Food

Food for Great Mood: Recipes that Will Change Your Life

May 24, 2017

What types of people may you refer yourself to? Are you a person who likes to watch food to be prepared by top chefs and served brilliantly, as if it is a piece of art? Maybe, on the contrary, you prefer to create such masterpieces by yourself and surprise your friends and close relatives with the view of a beautiful, luxurious table with dishes worth to be served in the greatest restaurants of the world? If you have chosen the second variant, it is obvious that this article will help you a lot on your way to a successful culinary promotion.

According to Wikipedia, the feeling of pleasure is an attempt of a person’s inner space to minimize stress and pressure of everyday living. Food is one of the most efficient instruments to obtain some sort of esthetic satisfaction. Especially, it brings a lot of endorphins when a dish has a delicious look and is wonderfully decorated. Not only chefs can create such masterpieces, but you can as well. All you have to do is to read one of the following cookbooks that will turn you into a real Gordon Ramsey of your kitchen.

Six Culinary Pieces of Writing You Need to Read

These books on culinary art are highly recommended for every person who thinks cooking is the only thing he or she must do in this life. However, ordinary amateurs of the cooking process may get some useful tips and pieces of advice as well and fall in love with the food preparation. Baking, roasting, boiling, and, particularly, serving will be much easier with these recipe books.

  1. New Larousse Gastronomique by Prosper Montagne (Octopus)

If you are a person who needs to know everything and a little bit more about cooking, this book is certainly worth to be read by you. Moreover, here you can find 85 biographies of the most famous chefs whose recipes are added in this collection. Along with the illustrated process of preparing some dishes and exact instructions of how to cook a certain dish, you may also have a look at the history of some of them, origins of some cooking techniques, and some useful tips and pieces of advice on how to make your meal more gorgeous. It will also be a perfect present to a devoted cook. Our estimate is five stars out of five.

  1. The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

A great volume of simple and seasonable recipes that every housewife can prepare in her kitchen having bought all ingredients in a neighboring store or farmer market. Sometimes you don’t have to stick to your shopping list to create a tasty dinner from some food that you have in your fridge. With this great publication, you will be able to prepare a good and toothsome dinner for a guest-night without spending much money and time. An absolute “must have” for every person!

  1. Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier

The work of this outstanding chef and food researcher is a real bible for every devoted cook who wants to reach the absolution in food preparing. Despite the fact that this book was originally published in 1903, most tips and secrets are still topical nowadays. His deliberate sense of dish creation allows to understand basics of the culinary art and create your own food masterpieces with the help of this noble man and his recipes. Besides, sometimes it is very interesting to try to cook a meal as your great grandmother did.

  1. A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen”: The Evolution of Women Chefs by Ann Cooper

Who said that a woman can be only a lady cook who prepares simple and ordinary dishes for her children and husband? Ever more women chefs are proving the opposite. That is why Ann Cooper decided to list the most skillful and professional lady chefs who can be good examples for everybody. More than 130 women are enumerated in this volume together with their biographies, recipes, and techniques. After you read this work, the famous phrase “A woman’s place is in the kitchen” will not sound so rude for you anymore, as there are many perfect lady chefs that can work wonders with food.

  1. Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson

Do you want to learn culinary art from a person who has opened a bright and fashionable restaurant in London? This chef knows what you need to have some good and delicious dishes. His approach to cooking is simple and bold, so you will eat everything from nose to tail. Bon appetite!

  1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

As soon as the movie “Julie & Julia” was shown on the big screen, the cookbook about French cuisine written by Julia Child became a bestseller for the second time. This woman taught American housewives to cook as famous chefs can. You may find 524 recipes with illustrations on the work’s pages and step-by-step instructions that differ from numerous ordinary confusing culinary recommendations and catalogs.  Prepare dishes for everyday life and special occasions with a simple and comprehensive book of this genius author and cook.

No matter how good you are at culinary art, you will certainly become a master of knife and kitchen with these interesting and helpful volumes on how to make your meal more pleasurable and tasty.

Maybe you have some recipes to share with us, too? So why not write your own book? However, this is not as simple as it may seem. Not every author is able to describe the process of food preparation with proper words to make a reader understand the subject. That is why you may always address the professional essay writing service to bring your dreams to life! Stop reading, it is time to compose your own culinary paper!

Around The World

5 Best Cars to Rent for a Road Trip

May 23, 2017

Renting a car for a road trip is a really great idea for certain people in certain circumstances. Maybe your daily driver isn’t that reliable, comfortable or spacious. Maybe you live in the middle of an urban area and don’t even own a car. Renting a vehicle means that you can get a 4-wheel drive SUV if your daily driver is a small 2-door coupe so you can hit the trails on your trip. You’ll not only save wear and tear on your everyday car, but it’ll feel even more like you’re on a special vacation with a vacation vehicle!

If you want to rent something for your road trip, here are 5 of the best cars for that. We included a variety of sizes from sedans to vans, all with great to above average gas mileage, and a focus on comfort. All are incredibly common at rental car locations so you shouldn’t have an issue finding any of them at the rental place near you.

