Grupo Mayan Gourmet Life

The tastes of Italy often spark many interests of food lovers because most of their foods and recipes are derived from very bold, rich flavors that are found in a natural way throughout the country.  Pecorino Toscana happens to be one such food that is hard to stay away from once you have discovered the rich taste of this cheese.  It is basically made from sheepís milk, say the Grupo Mayan experts, and was first produced in the Tuscany region.

The process for making this cheese is by using the milk of the sheep and pasteurizing it and then pressing it into curds to be able to remove all of the liquid and then the next process is to cook it to remove even more water.  The curds are then soaked in brine that allows it to dry and age.  Some of the dairy farms that produce this kind of cheese like to rub it with tomato paste to give it a hint of vegetable flavoring and others use olive oil to preserve the rind and try to prevent the growing of mold.

Naturally, say the Grupo Mayan pros, because this cheese is made from sheep milk, it is going to have a very high fat content.  As with most things that are high in fat, they taste wonderful.  The oil from the cheese is abundant but this is what gives off butterfat and makes the cheese have a good texture and better flavor.

In the aging process of Pecorino Toscano, say the Grupo Mayan experts, you will find 2 different kinds of cheese.  The first being fresh Toscano, which is only aged for a couple of weeks and is best used on things such as grilled Panini sandwiches or thinly sliced and placed on top of a baked potato.

The other kind is aged Toscano which takes a fermenting process of about 6 months and the flavor of the aged Toscano is much more sharp and salty.  Serving this cheese with fresh fruit as an appetizer is a wonderful way to enjoy this type of cheese as well as grating it over salads or pasta dinners.

There are also certain wines that go best with this cheese, say the Grupo Mayan experts, such as the Lungarotti or Ovieto white wine, when enjoying the fresh cheese and Brunello or Chianti Classico goes best with the aged cheese as well as most other true Tuscan red wines.

If you want to truly impress your guests at your next gourmet meal, try Pecorino Toscano and they will be talking about it for months afterwards.

Cocoa has been around since the ancient Aztecs discovered it in 400 A.D. but in actuality did not grow in popularity until it was Columbus who took it back to Spain.  In the mid 1600ís chocolate was mainly enjoyed by the Europeans as a beverage, say the Grupo Mayan experts, and it was very popular.  Then, in 1847, we were introduced to chocolate as a solid.  Towards the end of that century, chocolate makers started adding milk to the recipe which created milk chocolate and ever since then we have been enjoying all types of different candy bars and chocolate covered treats.

The process of making chocolate is quite simple, say the Grupo Mayan experts in gourmet cuisine, although depending on what region you are on, chocolate makers use very different recipes to create their own unique chocolate.  The standard way of making chocolate is to use ground up cocoa beans and then all of the other ingredients that go into making chocolate and these ingredients are heated together typically in a huge pot or vat and then cooled to create the solid form of chocolate.

There are so many nutritional benefits to chocolate that it is surprising that it is not something that is prescribed to some people by their doctors.  Chocolate contains many vitamins and minerals as well as calcium and magnesium.  Chocolate, according to the Grupo Mayan experts, when processed correctly is full of antioxidants, which has numerous health benefits all on its own.  Foods rich in antioxidants that are not overly processed are known to help prevent diseases such as heart disease and cancer.  The main benefit of antioxidants in chocolate is found in dark chocolate.

Some additional cool trivia facts about chocolate are that it is actually made from the inside of a cocoa bean not the entire bean itself.  The inside of the bean is called the nib and after the beans have been roasted and the outer shell is peeled away you get the nib.  In liquid form, say the Grupo Mayan experts, the nip is what creates the liquor of chocolate, when it is cooled it is the solid form of chocolate.  The fat from the bean is called cocoa butter, which is used in many beauty products, and then once the chocolate is pressed, all of the powder left behind is called cocoa powder.  The Aztecs considered chocolate to be an aphrodisiac, which we know is not true now, but the reason it was seen as such was because chocolate contains serotonin which is the natural happy drug that is already in our bodies and when serotonin levels are boosted by consumption of chocolate, it can make you feel very good and happy.

Lastly, say the Grupo Mayan experts, white chocolate is actually made from the cocoa butter, leaving out the nib liquor, this is why it is only white in color, and the taste is very smooth and distinct.

Ever since the growing popularity of coffee consumption, coffee has been through many changes and development of different concoctions to try to appeal to all tastes.  The vast improvement of coffee has allowed the gourmet coffee drinker the choice to choose between several different grades of coffee as well as flavors.  If you are a coffee connoisseur, say the Grupo Mayan experts, or just one of this people who need their every morning pick-me-up, there is probably nothing more tempting to the palate as a hot cup of your favorite gourmet coffee.

