Nine days of fun and feasting when local produce is at its seasonal best – begins on 19 May with a two-day al fresco food fair at the Waterfront.

Festival of Food

The Island’s enthusiasm for gastronomy is celebrated at the Jersey Food Festival from May 19 to 27, when the island’s food producers, chefs, artisans and restaurateurs offer a variety of guided tours, demonstrations and special deals.

Food Grown Here Not Flown Here

Highlights include Michelin starred dining, low water rambles,  a turbot tour, chefs demonstrations, foraging, food and ale trails and tutored tastings.

See more about the specific events on Jersey Loves Food

Impressions of Jersey used to be marred by arriving at the uninspiring port and provincial island capital of St Helier, but a smartening-up of the place and a passion for food reflected in three Michelin-starred restaurants has improved the island’s image.

The Island Development Board had a clear brief to smarten up the Waterfront area and market the site for a four or five star hotel and in 2007 the site became home to the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel which nestles in the heart of the marina and offers guests effortless access to the promenade and stunning views of the St Helier waterfront and recently was awarded Gold in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

You can see more of the Radisson Blu Jersey hotel in this Visit Britain video and a review of the hotel’s Waterfront Restaurant on Europe A la Carte here

Download The Programme

You can download the full Jersey Food festival programme for free here (pdf opens in new window)

Pizzas, which can be traced back 3,000 years, have evolved through the ages because of a variety of factors. The cooking method, type of pizza crust, cheese used, and toppings used to garnish pizza, among other modifications, continue to yield assorted pizza varieties. Variations have produced regional and distinct pizzas.

image: Everyday  Champagne

The most notable out of the ordinary pizzas are possible by making changes to traditional and unique pizza styles. Replace cheeses, meats, sauces, flatbread, and toppings to create uniquely flavorful culinary dishes.

East Coast vs West Coast Pizza

New York and Chicago are home to notable pizza distinctions. The hand-tossed variety hails from the Big Apple, and is folded when eaten, with typical amounts of sauce and cheese. Chicago style pizza is not flexible, and is piled with ingredients in a deep dish pan. Toppings may be found above or below the cheese or marinara sauce.

Detroit style pizza is a Sicilian-style square pizza baked in a deep tray instead of a pan, with crisp crust coated with marina sauce, and topped with olives and pepperoni. The oily pizza may be baked twice, and produces chewy, crunchy crust cooked medium to well done. Barbecue sauce and goat cheese distinguish the California style Thai pizza. Toppers include spinach or shaved carrots. Pineapple and ham are toppers that distinguish Hawaiian style pizza. Experiment with sauces and cheeses, bread, spices and meat selections with Asian or non-Asian popularity.

Health experts advise everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables. Besides adding fruits and vegetable to pizza, diners can substitute ingredients. Whole grain crust, low-fat mozzarella, veggies and low-sodium Canadian bacon can create a unique and wholesome pizza. An “edible plate” can be a new way to eat popular international, regional and local food.

Midwest Pizza

Distinctions for St. Louis-style pizza are square or rectangular cut servings, cracker-thin crust absent of yeast, and the use of Provel processed cheese. Swiss, white cheddar and provolone are fused together to replace provolone or mozzarella. The pizza may have layers of toppings. For a new spin on St. Louis pizza, toppings and sauce can be changed, while maintaining Provel cheese uniqueness.

Quad City Pizza

Quad City includes five cities converging on the Mississippi River on the boundary between Iowa and Illinois. In Iowa, Bettendorf and Davenport cities join cities in Illinois, East Moline, Moline and Rock Island. Quad City style pizza has a spicy dough mix that includes malt for a nutty, toasty taste. Pizzas are hand tossed with crust stretched to a uniform quarter-inch with a minor ridge ringing the pan edge. Ground cayenne and flakes of red chili are added to the sauce, for a less sweet and spicier tomato taste. Ground Italian sausage, potentially ground twice, covers the pizza top. After approximately 12 minutes of cooking in a gas oven, pizza is cut into strips, averaging 14 strips for a 16-inch pizza, and 10 strips for a 10-inch pie. Variation: Use seafood, chicken or beef. Fruit and vegetables can accentuate spicy flavors

Going Greek in New England

Principle ingredients in Greek style pan pizza are feta cheese and sliced olives for topping, and olive oil when cooking. Variation: Add unique meat such as kebab or gyro meat, lamb, chicken or beef. Try exchanging feta for another Mediterranean cheese, Indian paneer or a regional selection. Consider using a different flatbread such as naan or focaccia

When in Rome: White Pizzazz Pizzas

Instead of red tomato sauce, which can be used to create tomato pie, hold the cheese, White Pizza or Pizza Bianca, applies sour cream to the pizza pie top, Roman style. Variation: Experiment with cheese blends and base flatbread such as focaccia, or Indian naan.

