Three Secrets for Cooking with Tequila

http://www.winemag.com/ WINE ENTHUSIAST

Restaurateur, chef and Tequila enthusiast Alex Stupak sounds off on sneaking the spirit into summer dishes.

By Alexis Korman

Having worked in some of the country’s most cutting-edge kitchens, including Boston’s Clio, New York City’s wd~50 and Chicago’s Alinea, chef Alex Stupak is well versed in pushing the culinary envelope.

Stupak opened Empellón Taqueria in New York City in 2011, pursuing a personal passion for modern Mexican food and Tequila. His creative take on South-of-the-border eats proved so successful that it spawned two spinoffs in Manhattan, Empellón Cocina and Empellón Al Pastor.

“People are finally recognizing Mexican cuisine for its deep, rich and multifaceted qualities, instead of thinking of it as street food,” says Stupak. “One trend I think that diners will see is the integration of Tequila into cooking and food pairings, much like how wine is incorporated into French cuisine.

“Many of us were first introduced to Tequila as a drink that you shoot, but with an increase in [the] variety of sipping Tequilas on the market, these spirits carry a richness of flavors that can be highlighted in Mexican cuisine.”

Here are Stupak’s tips on how to bring the trend home, plus a Tequila-infused recipe.

1. Don’t be afraid of using high-end Tequila in recipes.
“I was recently asked to do a Tequila pairing dinner, and I mixed a Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo into a smoky, tomatillo-based red chili salsa. The natural sweetness and caramel flavors of the Tequila resulted in a great borracha (“drunken salsa,” recipe below), and the rich vanilla notes work well with the Oaxaqueño chilies and tomatillos.”

2. Cook with Tequila just like you would with wine.
“I once incorporated Tequila into a sauté of morel mushrooms, and as the Tequila reduced with the cooking juices, it resulted in a rich, sweet flavor, much like Sherry does. I’ve also created a queso flameado, like a cheese flambé with chorizo that has a nice pour of Tequila on top. Once the alcohol cooks out of the dish, the remaining flavors are rich and fragrant and really elevate the delicious cheese.”

3. Experiment!
“I would never have used Tequila in dessert unless I experimented. We succeeded with a toffee that was infused with Tequila, which made a fantastic sauce for fresh fruit and sorbet. To do this, you caramelize sugar and deglaze it with cream, followed by a pour of Tequila, then allow it to simmer for a few minutes. You remove it from the heat, let it cool and then chill it in the freezer. The alcohol content results in a toffee sauce that is as thick as fudge.”

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Recipe: Salsa Borracha
Courtesy Alex Stupak, chef/owner, Empellón Taqueria, Empellón Cocina and Empellón Al Pastor, New York City

3–4 medium tomatillos (about 5 ounces total), husked, rinsed and patted dry
2 Pasilla Oaxaqueño chilies
1 garlic clove, skin on
½ medium white onion, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cup Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo Tequila

Preheat broiler. Roast tomatillos on baking sheet until blackened in spots, about 7 minutes. Turn them and blacken for 7 minutes. Remove from broiler and let cool.

Remove stems from chilies and tear open. Discard seeds and veins.

Warm a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Toast chilies, turning occasionally, until wisp of smoke is visible, about 45 seconds. Remove pan from heat, and transfer chilies to bowl. Cover chilies with hot water. Place heavy plate over chilies to keep submerged. Soak for 30 minutes.

Reheat skillet over medium heat. Add garlic clove and onion to pan. Roast, turning occasionally, until softened slightly and blackened in spots, about 6 minutes. Remove clove and onion from skillet, and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel garlic and discard skin.

Drain chilies and discard liquid. Place chilies in blender with roasted tomatillos, garlic and onion. Add salt, honey and Tequila. Purée on high until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Pass purée through fine-mesh sieve set over bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. Salsa will keep up to 1 week. Yields 1¼ cups.

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Stupak’s Tequila and Food Pairing Ideas:

“Blanco Tequilas work well with light, cold seafood dishes that have a citrus element, such as ceviche.”

“Reposado Tequilas pair wonderfully with grilled vegetables.”

