. You can take the same ingredients for every drink but it�s how you use them that matters. A little bit like coffee. If you don�t treat the ingredients right, you�ll ruin the drink. Of course there are a thousand and one varieties open to you, from frozen hot chocolate to fruit and herb infused varieties. It seems that there is no end in sight.

You can look at online services and find plenty of home delivery services. Several pre mixed powdered versions of all the latest drinks are just waiting for your pleasure!

Michael is the owner of Chocolate Lovers, the BEST site for all things chocolate. You will also find great chocolate based gift ideas at http://www.ChocolateMad.com

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