Do you sea-food differently?

      Majority of us mid west folks don't really like eating seafood, we don't like the fishiness flavor from the seafood.  However the people from the west coast and east coast are huge seafood eaters.  Regions of where we grow up can impact the food we like and don't like.  As mid west folks we are known for the crops, and cattle, therefore we are big meat eaters rather than seafood eaters.  The east coast and west coast are by the oceans so they rather like seafood.   I lived in Maryland for about two years when I was a toddler and I remembered how the people their love crab cakes.  You can find crab cakes just about every restaurant you go too.  I don't like crab cakes, you can't really taste the crab but I just don't like the taste of it. I love certain kinds of seafood, but only when theirs lemon provided for me, I like my seafood with lemon juice.  I am okay with the typical seafood like shrimp, lobster, fish, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and snow crab legs.  Other types are just too extreme for me like squid, and crayfish.  Squid has like a texture of a rubber band, it's really chewy and hard to swallow.            
      Their are certain types of fish that I like, sea bass, salmon, and mahi mahi.  Preparing fish is really important especially when you don't want to end up tasting the fishiness of the fish.  Most common ways fishes are cooked are grilling it or baking it with lots of lemon on it.  The sea bass is my favorite type of fish.  It's really tender and flaky, and you can barely taste the fishiness.  Fish are a great source of omega 3 and provides protein in your diet.  If you're not a big fish lover I would suggest mixing it up with other types of food, for example my mom makes these fish tacos that even my friends who are not fish eaters crave them.  For those of you who love seafood like I love seafood, you will love Red Lobsters, they are known for their seafood and of course their lobster.  They had an endless shrimp month, all you can eat shrimp for $14.00.  They had garlic shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp pasta, grilled shrimp, coconut shrimp and more.  It definitely filled my appetite for shrimp.  The fried clams their are also really good, it doesn't taste like clams at all, it just melts in your mouth.  I love their seafood pasta and their seafood pot pie, both very amazing and very delicious.  The seafood pasta comes with scallops, lobster and baby shrimp with a lemony garlic sauce.  The seafood pot pie is a regular pot pie, but instead of the chicken it's seafood.  If you love lobster, they have live lobsters that you can choose and they prepare the one you chose and cook it for you.  You get the whole lobster as well as a side with it.  That definitely will make you sea food more differently.

Comfort foods

       Comfort food could be described as foods that make us feel warm, happy and comforting.  Whether you're sick or lazy, comfort foods always have a benefit of making us feel better inside.  Everybody has different kinds of foods that they consider to be comforting, especially when winter is approaching, many would consider warm hot meals as a type of comfort food. 
       One of my classic favorite comfort food is chicken noodle soup with muffin.  The two duos make me feel better when I am sick and it's something that is easy to digest and soothes my throat.  The light chicken broth from the soup is delicious and tasty.  Their is just something in the chicken noodle soup that makes me want to eat bowls and bowls of it.  The muffin adds a little bit of sweetness to my mouth, and I like to have something sweet with something salty, it just balances the soup out.  Another type of comfort food most of us might eat when we are feeling low or anxious are junk food.  We chow down chocolate bars, chips, fries, cookies etc.  We eat junk food to comfort our feelings and eat our feelings away.  I personally think that doesn't work whatsoever.  By chowing down tons of junk food is not going to make my feelings go away but rather it makes my stomach ache from overeating.  I think that junk food is not a type of comfort food, it could be once in a while and in moderation but not so when you are over eating it.
      One of my favorite restaurants that probably has all the comfort food I love is Panera.  Panera serves pastries, salads, sandwiches and soups that are tasty and makes me feel warm.  The bear claw that they serve is delicious.  It's a croissant  shaped of a bear claw( thus named bear claw) with nuts on it and it's sweet.  Pair it up with a salad or their broccoli and cheddar soup and you're in comfort food heaven.  It's filling and doesn't leave you feeling nauseous.
     

