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The quickest of all desserts, and one of the best after a hearty meal, is compounded of a bowl of fresh fruit, sharp knives, and finger bowls. Next comes store-bought ice cream with some type of sauce or dressing. This in turn is followed by fresh fruit in combination, and/or dressed in one way or another. The following recipes are a bit more complicated and are three of the best.

Bananas Senegalese- SERVES 4

A Swiss gentlewoman, married in Tangier to an American army officer, and now living in Dakar, sent me this recipe from darkest, or nearly darkest, Africa with the admonition that it should be made only to the deep beating of tom-toms and the high thin wail of a conch-shell horn. If you can arrange the necessary musical accompaniment and have the ingredients, you can make a pretty, sweet, mildly alcoholic, and, therefore, desirable dessert. In the absence of authentic African instruments, I have successfully used an old recording of Ravel’s “Bolero.” The bananas should be firm.

4 bananas, peeled
1/2 cup green creme de menthe
3 tablespoons brown sugar
l6 maraschino cherries
1/2 teaspoon butter

Grease a large shallow baking or ovenproof serving dish lightly with butter. Cut the bananas in half lengthwise, and lay them, flat side down, on the dish. Pour the green mint over them, and sprinkle lightly with brown sugar. Garnish with the cherries. Place the dish under a medium broiler flame (400 degrees) for about seven minutes. Serve hot.

Cherries Jubilee - SERVES 6

One of the great classic desserts, with no superior and few peers, Cherries Jubilee is an ideal recipe. It is quick, it has glamour, it is good, and, because it should always be prepared at the table, it allows the chef to demonstrate his skill with a chafing dish, a euphemism for showing off. To this end he should equip himself with a long-handled or “devil-eating” spoon and a high-proof rum. This is a spectacular dessert which can be made even more spectacular by darkening the room while it is being prepared and served.

1 large tin Bing cherries
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup rum

Drain the cherries and discard the juice. Place the cherries in the top pan of a chafing dish. Pour the brandy and rum over them, cover, and bring slowly to a boil. While the liquor is heating, serve the ice cream in six individual dishes. As soon as the liquor has reached the boiling point, uncover and set it alight. Let it burn for a few seconds, while you spoon it over the cherries. Ladle them, with a goodly quantity of the flaming liquid, over the ice cream, and serve at once.

Eve’s Dessert - SERVES 4

The fact that this dessert contains an apple might lead to the erroneous impression that its name somehow derives from that. The dish was invented by a charming teacher named Eve, who, being the sort of person she is, receives many apples, all highly polished. She seldom uses these apples for making her dessert but keeps them on her desk to throw at recalcitrant children, hoping thus to prevent the spread of juvenile delinquency. The dessert itself - made with apples charged to her husband - she has served to the equal delectation of PTA members, casual diners, and gourmets.

1 cup cherries
1 apple
1 cup melon balls
1 cup strawberries
3/4 pint sour cream
6 large macaroons
3 tablespoons brown sugar

The macaroons should be stale rather than fresh so they will better reduce to large crumbs. Pit the cherries and chop the apple coarsely. Place all the fruit in a serving bowl. Put the sour cream into a mixing bowl, add the crumbled macaroons and the brown sugar. Mix the ingredients well, and pour the mixture over the fruit, stirring it thoroughly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving.

These desserts never fail to delight.

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The smoothies are undergoing a recipe revolution. Normal fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and peaches are no longer the only ingredients used in these energy surprises. More and more health aficionados are transitioning to exotic or at least versatile fruits to make their smoothie concoctions.

One of the fruits often used is the Mangosteen. This sweet crown is not marketed for sale in the United States. This is because of the tremendous risk of the Mediterranean fruit fly infestation upon its importing. However, fruit enthusiasts are able to purchase the byproduct of this fruit in juice or capsule form. Mangosteen is an exotic fruit from Indonesia. It’s about the size of a small apple and contains a sweet white interior that breaks off in wedges similar to a mandarin.

Professionals found it has energy, anti-swelling, mood enhancing, and free radical eliminating uses. Garcinia Mangostana research moving forward and there is evidence that this exotic surprise is full of many properties that improve wellness to say the least.

