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Black garlic is an absolute insider tip for the kitchen. But how does the black tuber taste and what else can it do?

What is black garlic?

Black garlic or “Black Garlic” is a delicacy in Japan, China and Korea and belongs in every good kitchen there. But in the meantime, the black tuber has gradually become better known and, above all, more popular. However, the black bulb is not a special variety, but rather ordinary garlic (Allium sativum).

But where does the unusual color come from? The reason lies in the processing of the garlic. It is fermented for weeks in high humidity and heat. As a result, the sugar and amino acids contained in the garlic are converted into tanning substances, so-called melanoidins. The result: the tubers gradually turn black.

This fermented garlic is much easier on the stomach because it contains fewer polysaccharides. The fermentation also gives it a very special taste of vanilla, caramel or even plum and some liquorice

This is how you can ferment your garlic yourself

If you want to make your own fermented garlic yourself, you’ll need to prepare it a little differently. Because a week-long fermentation in the oven would be far too expensive. But if you can do without the black color, there are two simple production methods in particular:
With honey: peel the garlic and press it lightly. Then put it in a jar with a wire seal and pour honey over it until the jar is about 2/3 full. Keep the jar in a dark place for several weeks, turning it from time to time. Once the garlic has completely sunk in the honey, it’s done.
With salt: Make a saline solution by stirring 3 grams of salt into 100 milliliters of water. Place the peeled garlic cloves back into a mason jar and fill it 2/3 full with the brine. Now the jar is well sealed and put in the fridge for about four weeks. In the first few days you should open it briefly once a day and then close it tightly again.
Depending on your taste, you will like the sweet or salty variant of fermenting your garlic better. Try it yourself and then test your garlic in the kitchen.

Black garlic in the kitchen: the healthy black bulb goes well with it

Conventional garlic is inherently very aromatic and healthy. The little toes are antibacterial, can prevent cardiovascular diseases and are also considered a natural cholesterol-lowering agent. These are just some of the tuber’s effects. However, so-called secondary plant substances are still produced in the garlic as a result of the fermentation. They protect our cells and slow down free radicals. In addition, probiotics are produced, which protect both our intestinal flora and the immune system.

The Black Garlic is particularly popular in Asian dishes and is ideal for sauces and marinades. But in the meantime it is also becoming increasingly popular for pasta dishes. For example, you can also cook the classic spaghetti aglio e olio with black garlic. It is also ideal as “black” garlic butter. Serve them with fish, meat or potatoes, for example.

In addition to the flavor component, the black garlic is also ideal for decoration. However, you should rather use a copy from the Asian store. Like regular garlic, don’t use too much if you don’t tolerate it well or if you’re taking blood-thinning medication. Garlic can enhance the effects of such drugs. Otherwise you are doing something good for yourself, your health and your palate with black garlic!

You can learn to flirt! Whether at work, via WhatsApp, or in the dating app – with these tips you will become a flirt professional and always have the right topic of conversation at hand if your counterpart expresses interest.

Harmless flirtation, serious interest, or compliments in an existing relationship: good communication is always the key to success. It depends on various factors: What do women really want to hear? How serious is the message? What role do facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and body language play? Men who want to be well received by women have been dealing with these questions since time immemorial.

Most want neither macho nor softie, just honest men who have a real interest in a woman that goes beyond the known mechanisms. Whether you want to compliment your colleague, surprise the lady at the supermarket checkout with a friendly attitude, or win the woman over for life is not that important. What matters is that you are authentic. Trust your intuition and imagine how you would like to be addressed. Loving and open or clumsy and primitive? The answer is obvious! In the following text, you will find interesting details, about what women would like to hear – with a little luck and the right chemistry you will hit the bull’s eye!

1) Let your eyes do the talking

You don’t have to say anything in the first few seconds. Smile because a smile is the shortest distance between two people. And then you say whatever pops into your head, as long as it’s not silly pick-up lines. Refer to something that particularly catches your eye. This can be a confident “You look great today!” or a detailed comment, for example about the hair, a piece of clothing, or the woman’s charisma. It is important that you mean what you say. Most women have an extremely fine sense of hearing and also perceive the undertones.

