Lobster Ravioli Recipe

Lobster is a wonderful seafood and although still quite pricey, has become more readily available in recent years. Although you can buy them ready cooked, it is best to get a live lobster and cook it yourself. If you are at all worried about killing a live lobster, the best way is to put it into a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours or so. This will make the lobster unconscious and you can then put it straight into boiling water to cook. It will know nothing! For many recipes, such as a lobster ravioli recipe, you will be starting off with a lobster which has been blanched in boiling water for a minute and then had the meat removed.

If you are looking for a lobster ravioli recipe, you will probably find that you are spoilt for choice. Although the basic lobster and ravioli ingredients will remain constant, everything else will probably vary. This is due to the fact that it is not a definitive traditional recipe and each chef has come up with his own version. The sauce that is served will range from a crabmeat sauce to a vanilla butter sauce, depending on whose recipe book you are looking at.

Often a lobster ravioli recipe will include some other main ingredient in the mix. These could include minced mushrooms, ricotta cheese or perhaps another seafood such as crabmeat, langoustine or shrimps. There really does seem to be an endless list of varieties. As lobster is a fairly expensive meat, it is a good idea to use another ingredient alongside it to fill it out. This is not to say that the other ingredient will not add to the flavour and you should chose something that will work well with the lobster and compliment the flavour rather than something bland just to make the fish go further.

Another variable in the dish will be the sauce. A traditional ravioli will probably be served with a tomato based sauce and in the some cases this has been adopted in the lobster ravioli recipe. Other recipes, however, are more exotic and they may use a crabmeat sauce. This is good if you are using crab as the extra ingredient in your parcels. One recipe uses a shellfish bisque as a sauce. Making a bisque is quite a complex process and requires quite a lot of time and attention but the finished result is a lovely sauce for ravioli and not at all like the thick tomato sauce that we are used to with the better known dish.

Any lobster ravioli recipe is going to be quite tricky and time consuming. You will have to blanche the lobster and make the pasta. Then prepare the filling. Make the parcels and cook them at the same time as making the sauce. All in all there are quite a lot of steps to reach the end result. However, some things are worth both waiting for and working to achieve... lobster ravioli is just one of those things.

Winter Festivals In Japan: Things To Do When The Snow Piles Up

When you think of snowy winter festivals, Japan probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. You probably imagine Scandinavia or Canada. But, if you're interested in snow and ice sculptures, you probably know that Japan boasts some of the world's most interesting and unique winter festivals. In the winter in Japan, up in the snowy north, there are winter festivals every year that draw great crowds and offer lots of attractions for everybody.

The big one is the Sapporo Snow Festival, also called "Yuki Matsuri." It is held every year in February on Japan's snow covered northern island, Hokkaido. The Sapporo Snow Festival was the first of its kind held in Japan, and it is still the biggest.

Every year, 2 million snow lovers flock to Sapporo, the biggest city in Hokkaido, to enjoy the Snow Festival in the first 2 weeks of February. At the Festival, there are hundreds of snow sculptures made by artists from all over the world. Some are a couple of building stories high and weigh tons. There are ice sculptures too, and ice bars where you can go inside and have a frosty beer.

The Sapporo Snow Festival was starting in the 1950's by a group of high school kids. Bored and shut-in by the harsh winter, they began to have competetion making snow sculptures. Every year, more kids joined in, and now the festival draws snow artists from 15 different countries.

There are also musical performances, light shows, snow slides and massive snowball fights.

The second biggest city in Hokkaido, Asahikawa, has its own Asahikawa Winter Festival in early February. It's not as big as the Sapporo Snow Festival, but it's good for snow lovers who want a quieter and less crowded winter festival. They have huge ice sculptures and night time illumination. At the Asahikawa Snow Festival, restaurants serve Asahikawa ramen, a type of ramen that is famous all over Japan. The noodles and warm soup are a special winter treat, and visitors from all over Japan go there to taste it.

