Agar-Agar. Few facts.

In the era of preservatives and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), we are increasingly thinking about the importance and necessity of healthy eating, because a large number of chemical elements and poor-quality raw materials in food often cause serious illness in humans. Striving to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we often distrust the novelties of the food market. New, unfamiliar names scare, and we try to use products that are well known, familiar from childhood. This approach is not always true. For example, consider this "native" and familiar to all gelatin, which is actively used to prepare the cold, jelly and other delicacies for many generations, both professional chefs and ordinary housewives.

Nutritional gelatin is a protein product of animal origin. Gelatin is made from bones, tendons, cartilage and other animal raw materials by prolonged boiling in water. What a disappointment for vegetarians! It turns out that even in a harmless jelly dessert prepared on gelatin, animal components are contained. But not only vegetarians are not recommended for this product. Gelatin is not allowed for use in foods of young children. People with cardiovascular diseases and those prone to oxaluric diathesis should also avoid dishes prepared with this thickener. All of the above does not mean that giving up gelatine is tantamount to giving up favorite treats. The modern food industry offers us an equally effective and much more useful analogue - a product called "agar-agar".

Agar-agar is a vegetable substitute for gelatin, a product derived from red and brown algae that grows in the White Sea and the Pacific, and forms a dense jelly when dissolved in water. The algae used are unusually rich in iodine, calcium, iron and other valuable substances and microelements, which makes the end product, agar-agar, unusually useful. Buy this gelatin substitute also for people caring for their figure, since agar-agar contains zero calories. It simply is not absorbed by the human body and even has a mild laxative effect.

Agar-agar removes toxins and toxins from the body, removes harmful substances from the liver, improving its work. In addition, this product has no taste, unlike gelatin, the meat taste of which will necessarily spoil your dessert if you put it a little more. You will not be disappointed by choosing agar-agar, you can buy and use it to make such delicacies like marshmallows, bird's milk, fruit jelly, marmalade and other goodies.

Professional suitcase - a set of confectioner

set confectioner In their work, confectioners use a number of special devices and devices that are necessary for decorating confectionery, giving them a certain shape, etc. Depending on the type of work or on the product with which to work, there are different sets of confectioners. For example, there are kits for working with caramel, chocolate or marzipan. They include various karbovochnye knives (knives with blades of various shapes), special forceps and other tools.

You can find universal sets of confectioner or specialized, especially attractive look kits in suitcases and cases. Such a package looks presentable, and storing all items in one place will save you from searching for the right tool.

Carving of vegetables and fruits

Elements of carving from vegetables and fruits are used not only in decorating the table, but also in floristry, in combination with flowers, decorative greens, floral foam. Complex exhibition compositions are multicomponent figures, each detail of which is cut out separately, and then all are fastened together.

A special direction of carving is the creation of decorative containers of vegetables and fruits: vases, baskets, caskets. Most often these spectacular things are not edible, so they can be additionally painted, covered with sequins.
Starting to cut out the "sculptures" of fruits and vegetables, you need to consider several rules for working with this unusual material.
Flowers are better obtained from peppers, tomatoes, radishes, and leaves and cones - from cucumbers and carrots.
If the composition serves not only for decoration, but also complements the dish, it is better to make it out of products combined with it. For salads with the addition of cucumbers and radish, the same vegetables will be an ornament, for fish - lemons and greens, for meat - cucumbers and carrots.
Beets must be soaked in cold water before work, and potatoes - in warm (or hold for several days in a warm room). Watermelons need to be warmed - a very cold watermelon can crack under the knife.
Ready decorations and compositions should be sprayed with water from time to time. Immediately after manufacturing, they are immersed in very cold water to preserve freshness.
To the apples, aubergines and pears do not darken, they are preliminarily lowered into a mixture of water, salt and lemon juice. The knife can also be wetted in a lemon during cutting. Spray should also be acidified water.
In the refrigerator, decorations are stored for up to 24 hours in tightly closed containers.
Carving: learning to do at home
The easiest way to decorate a table is to cut out fruits of different color and size of baskets. The basket of orange peel can be filled with berries or ice cream, and watermelon - with grapes, plums and other small bright fruits. A more intricate version is experimenting with figures of flowers and leaves.