2) Show interest in the woman

This means that you should ask questions – whether you’re flirting face to face or via a dating app or online dating. Find out how the other person is doing, and how the day went. Ask out of genuine interest and not just “because it’s supposed to be like that”. Listen. Compliments about looks are good, but starting a conversation is better. You can achieve this if you listen carefully, don’t immediately interrupt the woman, and start reporting your own experiences or thoughts. Put your conversation partner in the center! Questions are allowed, as is feedback. But sometimes, simple, understanding listening is best. Especially if you already know the other person well: Refrain from giving advice unless you are asked for advice!

3) Let your heart speak

Call it what you want: flirt, togetherness, friendship, bed relationship, marriage, partnership, one-night stand – every relationship between two people is based on unique moments. Say exactly what you feel! Depending on the situation, sentences such as “You are so beautiful today”, “Your smile enchants my day” or “I want to see you again every day”. do you feel something Now your heart comes into play? Don’t worry, you can always show your heart. You can literally “wear your heart on your sleeve”, even if it’s not about a permanent relationship! Trust your gut feeling and be open and honest (but please be tactful anyway – relentless openness to some questions is a real relationship killer)!

4) Unrequited praise and recognition

The home-baked cake was fantastically delicious, the chili con carne ravishingly hot, and the wallpapered wall neatly worked right down to the corners? Then tell her that! Verbal recognition, preferably with sparkling eyes and a warm hug, is the best reward there is. But don’t praise with the expectation that the woman will lie at your feet and do any work for you in the future. And also show appreciation for things that aren’t perfect. To be honest, always being perfect is boring in the long run. It’s the little mistakes and quirks that make our counterparts so endearing!

5) Pay full attention

Whenever you interact with women, avoid distractions. A glance at the mobile phone can destroy the best mood in a second. In these moments, be fully attentive! When your best buddy calls, put him on voicemail. Shut down everything that doesn’t belong in the situation. In this context: Again, the language of your eyes is crucial. Presence and attention at the moment are important criteria for a woman’s interest!

Reheating pizza is actually quite simple. We’ll show you how to prepare a fresh and delicious meal from the “leftovers” from the day before.

Are you also a fan of cold pizza that you bought the day before? According to chemist Maureen Cooper of Sterling University in Scotland, the cold pizza still tastes good because the tomato sauce keeps the cheese from seeping through to the pizza crust and making it mushy.

Nevertheless, not everyone is enthusiastic about the taste of a cold pizza. With our methods you can get the taste pretty close to that of the day before. And at the same time you are doing something against food waste.

Reheat and spice up pizza

To make your pizza taste a little more “like new”, you can add herbs, vegetables or fresh cheese before or after heating it up:

Herbs and salad: Fresh basil, rocket, thyme or rosemary spice up any pizza. However, be careful not to put basil or arugula in the oven or pan, or they will lose their strong flavor and burn. With the other two herbs this is fine.
Pickled and dried foods: You can halve or cut olives, chili peppers or dried tomatoes into small pieces and spread them on the pizza. You can even put them in the oven, as they develop their flavor well when warm.
Fresh: Garlic and onions give your pizza a very special freshness. If you would like to add some vegetables, for example peppers or mushrooms are suitable.
Mediterranean cheeses: You can even enhance the cheese flavor of your pizza with feta, mozzarella or parmesan. Together with the herbs, olives or tomatoes mentioned above, your pizza will have a particularly Mediterranean flair. All types of cheese can be reheated or put on top afterwards, depending on whether you prefer a melted or fresher taste. Vegan cheese is also suitable.
Extravagant: Many people will have their hair stand on end at this recommendation, but for some, pineapple gives the pizza a very special, exotic sweetness. Canned fruit or vegetables are ready prepared from the tin or rather from the jar and can be processed immediately. Corn or beetroot are also recommended.

Warm up pizza the right way: in the pan or in the oven

Note: If you reheat the pizza in the microwave, it will get pretty mushy.

