Whether you aspire to become a prestigious chef or simply to take up the culinary arts as a new hobby, online culinary courses can open up doors for many people. While opponents to online culinary programs may argue that obtaining such a degree necessitates hand- on experience with in person instruction, they fail to see how the world of technology has provided solutions to this concern. The following four benefits to taking online culinary courses should provide anyone reluctant to give them a shot the information necessary to make the right decision.

1. Cost Effectiveness

The first of these benefits involves the obvious cost difference of taking courses online. The tuition costs themselves can be immensely cheaper for students, and this doesn’t even account for the ability to use your own kitchen and the cooking utensils that you already own. For many people, the affordability of online classes alone may be their only hope of realizing their culinary aspirations. Furthermore, the advantages of learning in at home don’t stop at the economic benefits.

2. Learn at Your Own Pace

Studying and practicing at home allows you to learn at your own pace. This can be tremendously beneficial to beginners or those seeking to take up the culinary arts as a hobby. Developing basic skills is essential to future success in the industry, thus learning these rudimentary tasks at your own pace can have a significant impact on future success. Additionally, taking courses online also offers convenience.

3. Convenience
The third benefit to taking culinary courses online is the convenience of learning in your own home, when the time is right. The distractions and responsibilities of life can make learning a demanding syllabus at culinary school next to impossible. However, online courses allow students to learn when it is convenient for them, and therefore allows your learning experience to be nonintrusive to your daily responsibilities. Regardless of the intensity of your schedule, taking online culinary courses can provide you with the versatility to make learning fit smoothly into your own schedule.

4. Experience New Technology

Finally, taking culinary courses online makes use of some of today’s newest technologies to provide a superior educational experience. Through the use of webcams, instructors can communicate one on one with their students in a more casual environment. In this way the student feels less pressured to perform, and instead they can focus on learning the material at hand.

Considering these four benefits it would seem that choosing to take online culinary courses should be the best decision for many who aspire to enter the culinary arts.

Written by Mark Lynch, on behalf of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Schools.

The post 4 Benefits Of Online Culinary Classes appeared first on Weekly Living.

1. Casamentos in New Orleans

Rated the number one seafood restaurant in New Orleans by a number of publications, including “New Orleans” magazine, Casamentos is known for its oyster poor boy sandwiches, hearty seafood gumbo and softshell crabs (in season.) The restaurant, in business since 1919, is located west of the garden district in the heart of working class New Orleans and offers unpretentious and tasty seafood at affordable prices. Casamentos is open from September through May for lunch Tuesday through Saturday and for dinner Thursday through Saturday.

2. Faidley Seafood in Baltimore

Located in the heart of downtown Baltimore across from the Lexington Market, Faidley’s has been serving quality seafood since 1886. The modest establishment attracts customers from all strata of Baltimore life as well as tourists to taste their renowned lump crab cakes. New York’s Zagat guide gives them a 27 out of 30 rating. Faidley Seafood is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

3. Frenchy’s Original Cafe in Clearwater

Opened in 1981, Frenchy’s Original Cafe sits in the heart of Clearwater, Florida. A favorite of locals and visitors alike, Frenchy’s is best known for its super grouper sandwich. The quaint, unassuming eatery serves a full array of seafood specialties, including seafood gumbo and Frenchy’s poutine, a tribute to the owner’s French Canadian heritage. Frenchy’s is open daily for lunch and dinner.

4. The Crab Cooker in Newport Beach

The Crab Cooker, located in the middle of Newport Beach just a few blocks from the Newport Pier, is a refreshing departure from the often pricey trendy food palaces that populate southern California and serves lunch and dinner daily. In business since 1951, the Crab Cooker is well-known for its clam chowder as well as its crab cakes and oysters skewered with bacon.

So why not make your next vacation a seafood fest? There are plenty of vacation homes in Clearwater, Louisiana, Southern California and Baltimore, all within a short drive of one of these great restaurants.

Mercedes Potter is an elite writer and foodie with a love for seafood. Follow her @CedesPotter to see other food related blogs.