“Añejo Tequilas go great with savory dishes that have a natural sweetness, such as barbecue sauce, or try incorporating a splash of Tequila into a Thai or Indian sauce.”

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Published on July 8, 2015

Topics: Food Trends

The Age of Assyrtiko

http://www.winemag.com/ WINE ENTHUSIAST

Clean, classic and food-friendly, this historic Greek white is the next go-to for modern wine lovers.

By Susan Kostrzewa

Photo by Penny De Los Santos

A rough, ancient carpet of volcanic rocks rolls toward an azure sea, dotted with twisted, knotted bird nests of vines. Like the weathered hands of an old man cradling a gem, these centuries-old spheres shelter Greece’s most prized grapes from the sweltering sun and ever-present blasts of Aegean wind. The landscape is both stunning and savage. This is Santorini, the storied birthplace of Assyrtiko.

Prized from the days of the ancient Greeks and widely exported throughout the Middle Ages, Santorini Assyrtiko is renowned for its bright flavors, bracing acidity and elegant, mineral character. These ­virtues give it wide modern appeal among terroir-driven sommeliers and wine lovers with a taste for refined whites. Chefs praise its food-pairing prowess, citing a Chablis-like dexterity. It’s no wonder that this sea-tinged elixir is the flagship pour of Greece in the international market.

Assyrtiko production has also established a foothold in other parts of Greece, showing its versatile character in the varied expressions found beyond its volcanic origins. In the northern regions of Drama, Sithonia and Chalkidiki, to Crete, Atalanti and the Aegean island of Paros, Assytriko’s laser focus takes on lush layers of tropical fruit and earthy herbs.

New approaches in blending the grape with both indigenous and international varieties have proven successful, as has aging in oak. A perfect communion of past and present, Assyrtiko is poised to take its place among the great whites of the world.

Ring of Fire

While its breathtaking vistas of sparkling sea and caldera-rimmed bay make Santorini a mandatory stop for tourists, this island is a taskmaster for vines. The challenge, dating back to the ancient Greeks, has always been protecting grapes from buffeting winds and intense sun exposure.

The ingenious solution—bush vines trained into basket-like coils low to the ground—results in vineyard scenes unlike most anywhere in the world. As time passes, the coils curl around themselves to create balls of thick vine that look more like an artistic installation than a working plant. Over 70 percent of the island’s vines are planted to the variety, creating a landscape both funky and fascinating.

Soil in Santorini is a reflection of its traumatic past. In essence, the island is what remains after a series of cataclysmic volcanic eruptions 180,000 years ago. Vines struggle through light, porous pumice soils that lack clay and organic matter.

“Santorini is the Jurassic Park of vineyards,” says Stefano Georgas, winemaker at Estate Argyros, among the top Assyrtiko producers on the island. “It was born from earth, wind, sea and fire. It’s unique because you have an exact reflection of what’s in the soil in the wine, with its pumice and sulfur from the volcano, among other elements. It’s a true terroir wine.”

Rainfall is scarce, and nutrients are packed deep in the earth, which results in small yields, intense fruit and terroir-­driven minerality. Vines are periodically pruned at the trunk, but Santorini is home to vines often more than 50 years of age, and in some cases, centuries old.

“Santorini is the birthplace of Assyrtiko and is an ideal home for it,” says Georgas. “The lack of potassium in the soil gives the grape excellent natural acidity and protects vines from phylloxera.

“The soil’s pumice absorbs the moisture from the surrounding water of the sea and gives the plant its water. The wind lowers the average temperature. All of these elements combine together to create this grape with beautiful structure and personality.”

How does this affect what’s in your glass? Briny, lemon-rind briskness and a steely, stony, mineral finish are focused and pure, but still offer full-bodied complexity. Its ample alcohol levels and crisp acidity give it great aging potential.

Varied approaches by Santorini vintners have helped the wine gain ­popularity outside of Greece. Famed producers like Boutari, Sigalas and Argyros have balanced tradition and varietal branding with innovative approaches in single-vineyard plantings, oak aging and blending with harmonious indigenous varieties like Aidani, Athiri and Robola.

At Gai’a Wines, experiments with wild fermentation and a delicious Assyrtiko Vinsanto (a version of a naturally sweet wine made on the island since ancient times) show that the variety can be coaxed in many directions without losing its distinctive character.