Reheat pizza in pan:
Heat your pan to medium-high without adding oil.
Add the pizza and cook until the dough is no longer “wobbly”.
Now turn the heat down, add half a teaspoon of water to the bottom of the pan and place a pan lid on top.
After a minute or two, when the cheese melts, your pizza should be ready.
Reheat pizza in the oven:
Place your pizza on a baking sheet. Instead of baking paper, use a more sustainable baking paper substitute.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Spray the pizza lightly with water and drizzle some olive oil on top so it tastes fresher and crunchier at the end.
Bake them for about five minutes.

Soon it’s time again. On June 21, the official beginning of summer is, which means that not only clothing becomes easier, but also that the desire for a cold drink increases. Our ultimate coffee tip for the hot days: the irresistible and delicious Caramel Frappuccino à la Starbucks. In the meantime, however, you get it, for the sake of completeness, in every larger café chain, mostly under the name Frappé. And so that you can enjoy the Caramel Frappucino at home, we will show you a simple recipe today.

Ingredients for 2 glasses

approx. 20 ice cubes
1 double espresso
150 ml milk
2 tablespoons of Caramel syrup
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
Topping cream for topping

preparation

Put the coffee and milk in a blender and mix briefly.
Now add the Caramel syrup and the cocoa powder and mix again for about 15 seconds.
Finally, the ice cubes are added. Mix 40-60 seconds again with a high performance level.
Now just decorate with cream and – voilà – the delicious Caramel Frappuccino is ready.

Of course, this recipe can still be changed. There is no limit to the imagination and the taste. If you want to enjoy a “normal” frappuccino, you can simply do without the syrup. If you like delicious chocolate, you can of course add a chocolate syrup or cocoa powder – a so -called mochacino. For the gourmets under us, we recommend the addition of oreo cookies (see picture) and a few small pieces of chocolate. This is particularly tasty.

Another little tip: This Caramel Frappuccino recipe is of course also suitable for vegans. Simply prepare the frappuccino with soy milk and instead of the cream as topping, fruits such as blueberries or raspberries can be used. Just try it out, you will certainly taste it. We wish you a nice start to the summer season!

A homemade piping bag is particularly good for garnishing biscuits and cakes with chocolate or egg white icing. With a piping bag made of baking paper, you can decorate particularly finely, spray ornaments and also write. A piping bag is also good for filling small biscuits with jam.

There is no standard size for the triangles, depending on the purpose of the finished paper piping bag, you can adjust the size of the cut triangles.

How to fold paper pastry bags step by step:

  1. Cut a square of baking paper about 28 cm on each side, fold diagonally and divide into two triangles with a knife.
  2. Twist in point B so that the back is on point A comes.
  3. Roll point C over…
  4. … so that it comes to rest on A and …
  5. … continue turning until the tip of the punch is closed.
  6. Fold corner C inwards, corner B outwards; After filling, cut off the tip with a small pair of scissors.

Tips and tricks:

– Do not fill the bags too full, 1 to a maximum of 2 tablespoons of the chocolate or icing are sufficient.

– The side edges of the bags should remain as clean as possible.

– It is particularly important that the long edge of the triangle is very smooth and not frayed. It is best to cut the square in half diagonally with a sharp knife, this will give you a particularly clean-cut edge.

– It is important that the end of the paper piping bag is at the back so that there is enough tension on the bag.

What would Easter be without brightly colored Easter eggs? For hundreds of years, we have had the custom of dyeing Easter eggs, often during Holy Week around Maundy Thursday. But chemicals don’t always have to be used for dyeing. Rather, the typical egg colors should even be dispensed with, as can be seen from a current Greenpeace market check. More than half of all Easter egg dyes tested in March 2021 contained substances that were harmful to health, such as azo dyes. These are suspected of triggering allergies and promoting asthma.

Dye Easter eggs naturally

But don’t worry: you can also use natural products from local kitchens to make beautiful eggs for Easter baskets, and the colors are guaranteed to be harmless. A classic from the range of natural Easter egg colors is red onion skins. But even if the eggs are colored with turmeric, beetroot, or tea, for example, the results are impressive. And another big plus of natural colors: You don’t have to worry about the color seeping through the shell, because the eggs can be enjoyed by children and adults without hesitation.

