Students Of Success

Coffee is a drink produced from the coffee grains. It is stimulating, because it contains caffeine. The use of the drink of the coffee had its origin in Kaffa, Abyssinia, today Ethiopia, when a shepherd called Kaldi observed that his goats were smarter and hopping around when eating the leaves and fruits of the coffee tree. He tried the fruits himself and he felt happier and with bigger vivacity. A monk of the region discovered this and started to use an infusion of the fruits to resist sleeping during his prayers.

The effect of the drink was spread, and in the16th century coffee was used in the east, being toasted for the first time in Persia. The coffee had enemies even between the Arabs who considered that the effects of the drink of coffee were against the laws of the Prophet Mahmed. However, as soon as the coffee won these obstacles, even the Arabian doctors adhered to the drink to help the digestion, to cheer the spirit and to stay awake, according to writers of that time.

In Arabia, the infusion of the coffee received the name of “Kahwah” or “Cahue”, meaning in Arab “force”. The classification - Arabian Coffea was given by the scholar Lineu.

In 1675, the coffee was taken to Turkey and Italy, but the drink considered Arabian was forbidden to the Christians and it only was allowed after the Pope Clement VIII tried it.

In its travel around the world, the coffee arrived Java later, reaching Holland and, thanks to the dynamism of the Dutch maritime commerce executed by the company of Occidental India, the coffee was introduced in the new world, spreading itself through the Guyanas, Martinique, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The commercial establishments in Europe made solid the use of the drink of the coffee, and diverse houses of coffee had been world-wide known, as “Virginia Coffea House”, in London, and the “Coffee of La Régence” in Paris, where famous names as Rousseau, Voltaire, Richelieu and Diderot congregated.

Here goes a tip: if you’re a guy, don’t think that you are the only one that is going to be more vivacious and have more energy when you take a cup of coffee. Beyond you – believe it or not – your spermatozoa will obtain the same effects. This is what a Brazilian urologist concluded after coordinating a research, which turned international notice after being presented by him in a conference in San Antonio, United States. The results show that the men who take at least one cup of coffee on a daily basis present greater movement of the sperm. In other words, the spermatozoa have more energy and are quicker, increasing the possibility of making a woman pregnant. “The caffeine can increase the use of energy of the sperm, as if it were a stimulant. It is as if the spermatozoon took an energetic”, explains the researcher.

To affirm this, the semen of 750 fertile men and with active sexual life was tested by him. “Who takes coffee does not produce more sperm. The only alteration observed was in its quality of movement, independently of the amount of coffee ingested daily”, explains the urologist. In numbers, between the men who take coffee, 67% of the spermatozoa had mobility enough to arrive at the ovule, against 54% that did not take it. Now, the doctor will test men with fertility problems. “Depending on the results, we can suggest to the patient with little movement of the spermatozoa to take a cup of coffee”.

Anita Morris was born in Guyana before she went at the age of 12 to Brasil. She speaks four languages and is on the way to reach her final step, being a diplomatic and working as an embassador for Brasil. www.coffeex.info/

During the winter it can be hard to escape that shivery feeling that happens when you get too cold. A good immediate remedy for this is to wrap yourself up in a douvet and stick a hairdryer up it, (making sure the air flow is not restricted) until you feel warmed up.

Colds are the body’s escape mechanism. When the whole system is overloaded it crashes. The body stresses out and the immune system drops its threshold. The nose releases toxic wastes in the form of mucous and the body often aches and feels exhausted. Pay attention to what your body is saying because an unchecked cold can become far more serious if you keep it buried.

If you are one of those people who can tell when you have a cold coming on, then it can be stopped, or at least minimised, in several ways. Firstly, rest is essential. There is no way your body will self-heal in a stressful situation. If you have to work, take it easy or delegate a bit more. Lemon juice, rose hips, parsley (not if you’re pregnant) and fresh orange all contain vitamin C, so take them.

