What are you drinking for Thanksgiving?
Ken Bernards - Owner/Winemaker, Ancien Wines
-2007 Domaine Tempier style Bandol Rose
-2002 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin
-Anchor Porter while watching the game on TV
Dave Ramey - Owner/Winemaker, Ramey Wine Cellars
-Egly-Ouriet Champagne
-Londer Gewurztraminer
-Scherrer Pinot Noir
-Londer Pinot Noir
-Hirsch Pinot Noir
-2006 Ramey Shanel Vineyard Syrah.
Linda & Leighton Taylor - Owners of Cloud View Vineyard
“As Napa vintners, I suppose we should be chagrined at our list but we drink Napa Valley wines on plenty of occasions (and daily) so I think I'm safe.Our wine of choice at the start of Dinner is a Mendocino white, Navarro (dry) Gewurztraminer. It has nice aromatic fruit, sort of apple-y and evocative of autumnal colors and soft light. Later in the meal we like a really good Pinot Noir, probably Ken Bernard's Ancien (Santa Rita Hills, if we have the choice).
Truthfully though, the drink we will have with our first Thanksgiving dinner of the day will likely be fruit punch or apple juice shared while we help serve Thanksgiving dinner to San Francisco's homeless at St. Vincent de Paul in the Tenderloin.
And you well know that any wine (or beverage) tastes best when enjoyed with friends and family, so we hope all your wine tastes especially wonderful this Thanksgiving! Cheers!”
Jim Clendenen - Owner/Winemaker Au Bon Climat
“I will be celebrating in North Carolina, so I am bringing a bottle of 2005 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru; if I were at home I would have Gaston Chiquet Champagne.”
Cliff Lede - Owner Cliff Lede Vineyards
“For Canadian Thanksgiving (October 13) I had a 1976 Ausone and a 2006 Radio Coteau Savoy Pinot Noir. For American Thanksgiving I'll pull the cork on a
-1999 Abreu Madrona Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
-2005 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay.”
Dave Phinney - Owner/Winemaker Orin Swift Cellars
-A bottle of Krug Champagne that's in my fridge that someone gave as a gift
-a California Chardonnay
-an Oregon Pinot Noir
-French Grenache
Karen Culler - Owner/Winemaker Culler Wines
"I will drink three wines with turkey
-Roederer Brut Rose from Anderson Valley
-Navarro Gewurztraminer
-Pillow Rd Pinot Noir (by Ladera)
-and probably a Culler Griffin's Lair Syrah for good luck!!”
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Artisanal Premium Cheese Has New Distribution
American Home Food Products (OTCBB:AHFP), currently doing business as Artisanal Premium Cheese, today announced that it is entering a master distribution and marketing agreement with Harvest Song Ventures, LLC. Harvest Song is a specialty food company that sources organic and natural food products and provides them to consumers across several market segments.
Artisanal will continue to service the existing Harvest Song customer base and expects to expand that base by marketing Harvest Song products to Artisanal’s customers ranging from premium restaurants and hotels to luxury goods retailers. The companies also plan to expand and create cross-selling opportunities for the two product lines which have natural pairing complements. Artisanal has long offered condiments with its line of over 200 handcrafted cheeses from around the world and Harvest Song’s all natural preserves and vegetable products are an excellent addition.
Daniel W. Dowe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Artisanal commented, “We are enthused at the prospect of working with Harvest Song and its founder, Sylvia Tirakian, who has exceptional capability to work with artisan food makers to bring amazing food products to market. Artisanal expects to see a significant increase in sales from the Harvest Song line resulting from shared product development responsibilities and the consolidation of costs. Our companies share the same focus on premium quality products and our most demanding chef customers exalt at the quality and sensational taste of the Harvest Song products. “
Mr. Dowe continued, “With the challenging economic situation at hand, we believe consumers will move to replicate restaurant quality dining experiences while remaining at home. Likewise, the American palate is growing more knowledgeable and demanding about the origins of food from quality to presentation. Harvest Song and Artisanal Premium Cheeses are affordable luxuries by all measures and in addition to increasing their availability in the marketplace, we will also offer formalized pairing concepts to enable our customers to achieve a fuller culinary experience when consuming Artisanal and Harvest Song products together.
About Harvest Song Ventures, LLC
Harvest Song Ventures is a specialty food company that creates natural and organic gourmet food products and imports them directly. Based in New York, Harvest Song represents a partnership between specialty food entrepreneur, Sylvia Tirakian who runs the day-to-day business of Harvest Song and James Tufenkian founder of world-renowned Tufenkian Artisan Carpets.
About Artisanal Premium Cheese
In August 2007 American Home Food Products, Inc. acquired 100% of the ownership interests in Artisanal Premium Cheese. The Company operates in the specialty cheese market in the United States. The company markets and distributes a line of specialty, artisanal and farmstead cheese products, as well as other related specialty food products under its own brand to food wholesalers and retailers, as well as directly to consumers through its catalogue and Web site, artisanalcheese.com. American Home Food Products, Inc. is based in New York, New York.
Artisanal will continue to service the existing Harvest Song customer base and expects to expand that base by marketing Harvest Song products to Artisanal’s customers ranging from premium restaurants and hotels to luxury goods retailers. The companies also plan to expand and create cross-selling opportunities for the two product lines which have natural pairing complements. Artisanal has long offered condiments with its line of over 200 handcrafted cheeses from around the world and Harvest Song’s all natural preserves and vegetable products are an excellent addition.
Daniel W. Dowe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Artisanal commented, “We are enthused at the prospect of working with Harvest Song and its founder, Sylvia Tirakian, who has exceptional capability to work with artisan food makers to bring amazing food products to market. Artisanal expects to see a significant increase in sales from the Harvest Song line resulting from shared product development responsibilities and the consolidation of costs. Our companies share the same focus on premium quality products and our most demanding chef customers exalt at the quality and sensational taste of the Harvest Song products. “
Mr. Dowe continued, “With the challenging economic situation at hand, we believe consumers will move to replicate restaurant quality dining experiences while remaining at home. Likewise, the American palate is growing more knowledgeable and demanding about the origins of food from quality to presentation. Harvest Song and Artisanal Premium Cheeses are affordable luxuries by all measures and in addition to increasing their availability in the marketplace, we will also offer formalized pairing concepts to enable our customers to achieve a fuller culinary experience when consuming Artisanal and Harvest Song products together.
About Harvest Song Ventures, LLC
Harvest Song Ventures is a specialty food company that creates natural and organic gourmet food products and imports them directly. Based in New York, Harvest Song represents a partnership between specialty food entrepreneur, Sylvia Tirakian who runs the day-to-day business of Harvest Song and James Tufenkian founder of world-renowned Tufenkian Artisan Carpets.
About Artisanal Premium Cheese
In August 2007 American Home Food Products, Inc. acquired 100% of the ownership interests in Artisanal Premium Cheese. The Company operates in the specialty cheese market in the United States. The company markets and distributes a line of specialty, artisanal and farmstead cheese products, as well as other related specialty food products under its own brand to food wholesalers and retailers, as well as directly to consumers through its catalogue and Web site, artisanalcheese.com. American Home Food Products, Inc. is based in New York, New York.
Food Network Launches Mobile Service
Airborne Mobile Inc., a leading full-service mobile media company, announced today that Food Network Everyday Chef, the latest Food Network subscription mobile application is now available in the U.S. market. Food Network Everyday Chef allows consumers to tap into recipes and meal ideas from the famed Food Network, which is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and averages more than nine million unique users monthly at its Web site.
The new Food Network Everyday Chef mobile application is like having your own personal chef, whenever you want and wherever you are. In just a few easy clicks, you can browse a collection of more than a thousand trusted Food Network recipes, personalized to your eating habits. Select the recipes you want and plan out your meals for the week using the Weekly Planner. The handy Grocery List feature totals up everything you need to buy, whether for the whole week's worth of recipes or just for tonight's. It's never been easier or faster to eat well on the go!
The Food Network Everyday Chef was selected as a finalist in the "Best Handset Application" category for the global 2008 Mobile Content Awards.
"We are really excited about the release of the Food Network Everyday Chef," said Andy Nulman, President and CMO, at Airborne Mobile. "Food Network has helped make cooking today a cultural phenomenon. The Food Network Everyday Chef application is perfect for culinary fans, people who are trying to eat a little healthier, or for today's busy person on the go. It's your personal chef, your menu for the week and your consolidated grocery list all in one. It does everything but actually cook for you."
"How many times have you stopped at the store but you don't have a print up of the recipe you want to make with you because it is in your other purse or on the counter at home?" says Deanna Brown, President of the Interactive Group at Scripps Networks, parent company of Food Network. "Now with Food Network Everyday Chef, just in time for the busy holiday season, it is no problem. The interface is friendly and the search is very strong; so by purchasing or subscribing to this mobile application straight from the phone, you have access to recipes from FoodNetwork.com. Being where consumers need us, when they need us, such as through this mobile application, is key to our strategy for continued success and leadership in the food category."
Food Network Everyday Chef is available now on most U.S carriers and through smartphone content portals Handango and Handmark. For more information and rates please visit www.foodnetworkeverydaychef.com.
The new Food Network Everyday Chef mobile application is like having your own personal chef, whenever you want and wherever you are. In just a few easy clicks, you can browse a collection of more than a thousand trusted Food Network recipes, personalized to your eating habits. Select the recipes you want and plan out your meals for the week using the Weekly Planner. The handy Grocery List feature totals up everything you need to buy, whether for the whole week's worth of recipes or just for tonight's. It's never been easier or faster to eat well on the go!