How it works

Make dye broth

Depending on the number of eggs you want to dye, first, make a dye stock. To do this, boil 500 ml to 1 l of water and add the coloring products, let the brew steep for at least 15 minutes. Basically, the brew becomes stronger the longer you let it steep. Pay attention to your starting material: turmeric powder, for example, is already very fine and releases its color relatively quickly into the water. Whole sprigs of nettle will take longer to do this, of course, but you can cut them into small pieces to speed up the color extraction.

Boil eggs

You can boil the eggs while the dye brew is brewing. First, clean the eggs well, rub with vinegar, and hard boil as normal. In this way, the subsequent dyeing time can be controlled independently of the hard boil. Also, hard-boiled eggs are easier to decorate. It is best to dye the Easter eggs immediately after hard-boiling because they take on the color better when they are still warm.

Dye Easter eggs naturally

As already mentioned, the still-warm eggs are placed in the warm dye broth. They stay there for at least 15 minutes. The exact duration depends on the egg color, but also on what natural materials you are coloring with. Some stain much faster and more intensely than others. Since the eggs are already cooked any way, you can leave them in the broth until the desired result is achieved. It is best to rub the finished eggs with a drop of oil to give them a nice shine.

Decorate Easter eggs

Just brightly colored is not enough for you? Then you can provide the Easter eggs with different patterns. One option is to draw patterns on the boiled eggs with beeswax before coloring them. In these places, they do not take on any color. You can also put leaves and grass or a piece of decorative ribbon or lace on top of the eggs and tie a piece of pantyhose tightly over them. This is how the pattern is transferred to the eggs. When choosing the grass, you should note that thicker leaves and stems leave stronger light spots than very delicate leaves such as yarrow.

Natural coloring agents

What now colors how? Red eggs produce beetroot (divide a beetroot into pieces and let it soak in the broth) or red onion skins (at least a handful, the shells can also be soaked in the broth overnight – depending on the color of the eggs you get rich, dark red-brown eggs this way). Blueberries or elderberries (frozen) or red cabbage produces purple to bluish eggs. Turmeric, carrots, or chamomile flowers dye eggs yellow – but these dyes only work on white eggs, brown ones are too dark. You can get green eggs by using crushed nettles, spinach, or mate tea. Black tea, coffee, or regular brown onion peel will turn eggs brown.

Whether whole milk or dark, filled or plain, as balls or in bar form – very few of us can resist chocolate. However, most (conscious) consumers also know that the cocoa business is often very unfair. Why is that? Does it have to be that way? And isn’t that fair for everyone? Let’s find out.

What does “fair” actually mean? Working conditions? Pay? old-age insurance? Safety at work? Or all together? The Duden defines “fair” as “according to the rules of living together; decent, just in dealing with others”. Somehow understandable and also simple. In a globalized world, in which one half lives at the expense of the other half, but far removed from cross-border reality – especially with regard to economic activity. When it comes to products like coffee, clothing and cocoa, the lack of social, economic and environmental sustainability is pervasive. That needs to change! And on all levels.

Our chocolate production is obsolete!

When it comes to chocolate production, we still live behind the moon. Or under neocolonial structures – and thus in unfair structures between the countries of the Global North and the Global South:

70 percent of the cocoa grown worldwide comes from Africa.
The raw materials from Africa are mainly used for the production of goods in the Global North.
Less than one percent of the chocolate grown worldwide is produced in Africa itself.

What’s not fair about it: Neo-colonial economic structures are based on the fact that instead of end products, only raw materials such as cocoa beans are exported from Africa. However, the production of goods makes up the majority of the value added. And this usually does not take place where the raw materials come from – but in the already richer industrialized countries.

Central and West Africa are particularly dependent on the export of raw materials. Here, 95 percent of all export earnings come from the sale of raw materials. And that has serious consequences for countries like Ghana due to the fluctuating world market prices: an insecure national budget, a lack of infrastructure and dependence on imports of industrial products from the Global North.

The farmers are now at the origin of the value chain and have little choice but to sell their cocoa beans at dumping prices. This in turn means that children often work on the plantations, since the yields from the export of raw materials are often not sufficient to pay fair wages. As a result, the children do not go to school, education is missing and with it their future opportunities.