Sometimes, to fully appreciate a hot cup of java you should take a moment to sample and educate yourself on the basics of gourmet coffee.  The coffee bean is actually derived from as seed of the coffee plant.  There are a couple of different ways that the seed is extracted from the plant, say the Grupo Mayan experts, either a dry process or a wet process and each process will bring out the same results.

There are 2 different types of natural coffee one is called the Arabica type and the other is the Robusta.  The Robusta, according to the Grupo Mayan experts, is actually the bean that contains the absolute most natural caffeine and the Arabica, which is the true initial form of gourmet coffee, only contains about half of the amount of caffeine of the Robusta.  Arabica beans tend to be a lot more appealing and have a better aroma than the Robusta as well.  The Robusta bean can smell quite bitter although the taste is not too bitter for consumption it is surely not as smooth as the Arabica bean.

Gourmet coffee comes in many different flavors and typically, once you find your favorite that will become the coffee that you base all of your opinion on when trying others in comparison.  The flavors you can get the gourmet coffee in are for example, Swiss mocha, Vanilla, French Vanilla, Irish Creme, almond, amaretto, mint, chocolate, pumpkin spice and peppermint, but according to the Grupo Mayan experts in gourmet cuisine, this list is just a partial list of what is available out there.

Gourmet coffee houses are always trying to expand the flavor variety of their coffee and the development of new flavors is what can keep a coffee connoisseur on their toes.

Additionally, say the Grupo Mayan experts, most of these coffees are available in decaf for those of us who have sensitive stomachs.  The caffeine is only part of the culprit, the acid found in coffee is the other, but getting a decaf style coffee will help you enjoy your coffee that much more and more often.

According to the Grupo Mayan expert chefs, one of the best pleasures in life is being able to enjoy great tasting food.  Undoubtedly, gourmet food happens to be some of the best tasting food available and itís not every day that we get to enjoy gourmet food but that certainly should not stop us from having it at every event or occasion to treat ourselves and our guests.

Some of the different types of gourmet foods will vary and they are not all expensive, in fact, most are not and they range from liquid consumables to actual food.

A lot of what makes gourmet food gourmet, say the Grupo Mayan experts, is in the preparation of the food and once again, this process does not have to be expensive.  The hardest part about gourmet food and why we do not indulge ourselves more often is because to make true gourmet food, it does take a lot of preparation and time which is something that most of us do not have a lot of these days.

The following, say the Grupo Mayan pros, is a list of gourmet foods and beverages for you to consider when you are planning your next gourmet meal.

One such gourmet treat, say the Grupo Mayan experts, is coffee.  There are so many exotic blends available now that you should try to explore these blends as a treat for you and your guests on your next get-together.  Tea is another option as it is just as vast in the different types of blends and flavors.

ChocolateÖ well, you can never really go wrong with chocolate and with this type of chocolate it does not have to be expensive, say the Grupo Mayan experts, but the way you would prepare a chocolate gourmet treat is to add fruit to that chocolate such as chocolate covered strawberries or mandarin oranges for a very exotic taste.

The main dish of the gourmet meal would include a dish prepared with meat, which could be beef, pork, chicken, lamb or seafood.  There are several gourmet recipes available online and you will see that the main part of the work is not in the expense of the ingredients, say the Grupo Mayan experts, but the prep time and overall time it takes to make the main dish.

On your next event or get together, you should make a point to be extremely prepared and have a meal for your guests that will make the night more pleasurable and one that no one will forget.  The better your gourmet meal is, say the Grupo Mayan experts, the longer people are going to be talking about that last dinner at your place.

Cheesecake happens to be one of the most popular and favored deserts amongst most people.  There are so many aspects to cheesecake that make it appealing, say the Grupo Mayan expert chefs, including the ease of baking the cheesecake.  It actually can be time consuming making a cheesecake depending on how it is prepared and there are several restaurants that make their own cheesecake and they take 3 days to make 1 cheesecake.

There are so many different types of cheesecakes that you can make or find that there is sure to be a favorite found by everyone.  Some people just prefer a plain, simple cheesecake, others prefer a fruit topped cheesecake and then others prefer the variety that has added flavors like chocolate mixed right in.

The history of cheesecake is actually a very interesting one, say the Grupo Mayan pros, because there is a very rich history behind this delectable desert that most deserts do not have.  We have been able to trace this yummy desert all the way back to 2000 years and this desert was actually developed by the Greeks.  We know for the most part, that this desert was served to all of the Olympic contestants in the original Olympic games in 776 B.C.  They were served in mini-form compared to how they are made today and the purpose was to give the athletes a boost of energy to improve performance.

