Info-Leeches and other E-Invertebrates

Grilling on the barbecue has never been more exciting. Not only do barbecues come in a myriad of designs and options, but also with the advent of popular cooking shows, cooking books and magazines’, grilling has reached a whole new dimension.

Grilling is no longer just about steaks and burgers, barbecue grilling is full of adventurous and elegant recipes and menu plans. Some of the tantalizing grilling ‘recipes have names like grilled mango blossom, grilled portobello’s with avocado salsa and grilled beef tenderloin with cabernet sauvignon sauce.

You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the barbecuing grilling basics before you start. The two most popular types of grilling are the indirect and direct grilling methods. The indirect method is a slow cooking process because less heat is used. One suggestion for indirect cooking is to use a disposable drip pan or foil placed underneath the food to be cooked, using tongs arrange the coals around the pan. The food is cooked by the hot air circulating around the food (similar to a convection oven) this process is great for cooking roasts. It’s always a good idea to check with your owner manual for your specific barbeque.

The direct grilling method is achieved by arranging the coals (with long handled tongs) to spread evenly in a single layer, extending about one inch beyond the area of food. The food is then placed directly over fire. The direct grilling method is fast because of the intense heat and allows for quick browning on the outside of foods. Direct grilling works best for food requiring short cooking times, such as burgers and steaks. It’s important to turn over food to allow cooking of both sides.

The three most popular ways of adding flavor to your selected grilling foods are with sauces, marinades and rubs. The sauce can be said to define a great barbecue, you can use a little sauce or a lot. A sample recipe for sauce is this maple barbecue sauce; combine equal amounts of maple syrup, ketchup and white wine add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, ginger and chili powder with a bay leaf, bring ingredients to a boil then reduce and let simmer. A sauce should be brushed on in the last five to ten minutes of grilling as the sugar can cause the sauce to burn. There are a wide variety of barbecue sauces and recipes available.

Marinades are another way to change a mediocre meal into incredible. They are an excellent way to add flavor while tenderizing and promoting crisp brown exteriors.

The three basic ingredients in marinades are flavorings (herbs, spices and sweeteners), oils and acids (citrus juices, wines, vinegars and yogurts). A simple marinade recipe is the lemon rosemary marinade. Mix shredded lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, white wine, rosemary, salt and pepper and pour over your selected meat, tofu, or vegetables in either a plastic sealable bag or shallow dish and refrigerate for one to two hours, remembering to shake bag or flip in dish half way through marinating process.

Rubs are a wonderful bold blend of seasonings, which are just as the name implies rubbed directly into the food. The food is rubbed with spices prior to grilling, transforming the rub into a crunchy brown crust that seals in the juices and enhances the flavors. A very basic rub recipe is this herb rub; equal amounts of dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, with smaller amounts of salt and pepper combine all ingredients in a food processor until coarsely ground. Sprinkle mixture evenly over meat, then rub in with fingers. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to two hours, and then grill.

When outdoor grilling there are a few simple things to remember in order to avoid any contamination of food. Any marinated food should be kept in the refrigerator (not on the counter) to prevent giving bacteria a chance to grow. Set some marinade aside at the beginning, and never reuse any marinade that has been used on raw meat. Always keep vegetable and fruits separate from raw meat; utensils and plates should also be washed before using. Be sure to properly cook all meats.

Serve food immediately, so hot foods don’t have too much time to cool and to start growing bacteria. Perishable foods should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours, and if the outdoor temperature is more than 85 degrees or hotter serve within an hour.

Grilling vegetables is an excellent way to bring out seasonal flavors. Vegetables and fruits such as; eggplant, bell peppers, summer squashes, sweet onions, roma or cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, mangoes, pineapple or peaches are all excellent choices for grilling. Cut vegetables into half inch slices or large chunks. Brush with some olive oil (may be seasoned with garlic or other selected herbs). Grill the vegetables until tender, turning only once. Fruit should be halved with pits removed, and grilled until tender (no oil is needed), with the pulp side down. Vegetable cooking sprays or small amounts of oil will prevent the vegetables from sticking (avoid spraying vegetable near lighted grill). Marinating the vegetable beforehand also makes the vegetables easier to handle and less likely to stick to your grill surface.