When entertaining, packing lunch, eating leftovers or for potluck, mix and match slices, strips and squares of different types of pizzas.

This article was submitted by Renee Varney who is a freelance blogger and occasionally writes for delivery.com a site she loves using their Food Delivery LA directory to look up a different Food Delivery Service each night of the week.

Note: Beer is affected by many things including shipping and the local water. Drinking foreign beer that’s been imported is not the same as drinking it in its own country, and likewise there is a very distinct difference between beers from various regions meaning it’s great to try them out as you travel.

IRELAND

The answer here is of course Guinness. ‘But I’ve already tried Guinness’ you might be thinking. Well unless you have been to Ireland before then no you haven’t , not really. You see a lot is lost in translation when Guinness is shipped and the flavour is very affected by it. Drink this beer in Ireland itself meanwhile and you will get a much richer and smoother drink. The best place of all of course to try it is in the Guinness factory and you’ll get a free pint when you do the tour.

AFRICA

If you’re travelling in Southern Africa then you can expect to find a lot of beer – seeing as it’s the most popular alcoholic beverage in the country. What you need to try here to be really adventurous is an indigenous beer such as ‘Chibuku’, which is a drink made from maize and sorghum and that comes in a carton. It’s sour and has a porridge like consistency making it very different to what you might drink elsewhere.

COBRA

Cobra is an Indian beer which has become popular in the UK where it is often enjoyed alongside a curry. It’s a very easy beer to drink, so much so that it can compliment a firey madras.

ENGLAND

England is a fan of ales traditionally and each region will have its own ale which you should be able to get on tap. If you want one with an unusual name then travel down to Cornwall and try ‘Betty Stogs’.

CHINA

One Chinese beer ‘Tsingtao’ is a drink with an interesting back story – named after a German port. The colonial authorities at the time imported a Bavarian brewery for the expats living there at the time.

BELGIUM

Here you will want to try the Westy 12, or ‘Wesvleteren’ as it is more accurately known. This is a beer that is only available from the Abbey, and one that has very limited supply. That’s what makes it such an exciting drink to find and one that’s worth going out of your way for. Great for bringing up in subsequent conversations to look ‘travelled’.

GERMANY

There are just too many beers to try in Germany, but if you want to try something a little different then go for Leipziger Gose. Instantly ‘different’ due to being salty in flavour, it’s certainly an acquired taste but you wont be disappointed if you were hoping for something memorable.

Jeet is a well known online marketing head for 1001BeerSteins.com. He likes to show people the importance of Glass Beer Mugs through his blog.

Click image for a full image

From egg rolls to kung pao chicken, most people are familiar with Chinese food, or at least Western approximations of it. What few people realize, however, is that Chinese cuisine stretches far beyond what’s easily accessible at all-you-can-eat buffets. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may be pleasantly surprised at these gastronomical delights:

Chou Dofu

You may be more familiar with this dish by its other name, “stinky tofu.” Although no the most appetizing description, it’s quite accurate; the smell of stinky tofu is pungent enough that street vendors have sometimes been charged with pollution. The unique odor comes from soaking tofu is a fermented brine made with shrimp and vegetables. The resulting food is flavorful and versatile and is quite popular with its fans.

Century egg

Also known as a 100 year egg or 1,000 year egg, this egg is not as old as it sounds. Usually a duck or quail egg, the century egg is preserved in a combination of ash, salt, lime and rice hulls for several weeks or months. This process transforms the egg; the whites darken to a rich brown color and the yolk turns dark grey and creamy. The resulting product has a strong odor and unique flavor that’s often incorporated into Cantonese street food.

Char siu

While the last two items are acquired tastes, char siu, or chinese roast pork, is pure deliciousness. The meat is marinated with five-spice powder, honey and sugar, then roasted until the fat renders and the skin becomes crisp and charred. When sold in Chinese markets, the meat may have a red food coloring added. Char siu can be eaten as-is or shredded and used as stuffing in char siu bau, or Chinese meat buns.

Congee

A simple and versatile comfort food, congee can be easily made at home or found in restaurants and food stands all over China. Essentially, the dish is made from slow-cooking white rice in a mixture of water and stock until the rice begins to fall apart. At the end, ingredients can be added such as pork, chicken, egg or seafood. The resulting dish is warm, hearty and slightly creamy.