A paradox: consumers accept exploitation despite knowledge

And most consumers know about the unfair structures. Nevertheless, it is this “normal” chocolate that is most often bought worldwide. And this despite the fact that there have long been alternatives.

The Utopia study on the subject of child labor has shown that child labor is mainly suspected in cocoa, coffee and clothing, and conscious consumers want appropriate labelling. Nevertheless: What is bought is what is always bought: Sales of regular chocolate products are significantly higher than those of fair trade products. And that despite the fact that more and more people are turning to Fairtrade chocolate. Unfortunately, the overall share remains very small.

The supply chain law passed in summer 2021 should ensure more transparency and sustainability in the future. Since then, companies have been obliged to set minimum standards and to make their supply chains transparent. However, critics also point to incomplete regulations here: In most cases, it is not clearly communicated where a product comes from and under what conditions it was produced. Because companies do not yet have to be able to prove their supply chains completely up to the cultivation plantation.

Does that mean that we all have to stop eating chocolate? Of course not! There are many alternatives that already do a lot better. And then there’s fairafric – the fair chocolate that’s really fair for everyone.

Fair chocolate for everyone!

Unfortunately, fair trade does not necessarily mean fair. Because even with the “good” chocolates with recognized seals, it mostly remains with the pure trade with the cocoa beans, which are only processed into chocolate in the country of consumption.

It depends on the country of manufacture

As already learned above, fair structures depend above all on where the actual production of goods takes place. An evaluation by Inkota, an association against hunger, poverty and for a fair globalization, shows: With an average chocolate, around six percent of the price paid stays in Africa, with fair trade around seven to eight percent. Fairtrade, for example, pays a premium of around USD 200 per tonne of cocoa to the cocoa cooperative, of which only a fraction reaches the farmers. In a 2018 study, Fairtrade self-critically admitted that around 60 percent of Fairtrade-certified cocoa farming families in Ivory Coast live below the absolute poverty line.

For fairafric, on the other hand, the focus is on relocating value creation to Africa. And so when you buy a bar of fairafric chocolate, 43 percent of the price paid stays in Ghana.

Fair chocolate creates fair work

Fairafric is a German-Ghanaian social business that produces organic chocolate bars in its own solar-powered chocolate factory – in Ghana. Thanks to the on-site production, in addition to the activities on the farms, qualified and well-paid jobs in the production of the finished end products are created in Africa.

The increased income enables employees to give their children access to further education. The sourcing of local ingredients, everything from organic cultivation, and the production in Suhum ensure that the added value remains local and that the entire production is in Ghanaian hands.

fairafric pays the highest cocoa premium in West Africa, namely USD 600 per tonne of cocoa beans. The 861 organic farmers from the partner cooperative Yayra Glover are paid fairly and regularly trained to improve the quality of the cocoa and thus increase the yield and their income. In addition, the fairafric foundation holds shares on behalf of the farmers so that they can share in the profits.

What is “fair” is not something we can sugarcoat in any way. Because it’s only really fair if it applies to everyone involved. With seals, conscious consumers should take a close look at what the seal contains and what exactly it stands for. Fairafric makes it easy – at least when buying chocolate: fairafric is fair for everyone.

Every espresso drinker loves the brown, velvety surface, which not only looks good but also reveals a lot about the drink: the crema. Any coffee layman would now claim that it always looks the same. But in fact, the crema can give us information about the quality of the espresso. But which factors have an influence on the crema? Is the industrial coffee machine suitable for making an espresso at work? We get to the bottom of the secret of the crema.

What is a cream?

The crema is the golden-brown foam on the surface of the espresso, which settles to the top shortly after the end of the preparation. However, this only happens when it is made with enough pressure and only when making an espresso. Ideally, the crema has the pattern of a tiger skin. A stable, dense crema is a sign of optimal extraction during preparation.

If you choose an espresso blend with a Robusta portion, you will always get a richer crema than with a pure Arabica blend.

How can I test the crema of my espresso from the professional coffee machine?