Some colds can actually be completely stopped dead by gently sniffing a mixture of lemon juice and warm water up your nose, if you are brave enough. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds contain zinc which is important in cold prevention so take some of those. Otherwise its time to sweat those built up toxins right out through the skin. Start with a peppermint tea and take some garlic or garlic capsules. Then boil a large onion in milk for an hour, eat it, and drink the milk. Follow on with a steaming cup of lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and grated ginger which will stimulate circulation and sweating. Enjoy it in a mustard footbath which will also warm up the blood - use multiple and layered remedies and take them as an opportunity to treat yourself.

For a mustard footbath, take 1 tsp. yellow powder mustard and one of household soda (if you have hard water) and put them in a deep basin with some water as hot as you can stand. Keep your feet and lower legs in for about ten minutes, topping the bath up with fresh hot (not boling) water. Dry off, put on thick socks and climb into a freshly warmed bed, the earlier the better.

Simon Mitchell

Nature’s First Aid http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/natkit.html

I couldn’t help it. My neighbor was heading out on her almost
daily trek to the McDonalds Drive-thru. I was about to start
dinner. Who would win?

I seasoned the steaks and put them aside. I washed and poked
the potatoes to “bake” in the microwave. Fire up the stovetop
grill and throw on the steaks. Start the microwave for 5
minutes.

Meanwhile I made a salad – lettuce, tomato, onion, shredded
carrot, and a little broccoli.

5 minutes is up. Turn the steaks. Turn the potatoes and set
for another 5 minutes.

I also noticed that there was still some cantaloupe, so I cut
up some of that too.

Dinner is done, and Diane is not back yet!

She typically has a McChicken and a large Coke. Because
it’s chicken she thinks it’s healthier. And she thinks it’s
faster and easier. Hmmmmmm

A McChicken and a Large Coke is 730 calories. No Fries.
Can you Imagine?

A 6 oz. filet, baked potato- with butter, tossed salad with
dressing, and cantaloupe comes in at about 560 calories.

My dinner was hot and fresh in about 20 minutes.

She took 40 minutes to get back to eat cold food.

Her “dinner” cost about 5 bucks.

My dinner cost about 6 bucks per person. (I only buy filets
when they’re on sale) Plus, I didn’t use any gas.

She had no dishes.

My dishes were minimal.

I’m a size 4.

She’s a size 28 and growing.

Which fast food would your prefer?
———————————————————————–

About the Author

Carole says Diet, Schmiet. Thin People Don’t Diet. If you
want to be thin and healthy, think and eat like a thin and
healthy person. Get a Thin Attitude here >>>
http://ThinAttitude.CommonSenseLiving.com

It is time for farmers markets. They are popping up all around the country. They can range from a true farmers market with farm fresh produce locally grown and sold by the farmer to more of an arts and crafts show. When shopping at a farmers market the consumer needs to be wary of anyone selling fruit or vegetables that are not locally grown or are out of season. It is becoming common practice for some marketers to purchase the same produce that is available at the grocery and sell it in the farmers market venue.

Here are a few tips on what to look for in a farmers market.

•Fresh local fruit and vegetables, no commercially grown produce.

•Good prices, the price should be comparable to the grocery store. You may find that in some areas the farmers market is a bit higher but this can be well worth it if the produce is local and fresh.

•Look for moist fresh looking produce. If the corn was picked yesterday it will begin to dry out at the bottom. Look for signs that the fruit and vegetables have been harvested within the last day. Do not be afraid to ask when the produce was picked. If it is the farmer you are talking to they are likely to take pride in their selection.

•Stay away from produce that has been dumped out on a table. The display should say that someone took time to care for the produce and ensure that no bruising has occurred.

•Look for clearly marked prices. If it is hard to find out home much that apple is you may be dealing with lesser quality produce.

