Mascarpone Cheese

Mascarpone cheese is an Italian cheese made from milk which has been amended with cream, so that it has a very high butterfat content. The resulting cheese is very rich, creamy, and spreadable; the precise texture varies from very soft, like crème fraîche, to more stiff, like butter, depending on how it is handled during the cheesemaking process. This cheese is native to the Lombardy region of Italy, where it is used in both desserts and savory foods.

Many markets carry mascarpone cheese, typically in small tubs in the refrigerated section. It is also possible to make this cheese at home. Whether you buy or make mascarpone, be aware that the cheese has a very short shelf life; it should ideally be used within a few days, or it can go bad.

Food historians believe that some version of mascarpone cheese has been made in Lombardy since around the 16th century. Most famously, the cheese is used in tirimisu, a layered dish with mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, espresso, brandy, and chocolate. It also appears in zabaglione, a rich Italian custard. Mascarpone can also be used to make frostings and to thicken puddings and creams for desserts, and it is popular as a standalone dessert, served with fresh fruit and sometimes a light syrup.

If you want to make mascarpone at home, you will need a quart of minimally processed cream and a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. You also need cheesecloth, a strainer, a double boiler, and a reliable thermometer. If you do not have a double boiler, you can make one by positioning a metal or heat-proof glass bowl over a saucepan filled with water.

Start by pouring the cream into your double boiler and heating it slowly. When the cream reaches a temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius), add the tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and stir. Curds will start to form immediately in the cream as it reacts to the acid. Once curds form, cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before lining a strainer with the cheesecloth and pouring the curdled cream through it.

Source from:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mascarpone-cheese.htm

Mince Pie

Gambar ehsan drpd Google image.

A mince pie, also known as minced pie, is a small British sweet pie traditionally served during the Christmas season. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices.

The early mince pie was known by several names, including mutton pie, shrid pie and Christmas pie. Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Served around Christmas, the savoury Christmas pie (as it became known) was associated with Catholic idolatry and during the English Civil War was banned by the PuritanVictorian era, although by then its recipe had become sweeter, and its size had reduced markedly from the large oblong shape once observed. Today the mince pie remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by families across the United Kingdom.

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...hati2 jika terasa nak makan mince pie..pastikan vegetarian / vegan friendly..sbb jika dilihat pada sejarah bahan2 mince pie ni, memang wajib letak minced meat...jadi, pastikan kita tak termakan pula..

**kat Lloyds TSB di Durham hari tu ada disediakan mince pie untuk pelanggan makan2 dan minum2.

GODIVA Chocolatier

Godiva Chocolatier is a manufacturer of premium chocolates and related products. Godiva, founded in Belgium in 1926, was purchased by Turkey's Yıldız Holding, owner of the Ülker Group, early in 2008.^[1][2][3][4] Godiva owns and operates more than 450 retail boutiques and shops in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia and is available via over 10,000 speciality retailers.^[5]

In addition to chocolates, Godiva also sells truffles, coffee, cocoa, biscuits, dipped fruits and sweets, "Chocolixir" beverages, wedding and party favors and other items arranged in gift baskets. Godiva's signature package is the Gold Ballotin (French for "small, elegant box of chocolates"). Godiva also produces seasonal and limited-edition chocolates with special packaging for all major holidays. Godiva also has license agreements for the production of ice cream, cheesecake, coffee pods and liqueur that comes in several chocolate-related flavors.

Godiva (guh-DY-vuh) was founded in 1926 in Brussels, Belgium, by Joseph Draps. Draps opened his first boutique in the Grand Place in Brussels under its present name, in honour of the legend of Lady Godiva.^[6] The first Godiva shop outside Belgium was opened in Paris in 1958. In 1966, the company's products reached the United States, where it was sold at luxury department stores. The following year, it was purchased by the Campbell Soup Company. In 1972, the first Godiva boutique in North America was opened on New York's Fifth Avenue.^[7]

By 2007 Godiva had annual sales of approximately $500 million. In August of that year, Campbell Soup Company announced it was "exploring strategic alternatives, including possible divestiture, for its Godiva Chocolatier business"; the company said the "premium chocolate business does not fit with Campbell's strategic focus on simple meals".^[8]

On December 20, 2007, Campbell announced that it entered into an agreement to sell Godiva to Istanbul, Turkey, based Yıldız Holding, which owns Ülker group, the largest consumer goods manufacturer in the Turkish food industry.^[1][9] The acquisition was completed on March 18, 2008, for $850 million.^[10]

Sumber daripada : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godiva_Chocolatier

** Ceritanya, kami beli GODIVA ni semasa berkunjung ke Brussels, Belgium Mac lalu..masa tu dah on the way nak balik dah..tiba2 ternampak GODIVA factory and outlet. Apa lagi, terus cari parking. Jika nak beli coklat GODIVA ni, kena hati2 sikit sebab ada coklat2nya yg mengandungi liqueur [arak], ada yg liqueur-free. Masa kami beli hari tu pun nyaris2 terbeli yg ada liquor tu, nasib baik cashiernya peka dengan agama kami. Jika tidak..