Rabu, 05 Desember 2012

The Finest Mexican Food Philadelphia Has to Offer: Moctezuma

The authentic Mexican cuisine was originally influenced by the Mayan Indians before Spain occupied Mexico in 1521. When they arrived, they introduced new livestock, dairy products, garlic and many other herbs and spices. Spanish foods had the greatest effect on Mexican cuisine. Moctezuma has the finest flavors from the Mediterranean and other Mexican food Philadelphia has to offer.

A Look Back on Mexican Food

The first Spanish conquerors entered the Aztec capital in 1519, where Mexico City is located nowadays. There they met the Aztec emperor Montezuma who was extremely fond of a drink that is a mixture of vanilla, chocolate and honey. This was a native Mexican-Indian delicacy and its invention was credited to the Mayans. This drink will later find worldwide acceptance even up to the present. The conquerors were fascinated by the assortment of foods enriching the Aztecs. The Spaniards imported to Mexico plants and animals in the 1520's. These included cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. Ingredients such as olive oil, cinnamon, parsley, coriander, oregano, and black pepper were also bought in from Spain.

In the years 1864 to 1867, Mexico was ruled over by the previous Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who was put into power by troops coming from France. Even though Maximilian's leadership was short and destructive, French cooking kept its mark on a lot of Mexican food. Mexican dishes inspired by French include recipes like chiles en nogado or stuffed chilies with walnut sauce and conejo en mostaza or rabbit with mustard sauce.

Mexican Cuisine and Salsa

It is challenging to picture our Mexican food without having to imagine salsa. Contrary to popular belief, tomatoes are not the primary element in its creation. The red hued sauce that comes with a Mexican meal is commonly produced from chilies. Mexicans are regarded to be highly skilled cooks and are able to give a simple recipe that additional zing that makes the dish exceptional. Moctezuma has the finest Mexican food Philadelphia has available as their menu features a wide range of choices for their salsa since the sauce is regarded to be a basic and essential to each Mexican dish.

Salsa is a packed blend of chilies, tomatoes and other spices and its historical past commenced with the Aztecs and Mayans, the first occupants of Mexico. The Spaniards initially stumbled upon tomatoes in the course of their conquest in Mexico and therefore the improvement of salsa sauce started. The original assortment of salsa is created from chili peppers, tomatoes, squash seeds that are powdered and was consumed with lobster, fish and turkey.

Each and every recipe has a specific chili that is demanded to be utilized and to preserve the authentic taste of the dish; it is believed that the suitable varieties of pepper or chiles will have to be used. Moctezuma Mexican Cuisine is one of the finest destinations to eat the greatest authentic Mexican food Philadelphia has in store as they adhere to the original recipes of traditional dishes.

Philly.com, a leading online source for comprehensive news along with The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, features a regional business directory including information about Mexican Food Philadelphia. The centralized business directory on Philly.com spotlights enterprises in every industry from restaurants to medical-staffing services. Featured businesses are displayed; full-page directory listings for each enterprise include creatively written business descriptions, customized videos, business web-site links, hours of operation, contact information, and more. Additional digital advertising services, offered through Philly.com, include web-site design and social-media assistance for business owners.

3 Steps On How To Make Sushi

Sushi is a famous Japanese dish that originated from the South East of Asia. Using three simple steps, you can easily learn how you can prepare Sushi by yourself.

Part 1: The Rice Part

The basic building block of sushi is a special form of rice known as 'shari.' It is not hard to find and sometimes the package label explains that it is sushi rice. Rinse the rise under running water until the water is no longer cloudy. Once clean, add equal amounts of water and put in a steamer to cook. Once cooked, transfer it to a big mixing bowl, and make sure not to use a metallic bowl.

Next, we have the preparation of vinegar solution. The ingredients for this are vinegar, rice wine and salt. Combine these ingredients, mix, and then cook over medium heat until all the sugar and salt has dissolved. Turn off the heat to allow cooling.

Once this mixture is cool, add it to the cooked sushi rice and ensure that all the rice is covered. The rice should not be mashed and after all addition and mixing, it should remain with a shiny texture and appearance. Before going into the next step, let the rice cool to room temperature.

Part 2: Making Sushi

Once the rice in step one is cool, its ready to be rolled, and this depends on the sushi type being made. We will look at nigiri sushi.

Nigiri sushi is a ball like rice clump with long strips of fish or eggs positioned on top. The main ingredient for this part is called neta. In its preparation, your hands need to be cool and wet so you should keep dipping them in water and ice vinegar. Using your hands, scoop small amounts of rice and mould it to form small pillow like structures.

Part 3: Assembling Sushi Rolls

This final part requires the use of seaweed know as nori. A bamboo-rolling mat is also needed for this process. When the mats are not available, a plastic wrap can be put on a dishtowel and used in rolling.

