Chocolate Mousse

August 16th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Cacao, located in Coral Gables, has made its mark among the other chic Coral Gables restaurants. The simple yet warm décor is perfect for any romantic evening. With exquisite dishes complemented with sweet chocolate desserts, Cacao is a perfect Miami restaurant for a special night.

Cacao’s menu: For the perfect romantic evening, we suggest starting with either the Salmon Ceviche or the Tuna Ceviche with mango. For an appetizer, we recommend sharing the Venezuelan Style Gouda Cheese, which is stuffed with pork and corn chips. For the main course, try the Wild Boar Tenderloin or the Rack of Lamb. And for dessert, the Grand Saman Velvet Chocolate Mousse is simply exquisite.

St. Michel, located in Coral Gables, serves up an eclectic American-French cuisine matched by none other than a breathtaking atmosphere. The dining room is dressed in lace curtains and housed in the historic Hotel St. Michel, originally built in 1926. Known for being one of the most romantic restaurants in Miami, St. Michel has won many awards including the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award.

St. Michel’s menu: Start with the Trio of Seafood Cakes that includes conch, lobster and crab or the White and Pink Tuna Carpaccio. For the entrees, we recommend the Pan Seared Veal Medallions or the Daikon Wrapped Ahi Tuna with wasabi aioli.

Wish, located in South Beach, boasts a chic décor designed by Todd Oldham. Outside dining, also known as the “inner garden” offers a lush tropical setting to help bring out the romantics in everyone. The “inner garden”, which is tucked away in this Miami restaurant, provides a very romantic setting.

Wish’s Menu: Begin with the Tuan Tartare ($15) with the pickled ginger sorbet or the Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Salad, a salad you don’t really find in other Miami restaurants. As for the entrees, the Crispy Skinned Snapper ($29), the Pork Tenderloins ($33), or the Pan Seared Diver Scallops ($33) are excellent choices.

Flemings, located in Pinecrest, features Danish and American cuisine. Fleming’s rare cuisine is what makes this Miami restaurant so special.

Fleming’s Menu: We suggest the Pate or Little Herring, which are two dishes prepared Danish style. For the entrée, try the Boullabiase Nyhavn, a stew of fresh shellfish and fish, or the tender New Zealand Rack of Lamb.

Get more information about Miami Restaurants and view Miami Restaurant Menus on http://www.restaurantplace.com.

August 14th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Dulce de leche can easily be made at home. Spanish for “candied milk,” dulce de leche is made by heating sweetened milk slowly until it makes a brown sauce that tastes like caramel. In Mexico, it can be found as both a candy and a syrup.

People all through South, Central, and Latin America love dulce de leche. Even France has a spreadable version of this delicious recipe. Be prepared to give this recipe your full attention when you make it. Milk and sugar are both prone to burning if they are not stirred constantly. Keep the heat controlled at all times.

As the water evaporates from the milk, the mixture will thicken until it is about one-sixth the original volume. While the milk reduces, the sugar caramelizes. There are many applications for this sweet recipe.

Spoon dulce de leche on ice cream, cake, or flan. You can make it into a creamy candy. Haagen Dazs, a well-known ice cream maker came out with a dulce de leche flavor in 1997. Starbucks followed suit with a flavored coffee. Even the Girl Scouts of the USA jumped on the bandwagon with dulce de leche cookies for their yearly cookie sale.

You can add flavors to your dessert mixture like vanilla, cinnamon, or lemon. In Latin America, you can actually buy cans of dulce de leche at the store. You may want to take a peek at your local Mexican market and see if they carry it. In Mexico, you can also get a stronger version called cajeta de leche. It is made with goat milk, cow milk, and sugar.

If you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, this is a terrific recipe to introduce to your guests. It has been made for a long time in Mexico, so you can tell them you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo history by making traditional dishes. Practice the recipes a few times before your big event.

The texture of finished dulce de leche should be both sticky and creamy. Be prepared… it is very rich. In some countries, this dish is also called a milk jam.

This sauce can be added to other recipes like mousse to create an intense dessert your friends will never forget. Full of the rich caramelized sauce, extra cream and egg white gives the mousse an incredible feel in the mouth that is unrivaled by any other dessert.

