Food And Wine Pairing Made Easy!

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If you like to follow the rules then here are two basic ones that should get you through the night:

Rule One: Drink red wine with meat, white wine with fish and poultry.
Rule Two: Disregard rule one and eat and drink what you like. You will hear this over and over again and it’s so true. Always go with your personal preference first!

Of course, there are some classic matches that satisfy again and again and bring out the best in both wine and food. Wine can often enhance the flavors of your food tantalizing your taste buds in ways you never knew possible and vice versa. A prime examplemy husband HATES white wine. When he tries it he makes a face like someone just gave him a spoonful of cough syrup. One day we went to a wine and cheese paring and he was given Blue Castello and Sauvignon Blanc. It was then that I heard words I never though would come out of his mouth, “This wine is not bad. I actually like it.” It was a breakthrough among breakthroughs! It was his first true experience of food enhancing wine and bringing out flavors in the wine he had never experienced before. Food can have that sort of magical effect on wine and when you find that magic you just can’t help but searching for more of it.

Here are some of our favorite and classic food and wine pairings. I also like to say if you don’t know what to serve, then serve champagne or sparkling wine. It’s fun and extremely food friendly.

APPETIZERS & STARTERS
ANTIPASTO – Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Malbec
ARTICHOKES – Usually a no no with wine, but I love them with Chardonnay
ASPARAGUS – Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc
CARPACCIO (beef) – Pinotage, Shiraz, Shiraz/Pinotage blend, Malbec
CARPACCIO (tuna) – Sauvignon Blanc
CAVIAR – Chenin Blanc, Champagne!
COLD MEATS – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
NUTS AND/OR OLIVES – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
OYSTERS (raw) – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
PASTA SALAD – Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc
PASTA WITH CREAM SAUCE – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
PASTA WITH SHELLFISH – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz
PASTA WITH VEGETABLES – Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinotage, Malbec
PATS – Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
QUICHE – Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage Ros, Merlot
SCALLOPS – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
SMOKED FISH (Trout, Herring) – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc

SEAFOOD
CRAB – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
LOBSTER – Chardonnay, Chardonnay/Sauvignon blend, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
MUSSELS – Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
RED SNAPPER – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
SALMON – Pinotage Ros, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
SASHIMI, SUSHI – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
SHRIMP – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
STRIPED BASS – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
SWORDFISH – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Pinot Grigio
TUNA – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay
OTHER WHITE FISH – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc

MEAT & POULTRY
CHICKEN – Chardonnay, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage
CHICKEN SALAD – Chenin Blanc, Pinotage Ros, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
CHICKEN (smoked) – Pinotage, Merlot, Malbec
DUCK – Pinotage, Merlot, Pinotage Ros, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec
HAM – Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Malbec, Pinotage Ros
HAMBURGER – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
LAMB (grilled, broiled) – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage
PHEASANT – Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
QUAIL – Pinotage, Malbec
RABBIT – Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec
SAUSAGE – Chenin Blanc, Pinotage Ros, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec
STEAK (grilled, broiled) – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
TURKEY – Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinotage Ros
VEAL – Chardonnay, Merlot
VENISON – Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
COUSCOUS – Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage Ros
CURRY, FISH or CHICKEN – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage Ros
PIZZA – Merlot, Pinotage Ros, Pinotage, Chenin Blanc, Malbec
SPICY CHINESE – Savignon Blanc, Pino Grigio, Merlot, Pinotage Ros
SPICY MEXICAN – Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Malbec
THAI – Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio

CHEESES
*GOAT – SOFT: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage
– HARD: Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon

*COW & SHEEP – MEDIUM: Pinotage, Shiraz
– HARD: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc

If you are a true rule follower here are some more:

Generally, wines and foods belonging to the same culture are compatible; for example, think Italian wines with Italian food.