The northern part of Japan's main island, Honshu, gets dumped on in the winter too. Every major area has its own snow festival. One of the most popular is the Iwate Snow Festival. It's held in the small town of Shizukuishi in early or mid-February. Iwate Snow Festival has giant snow statues, restaurants and bars in igloos, snow slides, and a giant snow maze that's slightly different every year. Iwate is also famous for its yearly fireworks displays, where festival-goers can watch the colors reflect off the snow.

Iwate is a great winter festival for those who want to see a more traditional celebration. The modern snow festival is mixed with traditional yearly festivals that are hundreds of years old. In Iwate, you can see traditional Japanese musicians and dancers perform on floats.

There are snow festivals held all over northern Japan. Even in the smallest villages in Hokkaido, residents have some kind of celebration when the snow piles up. Northern Honshu also has snow festivals in all the major cities. The northern prefectures, like Aomori, are good places to go if you don't want to leave the main island.

If you want a truly unique winter festival experience, northern Japan is a great place to go. Just make sure you're bundled up!

Saffron, Dear Saffron

Dormivit in sacco croci (He has slept in a bed of saffron) is a Latin expression meaning, "He has a very light heart", a reference to the enlivening effect of this most precious of spices. One early writer even warned against ingesting too much saffron lest one should "die of excessive joy!"

Saffron is expensive because it requires up to 400,000 of the orange-red stigmas of the Crocus sativus to make a mere one-kilogram of the spice. Each flower has only three stigmas, which must be handpicked at dawn during a brief two-week blossoming period in late October.

The saffron crocus grows from five to nine inches tall, with long thin leaves and lilac colored flowers. It is a perennial in zones 6-10 and today is cultivated commercially on a large scale only in India and in seven of Spain's 52 provinces. If wintered indoors in a cool place the saffron crocus is easy to grow, even in Canada. It takes about six plants to generate enough stigmas for one recipe. Harvest them early in the morning and dry by simply placing the stigmas on paper towels and storing them in a warm, dry place for a few days until they are brittle. They will keep in a small, sealed glass jar for up to five years.

The flowers of the saffron crocus do not close at night and the stigmas protrude beyond the petals. These features distinguish it from the highly poisonous Colchicum autumnale or Autumn Crocus.

The word saffron is from the Arabic, assfar or zafaran, meaning yellow. The botanical name, sativus, is Latin for cultivated.

Drinking saffron tea will allegedly induce clairvoyance. Also in the magical realm saffron is supposed to be lust provoking and was often added to love sachets. The Roman aristocracy perfumed their homes and baths with it. In Greek myth, the gods wore robes dyed with the spice. The red pigment of the stigmas supposedly developed when Hermes, the messenger god of ancient Greece, felt remorseful after accidentally killing his friend, Crocus. As his blood spilled on to the ground, Hermes turned the drops into the saffron crocus.

Medicinally, saffron has fallen out of favor as cheaper and more effective herbs have become available. During the Middle Ages however, saffron was popular as a treatment for period pain and uterine bleeding and to bring on menstruation. Pregnant women should be wary of ingesting saffron beyond small culinary amounts as in large doses the spice may induce abortion. Saffron has been used to treat indigestion and is still used in Chinese herbal medicine to relieve abdominal pain. Some herbalists do recommend saffron to treat high blood pressure as it contains a blood pressure-lowering agent called crocetin. There is a statistical low incidence of heart disease in Spain, which some people attribute to the nation's high consumption of the spice.

Saffron is used in Arabic, Indian and especially in Mediterranean cuisine. It particularly complements fish and seafood and is an essential ingredient in French bouillabaisse and Spanish paella. It also goes well with mild cheeses, eggs, rice and other meat dishes. Powdered saffron is considerably stronger than saffron threads, but the powdered variety is frequently adulterated, so purists stick to the threads. Whether using the threads or the powder, avoid using too much of the spice as this will result in a medicinal taste. Steep the spice in a little hot water before adding to the food, and then add both the saffron and the water.

