Recorra la ruta del tacu tacu y conozca las distintas
maneras de prepararlo
Fuente: Panamericana TV Perú
Domingo 30 de Setiembre del 2012, 01:32 PM
El tacu tacu es un plato muy popular en las mesas de los hogares
peruanos. A continuación, lo llevaremos por aquellos huariques del sabor, en
donde se preparan diferentes versiones de este plato. Desde un tacu tacu con
lomo saltado hasta un tacu con mariscos y camarones.
Source: Yahoo!7 NewsMelissa Goodwin, Frugal and Thriving March 30, 2012, 2:50 pm
While television shows like My Kitchen Rules may leave you thinking you need quail eggs and truffle oil for an impressive dinner party menu, the truth is you can create a top scoring menu for only a few dollars per person.
So here are five steps to hosting a gourmet dinner party that will pass judgement without breaking the budget.
Before planning your menu, decide on a budget for your dinner party. Your budget doesn’t need to be big – you can save money by being creative with basic ingredients and preparing dishes from scratch rather than using pre-made ingredients.
A theme will help you plan a budget menu and set the mood for the entire party.
When choosing your theme, take into consideration the season - think salads and char-grills in summer and roasts or casseroles in winter, this will save you money.
A great budget theme is a ‘cultural’ theme. For instance, an Indian food theme with homemade curries will stretch a small amount of meat to feed many.
Slow cooked curries also require cheaper cuts of meat to get that melt-in-your-mouth flavour. And as a bonus, a slow cooker will save you time as well! Round out your budget menu with inexpensive but tasty vegetables dishes, homemade dhal and rice.
Finally, create your setting to suit your theme. Raid your cupboards, your garden or explore your local thrift store for a creative table setting. And don’t forget the music; your library is a great place to find free music that sets the mood for your special evening.
Your appetiser, entree, main and dessert selection will depend on your budget and your theme. You can find lots of inspiration on the internet or in the cookbook section of your library.
Here are a few tips to keep your menu within budget:
1. Focus on simple ingredients and turn them into something special with herbs, spices and homemade sauces. You will save money and create a sensational meal by cooking with produce that is local and in season.
2. Add a touch of class without breaking the budget by including one or two special ingredients like a little goat’s cheese crumbled through a salad.
3. The more food you prepare yourself, the more you will save. A hummus dip, for instance, is quick and easy to make at home, can be made ahead of time and is a fraction of the cost of the store bought variety (and will taste better too).
4. Let meat play a secondary role to vegetables and grains: think kebabs for a BBQ, threaded with vegetables or a winter casserole also packed with vegetables.
5. Finally, when you consider the dishes on My Kitchen Rules, the serving sizes are quite modest. Save money and your guests’ stomach by not super-sizing your courses.
Step Four: Saving on the drinks
The best way to save money on drinks is to allow your guests to bring a bottle of wine.
However, if you are providing the wine, don’t think that the cheaper wines will be terrible. Taste a few before your dinner party to help you decide and look for specials, dozen or half dozen discounts and cleanskins.
Another option is to serve a theme appropriate punch or cocktail. For instance, the Spanish Sangria with fruit and soda water will make your wine go further, save you money and impress your guests.
Write a list of ingredients needed and double check your list before shopping. You will save time and stress if you have all your ingredients on hand.
Next, avoid kitchen disasters by writing down all the steps involved in creating your whole menu and when you will do each step. By choosing dishes that you are familiar with and can be prepared in advance, you will spend more time enjoying the company of your guests and less time in the kitchen.
Finally, don’t forget to plan your presentation (plate styling and garnishes) in advance. Good presentation will make all the difference between an everyday meal and a special one. If you've got a garden don't be afraid to use it for table decorations or even small flowers on the plate to dress up the dish - let your guest know if they are eatable or not!.
You don’t need to spend a fortune hosting an impressive dinner party. With a little planning and creativity your next dinner party will be a hit without breaking your budget.
Whether you’re a comfort eater, kilojoule-counter or yo-yo dieter, your attitude towards food is already determined. Here’s how to make it work for you.
