Food related blog

Scottish cooking is still today mostly traditional, and is
based on their locally available game, dairy, fish, veggies
and fruits. There are lots of appetizers, such as smoked salmon,
finnan haddie, or haddie stuffed artichokes.
The basic ingedients are flour, fish, butter and spices.
Scotch eggs are another appetizer — these are hard boiled
eggs wrapped in lean ground pork or turkey, rolled in egg
and breaded, then baked.( I can handle some bagpipes to
eat that!!) Stuffed meatballs are prepared by mincing beef
with spice and egg, some mozzerala cheese put in the center,
and then rolled into balls which are friend or baked. YUM!

In order to save the ancient welsh traditions,
a project has begun called “Wales, the true taste”. It was
initiated to promote tourism, and also support the welsh cuisines.
The most important ingredient in welsh food is bacon!
(I wonder if they make a blt?) A wonderful soup is made over
an open fire, its name is “Cawl”. The prize meats are pork
and lamb. The cabbage and the leek were the only vegetables
allowed to be grown since the 10th century. A welsh fisherman’s
diet consists mostly of fresh fish, salmon, oysters, and shellfish.
If you have heard of ketchup with eggs, it’s a welsh invention!

England is known all over the world for fish and chips,
but theres much more to the identity of english cuisine
than that, mate. Scampi, which consists of deep fried
breaded prawns, and fish cakes, are also immensely popular.
The sunday roast is one of the most prominent items in
the a-list, with either roast beef, chicken or lamb
heading the bill. This is always accompanied by roast
potatoes, or roasted vegetables served with gravy and
(yummy!) yorkshire pudding. Once upon a time, the goose
was the most popular christmas dish, these days its turkey.

Sustaining and practical, swedish food is a great idea
to use for your next special meal. In sweden, in the
far north variations such as reindeer and other game
are used to produce exotic dishes. In the south, fresh
vegetables are often used to make their dishes. The
swedes have been influenced heavily by the American
and French. Since the 1960’s pizza has been very popular
and integral to Sweden’s culture. The kebab and falafel
are also mainstays of the swedish diet today. Common
swedish dishes include; Artsoppa, ( a yellow pea soup )
usually eaten on thrusdays, served with pork and mustard.

Greek food is becoming very popular these days, and the salads are the talk of the town. Simplicity and quality in the preparation process are found at any greek table. Of course, salads go great with main meat courses, and adding pasta to the salad can even make it a great main course. Greek salads are known by their signature salad dressings. These dressings most often use a common base of ingredients such as lemon juice and vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, and salt. Not stopping there, additional ingredients are used such as yogurt, dill, thyme, mint, basil, cream, and cheese
— all used in different combinations.

Finland boasts a hearty selection of foods to eat, delicious and satisfying. In the west, meat and fish are the staples of their diet, and in the east, vegetables and mushrooms are used very frequently. Modern finnish cooking has been heavily influenced by European and American cuisine. There are a few great dishes, such as Kaalikaaryleet (cabbage rolls) served with boiled potatoes and lingonberry preserves.Finnish summer soup includes cauliflower, baby carrots,
fresh green beans, fresh shelled tiny peas, and light cream ( sounds great to me!). For vegetarians, black eyed green pie is a dish the finnish love, as well as finnish cucumber salad, where the dressing is poured over the top of fresh sliced cucumbers.

Macaroni is made by machines, a dry pasta that
kids love and adults too! Usually mac and cheese
are cooked together at the same time, often with
milk. You can however bake it rather than just
boiling the macaroni and adding the melted cheese.
You can add different ingredients to mac and cheese
too, for example try this creamy mushroom macaroni
and cheese recipe! Ingredients: tunnel-shaped macaroni,
milk 1/3 cup, cheese, cubed, 1lb, condensed cream of
mushroom soup ( 10oz) and 1 tbsp of butter!
Just boil the macaroni, melt in the cheese and
butter, add milk and soup, then bake at 400
degrees for about 45 minutes. Voila!!

The staple foods of South Africa are
corn and meat, traditionally speaking. It is
believed that corn crops were grown in parts
of Africa since ancient times, well before
colonial times. Some other important food
crops include millet and sorghum, though
mostly used for beer. As far as meat goes, goat,
cattle, and sheep are used in most South African
food. Traditional dishes include Mieliepap, a
corn and meal porridge, which is enjoyed by
everyone, black or white. Another favorite South
African dish is the “braii” ( meaning roast
or barbecue). Chakalaka is served mostly to
tourists, which is a stir fry with vegetables
and meat.

Cajun food is more popular than ever these days!
Cajun food is regional, originating in Louisiana,
with influences from French, Italian, Spanish, and
African food. Cajun foods make use of the nearby
seafood sources to create recipes with crawfish,
oysters, and crab. The distinction is subtle
between creole and cajun, but cajun is mostly
local with more spice! When you eat cajun, you’ll
always find onion, bellpeppers, and celery.
This is making me hungry!
Gumbos are thick stews made with
sassafras leaves and hot peppers.
Sausages called andouille are part of the picture,
as well as jambalaya. Cajun mostly uses paprika,
garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper,
thyme,oregano, and onion powder. Hot!

For those who love apple pie, my suggestion is
to try the Dutch version (popularly known as
Appelgebak or Appeltaart).
The Dutch apple pie is known for its distinct
use of flavors, including lemon juice and cinnamon.
Dutch apple pie has a base of crust on the bottom
and around the edges, while the filling is made with
pieces or slices of apple. On top of the
filling, strings of dough are used to form a grill.
Most people prefer to eat dutch apple pie
warm, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
In the Netherlands, it is normally served cold with
whipped cream. Get a great recipe here:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/easy-dutch-apple-pie.html