Tag: mistakes

The 4 mistakes people make when preparing and serving tea – Italian Cuisine

The goodness of a tea does not depend only on the quality of the infusion. Here is a series of errors which, in Italy, are repeating themselves. Not only at home, but also in bars

In a country historically coffee oriented finding places to drink good tea is really one mission impossible.
But the problem is not due to the quality of the tea, but to the type of service with which it is offered to customers of bars, clubs and hotels.

Because you don't drink good tea in bars in Italy

Tea is the most drunk beverage in the world after water, but unfortunately it is a fact that culturally in Italy it is not considered adequately.
In a country like ours, a master in the art of cooking and tasting, where there is a ritual for every consumption, why is tea not treated with the right attention?
Let's think simply of wine: when it is brought to the table with a serving temperature or too high or too cold, do we not immediately demand a correction? The same should be true for tea.

THE 4 most common mistakes in the tea service

The teapot as an option
Think about it: when you ask for tea at the bar, how does it usually arrive?
Most of the time the waiter brings a nice cup of boiling water, with a tea bag next to it or, even worse, with the bag already drowned in and left to drown indefinitely.
Or, if you are luckier, a teapot will always arrive filled only with hot water, with the tea bag or a selection of different bags next to it.

Infusion times: these strangers
Starting from the principle that each tea needs an infusion with water temperature and precise times, the correct practice would be to have the customer choose the variety of tea and then go and prepare it respecting the infusion times. As soon as it's ready, you should remove the sachet or strain the leaves before serving it to the table.
If this were not possible, it would be appropriate to indicate to the customer the recommended minutes for the infusion.

The boiled tea
It is common (sadistic) practice to add tea as soon as the water begins to boil, so as soon as it reaches 100 degrees. While the correct temperature for infusion is between 70 and 80 degrees, depending on the types of tea.

A water like any other
In Italy, tap water is usually used, or even worse in bars, boiling water inside the coffee machines, stagnant there for who knows how long!
For an optimal infusion it would be correct to use water with a very low fixed residue and therefore low in minerals. Since the waters of the aqueducts are often calcareous and with added chlorine, it would be better to avoid.
Using natural bottled water, where the fixed residue is shown on the label, would be optimal and should also be a practice in the premises. In short, even the finest and most quality tea can become unpleasant due to bad service.

A hope for the addicts?

Go to one tea Room. Where you can relax and not risk any discomfort, rather appreciate the different varieties at their best and enrich your taste and culture on the subject.

An example of an ideal place? The boutiques of The Tea Route, historic Italian brand of the art of tea, born in Florence in 1961 from the dream (still well understood today) of Mr. Alfredo Carrai: to bring the culture of tea as a gourmet product to Italy too.
For almost 60 years, his family has been spreading the culture of tea in Italy by also providing training to its customers' premises, to guarantee the final consumer the correct tasting experience.

La Via del Tè always describes this product historically imported from the East with skill and poetry. As for the new line The Ladies of the Camellias, collection inspired by the tea plant Camellia Sinensis and to six women of literature and history who have had a special relationship with this flower, including, just to name a few, Gabrielle Coco Chanel and Lady Emma Hamilton, to whom we owe the first Camellia plant in Italy.
It is said that he arrived in 1760, apparently at the Royal Palace of Caserta, as a token of love from Admiral Nelson to Lady Emma, his mistress, who was the wife of the English ambassador to the Bourbon court in Naples. A delicious blend of black tea from India and China with the aroma of lychee, lemon and ginger was dedicated to her.

Even today in Italy there is a need to train staff of all categories, from bars to high-end hôtellerie. A few simple tricks would be enough to give the right dignity to the most drunk drink in the world.
Meanwhile, this little revolution from tea lover can start with a simple question to the bartender or waiter on duty: "How do you serve tea here?"

The 5 mistakes not to make to prepare a perfect mushroom risotto – Italian Cuisine

All the secrets to prepare a delicious mushroom risotto, from the choice of rice to that of the most suitable mushrooms

It is one of the greediest risottos of autumn, with its distinctive aroma and intense aroma of undergrowth, but to prepare it in a workmanlike manner, you must avoid making some mistakes that would make the mushroom risotto a dish to forget.

How to clean, cut and cook porcini mushrooms

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Which mushrooms to choose?