If you’ve spent years wondering why your skinny mate always knows when to call it a day with a pack of Tim Tams, while you have an overwhelming desire to scoff the lot, stop. The answer is all in your head – or, more specifically, your brain.
According to US clinical neuroscientist Dr Daniel Amen, our friendship with food is directly related to our personality traits and genetic make-up. Dr Amen claims that by becoming more aware of the link between how we behave and how we think about food, we can control cravings, banish binges and work out how best to lose kilograms.
“Your personality, biology, environment and experiences affect how you relate to food,” says clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo. “Knowing who you are in relation to food helps you identify vulnerabilities and triggers essential for managing your weight.”
Identify which personality type best describes you, and it could help you get a handle on unhealthy habits...
You are...EMOTIONAL
Friends describe you as: fun to be around, anxious, enthusiastic and self-conscious.
Your food attitude: You use food to celebrate. You’re the first to bake a kitchen full of treats for your friends’ birthdays and baby showers, and you can’t think of a better indulgence than a night out at a five-star restaurant. But those kilojoules are also a bit of a crutch. “Eating is a coping mechanism – you believe it will make you feel better when you’re low, but it’s short-term, and then comes guilt,” says Lisa Renn, spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.
How to take control: The next time you’re feeling a bit stressed out, rather than heading to the freezer for the family-sized tub of ice-cream, try a mood-boosting alternative that will last longer than the sugar high, such as talking things over with a friend, or exercising. “You need structure around eating – without it you run the risk of going into a yo-yo cycle,” warns Nimmo. If you do want to shed some kilograms, seek encouragement and help from programs that feature support groups, such as Weight Watchers.
You are...IMPULSIVE
Friends describe you as: a goodtime girl, lacking self-control, bad at focusing and spontaneous.
Your food attitude: Your fun-loving nature means you happily indulge your cravings, but you aren’t always good at self-monitoring and often eat out of boredom. Psychology professor Tracey Wade, of Adelaide’s Flinders University, says in extreme cases you “don’t believe you can deal with unpleasant stuff, so focus on something you feel you can control: weight. If you feel you’re not achieving in other areas, your weight can become a marker of success.”
How to take control: Ensure your environment is filled with healthy snacks rather than foods that can trigger bad habits - choose hummus and crunchy vegies instead of chips and cookies. And teach yourself to think of food as nourishment, rather than a reward or the enemy. If you need extra help, you'll respond best to clear boundaries that an Accredited Practising Dietician can set for you. Visit the Dietician's Association of Australia at www.daa.asn.au.
You are...COMPULSIVE
Friends describe you as: thoughtful, a perfectionist, prone to obsessions and compassionate.
Your food attitude: You love the ritual of eating and take so much pride in preparing meals that your family and friends get excited about what delights you’ll dish up. But if things aren’t going well, your best frenemy is your scales and you can become hooked on studying food labels, controlling portion sizes and counting kilojoules. “You can let your beliefs around food govern your life,” explains Nimmo.
How to take control: Avoid the type of eating plans that focus on one major food group, such as high-protein diets, because they’ll only increase your obsessive nature. It’s important that you consider a holistic approach when it comes to food. Feel that you need some extra motivation? Consider using the services of a personal trainer, so you can focus on overall fitness and health rather than obsessing solely about your weight.
You are...DISCIPLINED
Friends describe you as: judgemental, pragmatic, confident and happy in your skin.
Your food attitude: Although you can still be body-conscious, you don’t tend to eat unless you’re hungry, are able to leave food on the plate and can have tiramisu in the fridge without getting up at midnight to devour it. “But you need to remind yourself that not everyone is as emotionally stable around food as you are,” points out Nimmo. “Your relaxed approach can make others feel more insecure.”
How to take control: Be aware of others and refrain from handing out treats while saying things like, “One won’t hurt.” When it comes to your own diet, food plans that involve limiting unhealthy choices and reducing portion sizes will result in greatest success if you want to shift a few stubborn kilos or boost healthy eating habits.
Source: Yahoo7! NewsFebruary 17, 2012, 6:18 pmLaura SparkesToday Tonight
BPA is the hidden in chemical in many of our most common food and drink products, and a debate is raging about how harmful it is to our health.