One or the other may have seen it on TV: the espresso drinker puts a spoonful of sugar on the crema. The result: the sugar remains for a moment before falling through the crema into the liquid.

This scenario is no old wives’ tale: a good crema really is able to keep fine sugars on the surface for a brief moment. Just try it out.

Which factors can negatively influence the crema?

One factor that influences the golden-brown foam is the degree of grinding. If this is too fine, over-extraction takes place and the crema becomes very dark and tastes bitter. If you have chosen a grind level that is too coarse for your professional coffee machine, the crema will be very watery and unstable.

However, if you have filled your industrial coffee machines with old beans, you will see hardly any crema. And the one that is there is dissolving very quickly. This is due to the carbon dioxide released by the beans after roasting. If the beans are too old, no more carbon dioxide is released. However, this is essential for a nice crema. Only use fresh beans and grind them just before preparation.

If the crema is too dark or barely there, it can also be due to the pressure being too high during preparation. If there is too little pressure, however, the crema will be too light and dissolve very quickly. This is the reason why you can only make an espresso with a portafilter or an industrial coffee machine and not with a filter coffee machine.

The same phenomenon of a light, quickly dissolving crema occurs if too little coffee powder was used for the production. The opposite occurs when one has used too much powder. The only thing that helps here is to find out the right amount by trying it out several times.

If you have considered all these factors and you still do not get any crema, this may also be due to the type of coffee. There are varieties that naturally hardly form any crema.

And now it’s time to try and test what the professional coffee machine can do. Play lightly with the various factors and see what effects they have. Only by trial and error will you find out which settings are the best.

Introduction

Bolivia is a country rich in biodiversity, where the Andean mountains meet the Amazon rainforest. Its cuisine reflects this diversity, combining indigenous ingredients with Spanish and African influences. Some of Bolivia’s most popular dishes are made with local ingredients like quinoa and potatoes.

Quinoa: the Andean staple crop

Quinoa is a superfood that has been cultivated in the Andean region for thousands of years. It is a complete protein, high in fiber, and packed with essential nutrients. In Bolivia, quinoa is used in a variety of dishes, from breakfast porridge to savory stews.

Traditional Bolivian quinoa dishes

One of the most famous Bolivian quinoa dishes is quinoa soup, or chuño phuti. It is made with quinoa, potatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs, and often served with a side of roasted corn. Another popular dish is quinoa salad, or solterito. It is a fresh and colorful salad made with quinoa, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and rocoto peppers.

Potatoes: a versatile ingredient

Potatoes are another staple of Bolivian cuisine. Bolivia is home to over 4,000 varieties of potatoes, each with its own unique flavor and texture. Potatoes are used in a variety of ways in Bolivian cooking, from mashed potatoes to fried potatoes.

Popular Bolivian potato dishes

One of the most famous Bolivian potato dishes is papas a la huancaina. It is made with boiled potatoes, a creamy sauce made with queso fresco and ají amarillo peppers, and garnished with olives and boiled eggs. Another popular dish is pique a lo macho, a hearty and spicy dish made with fried potatoes, beef, onions, and ají amarillo peppers.

Combining quinoa and potatoes in Bolivian cuisine

In Bolivia, quinoa and potatoes are often combined in dishes like papa rellena. It is a stuffed potato dish made with mashed potatoes, ground beef, onions, and hard-boiled eggs, and often served with a side of quinoa. Another dish that combines quinoa and potatoes is puchero, a hearty stew made with beef, potatoes, carrots, corn, and quinoa.

Other local ingredients in Bolivian dishes

Bolivia is home to a variety of other local ingredients that are used in traditional dishes. These include chuño, a freeze-dried potato that is used in soups and stews, and ají amarillo, a yellow chili pepper that is used to add heat and flavor to dishes like ceviche and pique a lo macho.

Conclusion: exploring Bolivian cuisine

Bolivian cuisine is a rich and diverse combination of indigenous and Spanish influences, with a focus on local ingredients like quinoa and potatoes. Whether you’re trying quinoa soup for the first time or indulging in a plate of papas a la huancaina, Bolivian cuisine is sure to delight your taste buds and leave you wanting more.