Compare this dessert to fine, rich chocolate. As chocolate is also from Mexico, you must admit that Mexican cuisine knows how to make incredibly rich desserts. Layer chocolate pudding with layers of dulce de leche in glass cups. Add it to your favorite cheesecake recipe for true decadence.

Mexico has a lot of delicious dishes like this if you look. Explore the richness that is waiting to be discovered in Mexican cuisine and see what other great treasures you can find. Dulce de leche is but one of the wonderful culinary surprise waiting for you when you take a look at the Mexican recipes available to you.

Cinco de Mayo history would not be complete without a look at Mexican food and desserts. Mexican desserts are aimed towards people with a sweet tooth. Ingredients like vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon are popular when it comes to Mexican recipes and desserts with fresh fruit are always well loved. If these ingredients sound good to you, you are going to love making Mexican dessert recipes.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

August 12th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Sugar All carbohydrates, both complex and simple (like sugars), affect blood sugar. While complex carbohydrates raise blood sugar slower and simple sugars can more easily spike blood sugar, the most important factor for those with diabetes is the total amount of carbohydrate you consume. Diabetes educators agree that sugars, including white, brown, powdered, honey, syrups, molasses and fructose can all be included in your meal planning. For any healthy diet, the American Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 8 to 10 teaspoons per day of added sugars. Moreover, the added sugar content of candy, sodas, and desserts can cause you to easily exceed the recommendations of both the dietary guidelines and your carbohydrate-conscious diet. A small-sized Halloween treat bag or bar averages 2 to 3 teaspoons of added sugar (and 10 grams of carbohydrate), a single chocolate bar has 6 to 7 teaspoons (22 to 30 grams of carbs), and single serving package of Skittles has whopping 11 teaspoons of sugar (45 grams of carbs). In order to healthfully consume foods with sugar:

• Keep added sugars to a minimum. Eat small portions and make it a once in a while treat.
• Be sure to keep track of your total carbohydrates. If you must have a sugary treat, be sure to switch out other carbohydrates in your meal plan.
• When possible, satisfy your sweet tooth without added sugar. Fresh fruit is naturally sweet and contains fiber as well as vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients that are good for your health.

Sugar Alternatives Sugar alternatives or substitutes can help offer the treat without the “trick.” For candies, gums and mints, the most commonly used substitutes are sugar alcohols. Ironically, sugar alcohols contain neither sugar nor alcohol. Produced from other carbohydrates, sugar alcohols contain fewer calories and are not digested like other sugars — resulting in less impact on your blood sugar. Some common sugar alcohols or “-ols” are mannitol, maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, lactitol, and isomalt. Sugar substitutes such as sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal and NutraSweet), saccharin (Sweet ‘n Low), acesulfame potassium (Sweet One), and stevia (a food supplement) can also allow you to enjoy the sweet taste you love without the effects of sugar (as do reduced/no-calorie blends like Diabi-sweet). These sugar substitutes are used to cut back the sugar content in packaged goods and are easily recognized in supermarkets and on tabletops in their yellow, blue, and pink packaging. Whichever you choose, the FDA, the American Dietetic Association, and the American Diabetes Association consider all of them safe and effective replacements for sugar. When including any sugar alternative in your diet, remember:

• Carbohydrates and calories still count. “No-sugar” does not mean no carbs or calories!
• For sugar alcohols, you may subtract one-half the grams of sugar alcohol listed on the food label from the carbohydrates. (Less than 5 grams of sugar alcohol is considered “free.”)
• Be sure to eat foods with sugar alcohols in moderation, especially until you are sure of your personal tolerance limits. GI distress and a laxative effect can occur with excessive consumption. (Extra caution should be taken with children and sugar alcohol; erythritol has the least side effects for both kids and adults.)
• Hot and cold beverages are perfect places to switch out sugar with sugar substitutes.
• When cooking or baking, be sure to use a “baking blend” or a sugar substitute such as sucralose (Splenda) that can withstand high temperatures.

Healthy Low Sugar Treats! Substituting “empty” sugar calories with sugar alternatives and no-added sugar treats can make it easier to keep your diabetes diet in check. Satisfying your sweet tooth with homemade good-for-you treats is even better!

Halloween is a great time to enjoy my Spicy (but not scary) Pumpkin Muffins or Creamy Instant Pumpkin Mousse, both delectably low in sugar and packed with the goodness of fiber and nutrient-rich pumpkin puree.