 

Pick the perfect car and then start planning your road trip!

 

Ford Focus

 

If you’re looking for a really comfortable, basic vehicle that has a smooth ride, is great on gas, and can fit up to 4 of your friends and their stuff surprisingly well, go with a Focus. There are a few different models, so check to see what’s available from your preferred rental company. The hatchback will give you more room for longer or oddly shaped items you may bring along or want to take home, but the sedan may be preferred if you’re taking more people along. Both have lots of legroom.

 

You can get up to 38 miles per gallon on the highway so you’ll be able to cover so much ground without killing your road trip gas budget too fast.

 

Hyundai Tucson

 

Hyundai consistently tops the list of most rented cars in America, and you can easily find all different types of models at most car rental places, including the road trip-read compact crossover Tucson. This small but capable SUV can be found with all-wheel drive for covering any type of terrain you want to cross. You’ll get an impressive average of 32 mpg, which is better than some sedans.

 

Premium interior features and lots of added-in compartments for maps, drinks, electronics and other road-trip necessities make this such a comfortable car to travel in. Your passengers will love the spacious back seat, or fold down the seats and you’ll have about 62 cubic feet of cargo space back there.

 

If you need more room for things like snowboards, dogs, camping equipment, friends or anything else, consider renting a Tucson. You won’t end up spending much more in gas, and the extra room and comfort will be priceless after hours on the road.

 

Toyota Corolla

 

Toyota cars are so commonly rented out because they’re so reliable and efficient. What more would you want for a road trip vehicle? This basic but favorite sedan has everything you need, and nothing you don’t. With room for up to 5 people comfortably, about 34 mpg on the highway and little touches like USB chargers, satellite radio and built-in personal storage cubbies, the Corolla is an excellent car to rent for a road trip.

 

RAV4

 

Another excellent small SUV that’s easily rentable and excellent for a road trip is the RAV4. Tech-based comfort features like dual-zone climate and cruise control help keep everyone comfortable. An average mpg of 30 on the highway will keep your gas budget in check. You can tow up to 1,500 pounds so whether you want to take along a motorcycle, some kayaks or anything else to play with on your road trip, you can do it with ease in the RAV4.

 

Dodge Grand Caravan

 

If you want to bring along a lot of people, a lot of stuff, or both, the Grand Caravan is a seriously grand option for you. These vans are so popular and because of that they’re practically everywhere and should be easy to find at most car rental places. They definitely aren’t fancy, but they’re reliable, roomy and pretty good on gas given all the space you get, averaging 25 mpg on the highway and a still-impressive 17 or so in the city. You can easily fit up to 7 passengers, or fold down the back seats and have room for cargo storage.

Around The World

National Nature Reserves in Ukraine

May 23, 2017

Recently, Ukraine began to open its door to the tourists from various countries of the world. Actually, the door was not closed, but Ukraine was not very popular among the travelers. However, this country has a lot to offer for a sophisticated visitor. If you follow to destinations.com.ua, you will find many interesting articles about cuisine, fashion, sports, traveling and various attractions that can be seen in the country located in the heart of Europe.

This article is dedicated to one of the main treasures of Ukraine. Being the second largest state in Europe, Ukraine hosts a number of nature reserves with splendid landscapes and beautiful animals. If interested, look at the most famous nature reserves located on the territory of Ukraine.

Bugski Gard National Natural Park

This national park is located in the Mykolaiv region on the banks of the Southern Bug River. Its length is several dozen kilometers of canyons and rocks inhabited by unique plants and animals. The park starts from the Myhia village, which is known for its cataracts on the Southern Bug River. This place is annually visited by numerous fans of rafting.

Another prominent place of ugsBki Gard is the Aktove Canyon. Some people even compare it with the famous Grand Canyon in the USA. In fact, you will not find special similarity, but the place is worth seeing anyway. Aktove Canyon is a venue of international competitions in orienteering. It is also popular among the rock climbers.

Askania Nova Biosphere Reserve

This place enters the list of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. Askania Nova is one of the biggest biosphere reserves throughout Europe. The reserve is located in Kherson region that is in the south of Ukraine. The virgin steppes of this area turned into an open-air museum, where the visitors can observe wild animals in their life environment. The biosphere reserve contains numerous kinds of plants that were delivered here from all over the world. Most of them are endangered. It is hard to believe, but more than 450 species of birds and animals inhabit this natural park. The fauna representatives include flamingos, white and black swans, emus, zebras, parrots, bustards, Scottish ponies, African antelopes, and many other unique animals.

Askania Nova provides safari tours for their guests. It should be noted that the personnel of the biosphere reserve comply with the restriction of number of visitors. For this reason, it is recommended to inform about your visit in advance.

Carpathian National Natural Park

In the very heart of Carpathian mountains, lies the biggest nature reserve of Ukraine. This natural park is the home for hundreds of representatives of fauna and flora. The reserve is popular among travelers in any season of the year. The park covers the territory of several regions of Ukraine.

