Lets talk about goji berries in the uk
Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:00:00 GMT
July 20, 2008 -- GOJI Berries are the latest "superfood" to hit supermarket shelves and readers can now enjoy the fresh, sweet and juicy fruits, rather than the dried...
Findings about Goji Berries
Tue, 29 May 2007 15:48:10 EDT
Recent years have seen the increasing popularity and consumption of goji berries in western countries such as US, Japan, Canada and Europe etc. I have done some research about goji berries, and would ...
goji berries in the ukWhat are Organic and Free Range Eggs?
The Benefits of Eating Eggs
Eggs are low in calories and could actually protect against heart disease, breast cancer and eye problems and even help you to lose weight. Eggs are actually good for you. They are rich in nutrients, one egg provides 13 essential nutrients, all in the yolk (egg whites contain albumen, an important source of protein, and no fat). You should keep eggs in the fridge in their box and eat them by the use-by date.
We now know the benefits of eating eggs but does the welfare of the chickens matter? Davinos Greeno investigates the eggy world of production systems.
Eggs are produced in 3 types of production systems.
1)Laying Cage System. Laying cages are the most common method of commercial egg production in the UK - representing around 66% of eggs produced in 2004. Typically a laying cage system consists of a series of at least three tiers of cages. The cages have sloping mesh floors so that the eggs roll forward out of the reach of the birds to await collection. Droppings pass through the mesh floors onto boards, belts, the floors of the house or into a pit to await removal.
2) Barn system. Around 7% of eggs sold in the UK are produced in the barn system. In the barn system the hen house has a series of perches and feeders at different levels. In the deep litter system the birds are kept in hen houses in which all the floor area should be solid with a litter of straw, wood shavings, sand or turf.
3) Free range system. The free range system accounts for around 27% of eggs produced in the UK. And the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive stipulate that for eggs to be termed free range, hens must have continuous daytime access to runs which are mainly covered with vegetation and with a maximum stocking density of 2,500 birds per hectare. The demand for free-range eggs is also growing by 10 per cent a year. Somerfield will be the first supermarket in the country to switch to selling French free-range eggs. Tesco is also understood to be lining up suppliers on the Continent if it is not able to guarantee supplies at home due to this rising demand. The cost of opening a free-range unit can be as much as �500,000.
Organic System
How can you be sure about the welfare of the bird that produced the egg on your plate? The simple answer is that you can be pretty sure that an organic label indicates a different world for the birds compared to the nightmare conditions present in the industrial levels of the Laying Cage System. Beyond this lies degrees of acceptability with the soil association mark being one of the best indications of high animal welfare.
Hens producing organic eggs are always free range. In addition, hens must be fed an organically produced diet and ranged on organic land. Organic eggs are produced in the UK according to criteria set by the Advisory Committee on Organic Standards (ACOS) � which sets basic standards for organic production in the UK, in line with EU legislation.
Due to the lack of artificial colouring in the animal feed you may well notice that organic eggs are somewhat paler than others. Organic eggs are also more expensive when compared to eggs farmed intensively, but the difference in taste is recognised by most people.
Find Organic Eggs in the Green Directory.
Davinos Greeno works for the organic directory This green directory lists 100s of Organic Food and Drink Companies and Eco Jobs and Community Videos
A Chef Here, A Chef There, Chefs, Chefs Everywhere!
You are in a 5-star restaurant, seated at a table set with pristine tablecloths and napkins (how do they fold them so fancifully?). The bone china plates are gleaming, as well as the many kinds of glassware sitting on the table, surrounded by beautifully polished silverware (no stainless steel here!). The wait staff hover by your elbow, in anticipation of your slightest whim. How could anything be more perfect? But wait! What is that organized chaos you can see when the kitchen doors swing open? It is WHAT?!?!! It is a positive human ant colony, running in every combination known to man. Some ants are chopping vegetables while# others are artistically assembling decadent chocolate desserts. One is laboriously stirring a huge pot containing some exotic sauce. As quickly and as diligently the worker ants are toiling, there is someone of supreme authority and sheer talent standing in the middle of the kitchen, always screaming at one ant or another for the smallest infraction of the kitchen rules or protocol. What is this convoluted society? Yes, it is the Master Chef and his minions, turning out extraordinary entrees and desserts to the sophisticated diners who are beginning to get restless. Get the food on the table! Now!!
So now you have had a good glimpse into a working kitchen. Is there any organization to it or to its workers? You bet your bippy there is.
Let us start at the top of the chef�s ladder and work ourselves down to ground level. The Boss Ant, or the Chef de Cuisine, is the ruling force of the kitchen. He is the one who makes all the creative decisions, including taking responsibility for what food will be chosen and how it is to be cooked. Generally speaking, he is a high profile celebrity, giving the restaurant his personality. He is not in the kitchen very often but in an emergency, will step down from his dais and actually cook.
The next step down is the Executive Chef. He is part of the top management structure of his restaurant. He is primarily one who is a pencil pusher. He plans the menus, makes recipes, and manages matters financial. He cooks occasionally. Most of the time the Executive Chef replaces the Chef de Cuisine. Unless the restaurant is a huge enterprise, there really is no need for a Chef de Cuisine when, in reality, the Executive Chef is qualified to do it all, including hiring and firing.
Now we come to the next rung down on our ladder. The Sous Chef is a very busy person. Despite his title, he is entrusted with all kinds of responsibilities from deciding on the daily specials (what kind of vegetable was bought in too great a quantity yesterday?), doing inventory, supervising the staff, and taking care of whatever responsibilities are hanging there in kitchen limbo. He may have aspirations one day of owning his own restaurant upon which to mold his personality. He looks to the future.
The Expediter is the liaison between the paying guests and the line cooks. He makes sure a table gets all its food simultaneously. He is the one who soothes ruffled feathers, no matter which side of the kitchen passthrough counter. He needs to be on top of things at all times.
A step further down are the Station Chefs or Chefs de Partie who are in charge of various food stations. It is their job to keep on schedule. The Sauce Chef or Saucier does sauces, stews, and hot hors d�oeuvres. He saut�s dishes to order and is the highest link of the chefs de partie. Fish dishes come from the Fish Cook of Poissonier. The Vegetable Cook or Entremetier is responsible for preparing vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs. (Funny - you would think the soups would come from the saucier. Oh,well.) Roasted and braised meats come from the Roast Cook or Rotisseuer, along with gravies and broiled meats. If a kitchen is a large enough enterprise, there might be a separate Broiler Cook or Grillardin who will also deep fry meats and fish. Next to last in this category is the Pantry Chef or Garde Manger who does cold foods such as salads and dressings, pat�s, cold hors d�oeuvres, or buffet items. Finally comes the Pastry Chef or Patissier who is responsible for desserts and pastries, often in an area of the kitchen where it is cooler and there is less of a chance of anyone accidentally bumping into fragile and delicate spun sugar or a souffl� that is already to collapse on its own.
We have descended the chef�s ladder all the way down to the worker ants or Line Cooks. Theses industrious people are the ones who can make or break a meal for they alone are left responsible for prep work like chopping vegetables into a million tiny pieces.
One last thought: Chefs wear snowy white chef�s jackets and an equally white toque to sit on his head. Why is it you never see a chef coming out to speak to the patrons in the dining room with a jacket splashed with some sticky sauce? I cannot even eat spaghetti without it adorning me from head to toe. Not fair!!!
Terry Kaufman is Chief Editorial Writer for http://www.niftykitchen.com, http://www.niftyhomebar.com, and http://www.niftygarden.com
�2006 Terry Kaufman.
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