Fried milk

Also known as chow lai or zha xian nai, this is a sweet accompaniment to meals and a favorite dish of children in China. Making it is fairly simple. Milk is turned into a custard by curdling with ginger or adding eggs and starch. This is then breaded and deep-fried, resulting in a crispy-skinned, creamy-centered dish. Similar variants occur across cultures in Spain, Italy and India and flavors can be infused into the curd such as citrus, chocolate or other flavorings.

Whether you’re a chef, foodie or just someone looking for something new to try, exploring ethnic dishes is a great way to expand your culinary tastes. Regional foods are often nutritious, delicious and add a little flair and adventure to your regular cuisine. If you can’t find a local restaurant that will offer this exotic fair, it’s easy to find many recipes online to start your exploration.

Renee Varney is a freelance blogger and occasionally writes for delivery.com a site she loves using to find local Chinese Take Out using their Delivery New York directory.

It’s midnight. I just finish prepping for a presentation when my stomach grumbles louder than Rosie O’Donnell after a Bill O’Reilly interview. What are my options? Have Burger King do it my way with a Whopper? Maybe. There’s a Costco-sized box of Ham-and-Cheese Hot Pockets in the freezer, but then I realize it would cost me a pound of flesh and a full hour of “reading the newspaper” in the loo — not to mention a dozen shame-filled stares from my significant other. So in this case, I really have just two options: go healthy or go hungry…

You won’t find the following snacks touted by sous chefs from the top culinary schools in Florida or San Francisco, but if you ever find yourself needing food fast, here are a handful of snacks you may want at the ready:

• Carrots & hummus. A handful of carrot sticks and some Middle Eastern chickpea goodness provide just the right balance of healthy and savory. And it won’t break the calorie bank, either. Three small carrots and a quarter cup of hummus runs about 80 calories.
• Go nuts. Almonds, peanuts, cashews and others are full of fiber, healthy fats and vitamin E. And the best part? No prep time and no clean up — unless you miss your mouth during the scoop.
• The magical fruit. Black-eyed peas and chili, black or pinto beans are protein powerhouses, although the rest of the room may hate you ten minutes later. Try mixing your beans with salsa or guacamole for a little extra zest
• Yogurt. By itself, this dairy product has enough flavor to entertain your taste buds and fill your stomach. But if you’re like me and need an accessory, throw some on a piece of bread, mix in fresh fruit or use cucumber slices for dipping.
• Frozen grapes. Whether red or green (I’m partial to green), frozen grapes may be the easiest and best-kept snack secret out there. A great way to fend off hunger and hydrate at the same time.
• Peanut butter: Another high-protein treat, peanut butter goes with just about anything. Quick ideas: PB&B (bananas), PB&C (celery) and PB&S (spoon).

It’s so tempting to pop a bagel dog in the nuke box and call it good, but doing so night after night can kill your waistline and clog your insides. Bottom line, try something healthy for a change. Don’t like my suggestions? Get some good old fashion online schooling and Google “healthy snacks.” Not only will your body thank you, but you’ll respect yourself in the morning…

Wes Ricketts is a serial snacker devoted to losing weight without exercising. When not stealing ideas from nutrition programs online, he scours the web for tips, tricks and recipes to facilitate his lethargic lifestyle.

Thankfully, it is getting easier for those who prefer meatless meals to find culinary variety in a growing number of cities…even while on vacation.

Vancouver

The jewel of Canada’s west coast is a hub for vegetarianism. There are hundreds of excellent vegetarian restaurants here as well as annual vegetarian festivals, excellent you-pick operations, vegetarian meet-ups, and fun-food tours. The Granville Market, a massive farmers market and craft fair right in the heart of downtown, sells fresh fruits, breads, and produce all year round thanks to the region’s mild climate. There are great tours offered here, allowing you to meet some of the shop keepers and taste some of the high-end chocolates and fresh-baked bread. Every summer, the city hosts VegFest Vancouver, usually in mid-June, celebrating local food vendors and all manner of vegan products. Vancouver is also a very diverse city with plenty of authentic Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai, European and other cuisines available.

San Francisco

San Francisco is not only famous for its unique architecture and gorgeous natural setting, but has long been a mecca for vegetarians.  Almost every restaurant in San Francisco offers a wide variety of excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

Among many others, favorites include Millennium on Geary Street for a fancy night out, and Herbivore for the best veggie breakfast in town (with two locations in San Francisco and one in Berkeley). There are also raw vegan ice cream parlors, vegetarian fish and chip shops (where the fish is actually tofu-based), and it’s worth taking a trip to the entirely vegetarian grocery store Rainbow Grocery on Folsom.