The Food Network Everyday Chef was selected as a finalist in the "Best Handset Application" category for the global 2008 Mobile Content Awards.
"We are really excited about the release of the Food Network Everyday Chef," said Andy Nulman, President and CMO, at Airborne Mobile. "Food Network has helped make cooking today a cultural phenomenon. The Food Network Everyday Chef application is perfect for culinary fans, people who are trying to eat a little healthier, or for today's busy person on the go. It's your personal chef, your menu for the week and your consolidated grocery list all in one. It does everything but actually cook for you."
"How many times have you stopped at the store but you don't have a print up of the recipe you want to make with you because it is in your other purse or on the counter at home?" says Deanna Brown, President of the Interactive Group at Scripps Networks, parent company of Food Network. "Now with Food Network Everyday Chef, just in time for the busy holiday season, it is no problem. The interface is friendly and the search is very strong; so by purchasing or subscribing to this mobile application straight from the phone, you have access to recipes from FoodNetwork.com. Being where consumers need us, when they need us, such as through this mobile application, is key to our strategy for continued success and leadership in the food category."
Food Network Everyday Chef is available now on most U.S carriers and through smartphone content portals Handango and Handmark. For more information and rates please visit www.foodnetworkeverydaychef.com.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Cyprus: Discover the Oldest Wines of the World December 4
The Cyprus Embassy Trade Center, in collaboration with the Cyprus-US
Chamber of Commerce, cordially invite you to sample the wines of Cyprus at a
wine tasting-event on Thursday, December 4, 2008 (Helen Mills Event Space,
137-139 W 26th Street, New York City) from 3 PM to 7 PM. You will enjoy a
variety of delicious wines from the island of Cyprus, paired with authentic
food and recipes.
Cyprus is one of the first countries where wine production was practiced:
Commandaria, (the oldest named wine in the world) has been produced in
Cyprus since at least 1,000 B.C., and is still being made with the same
ancient methods. Amazingly, grapes have been grown for winemaking in
Cyprus as far back as 5000 B.C. Both Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds
specifically mention "Ya' in Kafrisin" (Hebrew for Cypriot wine) as a sacrament
in religious rituals during the time of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem.
There are approximately fifteen indigenous grape varieties in Cyprus of which
the most largely cultivated are Xynisteri, Mavro, Ofthalmo and Maratheftiko or
Vamvakada. The white grape variety of Cyprus known as Xynisteri,
produces excellent light colored white wine with low alcohol levels(11-11.5%
vol.) with low to medium acidity. It is predominantly found in the regions of
the Akamas Laona, Ambelitis, Vouni Panayias and Pitsilia. This is the only
other grape, along with Mavro, that is used for making Commandaria.
Maratheftiko/Vamvakada is a very rare red variety most densely concentrated
through the mountain regions of Paphos and in Pitsilia, where the variety is
known as Vambakada. It gives high quality wines of intense color and full
body with distinctive fruity aromas of cherries and blackberries with a
character which is truly expressive of the Cypriot terroir. Cypriot producers
are increasingly investing in this variety, enchanted by the wines it produces
and enticed by its potential. Maratheftiko is one of the world's few non-
hermaphroditic vines. Its buds are females and have to be planted in mixed
vineyards to ensure pollination.
Cyprus remains one of the few phylloxera-free wine-producing countries in
the world. Having escaped phylloxera, the Cyprus wines are self-sown plants
of the European Vitis Vinifera retaining their classic organoleptic
characteristics, as well as the potential for a long life. The island's long,
sunny Mediterranean summers are a great asset to winemaking, ripening the
fruit and giving it its full flavor. Winters are mild and the gentle winds and
breezes check the frosts, dispel the fogs and protect the vines and grapes
from fungus diseases. Today, tremendous resources and effort have been
invested into the rediscovering of Cyprus indigenous grape varieties, resulting
not only in the making of superior quality wines, but also products with an
original Cypriot character. These wines constitute truly undiscovered, new
and breathtaking alternatives to the varietals that have dominated the
market.
Lying in the sparkling blue waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at the
crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, Cyprus is a country of alluring
beaches and high mountain peaks with abundant fragrant vineyards, studded
with olive trees, mythical landscape and ancient ruins. The third largest island
in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is also one of the most romantic: according
to mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, was born in
Cyprus. It is no wonder that, back when the Romans reigned over the
civilized world, Mark Anthony gave Cyprus to Cleopatra, the legendary Queen
of Egypt, as an ultimate token of love. According to Italian Archeologist
Maria-Rosaria Belgiorno, Cyprus was the first producer of wine in the
Mediterranean around 6000 years ago and its wine-drinking culture spread
from there to the rest of Europe. The most ancient drinking horn in pottery
used exclusively for drinking wine was produced in Cyprus and two jugs used
for wine were unearthed in Cyprus containing the seeds of grapes dated
between 3500-3000 BC. All these facts combined point to the conclusion that
there has been a wine industry in Cyprus continuously longer than anywhere
else in the world.!
Do not miss an opportunity to sample and enjoy the flavorful wines of Cyprus
without having to fly there: Taste to believe it! To confirm your attendance,
please contact the event team at 908 803 3809.
# # #
About the Cyprus Embassy Trade Center
The Cyprus Trade Commission is the official trade development and
promotional agency of the Cyprus government. The Cyprus Trade
Commission's general mandate has been to promote, assist and develop
Cyprus' international trade, with particular regard to small and medium
enterprises.
The Cyprus Trade Commissions' institutional functions are:
•Continuous study of the U.S., Canadian and Latin American markets and
challenges related to the internationalization of Cyprus enterprises:
•Assistance to Cyprus companies in entering the U.S. market
•Promotion of Cyprus products abroad and development of economic
cooperation
•Professional training in international trade for Cypriots and foreigners
•In the United States, the Cyprus Trade Commission has offices in New York
Chamber of Commerce, cordially invite you to sample the wines of Cyprus at a
wine tasting-event on Thursday, December 4, 2008 (Helen Mills Event Space,
137-139 W 26th Street, New York City) from 3 PM to 7 PM. You will enjoy a
variety of delicious wines from the island of Cyprus, paired with authentic
food and recipes.
Cyprus is one of the first countries where wine production was practiced:
Commandaria, (the oldest named wine in the world) has been produced in
Cyprus since at least 1,000 B.C., and is still being made with the same
ancient methods. Amazingly, grapes have been grown for winemaking in
Cyprus as far back as 5000 B.C. Both Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds
specifically mention "Ya' in Kafrisin" (Hebrew for Cypriot wine) as a sacrament
in religious rituals during the time of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem.
There are approximately fifteen indigenous grape varieties in Cyprus of which
the most largely cultivated are Xynisteri, Mavro, Ofthalmo and Maratheftiko or
Vamvakada. The white grape variety of Cyprus known as Xynisteri,
produces excellent light colored white wine with low alcohol levels(11-11.5%
vol.) with low to medium acidity. It is predominantly found in the regions of
the Akamas Laona, Ambelitis, Vouni Panayias and Pitsilia. This is the only
other grape, along with Mavro, that is used for making Commandaria.
Maratheftiko/Vamvakada is a very rare red variety most densely concentrated
through the mountain regions of Paphos and in Pitsilia, where the variety is
known as Vambakada. It gives high quality wines of intense color and full
body with distinctive fruity aromas of cherries and blackberries with a
character which is truly expressive of the Cypriot terroir. Cypriot producers
are increasingly investing in this variety, enchanted by the wines it produces
and enticed by its potential. Maratheftiko is one of the world's few non-
hermaphroditic vines. Its buds are females and have to be planted in mixed
vineyards to ensure pollination.
Cyprus remains one of the few phylloxera-free wine-producing countries in
the world. Having escaped phylloxera, the Cyprus wines are self-sown plants
of the European Vitis Vinifera retaining their classic organoleptic
characteristics, as well as the potential for a long life. The island's long,
sunny Mediterranean summers are a great asset to winemaking, ripening the
fruit and giving it its full flavor. Winters are mild and the gentle winds and
breezes check the frosts, dispel the fogs and protect the vines and grapes
from fungus diseases. Today, tremendous resources and effort have been
invested into the rediscovering of Cyprus indigenous grape varieties, resulting
not only in the making of superior quality wines, but also products with an
original Cypriot character. These wines constitute truly undiscovered, new
and breathtaking alternatives to the varietals that have dominated the
market.
Lying in the sparkling blue waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at the
crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, Cyprus is a country of alluring
beaches and high mountain peaks with abundant fragrant vineyards, studded
with olive trees, mythical landscape and ancient ruins. The third largest island
in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is also one of the most romantic: according
to mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, was born in
Cyprus. It is no wonder that, back when the Romans reigned over the
civilized world, Mark Anthony gave Cyprus to Cleopatra, the legendary Queen
of Egypt, as an ultimate token of love. According to Italian Archeologist
Maria-Rosaria Belgiorno, Cyprus was the first producer of wine in the
Mediterranean around 6000 years ago and its wine-drinking culture spread
from there to the rest of Europe. The most ancient drinking horn in pottery
used exclusively for drinking wine was produced in Cyprus and two jugs used
for wine were unearthed in Cyprus containing the seeds of grapes dated
between 3500-3000 BC. All these facts combined point to the conclusion that
there has been a wine industry in Cyprus continuously longer than anywhere
else in the world.!
Do not miss an opportunity to sample and enjoy the flavorful wines of Cyprus
without having to fly there: Taste to believe it! To confirm your attendance,
please contact the event team at 908 803 3809.