Good red wines tend to be dry and rich, sometimes with a tart or astringent quality. They will go better with hearty or highly seasoned foods such as beef, pork, game, duck, goose and pasta dishes. The ‘red with red’ rule works well because the astringency of the tannins cuts through the viscosity of the fat. Reach for a tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Petite Syrah or Zinfandel, especially if the meat is served with a heavy sauce. Rare prime rib tastes almost sweet, so it’s perfect with a lighter bodied Merlot or Beaujolais.

White wines are usually lighter in body and flavor and can range from dry and crisp to sweet and fragrant. Serve these wines with foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, ham and veal. Pair a honey or brown sugar glazed ham with a white wine that’s not too dry – possibly a Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer or Riesling.

Ros wines are in fact pale red wines; their lighter color is due to the shorter time the skins are left with the juice during fermentation. Ros, or blush, wines can range from dry to sweet. These wines should compliment ham, fried chicken, shellfish, cold beef and picnic style foods.

Ahhh, holiday stress. In my opinion if you can’t decide what wine to serve, then serve Champagne. You can find a great budget friendly champagne that will really get the festivities kicked off in the right way. Gloria Ferrer has some really nice sparkling wines to try that won’t hurt your wallet. ORIf you serve turkey with sweet side dishes like glazed carrots or sweet potatoes, choose a white wine with a hint of sweetness, like Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Gewurztraminer. If some dishes have a more savory flavor, try Sauvignon Blanc or a lighter bodied Chardonnay. For a bird with spicy sausage stuffing, serve Pinotage or a try a Pinot Noir.

Don’t match strong to delicate. Pairing a big, powerful, high-alcohol or high-tannin wine with a light, delicate dish (and vice versa) is rarely a good idea.

Acidity is your friend. People tend to be wary of wines described as “high acid,” like Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet. But there’s no better quality in a wine for matching rich, creamy or cheesy sauces, deep-fried foods or fish dishes; also note, tart wines go better with tart foods.

Follow the don’t-upstage-the-star rule. If you have an amazing bottle of wine you want to show off, especially an older vintage (they tend to be more subtle, their flavors less flamboyant), don’t serve a wildly complex dish with it. A simple dish will allow the wine to be the center of attention.

Dessert, or fortified wines, are heavier and sweeter than table wines and frequently have a higher alcohol content. They are usually served alone or with cheese, nuts, fruit or sweets at the end of the meal.

If you don’t like rules, like me, then toss all of these out the door and start experimenting. I’d love to hear about combinations that have worked for you that you can’t get enough of. My rule-breaking favorite is steamed artichokes dipped in butter and a nice oaky California style Chardonnay. Send me your favs and I’ll post them here!

CHEERS!

Erp Software For Food Industry, Food Industry Business Erp Software

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Importance of Food Software

Food and beverage industry is considered to be a very competitive business. Many companies strive to provide best quality so that they can achieve success in this business. To be successful, these companies need integration system with full functionality. The companies have to update themselves with the new technology food service software to improve their food and beverage industry. The food software available for food industries come with many functionalities due to which many of their daily tasks get over with accuracy. The quality of food and service is easily maintained with the help of food software. Below mentioned are the products of the company providing food software, Justfooderp.

ERP Software for Food Industry

ERP software for food industry helps in handling variety of sales order processes including EDI, shadow orders, spot orders including DSD and POS systems integration. It plans material and its production and integrates recommendations for a purchase order system. This food software manages sales orders including discount structures, commissions, pricing, order rules etc. It records production output and consumption of raw materials. ERP business software for food industry is integrated to RF scanning devices and so it can provide inventory management as well as ware house management system. This food software also consists of food safety system which follows strict food safety requirements.

Food Safety Software

Food safety software follows a discipline which handles, prepares and storages food in such a way that it prevents illness caused from unhygienic food. The food safety software consist number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit diseases in individuals which serves as a medium of growth for bacteria that causes food poisoning. Food safety is of utmost importance to issues involving food products like meat, vegetables etc. The role of food safety and a safe food supply chain is a clear focus for Justfooderp. No other food software company takes food safety as seriously as we do.