One research review indicates positive reduction in leukemia:

“We examined the effects of six xanthones from the pericarps of mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, on the cell growth inhibition of human leukemia cell line HL60. All xanthones displayed growth inhibitory effects. Among them, alpha-mangosteen showed complete inhibition at 10 microM through the induction of apoptosis.”(Matsumoto K, Akao Y, Kobayashi E, Ohguchi K, Ito T, Tanaka T, Iinuma M, Nozawa Y: Gifu International Institute of Biotechnology, 1-1 Naka-Fudogaoka, Kakamigahara, August 2003)

Another exotic fruit applied used in smoothies is the Noni. This tropical grows best in Southeast Asia as well. Found in India and the Tahitian Islands, the fruit of the Noni tree has powerful antioxidant properties, anti-depressant capacities, and immune system enhancing properties. This fruit has shown promise as a free-radicals eliminator as well.

“In laboratory research, Noni has shown antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and tumor-fighting properties. The National Cancer Institute is funding preliminary research on Noni for breast cancer prevention and treatment.” (NCCAM Publication No. D398, 2007)

Acai Berry, a juicy delight is grape-sized and a dark deep purple color. The Acai Berry contains fiber and is believed to have the capability to free the body of toxins. Clinical studies into this berry’s uses show it is also applicable for enhancing circulation, promoting vitality and minimizing inflammations. The fruity surprise from western tropical areas, the Acai berry, conquering the world from Central and South American tropical regions is another antioxidant mix of vitamin.

Blueberries aid in the fight against the damaging effects of chronic diseases that come from the aging process. Rich with Vitamin C and E, Blueberries are another good choice to mix in. They also contain anthocyanins and phenolics, which contain inhibiting cancer-cell properties. The above three tropical’s are possible add-ins one can consume to come up with their own individually preferred creation. These are exotics that one can add-in in combination with blueberries.

With all the options available today from health food stores offline and online, the ingredients can be had, even if not in whole fruit form. Blueberries can be found more easily, exotics are not so easy to obtain. Therefore, a fruit smoothie using combinations of these fruits is a great suggestion to enrich a wellness. Some of the fruits can be found in processed juice or powder form, which can be added into one’s smoothie beverage.

The enhanced power resulting from vita-fruit mixes full with free radical eliminators are motivation enough for trying them. Exotic energizing fruits can enhance system wellness that enables them to be more productive throughout the day. Energized own the world they walk in; they feel their self-esteem. This leads to a better mental attitude, which can halt depression in its tracks. People that feel better about themselves are able to develop more positive thinking and action. Ultimately result they improve their performance and gain enhanced social skills.

When it comes to smoothies, foods with a high ORAC value are the best ones to include in its recipes. Fruits that have a high ORAC rating (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) are the ones that have the most antioxidant power. These ingredients all contain antioxidant properties, which are healthy and tasty.

T. Fox researches workplace-environmental productivity and efficiency. Some of the contributors are healthy ingredients with increased nutrient levels. People perform better when they are healthy, especially when they can manage depression with food and lifestyle choices.

Candy tastes good and is good. And it tastes much better and is much better if you make it yourself. Whatever your favorite candy, whether butter crunch or fudge, nougat or molasses taffy, peanut brittle or chocolate mint patties, you can make it better than the best candy you ever bought.

You can even learn to make fancy-dipped chocolates and bonbons that look as tempting as the ones you gazed at longingly as a child with your nose pressed against the confectioner’s plate-glass window. And they’ll live up to their looks, if you make them yourself.

Below you will find some general instructions for candy making. Familiarize yourself with this information, find the basic equipment and away you go!

Reading a Thermometer

With a candy thermometer you can be sure you have reached exactly the right degree of temperature for the particular candy you are making. But the thermometer must be read correctly, with your eye right on the level of the top of the mercury, not above or below.

Testing Your Thermometer

Test your thermometer by placing it in a pan of water and bringing it to the boiling point. It should now register 212 degrees at sea level. If it registers 214 degrees you can correct it by adding two degrees to those given in the recipe; if 210 degrees, by subtracting. If it is more than a few degrees off in either direction, you need a new thermometer.

Correcting the Thermometer for Altitude

For every thousand feet above sea level subtract roughly two degrees from the suggested thermometer readings. For example, if you are making fondant in the mountains and the altitude is 4000 feet, instead of cooking it up to 238 degrees you would remove it from the heat when the thermometer registers 230 degrees.

Correcting for Humid or Rainy Weather

When the barometric pressure is low or the weather is rainy or humid, cook most candies two degrees higher than you would normally.

Hard Water

If your water is unusually hard it may make the difference between success and failure in your candy-making. Boil one gallon of hard water with a teaspoon of soda for twenty minutes, to neutralize, before using water to make candy.

Storing Candy

All candy should be kept in a cool place and most should be packed in tin boxes for best keeping. Caramels should always be wrapped soon after cutting to prevent spreading.