Grilling corn on the cob cooked in the cornhusks (without the corn silk) is a unique and tasty alternative to boiled corn. Peel back cornhusks and put butter and herbs around the corn. Fold over cornhusks and tie with kitchen string. Grill the corn for approximately thirty minutes, remembering to turn the corn about three times.

A simple and elegant meal might consist of a grilled pizza and some grilled fruit crisp for dessert. To grill a pizza use a store bought Italian bread shell cover with pesto, thinly sliced plum tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, kalamata olives and basil (drizzling olive oil over top). Use tin foil folded in half placing the pizza on top folding up the edges of tin foil up to the edges of the pizza. Using the indirect method of grilling, grill the pizza for about 10 minutes. For the grilled fruit crisp dessert, mix peaches, pineapple tidbits and brown sugar spooning into a metal baking foil pan. Then combine larger amounts of brown sugar, flour and butter with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkling over top of fruit mixture. Grill about fifty minutes (indirect grilling method) or until hot and bubbly, serve with ice cream if desired.

Outdoor grilling is a convenient and nice alternative to cooking indoors. The options of menus are limitless. Grilling is one of the easiest and most tantalizing low fat ways of cooking. Whether you stick to the time honored steak and burgers or go for something a bit more adventurous, grilling is always a tasty and enjoyable way to be outdoors with family and friends.
Valerie Giles owns and operates Best BBQ Online, a resource web site featuring bbq grills, bbq smokers, weber gas grills, grill accessories, bbq recipes and marinades. Everything you need for the barbequing season. http://www.best-bbq-online.com Try some of our free Mouth Watering Rotisseries Recipes. The accompanying article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

Price

Definitely a consideration for most people. As a general rule, you do get more for the extra money - more metal, less plastic, higher-quality workmanship, better support, more controls. On the other hand, if you just want an occasional cappuccino, or if you rather buy other things with your money, most cheap machines can make a pretty decent drink.

Espresso machines are definitely not cheap, but, compared to going to Starbuck’s every day, it may not take long at all for a good machine to pay for itself. Spending $3 every weekday at the local coffee house translates to $750 over the course of a year. You could buy a great machine for that amount that will last for years to come. A handy Espresso Machine Comparison Chart organized by price ranges can be found here - http://www.coffeemakersetc.com/espresso-machine.html.

Type

Moka or Steam - Steam provides pressure to push water through a bed of coffee grounds. No real controls on pressure or temperature. Length of brewing time is controlled by operator.

Semi-Automatic - Pump provides pressure. Operator grinds, doses and tamps coffee into a portafilter. Brewing pressure and temperature are set and controlled by machine. Length of brewing time (and, therefore, volume) is controlled by operator.

Automatic - Pump provides pressure. Operator grinds, doses and tamps coffee into a portafilter. Brewing pressure and temperature are set and controlled by machine. Machine automatically brews to a predetermined volume.

Super-Automatic - Pump provides pressure. Machine automatically grinds, doses, tamps, brews to a predetermined volume, and ejects the spent puck, all with the push of a button. Some commercial super automatics can also steam milk automatically, depending on your brew selection. Some manufacturers of super-automatics are Bosch, Saeco and Solis.

Lever - Lever pushes down a piston to provide pressure. Lever pushed down manually by operator. Lever espresso machines are harder to operate, but provide greater control over shot. For those who enjoy the art of making espressos. The most widely-known lever machines are offered the original manufacturer - La Pavoni.

Design

The traditional espresso machine is somewhat square and boxy. If this is OK - great - there’s plenty from which to choose. If you would rather have a machine with a more modern design, you might consider the Espressione Cafe Retro, the La Pavoni Cellini or the La Pavoni Pisa. For an old world design, you could consider a La Pavoni Lever Machine.

Boiler

The boiler heats the water for the espresso. Usually, it’s made of aluminum, brass, copper or stainless steel. Aluminum heats the fastest, but brass and stainless steel retain heat longer. If you just want one quick cup in the morning, aluminum may work best. If you brew repeated shots, consider brass, copper or stainless. Over the years, aluminum may tend to corrode more then brass, copper and stainless.

Another consideration is boiler size. Smaller boilers (3-5 oz.) heat up faster and are great for 1 or 2 cups, but they generally require more recovery time and may not maintain temperature as consistently as a larger (7-12 oz.) boiler. As a general rule, the more expensive machine, the larger the boiler.