Follow the steps below:

With the shiny part of the seaweed facing downwards, cut the seaweed into two halves or alternatively fold it into two as it rips very easily. One nori sheet should be placed horizontally on the mats end. Get a handful of the sushi rice and spread gently on the nori sheet. If you want the seaweed to remain on the exterior, then leave some space at the top and bottom ends of the nori.

Once this is done, neta is then added. Fish, avocado, cucumber, and any other desired additions are cut into thin long strips and placed on the seaweed's center. Care should be taken in this step not to over-stuff the interior, as with this, the sushi will be very hard to roll. Begin rolling the mat containing all the ingredients, taking care to keep the roll even, especially the sides.

Once rolled, apply some bit of pressure to ensure that the roll stays together and does not crumble. After rolling, get the rolled piece from the mat, place it horizontally on a chopping board and cut into two halves using a sharp knife. Place the two halves together as in the previous step and cut again.

Once cut, the sushi is ready and can be served with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Enjoy.

If you find it difficult to make sushi yourself, why not try reputable Nashville sushi in a well known restaurant than trying to make a mashed rice mess? See this site for more info!

Urban or Suburban - The Oakville Versus Toronto Wedding Catering Edition

In the past, a young couple looking to tie the knot in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) may have kept their choices to such fabled downtown locations as the gazebo at the Music Garden. But couples these days know that they don't have to limit themselves to downtown locations or catering services. In Oakville, for instance, there are a wide range of services for weddings. So, what's changed?

1) The accessibility of farmers markets

Farmers markets are no longer the once-a-week, downtown affairs of yesteryear. Now, it seems, each community has its own market - and Oakville is no exception. Catering services in Oakville can easily pick up farm-fresh produce for their wedding clients at the local market.

2) Outlying areas are actually closer to farmer's fields

Many brides and grooms of today express a preference for local food. Although "local" can be hard to define, it often refers to the number of kilometers food travels from field to plate (or from field to banquet catering in Oakville!). Viewed in this light, the decision to host one's wedding, catering and all, in an outlying area of a major urban centre, can be viewed as a socially conscious decision, making suburban weddings more attractive to some.

3) The urban exodus

We hear constantly about how the average family with young children can no longer afford to live downtown, where the price to quality ratio has long posed a problem. As families move to the suburbs, our wedding catering and overall event planning practices may need to change as well. Depending on where guests live, it may be more central for a GTA couple to use wedding and catering services in Oakville, or another suburb, rather than in Toronto proper.

4) GTA's stellar public transit system

On the same note, the GTA is blessed with an extensive public transit system. The Oakville GO Station is undergoing a major renovation, which may in turn benefit users of catering services in Oakville next spring and summer.

5) Space

Downtowns are eclectic and fun, but also crowded. In a suburban setting, wedding guests may not have to jostle for parking or a seat on the bus. The wedding catering service may have more space to set up. Couples can choose from a wider variety of settings in which to celebrate, including Oakville's greenhouse garden and extensive network of Heritage Trails.

6) Waterfront, waterfront, waterfront

Most Canadian provinces and territories are surrounded by oceans, bays, lakes and other bodies of water, which explains why it has become somewhat of a tradition to get married by the waterfront. To this end, many wedding catering services in Oakville have waterfront facilities.

7) History

We sometimes forget that many of our suburbs were once separate farming villages. For instance, Montrealers used to vacation on the West Island, which was seen as an idyllic rural retreat. Likewise, Oakville has a long history of its own, separate from Toronto's. Wedding, catering and other plans can take advantage of its unique heritage.

These are just some of the factors that explain why some young couples today prefer to avail themselves of the wedding, catering and other services on offer in Oakville and other suburbs, rather than opting for a major urban centre like nearby Toronto.

Visit Edge Hospitality for more information on banquet catering in Oakville.

Rima Hammoudi is a Copywriter at Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.

Top 3 Tips to Write a Good Restaurant Review

Do you want to share your gourmet experiences with others? Are you eager to tell your friends and family about a special cuisine that you tasted in a particular restaurant? Well, the easiest way to share your dining experience with others is to write restaurant reviews. Restaurant review writing has become quite popular recently. After reading a restaurant review people not only becomes aware about the mouthwatering cuisines the restaurant has to offer but also about the ambience of the place and the services offered by that restaurant. Before you writing restaurant review, you must make list of the important points that you wish to include. Once you know what to write, you can actually come up with a well-structured and interesting restaurant review.

Here are some tips which can help to write enticing reviews. Just read on!

