Culinary Traditions Of South America: Argentina

Argentina is South America's second largest country, snugly situated between the Andes mountain range, the Pacific Ocean, and the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile. Being situated in such a manner, Argentina is exposed to many different cultural influences from all directions, including countries all the way across the Pacific. Spain took it upon themselves to permanently settle in the country in the late 1500s, and remained there until Buenos Aires formally emancipated themselves in 1853. One of the most remarkable differences between Argentine Cuisine and exotic cuisines from around the world is the heavy influence that the cuisine of the Italian and Spanish cultures had on it.

Startlingly enough, due to the influence of the Italian culture on the country of Argentina, Italian food staples such as lasagna, pizza, pasta, and ravioli are commonly seen on the Argentine table, at least in the country's major cities. Unusually enough (when it comes to Italian food), white bread is also common, as are side dishes made of vegetables native to Argentina, such as potatoes, egglpants, squash, cucumbers, and zucchini.

Argentina is also one of the world's leading producers of milk, wheat, corn, and meat (including, but not limited to beef, goat meat, pork, and lamb) so naturally, these things are very common in the Argentine dish. Argentine dishes are normally very high in protein, so grilled meats are commonly seen on a plate of Argentine food.

Empanadas, pastries stuffed with meat or cheese, are also an Argentine favorite. They are commonly served in Argentine restaurants, and are national favorites. Empanadas are normally eaten baked or fried, and are often served at parties or festivals as appetizers. The dessert version of an empanada usually consists of brown sugar or fruit such as apples or oranges.

In smaller cities, the foreign influences of Spain and Italy are less apparent. Milanesas, thin slivers of meat dipped in eggs, bread crumbs, and then fried in oil, are common fare in the rural areas of Argentina. Their simplicity makes them great snacks, but they can also be served as part of a meal piping hot served with mashed potatoes, or between two slices of bread as a sandwich.

The master chefs are more apt to return to the more classic, provincial style of preparing and cooking food, which bears more of a resemblance to Mexican cuisine than that of Italy. Bolder, more intense spices are used. Calling forth once more the Spanish influences in Argentina, Argentine cooks are famous for their tortillas; unlike the Mexican version of the tortilla the Argentines use potato dough, in contrast to the traditional Mexican corn or flour tortilla.

Desserts are more popular in these areas, as well. Dulce de leche (which roughly translates into "Milk Jam"), a sweet pudding of sugar and milk, is a popular dessert in Argentina. This lightly brown-colored pudding is eaten alone, or stuffed in cakes or pies. Sometimes the treat is also crystallized into a solid wafer-like candy substance.

About the author:
Samuel Murray

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Your Guide To Quick To Fix, Easy Low Carb Recipes

Everyone these days wants to find easy, low-carb recipes to build a healthy diet that is low in carbohydrates. With the recent low-carb craze, dieters can find information all over the place. Here are some guidelines to help you get what you want out of the low-carb phenomenon.

Whether you are searching the Internet, paging through a cookbook or digging through a friend’s pile of recipes, you need to keep in mind what it is that you want out of this diet. You should desire low-carb recipes that appeal to you, that will help you lose weight healthily, that you want to eat and that you can prepare without too big a headache.

Just because foods are low-carb and diet-friendly doesn’t mean they have to be bad or boring. You can find easy, low-carb recipes without sacrificing foods you enjoy. You can easily find recipes focusing on meat, poultry or seafood. You can find dozens of great ideas for breads, pastas, sauces and dips, as well as low-carb desserts and snacks. You can even have low-carb beer and other alcoholic beverages.

When preparing meals containing meats, be sure to choose carefully. As you make an effort to avoid carbohydrates, you will naturally move toward foods higher in protein. Many of these high-protein foods are our favorite meats, but many of these meats are also contain large amounts of fat. To get the best out of your diet, choose easy, low-carb recipes that call for lean meat, poultry or seafood. Even lean cuts of pork are better for you than meats like bacon and beef.

Breads are another area of interest in a low-carb diet. People are often surprised to learn that cutting breads out of their diet entirely is unnecessary. With an assault on carbohydrates in their diets, many people see breads as off limits. Books have even been written discussing how to live without bread.

Breads themselves are not bad, but some can certainly not low in carbohydrates. Many easy, low-carb recipes are available that allow you to enjoy sandwiches, burgers, toast or muffins. These recipes use a slightly different list of ingredients, but they yield healthy, tasty breads. Also, breads contain fiber, which is important to include in your diet.

Many recipes targeting a low-carb audience will specify nutritional information for the food, especially carbohydrate, protein and fiber content. This information is provided for a reason: as you probably know, foods low in carbohydrates and high in protein are central to the Atkins and other low-carb diets. Fiber is also a big part of the equation; simply put, you can have more carbs in your diet if they are in the form of fiber. Also, foods high in fiber are generally full of “good carbs,” the type of carbohydrates you don’t need to eliminate from your diet.

This brings up another good point: you don’t need to completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. Keeping some carbs in your diet is healthy and does not negatively affect your diet. Most low-carb recipes have at least some carbs. Instead of cutting out all carbohydrates, you should focus on minimizing or eliminating “empty carbs,” carbohydrates that come from foods with little or no nutritional value. Soft drinks and candy bard have empty carbs; fruits and vegetables, for example, have good carbs.

