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French Cheese

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Colombian National Dish - Bandeja Paisa. Red beans cooked with pork, white rice, ground meat, fried pork rinds, fried egg, plantain, chorizo, arepa flatbread, hogao sauce, black pudding, avocado, and lemon.

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What causes SALT cravings?

— Stress. When stress levels rise, many people crave their favorite foods for comfort. These are often high in fat, sugar, or salt aka sodium. An article in the Journal of Health Psychology found a significant association between chronic stress, food cravings, and higher body mass index (BMI). Another study found a link between stress and higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases hunger. The results of the study suggest that ghrelin may increase food cravings and lead to weight gain.

— Lack of sleep. People who do not get enough sleep may crave snacks with high “satisfaction levels” such as salty, crunchy foods. A study in the journal Sleep found that people who were sleep-deprived were less able to resist cravings for their favorite unhealthy foods. This resulted in weight gain. Because lack of sleep is linked to many health problems, people who are consistently having inadequate rest should discuss this with their doctors.

— Boredom. Eating salty foods due to boredom is similar to stress eating. It’s another emotional eating behavior.

— Excessive sweating. Sweat contains salt, so when a person sweats, their sodium levels decrease. For most people, light sweating is nothing to worry about. Sodium levels do not drop significantly with day to day sweating, and typically, only water is needed to replace fluids after a workout. When a person loses too much sodium, their body may begin to crave salt. One study found that people who work in hot conditions for 10 hours can lose up to 15 grams of salt, although this number may vary widely from person to person. Electrolyte-enhanced drinks or sports drinks are recommended for people who exercise excessively or who spend long hours in a hot environment. These drinks contain sodium and other electrolytes to replace what is lost through sweat.

— Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). A woman may experience a variety of physical and emotional changes in the days leading up to her period. Food cravings, incl. a craving for meat and salty foods, are a common symptom as they are related to hormonal fluctuations.

— Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease, or adrenal insufficiency, occurs when the adrenal glands do not make enough hormones. These hormones control the body’s response to stress and regulate blood pressure. As a result, Addison’s disease can cause very low blood pressure and sudden cravings for salt. Besides salt cravings, people with Addison’s disease may experience:

weakness

long-term fatigue

low appetite or unplanned weight loss

stomach pain

nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

dizziness or fainting due to low blood pressure

low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia

depression or irritability

headache

irregular or absent menstrual periods

Addison’s disease may be caused by:

an autoimmune disorder

tuberculosis

HIV and AIDS

certain bacterial or fungal infections

pituitary gland problems

stopping long-term steroid medications

Addison’s disease requires medical care to replace the hormones that the adrenal glands are not making. In severe cases, a person may go into adrenal crisis. This happens when levels of cortisol in the body drop to dangerous levels. Adrenal crisis is a medical emergency.

— Bartter syndrome. Bartter syndrome is a genetic condition that is present at birth. People with Bartter syndrome cannot reabsorb sodium in their kidneys. As a result, they lose too much sodium in their urine, which leads to a loss of potassium and calcium as well. Due to low levels of sodium, people with Bartter syndrome may crave salt. They may also experience:

slow weight gain, also seen in children

constipation

the need to urinate often

kidney stones

low blood pressure

muscle cramps and weakness

This syndrome is usually diagnosed in infancy or childhood through urine and blood tests. It can be managed with potassium, salt, and magnesium supplements.

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TA’LEYA — Egyptian Garlic Sauce

3-4 garlic cloves — ¼ teaspoon salt — 2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) — 1 teaspoon ground coriander — a pinch of chilli powder

Crush the garlic with the salt using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, crush it in a garlic press and mix it with the salt. Heat the ghee in a small saucepan, add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, then remove pan from the heat and stir in the coriander and chilli. Use sizzling hot, as directed in recipes. Typically served with: Green herb soup (Melokhia); Rice abd pasta dish (Koshary), Lamb okra casserole (Bamia)

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EGYPTIAN RAWANI CAKE

A popular cake in Egypt sold in pastry shops. It‘s also popular in Greece.

