Rice is a staple food for many different cultures throughout the world. White rice is more common in the United States and many other regions of the world, but brown rice is still consumed by more people overall. The key difference between the two types of rice lies in how they are processed. White takes much more processing overall, as brown is only partly milled or not milled at all.

The cooking process for both rice types also varies. The first mistake people make is assuming that you can cook brown rice just they same way as white. Some people find it harder to cook cook brown rice when compared to its white counterpart. Here are a few tips to ensure you end up with perfectly cooked brown rice.

To start, you should thoroughly rinse your rice until the water runs clear. The next step is to start boiling water for your rice to cook in. The rice to water ratio is very important and should be 1 cup of rice to 1-1/2 cups of water. Another important step you do not want to overlook is to add the rice only after the water is fully boiling.

The Bloody Mary is often served in the morning because it was originally intended to cure hangovers. The name most likely refers to the blood red color of the drink.

The Bloody Mary is a very popular cocktail that contains basically vodka, tomato juice, and a variety of spices. It is served virtually world wide. The classic Bloody Mary is usually vodka, tomato juice and Tabasco sauce and/or Worcestershire Sauce (in England, called Worcester Sauce). These generally are added lightly, particularly the Tabasco. Usually that is counted in drops. Depending on the size of the glass, you might add 1 drop for mild, 2-3 drops for medium spicy, 4-5 drops for a total wake-up and generally 6 or more drops destroys it, and you. If the glass is small enough, 5 to 6 drops could blow some people’s heads off. The Worcestershire Sauce is a milder and quite good tasting version of the Tabasco blend which can be added. Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco are sometimes used together at roughly 4 drops of Worcester to 1 drop Tabasco. The Bloody Mary is most often served with a celery stalk, and there is a variety that might include a pinch of celery power.

History is rife with the human pursuit of aphrodisiacs in many forms. Scientific tests have proven that some aromas can cause a greater effect on the body than the actual ingestion of foods. Here are some common foods of love used through the ages.

•    Alcohol: lowers inhibitions and increases confidence; however, over-bridegrooms due to its reputed aphrodisiacal powers.

•    Asparagus: three courses of asparagus were served to 19th century bridegrooms due ot its reputed aphrodisiacal powers.

•    Banana: due not only to its shape, but also its creamy,, lush texture, some studies show its enzyme brome lain enhances male performance.

Kinds of Wine

Shatbhi Basu, Mixologist and beverage Consultant explains, “The most common and known wine among the lot is still wine”. I will say they are great wines. They are  better called table wines. These are best for everyday usage and true value for money. Still wine can be further classified into white, rose and red wines. Another set of wines ‘sparkling wines’. They include champagne and wines  form other regions of France and the rest of the world some are Fortified.

Wines, to which additional alcohol is added to incease shelf life. Among fortified wines are “aromatized wines”, flavoured with herbs, spices and other aromatics. An example woukd be Vermouth wine”. Among women the most popular wine is Rose(pronounced as ‘rosary’). It is called so because of its colour and also romantic association.

HERB/SPICE

Saffron (zah’fa’ron)- saffron, botanical name crocus sativus, is the most expensive spice in the world. Derived from the dried stigmas of the purple saffron crocus, it takes anything from 70,000 to 250,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron. Moreover, the flowers have to be individually hand-picked in the autumn when fully open. Fortunately, only a little needs to be added to dish to lend it colour and aroma; to much makes the food bitter and large quantities of it can be toxic.

CHOCOLATE

Chocopologie- made by Knipschildy Chocolatier,, this incredibly expensive chocolate costs around $2600 per pound. A single dark chocolate truffle  costs two hundred fifty dollars, and has a real black French truffle – the mushroom – inside.

Before we consider the question of what wine types are hot for 2010, we must first understand the various types of wines and the reasons for their specific classifications. The first category of wines is by color, as red wine and white wine. The second classification is by the type of grape fruits used for preparation of the wines. The third grouping is based on the country or region of origin of the wine and the grapes. The fourth categorization is done on specific qualities or features, such as blush, sparkling, and non-alcoholic.

Types of Red Wines

Red wines are prepared from black grapes, which are fermented as whole grapes, keeping the pips and skin intact. These wines are prepared either as sweet or light and as mellow or fresh. The major types of red wines are Merlot, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz or Syrah, and Zinfandel.