An important part of a low-carb diet is variety. You’re trying to limit carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you should eat eggs every day and avoid bread like the plague. Abide the guidelines for a healthy, low-carb diet: limit but don’t eliminate carbs, get plenty of fiber, make sure your protein-rich meats are not too full of fat.

Again, to easily sustain a healthy, low-carb lifestyle you should eat foods you enjoy. Low-carb foods should not be a burden. The list of diet-friendly choices has enough variety to make even the pickiest eaters happy. You have plenty of delicious, easy, low-carb recipes to choose from.

It is highly advisable to not drink, but if you may, you may decide to check out our carbohydrates in vodka resources at your carb dietpoundsaway.com low recipe headquarters.

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Synergize Marketing
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Indian Cookery with a British Twist

In a traditional Indian home, the wife and mother does not go out to work. She stays at home and spends her days making sure that there is wholesome and tasty food ready for her family to eat whenever they may want it. If there are other older women in the household such as aunts or a grandmother, they will help too.

An Indian girl will start learning to cook at a very early age and will be expected to help her mother with the household catering and cleaning too. At her mother's side a daughter will learn how to grind spices, how to mix them to make various masalas and exactly when and how to add them to individual dishes. She will learn how to make various types of bread - chapattis, rotis, parathas and more. She will learn to make several dishes at the same time, no Indian meal consisting of only one dish, and she will learn the art of producing the crispest deep-fried onion bhajis and pakora. The girl's skill in the kitchen can make the difference between her finding a husband or not.

There's no getting away from it, delightful though Indian cuisine is, producing a meal is a complex and time-consuming business, even for the most experienced Indian housewife.

That's the traditional way. However, in modern-day India and in Britain, where many Indian families have made their homes, life is quite different.

These days, Indian women often do not have the luxury of staying at home all day. They want or need to go out to work. Indian girls brought up in Britain see other girls of their age going shopping, to parties, to visit friends, to school, to college and ultimately to work and they don't want to stay at home with their mothers, slaving over a hot stove. On top of that, they don't want to lose the culture and flavours of Indian cuisine.

What to do then, when Indian cookery does not provide a quick answer to providing a meal? Vicky Bhogal has found the answer. In her book, Cooking Like Mummyji, she explores the culinary problems of a modern Indian girl living in Britain and provides an interesting answer.

I suppose we would call this fusion cooking as it is a mixture of the flavours of India and the simplicity of British family food and the results are great tastes produced in the minimum of time. I particularly recommend Fishcakes with Bite and for Sunday lunch with a difference, Green Masala Roast Chicken - absolutely delicious.

For all your Indian cooking needs why not visit my Asian Food Online Store at http://www.lizebiz.com/trk.php?c=3308&u=411

About the Author:
Liz Canham is the webmistress Asian Food and Cookery at www.lizebiz.com/trk.php?c=2801&u=411 and Travellers' Tales at www.lizebiz.com/trk.php?c=2802&u=411
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Cookware You Can Depend On

For over one hundred years, Beka cookware has been designing and manufacturing the world's leading gourmet cooking utensils. Founded during the year 1899 in Betzingen, Germany Daniel Braun and Jakob Kemmler were the originators of Beka cookware. After many successful years in Germany, Beka cookware began to expand globally dominating markets in France, Belgium, and eventually to America.

Today, Beka cookware is categorized in two distinct categories. They are the Beka Classic collection, and the Beka Line. The Beka Classic collection contains the Cook and Fry Stainless Steel, the Cook and Fry Aluminum collection, Tools and Specials, and the Cook and Fry Copper collection. The Beka Line includes the Cook and Fry Stainless Steel collection, the Cook and Fry Aluminum collection, and the Cook and Fry Copper collection.

In the Beka Classic Cook and Fry Stainless Steel collection you will find the Creole, Fortuna, the Gourmet Club, the Juwel, the Krea, the Polo, the Saphir, and the Sully. These stainless steel collections are elegant and will compliment every kitchen. They include glass lids, matt finishes, and decorative handles. Many of the cookware include inside capacity lines to let you cook with precision. Using the Stainless Steel collection offers the cook many advantages. Many have non-stick surfaces, and you should make sure that you always cook with wood or plastic utensils to make sure that you don't inadvertently damage the surface.

Caring for your Beka cookware involves a few simple preventive methods as well as making sure that you take care of any trouble spots or problems immediately. By taking care of these problems immediately, you will ensure the longevity of your cookware.

You should always wash your cookware in hot soapy water and allow them to dry thoroughly. When using your Beka cookware on a range make sure that only the base of your cookware is receiving direct heat. If the heat is higher than the base of the pan, it could cause permanent damage to the handles.

Taking care of your copper cookware is just as important. Your Beka copper cookware will have a protective film over it. You will need to remove this layer before using it for the first time. You can remove it by rubbing it off with Acetone, be sure to wash the pots thoroughly in hot soapy water to remove all traces of the Acetone. It is best to avoid dishwashers when cleaning your copper cookware. You can however use copper polishing products to maintain the luster and beauty of your Beka copper cookware.

About the Author:
Jennifer Nash
Emeril Cookware - Find out how you can cook just like Emeril.
Added: 24 Sep 2006
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