•Avoid farmers markets that have a lot of crafts. This may be a sign that the area is not based in agricultural and the farmers market may contain mostly commercially produced fruit and vegetables.

About the Author

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

If you are the type of wine connoisseur that likes a combination of styles and textures, a wood and metal wine rack is your best choice. Whether you own a restaurant and want to add some class to your bar area or you are a homeowner looking for storage for your wine, a metal & wood wine rack is well suited to fit any person’s needs.

When looking for a wood and metal wine rack, you need to have a good idea of a suitable size and shape. If you have the space, there are full wine racks (wine racks built into a buffet table) that incorporate wooden cupboards and shelves with metal wine bottle holders. A full metal & wood wine rack takes up a little floor space, but it adds an immense amount of storage space. There are also wine racks that sit on your table or counter top and some that hang from the ceiling or wall. The model you buy depends solely on the area you have available.

You must also consider how many bottles of wine you plan to store. If you are a moderate drinker with five or six bottles of wine on hand, you will need a wood and metal wine rack that can hold that amount of wine. If you are more casual and drink a bottle or two per month, you will not need more than a tabletop or wall hanging model most likely.

It is also imperative to decide if you will need storage for wine glasses and perhaps some wine glass charms as well. For under $100, you can find a metal & wood wine rack that offers storage for up to eight wine glasses, a dozen bottles of wine, and even draws for wine glass charms. To add additional class to your dining room or kitchen, you can buy one of the inexpensive wine bottle openers that open a bottle of wine in a jiffy and store it on your new wood and metal wine rack.

Take a good look at your kitchen or dining room and create a visual plan for the placement of your new wood and metal wine rack. Knowing the dimensions that fit your room, the price you can afford, and the storage capacity in advance will help tremendously when you go shopping. Taking this simple step can help ensure you get the wine rack of your dreams.

“The… patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.” — Quentin Regestein

Highly favored as a cooking oil, or for use in a variety of classic dressings, olive oil is being touted in some quarters as a delicious companion to good health. Research on the health benefits of olive oil is impressive, so is the affects of the Mediterranean diet.

Recent Findings

Olive Oil as a Cholesterol Reducer

Compared to American cuisine, especially the snack and fast foods prevalent in the US, the Mediterranean Diet has intrigued the medical world. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published findings that indicate the introduction of olive oil into our regular diet has demonstrated a reduction in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). This is significant because once LDL cholesterol has oxidized it often results in artery rigidity and accompanying heart disease.

Olive Oil in Cancer Prevention

In a comparison study at the University Hospital Germans Trias Pujol in Barcelona there seems to be an indication that the health benefits of olive oil may also be useful in the prevention or slowing of cancer cells. In the study, lab rats were introduced to a carcinogen that resulted in cancerous tumors. The study provides evidence that a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil prevents colonic carcinogenesis reducing precancerous tissue which resulted in fewer tumors when compared to a controlled sample of rats ingesting foods containing other types of cooking oils.

Researchers at Oxford University in England have seen indications that olive oil may actually be as good for our digestive system as fresh fruit and vegetables in preventing or reducing the incidence of colon cancer. While red meat seems to be linked to the development of colon cancer, fish and olive oil seemed to reduce the incidence of colon cancer. The reasons behind this phenomena are still being considered, but it is believed that the olive oil may help regulate the bile acid in the stomach while increasing useful enzymes within the stomach that contribute to optimal colon health.

Olive Oil and Heart Health

The American Heart Association has also noted that consumption of olive oil has “clear health benefits”.

Olive Oil and Lower Blood Pressure

By substituting virgin olive oil for other fats within your diet, the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a substantial reduction in drug dosage requirements for the management of high blood pressure. Initial findings indicate dosage reductions could be as high as 50%.

Additional Findings

By lowering the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) there is an increase of the HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The antioxidant effects of olive oil have also been widely reported and are effective in reducing free radicals within the body that may prove to be a causal agent in pre cancerous and cancerous growth.

