Gourmet Chocolate - What Makes it so Special?

Gourmet chocolate has become a popular food item for special occasions, gifts, and occasional treats. But what is it that makes gourmet chocolate so special? There are 3 main factors that set it apart from regular chocolate. These factors are production process, ingredients, and packaging.

Many of the gourmet chocolate products are individually made by chocolatiers, the name given to professional chocolate makers, instead of being mass produced by equipment. While individual production takes more time, the quality of the final product is worth it. The high priority given to making each gourmet chocolate product a piece of perfection and the strenuous quality assurance process sets it miles apart from the run of the mill mechanically massed produced chocolate products.

Gourmet chocolate products have superior ingredients compared to regular chocolate. Many gourmet chocolate products have cocoa from only a certain origin or region instead of a mix of different types of cocoa beans. Also, the cocoa content in this luxury form of chocolate is often higher. These two factors along with quality production are what give this type of chocolate the characteristics that everyone loves: a stronger chocolate smell and taste, a smooth appearance, and a soft feel in the mouth with no aftertaste.

The last factor that gives gourmet chocolate its name is the quality of packaging materials used to wrap the chocolate. The higher quality foils and papers used to distribute gourmet chocolate help to keep it fresh and give it a look of elegance at the same time. Many of the packaging options are holiday specific, with different colors and wrappers to choose from for whatever the special occasion may be.

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What Makes a Gourmet Pizza Delicious? Variety!

School kids can't get enough of pizza, and somehow that love for pizza does not fade when we get older. I, myself, loved pizza as a child. My family would feed my brothers and I pizza as a treat to celebrate special occasions. Pizza was a staple on birthday party menus, holidays, and special events. I still remember the melting of the cheese, piping hot temperatures emitted, biting into the crust, drippings of pizza tomato sauce on the side of our cheeks, making a mess, accidentally, and having loads of napkins next to us for when the devouring got out of hand. But that's how pizza was when you are a kid. It was cheese, sauce, crust and messy. However, now that I'm an adult, and somewhat of a pizza connoisseur, I have noticed pizza has changed. It has evolved and I'm excited about what is happening in the gourmet pizza restaurant world.

Gourmet pizza restaurants are popping up throughout the nation. It is becoming a standard type of cuisine taking the restaurant industry by storm. But what is gourmet pizza, and why should you care? Well, let me tell you my friend. Gourmet pizza is on the rise. It is a thrill to uncover the ingredients, elements and food combinations used in this style of pizza with you. It is not your home delivery from ages ago. This is a fresh, innovative take on a household tradition.

There are distinct toppings and unique spices normally unassociated with prior pizza recipes. For instance, there is a little neck clam pizza with house-made mozzarella, roasted red peppers and parmesan. Alternatively, try an organic egg pizza cooked sunny-side up combined with prosciutto and smoked mozzarella. Or what about locally grown Schriener's Sicilian Sausage with roasted fennel, house-made mozzarella and tomato sauce. Gourmet pizzas are your stereotypical pizzas but kicked up a notch. It is incredible to come up with these concepts and combinations of your favorite ingredients causing your taste buds to awaken and take full notice.

For the vegetarian lover, why not try a pistachio pizza. It has shaved red onions, leeks, and parmesan. Another vegetarian alternative is the potato and roasted garlic pizza with fontina, gorgonzola, and rosemary. It is a complete party in your mouth and everyone is invited.

Some gourmet pizzas do not even contain tomato based sauces. However, if you yearn for homemade, Italian, tomato based sauce on top of your crust, then, of course, order it the way you like. For gourmet pizza is an endless possibility of toppings, ingredients, flavors, spices rolled into one delicious pizza.

Furthermore, let me take this time to squash the misconception regarding gourmet pizza joints. Just because the word "gourmet" is included does not mean the venue is stuffy. There are places that are warm, inviting and cozy making it appropriate settings for the entire family. Additionally, you will find gourmet pizza restaurants with full service of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There are some that are equipped with full wine bars, beautiful outdoor seating, and open kitchen concepts. Find a gourmet pizza near you today.

Check out Phoenix pizza or a Scottsdale pizza today.

TMI: what makes Gourmet cheese vegetarian?

We all know that the cheese is made from milk, but what does it mean when a cheese is labeled vegetarian? Gird your gourmet cheese lovers lombi, this article could qualify as TMI (too much information). To explain the meaning of vegetarian rennet cheese means explaining what it is and how it is used in the cheese making process.