• A well-planned restaurant review attracts a people. Especially, restaurant review writing for the web needs to be well-structured to entice the online readers. Firstly, while writing your review, you require being descriptive and you must attach importance to every single detail. In restaurant review writing, you are actually giving your personal opinion. While writing a review, always incorporate a lot of descriptive phrases and words and be specific to start your review in a chronological order (the minute you enter the restaurant till the time you pay your bill and leave the premises). When describing the restaurant always use present tense.

• You must select a particular restaurant before you start writing your review. Once you choose a restaurant, pick certain cuisines that you like and describe those in details. Moreover, you should also note other details such as the décor of that restaurant (colors, furnishing, lighting and arrangement). Make sure to check the cleanliness and the condition of the bathrooms in that restaurant. After all, you need to include every single detail in your review. It is also imperative to take an account the behavior of the staff. Unfriendly staff can actually tarnish the name of a restaurant.

• Last but not the least, you must become a real foodie to appreciate or criticize the cuisines. Once the menu card arrives, you must take an account of the special dishes, meal choices and of course, cost of each dish. For a full, satisfying dining experience, you should have different appetizers, entrée and the desserts offered by the restaurants. Before writing your review, make sure specify every single detail like the presentation, smell and taste of their food. Be creative and descriptive while describing all these details.

It is imperative to note that you should also include a line or two about anything that you did not like about a particular restaurant. This gives the reader an impression that you are not exaggerating but has actually visited that restaurant. Before ending your review, you must also let the readers know whether you would like to visit that restaurant once more.

Whether you are into article writing, E book writing, website content writing or blog writing and posting, your main target is to attract the online readers to read your content and divert their attention to particular facts. While writing a restaurant review, you are actually providing valuable information to the target readers about a particular restaurant, so take a note of every minute detail and describe it vividly.

Bhavesh B is an avid writer and regularly writes restaurant reviews and articles. Get in touch with him for popular restaurant reviews and other  web content writing services.

Seafood Is Most Beautiful When Kept Fresh!

How do the restaurants keep their seafood fresh? Do you ask yourself this question as you eat out? This article aims to answer this question by explaining how seafood is kept fresh.

One of the safest and healthiest foods that are found in restaurants are sea foods. Once the food is bought from the market, or brought into the restaurant by a supplier, the simplest way to keep it fresh is to ensure that it remains cold. The most common of seafood freeze at temperatures of around 27 degrees Fahrenheit.

Knowing this means that restaurants get a good shelf life by maintaining this temperature in the areas seafood is stored, and prepared for cooking. At times, maintaining the temperature at around the freezing point also preserves the seafood without having to freeze it.

To allow the refrigerator to be used for holding other products like eggs and milk, restaurant regulate the temperature to stand at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This leaves the bottom of the refrigerator very cold and the seafood is stored there. The upper levels of the fridge are used to house other items that do not need any freezing. The seafood is not mixed with other products in the bottom section of the refrigerator as it gets contaminated easily.

Large restaurants with a regular flow of clients usually purchase two to three day's worth of seafood, as that is the maximum time seafood should be stored. Once cooked, consumption should be immediate for maximum enjoyment. On the way from the supplier's premises to the restaurants, the food is transported in iced trucks.

Maintaining the freshness of seafood is dependent on the quality of products bought. Some of the things that restaurants look for in selecting seafood suppliers are:

1. Icing and Storage - Restaurants go for well iced and refrigerated supply points as this means they will have the benefit of storing the seafood in their stores for about three days before cooking and consumption.

2. Reputation of Supplier - to ensure the best of sea products, restaurants always check the 'sell by date'. The condition-frozen seafood should be solid, having a very mild odor and no ice crystals.

3. Packaging - The wrappers used in storing seafood should be leak proof meaning the product inside is free from all contamination. This is key in seafood as the contamination may affect the final taste.

Storing Canned Seafood

Seafood can be canned and stored for longer periods. An example being fish, it is highly perishable and hence needs freezing to staying fresh. Here are some of the things that restaurants store fish.

The fish is cleaned and cut into forms that will be used while cooking like steak and fillets.

The cut pieces are then carefully wrapped in aluminum wrap, plastic wrap or freezer papers to avoid air and freezer burn.

Once wrapped, the fish is placed in freezing cans and the cans sealed. The cans are kept frozen at temperatures lying between 1 - 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just perhaps you wish to know, fish stored by this method should be consumed within one month as long storage ruins the taste.

If you want to eat fresh seafood, you should certainly eat at the seafood restaurants in Nashville TN. There are no words to describe the freshness you will experience fully! Take a quick peek here at what you can expect!

Le Bremner: Chuck Hughes and Foodmancing

I know that my last few posts on food have been given much attention to my gourmand ventures in the restaurants of celebrity Quebec chef Chuck Hughes.

Well, here's another one.