Houston

When you are planning a vegetarian vacation, you may not consider booking deep in the heart of Texas, but perhaps you should. It may be famous for its cattle and its barbecues, but Houston is also home to a number of truly world-class vegetarian restaurants offering tasty veggie options beyond just a salad. The Pepper Tree on Richmond near the Kirby District is a popular choice for its all-vegan Asian buffet.

Book a vacation in Houston and you can shop at Nature’s Market on Almeda Road for all kinds of vegetarian items, including tofu, fresh fruits and vegetables and organic breads. Field of Greens on West Alabama is also a hit with local vegetarians for its pita sandwiches and its eggplant dishes.

London, UK

If you’re dreaming of a vacation overseas, London has a long vegetarian tradition that dates back to well before Paul McCartney made it trendy. The UK Vegetarian Society was founded in 1847, and the Vegan Society dates back to the 1940s. Today, London is a vibrant, multicultural city with influences from all around the world. There are vegetarian pubs specializing in veggie crumble (a hearty veggie stew with biscuits), restaurants focused on all varieties of hummus, Asian restaurants, Caribbean restaurants and African restaurants with vegetarian dishes. There are also high-end, five-star vegetarian restaurants. Try Food for Thought, which has been the go-to vegetarian restaurant in Covent Garden since the 1970s. Other great choices are Manna, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the city, and Mildred’s in Soho (their Sri Lankan sweet potato and cashew curry is excellent).

The Mediterranean

It doesn’t get much better than the gorgeous, deep-blue Mediterranean Sea.  The Mediterranean is famous for its cuisine, but it is often meat-based as cuisines.  However, in Spain, the South of France, Italy, Greece, and Morocco, there are wonderful fresh fruits and vegetable, grains, legumes and oils available all year round.  For those who are strict vegetarians, there are still plenty of sumptuous dishes. Many French restaurants offer a meatless version of cassoulet, which is a lovely bean stew. Greek restaurants usually serve a fresh spanakopita, and Moroccan tangines, culinary offerings that get their names from the earthenware pots in which they are cooked, are often meatless. There are also near unlimited choices in vegetarian pastas and salads. With a year-round abundance of fresh produce, the Mediterranean region can be very easy to travel in for vegetarians.

Laura Hoot runs HomeAway.com’s Travel Ideas site section and is also a busy freelance writer for sites including USA Today, GirlsGetaway.com, Travels.com, Trails.com among many more sites.

The city of New York is a food lover’s dream come true.

New York has hundreds of street food carts and around every corner you turn you will find something cooking. The hot and delicious smells of onions frying, chestnuts roasting and plump pretzels baking fill the air. With such a huge volume of people swarming the streets, it is possible to find street food which will suit almost any taste such as anything from tacos to hot dogs to curry to German bratwurst as well as lobster rolls, specialty cupcakes, organic ice cream and Korean BBQ.

Over the past few years, New York’s street food scene has evolved from the standard hot dog carts to a gourmet culinary experience.  New food trucks have been popping up and the selection is more high quality and diverse than ever.

Street Food Savouring Tips

If you are licking your lips in anticipation of the delicious street food you will sample in New York, here are some tips to help you in your culinary adventure:

•    Pace yourself. There are so many choices that it can be tempting to want to have six meals in one day, but this will only lead to a stomach ache which will not be an enjoyable part of your trip to the Big Apple. Choose a few of your favorite types of street food to try so that you don’t go overboard eating everything in sight.

•    Busy stalls with large lineups usually mean that the food served within is very popular and probably of good quality. Also, a vendor with a lot of demand is likely to have fresh and hot food on demand rather than one who has been waiting for a customer for hours.

•    Keep an eye out for the cleanliness of the food stall. Is everything kept spotless? How is the food stored? Look for stalls which keep food piping hot, such as with gas burners or woks, because this will kill the bacteria.

•    Carry cash. Most vendors simply sell their food from a little cart, which means that they might not have a credit card or debit machine. Carry some money with you so that you can pay for your food.

•    Ask the locals. New Yorkers are very knowledgeable about their city and they will likely know all of the best street vendors to eat from. Go on a forum or just get chatting with a local and ask them for their help.
Enjoy sampling the many flavours of street food on your culinary adventures in New York City!

Protein forms an important part of a healthy diet. While it’s essential to eat balanced meals with healthy fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins, protein forms the backbone of proper nutrition.

It’s important to understand how different foods provide the body with energy. The human body is powered by simple sugars like glucose. During cellular metabolism, simple sugars are processed into a form of energy called ATP. ATP acts as a natural energy reserve for muscle cells in the body.

Carbohydrates VS Proteins

Most of the energy in the human body is produced from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, fruit, sugars, and other types of food.