First let's take a trip back several thousand years to learn how this prehistoric food was "discovered". While you are not sure just who invented the cheese, the theory is that Central Asian peoples transported milk canteens made from the stomach of a cow, sheep and goat. These animal stomachs have a coagulating enzyme known as rennet. This enzyme converts milk into solids known as ricotta, which is separated from the remaining liquid called serum. The addition of salt, helped to preserve their new found finesse and has allowed these ancient peoples carry and preserve a perishable food, rich in nutrients-cheese. Certainly a success in ranks right up there with the advent of fire!

Today, modern dairy animal stomachs don't add to milk vats in artisan cheese. In fact, now have two options when making cheese gourmet-animal rennet or microbial rennet, vegetable/. Since 1990, animal rennet was genetically engineered using the gene for animal rennet and is purified for cheese making. Vegetarian rennet is derived from plants or microbes, which have the same properties as coagulant of animal rennet. 1

Ingredients known as microbial enzymes, vegetable rennet and vegetable enzymes indicate that cheese is suitable for vegetarians. Gourmet cheese that is certified as DOP (protected designation of origin) by the European Union, otherwise known as a protected name cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Roquefort can only be called as such because they are manufactured strictly according to the cultural and historical tradition. These types of cheese should use animal rennet to adhere to legal food laws.

Is there a difference in taste between the vegetable and animal rennet? Don't worry, vegetarians can find excellent gourmet cheese. Here is a list of outstanding, incredibly delicious cheese that just happens to use the vegetable rennet/microbial.

Butlers Blacksticks blue
Cahill Farm Cheddar
Cashel Blue
Coach Farm goat cheese
Cypress Grove goats and sheep milk cheeses (Humboldt Fog, lamb Chopper, Purple Haze, etc.)
Mull of mature Cheddar truckle Scottish Kintyre
Old Chatham sheep-farming co. (Bleu, Camembert)
Point Reyes Farmstead cheeses
Rogue Creamery blue cheese (Crater Lake, Oregon Blue, Oregonzola, Rogue River Blue, Smokey blue)
Saint Andre Triple Creme
Shropshire Blue
Vella special select dry Monterey Jack
Vermont butter and cheese & (Bijou, Bonne Bouche, Chevre, torque, etc.)
And Wensleydale Wensleydale with Cranberries

1. David b. Fankhauser, Ph.d., Professor of biology and chemistry, University of Cincinnati College of Clermont, rennet for making cheese, November 23, 2009

About Sara Kahn
Though his passion for gourmet cheese was immortal, Sara Kahn trovato shopping to be overwhelming, time-consuming and confusing. He established The cheese Ambassador to offer an easy way to select and serve the cheese. Discover the robust selection of cheese cheese gifts and gourmet for home entertainment.

How Unpopped Gourmet Popcorn Makes Your Home Theatre Even Better

The ultimate snack is popcorn. Taking a trip back to history, specifically, popcorn history, did you know that thousands of years ago, the Native Americans discovered that unpopped popcorn could be heated and turned into a satisfying, delicious snack? Some of these tribes believed that the popping noise that went out of the kernel were that of an angry god. This is one food that started in America. Popcorn consumption increased during Great Depression and World War II. It was widely available, inexpensive and tasted good. Soon, locations in the Midwestern United States planted the maize used specifically for popcorn, finding that this crop was more stable than maize planted for fresh corn. Today, popcorn is known as the official state snack of Illinois.

Now we can buy popcorn in all kinds of ways. Pre-popped in bags on the grocers shelf, at state fairs and other outdoor events as kettle corn, flavored popcorn in popcorn gift tins, caramel popcorn with nuts (remember Cracker Jacks?) and, of course, freshly popped in every movie theatre lobby. The smell of popcorn has become synonymous with going to the movies.

With the advent of home theatres, we are staying home to watch our films more often. To make the experience complete, make some fresh popcorn at home, using unpopped gourmet popcorn. These tips will help you select the best unpopped gourmet popcorn for your family.