After exactly a year, I revisited Le Bremner, Hughes' second and most current fine-dining resto/bar set in a basement locale in the charming district of Old Montreal near the Bonsecours Market and identified by only the name "Restaurant". Where you'll find revelry, trendiness, and a hipster-like environment at Garde Manger restaurant, Hughes cleverly created a contrasting effect at Le Bremner, highlighting its rustic, dim, cozy, and intimate characteristics that also reflects the spirit of the food.

Hughes himself was present that night and visibly hard at work in an open portion of the kitchen. I couldn't help wonder if he had manually worked on my food!

Changes were made to the menu upon my second visit that is now short and simple, always seafood-centric and includes a section of dishes that can be shared with your company.

First let me say that one of the things that stays ingrained in your memory about Bremner are the homemade cocktails and beverages. Do not skip out on this grand feat!! The special cocktail of the day will depend on what's in season. In my case, the apple cider cocktail mixed with Jameson, ginger, cinnamon, and a slew of other ingredients that made this drink fantastic and a popular order at my table of 6!

The main dish of cabbage roll presented sushi-style gorged with seasoned pork, scallop, and shrimp was fantastic, heartwarming, and delectable. The crunchiness of the cabbage was further complimented by the soft combination and textures of the pork and seafood within the roll.

The half lobster was another winner accompanied with Quebec wild mushrooms and veal sauce. Just like our waitress promised, this sophisticated meal tickled the senses and made me wish it was a whole lobster instead. And then, of course, came the sweet part. As much as the fried chocolate Mars bar is Garde Manger's famous dessert, so are the homemade doughnuts at Bremner. This time, the 5 sugar-coated doughnuts were filled with spicy light chocolate, lemon, and blueberry. They can be gobbled in one single bite and warm your heart in a second.

I couldn't resist choosing the S'mores garnished with velvety chocolate and a mild addition of orange, very sweet to the palate but equally as gratifying. Whether it's Garde Manger or Bremner, I'm already thinking about my next gourmet experience at either place hoping that I'll get to catch Chuck on break to express my gratitude.

*Note that due to its popularity, expect to reserve a month in advance.

Outback Steakhouse Offers Plenty of Coupons

If you like steak and want to enjoy one inexpensively, then Outback Steakhouse offers plenty of deals to make that happen. For those who have never visited the Outback, it is an Australian themed restaurant that offers American Cuisine in 669 domestic and 111 International locations. The first Outback steakhouse opened in 1988 and as it's popularity grew so did the number of these casual dining restaurants.

Steak And More

There is little doubt that beef is the specialty of the house at the Outback, particularly their steaks that are heavily spiced. (They actually have 17 different spice blends for their steaks alone!) You can choose to have your steak cooked the old fashioned way on a griddle with butter, or choose the lighter option of having your steak grilled over an oak flame.

Besides, steaks the Outback also serves burgers, prime rib, chicken, seafood and salad. While the beer they offer is often limited and may differ from restaurant to restaurant they normally have one Australian lager to offer for those who want to pretend they are really in the country down under.

Other than their steaks their most popular food seems to be the onion bloom with it's accompanying sauce. Their prime rib also seems to have a lot of fans judging from reviews.

Many Ways To Save Money

Besides their steaks one of the things that the Outback Steakhouses do well is save their customer's money. They have a variety of money saving coupons as well as several special deals. Some of the deals include:
  1.     Special prices on dinners for seniors Monday-Thursday
  2.     $5.00 off coupons for ordering a $25.00 online
  3.     Free child breakfast coupons
  4.     Free appetizers (usually with an entree)
  5.     $10.00 off any two entrees
  6.     $5.00 off any two entrees
  7.     A Special $10.00 bonus gift card if you purchase a $50.00 gift card
  8.     $5.00 gift card for giving your opinion of the Outback Steakhouse

You can also get the latest daily deals and specials by following the restaurant's Facebook page, which may result in even more savings.

What The Reviews Have To Say

Reviews for the Outback are pretty good with the restaurant rating 4 out 5 stars in most reviews regardless of the location. Interestingly enough almost none of the negative reviews is in regard to the food which most reviewers seem to feel is superior to most restaurant chains. The problems seem to lie mainly with some of the wait staff in some of the locations. Several reviewers actually stated that the service itself was hit or miss depending who your server was.

Reviewers also felt that the Outback was a great place to get great food, but was not the kind of atmosphere where you were really encouraged to linger and just hang out after you meal was finished.

Overall, Outback Steakhouse seems to the type of casual dining restaurant where you would want to go if you are looking for great food at reasonable price and the many different coupons they have to offer makes the Outback an even more attractive choice. However, if you are looking for a place to enjoy a good meal and then spend a couple of hours sitting and relaxing over coffee this may not be the restaurant of choice.

For more in depth information, check my fan site dedicated to Outback Steakhouse and Outback Steakhouse coupons.