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Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae. Tuna are fast swimmers and like most other fish species are cold-blooded. Unlike most ocean fish species, which have white flesh, the flesh of tuna is pink. This is because the tuna's blood has a higher oxygen carrying ability than other fish species. Some of the larger tuna species such as the bluefin tuna can raise their blood temperature above the water temperature with muscular activity. Though not really warm-blooded, this enables them to live in cooler waters and survive a wider range of circumstances.



Tuna, an excellent source of lean protein, vitamins and minerals but also is low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Tuna can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in fatty fish like tuna can help lower the risk of heart disease, ease the pain of arthritis, reduce asthma complications, and is essential in the growth and development of young children.

Chili flakes are the dried seeds of chili pods. The seeds and membranes are the hottest parts of a chili. The amount of heat in chili flakes depends on the variety of chili pepper and where it was grown.



Sprinkle chili flakes on pizza and pasta for added heat.



For a spicy oil, combine 1-2 tablespoons of chili flakes with a cup of your favorite vegetable oil. Lightly simmer for about 10 minutes, allow to cool completely, then strain. Stored in the refrigerator, this oil will keep for about 6 months and can be used in salad dressings, marinades and to spice up your favorite saute.



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Though pepper now nonchalantly graces virtually every dinner table, it was once so valued that the search for new pepper trade routes spurred the accidental exploration of the new world. Native to India's Malabar coast, the once-precious pepper vine is now cultivated near the equator around the globe, from Thailand to tropical Africa to Brazil. Black pepper, our most ubiquitous spice, is the sun-dried version of the unripe green peppercorns popular in Thai cooking (white peppercorns are ripened and hulled versions of the same fruit). Tellicherry and the Lampong are considered the best varieties of black pepper.

For most people garlic is eaten only in small quantities so is more important for its great taste than nutritional value. However, recent research has reported that garlic has the ability to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, a property attributed to the sulphur containing substance, allicin. Garlic is also supposed to be a natural antiseptic and to cure colds.

Related to the onion, garlic is a small bulb consisting of "cloves". The cloves should be peeled prior to using. The leaves are grass like and the flower rises from a single central stem. When harvesting or purchasing bulbs, they should be white to off white / light yellow and firm. Avoid bulbs which are mushy or soft.

Garlic may be used in many forms such as fresh, dried, processed into supplements and cooking.



Actions / Properties:

Internally - antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antiseptic, antiviral, hypotensive-vasodilator, cholagogue, antispasmodic, decreases blood cholesterol, increases HDL, anti-atheromatic, PAF antagonist, increases fibrinolytic activity, hypoglycemic, expectorant, diaphoretic, antioxidant, antitumour, antineoplastic, antimutagenic, diuretic, carminative, emmenagogue.

Topcal Uses - antimicrobial, antifungal, expectorant



Flavored oils can add excitement to salads, marinades and sauces but infused oils have the potential to support the growth of Clostridium (C.) botulinum. Although the oil by itself does not pose a risk for botulism, the trendy addition of vegetables, herbs and fruits to oils, to make an oil infusion, can make this product potentially unsafe.



Vegetables, herbs, and fruits are likely to have some degree of soil contamination, especially those that grow on or under the ground. Soil contamination introduces the possibility that C botulinum spores may be added as an unwelcome ingredient in a recipe. If the produce is put into an anaerobic environment, such as a container of oil, Botulism Toxin can be produced and botulism may result upon consumption. Several cases of botulism involving garlic-in-oil preparations brought this hazard to light in the 1980's. In 1985, Vancouver, BC, 37 people got botulism from a garlic-in-oil preparation. This was followed by a 1988 laboratory investigation into the survival of and toxin production by C botulinum in garlic-in-oil preparations. In 1989, 3 people in Kingston, NY, became ill, also from a garlic-in-oil infusion. Thus, in 1989 the FDA issued a ruling, ordering the removal from store shelves of all commercial garlic-in-oil preparations that lacked an acidifying agent, followed by a mandate requiring the addition of an acidifying agent (such as phosphoric or citric acid) to all commercial garlic-in-oil preparations. Acid prevents the growth of the C botulinum, so any spores that might be present in an infusion will not be able to flourish and produce toxin. The acid must be added as the recipe is being prepared.