To prepare a memorable mushroom risotto you must choose the most suitable mushrooms. In first place without a doubt i porcini mushrooms, with their strong scent and firm and compact consistency. You can use both fresh and dried. Then i tacks, easier to find than porcini, cheaper but equally tasty. The trick to give them all their aroma is to blanch them a few minutes before browning them in a pan. More delicate champignon, to be used fresh, and then i chanterelles, which have a stronger and more distinctive taste.

Porcini mushrooms: 40 autumn recipes

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And the rice?

Not all rice is good for preparing a risotto: the Carnaroli, with a full-bodied grain, it is perfect because it keeps cooking well, as well asArborio, which during cooking keeps the central core of the grain, rich in starch, al dente. Also ideal Rome, with a more elongated grain, which absorbs condiments well, and finally the most loved by chefs, the Vialone Nano, with a rounded grain that never overcooks.

Find out now in the tutorial the mistakes not to make to make a perfect mushroom risotto!

Risotto with mushrooms

Children's beach snack: mistakes to avoid – Italian Cuisine

What are the foods to avoid? What to choose to stop hunger between one meal and another? Here are the expert's tips and 5 inspiring ideas to make children's snacks healthier and more nutritious

In Italy, more than 21% of children are overweight and 9.3% are obese. The data from the latest Eurispes Italy report say so. The cause? "They eat inadequately and move little," he comments Nicoletta Bocchino, nutritionist biologist. Behind the extra pounds in the vast majority of cases there are bad habits, especially between meals. «Often children skip the snack or consume as a snack mostly high-calorie foods with a low satiating power which instead of stopping hunger, stimulate it. As a result, they nibble constantly, overdo the quantities in subsequent meals and gain weight . But it's not just about the extra pounds. "A child who is overweight or obese is more likely to have problems with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other ailments over time", adds the expert. On vacation, the risk of eating badly increases. "On the beach, for example, children are taken by games and baths and often forget to have a snack or as soon as they feel hungry they ask to eat ready-made snacks, easy to munch, which are often also rich in lipids and simple sugars, which favor the weight gain and the onset of health problems. To quench their thirst, they also take sweet and carbonated drinks, which in addition to not satisfying the thirst, increase the desire for sweet ", explains the expert, who here reveals what they are mistakes to stay away from on the beach and the tips to follow to make children's snacks healthier.

Things not to do

Consume brioches and ice cream

"Sweets and ice cream are rich in fats (hydrogenated and saturated) and refined sugars, which in addition to promoting the accumulation of fat have a reduced satiating and nutritional power". The ideal, therefore, "is to replace them with fresh and natural foods such as seasonal fruit. It is particularly rich in vitamins, mineral salts and water, which improve hydration and help the body better cope with the heat. Ok then to peaches, watermelon, apricots. The latter in particular are rich in beta-carotene, a precious antioxidant that protects the skin from damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun and then natural water, the most effective thirst quencher ".

Eat salty snacks

«Chips and snacks in bags are convenient to carry and easy to munch on the go. However, they are not the ideal solution for a healthy and balanced snack ", warns the expert. "They often bring a lot of saturated fats and a high sodium content, which promotes dehydration, stimulates thirst and increases the risk of undergoing weight gain. In addition, they are poor in vitamins and minerals . For a snack on the beach, it is better to focus on foods that are easy to munch on, nutritious and healthy, such as nuts. "Walnuts, for example, provide satiating fibers and mineral salts such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, which improve the body's response to high temperatures. But pay attention to the quantities. «Dried fruit is very energetic. The ideal is to consume no more than 30 grams per day ".

Go overboard with stuffed sandwiches

"To break hunger between meals, the classic sandwich stuffed with mozzarella, cured meats and sausages should be avoided. In addition to providing an exaggerated amount of saturated fat and calories, it is difficult to digest. Better to prefer two small slices of wholemeal bread with cooked ham. It provides fibers and slow-absorbing complex carbohydrates that recharge with energy and give satiety. The ideal is to accompany it with a slice of tomato, rich in minerals and water that help replenish the liquids lost with sweating ".

Drink packaged juices

«Even if they are refreshing and thirst-quenching, these drinks are a" bomb "of rapidly absorbed sugars. They stimulate an exaggerated production of insulin, a hormone that promotes weight gain. Better to give priority to DIY drinking fruit and vegetables such as smoothies and extracts, without adding sugar. The fruit, especially the juice version, due to the lack of fiber is already particularly sweet .

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