Alligator Pear

Alligator Pear. You would think they are pears but they what does that have to do with alligators? As quoted, this is a "fruit that wants to be a vegetable". Well, if any of you didn't know alligator pear is actually an avocado. It got its name because first, it is shaped like a pear and second avocado's skin is like an alligator's skin. Alligator pears are suppose to be very good for your skin and it cools down your immune system. Avocados contain a lot of fat but are very beneficial for your eyes and in general your whole body. It also contains Vitamin E which is very good for your heart. Alligator Pears can be eating in many different ways, the popular one is guacamole. Another ways are in a salad, milkshake, in shushi, fried avocado, in sandwiches, grilled, in salsas, quesdilla, pizza, its hard to believe but there is avocado ice cream and avocado pie.

-Shweta

A New Kind of Recipe

Have you ever wanted to make raspberry mocha or a mango pineapple salsa in the blink of an eye? Well now it's possible to make them, or at least the taste of them, in several seconds. Jelly beans! Found on the Jelly Belly website, there are many recipes to make fantastic combos like lemon meringue pie, strawberry shortcake, and tiramisu. This interest in Jelly Beans was sparked when my parents gave me an early birthday (yes, my birthday is on April Fool's Day) present: a box set with all 50 official flavors of jellybeans. I tried to make a cherry turnover (Very Cherry (2) + Caramel Corn) and it turned out fantastic. Here are some of my favorite recipes:  

• Raspberry Mocha: Chocolate Pudding + Cappucino (2) + Raspberry
• Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry Jam (2) + French Vanilla (2)
• Tiramisu: Cappucino (2) + A&W Cream Soda + Chocolate Pudding
• Blueberry Muffin: Blueberry (2) + Buttered Popcorn
• Mango Pineapple Salsa: Mango + Crushed Pineapple + Chili Mango

Here is a link to all of the recipes  on the Jelly Belly website.

-Cheesecake (Chaaru)

Milkshakes

Ever heard of the cow and milkshake joke? No? Then listen:

Q: What did the farmer receive from his shy cow?

A: Milkshakes!

History and milkshakes today

The term milkshake was first used in 1885, and were alcoholic whiskey drinks that were described as a "sturdy, healthful eggnog type of drink with eggs, whiskey, etc. served as a tonic or a treat." By 1900, though, the term referred to "wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups." It's commonly sold at malt shops, and has a history that is strongly connected to the history of the electric blender (guess why?). Fast food restaurants started to sell milkshakes too, but adding more than thrice the amount of sugar that was originally used in milkshakes back in the 1990s, along with at least twice the original amount of carbohydrates, fat, and, surprisingly, protein.

 

Some ways different people make milkshakes

Some US restaurants and fast-food chains serve milkshakes with crumbled cookies, candy bar pieces, or alcoholic beverages. The grasshopper milkshake, for example, includes crumbled chocolate cookies, crème de menthe liqueur, and chocolate mint ice cream. BLT Burger in New York serves spiked shakes, which contain liquor such as whiskey or Kahlúa. Baskin-Robbins sells milkshakes that contain largchunks of candy bars or small pieces of candy, such as its Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Shake and the Heath Bar Crunch Shake. In Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants sell milkshakes that are made from ice cream, without adding milk. The ice cream is whipped and served in a tall cup with a spoon. 

Oh, and here's another milkshake joke I made up: I hate it when you're making a milkshake and Kanye West interrupts you. 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :D

--Star (Vandana)

Why chinese food is awesome

I think that many of us can agree that chinese food is pretty awesome. Besides its ability to present many flavors at once it leaves a great flavor in ones mouth. My personal favorite dish is orange chicken with fried rice and a side of hot and sour food. It is all truly delicious and presents a well balanced meal. Chinese food is also great due to the fact that it uses many vegetables in a way that makes the vegetables taste delicious. There are many spices yet great composure at the same time. It is truly a food that has revolutionized the world. Besides the ability for it to turn untasteful things to some of the most delicious foods around with chinese spices and old family recipes.