This yummy desert was very tempting to the Romans, say the Grupo Mayan pros, as well and when they took over the Greek empire, the Romans also too many aspects of their culture such as their food and the way it is prepared.  The Romans actually changed the name of this desert to something that I can promise you, I and many other people, would never touch if it were still called that.  They changed the name to Placenta.  I am not certain why they chose this name other than the fact that it might have represented a treat for the Godís.  Thank goodness over the decades the name was changed to something that is easier to stomach.

It does not in the slightest surprise anyone that this desert derived from the Greeks, as they are known for their great desert making as well as other foods that we still enjoy to this day.

Now that you know a little of the history of cheesecake, say the Grupo Mayan experts in cuisine, next time you are sharing a piece with a friend or family member, you can educated them on the history of cheesecake.

If you enjoy trying new foods and look forward to gourmet experiences while you are on your vacation, then there are some tips you need to know about Chinese food to ensure you are getting the best possible experience possible.  Grupo Mayan chefs are very experienced with many varieties of Chinese cuisines and recommend that you check to ensure that are receiving authentic cuisines.

One of the main differences in a Chinese gourmet experience is that the order in which the food is presented is slightly different.  When you are served Chinese food, the focus is on the starch (rice or noodles) with meat or seafood added first.  Then vegetables are included second.  Most other types of foods focus on the meat first, vegetables second and the starch (if used) last.  If you have ever eaten at a Chinese restaurant where the rice or noodles were not very good, you were not eating at a true Chinese restaurant but a generic version of one.

Chinese cuisines are often divided into certain categories based on the area where the food has been influenced.  Mongolian influences affected the northern parts of China.  As rice is not a staple in the north as it is in most of the rest of the country, noodles and bread are often found at the heart of a Mongolian dish.  If you experience the Mongolian beef dish, to be true to its culinary roots, it should be served with noodles.  In the south of China, Cantonese deeply influenced the dishes created.  Fresh fruits and seafood are often found in this type of regional Chinese cuisine.  Spicy dishes contain many unique spices found in the Szechuan and Hunan mountain regions.

Peppers, garlic, ginger, and onions were not part of the original Chinese foods until the Buddhist monks brought them with them thousands of years ago.  Today, many of the best gourmet Chinese foods contain these ingredients.  If you have tried some of the many Chinese foods that have become popular in the US, you are probably not receiving true gourmet foods but are partaking of the US version.  The egg roll is a good example of a dish that has been greatly modified for US consumption.  Grupo Mayan chefs reveal that most gourmet Chinese experiences will have egg rolls that are vegetarian in nature and rely on simple herbs to accentuate the dish.  No matter what you may have tasted before, a true Chinese gourmet experience can be exhilarating.

The Spaniards are huge fans of the cured ham and have been able to establish many different varieties of their own to add to their national cuisine.  The methods they use to cure their hams, say the Grupo Mayan experts, is very similar to that of the Italians and are often considered as good if not better than that of the Italians.

Most people have no idea that the Spaniards have different types of cured ham and if you are one of those people, pay attention because you do not know what you are missing out on.

The most common variety of ham consumption in Spain, according to the Grupo Mayan expert chefs, is the Jamon Serrano.  The process in which these hams are cured is very intricate but well worth all of the effort and time.  First, the hams are cleaned and trimmed and then stacked in sea salt for a 2-week process of preservation.  After the 2-week period, these hams are then washed off and hung up to dry for a period of no less than 6 months and they are dried in sheds that are a higher elevation and this is where the serrano part comes in because this is the final stage of curing the ham.

Sometimes this process can take as long as a year and a half, say the Grupo Mayan experts, and it all depends on the judgement of a seasoned curer specialist considers the ham to be ready.  The way they test the readiness of the ham is by putting a splintered sharp end of a cow bone into the center of the ham and pulling it out and smelling it.

Connoisseurs, say the Grupo Mayan experts, will look for the varieties of Pata Negra that are made from free range fed pigs that are predominantly raised on acorns. The different varieties definitely are based on where the pig is raised and the way it is fed but each distinct type has its own flavor so this is where the best is considered subjective.