The island has also attracted pioneers like Tselepos Winery, famed for its Moschofilero in the Peloponnese, to team with longtime island vintners like the Chryssou family and combine their expertise and differing perspectives. Santorini’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, driven largely by Tselepos in the vein of his work in Mantinia and Nemea, has further elevated the island’s star.

But success comes with a caveat: On an island with limited (and expensive) land, production in Santorini can only grow so much, despite an increasingly thirsty fan base. Necessity, alongside the spirit of experiment, has meant more plantings around other areas of Greece, especially in the last five years.

http://players.brightcove.net/807026901001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5017769160001

Going Further Afield

“Assyrtiko has huge potential outside Santorini,” says Gerasimos Lazaridi, whose Chateau Julia Assyrtiko is grown in the northern mainland region of Drama. “Its character in our region is more fruity and aromatic, with a delicate style that’s friendly to the international palate.”

While the austerity of Santorini’s soils brings out Assyrtiko’s edge, the cooler, gentler climates and less stressed vines of the mainland and Crete inspire exotic fruit flavors, herbal notes and a softer taste profile.

That generosity, which Cretan producer Bart Lyrarakis says is a hallmark of his ­Assyrtiko, is a result of the soil and the ­longer ripening season in climates cooler than Santorini.

“That means a wine that’s fruity and less sharp, but regardless of the lower acidity, should still be balanced,” he says. Assyrtiko has also lent its distinctive personality to a category Americans have been slow to embrace: retsina. That pine resin-flavored, viscous dram favored by the Romans baffles most non-Greek palates.

However, in Tear of the Pine, a modern take on the traditional wine, Thessaloniki’s Kechris Winery has eschewed Savatiano for Assyrtiko. It’s aged in oak, which produces a more delicate, finely balanced retsina that plays to the flintiness and full-bodied fruit of the variety.

The Greek poet Homer declared that “Bacchus opens the gates of the heart.” For wine adventurers with a taste for the elegant and exotic, Assyrtiko is clearly a love match.

Photo by Penny De Los Santos

Recommended Wines

Domaine Sigalas 2014 Kavalieros Single Vineyard Assyrtiko (Santorini); $35, 93 points. Brisk lemon and lime peel aromas are followed by delicate flavors of grapefruit, white peach and sea salt in this sophisticated white. Elegant and exotic, it has an ageable character and a versatile, food-friendly style. Beautifully rendered and a testament to Santorini terroir. Diamond Importers Inc. Editors’ Choice.

Tselepos 2015 Canava Chrissou Assyrtiko (Santorini); $25, 92 points. With its sea salt, lemon peel and fresh-fruit aromas, this wine offers focus and finesse from the beginning. On the palate, bright lemon and lime peel flavors and a pronounced mineral edge are beautifully integrated. This is a terroir-driven white that’s made for fresh fish and vegetarian dishes. Cava Spiliadis.

Ktima Pavlidis 2015 Thema (Drama); $20, 92 points. This blend starts with panache, offering aromas of vanilla cream, lemon, banana and crushed herbs. On the palate, it balances brisk acidity with alluring citrus and melon fruit flavors. The wine has a spicy spin that gives it extra spunk. Athenee Imports.

Kechris 2015 The Tear of the Pine (Retsina); $20, 92 points. This 100% Assyrtiko Retsina shows the versatility of this variety and will challenge the modern wine drinker’s perception of the traditional pour. Intense aromas of lime and lemon mingle with a spin of crushed thyme, honey and vanilla. On the palate, vibrant fruit and a flinty minerality prevail. The wine finishes long and clean. Pair with fatty fish like lobster or fried sardines. Mina Foods Inc.

Porto Carras 2014 Assyrtiko (Sithonia); $19, 91 points. This distinctive white starts with an aromatic, almost Riesling-like nose of flowers, with a touch of citrus focus. On the palate, vanilla spice and pronounced fruit mingles with the bracing edge of lemon peel and mineral. An elegant white with unique regional flair. Old World Vines.

