Zucchini

Zucchini are a mandatory component for creating the dish ratatouille. They are perfect when combined with oil, butter, or frying. Their flavour can be mild, so zucchini often needs a little boost in flavor by adding spices such as garlic, thyme, or rosemary, or by being paired with other vegetables. One of our favorite dishes simply combines diced zucchini with corn, red peppers, onions, and jalapenos, tossed with a bit of our pork and poultry rub and oil, then roasted until caramelized.

The color of zucchini varies from yellow to near black to lighter shades of green, some with stripes and others without. Many varieties exhibit various degrees of speckling, and others have ridges resembling a cucumber. While found in their dark green form in many market stalls, don't be surprised to find them called "grisette" (grey) in Provence, or "Aurore" or "Reine-des-Noires" depending on their shade of green. In addition to being named by their color, they may be referred to by their regional name, such as courgette, summer squash, or marrow squash.

Buying Zucchini

Although the zucchini is available year round, summer is without question the best time to buy because its prime growth period is late summer. This is also the point in the season where its flavor is at its peak. Zucchini tastes best when young, small, and heavy for its size. Look for firm zucchini that is regular in shape without blemishes or yellow patches, and with a tight, shiny skin. Smaller zucchini are preferable, since as they get bigger their flesh becomes stringy, tough, and bland, and the number of seeds within increases.

Storage

Zucchini has the best shelf life when kept in a dark, cool place. Kept dry in a plastic bag, zucchini should last at least one week in the refrigerator. Whole or sliced zucchini do not take well to freezing because of their high water content. However, it is possible to shred or grate the zucchini, squeeze out excess moisture, and then freeze it. This is nice for when you want to use zucchini in baked applications such as zucchini bread.

Farfales with the king prawns and zucchinis

Ingredients:

450 G farfalle

4 king prawns

2 zucchinis

4 zucchini flowers

1 tomato

1 onion(beignet chocolat recette)

100 G sauce of tomato

olive oil extra virgin

salt, pepper

Method: 

Cut zucchinis, the flowers of zucchini, a tomato, salt, virgin extra olive oil, a little tomato sauce of small pieces. Chop an onion. In a frying pan, put oil and the chopped onion. Cook zucchinis during 1 to 2 minutes. Add the zucchini flowers, chopped tomato, the king prawns, a little juice of tomato and pepper. Let still cook a minute. Make boil water, in order to cook there the “farfalle” with a little salt.

Health Benefits of Coffee

Did you know coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world.

Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world. No matter where you go, coffee is usually available. Yet, until recently there's been very little research on the effects of coffee on our health. The researcher's are waking up however. There have recently been studies completed on a variety of health benefits to drinking that simply delicious cup of coffee.

In a study in Italy, it was proven that that brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. When compared to other caffeine containing beverages like tea and cocoa, coffee proved to be the best in helping to prevent disease.

Did you know there are also benefits to the caffeine found in coffee? Coffee intake ( due to the caffeine) was associated with a significantly lower risk for Alzheimer's Disease, independently of other possible confounding variables. These results, with future prospective studies, may have a major impact on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Another benefit of drinking coffee has been studied in China. Their research clinically proved the caffeine in coffee helps to prevent Parkinson's disease. Many of us have been led to believe that caffeine is bad for us. True enough, large quantities may hurt us, but the evidence is strong for the benefits it provides.

Coffee and Physical Fitness

The amounts of water, carbohydrate and salt that athletes are advised to consume during exercise are based upon their effectiveness in preventing both fatigue as well as illness due to hyperthermia, dehydration or hyper hydration. The old issues concerning coffee and caffeine were that it acts as a diuretic, thus causing more fluid loss during activity. Studies have caused researchers to re think this point. These studies suggest that consuming caffeine does not have this effect and can even have beneficial effects on keeping the body fit.