Effective ways of Grocery shopping

     It can get overwhelming and hectic when you are going grocery shopping, deciding on what you should buy, budget, how long the food will last, how long the food will spoil etc.  I came up with a system where it will save you some effective time, money and just makes grocery shopping a bit more fun.
      Before I go out to do my daily grocery shopping, I look around the kitchen and write down a list of things that I must need that I don't have.  For example, If I ran out of coffee, that will be on the the list, I definitely need coffee in the morning or I will not have a good day.  Then write down other things that  you would like to get at the grocery store, like a bag of candy, chips, or cookies.  Remember if you are on a budget, write down your budget on top of the paper so you know not to over spend.
      At the grocery store, I like to take a cart just because it's more convenient to put the foods in your cart rather than hauling it around everywhere you go.  First, get the foods you need, the foods you don't have any at your house and is essential.  Get those necessities first that way you won't forget later.  When buying groceries keep in mind that the cheapest isn't always the best, and the most expensive types aren't the best either.  When I go out and shop, I look for healthier choice brands, the good kinds, not the best but yet not the worst.  If their's two types of milk, for example, whole milk for $2.99 or 2% less fat with omega 3, for
$3.99 I will get the 2% less fat with omega 3.  It's up to you on what you like but take into consideration that big brand name products are not always the best.
      After you grab all your necessary foods move on to your other foods, the reason why you are getting these last is because if you are getting over your budget you can start cutting back on the other foods.  These types of foods are the foods that you enjoy, it doesn't have to be the best, as long as they taste good and suites your taste buds then theirs no difference between $2.00 cookies vs $3.00 cookies if they are the same size and same type of cookies.
      Creating a list of all the groceries you need saves time and saves you from finding and thinking of all the things you need.  Shopping with friends is a great way to make grocery shopping more fun.  Invite a few friends over for lunch or dinner and go grocery shopping together, it's more enjoyable and more fun that way.

Quick bites for those who are in a rush in the morning

      Many of us sometimes are in such a rush either to work or school that we forget to eat breakfast.  I cannot stress enough about how bad, very bad that is for you and your body, your stomach will be in starvation mode and you will not function properly if you don't have something to eat.  Here are some tips on grabbing and going when you're on a rush.
Pack some food the day before you have something important going on.  If you know you have to wake up early in the morning for something important, pack some breakfast the night before your trip.  That way in case you overslept, you will have some food packed already and ready to go.
Grab something that is easy to eat or prepare for later.  If you didn't follow the first step and ended up being in a rush, grab something you can eat on your way, grab a granola bar, poptarts or some bread.  Don't upset your stomach by not feeding it.   If you just seriously don't have time to eat in the morning, take something for later, so that at least you have some food to munch on when your hungry later.
Grab and go at restaurants.  Don't feel like or have time to  make breakfast?  Find a breakfast place that has a drive thru, and order from the drive thru, it's convenient, and saves a lot of time, of course unless it's busy.
Buy some quick foods.  When you're shopping for groceries, buy some foods that are the type that you can grab and go, and easy to eat.  For example, the Lunchables are easy to eat and you could take with you, poptarts, raisin breads, bagels, microwavable breakfast foods or muffins.  
Eat something, anything for breakfast.  Breakfast doesn't mean you need to have breakfast type foods, pancakes, bacon, or omelettes.  As long as you eat something for breakfast that will fill your stomach, your stomach will be happy.  Your stomach is not going to reject the food you're feeding just because it's not breakfast food, it won't know the difference, food is food.
      Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's important to eat something when you're heading out and starting your adventure for the day.  Breakfast eaters are a lot more happier, and have more energy than those non breakfast eaters.   Remember if you're in a rush, grab something, anything with you so that you won't be starved.

Organic food vs Inorganic food

      Eating organic is very beneficial to your health, your not only getting all the nutrients you need, but also your not ingesting all the pesticides and chemical fertilizers that farmers put into their produce.  Organic farmers use traditional ways to grow their produce without using any chemical fertilizers or growth hormones to advance and grow the foods we eat.  People buy organic foods because their are no additives added, no pesticides and because of environmental reasons, organic practices are designed to benefit the environment, reducing pollution, conserving water and soil quality.  Although organic foods are a bit more expensive because of the labor that goes into it, you can taste the difference between the organics and the inorganic.  For example a tomato from a regular grocery store is different from the tomatoes that you might grow at home.  The inorganic tomato at the grocery store is bigger, perfect looking, it taste a bit more sour, while the organic tomato is more red, a lot smaller, not as perfect looking but you can taste the natural tomato flavor, it's sweeter and softer.  You can taste the difference between organic foods and inorganic foods, I personally think that organic foods taste much better than inorganic foods.  Many people are eating more organic foods and many grocery stores have an organic section, where they sell all different types of organic and healthy food.  Here in Cedar Rapids the Newbo Market in downtown sell fresh local grown organic vegetables and fruits that you may like, they are delicious and healthy.