Greek Wine Cellars 2015 Assyrtiko (Santorini); $20, 89 points. Grapefruit, lemon and star anise aromas lead this refined but friendly wine. On the palate, lush, rounded flavors of melon and tropical fruit are supported by brisk acidity. Great combination with richer poultry or pork dishes. Nestor Imports.

Published on July 6, 2016

Topics: Greek Wines

About the Author

Susan Kostrzewa

@suskostrzewa

Executive Editor

Reviews wines from Greece and Cyprus.

Executive Editor Susan Kostrzewa joined Wine Enthusiast in 2006, when she moved from Sonoma, California, to Manhattan. Kostrzewa has written and edited wine, food and travel stories for the past 14 years, and oversees all editorial direction of Wine Enthusiast Magazine and WineMag.com, in addition to the tasting programs. Kostrzewa co-edited the Wine Enthusiast Wine & Food Pairings book and has co-authored numerous books on wine and travel in her career. Email: skostrze@wineenthusiast.net

Easy White Port Cocktail

http://www.winemag.com/

Mix this summer-friendly wine in sangria, or better yet, a low alcohol cocktail.

By Wine Enthusiast

• 0

White Port gets short shrift amongst fans, but compared to the more popular, complex red version, it is a perfectly tasty summer sipper. Made in Portugal from indigenous white grapes, white Port is a fortified wine around 18 to 20 percent alcohol, in sweet (lagriama) styles—boasting honey and hazelnut flavors—or dry, longer aged versions, which show a touch of sweetness and a nutty character. You can find versions of white Port hailing from Australia and California, but officially, it must be made in the Douro Valley to officially take the name Port.

A great substitute in white wine sangria, white Port adds some nuance to the big batch favorite. You can also sip chilled white Port in your standard wine glass, or even mix up white Port-and-tonic (garnished with lime or lemon) for a simple outdoor drink.

White Port Cocktail

Recipe courtesy sommelier Jane Lopes

2 ounces Barros White Porto
Splash of tonic water
1 lemon wedge, for garnish

Fill a highball glass with crushed ice and the Port. Top with tonic water and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Published on June 3, 2015

Topics: At-Home Bartending, Cocktail Recipes, Spirits Trends

About the Author

Wine Enthusiast

@WineEnthusiast

Where Wine Lives. The World In Your Glass. Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/WineEnthusiast.

Αυγό για τον λεκέ από καφέ!

Αυτό το μυστικό για τους λεκέδες μπορεί να σας εκπλήξει!
Για να αφαιρέσετε αποτελεσματικά ένα λεκέ από καφέ, απλά χτυπήστε ένα κρόκο αυγού, απλώστε επάνω στο λεκέ με μια πετσέτα και αφήστε για περίπου ένα λεπτό. Ξεπλύνετε με άφθονο νερό, και ο λεκές θα φύγει τελείως.

Ομάδα neadiatrofis.gr

Σπιτική πίτσα με μοτσαρέλα, ζαμπόν και μυρωδικά

 

Υλικά για τη ζύμη
30 γρ μαγιά νωπή
1 ποτήρι νερό
1/3 ποτηριού ελαιόλαδο
Λίγο αλάτι
Αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις

Υλικά για τη γέμιση
2 ντομάτες πολτοποιημένες
2 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο
1 κουταλιά της σούπας ρίγανη
Λίγο αλάτι και πιπέρι
4-5 φέτες ζαμπόν χοιρινό
1 πράσινη πιπεριά σε ροδέλες
500γρ. μοτσαρέλα για πίτσα

