This post is taken from our All-American/Classic American/Desserts page. And Cheesecake Red Velvet is truly an All-American classic!
(Photo Attributed to Author: Jamie)
Red Velvet Cake has long been an original North American favorite, and so has cheesecake. So, combining the two, and creating a Cheesecake Red Velvet, is just the kind of thing we like to do. I’m betting if you try this recipe, you’ll be glad we did!
Lately there has been a real buzz about what many coffee connoisseurs consider as the tastiest coffee on the planet: Kopi Luwak Coffee.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Wibowo Djatmiko)
So what is all the hype surrounding Kopi luwak Coffee about?
Asian Palm Civet (Photo Attributed to Author: Praveenp)
Sometimes called “Civet Coffee”, Kopi Luwak Coffee is the brewed coffee beans that have been eaten, partly digested, and then defecated by the Asian Palm Civet.
Producers of the Kopi Luwak coffee beans claim that the process used to procure it are enhanced because of two considerations:
This post is a sad one, really. “Haitian Mud Biscuits” are a harsh reality, and they are exactly what the name implies. In a world where there should be (and is!) enough food for everyone to eat well, many Haitians are living in such poverty and squalid conditions that they are literally eating dirt.
Photo Credited to Creative Commons
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Haitian Waste Dump (Photo Attributed to Author: Rémi Kaupp)
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. And visitors to the shanty towns of Haiti who come from “lands of plenty” will be shocked at what they find commonplace in the local markets. A dingy yellow colored, round “food” product, about the size of a breakfast pancake. It is breakfast, lunch, and dinner for many people here, who must actually eat dirt in order to not starve to death.
They’re Haitian mud biscuits, made from clay, with some salt, vegetable oil and water. Eating one will ward off the hunger pains for 2 or 3 hours. Food prices are soaring in Haiti, while wages are static or falling. Haiti is at the desperate whip end of a food crisis that stretches around the planet. Therefore the market for these mud cakes is booming.
As a tragic result? The people are now making meager incomes producing, and also eating, as a staple diet …
The following is some background on this horrid state of affairs, how it has come to be, and even a “how-to” segment if you are interested in making some Haitian mud biscuits to see for yourself just how destitute someone would need to be to take them as their daily sustenance.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Istolethetv)
In our never-ending exploration of ethnic foods from cultures all over the world, occasionally you come across some foods that people eat that just, well … make you shake your head in wonder. These 7 Bizarre Ethnic Food Delicacies did just that to me. While I might be daring enough to try a few of them, I still have to wonder what possessed the first people in history who thought to even try these!
But of course, over the many thousands of years people have been on this planet, they have tried eating any and everything available. Some of the more absurd sounding (and looking!) foods become “delicacies” to certain cultures, while to others they seem absolutely strange – even disgusting.
But it takes all kinds to make a world, so let’s now get into the list of:
This Very Spicy Veggie Chili recipe is taken from our All-American Vegetarian and Vegan page. The use of coffee and chocolate gives it a unique flavor unlike any other chili I have ever tried or prepared. And, for you strict vegans, Very Spicy Veggie Chili can be prepared in true vegan style, it only becomes less than vegan with the use of condiment toppings.
If you love Asian cuisine and enjoy preparing authentic and traditional dishes, then making homemade miso paste is a skill you might want to acquire. Originating in Japan, miso is a fermented food, made with soybeans. And it has for millennia been a staple in their cuisine. But it’s use long ago spread all over Asia, and is highly popular and included in Korean, Chinese, and many other Asian cuisines, as well.
Large Barrels of Fermenting Miso at Maruya Hatcho Co., Japan (Photo Attributed to Author: Kodachi)
You can, of course, just buy good quality, authentic and traditional miso paste in most major metropolitan areas, around the world. Companies like Maruya Hatcho Co., in Okazaki, Japan, mass produce miso while still using ancient and traditional methods.
You can even purchase from a wide variety here on our online foods store. 
For making homemade miso paste, you will need just a small amount of already prepared miso – it acts as a “starter”, with the bacteria in it initiating the fermentation process.
But there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of making homemade miso paste yourself, and using it to prepare your favorite Asian dishes. And making homemade miso paste also gives you the ability to adjust the taste with what beans you use, the length of fermentation time, additional kinds of ingredients you can include, etc. – which we get into later in this article.
But first, the basic ingredients and methods for …
Campfire Taco Soup Supreme will delight you and your family and friends. Whether cooked while on a rustic camping trip, or just over an open fire on your home property, it is gourmet eating. But the key to making Campfire Taco Soup Supreme is, that it must be prepared over an open fire. No other method of cooking will impart the earthy, smoky flavor that makes it so exceptional.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Collin Harvey)
If you would like to read up on how to build and maintain a good open fire suitable for cooking over, please read this post.
Now let’s get on with this super delicious open fire prepared dish!
This Goat Cheese Asparagus Soufflé is taken from our All-American Vegetarian and Vegan page. Truly mouth-watering and satisfying, this subtle blend of flavors and textures goes well with a good wine, either red (suggest a Zinfandel) or white (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio).
(Photo Attributed to Author: Jason Lam)
If goat cheese is too strong a flavor for you, you can substitute mozzarella or mild cheddar, but goat cheese is, of course, recommended. Trust me, this goat cheese asparagus soufflé is fabulous!