The post Seafood Spots That Will Blow You Out of the Water appeared first on Weekly Living.

Eating healthy is important, but sometimes, our schedules require that we order takeout or hit the drive-thru on our way home because it’s easier and less time consuming. And while it is more convenient, it can have damaging effects on our health.

Nobody said that cooking a healthy dinner had to take all night. So whether you have plans or simply hate wasting time in the kitchen, the following are five great—and very healthy—dinner recipes that can be prepared, cooked and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.

Vegetable Gnocchi

The combination of hearty gnocchi with tasty vegetables will drive your palate crazy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. gnocchi

• 2 shallots, chopped

• 2 tbsp. butter

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• 3 zucchinis, sliced lengthwise

• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

• ½ cup parmesan cheese

• ½ cup parsley

Directions:

1.     Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.

2.     In a large skillet, melt butter. Add shallots and zucchini. Cook until soft.

3.     Add tomatoes and nutmeg, stirring often.

4.     Add in parsley and parmesan.

5.     Add in the gnocchi and coat.

Moo Shoo Veggies

Get the luxury and flavor of Chinese takeout without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. sesame oil

• 2 tsp. ginger, minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 12 oz. mixed vegetables

• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar

• 2 cups mung bean sprouts

• 1 bunch scallions

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

1.     Heat 1 tsp. oil in skillet.

2.     Add in the eggs, stirring gently.

3.     Place on a plate.

4.     Heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in skillet.

5.     Add in garlic and ginger, stirring until soft.

6.     Add in vegetables, sprouts, soy sauce, vinegar and scallions.

7.     Cover and cook until tender.

Spinach Salmon

Salmon is a great fish as it contains many health benefits.

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless salmon fillets

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• ½ cup feta, crumbled

• 1/3 cup pine nuts

• 10 oz. baby spinach

• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1.     Heat broiler.

2.     Place salmon on baking sheet. Broil for 7 minutes.

3.     In a large skillet, heat oil. Add in spinach, and cook until tender.

4.     Remove from heat and drain excess liquid.

5.     Add in the pine nuts, feta and lemon juice.

Glazed Pork Chops

This tasty dish will become a staple in your menu rotation.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. butter

• 1 shallot

• ¼ tsp. thyme

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 1 tsp sage

Directions:

1.     Heat oil and butter in a large skillet.

2.     Add in pork. Cook for 4 min per side.

3.     Transfer to a plate.

4.     Add shallot to the skillet. Stir until soft.

5.     Add thyme, sage and a bit of wine. Simmer for about 3 minutes.

6.     Add sauce on top of the pork chop.

Simple Steak

Yes, steak. It’s easy to prepare and healthy for you.

Ingredients:

• 4 shell steaks

• 4 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

1.     Heat oil in a skillet.

2.     Add in two of the steaks. Cook for about 2 min per side.

3.     Repeat process for remaining two steaks.

4.     Serve with a delicious salad.

Jessica Brown is a health expert.  She loves blogging about healthy eating and exercise in her spare time.  Jessica often shares recipes for quick and easy dinners.

The post 5 Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less appeared first on Weekly Living.

Coffee Makers With Timers

Coffee makers with programmable clocks and timers are commonplace today.  For the coffee lover, this was a fabulous invention.  The idea that simply preparing the coffee and setting the timer for a fresh, hot cup of coffee in the morning was euphoric!

Coffee Apps

Since 2008, technology gurus have been predicting that the mobile phone would soon be used as a device that acts as a remote control unit.  The mobile phone would be able to perform functions that are specifically integrated with the daily living activities of consumers.  These functions would include activities such as locking, unlocking and starting cars, locking and unlocking doors to homes, and yes, turning on coffee makers.

There are many different coffee apps on the market today. There are apps that give specific instructions and recipes for the perfect cup of coffee, depending on the individual’s specific tastes.  There are apps for the traveller looking for a good cup of coffee, that act as pocket guides for information about coffee houses.