Εκτέλεση
Διαλύουμε τη μαγιά στο νερό το οποίο προηγουμένως έχουμε ζεστάνει ώστε να γίνει χλιαρό (προσοχή δεν πρέπει να είναι καυτό γιατί δε θα φουσκώσει το ζυμάρι). Στη συνέχεια προσθέτουμε το αλάτι, το ελαιόλαδο και το αλεύρι ώστε να γίνει μια αφράτη ζύμη. Λαδώνουμε καλά το τετράγωνο ταψί του φούρνου. Παίρνουμε ένα κομμάτι ζυμάρι σε μέγεθος μπάλας του τένις και με τα χέρια μας, το απλώνουμε ώστε να γίνει στρογγυλό και το τοποθετούμε στο ταψί. Το ίδιο κάνουμε με το υπόλοιπο ζυμάρι έτσι ώστε να φτιάξουμε πολλές μικρές βάζει για πίτσα. Σκεπάζουμε το ταψί με διαφανή μεμβράνη ώστε να μην έρχεται σε επαφή με τον αέρα και το βάζουμε στο φούρνο στους 50 βαθμούς για να φουσκώσει. Εν τω μεταξύ εμείς αναμιγνύουμε την πολτοποιημένη ντομάτα με το ελαιόλαδο, τη ρίγανη, το αλάτι και το πιπέρι. Επίσης κόβουμε τα υλικά μας για να τα έχουμε έτοιμα. Όταν φουσκώσει το ζυμάρι, το βγάζουμε από το φούρνο και το ξεσκεπάζουμε. Απλώνουμε σε όλη την επιφάνεια κάθε βάσης το μίγμα της πολτοποιημένης ντομάτας και από πάνω αραδιάζουμε το ζαμπόν σε κομμάτια και λίγη πιπεριά. Από πάνω πασπαλίζουμε με το τυρί. Ψήνουμε στους 180 βαθμούς μέχρι να ροδίσουν.

Επιστημονική Ομάδα neadiatrofis.gr

Marques de Murrieta 1925 is a legend because…

Wine Legend: Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 1925

• Stephen Brook

image: http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2016/07/Marques-de-Murrieta-1925-630×417.jpg

Marques de Murrieta, established by Luciano de Murrieta y Garcia-Lemoine in 1852, was the first Rioja estate to export its wines. Garcia-Lemoine bought the Ygay vineyard and built the castle of the same name. The Ygay wines became renowned for their elegance and longevity. The Gran Reserva Especial is only produced in outstanding vintages. The former King of Spain Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in June 2014, often chose Ygay wines to mark major events in his life, and this 1925 Gran Reserva Especial was selected for presentation on he day he passed the crown to his son Felipe VI.

Looking back

In 1925 the estate was still owned by the Murrieta family – it was bought by current owner Vincente Cabrián, the Conde de Creixel, in 1983. French wines were still the models for the finest Riojas, although no French estate would have contemplated the decades-long barrel-ageing characteristic of the most traditional Rioja estates. Even at Ygay, this lengthy barrel-ageing period began to be reduced from the end of the 1950s, and the 1925 represents a style of winemaking that is unlikely ever to be practised again. (Indeed, the 1917 Gran Reserva Especial spent 45 years in barrel.) Nonetheless the Cabrián family seeks to maintain the character and quality of the top Ygay bottlings without asking that consumers wait half a century before enjoying them.

The vintage

Curiously, 1925, unlike 1924, was not rated an outstanding vintage in Rioja, but produced exceptional quality at Ygay. The rainfall was no more than 400mm that year.

The terroir

The vineyard sits at 485m altitude, at the southern end of Rioja Alta, close to the boundary with Rioja Baja. The total estate is 300 hectares, but the historic Ygay vineyard is smaller and today has 80-year-old vines. Its terroir is characterised by large, reddish stones. The vineyards of Rioja, and its wines, are today dominated by Tempranillo, so it’s interesting that this celebrated vineyard was planted with a wide range of local varieties – with Tempranillo in the majority but still representing only half the blend. By the 1980s Tempranillo would account for almost 80% of the blend. In 1925 it is likely that the wine would have been a selection of the best lots. More recent vintages have been sourced from specific plots that, in the words of the Murrieta winemaker, give ‘the most elegance, purity, longevity, complexity and depth’.

The wine

After harvest the grapes were fermented for 13 days in American oak vats, and the new wine remained here for a further eight months. It was then transferred to fairly new American oak barrels, where it stayed for five years. The wine was then moved into older barrels, neutralised by tartaric acid deposits on the inside, and aged for an astonishing 32 years more, before being bottled in 1964. Even at this stage the wine was not considered ready, and was given considerable bottle age before finally coming onto the market in 1973. Its longevity is partly explained by its high acidity and a pH of 2.96, a figure more commonly associated with a racy white wine.

