Cilantro is a common ingredient in salsa and Mexican dishes but
did you know it dates as far back as the ancient Egyptians?
Coriander seeds which stem from the same plant as cilantro have
been found in Egyptian tombs and writings involving coriander
can be seen in Sanskrit which dates from around 1500 BC.
Cilantro is a versatile herb that is is commonly used in salsas,
dips, dressings and sauces. This aromatic, citrus flavored herb
is a member of the carrot family and can be used dried or fresh.
The seeds from this herb are harvested and dried and are known
as coriander. The green stems and leaves are the herb known as
cilantro.
Cilantro is sometimes sold in the grocery store as something
else and if you can’t find it in your supermarket try looking
for Mexican parsley. Since cilantro is commonly used in Mexico
and Mexican cooking, it is often called Mexican parsley but it
is good in other types of cooking as well and you can even find
Chinese recipes calling for Chinese parsley which is the same as
cilantro.
When looking for cilantro in your supermarket look for nice
fresh bunches much like bunches of parsley. In fact, you will
probably find it right next to the parsley in the produce
section. Don’t purchase the parsley by mistake though because it
is not the same thing! You can easily tell the difference
between cilantro and parsley by inspecting at the leaves and
smelling the herb. The leaves of cilantro are wider than parsley
and cilantros scent is very aromatic.
Cooking with fresh cilantro is a great way to make gourmet foods
and the longer you keep your bunch of cilantro fresh the better!
When you bring cilantro home from the supermarket put the bunch
in a glass of water like a bouquet with only the stems
submerged. Loosely cover the green leaves with a plastic bag
which will help keep your cilantro fresh.
When cooking with cilantro, remember, it is best when you crush
the tender leaves with a mortar and pestle. This helps to
release the full bodied flavor. Always add the cilantro towards
the end of cooking. The delicate nature of cilantro does not
hold up to heat so waiting until the very end will insure the
best taste from the versatile and aromatic herb.
Cheap digital photo processors are a dime a dozen
Digital photo processors that do the printing cheap abound. They are everywhere you look. But to find an affordable location that can give you the quality that you expect is another story. Some places offer prints for as low as 12 cents for a 4X6 print. Others can charge as much as 58 cents per print.
What do you get for 12 cents per print?
Many customers of the chains that offer prints this cheap have a complaint similar to this one; “Some companies try to “alter” the images to get the “highest” quality photos. This person had done a test and submitted the same photos to various processing services. What they received were totally different results. Their complaint was that the photo shops try to make them look good instead of trusting their customers abilities. As simple as it sounds, leaving the picture alone can be a difficult quality to find in a photo printer online. To try to find out on your own is quite a lot to ask of paying customers. Other than altering your photos after you upload them common complaints are that the quality is not what they expected. As a photography lover let me tell you there are a lot of companies that will give you very high quality prints that will amaze you no matter what your expectations are.
What can you get if you find the right photo printing company?
There are printers that do not charge very much more and the quality is outstanding. With these more capable companies they offer very good sign-up bonuses such as 60 free 4X6 prints to start, and free membership. They can also offer various albums to organize your pictures online. All the while offering file uploads as high as 10MB. Other great services are bulk order prices. With bulk order pricing the more you order the cheaper they get. That way having a family reunion will not break the bank. As you look for a great company to print all your favorite photos remember that there are photo printers that can disappoint and there are printers that can dazzle.
To view our list of recommended sources for digital photo printing online,
visit this page: Photo Mugs.
Mindi Haehl is the owner of an informational site about printing your digital photos online.