Remote-controlled Coffee Machine

There is a coffee machine designed by a Danish coffee machine manufacturer that can make coffee, espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more.  This coffee machine has a touch screen and can also be operated with a smartphone app.  The smart phone operates as a remote control.  The machine and smartphone app allows consumers to connect to the machine wirelessly and order the beverage of their choice.  The coffee machine and app also lets consumers pre-program their order.  At this time, this coffee machine and app are being marketed toward offices and expensive homes.

Robotic Coffee Kiosks

A robotic coffee kiosk has been invented by a company comprised of business and technology individuals, and a nationally-known coffee barista.  The company plans to establish an international network of automatic kiosks to place in large buildings such as hospitals and universities.  The company then plans to build smaller kiosks for mass production.  Everything would be controlled electronically, including any repairs that would need to be made on the robotic kiosks.  With these robotic kiosks, consumers would be able to order from mobile phones as well as online.  Customers would also be able to place orders by using the touch screen on the kiosks and added functionality will allow them to setup personal accounts with their individual taste preferences and preferred payment method.

Using technology to make coffee is the answer to many coffee lovers’ dreams.  Coffee makers with programmable clocks and timers make it possible to wake up to a fresh cup of coffee while the latest innovation of using mobile phones with apps as remote controls are the answer to a fresh cup of coffee made even simpler. In the future look for further innovation in the ways we can get a custom cup of joe, made simpler through technology.

Citations:

• Image: Jacob Metcalf

Damien Higgins enjoys using coffee gadgets. He writes for Eden Springs which supplies office coffee machines.

The post Using Technology To Make Coffee appeared first on Weekly Living.

Wine is the first alcoholic drink that researchers have found to have a positive impact on the body among all other alcoholic drinks. Wine is a healthy drink as far as researchers are concerned and it helps in the prevention of some diseases.

The first health benefit of wine is that it helps in reducing the risk of heart attacks. Wine is said to increase the good kind of cholesterol that is HDL cholesterol and also it thins the blood. Wine also contains resveratol which helps in preventing blood clots and also plasma viscosity in the blood. Because of this it also plays a big part in preventing heart disease and stroke.

Wine has also proved to increase longevity. Research has stated that wine drinkers get to live longer by two years compared to people who drink beer and spirits. Wine drinkers also get to live longer than non alcoholic drinkers by two to five years. White wine has been seen to help in slowing down brain decline durng the process of aging. It has been shown that it reduces the risk of developing alzheimer’s and parkinson’s disease.

Another health benefit of wine is that it helps to reduce the risk of having the diabetes type 2 disease. This is actually credited to the grape because the grape fruit contains resveratol which reduces hypertension and insulin resistance in the body. Tannins also contained in red wine help to reduce the risk of getting diabetes type 2.

Wine drinkers also have a health advantage over non drinkers and drinkers of other alcoholic drinks because drinking wine helps in reducing the risk of cataracts in old age. Research has stated that wine drinker reduce their risk of cataract deevelopment by half compared to beer and spirit drinkers together with the non drinkers.

Enough research has also been done to prove and also find out if wine helps to reduce the risk of cancer. These researches have been successful and have actually found that is is true wine helps to reduce cancer risk. Wine is said to have phytochemicals which are chemicals found in plants. the grape fruit has a specific chemical called polyphenol which acts as an antioxidant and prevents the cells from oxidative damage. Wine also has resveratol which helps to reduce the growth of cancer by reducing tumor growth.

White wine helps in improving how the lungs function in the body. The existance of antioxidants in the wine has a very relevant effect to the lungs more than red wine which is said to have a higher level of antioxidants than white wine. Science has not yet been able to find a way to explain how that is but when it comes to lung function white wine drinkers have the advantage.

Other benefits of wine include, improving digestion which can help people who suffer from ulcers, reducing stress and improving the srtength of the bones in the body.

Please note that wine is healthy only when it is taken in moderate amounts.

VIm runs the popular wine blog 12×75.com

The post Health Benefits of Wine appeared first on Weekly Living.