The reaction

A decade ago, Spanish wine expert Jesús Barquin found the wine ‘delicious and appearing much younger, fruitier and tighter than anyone would expect from a wine of this age’. In 2013 an overexcited but appreciative Jeff Leve recorded: ‘Served double blind, I was willing to bet it was a 1947 Right Bank Bordeaux, due to its insane, jammy, liqueur, VA, earthy, floral, liquorice, truffle, brown sugar, ripe, riper and overripe berry, plum, fig and raisin profile. It was definitely among the most incredible wines I have ever tasted – exotic, sexy and decadent in all the right ways, finishing with sensuous, pure, cherry liqueur flavours.’

The facts

Number of bottles produced N/A
Composition of blend 49% Tempranillo, 19% Garnacha, 17% Mazuelo, 15% Graciano
Yield N/A
Alcohol content 13%
Release price N/A
Price today £608
Read more at http://www.decanter.com/learn/wine-legend-marques-de-murrieta-castillo-ygay-gran-reserva-especial-1925-316747/#oMC9DgSIYAamcxtG.99

Ρόφημα από τζίντζερ (πιπερόριζα) με λεμόνι και κανέλα για το στομάχι, αποτοξίνωση και απώλεια βάρους

της Κλεοπάτρας Ζουμπουρλή, μοριακή βιολόγος, medlabnews.gr

Το τζίντζερ (πιπερόριζα) αποτελείται σε μεγάλο ποσοστό από νερό (περίπου 80%). Επιπλέον, περιέχει αρκετό κάλιο, ψευδάργυρο, και πολυφαινόλες, στις οποίες οφείλονται κάποιες από τις ωφέλιμες δράσεις του. Tο ενεργό συστατικό της πιπερόριζας είναι η τζιντζερόλη, η οποία, όταν μαγειρευτεί, έχει πικάντικο άρωμα και μια γλυκιά και ταυτόχρονα πιπεράτη γεύση. Η ρίζα αυτού του βοτάνου έχει λίγες θερμίδες, αλλά είναι πολύ πλούσια πηγή πολλών βασικών θρεπτικών συστατικών και βιταμινών. Υπάρχουν 18 γραμμάρια υδατάνθρακες σε 100 γραμμάρια τζίντζερ. Σε σύγκριση με το 80% που έχει το ρύζι το τζίντζερ ταιριάζει καλά σε μια δίαιτα χαμηλή σε υδατάνθρακες και θα σας βοηθήσει να αισθάνεστε χορτάτοι για μεγαλύτερο χρονικό διάστημα, βοηθώντας να ξεπεραστούν τα ισχυρά συναισθήματα της πείνας που προέρχονται από τις δίαιτες με λίγους υδατάνθρακες.

Το τζίντζερ αυξάνει την κυκλοφορία και δίνει περισσότερη ενέργεια. Όταν έρθει η ώρα για ύπνο όμως, το τζίντζερ μπορεί να βοηθήσει στην απομάκρυνση των τοξινών, επιτρέποντάς σας να κοιμηθείτε πιο εύκολα. Επειδή το τζίντζερ βελτιώνει την κυκλοφορία, πολλοί αναφέρουν μια αίσθηση ζεστασιάς, και επακόλουθη ηρεμία μετά τη λήψη του. Επίσης, έχει καταπραϋντικές και χαλαρωτικές ιδιότητες για τα εσωτερικά όργανα και αυτο οφείλεται στην αντιφλεγμονώδη δράση του.

Ορισμένοι το χρησιμοποιούν καθαρά και μόνο για το λίπος της κοιλιάς και για να αποκτήσουν ένα πιο επίπεδο στομάχι.
Το τζίντζερ μπορείτε να το βρείτε εύκολα

