In Japan, the national delicacies are often very important and special to a family. Families will only cook these dishes for the most special holidays and events. Many times they are saved for weddings or other cultural celebration events.

Most of the Japanese delicacies involve seafood of some sort. One of the most interesting of the group is Fugu. This is the poisonous puffer fish that is often used in Japanese meals. Because the fish is so poisonous, there are only a number of chefs in the world who are allowed to sell and serve the fish. This is because they must remove the toxic parts of the fish first.

Sake kawa is another of the Japanese delicacies that you may want to try. It is actually salmon skin that is often tossed aside by other countries in their traditional meals. However, in Japan it is considered a delicacy and is often fried and used in egg rolls or seafood rolls.

Odori Ebi is a Japanese delicacy that only the toughest people can handle. It is actually live prawns. The prawns are usually used in a sushi of sorts. They are often dunked in sake so the prawns will be a little sedated, but they are very much alive and will move around as you eat them.

These delicacies of Japan might seem a little unfamiliar and different to those of different countries however they are very much loved in Japan. They are usually quite expensive and only used in the most important meals of the culture.

Cheesecake is probably the most wonderful dessert for just any
occasion, they are so thick, rich and creamy and most enjoyed by
everyone, children alike. The flavors that there are to choose
from are sometimes staggering and trying to pick a favorite can
be mind boggling, how can anyone just pick one as their
favorite? You can add so many different toppings to them, and
you can make a cheesecake from almost any kind of cheese such as
Cream cheese, Cottage cheese, Farmers cheese, Ricotta cheese and
probably a few more I’m sure.

Cheesecake can be made almost anytime and then frozen or even
kept in your refrigerator for a few days and then served at your
party. Some cheesecakes are made to be sweet and then some are
made to be not so sweet depending on your taste and the type and
grade of the cheese that you are using. The best way to serve a
cheesecake is at room temperature, this way you can enjoy the
full flavor of the cake.

What is the appeal of being an avid coffee drinker? I believe I have broken in down to three reasons. The first one obviously is the great taste of coffee. The second reason is the social factor that drinking coffee provides, and the third reason is that coffee allows us a time to refocus on our lives. I know, I can sense that most readers are rolling their eyes, but hear me out.

If you drink coffee once a week, or maybe two to three times a week, or maybe you’re like me and you drink coffee every day, by the way that would make you a coffee addict, then I’m sure we would all agree on this one statement. “We enjoy the taste of coffee.” We appreciate a great cup of rich, aromatic, eye opening coffee. Humans have been enjoying the great taste of coffee for a thousand years so I believe this statement to be 100% accurate. If you disagree then you are probably not an avid coffee drinker.

By Nature, human beings are social creatures and coffee shops allow us to fulfill this need. Drinking coffee allows us to sit with friends and family and discuss various topics of our lives. Where else can you go and spend just a couple of bucks, for your coffee of choice and spend a good hour or so talking with good friends. Add a couple of comfortable chairs and pipe in some good music and you’re set.

Drinking coffee also gives us a time to take a few moments to refocus on our lives. If you are drinking a cup of coffee alone it gives us a few minutes of relaxation from this fast paced world. This is a perfect time when we can reflect on our past, present, and future. It might even be a time when we decide to make life changing decisions, such a career change, marriage, or having children.

I know there are many other reasons why people enjoy drinking coffee but these three seem to be the most important reasons. You may agree or disagree with these reasons but again I believe one reason to be true. We enjoy the taste of quality coffee.

More articles can be found at www.perkfectcoffee.com

Serving wine
- Your everyday red wine doesn’t need special treatment before serving - just make sure it comes to room temperature before drinking (that’s about 14-18C degrees).
- Finer red wine should be brought to room temperature slowly before opening, so if you have stored it somewhere cool, take it out the day before opening (but obviously don’t open it).
- If you are going to order an expensive fine wine in a restaurant, it’s worth calling the day before to let them know (you will probably have to pay for it in advance too). It means that they can bring it to room temperature and open it and allow it to breathe properly before you arrive. We regretted not calling a posh restaurant once when we were going for lunch and planned to drink a bottle of Opus One. We had to fill in the time waiting for it to breathe with a glass of white burgundy which took the edge off the experience a little. If you are spending that kind of money on a bottle, it makes sense to have it managed perfectly from the bottle to the glass. (Both wines were worth it, if only for the decadent experience.)