For the batter: ¾ cup all purpose flour — ¾ cup semolina — ¾ cup granulated sugar — 5 medium eggs — dash of vanilla.

For the syrup: 2 cups of granulated sugar — 2 cups of water — ½ teaspoon of lemon juice — dash of vanilla.

Mix semolina and flour in a deep dish. Whisk eggs together, add vanilla & sugar, mix well. Add semolina mix and combine well. Pour in a greased baking dish and bake for 45 minutes in a 180C / 350F pre-heated oven.

While it is baking, prepare the syrup by bringing the water to a boil with the sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Boil for 5 mins, then reduce heat and let simmer for 20 mins or until it has reached a syrupy consistency. Pour syrup over the cake while it’s hot and the cake is also still hot. Cover with coconut flakes. Cut into squares and serve.

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Tunisian Breakfast Foods

Q: What are some typical Tunisian breakfast foods? And which are your favorites? 

A: For the most part, Tunisians do not eat a warm breakfast, with the rare exception of a few foods. Every family has their own typical breakfast. Here are a few:

- Draul. A warm almost soupy mix high in grains, prepared with milk and sugar. 

- Bississa. This can be prepared different ways - mixed with water and sugar for a drink or prepared in the typical way which makes it into a thick mix.

- Pastries. Many people like to go to the patisseries (some things you can find at local hanouts or supermarkets) and buy croissants, carrees (pastry with cream filling and chocolate), a breakfast cake (has raisins), mini dessert cakes, or pates (flaky outside with either tuna and cheese, chicken and cheese, turkey and cheese, or just cheese, some add olives).

- Oil and bread. Bread dipped in olive oil. Some people add honey to the mix for sweetness.

- Cereal. There are a few varieties and brands to choose from.

- Cream. This is the type of cream that’s almost like pudding. It can be served either warm or cold, and is prepared with milk and sugar.

- Yogurt. Again, many varieties and brands to choose from.

- F'tire. Fried pasty that can be found only early mornings at certain hanouts. Some people add sugar to it for sweetness.

- Bread and jam. There are many jams to choose from. Some people also add butter.

- Bread and butter.

- Palm tree juice. This is found in the southern areas near the Sahara desert.

- Biscuits. They are a sweet type of snack usually made from cereals. Some people eat them plain, some crush them up and add them to warm milk for a cereal type mix.

- Snack cakes. Small cakes or muffins served as a quick and easy thing to eat, especially on the go.

- A hard, dry type of biscuit with butter or jam.

- Nuts and raisins.

- Fresh seasonal fruit. 

- Ricotta Cheese. By itself, or spread on bread or biscuits.

- Chamia. A sweet-tasting dry and crumbly mix in many flavors, incl. chocolate, pistachio, etc.

- Hard boiled eggs.

- The main drinks are: coffee (or some variation of it, such as cappuccino, espresso, etc.), milk, and/or juice (usually from the box, but in winter people prefer to make fresh orange juice).

As seen on Yahoo Answers.

#breakfast #tunisian #north african #eggsmpastry #bread

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Lasagna Love

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Just Chocolate

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Favorite German Words

Die Heisshungerattacke = literally “hot hunger attack”, as in, a sudden onset of hunger, the munchies, extreme cravings - and acting upon it.  This is where everyone stops counting calories and just feasts. Often brought on by constant dieting in the first place. :D

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Cheese

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Mousse with Fruit

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Blueberry Cake

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Fruit Loops Donuts

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Watermelon

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Butterkuchen aka Zuckerkuchen is a simple German sheet cake. Flakes of butter are distributed on the dough which will form the characteristic holes. The cake is sprinkled with sugar, streusel, toasted almonds or a sugar-cinnamon mix, then baked. It’s a favorite on Northwest and North German coffee tables as part of the Kaffee und Kuchen ritual. It may also be served at weddings and funerals and is sometimes called Freud-und-Leid-Kuchen (“joy and sorrow cake”) because of it. A recipe in English:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/16561/deutscher-butterkuchen-german-buttercake

#cake #sweet #dessert #akmonds #butter #nuts #german #european

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Breakfast

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Pecans