Bar Pressure

The amount of pressure the machine can produce for forcing the steam through the coffee grounds and making the espresso. Technically, only 9 bars are needed, so it doesn’t make much difference if the machine produces 15, 16 or 18 bars.

Housing

Espresso machines are made with either ABS shock-resistant plastic or metal housing. If plastic bothers you, make sure you look for a machine with a metal housing. As expected, these cost more, and options in the lower prices ranges are limited.

Size

Remember to consider your counter space and how your espresso machine will fit on it and in your kitchen before buying. Don’t buy a machine that’s too big and unwieldy.

About the Author: Paul Ballenger has been selling coffee makers and espresso machines for over 5 years. A handy Espresso Machine Comparison Chart organized by price ranges can be found here - http://www.coffeemakersetc.com/espresso-machine.html.

Source: www.isnare.com

Do you find yourself treating one headache after another? Do headaches interfere with your usual activities? Do your treatments cause annoying or impairing effects of their own? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you should consider a preventive treatment.

Whether speaking of migraines, tension-type headaches or other recurring head pains, it’s safe to say that the best headache attack is the one you don’t have. Even if you have found an effective treatment for resolving a headache that is already underway, there is nothing about today’s as-needed treatment that will keep next week’s attack from occurring. Headache treatments come in two formsabortive and preventive. The abortive form is familiar to most people. It means something you do to get rid of a headache that has already started. Usually it consists of an over-the-counter or prescription medication, but in some cases, a non-drug approach works. By contrast, a preventive treatment is something you do every day with the goal of keeping some future attacks from even starting. These, too, can involve drug and non-drug strategies.

Billions of dollars are spent each year on abortive remedies. For the most part, they are dollars well spent. And for people who have infrequent headaches that are rapidly and reliably resolved by an abortive treatment, a preventive treatment might be needless. But if attacks are frequent, hard to resolve, interfere with usual activitiesor side-effects from the abortive treatment interfere with usual activitiesthen a preventive treatment should be considered. Employing a preventive remedy does not preclude also using an abortive measure: each can be part of an integrated plan.

Before discussing specific treatments for specific headache types, let’s consider the impacts of recurring headaches. The more obvious impact is the sheer unpleasantness and suffering involved in an attack. However, another impactthough less obviousis in its own way just as important. And that is the associated disability or loss of function that comes with an attack.

If a headache attack is severe, then whatever else was planned for that day goes out the windowit’s just not going to happen. If an attack is moderate in intensity, then usual activities might be possible, but occur more slowly, less efficiently, or require more effort to produce. This, too, represents headache-associated disability.

An increasing trend in the field of headache management is for practitioners to address their patients’ loss of function as well as their pain and suffering. Drs. Richard Lipton and Walter Stewart designed a questionnaire to estimate headache-associated disability, called the MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) scale which can also be used for non-migraine headaches. Measuring and then re-measuring MIDAS is one method for judging if a preventive treatment is effective. But to accurately detect the effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of a preventive headache treatment there should also be some sort of day-by-day recording system. It might be as minimal as a check-mark on the calendar for each day with any symptoms. Another system is to summarize at the end of each day that one day’s headache-impact by selecting one of the following four descriptionsnone, mild, moderate or severe. Numerically inclined people can assign scores of 0-3 to these choices and then run averages and other statistics for each calendar month.

For people with recurring or continuous pain there is a tendency to live moment-to-moment without a view of the longer-term pattern. A recording system helps capture the big picture. It would be a mistake to judge the effectiveness of any treatment on what happened with symptoms in just the last few days. Generally, a month or longer is required to judge fairly and accurately.

So now that we have decided to consider a preventive treatment for our headaches and have put in place a system for measuring the treatment’s outcome, what specific remedies are available?

It depends, of course, on the kind of headaches being treated. Let’s discuss two of the most common typesmigraine and tension-type headaches.

For prevention of migraine, the best-studied and most effective drug treatments are available by prescription only in the U.S. These include propranolol (brand name Inderal), amitriptyline (Elavil), divalproex (Depakote) and topirimate (Topamax). Riboflavin (vitamin B2) at 400 milligrams per day was shown in one controlled study to have migraine-preventing actions. (At this dosefar higher than what is needed to treat vitamin deficiencyriboflavin should be considered a drug rather than a vitamin.) The herb feverfew has also shown benefit in controlled trials, but it is important to remember that this, too, is a drug and can have side-effects. As is the case with other drugs, it should not be used during pregnancy.