Are people aware of the slight, but deadly risk presented when these oil infusions are not prepared properly? Consumers need to understand the potentially life-threatening hazard of oil infusions. Oil infusion recipes can still be tasty and safe as long as the following precautions are clearly stated and adhered to:



Wash all soil-contaminated produce before adding it to an oil infusion,

Add an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe at the rate of one tablespoon per cup of oil,

Keep oil infusions refrigerated in order to retard the growth of any microbes,

Discard infusions after one week, or sooner if apparent cloudiness, gas bubbles, or foul odor develop and,

When in doubt, throw it out.

Source: Food Safety Notebook, Vol. 9, No. 4, April 1998.

Source:http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/safefood/NEWSLTR/v2n4s08.html

Ginger was used in ancient times as a food preservative and to help treat digestive problems. To treat digestive problems, Greeks would eat ginger wrapped in bread. Eventually ginger was added to the bread dough creating that wonderful treat many around the globe love today: gingerbread!



Ginger ale eventually stemmed from a ginger beer made by the English and Colonial America as a remedy for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.



Ginger thrives in the tropics and warmer regions and is therefore currently grown in parts of West Africa, the West Indies, India and China with the best quality ginger coming from Jamaica where it is most abundant. In the United States, ginger is grown in Florida, Hawaii, and along the eastern coast of Texas.



Gingerroot is characterized by it’s strong sweet, yet woodsy smell. It is tan in color with white to creamy-yellow flesh that can be coarse yet stringy.



Medicine

Ginger is not just an important spice. It is used to treat many illnesses in Asia and in the West, particularly nausea and travel-sickness.

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Of African origin but now common in tropical and sub-tropical Asia. An oil is extracted from the seed and used for cooking, salad oil and margarines. It is also available as toasted sesame oil for oriental cooking. The whole seeds can also be eaten and are most often seen as a decoration on cakes, confectionery etc. Sesame seed paste, tahini, is used in many dishes e.g. hummus. Halva, a sweet made from sesame seeds is often found in health food shops. A good source of protein and calcium,

Native to China and Vietnam, star anise is today grown almost exclusively in southern China, Indo-China, and Japan. It was first introduced into Europe in the seventeenth century. The oil, produced by a process of steam extraction, is substituted for European aniseed in commercial drinks.



Star anise is the unusual fruit of a small oriental tree. It is, as the name suggests, star shaped, radiating between five and ten pointed boat-shaped sections, about eight on average. These hard sections are seed pods. Tough skinned and rust coloured, they measure up to 3cm (1-1/4”) long. The fruit is picked before it can ripen, and dried. The stars are available whole, or ground to a red-brown powder.

Like anise, star anise has carminative, stomachic, stimulant and diuretic properties. In the East it is used to combat colic and rheumatism. It is a common flavouring for medicinal teas, cough mixtures and pastilles.

Any of a class of sweet,Soluble Carbohydrate,as sucrose,glucose,sucrose from sugar cane and sugar beets.

We get our energy from the nutrients in food. The main sources of energy are carbohydrates (starches and sugars), fats and proteins. The body can be compared to an engine that converts the energy in food into the energy we need to live. Sugars and starches are forms of carbohydrate. Nutritionists recommend that about half of our energy should be supplied by carbohydrates. The majority of this should be from starchy foods like cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta or bread, with the remainder coming from sugars. During digestion (the process by which we break down food substances ready for absorption and use by the body) complex starchy foods are broken down into sugars.

Description

Black and White Pepper are both obtained from the small dried berry of the vine Piper nigrum. For White Pepper, the berry is picked when fully ripe. The outer layer of shunken skin is removed, leaving the dried, grayish-white kernel. It has a milder, more delicate flavor than Black Pepper.



