Life is all about evolution, and like us even our food has come a long way. We have learned to amalgamate tradition and innovation in our cooking. Today recipes are not just limited to an individual’s notebook or a restaurant’s kitchen, it has reached places one didn’t even know of. This is the age of the food dream, where “I live to eat,” isn’t really an exaggeration anymore.
But when did this transpire?
Way before technology happened, we remember our grandmas scribbling recipes and notes in her special diary. This diary transformed into a family cookbook and then slowly into a legacy. And we carried this intimate legacy forward by cooking these age-old recipes to keep customs alive. Secret Recipe wasn’t such a strange term to hear in family households. Food was just a way to express love. And suddenly, it just wasn’t all love, it was a demand too. These recipes found their way to the world through the printing press. Budding cooks, home cooks and even food enthusiasts had a found a way to bring foods of the world in their kitchens. Food recipes were no longer one person’s business it had transformed into a commercial domain with lots of potential. Then as the cable network seeped in, grandma’s family recipe found its own cooking show.
But it hit a home run the moment when recipes found the new child of technology, i.e. the Internet which surpassed all the levels of culinary reinvention.
One of the greatest feature of the online arena is that it is driven by the idea of sharing, which is easy to record and alter. One basic recipe today has found so many diverse variants, it just not spaghetti with meatballs anymore, it always has this little room vacant, open for creative ideas. It is as if people want to learn your tradition, but make something original out of it for themselves, and that’s beautiful.
For example, if you wake up one day determined to learn how to cook French food, you will not have to worry about the lack of guidance. On the contrary, you will be perplexed with the number of alternatives that are being presented to you. You key in a few words in a search engine and there’ll be a myriad of options right out there. You will find recipes coming from the best of chefs and bloggers, you just have to choose.
YouTube, is another revolutionary Internet product which runs on your convenience. You don’t need to be glued to your TV screens with a pen and paper, now you can watch, pause and replay any video at 3 am in the morning, and whip together your favorite dish.
The important aspect of sharing recipes online is that it has sustained the balanced between culture and creativity. Both these factors are crucial for maintaining the essence of our ancestry as well as for the evolution of ideas.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.