To accompany Indian food, try the following Saffron Rice:

· 1 cup Basmati rice

· 2 cups of water

· 1 Tbsp. butter

· ¼ tsp. saffron threads (or one eighth tsp. of powdered saffron)

· 3 inches of broken cinnamon sticks (pieces should be large enough to facilitate easy removal prior to serving)

· 3 whole cloves

· ½ an onion, chopped

· 4 whole cardamom seeds

· ½ tsp. salt (or more to taste)

Pour about 2 Tbsp. of boiling water on the saffron and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the rice, water, cardamom, salt, saffron and its water. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for about 25 minutes - about 45 minutes if you use long grain brown rice.

In France, rabbit is often cooked with mustard. Following is a variation of a traditional French rabbit recipe using saffron as the spice with a resultant agreeable color and flavour.

Rabbit with Sherry, Cream & Saffron

· 1 rabbit, cut into six or eight pieces

· ¾ cup of heavy cream

· ¼ cup medium dry sherry

· 1-2 cloves of garlic

· 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

· 1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)

· Pinch of cayenne

· ¼ tsp. saffron threads (or 1/8 tsp. saffron powder).

Pour about 2 Tbsp. of boiling water over the saffron in a small dish and allow this to infuse for 10 minutes. Place the rabbit in a reasonably tight fitting, ovenproof, lidded casserole. Place all the other ingredients into a blender - including the saffron and water after infusion - and blend well. Pour over rabbit. Cook in preheated oven at 350F for about 60 minutes until well done. Check for doneness before serving. Rabbit can take a deceivingly long time to cook. Overcooked rabbit done in a sauce is perfectly acceptable. Undercooked rabbit is not. Serve with rice.

Gourmet Food Gift Baskets From the Wine Country of the California Central Coast - Santa Maria Valley

In the Central Coast region of California, gourmet foods and world-class wines abound. You will find a tremendous variety of uniquely delicious foods that are ideal for gift baskets. Anyone who enjoys wine would be delighted to receive one of the many exceptional wines from this area.

On the northern end of Santa Barbara County are the Santa Maria Valley and the city of Santa Maria. This valley has a long history of ranching and agriculture, a part of the economy that now flourishes alongside the burgeoning wine industry. With the ranchers came the Santa Maria Style Barbeque that has become a regional culinary tradition. All along the central coast there is a lively entrepreneurial spirit that has led to the creation of many small artisanal food companies and boutique wineries. The foods are wonderfully varied, and there are many exceptional wines now being produced.

In early California cattle ranching days, America's first cowboys, the colorful vaqueros, held large beef barbecues following every cattle roundup. This was the beginning of the barbequing tradition in the Santa Maria Valley, and it has continued to the present day.

The Hitching Post Restaurant has been a local favorite for many years. It is known for its California-style barbequing, as well as their superior Pinot Noir Wines. Since the movie 'Sideways' their notoriety has expanded worldwide. Many of their foods are available for purchase including their tasty Hitching Post BBQ sauce and their own Hitching Post Pinot Noir wines.

Another outstanding sauce is the Buckshot BBQ Sauce from Cowboy Flavors. They began as a catering business out of Los Alamos, a small town down the road from Santa Maria, and now have their own TV series! They also sell among other items, the excellent Cowboy Flavors all-purpose BBQ seasoning.

Susan Righetti, whose parents own the renowned Far Western Tavern restaurant in nearby Guadalupe, started a Santa Maria company called Susie Q's Brand. Celebrating their family recipes and Santa Maria style BBQ, they offer recipes, sauces, salsa, the delicious local pinquito beans, and their signature Susie Q's Brand seasoning.

Any of these items could be combined to make a terrific gift basket for the BBQ cook in the family. Add a superior bottle of Pinot Noir wine, to make it a perfect gift from the Santa Maria Valley on the California Central Coast.

Step by Step to Dating Asian Girls

Got the yellow fever brother? Can't get enough of petite Asian girls? Well buddy, you are not the only one. Don't deny your attraction to Asian women, go for it, you won't regret it! I've dated Asian women almost exclusively for the last 5 years and it's been the best time of my life. I thought I would share a step by step guide to dating Asian girls, read on! Here's my three step guide to find, meet and date.