Uses

White Pepper is used whole in pickling spices and marinades. Ground White Pepper is used in light colored foods such as sauces and soups. It is especially popular in European cuisine.



Origins

The major exporter of White Pepper is Indonesia, but other important sources are Malaysia (Sawawak) and Brazil. Indonesian or Muntok White Pepper has a good overall appearance and distinctive flavor. Sarawak Pepper is bolder and more uniform in color than the Muntok variety, but little is imported into the United States. Brazilian Pepper is the mildest flavored.



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Szechuan pepper - Native to the Szechuan province of China, this mildly hot spice comes from the prickly ash tree. Though not related to the Peppercorn family, Szechuan berries resemble black peppercorns but contain a tiny seed. Szechuan pepper has a distinctive flavor and fragrance. It can be found in Asian markets and specialty stores in whole or powdered form. Whole berries are often heated before being ground to bring out their flavor and aroma. Szechuan pepper is also known as anise pepper, Chinese pepper, fagara, flower pepper, sansho and Sichuan pepper.



Szechuan peppercorns are one of the five spices in Chinese five-spice powder.



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Chili Flakes,Black Pepper,Garlic,Ginger,5 Spice Powder*,Salt,Sesame Seed,Star Anise,Sugar,Peppercorn(s).

Soy bean sprouts are larger than mung bean sprouts, and can be recognized by their color (deep yellow instead of white) and their seed head, the size of a peanut. While not as readily available nor as universally popular as mung bean sprouts, these large, long bean sprouts are nutritious and supply a level of protein unusual in a vegetable. To store them, rinse, drain and cover with water and refrigerate for a few days, changing water daily.



Soy bean sprouts contain less calories per gram of protein than any other vegetable food and are a traditional ingredient in Korean soups and salads.



While mung bean sprouts may be eaten raw, soy bean sprouts must be cooked, because they contain a trypsin inhibitor which impedes action of the enzyme trypsin, secreted by the pancreas for the digestion of protein and maintenance of normal growth.



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William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, experts on soy products and authors of The Book of Tofu and The Book of Tempeh recommend that soy bean sprouts, even for a salad, be parboiled for a minimum of 4 minutes to inactivate the trypsin inhibitor.



Unlike mung bean sprouts, the white sprouted 'stalk' of a soy bean sprout tends to be stringy - chewy at best, tough at worst. The bean end is definitely the best part, so when trimming the root ends off the tails, don't be too timid. Because soy beans are thought to be 'cooling', ginger is sometimes cooked with them to generate digestive 'heat'.

Many colors in different sizes and shapes, peas will last for years, they sprout fast and with minimal effort, they taste great as 2 day sprouts and are very popular with kids of all ages: When the sprouts are let grow for 4, 5, 6 or more days (depending on the pea and your climate) they will form long roots on one end and shoots on the other - with the pea in between.



Pea sprouts can last in your refrigerator for 2 months and they can be eaten raw, or cooked in a multitude of ways!



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The purest form of vinaigrette would be oil, vinegar, and a little salt & pepper mixed right in a bowl of greens.



Slightly more complicated would be to introduce an emulsifier to our vinaigrette. What a horrible sounding word to something that tastes so good. Why would you add an emulsifier like mustard to your vinaigrette? One reason might be to add an additional layer of flavor. Another would be to keep the oil and vinegar from separating. That's what an emulsifier does. First you combine the vinegar and mustard, season with salt and pepper and then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking the ingredients together.



There is no reason to use good olive oil when making a mustard vinaigrette. Why?



The mustard overpowers the taste of the olive oil. You might as well use vegetable oil or canola oil. You do however want to use decent French mustard with lots of flavor. If you do insist on using olive oil, be careful not to over beat the olive oil when combining with the other ingredients so not to lose its delicate flavor and make it bitter. You may want to try making a blend of olive oil and some other type of oil.



What vinegar you use is your choice and depends on what you are putting the vinaigrette on.



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