Non-drug strategies of proven effectiveness in migraine prevention include therapist-supervised programs of stress management, relaxation, biofeedback and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Studies of acupuncture have shown mixed results. Avoiding individually determined triggers for attacks carries no risk and can reduce the attack rate.

For tension-type headaches amitripyline is the best-studied drug for prevention of attacks. Note that this drug is also a leading treatment for migraine, so people unlucky enough to have both kinds of headaches can obtain benefit from just one drug. Unfortunately, even at the low doses used for headache prevention, amitriptyline can cause daytime drowsiness (even when administered at bedtime) or annoying oral dryness. Because of this, substitution of a better-tolerated, though less-studied drug in amitriptyline’s family (tricyclic antidepressants) is sometimes required. Tizanidine (Zanaflex) has also shown benefit in controlled trials.

Non-drug strategies for tension-type headache have also been proved effective. These include similar behavioral interventions to those mentioned for migrainestress management, relaxation, biofeedback and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

It would be wonderful if preventive treatments stopped headaches entirely. If they did, a measurement system would not be necessary. But a more realistic goal for preventive treatment is to reduce overall headache symptoms by at least half, or to an extent that an individual patient finds meaningful. When this occurs, a preventive approach can be a valuable addition to a program of headache management.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles, see his website at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com

One of the most enjoyable things about our culture is our fascination with records. Just about everyone can tell you that Henry Aaron hit 755 home runs, or that Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a pro basketball game. We all love records, but sometimes the fascination with them can be carried to extremes.

This is where I need to fess up. I love following record setting performances, and because of that I’ve developed a few personal records of my own. Most of them are pretty tame. As an example, when I’m working on a book, I try to write at least one page per day. If I do that, I can knock out a book, first draft and initial edits, in less than a year. Another record I work at is how much I bench press. Currently, I’m at 260 pounds, but my goal is 300. I don’t know why that’s important to me, but it is.

Now remember when I said that most of my personal records are nothing out of the ordinary? Well, that’s true, but I do have one slightly crazy one to confess to y’all. One that I’ve never admitted to anyone, not even to Ray, Hugh, or Ed Jr. And what I’m talking about here is that I enjoy keeping track of the number of hot dogs I’ve eaten at any one sitting.

That’s right, the number of hot dogs I’ve eaten at any one sitting. I love hot dogs, and we’re blessed in Georgia to have two of the finest hot dog establishments in the world - Nu-Way Weiners, my all-time favorite, and The Varsity. My record up til recently was seven, which I achieved a couple of years ago at the Northside Drive Nu-Way. I made the mistake of eating them late in the evening, which caused me to personally declare citizenship in the bathroom for the rest of the night. That’s history now, though. Folks, I’m proud to announce that I’ve just set a new hot dog eating record - I consumed eight over at The Varsity in Atlanta! Eight!

I know that’s an awesome achievement, and some of you may be wondering just how I did it. Well, I was in Atlanta recently for some book related stuff, and decided to stop by The Varsity for lunch. I ordered a large frosty orange and four chili dogs. After I received my order, I went over, sat down, and proceeded to wolf down those four hot dogs.

I noticed I was still hungry afterwards. Hungry enough, in fact, to do some serious thinking about eating more. I figured two would do it, so I got up and ordered them. Well, I wolfed those two down, and was still slightly hungry! I sensed at that point that I might have a shot at the record, so, I got up, strolled back over to the counter, and ordered two more chili dogs. The Varsity employee taking my order said, “Man, are you eatin’ all those hot dogs by yourself?” I replied that I was, and he laughed and called the manager over. When she arrived and found out what was going on she smiled and gave me those two hot dogs for free. I thanked her, went back over, and sat down.

I’m not gonna tell y’all it was easy - the seventh dog went down smooth, but I was pretty full afterwards. However, some of the great performances of our time have occurred when someone was under the gun and had to perform. I thought about how seldom it was that I would ever get so hungry. And I thought about Ed Jr., who’s told me all my life that a man has to be able to do four things well in order to survive (and eating happens to be one of them). Armed with that kind of inspiration, I stuffed down the eighth dog, and achieved personal immortality!