# # #
About the Cyprus Embassy Trade Center
The Cyprus Trade Commission is the official trade development and
promotional agency of the Cyprus government. The Cyprus Trade
Commission's general mandate has been to promote, assist and develop
Cyprus' international trade, with particular regard to small and medium
enterprises.
The Cyprus Trade Commissions' institutional functions are:
•Continuous study of the U.S., Canadian and Latin American markets and
challenges related to the internationalization of Cyprus enterprises:
•Assistance to Cyprus companies in entering the U.S. market
•Promotion of Cyprus products abroad and development of economic
cooperation
•Professional training in international trade for Cypriots and foreigners
•In the United States, the Cyprus Trade Commission has offices in New York
Friday, November 21, 2008
New Albany, Ohio Resident Wins Plugrá National Recipe Contest
Teresa Ralston, from New Albany, Ohio, has been named Grand Champion in the 2nd annual Plugrá European-Style Butter national recipe contest. In addition to winning $5,000, Ralston will receive a trip to New York City where she’ll prepare her winning Bleu Cheese Herb Butter with Walnuts recipe alongside one of the city’s top chefs on the Taste of New York cooking program.
This year’s competition recognized the top compound butter blend (also known as flavored butter). Ralston created a unique blend of Plugrá European-Style Butter and bleu cheese, melded with fresh herbs, garlic and toasted walnuts. Ralston’s butter recipe was selected from among 900 entries nationwide and judged by a panel of chefs from the Plugrá Culinary Institute. Fifty runners-up received butter bells crafted by a master potter, designed to help keep their innovative butter blends fresh and creamy. Visit www.plugra.com to view the winning recipes.
“I’m thrilled to be named Grand Champion. I am passionate about cooking and love working with Plugrá,” stated Ralston. “It was such a pleasure experimenting with different flavor combinations to find my award-winning blend. I look forward to creating more with Plugrá in the coming year and showing my recipe on Taste of New York next year.”
Butter Blends Are Fast-Growing Trend
As the name implies, compound (flavored) butters are a mixture of ingredients added to a primary base of Plugrá European-Style Butter. According to the experts at Plugrá, butter blends are one of the fastest-growing trends in cooking today. Butter combinations provide unique flavors that complement any number of foods. They are easy to make and are affordable solutions for food enthusiasts. Butter compounds are quickly becoming the new sauce in homes across the country.
“Compound butters are an excellent way for chefs and food enthusiasts to express their culinary creativity,” says Plugrá Chef Trip Kadey. “They’re perfect for adding bursts of flavor to entrees, vegetables or desserts and can be made with whatever strikes one’s fancy—in-season fruits and vegetables, favorite herbs and spices—literally the sky’s the limit when it comes to compound butters.”
Ralston’s Bleu Cheese Herb Butter with Walnuts would make the perfect accompaniment to a prime rib or another cut of steak, according to Kadey. But food enthusiasts shouldn’t stop there. “What makes this so much fun is that you can try any flavor combination that inspires you,” he says. “From savory to sweet and in-between, the possibilities are endless.”
Executive chefs have long known that cooking with Plugrá European-Style Butter makes cakes rise higher, sauces creamier and pastries flakier. Plugrá European-Style Butter has a richer taste and smoother texture compared to most average table butters. Plugrá is slow-churned for the optimal European style that results in lower moisture content, yet it is creamier.
Plugrá is owned by Keller’s Creamery, a division of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Visit www.plugra.com to watch videos on cooking techniques that will make your cooking experiences rewarding and all of your recipes a smashing success.
Bleu Cheese Herb Butter with Walnuts
Prep Time: Less than 30 minutes
Yield: 32 servings, 1 tablespoon in size
Ingredients
½ lb. Plugrá® European-Style Butter, unsalted, softened
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, chopped
1 tbsp. Thyme leaves, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. Garlic, fresh, minced
¼ tsp. Black pepper, fresh, ground
¼ cup Bleu cheese crumbles (Maytag recommended)
3 tbsp. Walnuts, toasted, chopped
Directions
· In a mixer, whip Plugrá butter at medium speed until smooth and light. Fold in chives, thyme, garlic and pepper. Beat until combined, about 5 minutes.
· Stir in bleu cheese and walnuts. Beat for 1 minute until well combined.
· Remove butter from bowl. Spoon onto parchment paper. Roll into a log, using edge of baking sheet to form a tight log. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
This year’s competition recognized the top compound butter blend (also known as flavored butter). Ralston created a unique blend of Plugrá European-Style Butter and bleu cheese, melded with fresh herbs, garlic and toasted walnuts. Ralston’s butter recipe was selected from among 900 entries nationwide and judged by a panel of chefs from the Plugrá Culinary Institute. Fifty runners-up received butter bells crafted by a master potter, designed to help keep their innovative butter blends fresh and creamy. Visit www.plugra.com to view the winning recipes.
“I’m thrilled to be named Grand Champion. I am passionate about cooking and love working with Plugrá,” stated Ralston. “It was such a pleasure experimenting with different flavor combinations to find my award-winning blend. I look forward to creating more with Plugrá in the coming year and showing my recipe on Taste of New York next year.”
Butter Blends Are Fast-Growing Trend
As the name implies, compound (flavored) butters are a mixture of ingredients added to a primary base of Plugrá European-Style Butter. According to the experts at Plugrá, butter blends are one of the fastest-growing trends in cooking today. Butter combinations provide unique flavors that complement any number of foods. They are easy to make and are affordable solutions for food enthusiasts. Butter compounds are quickly becoming the new sauce in homes across the country.
“Compound butters are an excellent way for chefs and food enthusiasts to express their culinary creativity,” says Plugrá Chef Trip Kadey. “They’re perfect for adding bursts of flavor to entrees, vegetables or desserts and can be made with whatever strikes one’s fancy—in-season fruits and vegetables, favorite herbs and spices—literally the sky’s the limit when it comes to compound butters.”
Ralston’s Bleu Cheese Herb Butter with Walnuts would make the perfect accompaniment to a prime rib or another cut of steak, according to Kadey. But food enthusiasts shouldn’t stop there. “What makes this so much fun is that you can try any flavor combination that inspires you,” he says. “From savory to sweet and in-between, the possibilities are endless.”
Executive chefs have long known that cooking with Plugrá European-Style Butter makes cakes rise higher, sauces creamier and pastries flakier. Plugrá European-Style Butter has a richer taste and smoother texture compared to most average table butters. Plugrá is slow-churned for the optimal European style that results in lower moisture content, yet it is creamier.
Plugrá is owned by Keller’s Creamery, a division of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Visit www.plugra.com to watch videos on cooking techniques that will make your cooking experiences rewarding and all of your recipes a smashing success.
Bleu Cheese Herb Butter with Walnuts
Prep Time: Less than 30 minutes
Yield: 32 servings, 1 tablespoon in size
Ingredients
½ lb. Plugrá® European-Style Butter, unsalted, softened
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, chopped
1 tbsp. Thyme leaves, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. Garlic, fresh, minced
¼ tsp. Black pepper, fresh, ground
¼ cup Bleu cheese crumbles (Maytag recommended)
3 tbsp. Walnuts, toasted, chopped
Directions
· In a mixer, whip Plugrá butter at medium speed until smooth and light. Fold in chives, thyme, garlic and pepper. Beat until combined, about 5 minutes.
· Stir in bleu cheese and walnuts. Beat for 1 minute until well combined.
· Remove butter from bowl. Spoon onto parchment paper. Roll into a log, using edge of baking sheet to form a tight log. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
All-Natural Alternative To Synthetic Sports Drinks Introduced
Looking for all-natural ways to refuel after a workout?
Edward and Sons is introducing Organic Young Coconut Water under its Nature Factor brand. Made from the clear liquid contained inside USDA-certified organic young coconuts, Organic Young Coconut Water is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and is low in calories.
A hugely popular beverage in Thailand, coconut water contains natural electrolytes and high levels of potassium that help the body recover from rigorous activities. Its unique composition makes it an excellent, all-natural alternative to synthetic sports drinks.
Available in handy, recyclable 10.5 oz. cans, Nature Factor’s Organic Young Coconut Water is now available for $1.49-1.89 nationwide at both natural and mainstream grocery stores.
Edward and Sons is introducing Organic Young Coconut Water under its Nature Factor brand. Made from the clear liquid contained inside USDA-certified organic young coconuts, Organic Young Coconut Water is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and is low in calories.
A hugely popular beverage in Thailand, coconut water contains natural electrolytes and high levels of potassium that help the body recover from rigorous activities. Its unique composition makes it an excellent, all-natural alternative to synthetic sports drinks.
Available in handy, recyclable 10.5 oz. cans, Nature Factor’s Organic Young Coconut Water is now available for $1.49-1.89 nationwide at both natural and mainstream grocery stores.
Don't Let Food Allergies Ruin Your Holiday Feast: A Few Delicious Options
The holiday season is here. Time to deck the halls, trim the tree, and most importantly, fire up the oven. For most Americans, the holidays mean chestnuts roasting on an open fire, homemade pumpkin pie, and turkey with all the trimmings. But what if you must cook for a family plagued with food allergies? What if you have one yourself? Does your holiday feast have to be a bland, flavorless affair? And if not, is it inevitable that you (or someone) must suffer the decidedly unfestive fate of being stuck at a dinner table full of foods that you can't enjoy?