Ο χυμός του λεμονιού περιέχει μεγάλη ποσότητα από Βιταμίνες και κυρίως βιταμίνη C. Παλιότερα τον χυμό του λεμονιού τον χρησιμοποιούσαν σαν αντισκορβουτικό.
Πέρα από την βιταμίνη C περιέχει σε βιταμίνες Β1, Β2, Β3, Β6, το λεμόνι αποτελεί μια μικρή διατροφική έκπληξη, πλούσια σε πολύτιμα θρεπτικά συστατικά. Αρκεί να αναφέρουμε, πως κάθε λεμόνι πέρα από τις σημαντικές βιταμίνες, που περιέχει, είναι πλούσιο και σε πρωτεΐνες, υδατάνθρακες, κάλιο, και ανόργανα άλατα όπως το ασβέστιο , φώσφορο, μαγνήσιο, πυρίτιο, ασβέστιο καθώς και σε μεταλλικά άλατα.
Ο χυμός του, αποτελεί μια πραγματικά ευχάριστη έκπληξη για τον οργανισμό, καθώς πέρα από την απαραίτητη νοστιμιά, που χαρίζει σε ορισμένα «αδιάφορα» φαγητά, κυρίως θωρακίζει τον οργανισμό απέναντι σε μια σειρά ασθενειών και λοιμώξεων.

H κανέλα είναι πλούσια σε αντιοξειδωτικά οπότε θεωρείται πολύ καλή για την υγεία της επιδερμίδας. Σύμφωνα με έρευνες επίσης μειώνει τη χοληστερίνη, ρυθμίζει το σάκχαρο και συμβάλει στην καλή λειτουργία του εγκεφάλου.  Η κανέλα μειώνει το σωματικό λίπος.

Το ρόφημα

Ένας τρόπος για να το φτιάξετε είναι να στύψετε δυο λεμόνια και να βράσετε το χυμό τους μαζί με λίγο ψιλοκομμένο τζίντζερ. Μόλις αρχίσει να βράζει, χαμηλώνετε τη φωτιά και προσθέτετε ένα λίτρο νερό και δυο φλούδες λεμονιού. Μπορείτε να το τοποθετήσετε σε μπουκάλι νερού και να το πίνετε πριν τα γεύματα σας καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια της ημέρας.

Με λεμόνι 
25gr
ρίζα τζίντζερ
600 ml νερό
Λίγες φλούδες λεμονιού
Βάλτε τα φυτά σε μια κατσαρόλα με το νερό. Αφήστε τα να βράσουν για 20 λεπτά. Τα σουρώνετε και αν θέλετε βάζετε μέλι.

Στο ίδιο ρόφημα τέλος μπορείτε να προσθέσετε και ένα ξυλαράκι κανέλας και το βράσετε μαζί.

Είναι πολύ αποτελεσματικό για απώλεια βάρους αλλά να θυμάστε ότι η διατήρηση μιας υγιεινής διατροφής είναι άκρως απαραίτητη.

Read more: http://medlabgr.blogspot.com/2016/07/ginger-lemon-tea.html#ixzz4FKjvDaLn

Ο Σπύρος μάζεψε και άλλα Pokemon και τα φέρνει στο Ποδήλατο καφέ . Στις 18:00 θα γίνεται χαμός απότα Pokemon.

8 Bizarro Bottles To Celebrate National Tequila Day

Emily Bell

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We’re not trying to intrude on a private matter here. We know each person celebrates National Tequila Day in his or her own way, typically with a solemn riverside ceremony that culminates in the lighting of paper lanterns. And the taking of many shots.

But since we reserve every other day of the year for normal kinds of tequila appreciation, we wanted to get in on the inevitable funfest that any compulsory tequila appreciation day would bring about. And since everybody else is gonna cover the Margarita recipes and budget bottles (though we got those, too), we figured we’d tread to the fringes of the tequila world and scare up some of the weirdest, loveliest, and most expensive bottles out there.

We’re not trying to turn tequila into a sideshow here: if anything, we’re advocates of the “tequila transition,” basically the point in life where your tequila appreciation lurches its evolutionary way out of a Margarita glass and into a tumbler of righteous añejo.

Don Julio

An older design for the extra añejo offering, this is a bottle that knows it’s special. Really, it sort of looks like it’s trying to hold onto itself, although those actually are Blue Weber agave fronds (the cap is another nod to tequila’s source plant).

Tequila Hijos de Villa

For some reason, certain tequila and liquor bottles insist on weaponry themes. This one makes more sense if you see it next to other Hijos de Villa offerings. Otherwise it’s a bit … confusing. Sleek, certainly. And $150.