I’m guessing a few of you out there are chuckling and thinking, “I’ll bet he was sicker than a dog (pun intended) after eating those eight hot dogs.” Well, y’all would be dead wrong. I felt like a million bucks the rest of the day, and slept like a dead man that night. The next day I was full of urine and vinegar, and please don’t ask me for more details. Just suffice it to say that I was at my personal best, and I believe it was on account of those hot dogs. Spinach works for Popeye, hot dogs work for me. Just da facts.

Sorry to be so abrupt, but I’ve gotta run. It’s just Will and I here, and I promised him I’d take him out to lunch. And guess where we’re headed…

About The Author

Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,” can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com.

Put on your apron! It’s time to stir up a batch of mindfulness.

Julia Child, the trilling television chef who taught millions of Americans how to prepare French food without being hoity-toity, died in her sleep at the age of 92 recently. In dozens of articles, she has been glowingly eulogized for her spirit, her humor, and her ability to share her passion for cooking and fine dining.

I’ve never tried any of Julia Child’s recipes, and I watched her show only on those days when I was skipping high school. I was fascinated by her confidence in the kitchen, and I absolutely loved the way she dealt matter-of-factly with her mistakes. The line she used to excuse a dropped chicken or imprecisely flipped potato pancake? “You’re alone in the kitchen, anyway.” Just patch it up and serve with a smile.

We would do well to stir in a little of Julia’s wisdom when it comes to stewing in our own juices. For those of us likely to simmer in frustration or stick to the fear pan, her gentle and humorous approach to making mistakes is a refreshing reminder to be forgiving in order to be fabulous.

A mischievous teen and notorious good-time girl in college, Julia didn’t set out to impress anyone but herself. Along the way, she inspired millions. Her wildly popular cookbook, “The Way To Cook”, made gourmet food attainable to anyone willing to give it a go. Child herself served up some delicious morsels of advice for the way to live.

1) Start at any age.

If you think that only monks who start chanting at age 8 are likely to develop any respectable level of mindfulness, remember Julia Child. She grew up completely oblivious to her potential in the kitchen, relying on the family cook for meals and snacks. She didn’t take a cooking class until she was 34 years old, and it wasn’t until the age of 51 that she started cooking before the masses on television. She continued to write cookbooks throughout her eighties.

2) Move past your mistakes.

This is especially helpful in meditation. If you find yourself kneading a few thoughts, whipping up some emotions, or punching down your view of yourself as a “good” meditator, simply dump that flattened soufflé in the trash and move on.

You’re alone in your head, anyway.

3) Do it for yourself.

Julia Child always ended her television shows by sitting at a beautiful table set for one and raising her glass of wine to the camera with a melodic, ascending “Bon Appetit!” She made it seem perfectly reasonable to spend time lovingly preparing a delicious meal–for yourself. She delighted in the idea of cooking–and dining–for the sheer joy of the experience.

By remembering that we are never too old to start, that we must expect to make mistakes as we keep moving forward, and that we need not impress anyone but ourselves, we can stir up mindfulness wherever we are.

I still think that staying home to watch Julia Child should have been an excused absence from school. She taught me the value of demystifying difficult concepts in order to embrace learning without fear.

Bon appetit!

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 90 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://www.mindmasseuse.com.

maya@mindmasseuse.com

For example, when you call a resort and ask for room rates, you’ll most likely be quoted what are called “rack rates.” These are the non-discounted rates that resort properties can charge when they’re almost booked to capacity. In reality, though, resort properties aren’t usually full, and rooms are perishable commodities. If a room goes empty for a night, that represents lost income that the resort can never regain. Wholesale travel packages take advantage of this phenomena and book blocks of rooms at non-peak periods to get the best rates. The resorts readily agree because they need to fill the rooms and they know that guests will spend money on ancillary products, such as restaurant charges, room service, and gift shop purchases.. Get Lunchbox Wholesalers at Salehoo wholesale directories, see how Salehoo can help your business. For example you can become a seller of baseball gear including gloves bats baseballs bags uniforms training gear. Read on to find out more about Lunchbox Wholesalers and Salehoo Wholesalers. With these eleven parameters you should now have enough knowledge to get you started in the right direction for evaluating a drop ship guide. More on Lunchbox Wholesalers at Salehoo wholesaler directory.

I started selling lighters when I had my route in San Diego with about 600 stores. Other distributors told me about how much money they were making with lighters so I decided to give them a try. They were right. Since the first day we introduced them to the stores they were best sellers and they have remained best sellers for years. Read on about Lunchbox Wholesalers and how Salehoo wholesale directory can help you. You can enter the name of a product you would like to put up for sale into a wizard and get information about how popular it is with your competitors in other words the power of competition to be faced or more accurately how many people are trying to sell the item. More on Lunchbox Wholesalers below.