The love for Planitains

The Honduran diet is greatly composed of the plantain fruit. It is eaten with everything from fried chiken to milk or eatem simply by itself. What is it about this food that Hondurans love? Well they love its great sweet taste and its softness. My family is from Honduras and therefore they do enjoy eating plantains quite a bit. Not only does the plantain resemble the banana but is a very flexible food to cook with it. This food is a very important part of the Honduran diet. But like my fellow colleague truffels  has reported, plantains, part of the banana family could go instinct. Not only would this effect the Honduran culture but animals that eat it and other people in the world that enjoy it. Action must be  taken now to secure that this fruit is available for future generations to come.

Mangoes

The mango season is coming closer, there are so many different ways to eat mangoes. I have drank mango lassi, mango smoothie, you also something can eat it with  They improve your digestive system  Mangoes provide dietary fiber, Pectin, and Vitamin C which lowers Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol. Rubbing sliced up mangoes on your face is a very good way for preventing acne. Mangoes are also rich in iron, this is very good for anemic people and also good for women during pregnancy and menopause. Iron is also good for your health in general, like for your eyes, bones, and provides you with red blood cells. Not only mangoes but their leaves are also beneficial for humans, they help cure diabetes if you put the leaves in warm water over the night and then drink the water next morning with empty stomach. If you do this continuously every morning it will really help for your diabetes. Mangoes also prevent cancer and heart diseases. Mangoes are very antioxidants which fights against the viruses. Mangoes contain Glutamine which boosts memory power and keeps your brain cells active; this is very beneficial for children. Mangoes also have an abundant supply of vitamin E which is good for you.

-Shweta

Top Chef: All Stars

Note:This blog post has spoilers about this weeks episode, so read at your own risk.....

I had long been anticipating this week's episode of Top Chef, a cooking show on Bravo, especially because I thought it was the finale. But to my dismay, they announced that the finale, airing Wednesday next week, would only have two of their "all-stars" (this season is for chefs who stood out in other seasons but didn't win, kinda like Redemption Island on Survivor). This was quite surprising as Top Chef finales usually have three chefs going head-to-head. For those of you who don' keep up with this fantastic show, chefs Richard Blais, Antonia Lofaso, and Michael (Mike) Isabella (you can see these three (whom I highlighted) and the rest of the contestants in the pic below) were the three to survive till this episode.

Mike has been on a roll, winning many of the recent challenges, so he had a few advantages in getting to decide which contestant would get which classic quickfire (a little mini-challenge at the beginning of each episode). Mike's aim throughout the entire show was to challenge Antonia(my personal favorite) because he wanted to compete against Richard in the finale. He wanted to do so because he knows that many people find Richard to be a strong chef and so Mike wanted a challenge. The quickfire was  really interesting because each chef had a different challenge and twist posed later: Antonia - canned foods and double apronned (that is a verb I made up to indicate that they were wearing a double apron and could each use one hand) with Carla (a former contestant); Richard - hot dogs and one handed cooking; Mike - one pot and no utensils. In the end Mike won the quickfire, adding fuel to his fire.

Their elimination challenge was to create a "last supper" for three eminent chefs: Masaharu Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck, and Michelle Bernstein. Mike got to choose the challenges again for his competitors. Frankly, by now I was a little annoyed by all the power Mike was getting. Somehow, Mike ended up with the easiest meal, fried chicken and biscuits for Michelle Bernstein and poor Antonia had to create a super complicated Japanese bento box for Morimoto (who she was afraid of but warmed up to as they talked about his meal and childhood). I felt Richard also had it pretty easy as he only had to create goulash (I think that's how you spell it) and apple strudel, but I suppose it was very tasty because the judges named him the winner of this challenge, which also means he is going to the finale.

At this point, I was terribly worried for Antonia because she had some complicacies with her dish like getting rancid Hamachi (that is a type of fish) and needing to switch to tuna. But, yet again the judges throw in ANOTHER TWIST (it must be so much fun to write the challenges for these shows) and so Antonia and Mike have to create one single bite for each of the seven judges in 45 minutes. I regained my hope for Antonia. In the end Antonia made a grouper soup which was a bit strong and Mike made a surf and turf with some odd sauces. Both Antonia and Mike got three votes, leaving Wolfgang to break the tie. He liked the flavors in Antonia's better but found Mike's technique to be impeccable, both aspects of a dish are important, but he found that Mike;s dish was just a little better. I was heartbroken to find out Mike Isabella made it to the finale, but I will tune in next week to watch Richard kick his butt.

Here is a recap from another blog. Enjoy!

-Cheesecake (Chaaru)