Food art is something that utilizes two aspects of your creativity. First, how good a sculpture you can make. Second, how well you can cook. Don’t expect other people to go near your work of food art if smells stale or it doesn’t taste good. Although, here aesthetics take the higher priority, but smell and taste matter too. If you possess the rare skill of being both an expert carver and a proficient cook, all you need to look for is a good platform. For example, during the christmas season, you can take part in competitions where you have to make creative gingerbread houses.
5 – Immensely creative gingerbread houses
Creativity holds no boundaries and this is a fact that reflects clearly in food art. Just by letting your imagination run wild, you can create the most amazing looking cookies, cakes, castles and even gingerbread houses. During the Christmas season, you can see beautiful pieces of festive sweets and savories. Gingerbread houses are one of the most popular savories that come in different shapes and sizes. Since it is easy to make, kids learn how to make different types of Gingerbread houses even in schools. Here we have brought for you the five most creative gingerbread houses:
The winner of the list – Santa’s German Gingerbread Village
The first name in the list of the most creative gingerbread houses is the Santa’s German Gingerbread Village. Chef Ralf and his staff have done a beautiful job while creating this masterpiece. This Village stands 14.5 feet tall and 24 feet wide. To give the Gingerbread Village a beautiful touch, the team used 120 gallons of icing, 20 pounds of white and 60 pounds of dark chocolate.
The 30 sheets of gingerbread complement each layer. The artisan chef and his team took over 250 hours to complete this replica of a German village. Those who were at Sheraton Princess Kaâiulani Hotel in Waikiki had the pleasure of witnessing the display of this masterpiece. The inspirational idea came to light when the Chef wanted to do something unusual and different with the Christmas Special theme.
The magnificent beauty No. 2- Gingerbread Smithsonian Castle
Standing in the second place of the list of the most creative gingerbread houses, the Smithsonian Castle by Chef Charles Froke is an amazing piece of work. Apart from this, Froke has to his credit marvelous creative gingerbread houses versions of popular architectures including White House, National Cathedral and Capitol Building.
To complete this masterpiece, the chef took 100 hours of endless efforts. To give this magnificent replica the perfect look, the chef used close to 100 pounds of Gingerbread with 50 pounds of icing. The finishing touch of chocolate trees and sugar windows enhances the beauty of the Smithsonian Castle.
Creative gingerbread houses No. 3 – Gingerbread Castle
There is a reason why this Gingerbread Castle is on the list of most creative gingerbread houses. The winner of the 2010 Gingerbread House Contest, Sharon F, Toomsboro from Georgia truly showed what creative food art is all about.
It comprises of handmade candy mosaics and candy fairies . This completely edible gingerbread castle is a true resemblance of what the spirit of Christmas Saviors is all about. The beautifully decorated Gingerbread house consists of 11 batches of gingerbread, 20 batches of icing along with several pounds of cookies and candies.
Small but artistic No. 4- Justin Paik gingerbread house
The team behind this idea was WCVB-TV’s Bianca de la Garza, NECN-TV’s Tonya Mezrich Mandarin Oriental Hotel Chef Nelson Paz, Joshua Pires and Dana Williams . This gingerbread house is also the winner of the Little Wanderer’s completion conducted at S. Huntington Avenue Complex.
It stands true to its name- Home Sweet Home. By the looks of it, you can clearly see how aesthetically and beautifully this gingerbread house is decorated. Those who were at JP Seafood Cafe and Station 8 salon had the pleasure of seeing this beautiful Gingerbread house. Do not fall for the small size because it clearly shows that if a person choose, they can use their imagination in the most beautiful manner.
No. 5-The evergreen classic and Traditional German gingerbread house
This gingerbread house dates back during the years of 1994-95 and but is still one the most creative gingerbread houses . It is a replica of Qubec City’s grand hotel- Chateau Frontenac in Canada. Famous chef at the same hotel named, Jean Soulard along with Jose Martineau and Yvan Caron are the people behind this creation.
