How to Create The Perfect, Clear Ice Ball

Air bubbles and other impurities tend to come together as water freezes so when it finally does, you get ice that has a cloudy portion in it. Ice balls are no exception. Luckily for you, this article will walk you through the steps in making perfectly clear frozen orbs.

What you'll need:

1 Set of Silicone Ice Ball Molds

A Cooler Of Water

Length Of Wire

Step 1: Extend the length of wire over the cooler filled with water. Create a loop in the middle of the wire.

Step 2: Immerse the silicone Ice Ball Mold top-down into the water in the cooler. Ensure that the small hole is at the bottom. Fill the entire mold with water.

Step 3: Slowly lift the filled mold to the surface while making sure that the hole remains in the water, this way the water inside the mold does not go back down into the cooler.

Step 4: Nestle the filled mold on the wire loop, again making sure that the loop and the hole are immersed in the water.

Step 5: Put the cooler in the freezer to freeze. Placing the cooler in the warmest section of your freezer would be best as the slower the cooler freezes, the better the results.

Step 6: Allow the frozen ice mold to sit for a few minutes before releasing it from the mold.

If you want to make more sphere ice, simply make more wire loops. One thing you have to make sure of is that the hole at the top of the ice mold is completely immersed in water so the water inside does not flow back down. If this happens, you'll have yourself a nice round ball of nothing! You can also use a simple pot with handles where you can attach the wire if you don't have a cooler that can easily fit into your freezer.

Silicone Ice Ball Molds are best for making ice balls because they are easy to assemble, easy to unmold and are made of high quality, food grade silicone which is BPA free. They are also bigger in size at 2 ½ inches in diameter. The bigger diameter allows for a bigger surface area and makes the frozen balls melt slower than ice cubes or even smaller ice orbs would.

Top quality silicone Ice Ball Molds help you create stunning ice balls which keep your drinks cold for a longer time without getting watery.

How to Decide on a Favorite Pizza Place

Thinking Pizza?

Of course you are! A hot, delicious pie is sure to please all appetites. But the market is saturated and not all restaurants are up to meet all your needs. Fortunately, there are a few distinguishing factors that can help in your determination of which local spot to order your pizza delivery from.

What goes 'round, comes 'round

Your pizza crust doesn't need to be thick and chewy every time! One night you might be up for a super cheesy personal pizza with crunchy crust. On another occasion you may be ordering for your family and go for a meaty New York style pie with white sauce. No matter your situation, you ought to be able to make different orders with the same results: satisfaction! Make sure that your potential pizzeria offers options for fresh toppings, good ingredients, different types of crusts, and more.

Besides the pizza: what comes into play when placing your order? Variety!

It is important to make sure that your go-to pizza spot has options. At different times, your orders will be geared to different preferences and needs. Whether you are ordering for yourself, your family or relatives, or throwing a pizza party will dictate what you need to bring to the table. So make sure your spot has got all the good side dishes and fixings! Some places offer various starters such as fried hot chicken wings, (cheesy!) bread sticks, or crispy artichoke hearts. Other places may cook up savory and nostalgic Italian entrees. Some will grill hot, juicy subs and sandwiches or fix-up fresh cold cuts, hitting the nail on that sandwich craving's head. Often you will find a Caesar or antipasto salad on a menu, a nice green addition to round out your meal. Order from a restaurant that serves an expansive menu, and you can have the best Italian and comfort foods delivered right to your door.

The perfect first slice

Timing is essential when it comes to your pizza delivery! The alchemy of hot sauce, melty cheese, and fresh ingredients works on a clock. A quick delivery affords your pizza the appropriate time to meld together, but if it takes too long your layers and flavors will lose their steam. Plus, there is no need to get hungry! You want to be able to predict your meal's arrival time. A solid operation will have a consistent flow and steady delivery fleet with a good reputation.

And in that vein: Who's that knocking at the door?