If you travel alone, you can easily get lost in the variety of trails in the reserve. Hence, it is highly advised to go on hiking escorted by the local guides. Besides, there are many eco-tourism opportunities in the Carpathian Natural Park.

Food

Protein World Good or Bad?

May 11, 2017

The Protein World brand is a combination of various diet products including a cleanser, appetite suppressant, fat metabolizer and meal replacement. According to the manufacturer’s claims, these supplements provide numerous health benefits like removing toxins, increasing metabolism and energy, and toning up body. The review of this diet supplement provides a necessary information about ingredients, quality and efficiency of the mentioned products.

The main diet products of the brand are weight loss pills and meal replacement shake. The main ingredients of these supplements contain the extracts of green tea and guarana, sucralose, anhydrous caffeine, yerba mate powder, konjac glucomannan, and choline.

The extracts of green tea and guarana provide antioxidants and stimulants to the body. These ingredients are claimed to increase metabolism, raise energy and burn fat. Unfortunately, many studies showed insecurity of these components. Thus, high contents of green tea extract can trigger headaches, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, tremors, jitters, rapid heart, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The same situation is observed with guarana extract. Both of these extracts contain caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, which are the strong stimulants. They are effective in weight management but only in short time perspective.

The other flaw of Protein World is the content of sucralose. This artificial sweetener provides high sugar supply and is potentially unsafe to your body.

In short, this diet supplement is filled with stimulants, which are hazardous for health. Except for caffeine, none of the ingredients promotes losing weight. Besides, the manufacturer does not indicate the amount of stimulants added, which is especially important for consumption of caffeine.

The package of Protein World diet products costs $102 and includes fat burner, MR shake, and appetite suppressant. Most of the same ingredients are added to other diet products of the brand. However, there are the exceptions such as whey protein concentrate, which is the component of the MR shake. It is a qualitative protein source. In general, the price is overestimated, because the majority of ingredients are not exclusive or expensive. Besides, there are many stimulants, which can be the source of unwanted effects.

Most of the feedbacks on Protein World are negative. People complain about side effects, which are likely caused by pills filled with caffeine. However, the meal replacement also has its share of complaints. People note that the MR shake is too sweet and has an artificial taste. In addition, no craving suppression was observed.

As a result, it can be stated that Protein World is not effective diet product. The manufacturer makes a lot of claims of benefits, however, all they are false. The consumers’ opinions are mostly negative including complains on the lack of efficiency in both losing weight and appetite suppression, as well as numerous unwanted symptoms caused by cheap ingredients and stimulants. So, is Protein World good or bad? Take into account the above and make your decision.

Uncategorized

Natural Alternatives to Arbonne

May 7, 2017

This meal replacement shake is designed for vegans. The product contains only plant based ingredients. A total number of 40 ingredients includes various herbs and minerals, such as Alfalfa Leaf Powder, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Citrate etc.

A serving of Arbonne Shake supplies 160 calories. Thirty of these calories come from fat. Such energy value is more than the average caloric content of most MR products. It is good to substitute a full meal, but requires more effort in the gym to burn these calories.

The protein of Arbonne Shake comes from three sources: cranberry protein, rice protein and pea protein isolate. Since the product is designed to meet vegans’ requirements, the quality of protein is lower than whey or dairy sources. Besides, the amount of amino acids in plant protein is lower than in other sources. For this reason, do not be under illusion that 20g of protein in each serving is a great value.

A package for 30 servings of the shake is available for $69.99. Taking into account the advised daily dosage of the shake of 2 servings, the cost of the product increases twofold.

The natural alternatives to Arbonne are introduced below.

Vega One

This protein shake also contains plant protein. The protein sources include pea protein, sancha inchi and hemp protein. Such protein-containing ingredients as organic acacia gum and chlorella vulgaris are also added. However, the quality of protein is not high, because it lacks essential amino acids. Vega One shake contains no artificial sweeteners. Instead of them, a glycemic alternative sweetener called stevia is used. In general, the product contains many organic ingredients.

The price of Vega One is the main issue of this product. You will pay $69.99 for a package of 20 servings. Each servings supplies 20g of protein. It should be taken into account that the protein quality differs from the dairy source of protein. In addition, plant protein is not good in taste, which is the main complain of the customers.

18 Shake

This is another product made of natural components. Unlike two previous MR shakes, 18 Shake provides dairy protein of really high quality. The whey source of protein contains the necessary amino acids that are essential for various processes in the body.

The shake supplies 15g of protein and 90 calories. Despite the relatively low caloric content, it is enough to keep a consumer full for 3-4 hours according to the customers’ feedbacks.

This absolutely natural MR product costs $59.99 and multiple purchases are available at discount.

Isagenix Isalean

The MR shake by Isagenix Company offers a lot of protein (24g) and calories (240). Considering such amounts of essential components, the shake is hardly effective in weight management. Besides, the sugar amount is also alarming (11g).

The quality of ingredients is at average level. The protein is a mixture of different sources. Nevertheless, there is no soy-based protein.

A standard package of Isalean Shake is available for $51.95 and meant for 14 servings. This issue along with complaints about the taste are the main sources of the customers’ dissatisfaction.