Of course not, says food allergy expert Terry Traub. She insists that your annual family feast doesn't have to diminish your holiday spirit. For people who must live with food allergies or for the families who must prepare safe, nutritious meals for them, all it takes is the right recipe and a little bit of planning to create a dinner that is both delicious and safe.
"The trick to cooking allergy-free is not to make a separate meal for the family member who is allergic," says Traub, author of the new book Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95). "The secret is to find safe recipes that the whole family can enjoy. No one should spend her entire holiday cooking separate meals for everyone. Find something that works for each family member, and everyone at your table will leave happy and satiated."
Traub speaks from personal holiday cooking experience. A dental hygienist and the mother of two sons with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) and one with lactose intolerance, she wrote her book and created her website—eattobeallergyfree.com—to help families and individuals who struggle with food allergies.
The first step, of course, is getting educated. Traub's book helps people to figure out what's causing their distressing symptoms—food allergies can take the form of runny nose, coughing, asthma, itchy throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, mucus in the chest, eczema, constipation, and/or vomiting—and provides a wealth of recipes, pantry lists, and meal-planning menus to combat the condition.
Once you've eliminated the offending foods from your diet, you're free to start focusing on the delicious, nutritious meals you can enjoy. And now, as we gather 'round the table for another holiday season, it's the perfect time to try out some new recipes.
"People commonly assume that cooking allergy-free is complicated or more time-consuming than preparing traditional recipes," says Traub. "But all it really takes is being aware of the right ingredients and having a cooking schedule that works for you. If you do your shopping and prep work ahead of time, you can spend more time enjoying your family over the holiday season and less time fretting over the stove."
The best part? Your guests will never know the difference. "Cooking allergy-free doesn't mean sacrificing taste or quality," explains Traub. "I've even found that my guests often prefer the meals that I've prepared with gluten-free ingredients to those that don't. The holidays are about family—and the meals you share during this time of year are special. Making sure that it's a time that everyone can enjoy safely is worth more than every gift underneath the tree."
# # #
About the Author:
Terry Traub has been in the health field for 37 years. She is a practicing Registered Dental Hygienist with a degree in Public Health. She has two sons, both with Celiac Disease, and her husband has shown symptoms of Celiac in the last two years. Her younger son also has lactose intolerance.
Terry's first book, The Food Allergy Detection Program, was written in response to the trauma the family went through trying to detect what her boys were allergic to. Their predicament made her aware that other children and adults may have problems similar to her sons. Terry developed an elimination diet to isolate the allergens causing these problems. However, unlike other elimination diets, her method was in recipe form, not just a list of foods to avoid. Also, unlike the elimination diets of the time, she stayed away from any saturated fats during the diet as these can be difficult to digest.
Terry's new book, Food to Some, Poison to Others, is an expanded version of the first book. While primarily it is still an elimination diet, more has been added to the book. The book recognizes the problems with GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and changes the way the food is prepared to help with these diseases. The new book also has a chapter entitled "On the Road," which gives tips and advice on eating out.
About the Book:
Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.
For more information, please visit eattobeallergyfree.com.
Holiday Recipes from Terry Traub
A few preliminary notes:
1) Anything designated with AF means the recipe or item is dairy-free (no cow's milk), egg-free, corn-free, and gluten-free (no wheat flour or other gluten flour).
2) Gluten-free bread is heavy flour bread. Traub favors the commercial ones that are freshly sealed, but watch out for egg whites in these breads. If you are not positive about egg allergies, you need to stay with the pure rice breads. The best tasting breads are the homemade breads. All of the homemade breads contain egg whites.
PANTRY ITEMS
One 12-pound organic turkey
Kosher salt
Sorghum flour found at health food stores or bobsredmill.com
Rice flour
Potato starch
Xanthan gum found at health food stores, organic stores, or bobsredmill.com
8 sea scallops
1 pound organic cured or uncured turkey bacon (my favorite is Trader Joe's uncured)
Shallots, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes (If you are unable to get organic veggies, buy a pesticide and wax remover. You can find products like this, such as Environné, in the produce department of your grocery store.)
1 loaf homemade gluten-free bread—mix available at select stores, health food stores, and organic stores (for corn-free, use tapioca bread from Ener-g)
Rice milk and/or soy milk
Organic canned pumpkin
TIMELINE FOR DINNER
2 Weeks Ahead: Order organic turkey
1 Week Ahead: Buy vegetables and supplies
3 Days Ahead: Pick up organic turkey
2 Days Ahead: Make gluten-free bread and gravy
1 Day Ahead: Make chiffon pie
1 Day Ahead: Brine turkey
1 Day Ahead: Chop vegetables
RECIPES
Turkey Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)
1/4 cup olive oil
8 large sea scallops, cut into four 1-inch chunks each
8 turkey bacon slices*
1/4 cup sorghum flour
Place flour in shallow bowl. Roll cubed scallops in flour and place to the side on wax paper. On cutting board, slice each turkey bacon strip in half, first horizontally, then vertically. Each bacon strip will make 4 thin slices. Wrap turkey bacon slice around each scallop. Secure with toothpick. Heat 12-inch skillet with olive oil to medium-high heat; place bacon-wrapped scallops into skillet. Cook turning the scallops for 20 minutes or until all areas of the scallops are lightly brown and the bacon is cooked. Serve warm.
Makes 32 appetizers
*I like uncured (unsalted) turkey bacon, because there are no added nitrates or nitrites. Trader Joe's uncured turkey bacon is great! But it spoils faster, so I divide the package and freeze the other half.
Thanksgiving Turkey
Instructions for brining turkey: Because the organic turkey is not processed like a commercial turkey, we need to brine our turkey. Pre-wash turkey and clean out cavities. Save neck and other portions for gravy. In a 5-gallon container, containing 1 to 2 gallons of water, place 1 cup kosher salt (3/4 cup if using Morton Kosher) and 1 cup sugar. Dissolve salt and sugar thoroughly. Place turkey into container and cover for 24 hours. This may take up a great deal of room in your refrigerator. Remove turkey from container. Let turkey drain upside down for 30 to 45 minutes.
Cooking turkey: We are not stuffing the turkey. The stuffing dries out the bird. If you are barbecuing the turkey, no basting is necessary; follow instructions. The "Weber Barbecue" turkey instruction is the best. If using an oven, baste the turkey with milk-free, corn-free margarine and follow instructions for a 12-pound turkey.
Savory Chicken (Turkey) Stuffing
AF (dairy-free, egg-free*, corn-free**, gluten-free)
1 loaf homemade, day-old, gluten-free bread, crust removed, cubed
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 to 1 cup chicken stock* or organic chicken broth
2 tablespoons margarine, melted, dairy-free, corn-free
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Slice bread and let it dry out for 2 hours. Cut bread into cubes and put into bowl. In saucepan, place oil and heat. Add onion and celery, sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are transparent. Cool slightly and add to bread cubes. Add liquids, margarine, and spices. Mix together and put into 2-quart casserole dish, cover. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with gravy and turkey.
Corn-free**: Use Ener-g tapioca bread for corn-free stuffing
Serves 8
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
T (testing for eggs, dairy-free, corn-free, gluten-free)
3 eggs, separated 6 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin 1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 envelope unflavored gelatin Baked 8-inch rice pie shell
Whipped topping (optional: can contain corn or soy)
Beat egg yolks and brown sugar until thick; add pumpkin, milk, salt, and spices. Cook mixture in double boiler until thick. Meanwhile, let gelatin stand 5 minutes in cold water, then stir into hot mixture. When dissolved, cool mixture until it begins to set. Beat egg whites until fluffy and gradually add the 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until quite stiff. Fold egg whites mixture into pumpkin mixture. Pour mixture into baked pie crust and chill. Serve with whipped topping if desired.
Pie crust:
3/4 cup rice flour 1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 egg beaten 4 tablespoons margarine, milk-free, corn-free
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place aside an 8-inch pie pan. In medium bowl, beat egg and margarine. In another bowl, mix rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Add to egg mixture. Gently stir until blended. Place on rice-floured parchment paper. Sprinkle rice flour over mixture and cover with another piece of parchment paper. With rolling pin, roll out dough larger than the pie pan. Fold the dough over on the parchment paper. Place on one half of the pie pan. Now unroll the other piece. Seal edges with fingertips. Bake for 20 minutes on lower rack in oven.
Serves 8
Note: Sometimes the rice mixture will fall apart if you roll it. You can also hand-press the mixture into the pie pan.
Of course not, says food allergy expert Terry Traub. She insists that your annual family feast doesn't have to diminish your holiday spirit. For people who must live with food allergies or for the families who must prepare safe, nutritious meals for them, all it takes is the right recipe and a little bit of planning to create a dinner that is both delicious and safe.
"The trick to cooking allergy-free is not to make a separate meal for the family member who is allergic," says Traub, author of the new book Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95). "The secret is to find safe recipes that the whole family can enjoy. No one should spend her entire holiday cooking separate meals for everyone. Find something that works for each family member, and everyone at your table will leave happy and satiated."
Traub speaks from personal holiday cooking experience. A dental hygienist and the mother of two sons with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) and one with lactose intolerance, she wrote her book and created her website—eattobeallergyfree.com—to help families and individuals who struggle with food allergies.
The first step, of course, is getting educated. Traub's book helps people to figure out what's causing their distressing symptoms—food allergies can take the form of runny nose, coughing, asthma, itchy throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive sweating, mucus in the chest, eczema, constipation, and/or vomiting—and provides a wealth of recipes, pantry lists, and meal-planning menus to combat the condition.