Your pizza delivery guy surely has a sneak peak into your favorite pastime. With insider knowledge on the intimate details of your order, you want to come face to face with a fellow food enthusiast. Make sure your locale has real-deal Italian pie lovers on the line cooking up and carrying out the orders with the same excitement you have when lifting that cardboard lid for the first time.

Make it easy!

You might have a pizza place on speed dial, but it's not always appropriate or possible to make a phone call. Many places these days are thinking about their customers' busy lives and now work with online order forms.

Ten Surprising Facts About Sushi

1. Sushi is not raw fish.

The word sushi refers to cooked rice mixed with seasoned rice vinegar (with sugar and salt). Sushi rice in Japanese is called "Shari." So by definition, as long as you use sushi rice, it can be called sushi. There are plenty of vegetable sushi in Japan such as pickles roll, futomaki (egg, spinach, kanpyo), Kappa (cucumber), ume shiso (plum), and many others including vegetable chirashi. In recent years, we have seen "newcomers" like mac and cheese sushi, hamburger sushi and beef sushi.

2. Sushi was invented in South East Asia First

Originally developed in Southeast Asia as a way to preserve fish in salt and rice., then it was introduced to Japan through China around 8th century. The form of sushi, nigiri and rolls we know now were developed in Tokyo (called as "Edo" around 19th century. In the beginning, it was a street fast food served at a sushi stand, just like a hot dog stand. We see the remaining of the original stand as a sushi bar at sushi restaurants.

3. Sushi rice is not sticky rice

Many people think sushi rice means "sticky rice." Sticky rice refers to mochi rice, which is used to make mochi. To make sushi rice, which is called "shari," sushi chefs add sushi vinegar to cooked rice. High sugar content in sushi vinegar gives stickiness to rice and keeps rice stick together.

4. Ginger is a strong antibacterial agent.

Pickled ginger not only brings fresh flavor in your mouth, it also cleanse one's palette, especially after oily fish. It functions as an antibacterial against raw fish, which can carry parasites.

5. California Roll is an American invention.

The story goes like this. One evening a customer at the sushi bar in little Tokyo, Los Angeles, requested a "special." The sushi chef used avocado (that was not a common sushi ingredient back then) and called it avocado special. The customer liked it so much that it became a regular menu and evolved to the California Roll we know now. Recently, a sushi chef in Canada claimed he invented it first. Regardless, California roll has become the most popular sushi item in America.

6. Nobody eats Tuna sushi until recently

Around 12-13 century in Japan, tuna was called "shibi," which rhymed with "day of dead" in Japanese. So, they avoided eating tuna because it was bad luck. Until 19th century when Yohei Hanaya invented nigiri sushi, people considered eating tuna as low class. Yohei marinated tuna in soy sauce and used for his sushi and became popular sushi item.

7. Nigiri or roll?

When Japanese say sushi, they think of Nigiri. When Americans think of sushi, they say Rolls.

8. Not all fish taste great when they are fresh.

Similar to beef aging, Tuna (yellow fin, big eye and bluefin) starts to taste better after one to two weeks of aging. Halibut is almost uneatable when fresh- chewy and no flavor like eating an unripe green banana.

9. Sashimi does not mean raw fish.

Sashimi means sliced meat. Therefore, sliced raw beef has a name "Beef Sashimi." Japanese enjoy chicken sashimi (only fresh selected chicken) and vegetable sashimi as well.

10. Most so-called wasabi is not necessary wasabi

Most of the sushi restaurants in US use powdered wasabi. This wasabi consists of western horseradish and mustard with some food coloring. Of course, there are some restaurants use "real" wasabi powder. So why do most of them use non-wasabi power? That's because wasabi costs a lot of money. The fresh wasabi from Japan can cost anywhere from $50-$100/lbs., which could cost more than Toro (tuna belly.)

Know About the Best of Kansas City Restaurants

The restaurants in Kansas City are famous worldwide and if you are a food addict then this is the place you should be at. In fact, people from all over the world come down to this place just to enjoy the varied cuisines served at different Kansas City restaurants. It's not easy to pick the best restaurants as every place here has its unique and delicious dishes to offer. Still here are some of the best Kansas City restaurants which are very familiar among the visitors as well as the locals.