Additional health benefits of olive oil may be found in a Mediterranean diet which explores the varied uses of olive oil in both food preparation as well as additional balanced meal choices. Combined, olive oil and appropriate food choice seem to enhance the overall health of those subscribing to the Mediterranean diet.

Final Word

While studies remain ongoing, it is encouraging to note that something that has long been noted for good taste may also be a link to positive health benefits and longevity of life. An adaptation of the Mediterranean diet may be a healthy, yet palatable change well worth considering.

James Zeller writes for gourmet gift related websites and blogs. Here is a selection of oil and vinegar gifts that he found, and a creative collection of culinary gourmet gifts.

When choosing your cake it naturally occurs to brides to
think flowers, colours, patterns and before long they are
creating the dream cake-without first reminding themselves
that its ultimately destined to be eaten by their reception guests!

I encourage my brides and grooms to first think what their
guest list consists of in terms of population cross section;
Older folk do prefer fruit cake in general, whilst younger people seem to go more for sponge. The point being, the choice here dictates the size of the cake; you need roughly twice the sponge to fruit. It also affects which basic design you will have available, as many designers of wedding cakes, myself included, have reservations about stacking sponge cakes.

These issues include the suitability of sponge to ‘carry’ a cake above as required in the stack design, and the question of freshness; ideally when icing a cake a good designer will have in mind a number of days which they will want the cake iced before adding final touch decorations, and with sponge this is critical to the cakes freshness. When stacking we like to have the icing a little harder as this compensates for the problems of accessibility given by stacking.

Feel free to ask any questions about this or other matters relating to your wedding cakes at my web site ‘Wedding cakes by Franziska’.

Happy wedding!

Regards
Franziska
franky@hoosonf.freeserve.co.uk

My name is Franziska, of Wedding cakes by Franziska.
http://www.hoosonf.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm
I have been creating my designer wedding cakes for the last ten years,
and whilst most of my work is eaten in the UK., I have had cakes travel as far as St.Lucia, Amsterdam and the Philippines!

Juniors cheesecake restaurant was founded in 1950 by Harry Rosen, and named Juniors after his two sons, Walter and Marvin. Harry and Eigel Peterson, the master baker, hit upon the secret formula for Juniors cheesecake recipe and it has been part of the Rosen family for three generations.

Juniors cheesecake New York is located in Brooklyn and is a favorite restaurant of many New Yorkers. It was rated #1 by New York Magazine in the 1970’s and people started to come from all over for an award-winning slice. In 1982, Governor Mario Cuomo declared May 27th as Junior’s Restaurant Day.

In 1989 Juniors cheesecake became available through mail-order and can now be ordered online. It can be shipped frozen anywhere in the United States. Each 8” large Juniors cheesecake arrives in a special, stay-fresh container guaranteeing freshness.

Today people still come from all over to have their favorite slice of famous cheesecake. For over 50 years the saying is still true: You haven’t lived until you’ve had cheesecake at Juniors.

For those of you that want the juniors cheesecake recipe here is the Famous No. 1 Juniors cheesecake recipe.

Pure Cream Cheesecake — “The Best of the Best”

1 recipe Thin Sponge Cake Layer (see below)

For Cream Cheese Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages regular cream cheese, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 extra-large large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F (180*C) and generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan. Make the batter for the sponge cake as the recipe directs. Evenly spread the batter on the bottom of the pan and bake just until set and golden, about 10 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool (don’t remove it from the pan).

2. While the cake cools, make the cream cheese filling: Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese.

3. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream. At this point mix the filling only until completely blended (just like they do at Junior’s). Be careful not to over mix the batter.

4. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer. Place the spring form pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.

5. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the spring form pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheesecake

One suggestion: keep an eye on this cake while it bakes. There’s not much batter, so it needs only about 10 minutes of baking — only enough time for the cake to turn light golden and set on the top.