1800 Essential Artist Series

1800 isn’t messing around with its annual artist series. It goes for big names, big art-world names anyway, and gets some pretty interesting designs on its bottles.

Voodoo Tiki Tequila

This one’s mostly an odd sight because tiki and tequila don’t often meet. Yes, the bottle looks angry at you, but when you get to the flavored stuff, it gets pleasantly blue.

Los Azulejos

Los Azulejos has a whole line of interesting, typically opaque, bottles, but we’re big fans of the Skelly series, what with the whole Mexico/Day of the Dead connection. Death doesn’t come cheaply, apparently — about $200 for the set.

Tres, Cuatro, y Cinco

Not only did Mexico City-based artist Alonso Gonzales Jr. come up with this fluid, sleek design for this blend of añejo tequilas, he actually signed every single crystal bottle. Add on what the bottle contains, and you might just end up staring appreciatively for a while.

Patron

This one might seem reserved compared with some of the others, but it’s special. Believe us, $7,500 special, to be exact. Created by French crystal company Lalique, it’s Patron’s homage to the agave plant, which you can see reflected most easily (and elegantly, blah blah blah) in the cap.

Asombroso La Rosa

Yeah, suggestive is all we’re gonna say about this particular bottle shape. Whatever they have to say about it, well, that’s for them to say. Point of non-anatomical interest: it’s Bordeaux barrel-aged, hence the nickname La Rosa.

At Spanish monastery-turned-spa, they treat you with wine (and you can drink it too)

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/

Why wait till five o’clock? It’s always happy hour at Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, whose Santuario spa specialises in vinotherapy – treatments that include wine

By Becca Hensley

What’s this place, then? Nirvana for those in need of a bit of vinotherapy.

Vinotherapy? IS THAT SOME SORT OF HAPPY HOUR? No, that’s spa talk for treat­ments that involve wine. You won’t have to wait ’til five o’clock to indulge at Santuario, a subter­ra­nean spa in Spain’s Duero Valley. An hour’s drive from Valladolid, surrounded by vineyards and housed in a 12th-century, fully restored monastery, Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine is Spain’s first Relais & Châteaux hotel.

The spa, which opened last summer, is inside what were the monks’ stables. The 10,000 sq ft retreat is set apart by its “spa sommelier” programme, a pre-treatment wine tasting (and essential-oil sniff test) that allows the therapists to fine-tune your spa adventure. Among the more unusual treatments are the Cryo Jetlag Reviver and Cryo Time Freeze, which employ cold temperatures to encourage rejuvenation.

The spa foyer.

Do tell us more. A sleek, modern spa set amid the old-world gravitas of the Romanesque and Baroque abbey, the contrast could not be more pronounced. The airy rooms, awash in light, seem poised between the past and the present like magical portals.

SO MONKS LIVED HERE? That’s right. But don’t worry; the monastery’s austere days are long gone. The opulently appointed guest rooms and common areas are filled with rich fabrics, period antiques and priceless art, yet the tranquillity and sense of history remain. Sip a few of the estate’s vintages and you’ll thank those monks of yore for all the hours they spent tending the vines.

The Refectorio serves a nine-course set menu.

WHAT’S THERE TO EAT? Old melds with new in the cuisine, too. A nine-course set menu brings forth farm-to-fork Spanish cuisine in the aptly named Refectorio, a Michelin-starred restaurant set in the monks’ old dining hall. With hi-tech flourishes, Refectorio celebrates tradition by serving local ingredients, many sourced from its own gardens. At Vinoteca, a more casual eatery, you can order traditional tapas and from a wellness menu designed for those on a detox holiday.

The spa sommelier counsels a guest.

AFTER ALL THE WINE, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? Take a field trip to regal Valladolid, once the stronghold of Spanish kings, or stately Segovia, home to a Roman aqueduct. Let the hotel pack you a picnic to take to the countryside, with castles, vineyards, wildflower-flecked meadows and orchards as your choice of backdrop. To further channel the past, sign up for falconry lessons.

The spa relaxation area.

WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE? Room rates start at €430 (HK$3,700) a night. For more information, visit ledomaine.es.

A one-bedroom suite.