It's so common, it's virtually impossible to avoid, unless you go to countries where it is banned.
There are many of them, but Australia is not one. Now a push is on to have BPA banned here.
BPA is the dangerous chemical hidden in everyday products, include brittle plastic containers, baby bottles, canned foods, and drinks. More stories from Today Tonight
Bisphenol A, better known as BPA, is banned in infant products in Canada, Japan, parts of Europe and the US, but not in Australia.
Some baby product manufacturers like Brother Max and Smart Baby have voluntarily banned BPA in their product, but it can be legally used in anything, including the resin linings of soft drinks, beer cans, and canned foods.
According to anti chemical campaigner Louise McCartney “often people think that's in your baked beans and your soups, and things like that, but let's not forget beer cans, and UDL cans, and there's a whole range of other things that BPA is actually found in.” More stories from reporter Laura Sparkes
McCartney chooses to live can free, and tries to find plastics labelled BPA free. New research indicates the chemical affects adults as well as babies.
Harvard professors have found eating canned soup once a day increases the level of BPA in humans by 1000 per cent.
The US Breast Cancer Fund found a single serving of canned food, like corn, green beans and evaporated milk, had harmful levels of BPA, but Food Standards Australia and New Zealand still refuses to ban the chemical.
GP and Environmental Medicine expert Dr Mark Donohue says three million tonnes of BPA is still produced each year, and studies have shown its constantly in our bodies.
“It’s an endocrine disrupter, so what that means in late pregnancy and childhood is that the hormones critical to brain development, and to the development of the child, are messed around by some foreign material. It just gets in the way, and that disturbs childhood development and brain function,” Dr Donohue said.
“We’re always lagging behind. Australia is halfway between first world and third world as far as the chemical industry is concerned. We always act conservatively and provide a good, rich market for many of these chemicals,” Dr Donohue continued.
“In tiny doses it’s not toxic, but because it’s everywhere, it’s highly toxic, and has a big effect on the population.”
Dr Donohue warns BPA is now linked with adult health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and infertility.
“As the evidence of those things start to accumulate we now have evidence sufficient to say ‘here's the time to move’. Five years ago, maybe three years ago, the evidence was weak, but now it is really strong. Two years have made a big difference here.”
Toxicologist Dr Ian Musgrave disagrees, and thinks our health authorities have made the right decision.
“In cans of soup you would have to drink a hundred cans of soup in one day in order to reach the threshold or safety level that has been mandated by the Australian Food Safety,” he said.
Consumer group Choice found BPA in over 75 per cent of the canned foods it tested, including baby foods.
Because it’s not banned, manufacturers don’t have to disclose BPA in their products, so there's no way of knowing whether cans contain it or not. But the little number on the bottom of plastic goods is a giveaway.
“On the bottom you'll see a little triangle with a number seven in it. I would actually avoid those because it's most likely they've got BPA in them. Number three and number six I would avoid as well. It doesn't mean to say that all plastics are not good, but there are companies choosing to use stabilised plastics,” McCartney said.
Heinz and Simplot use BPA, but are now considering alternatives. Heinz has already phased it out of their canned baby foods.
Campbell's, however, didn't return our calls.
McCartney says there’s one sure-fire way to ensure she avoids any risk. “Anything you can get in a can today you can actually buy fresh. We've got access to good food, we've got access to plenty of fresh food, and I think it's so much more nutritious. We don't have the chemicals added, so back to basics.” Contact details
Growers say supermarkets have taken away the consumers' rights to buy Aussie
products by only stocking imports.
New Zealand has become the back door for Asian produce to get here, and the process is raising further concerns for the health of Australian shoppers and farmers.
We hate losing to them on the sporting field, but when it comes to business there's no competition, and we're copping a hammering.
Now, thanks to a loosening of quarantine laws, the Kiwis are enjoying a free kick. More stories from Today Tonight
Apple growers can expect a $130 million hit this year, thanks to food imports from China and New Zealand.
Now avocados growers are facing oblivion thanks to cheaper Kiwi imports, and our major grocery chains turning their backs on Australian farmers.