Product Life Cycle Management Software

Product life cycle management software follows a set of business processes and supporting tools which help firms to improve the way they manage their product development. This software helps in documentation management, retain all records associated to the R&D process from concept to production ramp-up

Food Quality Reporting Software

Our food quality reporting software has latest advanced features which help you in taking daily decisions associated with your business. This food software has full dashboard capabilities based on Finance, Sales, Inventory, Production, and Quality views. It has integrated plug-in for MS Excel allowing your employees to create and run reports against the ERP system in real-time. The food quality reporting software provided by Justfooderp, links to SQL Server reporting services, allowing full reporting access via SharePoint.

CRM Software for Food Companies

Operational, collaborative and analytical, these are three aspects for which an organization needs Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. CRM software for food companies helps to improve the quality of sales and services by efficiently gathering customer information, capitalizing customer buying behavior, and leveraging technology investments.

Software for Food and Beverage Industry

For the food and beverage industry the fundamental challenge is to ensure customer satisfaction by providing a perfect customer experience. It is very important to understand the customer needs and deliver a positive customer experience. Through food software, food companies can develop long-term profitable customer relationships. As the food and beverage industry is very competitive, there is a constant pressure on the enterprises, to increase sales and achieve ultimate customer satisfaction. All these goals can be achieved through efficient software for food companies which can make your daily tasks relating to your business smooth and easier which in turn helps in achieving customer satisfaction and increase in sales

Energy Drinks and Food Bars – Important Information

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Some can be good for you if not over used but it’s important that you know what you are getting into instead of believing the company who’s trying to sell it to you because they aren’t worried about your health so much as their bottom line. With so many energy drinks available you must find out which ones really are good and which are more of a junk food in a “healthy package”.
One of the more recent “natural” sweeteners to become popular is agave nectar, but it turns out that this is actually a processed food that’s high in fructose. You will find some energy drinks that have either been regulated or banned all together. Of course we all know just how many of these products contain a high amount of sugar ordinarily but watch out for those who disguise the sugars in the food and beverages. You’re also not getting essential fibers and healthy fats when you eat too many food bars instead of meals. You need to choose one without added sugar especially if you are looking to lose weight. Healthy food bars can be good snacks and, when combined with something like a salad, part of a nutritious meal, but they can’t be considered meal replacements all the time. There is a wide variety of availability these days in energy, food, diet bars and drinks on the market and some are definitely better for you than others. There has been much controversy over energy drinks and food bars in recent years. High school athletes, professional athletes, middle aged men and women alike do it. You will find a lot of people who swear by them and others who make claims to the contrary. The information you’ll find below will help you determine which ones really are ok for you to consume.

As you can see from this information it’s imperative that you use common sense when it comes to food bars or energy drinks. This is not a product you want to tangle with if your goal is weight loss. High fructose corn syrup is commonly found in these products. s.

Read our full review of food bars and energy drinks and their full impact on your health and well being.

Scotsman Ice for perfect icing solution

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Scotsman-Ice is the world’s leading manufacturer of ice machines, which are supplied to hotels, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, fast food outlets, laboratories, fisheries and many more types of businesses. The company offers the most choices of ice forms in the industry today, and the ice machines can be designed to supply cube, flake, superflake, nugget, scale and/or gourmet ice in quantities that can range from one cube at a time up to ten tons of ice per day.

Scotsman Ice’s history dates back to the 1950s when the company introduced the development of reliable and affordable ice machines. Through 50 years of innovation, research and excellent customer service, the Scotsman Ice remains the largest manufacturer of ice machines on earth with authorized agents and distributors located among 100 countries. There are currently over a million of the company’s ice machines in operation across the globe.

Scotsman Ice’s innovation and research has resulted in over 300 models of ice machines, dispenser and bins. The company has combined reliability, efficiency and ease of maintenance to make the most advanced ice machines in modern times. The company has even received recognition from a major management resource magazine as one of the top ten best plant operations in the United States.

Scotsman Ice’s ice machines are foolproof, reliable and easy to use. The machines feature external indicator lights, and unique self-monitoring technology. The company provides clear and concise manuals, guides and operational videos on how to use their ice machines. In addition, customers may request the regular service bulletins that are issued to the company’s engineers.