Step 1. Meet Asian Girls

Ok, so if you want to date Asian girls then you need to meet them. That's a no-brainer. Now, if you live in California that isn't going to be a problem. Just head up around UCLA or Cornell campus and do your thing. But what if you don't live those places? What you got to do is find out where Asians go. Any decent size city should have an Asian area or Chinatown. Always worth going for some Ramen noodles you now. Or you could check out international student organizations if you are in that age range +- a few years. Lot's of Asian women go to the US to study every year and would love to make some local friends.

Step 2. Attracting Asian Girls

Here's where many guys mess up. Asian women are not the exotic, delicate lotus flower some of you nerds may think they are. They are girls like any other girls. Which also means that she is not likely to impressed by your two word Chinese vocabulary, particularly not if she is Japanese. Just do your thing. If you don't know what 'your thing' is then I suggest you get a good pick-up book from some PUA guru like David D, Johnny Wolf or Mystery. They're all good.

Step 3. Dating Asian Girls

Dating an Asian woman is different than dating a white/black/Hispanic girl. Asian women are for the most part raised quite conservatively with traditional gender roles. That means, she expects you as the man to take some responsibility. That, 'what do you think, honey?' isn't going to fly here. Not that you should be a sexist asshole, but none of that metro, soft man stuff.

Disposable Plates

Plates are those dish items that we use when serving food. They are concave and flat and they are made from solid materials like plastic, glass, paper and ceramics like porcelain, bone china and stoneware. They are classified according to the food items that are served on them. Soup bowls, cereal bowls, bread dishes, dessert bowls, salad, cake, platters and saucers are for their own specified uses.

Sometimes we find that we are called upon to host large number of guests. The idea of lining up the sink with dirty utensils that will require washing after the party does not go down well with many people. Many companies, having known this, have come up with disposable plates which save you the agony of dish washing. They are common with the takeaway fast food joints that wrap food for their customer who wish to take it away.

These items make catering services more convenient and they ensure that proper food standards are maintained. It goes beyond the food quality to issues of environment. They are made from easily recyclable materials and they come together with plastic knives, forks and spoons. This is an economical way of saving on the extra cost of acquiring these items.

Since most disposable plates are made of paper, they are usually waxed or covered in a waterproof material that prevents leaking. You therefore need not worry that your dish item will come out in pieces due to the sogginess of the food. You can order them on or offline, but if you need the best quality, buy them in person.

Tips to Buying Food Online

Did you know that you could buy food online? I was amazed when I discovered this fact. There are hundreds of different food websites on the internet, all of which offer great deals and promotions. So no matter what you are in the mood for, you can find it online. You can choose from steaks, lobsters, fruit, wine, chocolates, cakes, coffee, and much more.

What is available? You may be surprised to find out that almost any item that you desire can be purchased online. Many sites offer discount grocery deliveries, as well as gourmet treats. If you want a cheap elegant dinner date, try ordering two live Maine lobsters! They will be shipped to your doorstep within 24 hours, complete with cooking instructions. You can make it surf and turf by adding some Omaha steaks to the menu. Top it off with a bottle of wine and imported chocolates. All purchased online, for less than you would think! The trick to buying food online is to look for the best deals and promotions.

A good food delivery site will have many important features. First you want to find someone that has been around for a while. I like the selection available at couponchief.com. They only work with the best sites, and you can be sure that you are getting a good deal. Second look at their prices and selection. Most sites will offer various promotions and coupons for repeat customers. So if you get hooked on that fancy chocolate, it may be cheaper the next batch that you order. You can also find coupon codes that may give you free shipping or 15% off the next purchase. Last, make sure to factor in the shipping costs. Good sites offers free shipping anywhere in the country. Most perishable items will need to be specially packed and rush delivered.

Buying food online is a great way to get a good discount. Websites have lower overhead and are able to give you the same product your local grocery store can, at a fraction of the retail price. What a great deal! And with the wide assortment and free shipping, you can't pass up buying food online. Consider sending a shipment of wine or steaks for cheap, easy gift giving. Most people love food gifts, so you can't go wrong.