Story

This place opened back in May 2011 and has been a hit ever since. Chef Carl Thorne-Thomsen has been the Best Chef Midwest nominee and also the winner of The People's Best News Chef. If you are looking for a place with modern touch serving dishes having an influence of Italian and French this place is your destination. This place offers fresh, seasonal as well as local ingredients too. Some of the famous dishes consist of roasted beets, the smoked duck empanadas and the octopus and for starters you can get veal tenderloin along with asparagus and delicious pistachios.

Bluestem

Here you can enjoy exquisitely prepared New American dishes served in urban setting. This place is known for engaging only the best grade ingredients as can be seen in ahi tuna tataki appetizer. You should not miss the chance of relinquishing the crafted sweets like spring mint ice-cream sandwich. The entrees include halibut along with buttered lily bulbs, wagya beef with asparagus and a lot more.

Piropos

This is a famous Argentinean spot where the Midwestern cuisine meets the South American tastes. Be ready to be served with yummy blend of seafood with delicious grilled meats. For the appetizer, you can try the fired, flaky empanada which is stuffed with chicken and peppers. Feast on the 'bife de chorizo' which is 16oz, grilled KC steak served with roasted potatoes and vegetables. You have the flexibility to select from a wide range of fish dishes here.

Michael Smith

The menu offered here is well prepared by the eponymous chef who likes to make use of local ingredients to get the real taste of Kansas City food. The dishes include Columbia River sturgeon served well with spaetzle mushroom ragu, red-deer scaloppine and pork roasted wonderfully for 8 hours with delicious onion risotto. For diners, you can try meatball threesome along with braised rabbit and home prepared gnocchi.

Best Dairy Free Butter Substitute

Whether you're thinking of cutting down on the amount of butter for a more balanced diet or looking to cut it out all together, we have all the facts about what makes the best substitute for butter in your everyday diet.

There are some great butter substitutes out there - many bakers prefer to use unsweetened applesauce in their recipes, as it has the right consistency and it's vegan friendly. Olive oil and other vegetable oils are lower-fat butter substitutes for frying, roasting and grilling too and some people love to spread coconut oil onto their breakfast toast as a quirky butter alternative.

Our favourite substitute for butter, however, has got to be margarine. It fills the same roles (rolls?!) as butter in our daily cooking requirements, whilst containing fewer of the bad fats. Margarine today also contains only traces of those infamous trans-fats which nutrition experts warn us against. In fact, the plant oils that margarine is made from contain the good unsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and 6, which our bodies actually need to maintain normal cholesterol levels.

Margarine makers even add vitamins into their margarine recipes. Vitamin A helps keeps hair, skin and eyes healthy, while vitamin D takes care of bones and teeth. Vitamin E helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

There are margarines which are dairy free, suitable for vegans and vegetarian, as well as low fat versions which make it a great butter substitute. Whatever your tastes, eating habits or lifestyle choice there is a blend out there for you. There are also margarines specifically for baking and loads of different flavours, too.

If you're looking for some cooking inspiration there are absolutely loads of margarine recipes to try and they just might change the way you look at cooking forever! Lots of bakers swear by margarine for creating the lightest sponges and chewiest cookies so why not test it out for yourself by searching online for some margarine-inspired recipes? There are lots of them about, with themes for every occasion; from Christmas to Halloween! Or maybe dig out some old recipe books and try substituting butter for margarine and taste the difference.

Margarine is rumoured to be the secret key to the perfect curry and is a delicious addition to warming winter soups. You can fry, grill, baste and roast with it, it's so versatile! A handy tip to know is that liquid margarine turns transparent when it's hot, so you can tell when your pan is hot enough to get started - a chef's dream come true! Cooking with liquid margarine means that there is less hot, spitting fat and oil too.