Many ethnic food cultures have rice as a main staple in their cuisine. And the question of: Which is Best White or Brown Rice – often comes up in the minds of many ethnic foods lovers.
Rice Paddies (Photo Attributed to Author: Angie, from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan)
Rice is cultivated all over the world, and is naturally grown in rice paddies like this image on the left. And “natural” rice is usually some shade of brown in color. But ever the past several decades, “white” foods, such as white bread, potatoes, pasta, etc., have taken a bad rap. When asked the question: Which is Best – White or Brown Rice? – most “health conscious” cooks will automatically respond with “white”.
But is this really the case? I have had conversations with other cooking enthusiasts, chefs, and nutritionists, whose opinions I respect, and discovered that the “Little White Lie” about which is healthier for you – white “processed” foods, or the brown, marketed as “natural” foods, are best.
So I did some digging and research of my own on this, and came up with the following conclusions to help you decide:
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(Photo Attributed to Author: Dan McKay)
(Photo Attributed to Author: Takeaway)
Here is another fine vegetarian recipe – 3 Cheese Eggplant Lasagna – taken from our All-American Vegetarian and Vegan page.
There are many versions of 3 Cheese Eggplant Lasagna, but the one we are offering here is, in The Old Silly’s humble but very experienced opinion, the absolute best vegetarian lasagna recipe ever. Prepare this dish, and invite your meat-eating friends over for dinner. I guarantee they will feel completely satiated, as will you. And everyone will want the recipe, too.
This post, and recipe, 3 Beans Hash and Spicy Rice, is taken from our All-American Vegetarian and Vegan page.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Paul Goyette)
This recipe can be truly vegan, just choose a vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth. And it is so filling and satisfying even meat eaters will find it a pleasing, whole meal. It provides a solid, complete protein, with the rice and beans combined, and the tomatoes and bell peppers add vitamins and minerals. And the spices? That’s what puts the zip, spice, and tang into the extremely flavorful 3 Beans Hash and Spicy Rice!
There is an extensive list of reasons why cassava is good for you to eat, as a balanced part of your overall diet.
Traditional dishes in many Asian, African and Caribbean countries include cassava as one of the more common vegetables used in their cuisines. In these regions, cassava is in high demand, and, much like plantains, it is grown in mass quantities on large plantations. This provides not only locally favored foods ingredients, but a healthy export business to help fuel the economies.
Cassava Plantation (Photo Attributed to Author: Judgefloro)
Cassava Plant (Photo Attributed to Author: Willy Ochayaus)
Cassava (also called Yucca) is in the same family as other tropical root vegetables, like yams and taro, and is also related to the potato. Cassava thrives in fertile, moist, well-drained tropical soils. A perennial plant, it will, when mature, achieve heights ranging from about 3 to 5 feet.
Much like growing sugar cane, cut-stem sections are planted just under the surface of the cultivation fields. Newly planted cassava plants will produce the first harvest after about 8 to 10 months. Its elongated, globular roots (tubers) grow downward and deep (anywhere from 2 to 4 feet) in a radial pattern from the bottom end of the stem.
Cassava Tubers (Photo Attributed to Author: Thamizhpparithi Maari)
Depending on the type of cultivar, each mature tuber will weigh anywhere from one to several pounds. The tubers are brown-gray and have rough, woody-textured, tough skins. The inside of the tuber is bright white. This white “flesh” is a starchy, slightly sweet substance, and is what you eat. However, the cassava should only be eaten after cooking – for reasons that will be explained a little later on in this article.
But enough on background. Let’s get into the main topic at hand, and find out-
(Photo Attributed to Author: Thor)
How you prepare perfect sushi rice is a subtle and refined process. Ask any sushi chef and he or she will tell you that there is no one recipe that is more “perfect” than the other. It has to do with the chef’s own special “touch” he or she adds to the (basic) recipe below. Once you have gotten familiar with this culinary procedure, your own ideas about of what constitutes “perfect sushi rice” will take on a shape that is uniquely yours.
But for starters, first try out this very basic, authentic and traditional recipe. Once you have the basics down pat, then go ahead and experiment with the proportions of sugar and vinegar, and also try out different types of sushi grade vinegars – there are many different types, each with its own subtle difference in flavor. Some prefer their sushi rice on the tangy side, others prefer it to be a little sweet, and the possible variations are endless. So have fun with it!
Because of the name, West African Ginger Beer, you would likely expect that it is an alcoholic beverage, but it’s Definitely not.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Hisakazu Watanabe)
More commonly known in West Africa as Ginger Juice or Ginger Drink, this totally non-alcoholic drink has beneficial factors that promote good health. And for people who are into Juicing Diets, this is one that you can easily try at home.
Alcoholic drinks, of course, make us feel good (for a while) but they are not all that healthy for us, if taken to excess. But West African Ginger Beer not only tastes great, and will give you a refreshing “lift” – it is also very good for your health.
West African Ginger Beer has been proven to reduce pain and inflammation, alleviate heartburn, as well as being a good preventative of, and treatment for, the common cold. Other studies have shown that it can reduce hair loss … and there is much more.
Widely consumed in West Africa, this ginger beer is also popular in Asia. You make it with fresh ginger root and pineapple.
Ready for some? Good. Here is the recipe for how to make West African Ginger Beer. My bet is you will absolutely love it, and feel better after drinking it.