To find which popcorn pops the most kernels, look for the freshest popcorn you can find. This isn't going to be the stuff that has been sitting on the shelf at the grocers in a plastic bag. Even if the expiration date is still valid, the popcorn is likely to be stale. Stale popcorn will leave behind many unpopped kernels, have hard hulls that can cause dental and digestive problems and simply not taste like fresh popcorn should. The freshest popcorns will come from merchants who specialize in premium gourmet popcorn. You can find many merchants online who often have sample packs to allow you to taste a variety of their popcorns.

Consider whether you want your final product to be big, fluffy pieces or smaller, fluffy pieces. Each has their advantages. The larger kernels are best for flavored popcorn like caramel popcorn or kettle corn. The disadvantage is that the hulls can be tougher, sometimes causing gastric distress or dental problems for certain people. Smaller hulls are bred and harvested at just the right time to shatter when they pop. Essentially, the hull is destroyed which eliminates those annoying intestinal and dental problems. The popped corn is smaller, which is less than ideal for layering caramel or chocolate; however, the smaller size is a perfect size for kids with their little hands and mouths. These baby varieties of popcorn can be exactly the thing you have been looking for when it comes to finding a healthy snack for your young children.

Unpopped gourmet popcorn comes in many varieties and several colors. Look for varieties that are all natural and have not had their hulls dyed with food coloring. Most importantly, look for unpopped popcorn is not genetically altered to produce smaller or larger hulls. This is a snack that is naturally grown and best in its natural state.

Store you unpopped popcorn correctly. When stored in a sealed glass jar in a cool cupboard, unpopped popcorn can maintain its freshness for 6-12 months. Popcorn pops because it has a bit of moisture trapped in each kernel. If the corn dries out, more of the kernels will stay closed. You can try to store the corn in the freezer to extend the freshness a few months, but eventually it will lose most of the moisture and you will end up with unpopped kernels and, potentially, a slightly stale taste.

Order some unpopped gourmet popcorn now so you are ready next time you load a new release into that Blue-Ray player. Savour the fresh aroma as it pops and settle in to enjoy the flick and the taste of fresh popcorn.

For more information on unpopped gourmet popcorn and other gourmet gifts, visit http://www.AnythingGoesGourmet.com.

And don't forget to download your FREE copy of 101 Tips for Cooking Like A Chef!

What Makes Great Italian Gourmet Cooking?

The term Italian gourmet cooking isn't one that is heard often. While there are gourmet meals that you can find in Italian cooking, the meals that are the most traditional are those that are made from simple, readily available products.

In Italy, they used what they had and have. They found much of what they needed on their land or through simple markets. Today however there is a whole new world of Italian cuisine that you can take advantage of.

This upscale, Italian gourmet cooking menu is one that is still full of the traditional flavors, but often are provided with a higher quality and in many cases contain ingredients that were hard to find. You can enjoy any of them now, though. When it comes to Italian gourmet cooking you should start with the meals that you know and love. You will find that with today's products, it is all about using the highest quality foods available. For example, one of the traditional methods that is now considered gourmet is hand made products such as breads and pastas. In the world that is rush-rush, it is nice to know that you can still have hand made meals available to you. From making the dough by hand to cutting each noodle individually, this is truly perfection in cooking. And, it is what makes a meal go from regular to gourmet!

These little touches are what makes a meal really special.When you enroll in an Italian cooking school, you are likely to learn meals that come from various regions of Italy. In Italian gourmet cooking, this is often from locations such as Venice, Florence and Tuscany. Each of these locations has their own unique touches and often has their own completely different tastes. In the southern parts of the country, fish is widely used in virtually all meals. Yet, in northern Italy this was not always readily available and therefore not as commonly used. Each of those coastal areas has used their own techniques for preparing the food as well a herbs to flavor it. The combination of these aspects is what gives you gourmet Italian cooking because of how specialized the food can be.

Understanding that the gourmet cooking schools can provide you with the education that you need in terms of Italian cooking is important. You may want to learn where it started in Italy. Or, train under a professional chef that did just that or has immigrated to the United States after gaining their training in Italy. The benefit of working with the actual culture is that you can learn the intricate steps that are taught nowhere else. For Italian gourmet cooking, this is what defines quality.

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Gourmet Vs Regular Popcorn - What Makes Gourmet Different?

Popcorn is an American institution. Very few things are as ubiquitous, as universal, and as wholesome as popcorn. It is a food that is enjoyed on many occasions. From moviegoers who ask for extra butter to bar goers who enjoy its crunch with their brews. From the birthday party organizers who rely on it for finger food to the families who curl up together in front of a movie, popcorn is a food meant for sharing.