The funny thing is we only sold wholesale on eBay. And it seemed we were the only ones really selling wholesale. Most people selling at “wholesale prices” were selling at about 3 times what we could get any of their items. Find out more about Lunchbox Wholesalers and how Salehoo wholesale directory can help you start your own business from home. Over the past three years it has auctioned merchandise with the gross value of $264 million. Lunchbox Wholesalers: Find out how Salehoo wholesale directory can serve YOU!

Get: Lunchbox Wholesalers at Salehoo wholesale directories, and get a head start in your own startup business. The only way to thrive in your startup business is to get quality products cheaply, and from 100%, weekly verified wholesale suppliers from all over the world. CLICK BELOW for FULL DETAILS Inside

www.becheeky.com started in in 2005 it was established by two partners. They observed a substantial gap in the market and started the website with the thought that it would be designed specially around helping out men obtain lingerie for their spouses. Clientele experience at ease buying from the BeCheeky site this is because the staff give such sensational special attention & because of this it gives the clientele the idea that they are shopping with a stylish boutique with a terrific personal shopper there to help with your every step. Find affordable, gorgeous and stylish reversible venice tie bikinis, halter ring swimsuits and reversible venice tankinis from Moontide.

The BeCheeky website was such a success with ladies lingerie that the staff set up men?s underwear to the site as well. The BeCheekys website is notorious for its assortment of delightful lingerie sets, bras, knickers, boyshorts, corsets, basques, bikinis & swimsuits. What makes them particularly special is that there is always something for all tastes. Each item that is purchased comes delivered in a delightful satin sack filled full as well as with confetti for that extremely exceptionally touch. The site are also well known for their own super very special bargains which typically happen on a day to day basis.

The BeCheeky site itself is constantly remarkably effortless to navigate all around as well as with clear to follow instructions to make your choice & payment transaction as straightforward & as simple as possible. Once you yourself have chosen your selected item it is time to come to a decision as to what mailing you would like to select. There are a couple of different preferences to choose from, despite this, all delivery methods are commended for their own prompt postage 2 mails deliveries to the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. The staff offer three sorts of mailing dispatching, standard which will be delivered within 3 days days, the next working day & then worldwide which on average takes between two- three days from order date. There is a small charge for deliveries ?2.30 for standard and ?5.95 for next working day delivery.

If you ask for pasta with Alfredo sauce at a restaurant in Italy all you get from your waiter is a stare. Why is one of the most famous “Italian sauces” for pasta unknown in its country of origin? The answer is simple: because in Italy an Alfredo “sauce” doesn’t exist.

Yes, Italians make a dish of pasta, fettuccine dressed with nothing else than good aged parmigiano cheese and a lot of butter, but is such a simple preparation that Italians don’t even consider it a “recipe”.

Waverly Root in his famous book “The Food of Italy” (New York, 1971) wrote: “FETTUCCINE AL BURRO is associated in every tourist’s mind with Rome, possibly because the original Alfredo succeeded in making its serving a spectacle reminiscent of grand opera. It is the same ribbon shaped egg pasta tat is called tagliatelle in Bologna; but the al burro preparation is very Roman indeed in its rich simplicity. Nothing is added to the pasta except grated cheese and butter - lots of butter. The recipe calls for doppio burro, double butter, which gives it a golden color.”

Who was Alfredo then? Alfredo di Lelio, this was his full name, was an inspired cook who proposed this new exciting dish in the restaurant he opened in Rome in 1914. It was a high gourmet preparation in the Roman tradition of simplicity. Apparently he created his Fettuccine all’Alfredo when his wife lost her appetite during her pregnancy. To bring back her appetite he prepared for her a nutritious dish of egg fettuccine with parmigiano cheese and butter. That probably gave him the idea for his “triple butter” fettuccine.

He was an extravagant character who used to personally serve his paper-thin fettuccine with golden forks, apparently donated to him by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the famous silent movie stars. In the fifties and sixties, Hollywood discovered Rome. Paparazzi photographers took photos of actors such as Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, or Sophia Loren in front of a plate of Fettuccine all’Alfredo, making his restaurant famous all around the world. The restaurant is now run buy his grandson, and the golden forks are still used to serve this dish for special occasions.