Protein is used to build the scaffolding of cells. Without protein, the human body would cease to function. While many people understand that protein can help form muscles, they may not understand some of the other important functions it plays. Protein helps form vascular structures, organs, skin, and many other important parts of the body. Without protein, the body can’t manufacture new cells.

Natural Low Cost Sources of Protein

There are many natural and artificial products that contain high levels of protein. While protein consumption can be healthy, it’s important to understand that some forms of protein may come with other unhealthy components.

Protein is most commonly found in meat. While consumption of meats like pork, chicken, and beef can be a good way to receive one’s daily value of protein, it can become expensive over time. In addition, meats like beef usually contain high levels of fat and cholesterol.

Poultry products and turkey can be a great source of healthy, low-fat protein. In addition, many poultry products can be found in larger quantities in the freezer section. Keeping these items in your freezer is a convenient way for a fast and healthy supper.

Non-Meat Protein Sources

There are several non-meat sources of protein available for consumers. While non-meat protein can be a healthy alternative to meat, it may not provide all the essential vitamins and minerals that one needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, many non-meat sources of protein don’t contain vitamin B12. Without vitamin B12, the body can’t produce nerve cells that are critical for proper body function. Since meat is one of the only sources of this vitamin, it’s important to take a supplement if one is following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.

Nuts like almonds, peanuts, walnuts, and pecans can be a great source of healthy protein. While these nuts do contain high levels of fat, it’s usually unsaturated, and that is a healthy form that is critical to proper cellular function. These nuts can be bought in bulk from your local grocery store and stored for long periods of time, ensuring you a source of protein that’s both tasty and cost effective.

Soy Protein

Soybeans can also be used as a great protein source. Soybeans on their own look similar to a green bean. While soybeans are not very appetizing in their natural form, they can be processed into an exciting variety of delicious, protein-rich foods.

For example, tofu is a protein-rich product made from soybeans. It can be used as a meat substitute in many recipes, cutting back on the sometimes high cost of that meat. In addition soybeans can be processed into non-dairy protein drinks like soy milk.

High Density Proteins

Whey protein is produced from cheese byproducts. Whey protein is a non-fat, lactose-free source of pure protein. While this can be a good protein source for body builders, it’s important to be aware of some of its limitations. It can cause kidney damage if an individual consumes more than 400 grams every day.

There are a variety of protein sources available for a reasonable cost. While whey protein is very cheap, it’s essential to provide the body with a healthy mix of different protein sources. For example, soy protein, nuts, and whey protein can provide an overall balanced diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition, it’s important to balance the consumption of protein with plenty of fresh fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.

Andrew Greene is a freelance writer and blogs for http://www.nowaitpaydayloans.co.uk a site that provides payday loans fast.

So do make sure you make the best out of every weekend, with a picnic in the park, the forest or just the first patch of green you find in your neighbourhood. Stuck for good food idea’s to bring round? Here are a few ideas just to keep your taste buds going and to bring the perfect food for the first picnic of spring 2012.

Quiche

The French know their food and quiche is one of the best things to have ever crossed the Channel.  It does take some time and effort to make a quiche but it looks festive and tastes great when left cold. Besides that, a quiche compliments almost any other dish because the flavours are often delicate and light.

Salads

Salads are fresh, healthy and versatile. When they are prepared well they are much more than just a side dish or a garnish. Think of a rich couscous salad with goat’s cheese or a pasta salad with homemade pesto and pine nuts.

Mix and dips

This is especially easy when you are not quite sure what everyone else is bringing. Or when you know there are quite a few picky eaters amongst the attendees. Finger food can be anything from Greek mezze to Spanish tapas. Just bring some homemade dips such as hummus, guacamole, pesto or baba ganoush. Add to that some lovely flatbread, olives and stuffed vine leaves and you will have created a small flavour feast for everyone present.
Finger sandwiches

Who does not like a well-filled sandwich with cured meat, tuna, cheese or chicken? The size does not only make them look more playful it also enables everyone to pick and mix, which is always a good attribute during a picnic. It is all about sharing when enjoying food outdoors.

Food hampers

If you are really stuck on money, time or ideas than it might be worth to have a look for readymade hampers. There are several great British gourmet food traiteurs that deliver food hampers to your doorstep. The food hampers are assembled on the day and vary from company to company. When you start searching you will find a multitude of options in price, size and assortment. You will find birthday present hampers, Picnic hampers, Christmas hampers and Easter hampers. Have a good look around before you choose because you want to make the right impression with the right hamper. It would be a shame if the hamper does not contain enough food or not enough variety.

Whatever you choose to bring this year, make it delicious because you never know when it will start to rain again.