Changing Recipes

Proportions in most recipes are carefully worked out for best results and usually should not be changed. Increasing the amount of liquid, for instance, will lengthen the cooking time and give a less tender result. Recipes can be doubled successfully in almost every instance but in that case a larger saucepan must be used or the candy will boil over or cook too slowly. Cutting recipes in half is not advisable because very small quantities are difficult to work with.

Equipment for the Candymaker

Candy thermometer
3-quart saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
4-quart saucepan
1-quart saucepan
Heavy 12-inch skillet
Electric beater
Pans, 8 by 11 inch
7 by 7 inch Cookie sheets
Funnel and stick
Heavy, sharp knife
Waxed paper
Cellophane
Tin boxes for storing
Wooden spoons
Pastry brush or muslin-wrapped fork
Fondant paddle
Marble slab or large platter
Chocolate grater
Standard beaters, wire whisks
Follow the above instructions, and your candy will turn out right every time!

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Poaching eggs is a skill that is rapidly disappearing from the kitchens of the world, thanks to those awful patent cookers that produce something with the appearance, and consistency, of a plastic amoeba.

I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a skill. Poaching an egg in such a way that it retains its shape and texture is something that many chefs, let alone home cooks, never quite master. It requires a certain amount of care and a great deal of dedication.

If you are thinking this is a lot of fuss over something you are occasionally going to eat on toast, let me just point out that eggs cooked in this way have many other uses.

For example, they make great salads, are excellent with salmon, perfect with steak and, together with Hollandaise Sauce make one of the classic dishes of the world; eggs Benedict.

There are two basic methods of cooking them that work perfectly. I’m going to give them both, but first a word about the eggs. They must be very fresh and they must be at room temperature.

Eggs straight out of the fridge do not cook well, no matter what you are going to use them for, and they take some time to thaw out. At least two hours, in fact, so plan ahead and leave them out in the kitchen for at least that amount of time before you use them.

Method 1
In a shallow pan bring about 10cm (4 inch) of water to simmering point and add one teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of white vinegar. This can be of any kind, including wine vinegar. It’s purpose is to help hold the whites together.

Crack an egg into a small cup or saucer. Using a wooden spoon, stir the water in the pan until you have a whirlpool effect and then carefully pour the egg into the centre of it.

It will immediately form into an oval shape. Leave it to cook for 6 to 8 minutes and then used a slotted spoon to transfer it to a basin of cold water.*

Method 2
This is the way I poach my eggs at home although the one above is my preferred method if I’m only going to cook a few - say two at most.

It requires two pans, a saucepan and a deep skillet, plus a wire basket or steamer that will fit completely inside the saucepan. You’ll see why in a minute.

Half fill the saucepan with water and bring this to the boil. Don’t add any salt or vinegar or anything else that might flavor the eggs.

Put the eggs that you intend to poach into the wire basket whole and lower this into the boiling water. Leave it there for exactly 10 seconds and take it out. What this does is cause the whites of the eggs to thicken slightly, so that they hold together when you crack the eggs.

Pour about 2.5cms (1 inch) of the hot water from the saucepan into the skillet and put this on a low heat. You want it to simmer. Reserve the remaining water if you intend to serve the eggs immediately.

Crack the eggs into the skillet and allow them to cook until the whites set. You will see that they hold together very well and don’t spread out all over the bottom of the pan.

Transfer them to a bowl of cold water as before.*

*Why the bowl of cold water?
It allows you to cook as many eggs as you need in as much time as you have without having to rush. You can keep the eggs in this water in the fridge overnight if necessary. They will not deteriorate and can be brought back to life simply by picking them up on a slotted spoon and dipping them in hot water for a few seconds.

They can also be drained and served cold in salads, with mayonnaise or dropped into hot broth for an Asian-style soup.

Michael Sheridan is a former head-chef and an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at All About Cooking contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks

Of all types of food, that which comes out of the water is probably the most versatile. In some form or other it can be served at breakfast or at luncheon. It makes ideal supper dishes.

Huitres Aphrodites - Serves 2 to 4

This dish could well appear as the fish course at a formal dinner. Moreover, it may be prepared equally well in chafing dish or skillet. The proportions listed below are more or less a compromise. A pint of oysters is not excessive for a reasonably hungry man at luncheon or supper, but it is too much if other courses follow. This recipe, then, will be about right if it is to be the chief item at a meal for two; otherwise it is sufficient for four.

1 quart large oysters
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon mint, very fine
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
3/4 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne
salt
3 dashes scotch bonnet
1/4 cup malmsey
4 sprigs parsley

Drain the oysters. Melt the butter in a chafing dish blazer or in a skillet, cook the garlic for a few moments, and add the oysters. Sprinkle them with the mint, marjoram, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt and Scotch Bonnet, and stir well. Saute the oysters, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to curl. Remove the garlic, and pour in the wine. Continue to cook until the oysters are plump. Serve on hot plates, garnished with parsley.