Mayan Resorts today announced that its revolutionary collaboration website intranet.mayanresorts.com has been redesigned with a new user-friendly interface and has been engineered to take advantage of new Web 2.0 technologies.
“Many intranet/collaboration projects fail because employees within the company cannot quickly locate the information,” said the experts of the project. “We spent resources improving the processes of creating, categorizing and locating information within Mayan Resorts Intranet”.
Intranet.mayanresorts.com has added a new search bar on every page that allows users to quickly search content on the site.
A customizable tab system has also been added to the interface. Now each user can create personalized tabs and shortcuts to frequently accessed pages within Intranet. The new tab system is a real time-saver for users.
To assist users in reviewing new content, a customizable “What’s New” button is now available. It allows users to quickly review new information that has been added or modified to the site, within a specified period of time.
Intranet Mayan Resorts has also re-introduced a new Discussion Forum application. The new interface provides options for more efficient collaboration on company topics and projects. Users will benefit from the interface’s familiar appearance and functionality.
Mayan Resorts offers multiple options for Intranet users. The new version is available as online service only for Mayan Resorts employees. Screenshots are available from the Mayan Resorts Intranet website.

All over the world people love coffee.  Some people canít live without their morning cup or two, some people are such addicts that they drink it several times throughout the day.  Whatever your case might be, say the Grupo Mayan experts, knowing the difference between the many different coffee blends will help you find out what is out there and it just might help you discover a blend that you like better than the one you normally drink.

Most people only know there are 2 kinds of beans that coffee is made from, Arabica and Robusta, but other than that, they just think coffee is coffee.  Naturally, over the years, coffee makers and connoisseurs alike have been able to create some of the most unique blends.   When you go to your favorite coffee shop these days, say the Grupo Mayan experts, or the grocery store, there are so many different blends and flavors to choose from that it can literally make your head spin.

Depending on which region of the world the coffee bean comes from is what the taste will depend on.  Typically, according to the Grupo Mayan experts, there are only a few regions beans are grown in and that is Central America, Africa and Arabia.  Even though all of these places are growing the same plant, once the beans make their way to the coffee-manufacturers and are roasted, that is where the difference comes in.

The beans from Central America are going to produce a coffee that is lighter in taste and you will not experience that much of an aftertaste.  The other beans from Africa and Arabia are going to be more exotic with their blends, say the Grupo Mayan pros, and have more of an almost fruity flavor, but it is very mild and distinct.

A lot of coffee manufacturers actually blend their processes to come up with different blends of ground coffee and this can make the coffee either much weaker than what you are used to, or much stronger than what you are used to, but if you do your homework, you wonít waste your money on a coffee you know you definitely will not like.

For example, say the Grupo Mayan experts, a breakfast blend is a very light and mild blend that almost resembles a very strong tea.  This blend is not something people who like strong coffee will actually go for.  So if you do not make your way to a coffee stand for an espresso or latte, but instead you are making coffee from home, stick to a dark roast, say the Grupo Mayan experts.  Dark roast coffee is full-bodied and will definitely kick start your day.

Twelve billion people cannot be wrong about chocolate.  That is the large number of people who enjoy chocolate everyday as a desert or a treat, say the Grupo Mayan experts.  A lot of people think that since chocolate is so high in sugar, calories and fat content, it might be pretty bad for you which inhibits them from eating chocolate too much.

Remember when they used to say that eggs yolks were bad for our cholesterol levels?  Remember when they said that avocados are so high in fat content that they were bad for us because they were considered a food that would quickly clog our arteries?

Since that time, say the Grupo Mayan experts, research has shown that the benefits of eggs far outweigh any negative side effects as well as the avocados.  Well my friends, we are here to tell you, the same goes for chocolate.

In fact, there are studies to support the need for chocolate by women who suffer from PMS.  But the best kind of chocolate for us is the dark chocolate variety, say the Grupo Mayan experts.  The reason that dark chocolate is better for us is because dark chocolate is higher in antioxidants and the health benefits are many.

The several things that antioxidants do for our bodies are lower our blood pressure, protects the body from the negative effects of free radicals, it contains the natural happy drug serotonin which is already in our bodies but is added to when we increase the intake of dark chocolate, lowers our cholesterol by keeping our LDL in check.

Not all dark chocolate is the same, say the Grupo Mayan experts, though so make sure that you do your research before adding dark chocolate to your regular diet.  Some kinds are highly processed and contain extreme amounts of fats and fillers, yet they are low in antioxidants.

You should always be aware of the processing that the dark chocolate you enjoy goes through and if you are truly eating it for mainly the health benefits, make sure that the chocolate you are eating has a high amount of antioxidants.  One thing to know, according to the Grupo Mayan pros, is that if the chocolate is hot-pressed, this actually rids the chocolate of almost all of the antioxidants so you want to stick to the dark chocolate that goes through the process of cold-pressing.

After you have done your research, just as with anything else, there are dangerous levels of dark chocolate and I am not suggesting you sit there and each dark chocolate every day, all day long.  Moderation is key as with anything else you consume.  So enjoy some today!