Once you've eliminated the offending foods from your diet, you're free to start focusing on the delicious, nutritious meals you can enjoy. And now, as we gather 'round the table for another holiday season, it's the perfect time to try out some new recipes.
"People commonly assume that cooking allergy-free is complicated or more time-consuming than preparing traditional recipes," says Traub. "But all it really takes is being aware of the right ingredients and having a cooking schedule that works for you. If you do your shopping and prep work ahead of time, you can spend more time enjoying your family over the holiday season and less time fretting over the stove."
The best part? Your guests will never know the difference. "Cooking allergy-free doesn't mean sacrificing taste or quality," explains Traub. "I've even found that my guests often prefer the meals that I've prepared with gluten-free ingredients to those that don't. The holidays are about family—and the meals you share during this time of year are special. Making sure that it's a time that everyone can enjoy safely is worth more than every gift underneath the tree."
# # #
About the Author:
Terry Traub has been in the health field for 37 years. She is a practicing Registered Dental Hygienist with a degree in Public Health. She has two sons, both with Celiac Disease, and her husband has shown symptoms of Celiac in the last two years. Her younger son also has lactose intolerance.
Terry's first book, The Food Allergy Detection Program, was written in response to the trauma the family went through trying to detect what her boys were allergic to. Their predicament made her aware that other children and adults may have problems similar to her sons. Terry developed an elimination diet to isolate the allergens causing these problems. However, unlike other elimination diets, her method was in recipe form, not just a list of foods to avoid. Also, unlike the elimination diets of the time, she stayed away from any saturated fats during the diet as these can be difficult to digest.
Terry's new book, Food to Some, Poison to Others, is an expanded version of the first book. While primarily it is still an elimination diet, more has been added to the book. The book recognizes the problems with GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and changes the way the food is prepared to help with these diseases. The new book also has a chapter entitled "On the Road," which gives tips and advice on eating out.
About the Book:
Food to Some, Poison to Others: The Food Allergy Detection Program (Frederick Fell Publishers, July 2008, ISBN: 978-0-8839117-1-6, $14.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.
For more information, please visit eattobeallergyfree.com.
Holiday Recipes from Terry Traub
A few preliminary notes:
1) Anything designated with AF means the recipe or item is dairy-free (no cow's milk), egg-free, corn-free, and gluten-free (no wheat flour or other gluten flour).
2) Gluten-free bread is heavy flour bread. Traub favors the commercial ones that are freshly sealed, but watch out for egg whites in these breads. If you are not positive about egg allergies, you need to stay with the pure rice breads. The best tasting breads are the homemade breads. All of the homemade breads contain egg whites.
PANTRY ITEMS
One 12-pound organic turkey
Kosher salt
Sorghum flour found at health food stores or bobsredmill.com
Rice flour
Potato starch
Xanthan gum found at health food stores, organic stores, or bobsredmill.com
8 sea scallops
1 pound organic cured or uncured turkey bacon (my favorite is Trader Joe's uncured)
Shallots, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes (If you are unable to get organic veggies, buy a pesticide and wax remover. You can find products like this, such as Environné, in the produce department of your grocery store.)
1 loaf homemade gluten-free bread—mix available at select stores, health food stores, and organic stores (for corn-free, use tapioca bread from Ener-g)
Rice milk and/or soy milk
Organic canned pumpkin
TIMELINE FOR DINNER
2 Weeks Ahead: Order organic turkey
1 Week Ahead: Buy vegetables and supplies
3 Days Ahead: Pick up organic turkey
2 Days Ahead: Make gluten-free bread and gravy
1 Day Ahead: Make chiffon pie
1 Day Ahead: Brine turkey
1 Day Ahead: Chop vegetables
RECIPES
Turkey Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
AF (dairy-free, egg-free, corn-free, gluten-free)
1/4 cup olive oil
8 large sea scallops, cut into four 1-inch chunks each
8 turkey bacon slices*
1/4 cup sorghum flour
Place flour in shallow bowl. Roll cubed scallops in flour and place to the side on wax paper. On cutting board, slice each turkey bacon strip in half, first horizontally, then vertically. Each bacon strip will make 4 thin slices. Wrap turkey bacon slice around each scallop. Secure with toothpick. Heat 12-inch skillet with olive oil to medium-high heat; place bacon-wrapped scallops into skillet. Cook turning the scallops for 20 minutes or until all areas of the scallops are lightly brown and the bacon is cooked. Serve warm.
Makes 32 appetizers
*I like uncured (unsalted) turkey bacon, because there are no added nitrates or nitrites. Trader Joe's uncured turkey bacon is great! But it spoils faster, so I divide the package and freeze the other half.
Thanksgiving Turkey
Instructions for brining turkey: Because the organic turkey is not processed like a commercial turkey, we need to brine our turkey. Pre-wash turkey and clean out cavities. Save neck and other portions for gravy. In a 5-gallon container, containing 1 to 2 gallons of water, place 1 cup kosher salt (3/4 cup if using Morton Kosher) and 1 cup sugar. Dissolve salt and sugar thoroughly. Place turkey into container and cover for 24 hours. This may take up a great deal of room in your refrigerator. Remove turkey from container. Let turkey drain upside down for 30 to 45 minutes.
Cooking turkey: We are not stuffing the turkey. The stuffing dries out the bird. If you are barbecuing the turkey, no basting is necessary; follow instructions. The "Weber Barbecue" turkey instruction is the best. If using an oven, baste the turkey with milk-free, corn-free margarine and follow instructions for a 12-pound turkey.
Savory Chicken (Turkey) Stuffing
AF (dairy-free, egg-free*, corn-free**, gluten-free)
1 loaf homemade, day-old, gluten-free bread, crust removed, cubed
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 to 1 cup chicken stock* or organic chicken broth
2 tablespoons margarine, melted, dairy-free, corn-free
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Slice bread and let it dry out for 2 hours. Cut bread into cubes and put into bowl. In saucepan, place oil and heat. Add onion and celery, sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are transparent. Cool slightly and add to bread cubes. Add liquids, margarine, and spices. Mix together and put into 2-quart casserole dish, cover. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with gravy and turkey.
Corn-free**: Use Ener-g tapioca bread for corn-free stuffing
Serves 8
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
T (testing for eggs, dairy-free, corn-free, gluten-free)
3 eggs, separated 6 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin 1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 envelope unflavored gelatin Baked 8-inch rice pie shell
Whipped topping (optional: can contain corn or soy)
Beat egg yolks and brown sugar until thick; add pumpkin, milk, salt, and spices. Cook mixture in double boiler until thick. Meanwhile, let gelatin stand 5 minutes in cold water, then stir into hot mixture. When dissolved, cool mixture until it begins to set. Beat egg whites until fluffy and gradually add the 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until quite stiff. Fold egg whites mixture into pumpkin mixture. Pour mixture into baked pie crust and chill. Serve with whipped topping if desired.
Pie crust:
3/4 cup rice flour 1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 egg beaten 4 tablespoons margarine, milk-free, corn-free
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place aside an 8-inch pie pan. In medium bowl, beat egg and margarine. In another bowl, mix rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Add to egg mixture. Gently stir until blended. Place on rice-floured parchment paper. Sprinkle rice flour over mixture and cover with another piece of parchment paper. With rolling pin, roll out dough larger than the pie pan. Fold the dough over on the parchment paper. Place on one half of the pie pan. Now unroll the other piece. Seal edges with fingertips. Bake for 20 minutes on lower rack in oven.
Serves 8
Note: Sometimes the rice mixture will fall apart if you roll it. You can also hand-press the mixture into the pie pan.
DaysAgo Digital Day Counte
In the chaos of everyday life, we all need little reminders to stay on track. The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter is the first and only digital counter that attaches to a variety of surfaces and counts up to 99 days. It
Use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it, closed it, tried it, sauced it, grew it, etc. As for leftovers, it eliminates the doubt about when to throw it out.
Beyond its functionality as a cool kitchen gadget and tool, DaysAgo can be used in every room of the house. Track how long itwww.howmanydaysago.com.
Use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it, closed it, tried it, sauced it, grew it, etc. As for leftovers, it eliminates the doubt about when to throw it out.
Beyond its functionality as a cool kitchen gadget and tool, DaysAgo can be used in every room of the house. Track how long itwww.howmanydaysago.com.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Vanilla-Inspired Cookbook
Delight cooks on every gift list with the tantalizing new cookbook A Century of Flavor published by family-owned Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, the finest pure vanilla extract producers in the world. From the delicately sweet flavorings in pastries and Crème Brûlée to the essential savory notes in lobster sauce or spicy shrimp, the cookbook celebrates the exciting nuances of one of America's most loved and versatile ingredients – pure vanilla.
Since 1907, family-owned and operated Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has been producing premium pure vanilla products using a proprietary cold process that gently extracts more than 300 complex flavors from the vanilla bean. A Century of Flavor showcases recipes from the Nielsen family collection, as well as recipes from world-renowned chefs attracted to the quality, flavor and varied functionality of pure vanilla.
Americans consume about 1,200 tons of vanilla beans a year. Vanilla is exciting and comforting, sexy and simple all at the same time. But not all vanilla is the same, and it pays to know the different kinds before cooks start their seasonal baking. The flavor is extracted from vanilla beans which are grown in four locations around the world -- Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico and Tahiti.
One way to expand the holiday recipe list this year is to use vanilla in savory dishes like Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, in addition to cakes and cookies. Vanilla helps to enhance the inherent flavors of sweet potatoes, rather than concealing their flavor in sweeteners.
Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes
Serves six.
Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes
Canola oil
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened
1⁄4 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
5 strips bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and lightly coat skins with canola oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork, place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for one hour or until fork-tender.
Cut the hot potatoes into halves. Scoop the pulp into a mixing bowl, discarding the skins. Beat at medium speed for one minute using an electric mixer. Add cream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla extract, salt and pepper. Whip until creamy.
Spoon whipped potatoes into six ramekins coated with nonstick cooking spray and top with the bacon. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for five to eight minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, they may be reheated in a microwave.
A Century of Flavor is filled with 50 of the most tantalizing recipes, highlighting the intricate, yet delicate flavors of pure vanilla and is written for the novice cook as well as the seasoned chef.
Since 1907, family-owned and operated Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has been producing premium pure vanilla products using a proprietary cold process that gently extracts more than 300 complex flavors from the vanilla bean. A Century of Flavor showcases recipes from the Nielsen family collection, as well as recipes from world-renowned chefs attracted to the quality, flavor and varied functionality of pure vanilla.
Americans consume about 1,200 tons of vanilla beans a year. Vanilla is exciting and comforting, sexy and simple all at the same time. But not all vanilla is the same, and it pays to know the different kinds before cooks start their seasonal baking. The flavor is extracted from vanilla beans which are grown in four locations around the world -- Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico and Tahiti.
One way to expand the holiday recipe list this year is to use vanilla in savory dishes like Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, in addition to cakes and cookies. Vanilla helps to enhance the inherent flavors of sweet potatoes, rather than concealing their flavor in sweeteners.
Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes
Serves six.
Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes
Canola oil
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened
1⁄4 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
5 strips bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and lightly coat skins with canola oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork, place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for one hour or until fork-tender.
Cut the hot potatoes into halves. Scoop the pulp into a mixing bowl, discarding the skins. Beat at medium speed for one minute using an electric mixer. Add cream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla extract, salt and pepper. Whip until creamy.
Spoon whipped potatoes into six ramekins coated with nonstick cooking spray and top with the bacon. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for five to eight minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, they may be reheated in a microwave.
A Century of Flavor is filled with 50 of the most tantalizing recipes, highlighting the intricate, yet delicate flavors of pure vanilla and is written for the novice cook as well as the seasoned chef.
DiRoNA Announces New Officers and Directors
At its 18th annual educational conference and awards gala, held in New Orleans, LA, from October 19-21, the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNA) announced its new officers and directors.
Assuming the chair position is Mr. William L. Hyde, Jr., (pictured right) principal of Briarwood West Investments, LLC, and owner of Abacus/Jasper's Restaurant Group in Dallas, TX. Hyde was a partner of Ruth Fertel and chief executive officer of Ruth's Chris Steak House, Inc., until his retirement in 2003. In addition to his volunteer responsibilities for DiRōNA, Hyde also serves as vice chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
Karen Olson (below), principal of Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, UT, accepted the role of vice chair. Olson has a master's degree from Pepperdine University and is the founder and co-chair of the Downtown Dine O' Round. This highly successful two week restaurant promotion brings together 40 restaurants twice a year. For her work in increasing the vitality and economic development of downtown Salt Lake City, she and her committee were recipients of the 2004 Downtown Alliance Lifestyle Achievement Award.
First vice chair Joseph DiSalvo (right), owner of DiSalvo's Station, Latrobe, PA, currently serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association. DiSalvo is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of American in New Hyde Park, NY and Florida International University. He holds the largest bi-annual charity event in Western Pennsylvania, Taste the Good Life, which benefits local area charities.
In addition to officer changes, two new directors were added to the DiRōNA Board in industry partner positions. James W. Chamberlain, senior vice president, field sales U.S., Ecolab, St. Paul, MN., and Hans Lindh, vice president, Restaurant Industry Merchant Services North America, American Express, New York, NY, will serve two-year terms.
Assuming the chair position is Mr. William L. Hyde, Jr., (pictured right) principal of Briarwood West Investments, LLC, and owner of Abacus/Jasper's Restaurant Group in Dallas, TX. Hyde was a partner of Ruth Fertel and chief executive officer of Ruth's Chris Steak House, Inc., until his retirement in 2003. In addition to his volunteer responsibilities for DiRōNA, Hyde also serves as vice chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
Karen Olson (below), principal of Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, UT, accepted the role of vice chair. Olson has a master's degree from Pepperdine University and is the founder and co-chair of the Downtown Dine O' Round. This highly successful two week restaurant promotion brings together 40 restaurants twice a year. For her work in increasing the vitality and economic development of downtown Salt Lake City, she and her committee were recipients of the 2004 Downtown Alliance Lifestyle Achievement Award.
First vice chair Joseph DiSalvo (right), owner of DiSalvo's Station, Latrobe, PA, currently serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association. DiSalvo is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of American in New Hyde Park, NY and Florida International University. He holds the largest bi-annual charity event in Western Pennsylvania, Taste the Good Life, which benefits local area charities.
In addition to officer changes, two new directors were added to the DiRōNA Board in industry partner positions. James W. Chamberlain, senior vice president, field sales U.S., Ecolab, St. Paul, MN., and Hans Lindh, vice president, Restaurant Industry Merchant Services North America, American Express, New York, NY, will serve two-year terms.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Science Of Good Food
Now more than ever, a diverse array of foods are available to chefs and home cooks alike; popular interest in cooking has sparked curiosity and innumerable culinary questions arise out of everyday cuisine, not to mention unfamiliar and exotic ingredients. From Delicata Squash, Demerara Sugar, and Demi-Glace, to Derby Cheese, Dessert Wine, and Dewberry, food items present tantalizing possibilities and cooks everywhere are eager to master their uses, refine special techniques, and dive into creative and informed kitchen innovation.
This year, a groundbreaking new book points home cooks in the right direction: THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss with A. Philip Handel, Ph.D. (Robert Rose, Inc.; October 2008; $37.95/trade paperback; ISBN-13: 978-0-7788-0189-4) is the ultimate GPS for your kitchen, with delicious recipes designed to teach useful techniques and answer culinary questions.
In addition to scintillating flavors, kitchen science now inspires and influences culinary development. Award-winning chefs and cutting-edge restaurants around the world have become famous for using the principles of chemistry and physics when creating new taste sensations and perfecting time-honored culinary techniques (not to mention de-bunking many kitchen myths).
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD is the first A to Z reference book to bring the science of food to home cooks and professionals alike. This highly readable book contains more than 1,600 entries, arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced, that touch on a variety of scientific disciplines from biology and chemistry to agriculture and nutrition. And, everyone from kitchen novice and culinary student to professional chef and armchair gourmet will be fascinated to learn how copper bowls affect eggs, what kind of grill gives you the best crust on a steak, what happens to shortbread at high altitude, and how butter tenderizes cake, to list just a few food science features from this seminal book. In addition to practical and scientific information, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD includes more than 100 recipes.
While demystifying the complexities of cooking, the book sheds a welcome light on the confounding phenomena of everyday eating such as why artichokes make certain foods taste sweeter and what causes some people to think cilantro tastes like soap. Topics on cooking ingredients discuss the basic molecular make-up of meats, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruits, cheese, eggs, dough, and most other foodstuffs, as well as how these foods react to heat, helping you cook better.
Bursting with practical tips and their scientific foundations, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD brings the exciting culinary frontier of molecular gastronomy into the home kitchen. Answers to any type of culinary question can be found within its pages such as:
• How do you make the perfect French fry?
• What keeps red cabbage from turning blue?
• Is it better to salt a steak before or after grilling?
• Why do onions make you cry and how do you stop the tears?
The book even includes chemistry principles that unravel the physical and chemical transformations that take place during everyday cooking, explaining things like aeration, caramelization, and gelatinization. Scores of charts, tables, and graphs, and more than 200 photographs and illustrations help you visualize the basic principles of food science.
“The ultimate goal throughout the book is to provide practical information that you can use to create better-tasting food,” explains Schloss. “The straightforward explanations of the what, how, and why of food and cooking are intended to help you become a better and more confident cook. After all, cooking and science are really after the same thing: helping us enjoy life. We hope this book helps you do just that.”
With holidays fast approaching SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD can ensure that your holiday menu is perfect. Find out how to:
• Roast fall vegetables and fruit
• Create savory pumpkin dishes
• Create holiday gifts from the kitchen (baked goods that don’t go stale, flavoring oils and vinegars, preserves)
• Make homemade broths and 10-minute meals
• Create cold weather salads
Entries are broken into three sections called What It is, What It Does, and How It Works. The first section defines the item and may include a bit of historical or other interesting information. The second section discusses the item's significance in food preparation and cooking and offers practical kitchen tips. The third section explains the science behind the item, including flavor chemistry and chemical transformations that occur during cooking. More practical tips are included in Kitchen Wisdom boxes, while more detailed science information appears in Science Wise boxes. Interesting food trivia is included in a Fast Facts section.
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD has all the answers to any culinary question. No matter which ingredients, techniques, or equipment you are using, no matter the cooking question you need answered, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD shows you the way. Throughout the book, straightforward explanations help readers to become better cooks, freeing them up to cook creatively by detailing not only how to apply a culinary technique, but also why it works. Test the theories of food science and see your kitchen repertoire soar.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Joachim has written, edited or collaborated on more than 30 cookbooks. His book The Food Substitutions Bible was an IACP award winner and his A Man, A Can series has sold more than 1 million copies. Other recent books include the New York Times bestselling Mastering the Grill (with Andrew Schloss). David lives near Philadelphia.