1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 drops pure lemon extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F (180*C) and generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

3. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Then blend in the butter.

4. In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks but not be dry). Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites — don’t worry if a few white specks remain.

5. Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan.

Serves 12 to 16.

Source: From the cookbook, “Welcome to Junior’s! Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant”.

Enjoy Juniors cheesecake one way or the other, you won’t be sorry.

Copyright © 2005 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee online, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

Harvesting Your Red Wine Grapes - The first step in making red
wine is to have the grapes perfectly ready to be picked. They
need to be harvested not only at the proper time in their life
cycle, but also at the right time of day to ensure the acids and
sugars are all at the right balance for the wine.

Red wine grapes should contain enough sugar to be considered
ripe and be able to attain the alcohol content you are aiming
for. They must also have the right balance of acids. This means
“hang-time” on the vine until the grapes have met the proper
quality factors. A sugar content of 24 Brix at harvest will give
you about 12% alcohol.

De-stemming and Crushing - This step in making red wine removes
the stems from the grape bunches, and crushes the grapes (but
does not press them) so that the juices are exposed to the yeast
for fermenting. This will also expose the skins so they can
impart color to the wine while in the primary fermentation.

This step in making red wine can be done manually by squeezing
the grape bunches over a grate with holes to allow the grapes
and juice to go through while leaving the stems behind. I’ve
used old Coke crates, perforated plates, and other means to
accomplish this. (Depending on the type of wine, the stems could
be left in for a more tannic flavor or removed). This mix of
wine is called must and is put into a fermentation vat.

You can always “stomp” the grapes and remove the stems
afterwards - the old fashioned way. There are crusher/destemmer
machines that can be purchased if you have a lot of grapes to
crush. If you are going to adjust the acidity, this is the time
to do this.

Primary Fermentation - The must is held in a vat that can be
made of food grade plastic, glass, or stainless steel for
fermentation. In whichever container, the sugars inside the
grapes are turned into alcohol by yeasts. The yeast used should
be specific for red wine. This fermentation process typically
takes from 3-4 weeks.

How long the must (juice and grape solids) is allowed to sit,
picking up flavor, color and tannin is up to the wine maker. Too
long and the wine is bitter, to short and it is thin.
Temperature is very important during this stage - it also
affects flavour and color.

Punching Down the Skins - Skin and other solids float to the top
as fermentation proceeds. The carbon dioxide gas given off by
the fermentation process pushes them to the surface of the
developing wine. The rising skins are called the “cap” and need
to be pushed back down to stay in contact with the must. This
should be done a couple of times a day. As you punch down the
cap, you will notice that the wine is taking on more color from
the contact with the skins.

End of Primary Fermentation(?) - The winemaker must decide if
the must has fermented long enough. This will take a few days to
a week. Much of this decision depends on how much color you want
in your red wine. Generally, the wine has not completely
fermented at this time. There still should be some residual
sugar that will need to go through further fermentation.

Remove Free Run and Press - At the end of the primary
fermentation, the must is put into the wine press. The best
quality wine is made just from the juice portion of the must.
Many wine makers allow this to run off and save it for the best
red wines. The rest of the drier must (now called pomace) is
pressed.

Pressing squeezes the remaining juice out of the pomace. If you
do it too hard, or too many times, you get low quality wine. You
can save the pressings separately from the free-run or it can be
combined. This pressed wine will take longer to become clear and
ready for bottling.

Secondary Fermentation - The juice, now wine, needs to settle
after this ordeal and continue to ferment out all the residual
sugars. During this time, the wine should be stored in glass
carboys fitted with fermentation locks.

Fermentation locks keep oxygen out of the wine while allowing
the carbon dioxide from fermentation to escape. Without them,
oxidation will occur and the wine will spoil into vinegar or
something worse. In the lack of oxygen, the wine undergoes
subtle changes that affect the flavors of the resulting wine.