The oysters may be placed on buttered triangles of hot toast, or, and I think better, be accompanied by French bread.

Clams Oz - Serves 4

Unless you like pepper, this dish is not for you, but if you do, you will find it exhilarating and, as the English say, “absolutely wizard.”

The recipe is controlled completely by the quantity and the quality of the pepper put into the sauce. It must be freshly ground black Java pepper, and you should use at least a teaspoonful, or more, depending on your tolerance. Properly made it is an ideal clam dish for luncheon or supper; it has merit as a fish course at dinner; and if you are fond of soft clams you may wish to serve it as a main course for that meal. If you do, you would be well advised to add a fourth tin of clams.

3 tins underwood soft clams
2 bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

Drain the clams and discard the liquid. Place the bottled clam juice in a saucepan, add the bay leaf and thyme, and place, covered, over a low flame to simmer for about fifteen minutes. Melt the butter in another and larger saucepan, add the flour and dry mustard to make a roux, and cook for five minutes over a low flame.

When cooked, remove the bay leaf from the clam juice, and gradually add the juice to the roux to make a sauce. Cook the sauce slowly, stirring constantly, for about ten minutes. Add the white wine, the salt, the monosodium glutamate, and grind in the black pepper. Still stirring, cook until the sauce comes to a boil, but do not allow it to boil. Put the clams in the sauce, heat through, and serve at once.

You may serve the clams on toast triangles, but French bread on the side is better. For vegetables: baby beets, to give color, or baby lima beans are suggestions.

Both these dishes will be appreciated by your guests.

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Do you love Indian cuisine? If you’re like me, the smell of Indian spices is one of life’s most wonderful experiences. But many Indian dishes, such as samosas, are loaded with fat from deep frying.

Here is a way to experience the exquisite flavor of samosas without the need to drag out your deep fryer. You’ll love these wraps as much as samosas you get from the local Indian restaurant… only they’re far healthier.

This recipe makes 8 samosa wraps, but you can adjust the measurements to make more or less, depending on the number of people who will be enjoying your culinary creation. I’ve taken dozens of these to parties and family gatherings, and they’ve always been a big hit - even among people who have never tried Indian food.

What you’ll need:

8 low fat flour tortillas (I use burrito sized tortillas. You can use taco sized tortillas for smaller samosa wraps.)
4 medium white potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 can early peas
1 white or yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp hot curry powder (use mild curry powder if you like milder Indian food.)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili paste
Aluminum foil

How to prepare samosa wraps:

1) Pre heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Wrap the stack of tortillas in foil. Make sure that the foil completely covers the tortillas - that is, that no part of the tortillas are exposed.
3) Boil potatoes in a large pot for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4) While potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add diced onions and garlic. Fry onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize (turn soft and brown around the edges).
5) Add peas to onions and garlic, heat for one additional minute.
6) Place boiled, drained potatoes in a large bowl. Add garam masala, curry powder, and chili paste to potatoes.
7) Mash potatoes in a large bowl with a fork or a hand held mixer. If desired, add 1/4 cup of coconut milk or soy milk for a smoother consistency.
Place tortilla stack in oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until tortillas are soft.
9) Mix peas, onions, and garlic into potato and spice mixture.
10) Spoon filling into center of warm tortillas, and fold sides and bottoms of tortillas to form wraps.

That’s it! No fooling with samosa wrappers, no messy deep frying, and best of all, no guilt after eating these tasty snacks.

Here is how this recipe stacks up:

Preparation time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes

Calories: 190 per samosa wrap
Calories from fat: 45 per samosa wrap
Grams of fat: 4 per samosa wrap
Weight Watchers Points: 3 per samosa wrap

Some final thoughts:

Garam masala is a mixture of spices commonly used in Indian cuisine. It is pretty tough to find at your local Kroger or Winn Dixie, but you can find it in health food stores that cater to vegetarians, or in Indian grocery stores. If you don’t have access to either, you can easily order it online. It will typically stay good for about 6 months if kept in a dark, dry area.

If you can’t find chili paste, you can mix 1/4 tsp ground chili (not chili powder) and 1/4 tsp olive oil. I’ve also used Korean style chili paste with good success, although it seems to me to be a little sweeter than the Indian variety.

Enjoy!

For more low calorie and vegetarian recipes, visit http://veggieguy.blogspot.com. I look forward to hearing from you!