Samuel Chamberlain, journalist and food writer, met Alfredo in the late fifties and wrote in his book “Italian Bouquet - An Epicurean Tour of Italy” (New York, 1958): “Finally there is the great Alfredo, showman par excellence, who draws an endless file of amazed and hungry tourists to watch his calisthenics over a dish of hot noodles. The King of Noodles has come out of retirement, and now wields his golden fork and spoon at ALFREDO ALL’AUGUSTEO, at number 31 on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. His Maestosissime Fettuccine all’Alfredo are most majestic, without a doubt. […] You have to visit this place at least once, we suppose, just to say you have seen this elderly, melodramatic good-hearted clown in action.”

So, forget the heavy cream, the parsley, the garlic, and all the other stuff suggested in the hundreds of Alfredo recipes that circulate around. Take down from the shelf that pasta machine, prepare your fresh fettuccine (you can substitute fresh fettuccine with excellent dry egg noodles), and enjoy the simple Maestosissime Fettuccine al Triplo Burro the way Alfredo himself would do them. Find the step-by-step illustrated recipe at this URL: http://www.annamariavolpi.com/pasta_alfredo_recipe.html Enjoy!

Anna Maria Volpi, Copyright(C)2004

Anna Maria Volpi is a cooking instructor and personal chef in Los Angeles. Visit Anna Maria’s website www.annamariavolpi.com/page28.html for step-by-step illustrated Italian recipes, articles, pictures, and to enroll in her free newsletter.

Permission is granted for this article to reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, as long as no changes are made and the copyright, resource box, and active link to her website are included.

Please inform Anna Maria if you use this article: anna@annamariavolpi.com

During the past thirty years there has been a steadily growing amount of scientific evidence linking vitamins and minerals to having a direct effect in protecting one’s self from aging. Apart from the usual health benefits that we can receive from having adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in our body, it’s also a highly appealing note to include that being healthy inside will actually reflect on how we look like on the outside. This is why a great change in one’s lifestyle is highly encouraged, a healthy way of living can still be achieved given that you have the patience and enough self-discipline to actually control yourself from wolfing down hamburgers and steaks as well as chugging bottles of soda each and every day.

And the health benefits don’t just stop there, along with the youthful appearance, a healthy lifestyle can actually result to a wonderful effect on your immune system, strengthening it and eventually making you more active and less likely to catch any illness. There are a number of nutrients that have shown to be necessary in improving how our immune system functions. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene and selenium have been shown to boost resistance. The minerals zinc and magnesium are also important for immune function. To ensure a good bill of health, it is important that you have to make sure that you’re getting the right amount of these antioxidants each and every day, from a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet to nutrition supplements, it really is quite easy to be healthy. However, antioxidants such as zinc and magnesium can be found in dairy products and seafood.

Certain vitamins and minerals have been shown to aid in the prevention of some degenerative diseases and illnesses and peculiarities that are brought about by aging. Antioxidants can actually help lower the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration which are conditions associated with aging. Experts actually suggest that antioxidants can help slow the aging process by reducing the daily cell damage done by environmental pollution and time. Vitamin E has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Niacin a B vitamin can help in reducing the level of cholesterol in the body. While some other nutrients that are helpful in protecting against age related disorders are selenium, cartenoids, flavinoids and some Amino acids.

Proper nutrition via the diet can actually be quite a feat for some who have never diet in their entire lives, as hard as it may seem to be at first, a well-balanced diet is definitely achievable. Even though people often work longer and harder while parents tend to both work hard in order to provide for their family, it is not an excuse for people to be neglecting their health by filling their bodies with all sorts of junk Another difficulty comes in being surrounded by a lot of processed food that don’t really pack in the nutritional value that a person needs to stay healthy. This problem goes as far as the lack of minerals from the soil, which in turn causes our food to be a lot less healthy that it should be. Even vegetables nowadays cannot be relied on to fill in the necessary nutritional requirements that one needs in order to be healthy.

This is the reason why nutritional supplements greatly abound in check out counters and drugstores nowadays. Not only are they affordable but they can also prove to be a good source of the added vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that a person needs in order to stay healthy and fit. Consult a licensed dietician or your family physician to be able to choose the right kind of nutritional supplement for you.

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About the Author

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

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About the author:

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