Andrew Schloss is a writer, teacher and food industry professional. The author of 11 cookbooks and countless food articles, he is also past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). His other recent books include Mastering the Grill (with David Joachim) and the Art of the Slow Cooker. Andrew lives in Philadelphia.
A. Philip Handel, Ph.D. directs the Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, and Food Science program at Drexel University. He has been teaching food science for more than 30 years.
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD
The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works
David Joachim and Andrew Schloss
with A. Philip Handel
Robert Rose, Inc.
October 2008
$37.95/trade paperback
This year, a groundbreaking new book points home cooks in the right direction: THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss with A. Philip Handel, Ph.D. (Robert Rose, Inc.; October 2008; $37.95/trade paperback; ISBN-13: 978-0-7788-0189-4) is the ultimate GPS for your kitchen, with delicious recipes designed to teach useful techniques and answer culinary questions.
In addition to scintillating flavors, kitchen science now inspires and influences culinary development. Award-winning chefs and cutting-edge restaurants around the world have become famous for using the principles of chemistry and physics when creating new taste sensations and perfecting time-honored culinary techniques (not to mention de-bunking many kitchen myths).
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD is the first A to Z reference book to bring the science of food to home cooks and professionals alike. This highly readable book contains more than 1,600 entries, arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced, that touch on a variety of scientific disciplines from biology and chemistry to agriculture and nutrition. And, everyone from kitchen novice and culinary student to professional chef and armchair gourmet will be fascinated to learn how copper bowls affect eggs, what kind of grill gives you the best crust on a steak, what happens to shortbread at high altitude, and how butter tenderizes cake, to list just a few food science features from this seminal book. In addition to practical and scientific information, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD includes more than 100 recipes.
While demystifying the complexities of cooking, the book sheds a welcome light on the confounding phenomena of everyday eating such as why artichokes make certain foods taste sweeter and what causes some people to think cilantro tastes like soap. Topics on cooking ingredients discuss the basic molecular make-up of meats, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, vegetables, fruits, cheese, eggs, dough, and most other foodstuffs, as well as how these foods react to heat, helping you cook better.
Bursting with practical tips and their scientific foundations, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD brings the exciting culinary frontier of molecular gastronomy into the home kitchen. Answers to any type of culinary question can be found within its pages such as:
• How do you make the perfect French fry?
• What keeps red cabbage from turning blue?
• Is it better to salt a steak before or after grilling?
• Why do onions make you cry and how do you stop the tears?
The book even includes chemistry principles that unravel the physical and chemical transformations that take place during everyday cooking, explaining things like aeration, caramelization, and gelatinization. Scores of charts, tables, and graphs, and more than 200 photographs and illustrations help you visualize the basic principles of food science.
“The ultimate goal throughout the book is to provide practical information that you can use to create better-tasting food,” explains Schloss. “The straightforward explanations of the what, how, and why of food and cooking are intended to help you become a better and more confident cook. After all, cooking and science are really after the same thing: helping us enjoy life. We hope this book helps you do just that.”
With holidays fast approaching SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD can ensure that your holiday menu is perfect. Find out how to:
• Roast fall vegetables and fruit
• Create savory pumpkin dishes
• Create holiday gifts from the kitchen (baked goods that don’t go stale, flavoring oils and vinegars, preserves)
• Make homemade broths and 10-minute meals
• Create cold weather salads
Entries are broken into three sections called What It is, What It Does, and How It Works. The first section defines the item and may include a bit of historical or other interesting information. The second section discusses the item's significance in food preparation and cooking and offers practical kitchen tips. The third section explains the science behind the item, including flavor chemistry and chemical transformations that occur during cooking. More practical tips are included in Kitchen Wisdom boxes, while more detailed science information appears in Science Wise boxes. Interesting food trivia is included in a Fast Facts section.
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD has all the answers to any culinary question. No matter which ingredients, techniques, or equipment you are using, no matter the cooking question you need answered, THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD shows you the way. Throughout the book, straightforward explanations help readers to become better cooks, freeing them up to cook creatively by detailing not only how to apply a culinary technique, but also why it works. Test the theories of food science and see your kitchen repertoire soar.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Joachim has written, edited or collaborated on more than 30 cookbooks. His book The Food Substitutions Bible was an IACP award winner and his A Man, A Can series has sold more than 1 million copies. Other recent books include the New York Times bestselling Mastering the Grill (with Andrew Schloss). David lives near Philadelphia.
Andrew Schloss is a writer, teacher and food industry professional. The author of 11 cookbooks and countless food articles, he is also past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). His other recent books include Mastering the Grill (with David Joachim) and the Art of the Slow Cooker. Andrew lives in Philadelphia.
A. Philip Handel, Ph.D. directs the Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, and Food Science program at Drexel University. He has been teaching food science for more than 30 years.
THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD
The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works
David Joachim and Andrew Schloss
with A. Philip Handel
Robert Rose, Inc.
October 2008
$37.95/trade paperback
Meno Trigger Grip Tongs
TODCO has introduced a line of Meno Trigger Grip™ Tongs for every day use, especially by people with hand pain or hand challenges.
Available in 9 inch and 12-inch lengths, the Meno-brand Tongs are ideal for both left and right-handed individuals. TODCO is a member of The Hannon Group, Ltd.
Like other Meno Trigger Grip™ kitchen tools, the Tongs have a unique and proven curvature that allows use of several fingers to help provide the user with a secure grip that reduces fatigue and pain.
“The Meno-brand Metal Tongs are designed to be gripped in multiple positions for long periods of time without pain or stress,” noted Todd Hannon, President of The Hannon Group. “This especially gives people with hand pain and challenges back the freedom to enjoy the art of cooking which in some cases was denied to them because of the associated pain.”
Hannon noted that the Tongs are the first in a series of Meno Trigger Grip™ products TODCO plans to introduce within the next few months in time for the International Home and Housewares Show in March 2009. Others include a
pizza cutter, ice cream scoop, paring knife and several others.
Heavyweight for easy gripping, the Meno-brand of Metal Tongs has a patented handle design that makes them easy to use and grip. Made of stainless steel for durability, the Tong’s high-grade silicone tips keep them from scratching your nonstick cookware. The silicone tips are easy to clean and are heat resistant up to 500°F.
A lock at the end of the tongs keeps them closed for storing. To open for use, simply push the lock down. The tongs are available in red, orange and black. Suggested retail price for the 9-inch tongs is approximately $11.99 and the 12-inch tongs approximately $14.99.
Background of Meno Trigger Grip™
The inspiration for the Meno Trigger Grip™ began from a new interest of inventor Peggy Mineau. Mineau began hooking rugs in July 2001 but within a couple of months Peggy started to experience such nerve pain she was unable to continue. Suffering from multiple sclerosis, Mineau found she could only hook for a short time without nerve pain in her finger and thumb. Persistent in her desire to continue with her craft, Mineau hand sculptured the perfect hook she thought would alleviate her pain. From the sculpture, Mineau’s husband carved a wooden prototype design of the hook. Because of the unique curved grip, the Meno Trigger Grip™ gave her numerous options on how to hold the hook and on what part to put pressure.
With the Menu Trigger Group™, Mineau has been able to continue hooking rugs and enjoying her craft. Meanwhile, her friends and acquaintances urged her to market the hook to other categories, especially kitchen tools.
Mineau approached The Hannon Group with her idea to design kitchen tools for people with hand challenges, the elderly and those that wanted easy to use tools with a more comfortable grip.
“We are very pleased to be able to introduce Peggy Mineau’s line of kitchen tools with the Menu Trigger Grip™ to the market,” noted Hannon. “People who had difficulty holding a kitchen tool in the past will now be able to firmly and comfortably grasp the tool due to its unique shape and flexibility. They can now decide what position best works for them in holding the tool and what part to put pressure on.”
NOTE: We have tried this product and think it makes sense for anyone who may have trouble gripping or using ordinary tongs. It delivers on it's promises.
Available in 9 inch and 12-inch lengths, the Meno-brand Tongs are ideal for both left and right-handed individuals. TODCO is a member of The Hannon Group, Ltd.
Like other Meno Trigger Grip™ kitchen tools, the Tongs have a unique and proven curvature that allows use of several fingers to help provide the user with a secure grip that reduces fatigue and pain.
“The Meno-brand Metal Tongs are designed to be gripped in multiple positions for long periods of time without pain or stress,” noted Todd Hannon, President of The Hannon Group. “This especially gives people with hand pain and challenges back the freedom to enjoy the art of cooking which in some cases was denied to them because of the associated pain.”
Hannon noted that the Tongs are the first in a series of Meno Trigger Grip™ products TODCO plans to introduce within the next few months in time for the International Home and Housewares Show in March 2009. Others include a
pizza cutter, ice cream scoop, paring knife and several others.
Heavyweight for easy gripping, the Meno-brand of Metal Tongs has a patented handle design that makes them easy to use and grip. Made of stainless steel for durability, the Tong’s high-grade silicone tips keep them from scratching your nonstick cookware. The silicone tips are easy to clean and are heat resistant up to 500°F.
A lock at the end of the tongs keeps them closed for storing. To open for use, simply push the lock down. The tongs are available in red, orange and black. Suggested retail price for the 9-inch tongs is approximately $11.99 and the 12-inch tongs approximately $14.99.