There is a lot of talk about gourmet popcorn, but no real definition of what exactly it is. There are qualities that gourmet popcorn and gourmet popcorn companies share and there are traits that set some types of gourmet flavored popcorn away from the rest of the pack. This article explores three such traits in order to help you find great popcorn for a great price.

A Wealth Of Flavors

One thing all gourmet flavored popcorn companies share is a love for trying to infuse their product with new and interesting flavors. Gone are the days where your only options for popcorn were plain, buttered, cheddar cheese, or caramel. Gourmet popcorn makers are constantly pushing the limits as they try to find that next great flavor.

Some of the newest popcorn flavors are spicy like cinnamon and jalapeno. Some flavors are sweet like chocolate and almond pecan. And some flavors are odd, one off flavors not meant to stick around for more than a season or two. It seems that a big part of what makes popcorn gourmet is a willingness on the part of the maker to push the envelope and expand their line of popcorns to include new and interesting entries.

Painstaking Construction

Perhaps the most important thing about gourmet flavored popcorn is its construction, or how it is made. The methods used when popping the corn and adding the flavor will have a great bearing on how the popcorn will turn out.

Air popping on high heat is the best and the most efficient way to make delicious and fluffy popcorn. However, it is also very important to use high quality all natural popping corn. The toppings on gourmet flavored popcorn are almost always put on immediately after the popcorn is popped. This ensures the flavors and toppings will attach themselves as everything cools down.

Gourmet Is Healthier

Perhaps the largest difference between gourmet and microwavable or store bought popping corn is the nutritional values of the three options. Both microwavable and store bought popping corns are typically loaded with preservatives and have added ingredients for both the cooking and for flavor. These ingredients make these varieties higher in both salts and sugars.

Gourmet varieties, on the other hand, usually don't add more than natural flavors. This means they are lower in salts and sugars, are a good source of fiber, and an all around healthy snack. However, always make sure to check that the popcorn you are purchasing is made of all natural popping corn and is healthy for both you and your family.

Kent Arett writes for the gourmet flavored popcorn experts at The Big Popper. They offer gourmet popcorn in their Branson, MO, store and through their website.

Gourmet Tea - What Makes Tea Gourmet? - Three Things You Need to Know!

Gourmet tea is becoming very popular! Just a few years ago, if you ordered tea, you just got what ever tea bag a shop or restaurant had, and that was it.

Today, many coffee bars, restaurants and specialty tea shops have an array of teas classed as gourmet to choose from.

So what makes a tea fall into the class of gourmet? We have named the top 3 things that make tea gourmet. They are part of our Tea Guide for Gourmet's.

Top Tea Tip #1 - Loose Tea is Gourmet!

In order for a tea to be considered gourmet, it should be loose tea - not a tea bag. Tea bags do not qualify as a gourmet type of tea.

Top Tea Tip #2 - First Flush Tea is Gourmet!

The quality of the tea must be excellent. Tea is graded and a poor quality tea will never make gourmet status. Some teas are of such high quality that they demand $100's of dollars a pound.

Top Tea Tip#3 - It's All in the Blend!

The blend..... ah the blend... do you have mango infused green tea? If you did you would have a sweet mango flavored green tea and in the dried tea you would see bits of dried mango amongst top quality green tea leaves.... just decadent!

Or how about an orange blossom oolong? One of my favorites with dried orange rind and dried blossoms in amongst high quality oolong tea.

Now I think your getting it! These are the top 3 things to look for when considering a gourmet tea. It wil not be inexpensive, but you will get your monies worth. Often high quality teas, such as first flush teas of the season, can be resteeped several times over. Giving you more tea for your dollar.

Just today I steeped a high quality gourmet oolong (which I paid $40/lb for) and steeped 4 pots from the original brew!

The tea was just as delicious on the 4th steep as the first.

So if you are looking for a gourmet cup of tea, follow the Gourmet's Guide to Tea and the top 3 things to look for and be prepared to pay a premium price for good quality tea.

Tracey is a tea enthusiast and the owner of Crazy For Tea Tea is her passion and she prides herself on teaching others about all the amazing teas out there to try. Lots more information about Gourmet Tea can be found in the Gourmet Tea Guide Keep up to date and join the Crazy for Tea newsletter.