Category: Food and Drinks

Do you love Italian pasta? If you’re tired of your usual Italian-style spaghetti, then it’s time to try these delightful Italian pasta sauces on different pasta for a whole new level of Italian dining.

Tartufata
The word tartufata describes the tasty condiment made of truffles and onions used in a lot of gourmet meals. But aren’t truffles sweet? Truffles is the name for the mushroom used in the sauce. Usually, tartufata is sautéed in olive oil and garlic then stored for use. One example of a pasta with tartufata is detailed below.

Ingredients: 100 grams of grated black summer truffle, 100 mL extra virgin olive oil, 4 finely-chopped anchovy fillets (you can also use 1 tablespoon of finely-chopped salted capers), 2 finely-chopped cloves garlic, and salt and pepper

Preparation: Sauté the garlic and anchovies (or capers) on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the anchovies dissolve. Then, add the truffle and stir for 15 minutes. Cool and serve with pasta and toast (preferably spaghetti or tagliatelle pasta).

Umbria
Umbria refers to the Italian region in the center of the country just north of Rome. Umbrian ragu sauce used for pasta refer to the long cooking method of the meat. If you want to try something uncommon for your pasta treat, read the recipe below.

Ingredients: ¾ pound ground pork, ¼ pound ground beef, ¼ pound diced cooked ham, 1 tablespoon butter, 4 seeded and diced plum tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 peeled and diced carrot, 2 diced ribs celery, 1 diced onion, 2/3 cup dry white wine, salt and pepper, and an optional 1 black truffle

Preparation: Sauté the carrot, onion, and celery on butter over medium heat, then stir the beef and pork until the meat is brown. Add the ham and cook for another minute before raising the temperature and pouring the white wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the tomatoes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Stir then simmer in low heat while covered for 35 minutes. You can add the black truffle later then simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes. The umbria sauce can be stored for up to five days or served right away with cooked pasta.

Vongole
Vongole is the Italian name for clams, which means that the pasta sauce is made from olive oil, clams, tomatoes, and garlic. To add a different twist to your kids’ spaghetti, read the instructions below.

Ingredients: 1 kilogram of scrubbed and clean clams, extra virgin olive oil, 1 or 2 dried chilies, 400 grams dried spaghetti, 10 cherry tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 250 mL white wine, and salt and pepper

Preparation: Boil the dried pasta then clean the clams and make sure that there aren’t pieces that are tightly-closed. Heat a pan with the olive oil then saute garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper. Next, add the chili and tomatoes before stirring. When the garlic looks cooked, place the clams and pour the white wine. Cover the pan to allow the clams to open after about 4 minutes. Keep shuffling or shaking the pan until all the clams open. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and a drizzle of olive oil and parsley leaves.

Alcoholic drinks have been part of human history since ancient times. It seems that people have been in love with partying and getting drunk even then. Here are the types of alcoholic drinks you will find in the market today.

Beer
Beer is considered the oldest fermented drink in the world. Its alcohol content ranges from 0.5% to 20%. It’s made from water, yeast, starch and hops. The starch used are usually malted barley or wheat. Hops, which are flowers with a bitter taste, add flavor to the beer although some beers have extra flavors too. The term brewing is the process which turns starch into sugar. The sugar is then fermented so that it becomes alcohol. You may have noticed that bottles have labels indicating the strength of the beer. The strength is determined by the type of starch used.

Wine
Wine is made from fermented grape juice. The grape juice is from the wine grapes which are smaller and sweeter than table grapes. Wine is often produced once a year and most of the varieties come from a single species. Wine can either be made from a single variety of grape or blended with several varieties.

Mead
Mead is also a type of fermented drink. Honey is fermented using water and/or fruits, grains, spices, and hops. Mead can be dry, sweet, semi-sweet and carbonated, still or sparkling. The yeast used to make mead is also similar to those used for wine-making. Mead goes through two fermentation processes to make it clear before it is bottled.

Cider
The important ingredient in a cider is the apple juice. The alcohol comes from the fermentation process after the the juice is pressed. The varieties of ciders come from the type of apple used and the filtering during the pressing and fermentation processes. Cider can be sweet or dry and clear to brown in color. There is another type similar to cider but instead of apples, the beverage is made from pears. Called perry, it’s sometimes labeled pear cider

Spirit
Spirits are are also fermented using yeast but they are distilled, that is why they have higher alcohol content than other liquors on this list. Distillation removes other contents like water. The beverages mentioned in the articles have lower alcohol proportion, usually below 15%, and are not distilled after fermentation. Common spirits include vodka, gin, tequila, rum, scotch, whiskey, moonshine, and bourbon. One type of spirit, rectified spirit or neutral grain spirit, undergoes repeat distillation and doesn’t have any added flavoring.

Liqueurs
Liqueurs, also called cordials or schnapps, are alcoholic beverages which acquire flavors from fruits, herbs, flowers, woods, and others. Sugar and sometimes cream are also added to liqueur. Liqueur is distilled, not fermented. Common types of liqueur are berry, chocolate, coffee, cream, creme, flower, fruit, herbal, honey, nut-flavored, whisky and many more.

 

You have invited friends over for dinner, and you’re planning to serve them an exquisite-tasting wine they will enjoy. However, you don’t want to spend a fortune for just a bottle of alcohol. If you just know some basics, serving and pairing wines with food isn’t as difficult. Here are some of our favourite wine serving and pairing suggestions.

1. Serve It Chilled, But Not Too Cold

Though wines need to be chilled, do it moderately. Many people mistakenly serve wines too cold, which makes it hard to savour its flavours. However, don’t serve wines too warm as well, as it makes the presence of alcohol too prominent.

2. Decant Red Wines

Pour red wine in a large glass container to expose it to air, which tones down the harsh favours and bring out its more subtle aroma. Set it aside for 15 minutes before pouring in individual wine glasses to serve.

3. Add In Fruits

Who doesn’t love sangria? There is no better way to add sweetness to a wine than mixing in fruits and berries. Adding strawberries, apples, or any sweet, juicy fruits infuse flavour, and add a nice decorative touch to every glass.

4. Pair It With Cheese

We all know that cheese and wine are match made in heaven. The sharp flavour of cheese beautifully masks the strong aroma of wine, and vice versa. The two flavours just complement each other for harmony and balance to please the palate. Also, cheese is versatile; you should have some on-hand always.

5. Turn It Into a Spritzer

Adding something bubbly and fizzy helps tone down the tartness and unpleasantness of flavours. In Spain, one of the world’s top wine-producing countries, natives love the wondrous effect of adding lemon or lime soda to their wines, naming the drink “tinto de verano.” Also, another favourite is called “the poor man’s sangria,” a red wine and cola mixed drink.

6. Mull It

If you enjoy the comforting warmth of hot wine on a rainy day, you will appreciate the beautiful effect of mulled wine. Cranking up a red wine’s temperature with some sugar and spices can hide a low-grade taste.

When shopping for wines, there’s no need to shell out big amount of money to get the best tasting one. One thing to remember, there is rarely a relationship between quality and price when it comes to wines. So if you’re tight in budget but want to serve a pleasurable drink to impress your friends, these suggestions got you covered.