Malo-Lactic Fermentation - Many red wines need a non-alcoholic
fermentation to remove excess acidity. This secondary
fermentation will turn the tart malic acid (of green apples)
into the softer lactic acid (of milk). A special malo-lactic
bacteria is added which allows malolactic fermentation to occur.
This is done during the secondary fermentation. Wines are held
at about 72F during, or at least at the end, of the secondary
fermentation to favor this activity. The yeast that has settled
to the bottom during the secondary fermentation also favors this
process.

Racking and Clarification - Moving the wine from one container
to a new container by siphoning allows you to leave solids and
anything that might cloud the wine, behind. This clears the wine
and prepares it for bottling. Fermentation locks must be
employed with each racking to keep the wine from spoiling. Wine
is racked at least once but more may be needed to assist
clarification.

Cold Stabilization - During one of the aging stages between
rackings and bottling, the wine can be placed in the cold of
refridgeration to be stabilized. This cold period will make the
cream of tarter settle out of the wine and reduce the acidity
further. The wine is then racked off the cream of tartar during
the next racking. I suggest you do this early in the racking and
aging process of making red wine.

Aging - The wine is stored for anywhere from 9 months to 2 1/2
years to give it the correct amount of flavor. Oak barrels can
be used for aging but they are very expensive. Nowdays, when
making red wine at home, oak chips are used. The amount of time
you age your wine with oak depends on the flavors that you wish.
At the end of the aging period, you will be ready to bottle.

Fining or filtering - At the end of the aging period it helps to
remove anything that may be making the wine cloudy. This can be
accomplished with various fining agents (like sparkalloid), with
filtering, or both. This makes the wine crystal clear for
bottling and will prevent any sediments from forming during
bottle aging.

Bottling - This is done carefully so that the wine does not come
in contact with air. Finer wines may be stored for several years
in bottles before they are drunk. But I suggest that a minimum
of 6 months to a year lapse before drinking.

So there are the steps in making red wine. Properly done, you
will have a wine that will not only give you drinking pleasure,
but will make you the envy of your family and friends.

Mu Xu Pork is a kind of dish served by rolling it into very thin
pancakes (Mu Xu pancakes) after frying eggs, pork and other
Chinese vegetables. This is a very tasty Northern dish in China
and favored by most families. It tastes the best when served
with pancakes along with the special sweet seafood sauce (known
as Hoysing (Cantonese) sauce in America, though it really should
be called Hai Xian sauce you meant to say it in Chinese); it is
also favored by many people as a side dish when eating with rice
or congee. It is full of unique fragrance. Adding enough chopped
raw scallions when you eat can bring out the best flavor.

Of course, depending on your preference, you may replace the
pork with other meats like shrimps, chicken, beef, etc., or cook
it without any meat to make it a vegetable Mu Xu. But
traditionally when we talk about Mu Xu Rou in China, pork is
always the king.

Ingredients

a). For step 1:

120g (4oz.) pork

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cooking wine

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 stalk green onion

2 dried mushrooms (soaked)

6 cloud ears

1 slice ginger

1 bamboo shoot

1/3 bunch spinach

b). For step 2:

3 eggs

dash of salt

3 tablespoons oil

c). For step 3:

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon cooking wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

dash of monosodium glutamate

Method:

1. Shred meat, marinate and mix with cornstarch. Shred mushrooms
and bamboo shoot. Cut spinach in 4cm (2″) pieces. Slice green
onion. Soak cloud ears in water.

2. Fry eggs - Beat eggs slightly, add salt. Heat oil until hot
and quickly scramble eggs. Set aside.

3. Heat oil. Add and fry in order: green onion, ginger, meat,
bamboo shoot, mushroom, cloud ears, and spinach. Blend in
seasoning. Pour in scrambled eggs, mix quickly and serve hot.

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Nutritional information:

Each serving provides:

Calories: 301

Protein: 13.2g