Corkscrews
- Corkscrews date back to the Romans in the 17th century.
- A collector paid over £18,000 for an 18th century silver pocket corkscrew at Christies.
- There are lots of different corkscrews - it’s better to pay for a good one as the cheap ones eventually break off into the cork. If you don’t want to strain your muscles, get one that almost removes the cork itself.

Allowing the wine to breathe
- You let the wine breathe to ‘open’ it so the aromas and the full qualities of the wine are released (if you had been stuck in a bottle for a good while you would need some air too).
- For your average wine, there is no need to allow it to breathe for too long (you may even spoil it).
- Pouring wine into the glass and letting the air get at it is better than leaving it in the bottle to breathe (how much air is going to get into that small aperature anyway).

Decanting
- You decant a wine, that is pour it from the bottle into a decanter or carafe, to separate a wine from its sediment. It also aerates the wine as more of the surface of the wine is exposed to the air.
- You only really need to decant good red wines, mature clarets and vintage port though sometimes you’ll find sediment in strong reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah in a lower price bracket.
- To decant, leave the bottle of wine to settle for a day or two so the sediment is definitely sitting on the bottom, then pour the wine carefully into a spotlessly clean container leaving the sediment in the neck of the bottle. Don’t be tempted to pour the last bits through a sieve to squeeze a bit more wine out of the bottle! Leave a little wine with sediment at the end or there is a danger that you will undo all your good work and taint the wine.
- Decanter magazine found that decanting too long in advance was ‘not that beneficial’. Their conclusion was that the best option is ‘just to open and serve’. It’s up to you. They also suggest that decanting wines that normally don’t require it can help the wine to bloom and ‘attain a stage of development that normally requires years of ageing’.
- You usually don’t decant white wines (except for sweet whites) but oaked whites like Chardonnay can benefit.
- People have been known to use decanters to cheat their guests of the best wine. The snobbery attached to it means that people often assume that a wine that has to be decanted is expensive. If you want to show off in a good restaurant, order an average red and ask for it to be decanted. Everyone will assume you have spent a fortune. Of course, if you are President Nixon you would have Chteau Margaux served to you in your decanter, and the rest of your guests would be served a less celubrious wine in theirs.

Temperature
- Drink white wine at about 11C so you can taste everything with the exception of light whites and sparkling wines which should be drunk at 8-9C.
- Reds are at their best between 14-18C. Beaujolais and the lighter reds can be drunk chilled.

Glasses
- Wine glasses: Austria’s Riedel are the wine glass maker - it’s worth looking them up to see the variety of glasses they offer, nearly one for each grape and style of wine. They believe tht glass has an effect on the wine drinking experience and that the shape of a wine glass enchances the pleasure of drinking wine.
Riedel believe that the curve on the lip of some of their glasses guides the wine to the centre of your tongue so you balance the fruit and the acidity and get the best enjoyment from each wine. We leave that one for you to test personally. Have fun!
- Lead crystal glasses help to create bubbles in champagne and make wine look particularly brilliant.
- Wine tasting glass: for wine tasting you will need the ISO (International Standards Organisation) glass. You’ll find one in any good wine shop. Sometimes you get them as part of the fee of a wine course.
- Champagne: use a flute, not a wide open coupe which makes the bubbles dissipate and causes the champagne to go flat. Lead crystal helps to create bubbles.
- Washing: According to Riedel, you wash a wine glass in warm water, then steam it carefully over boiling water, and polish it using two linen tea towels. Hold the glass by the base and polish, using your left hand to hold the bowl gently while you polish it with your right hand. Never twist the base and the bowl. And that’s you finished. (Well, except now you have to do the rest of them. It serves you right for not being a lone drinker.)
- Don’t use washing up liquid or put your wine glasses in the dishwasher - the residue it leaves taints the wine and it takes about 12 washes to get the stuff off properly.

Storing wine
- Keep wine in the dark, in a cool place at about 10C. Check the humidity to keep the seal of the wine cork in good nick. Eurocaves, effectively refridgerated units for wine - are made specially to look after every aspect of your fine reds and whites. You’ll find suppliers on the internet.
- Store wine on its side to keep the cork moist, except for sparkling wines which should be kept upright.
- When you buy fine wines by the case, make sure you get the original wooden box and store the bottles in it. It is important to have the box if you wish to auction or sell them privately later.