New South Wales avocado grower Christina Culross’ livelihood is on the line thanks to the obsession of grocery chains to keep dropping prices.
Australia’s best grocers
She's calling on the public to reject the imported Kiwi avocados and send a message to Government and supermarkets.
According to Culross, in two weeks’ time, every supermarket in the eastern states would have switched to New Zealand fruit. “We're still picking for the next few weeks, and there are plenty of other growers in New South Wales who will be picking until Christmas,” she said.
“So to put it in perspective ... this year is a bumper crop for us. We hope to produce 90,000 trays of avocados and New Zealand are exporting three million trays to Australia between September and January, so we are up against a tsunami of avocados.”
Today Tonight's latest food stories
Ausbuy’s Lynne Wilkinson says Australian consumers are being duped, and calls on all the supermarket chains to be upfront and declare the real reasons they're stocking New Zealand avocados instead of home-grown varieties.
“These imports are coming in when our dollar is high, so they're cheap, they're probably subsidised by their own Governments, and the consumer is not necessarily going to get the benefit. The retailer is probably going to take the profit difference between buying an Australian good and a cheap import,” Wilkinson said.
“There seems to be a lot of food coming in from New Zealand (but) New Zealand doesn't actually grow as much as is coming out of it. Our manufacturers (like Heinz and McCains) have closed here, to open factories there. So they're no longer sourcing from our farmers, they're sourcing from New Zealand, or the product is coming in from China and being processed to New Zealand.”
Two thirds of the frozen vegetables in fridges are now sourced from foreign investors.
Coles claims to be stocking avocados in their Western Australia and South Australia stores but due to supply shortages they have to import New Zealand avocados. Woolworths claim to stock avocados in their South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland stores.
Not good enough, says Ausbuy. Response statements
Woolworths:
100 per cent of fresh meat and 97 per cent of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in Woolworths is Australian grown. We only import produce when we cannot get the supply domestically, usually when produce is out of season in Australia. An example of this is that lemons are in demand all year round but we are not able to get supply from Australia all year so in the 'off season' we source lemons from overseas.
When it comes to private label grocery products our preference is to use Australian suppliers and to only import private label products where a domestic supplier does not tender, we cannot get the quality or supply at home or secure products at a price that our customers would be willing to pay.
Traditionally, the domestic avocado season runs from May to October during which time 100 per cent of fruit stocked at Woolworths comes from Australia. As Australian supplies reduce we usually begin switching to NZ avocadoes, however, this year our growers underestimated supply and had a surplus of fruit on the market.
We have sent the remaining stock of domestically grown avocadoes (including some of the surplus fruit) to Woolies stores in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the NT. As such, we are the only major retailer to be currently supplying Australian avocadoes to Queenslanders.
Coles:
Coles has an Australian-first sourcing policy, and about 96 per cent of all the fresh produce we sell is Australian.
Contrary to the implication in your second question (How many of your private label products were once sourced from Australian farmers, and now are imported from overseas?), we are not increasing imports, of either fresh produce or packaged private label product – quite the opposite. In fresh produce, we have an import replacement program, where we work with Australian growers to extend local growing seasons, reducing the need to import fresh produce. I’ve attached some case studies for further information.
In the case of packaged private label products, the attached press release outlines the fact that Coles brand has more products with the Australian Made logo than any other brand. We are also the only Australian supermarket to offer a private label Australian Grown frozen vegie range.
Our avocado sourcing this year is no different to previous years. We are currently sourcing Australian avocados for all our WA and SA stores (sourced from within those two states respectively). From March to September, we source avocados for all Coles stores from Bundaberg in Queensland. Between September and February, we are not able to source sufficient commercial quantities of Australian avocados, and so fruit is sourced from New Zealand during this period. We’ve had conversations with Avocados Australia to look at opportunities to source even more Australian avocados in the future.
This information about
fruits with healing benefits is for everyone to prevent your health
Source: Yahoo 7 News
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Many fruits deliver more than just good taste; they can help prevent and cure conditions and boost your overall health and wellbeing. Here's a list of some superfruits that pack quite a nutritional punch and whole lot of health benefits!