      If some organic foods are harder to find in your cities, you can grow your own fruits and veggies.  Growing your own fruits and veggies, you know exactly what your doing to what your going to be eating, and it's less expensive.  If your going to plant your own veggies and fruits make sure you know what kind of fruits and vegetables are suitable for a certain season.  You wouldn't want to grow tomatoes in the fall because they're not suitable for the weather.       Whether your eating inorganic foods or organic foods it's important to know what exactly are you eating and always remember to read the labels CAREFULLY, sellers would try to get you to buy the words even if they have to twist their words around.  All natural does not mean organic, all natural assures you of a little organic,  tells you you’re buying food made without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones.  In order for a food to be organic the food was made with a set of farming and production practices defined and regulated, in great detail, by the USDA. 

Kids competing to become Iron Chef

     You don't have to be a certain age to get the title of Iron Chef, this year their has been many TV shows of kids ages 8-12 from all over the nation competing for the title of Iron Chef.  The kids create healthy, delicious, and creative dishes for the judges and they are judged on creativity, appearance, and taste.  The winner of the competition gets the title of Junior Iron Chef, and a scholarship to any culinary school they choose.
      If you've seen shows like Iron Chef of America or Chopped, you know how difficult it is to create something from scratch with the ingredients given to you.  The kids are under a ton of pressure, and it's not easy to create something within a certain time.  Planning and speed are two important factors that those kids have to know and master in order to win the competition.  In order to be in the competition you have to be chosen, you apply for the competition and the judges look to see if you have potential and then you're selected to be in the competition.  It's hard to get in, but harder to stay in.  I think it's great how cooking channels are giving the opportunity for kids to compete and cook, I think it's a great experience for those passionate young cooks who want to be a chef one day.  Of course being in the competition is competitive and it gets emotional sometimes.  Getting eliminated is the worst thing for those kids and they might feel like a failure.  However I think the most important thing for the kids in the competition is that they've  learned something new that they didn't know a clue about walking into the competition. 
     I think the best part of the competition is the judges interaction with the kids.  Chefs like Rachel Ray, and Gordon Ramsay teach the kids to become a better cook one on one, teaching them skills as well as giving them tips on perfecting their dishes. 
     Some of the dishes that the kids made were just incredible, it looked really good, they were creative with their dish, and I was just surprised that a kid could create something so unique from nothing.  Those kids are definitely passionate about cooking and enjoy cooking, and I think that they are doing a great job. 

Raw Sushi

     A couple years back, my parents and I went to a really nice Japanese restaurant in Chicago to try out there sushi.  My parents immediately fell in love with the sushi they served, they loved the appearance of the dish and the freshness of the raw fish.  I on the other hand could not imagine putting something raw in my mouth, the thought of that really disturbed me.  I was okay with the cooked rolls, but when it comes to raw rolls ,sashimi or nigiri, I just can't eat it.  Many people either love the raw rolls or hate it, the people who love them say that it doesn't taste fishy or you can't even taste the raw fish in the rolls.  I guess it wasn't that really bothered me, what bothered me was the fact that I am eating something raw, I just can't get over that! What

     I've heard from most people is that raw fish taste better than cooked fish.  As much as I hated raw sushi, i went and tried it to see if it was true.  I went to a sushi restaurant and ordered a couple of sashimis and nigiris.  Surprisingly I ate the whole thing, and to be honest, it was really good, (if you've never tried raw sushi I suggest you do, you will fall in love with it) I never thought I could like something that I could not get over the rawness of the sushi.  You could say that the theory produced by the sushi lovers are true.  The raw fish is really delicate, softer than the cooked fish, and it just melts in your mouth.  It's not flaky and it doesn't fall apart easily.    

     When eating raw sushi I suggest dipping it in wasabi and soy sauce, it just adds a zing to your roll and you are less likely to notice the fishiness flavor of the raw fish.  I don't really like the ginger that comes with the sushi, because I am  not a ginger lover, but most people love it because it kind of soothes the wasabi.  What I like to do when I am out dining at a sushi restaurant is to ask the chef to make me something that's not on the menu, anything that he wants to make, I am never disappointed at the chef, every time it's delicious, beautiful and definitely filling.  From that moment that I tried raw sushi, I fell in love, it was definitely very appetizing, it may not sound appetizing but trust me it's appetizing.