Squeezing every last drop from the bottle
- If you seal your wine properly you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week and it will still be drinkable.
- We use the simplest plastic tube wine sealer that you buy in the supermarket or wine shop which pumps the plastic stopper back into the bottle. It works fine for everyday wines.
- Reds have a longer life if resealed and kept in the fridge than whites, but you can certainly use the white to cook with if it is not as fresh after a few days. You can use a sealer with a plastic cork or press the cork back in tightly.
- You may want to buy something more sophisticated for fine wines. Your fine wine seller can recommend the best one.
- The trick with saving wine is to reduce the amount of air that can get at it. Transfer half finished bottles of wine into clean half bottles and recork/reseal.
- Resealing a bottle with a screwcap won’t save the wine for later, so the only thing to do is buy a wine sealer or recork with a new cork.
- Though some people think this is sacriligous, you can freeze leftover wine in an icecube tray. When it is frozen, put the wine cubes into a freezer bag and tie off. Use white cubes for risotto and red for beef or lamb casseroles. You can also add fresh chopped herbs to each wine icecube before freezing for herby wine cubes. (With apologies to purists.)

Anne Kennedy works as a food writer based in Ireland who has a great love and appreciation for wine and demystifies it at every opportunity. As Managing Editor of http://www.greatfood.ie, Ireland’s food and wine website, she is delighted to share recipes, tips, cooking and wine knowledge with people from all over the world.

A cocktail party can be more daunting than a dinner party if you don’t remember the rules. However, it is a great way to kick back and relax with your friends. There is no need to have a theme or a special occasion.

The Key Factors:

• Expect 60% of the number of people you invited.
• Do not serve from the kitchen. Set up a bar.
• Have someone (not you) tend bar. Ask a friend or hire a local bartender ($15-20/hr).
• Multiply the number of guests times three for the number of glasses you need.
• Use small plates and finger foods. This is not a dinner party.
• A cocktail party should be two hours in length sometime between 6PM and 10PM.
• The area in your home that you select should be cozy, but not overcrowded.
• Keep furniture to a minimum. You want guests to stand and socialize, not sit in the corner.
• In order to cut down on the number of bottles of alcohol you need, select a signature drink(s).
• Don’t forget to have non-alcoholic beverages (again choose a small selection) for the designated drivers.

In honor of Spring and taking are cue from the spring fashion colors (turquoise, coral, green, raspberry), here are a few signature drink suggestions:

The Go Girls at ON THE GO 4 U are champagne drinkers so here are a few ways we suggest to change the champagne:

1. Add 2 dashes of Chambord or pomegranate juice to champagne.

2. Add 4 dashes of Blue Curacao to champagne.

3. Shake ice, a measure of Creme de Menthe and Irish Whiskey, strain into a champagne glass and top with champagne.

Not a champagne drinker? Try Smirnoff Ice with a touch of your favorite colored liquor and serve over ice.

Remember, we are thinking spring so why not try these combinations:

Bellinis are always fun. Mix it up a bit and use the same concept for a martini. Use 2 measures of your favorite vodka to 1/2 measure of Peach Schnapps and a touch of peach juice. Use the same preparation method as with any martini.

Margarita with a twist. Use equal parts tequila and pink grapefruit juice and 1/2 measure of Countreau.

Want something a little blue? Use equal parts of vodka, tequila and blue curacao. Stir with ice and fill the glass with lemonade.

And of course don’t forget, the classic mojito!

If you are going to experiment, make sure you test your recipe before the party. Whatever the signature drink, remember to drink responsibly and be a responsible host.

Must have books for party planning:

Every household that is going to have cocktail parties should have a decent bar manual or classic cocktail book.

The Last-Minute Party Girl by Erika Lenkert. This must have book contains party etiquette as well as quick recipes that are great for any cocktail party.

The Cooking Club Party Cookbook which is full of great party ideas and recipes.

How often should you have a cocktail party? Well, if your social schedule is busy and assuming that your friends are hosting events as well, we suggest having some kind of get together for each season as a relaxing time to catch up with the gang.

Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The company’s creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate life management experience. In addition to its services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and decorating.

For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net

© 2005 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U

Copyright 2005 Heartmind Connection, LLC

My friend Jonathan is self-employed and single. He talks about how it would be so nice to have a relationship in his life and yet I do not see him making the time for the process of dating. He tells me that his work is very demanding and that he is barely keeping up with his clients.

Having your own business or being self-employed is very challenging, as well as rewarding. Add being single to the equation and it can be a very lonely place to be. I was single while I ran a women’s clothing boutique. Although I worked incredible hours and had a 7 day a week operation, I made a concerted effort to date and meet people which eventually led me to meeting my husband. This is how I recommend you fit in dating into your hectic work schedule:

1.Get Clear on What your Life Goals and Priorities Are

What are your goals and priorities in life?
- Work
- Family
- Finding a life partner and getting married
- Community service
- Athletic activities
- Personal/ social activities

Rank them from 1 to 6, 1 being the most important. What came up for you during this exercise?

Next, where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you be happy being single at that time? It’s time to be honest with yourself.

Just like you have a business plan for you business, you need to develop a life plan for you life. When you focus on obtaining and having the important things in life, will happen for you.

2. Put your Personal Time on Your calendar and Stick to it!

When you decide to carve out some time for your personal life which may include the pursuit of meeting someone for a relationship, then make an appointment with yourself on your calendar. How many hours a week are you willing to commit to this endeavor?

You need to apply the same time management skills to your personal time as you do to your work time. Do you consider the event or activity for meeting people to date urgent, desirable or eventually need to do?
Go ahead, put this date in your calendar and commit to keeping this appointment with yourself!

3.Decide on What Trade Offs You Are Willing To Make

Life is about trade offs. What are you willing to sacrifice to have what you want? It may be for a short time or a long time depending on your success on meeting the right person for you.

Are you willing to work some less hours and make less money? Perhaps you would be willing to hire someone to do the work that is least desirable to you. I hired a bookkeeping even though I was very capable of doing the work myself. I ended up using a mailing service for my promotional materials when I did the labels for mailing myself at early on in my business. I thought it was more important to free up my time for what I enjoyed rather doing the detailed, repetitive tasks. I hired smart college students to do some of the busy work for me. Even if you bring in help seasonally, it may free you up for a vacation or a long weekend!

Consider hiring an assistant to help you with writing letters, making appointments and following up with phone calls to your clients. Now virtual assistants are becoming very popular with business owners.

4.Use Efficient Dating Techniques

There is a time cost and benefit to every singles event and dating service available to you. Once you have a handle how much time a week you want to put towards dating, and then you need to decide how much financial resources you want to devote to these endeavors.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to get a real clear picture of your values. Your values are what’s most important to you in life. For instance, kindness and compassion may be very important to you. Therefore, this is what you would want in a mate, as well. Once you have your valued constructed, then you have a guideposts for which you can evaluate your potential partner.

Next, it’s important to get clear on what you want in life. Do you want a children? If not, you need to be clear with your potential dates that you are not interested in children. You may not even want to date divorced people with kids. Then opposite may be true as well. If you want children and someone doesn’t then there is no point pursing a relationship with this person. This will save you much time and anguish!

Now you are ready to see who is out there and who will be best suited for you. If you are willing to spend the money, you may consider a reputable matchmaker or dating service. The internet can be a good way to meet people to date. You can search the net at all hours of the day or night. However, it may take a lot of searching and weeding out. It can be very frustrating when people do not return your emails. Try more than one site. Different sites will produce different results. See my resource page on my website http://www.heartmindconnection.com/resources for a list of dating internet sites you may want to consider.

Last, ask friends, family or perhaps business associates who know you well to introduce you to people to date. Tell them what you are looking for in a mate so they can be helpful to you. Don’t be shy to ask them to fix you up. One of my clients was very good about getting the word out that she was looking to meet someone to date. She eventually got a fixed up with someone she really likes.

5. Combine Fun and Recreation with Meeting People

What is fun and relaxing for you? It is not healthy to work all the time and not have any play!