PineappleIn lab and human studies, bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapple, eased the swelling and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, soft-tissue injuries, inflammatory conditions in the colon and even chronic pain.Pineapple is also a rich source of vitamin C, and it contains substances that keep bones strong and promote digestion. One cup of pineapple chunks, for example, contains about 24 mg of vitamin C. Juice is even better: a glass of pineapple juice contains 60 mg of C.
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ApplesPut away the peeler, and eat your apples with the peel intact. “The peel contains three- quarters of the fibre and most of the antioxidants in the apple,” says Wendy Davis, RD, director of communications and consumer health for the US Apple Association. Cornell University food scientists who tested four varieties of apples found that the peels better inhibited the growth of cancer cells than the rest of the apple. As a result, apple peels “may impart health benefits when consumed and should be regarded as a valuable source of antioxidants,” the researchers wrote
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GuavasOne cup of guava has nearly five times as much skin-healing vitamin C (a key ingredient in collagen production) as a medium orange (377 mg versus 83 mg)—more than five times your recommended daily intake. Women who eat a lot of vitamin-C-packed foods have fewer wrinkles than women who don’t eat many, according to a recent study that tracked the diets of more than 4,000 women aged 40 to 74. You’ll also get bacteria-busting power. Guava can protect against foodborne pathogens such as listeria and staph, according to research by microbiologists in Bangladesh. And a study by Thai scientists and the US Department of Agriculture found that guava has as much antioxidant activity as some well-known superfoods, such as blueberries and broccoli.
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LycheesA French study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that, of all fruits tested, lychees had the second-highest level of heart-healthy polyphenols—nearly 15 per cent more than the amount in grapes (considered a ‘king of polyphenols’). “Polyphenols protect your cells by neutralising free radicals in the body. They also keep your arteries flexible and elastic,” says Catherine Saxelby, nutritionist and author of Nutrition For Life ($29.95; Hardie Grant). Lychees are also thought to help protect against breast cancer: A recent test-tube and animal study from Sichuan University in China found that lychees may help prevent the formation of breast-cancer cells, thanks to the fruit’s antioxidant activity.
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ApricotsMost of apricots’ health benefits are due to the same substances that make them look so luscious, their carotenoids. These are the powerful pigments in plants that paint many of our favourite fruits and vegetables red, orange and yellow. Researchers have identified more than 600 carotenoids, and apricots contain some of the most potent—including betacarotene.Women whose diets contain high levels of betacarotene had significantly less risk of coronary-artery disease, according to a study that followed 73,000 women for 12 years, and a significantly lower risk of heart attack, according to another study.
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AvocadosOleic acid, a monounsaturated fat in avocados, can help lower cholesterol. In one study, researchers compared the effects of two low-fat diets, which were identical except that one diet included avocados. Although both diets lowered levels of dangerous LDL (bad) cholesterol, the avocado-inclusive diet raised levels of healthy HDL cholesterol.The fibre in avocados also helps in our cholesterol-lowering quest. Fibre adds bulk to stool, causing it, and the cholesterol it contains, to be excreted from the body more quickly. One avocado packs more fibre—about 10g— than a bran muffin.
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BlueberriesPacked with antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese and fibre, blueberries boost brain health, improving learning and keeping memory sharp. Look for berries that still have their silver-white surface bloom. This coating signals freshness and helps them retain their juices. Jiggle the punnet: the fruit should move around easily, a sign that no soft or mouldy berries are stuck together. Eat half a cup and you could double your daily intake of anti-ageing antioxidants.
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Nashi PearsOne large nashi pear offers a whopping 10 g of cholesterol-lowering fibre, about 40 per cent of your daily requirement. In a recent US study, people who ate the most fibre had the lowest total and LDL cholesterol levels. The researchers also found that those who ate the most fibre also weighed the least and had the lowest body-mass indexes and waist circumferences.
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WatermelonSeedy in a good way, watermelons are water-dense (hence their name) and a great source of carbs, too, which help you refuel. An added bonus: this fruit fights nausea.