The company offers a complete line of Scotsman ice maker products especially designed for hotels, restaurants, hospitals and offices. Customers can select from countertop or freestanding dispensers in touch-free or conventional configurations. Ice is especially important for customer satisfaction in hotels as hotel guests will usually want or need ice during their stay. Therefore, the Scotsman ice making machine ensures that it is always available. In addition to being reliable, the ice makers are very quiet so that they do not disturb the hotel guests. The machines feature a sleek appearance with durable stainless steel, a convenient easy access bin for service and cleaning, and a unique power lock switch that guarantees operator safety during maintenance.

Scotsman-Ice also offers machines that dispense water as well as ice. These machines are a favorite among hospitals and laboratories, as the touch-free dispensers minimize the possibility of cross-contamination. In addition, the ice-dispensing chute can easily be removed for sterilization and cleaning. These machines feature outstanding reliability and were the first machines to offer a true one-hand, touch-free operation.

Why Invest In Food Industry In India

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Food joints and restaurants have been flourishing in the Indian market since long time. Moreover, with the growing urbanization, globalization, and changing lifestyles, the food industry has set a firm foothold in the market which is worth INR 580 bn and shows vast prospective to grow and prosper in future.
The changing trends of eat outs and increased proportion of young population alongwith changing lifestyles of people has driven the market.

It is wise to know about investing in food joints whether you want to earn profit from public interests in restaurants and eateries or just want to earn the name of the firm or to provide support to the food company youre investing on. If you really want to invest, youre at the right path to have chosen the food industry especially in metros.
But there is a problem. Before you make any decisions, though, be sure you understand the ins and outs of investing in this growing industry.
With numerous food joints and chain of restaurants in the market, you might be perplexed over the thoughts as to which company to choose from to invest upon. Luckily, there is a solution to it. The best way you can firm up your decision over which food joint to choose ends at Moti Mahal (www.motimahal.in) chain of restaurants.
Moti Mahal has been the pioneer of Mughlai and tandoori restaurants; the creator of the original Indian Butter Chicken & Tandoori chicken which is now having more than 90 branches all over the country with a history of expertise in restaurant management and catering services going back to 1920.

Although investment under Moti Mahal restaurants is sheer assurance of myriad funds but one, for his core satisfaction, can also appraise the eatery (or any other) and his investments for the following assessments-:

1.It is not advised that you assume you cant lose money just because the food joint is growing and is having a great prospect. You must first decide upon the investment that you can put up making sure not to lose more than what you can afford.

2.Get a clear concept over the companys ethics and various other aspects. Make sure it has a regulatory department that is always fair trade, or socially or environmentally not hazardous.

3.Undertake research works over different food companies. Once you have a clear vision of your investments, start your research with manufacturers and gradually to food chains you already buy from. Look for companies to invest in and shortlist firms you believe would result in good investments.

Investing in food joints isnt about investing in best firms and ideal companies but rather the decision to pick out companies on the right track.

Food restaurants are the way of life. The Indian food restaurants arent going to break up anytime soon either. Due to its enormousness, there might be times it changes.
The only restriction they can encounter is the banning of items such as Trans fats etc. Health related issues are the most eyed on problem that can surface with the progress of food restaurants. Thats why choosing fast food restaurants to invest upon can turn out to be problematic. At such stages, ethical Indian restaurants such as Moti Mahal can keep their heads unshaken. After all, Indian restaurants like Moti Mahal are the food firms that have taken the Indian culinary to a global new echelon.

Fast food chains cannot adopt to all the measures overnight. Worldwide, this cause has triggered consumers and investors to choose from Indian food chains and Indias culinary which now without doubt has a great prospect ahead not only in India but globally.
While many of us love fast food joins and might consider choosing them, Indian restaurants like Moti Mahal are the brand new emissaries to taking the Indian food industry to the zenith of worlds culinary map.