If you enjoy socializing, then the singles events may help you get out and be with people. Who knows, you may pick up a client if not a date! For the athletic types, sports activities such as biking groups or tennis parties may be a way to have fun and meet someone to date. If you are into working out to keep your shape and stamina, then the gym can be a place to meet those of the opposite sex who also share this desire to keep fit. Perhaps you will entertain taking a ski trip or a hiking trip with a singles group.

Taking vacations are critical to maintaining sanity for an entrepreneur. If you love traveling, you may consider joining a singles travel group to see various parts of the world. There are even singles cruises for those who enjoy traveling by sea. I know a woman who loved yoga and found a travel group that incorporated daily yoga into the trip. Imagine finding your soulmate while doing what you truly love!

As an entrepreneur, you have already experienced what happens when you have a vision of what you want and focus on that goal. You have built your thriving business with your drive and determination. You can also have a fulfilling relationship if you apply your same drive and determination to that area of your life. It may just take some rebalancing of your energy and focus. Nonetheless, the benefits of finding that rewarding romantic relationship can last a lifetime!

Amy Schoen is a life coach who specializes in helping singles to discover what they need and want in relationships and how to find their desired romantic partner. For down to earth tips and helpful hints on dating and relationships, you can subscribe to her popular ezine or her tele-seminars at:
http://www.heartmindconnection.com

Wine is a drink that has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years. Recent archaeological finds have now even found wine dating back to almost 5,000 years in China.

Nowadays there is an amazing array of wine racks available. Wine has become a passion for millions of people. There are wooden wine racks, but now also various metal ones as well.

Some of the metal wine racks are almost works of art in their own right: fashioned in elegant spirals, or circles, or made to hang on the wall.

But, if you want traditional wine racks, then you should stick to wooden wine racks. Wood such as cedar or pine has been used effectively for hundreds of years to store precious wine.

Wooden wine racks have two distinct advantages over metal ones: first, many people are interested in stackable wine racks. This allows you to grow your wine collection over time; as you procure more wine, you simply buy another stackable unit and place it on top of the one you already have. The second advantage is that wood does not conduct heat as metal can. If you plan to store wine for prolonged periods of time to age it, you want to make sure your wine rack will not conduct heat to the bottle.

This can unfavorably affect the taste of the wine. What a same! Especially if you’ve been saving some bottles to open years later for a special occassion.

In short, traditional wine racks are wooden wine racks….stackable wine racks.

However, if you don’t plan on storing your wine for long periods of time. And you want to purchase an artistic wine rack that is a conversation piece and display it prominently, metal wine racks are the way to go. You would be amazed at how beautiful and classy some of these metal wine racks are.

View the best traditional wine racks and stackable wine racks we’ve found at our resource http://www.wine-racks-selection-guide.com

Cardiff Pinacle award new contract to Missing Ingredients

Cardif Pinnacle has awarded Missing Ingredients- the Crown
Group’s Business and Industry Caterer, a one year rolling
contract to provide catering services from July 2005 across its
four sites in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

The contract has an estimated annual turnover of £300k, of which
Rushes Restaurant makes a major contribution, will require 11
new MI team members to operate over the four sites.

Cardif Pinnacle was formed in 1971 and is established as a
leading supplier of financial services and investment products.
MI won the contract from a local catering company who operated
over only two of Cardif Pinnacle sites.

MI will be providing a comprehensive catering service at each
site to over 600 staff. One of the sites to receive a MI
makeover is Rushes Restaurant and Café Bar, a popular, high
street style venue offering speciality coffee, caesar salads,
baguettes and mouth watering main courses, such as sausages
infused in mash potato and organic vegetables.

An additional Cardif Pinnacle site that MI will be responsible
for was not previously providing a catering facility, yet Cardif
Pinnacle expressed a keen desire to do so. ‘New Horizons’ will
now offer ‘Grab’n’ Go’- a brand from MI’s Deliverance Range to
include freshly made sandwiches, paninis and a selection of
snacks and drinks.

MI competed against four other caterers, including Compass
Group, to gain the contract which will see the company design,
develop and build the new catering facilities. “We came in with
realistic pricing levels and innovation,” explains MI’s Managing
Director Sean Valentine. “MI has the reputation of Midsummer
House, a two Michelin star restaurant, which is regarded highly
in terms of focus on quality and an excellent place to train
chefs. ”