The motive for creating this beautiful masterpiece was to participate in an exhibit in Germany on Christmas. The beautifully decorated gingerbread is a blend of mouth watering candies, sugar icing and the favorite Gingerbread. Every part of this masterpiece is edible. The simplicity of the design is what makes this piece worth it to enter the list of the most creative gingerbread houses. It is also a classic example of the saying, Size does not matter.
The worst thing about food art is that if the exhibition lasts for very long you run the risk of letting your food rot. Therefore, to keep the food art fresh for long, people usually use these 8 hacks to keep the food fresh for long.
8 – Quick Hacks To Keep Your Food Fresh Longer
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Avoid washing anything before placing it in the refrigerator
For some it might seem to be an odd practice to place various things, including vegetables, without washing into the refrigerator but it is just the right thing to do. Moisture makes things deteriorate sooner. Green leafy vegetables tend to spoil fast. The best way to preserve them for longer is to keep them away from a damp surrounding. Placing them in containers with paper towels, in the fridge, will keep them fresh for longer than usual.
It is always good to wash the vegetables or fruits just before using them.
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Look for the “best before” date
The manufacturing date and the best before dates are for the consumers to know the freshness of the product that they are buying. Simply looking for the fresher products can help them stay for long with you because as it is, they will be of no use after the expiry date.
Also, just to keep up with your facts, you can go through the information given on the cover of various items. Sometimes there are ways of storing certain food products given on the food container itself.
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Chill wheat flour
Storing flour in airtight containers in the fridge can make it last for months together. It is likely to turn bad if it is kept for too long in the storage.
You will know that flour has turned bad if it has flour bugs in it.
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Making fruits last longer
Bananas are beneficial in any of its forms. From raw to ripe, there are many benefits of this fruit. But if you wish to keep the bananas from turning black, simply try wrapping its stem with a cling wrap. To keep them last for longer, keep them all separated from their stem or refrigerate them.
Berries, that have high antioxidant properties, can be kept fresh by giving them a water and vinegar bath before placing them in the fridge. The ratio for this will be 10 parts of water and 1 part of vinegar.
Apples turn black in sometime after they are cut; so also, avocados turn brown after we cut them. To prevent this, rub lemon on the apple wedges and squeeze lemon juice on the avocados.
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Use the right containers
When we get any food item from the market, it is best to transfer it to containers to store them better. Using the right kind of containers is also very important. If you use plastic containers, use food grade plastic containers. Also using containers with airtight lids helps in retaining the quality of the food.
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Potatoes and onions
We often tend to consider potatoes and onions best friends and keep them together. But the fact is, potatoes sprout faster when kept with onions. To avoid this from happening, place an apple with potatoes instead of keeping them with onions.
Onions can be stored in mesh zipper bags. The air circulation will prevent them from retaining any kind of moisture that can be a reason for them to rot.
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Organize the refrigerator
Loading up things in the fridge will not allow air circulation around the products. It is also important to arrange the products in the right manner. The placement of the products should allow enough circulation. The various compartments in the fridge are designed in a manner to maintain a proper temperature for various products despite the fridge having a specific temperature. There is a different slot for eggs on the door, for vegetables in a box form etc. that we must use properly in order to keep our food products last longer.
In addition, with the seasonal changes, it is important to regulate the temperature of the fridge.
- Spices
Spices have a longer shelf life as compared to all other food products. Spices hold a strong color and flavor that induces taste in our food. But it is also essential to store them properly in order to retain their essence.
Storing spices like red chili powder in the freezer will help retain its color. Keep spices away from the sunlight in closed cabinets, in airtight jars; this will make the flavor and color last for much longer.
Thus, technology is helping us preserve food and make it last longer for us. Moreover, simply placing things in the right places, in a right manner and in right holders can retain food products. Using simple tips and tricks to preserve food will not only be beneficial for us but will also reduce excessive wastage.