Background of Meno Trigger Grip™
The inspiration for the Meno Trigger Grip™ began from a new interest of inventor Peggy Mineau. Mineau began hooking rugs in July 2001 but within a couple of months Peggy started to experience such nerve pain she was unable to continue. Suffering from multiple sclerosis, Mineau found she could only hook for a short time without nerve pain in her finger and thumb. Persistent in her desire to continue with her craft, Mineau hand sculptured the perfect hook she thought would alleviate her pain. From the sculpture, Mineau’s husband carved a wooden prototype design of the hook. Because of the unique curved grip, the Meno Trigger Grip™ gave her numerous options on how to hold the hook and on what part to put pressure.
With the Menu Trigger Group™, Mineau has been able to continue hooking rugs and enjoying her craft. Meanwhile, her friends and acquaintances urged her to market the hook to other categories, especially kitchen tools.
Mineau approached The Hannon Group with her idea to design kitchen tools for people with hand challenges, the elderly and those that wanted easy to use tools with a more comfortable grip.
“We are very pleased to be able to introduce Peggy Mineau’s line of kitchen tools with the Menu Trigger Grip™ to the market,” noted Hannon. “People who had difficulty holding a kitchen tool in the past will now be able to firmly and comfortably grasp the tool due to its unique shape and flexibility. They can now decide what position best works for them in holding the tool and what part to put pressure on.”
NOTE: We have tried this product and think it makes sense for anyone who may have trouble gripping or using ordinary tongs. It delivers on it's promises.
45% Less Fat 3 Musketeers Cherry for Valentine's Day!
This Valentine’s Day, chocolate loves can indulge in the perfect flavor combination of cherry nougat dipped in dark chocolate with 3 MUSKETEERS® CHERRY limited edition. Combined with 45% less fat than the average leading chocolate brands,
3 MUSKETEERS® CHERRY limited edition is a delicious chocolate treat you can enjoy without the guilt.
This Easter, 3 Musketeers® introduces 3 MUSKETEERS® RASPBERRY limited edition. Fluffy raspberry nougat dipped in luscious dark chocolate, 3 MUSKETEERS® RASPBERRY limited edition is a delicious chocolate treat consumers can feel good about choosing.
Available in 2009, 3 MUSKETEERS® CHERRY and RASBPBERRY limited editions are found in select retail stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.29 for 9 ounce bag of minis.
New items featuring cherry nougat and raspberry nougat dipped in luscious dark chocolate and is Kosher certified.
********************
INGRID HOFFMANN’S HOLIDAY 3 MUSKETEERS MINT RECIPES
Vanilla Custard Pie With 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint Crust
For the crust:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 2 dozen, crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
3 full-size 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint Bars, chilled and chopped fine
For the custard:
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 pinch salt
2 cups whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. While the butter melts, separately mix the graham cracker crumbs, chopped candy bars and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter to the graham cracker mix and combine thoroughly, making sure the entire mixture is well moistened. Press the mixture into a glass pie plate, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Place the pie crust in the oven for 8 minutes or until set. Once set, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine the eggs and the sugar until no sugar granules are left. Add the vanilla, peppermint and salt. Slowly stir in the milk and combine well. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie shell and place in the oven. Bake the pie for 8 minutes at 475 degrees. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and continue cooking an additional 25-30 minutes, until custard is set.
Prep time: 23 minutes
Cooking time: 29 minutes
Total process time: 55 minutes
Dark Chocolate Mint-Topped Hot Chocolate
3 ounces dark chocolate (Dove)
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops peppermint extract
2 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars, frozen
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the dark chocolate, sugar and milk. Heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is well-blended, stirring frequently. Add vanilla and peppermint, stir and serve in large mugs. Using a microplane grater, grate the frozen 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars over each mug to taste. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Serves 4-6.
Prep time: 1 hour (freezing)
Cooking time: 14 minutes
Total process time: 1 hour, 18 minutes
3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint 'Brittle'
10 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars (20 pieces)
3 ounces Dove dark chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts (or your favorite nut)
Break the 3 Musketeers bars into pieces and place them, the Dove chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Melt the chocolate, stirring frequently, until the nougat in the bars has melted and combined thoroughly with the chocolate.
Fold in the nuts, stirring well, and spread immediately on parchment paper or non-stick foil. Allow to cool, then break into pieces and serve.
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total process time: 20 minutes
3 MUSKETEERS® CHERRY limited edition is a delicious chocolate treat you can enjoy without the guilt.
This Easter, 3 Musketeers® introduces 3 MUSKETEERS® RASPBERRY limited edition. Fluffy raspberry nougat dipped in luscious dark chocolate, 3 MUSKETEERS® RASPBERRY limited edition is a delicious chocolate treat consumers can feel good about choosing.
Available in 2009, 3 MUSKETEERS® CHERRY and RASBPBERRY limited editions are found in select retail stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.29 for 9 ounce bag of minis.
New items featuring cherry nougat and raspberry nougat dipped in luscious dark chocolate and is Kosher certified.
********************
INGRID HOFFMANN’S HOLIDAY 3 MUSKETEERS MINT RECIPES
Vanilla Custard Pie With 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint Crust
For the crust:
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 2 dozen, crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
3 full-size 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint Bars, chilled and chopped fine
For the custard:
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 pinch salt
2 cups whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. While the butter melts, separately mix the graham cracker crumbs, chopped candy bars and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter to the graham cracker mix and combine thoroughly, making sure the entire mixture is well moistened. Press the mixture into a glass pie plate, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Place the pie crust in the oven for 8 minutes or until set. Once set, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine the eggs and the sugar until no sugar granules are left. Add the vanilla, peppermint and salt. Slowly stir in the milk and combine well. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie shell and place in the oven. Bake the pie for 8 minutes at 475 degrees. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and continue cooking an additional 25-30 minutes, until custard is set.
Prep time: 23 minutes
Cooking time: 29 minutes
Total process time: 55 minutes
Dark Chocolate Mint-Topped Hot Chocolate
3 ounces dark chocolate (Dove)
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops peppermint extract
2 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars, frozen
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the dark chocolate, sugar and milk. Heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is well-blended, stirring frequently. Add vanilla and peppermint, stir and serve in large mugs. Using a microplane grater, grate the frozen 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars over each mug to taste. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Serves 4-6.
Prep time: 1 hour (freezing)
Cooking time: 14 minutes
Total process time: 1 hour, 18 minutes
3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint 'Brittle'
10 3 Musketeers Dark Chocolate Mint bars (20 pieces)
3 ounces Dove dark chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts (or your favorite nut)
Break the 3 Musketeers bars into pieces and place them, the Dove chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Melt the chocolate, stirring frequently, until the nougat in the bars has melted and combined thoroughly with the chocolate.
Fold in the nuts, stirring well, and spread immediately on parchment paper or non-stick foil. Allow to cool, then break into pieces and serve.
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total process time: 20 minutes
Monday, November 17, 2008
Drenchers Heart Healthy Super Juice Does What it Says
Drenchers new all natural 100% super juice, Heart Healthy, does exactly as its names states. It helps keep your heart healthy.
“The name of each of our Drenchers™ all natural 100% super juice products clearly identifies the consumer benefit,” said Chris New, founder, chairman and CEO of NBI Juiceworks, producers and distributors of Drenchers™ and Sun Shower™ brand products. “With new Drenchers™ Heart Healthy, there’s no need to hunt around for nutrition which helps maintain a healthy heart anymore. We have produced a great tasting all natural 100% Super Juice that has no fat, no cholesterol, no sugar or preservatives added and is fortified with key vitamins and minerals specifically designed for heart health. It’s really simple…Heart Healthy is great for your heart.”
Each eight ounce serving of Heart Healthy has only 120 calories and contains two servings of fruits and vegetables. Available in shelf stable 12 ounce and 64 ounce sizes, Drenchers™ Heart Healthy all natural 100% super juice contains Bodyguard™, a fortification package of 15-plus essential vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, electrolytes and herbs including:
Folate (Folic Acid) - An antioxidant and key vitamin in cellular function and repair; may help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing levels of homocusteine.
Calcium (Electrolyte) - Builds strong bones and aids in muscle action.
Magnesium (Electrolyte) - Maintains fluid and acid-base balance in the body. Aids in muscle function.
Niacin (B3) - Important for converting calories from protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy.
Potassium (Electrolyte) - Helps kidneys function normally. Promotes healthy skin and may help lower blood pressure.
C0-Q10 (Antioxidant) - May lower blood sugar levels and aid in production of energy.
Ginkgo Biloba (Herb) - Increases blood flow and mental alertness.
Creatine (Amino Acid) - Provides energy to muscles; lengthens life of cells and tissues by protecting them from injury or harm.
Hawthorne Berry (Antioxidant) - Contains bioflavonoids which can help reduce heart disease.
Heart Healthy also contains essential B vitamins (B5, B6 & B12) and powerful antioxidants (A, C & E) for increased protection, energy, strength and focus.
About NBI Juiceworks
NBI Juiceworks™ (New Beverage Insights Juiceworks™, LLLP), produces and distributes Drenchers™ and Sun Shower™ brand products. Using its exclusive (method of use patent pending) juice extracting and bottle filling process, NBI Juiceworks captures the full flavor, color, and nutrient value of fresh California-grown nectarines in its products. NBI Juiceworks was founded in Orlando, Fla. in 2005 and its executive team has over 150 years of combined management experience in the juice and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.nbijuiceworks.com.
“The name of each of our Drenchers™ all natural 100% super juice products clearly identifies the consumer benefit,” said Chris New, founder, chairman and CEO of NBI Juiceworks, producers and distributors of Drenchers™ and Sun Shower™ brand products. “With new Drenchers™ Heart Healthy, there’s no need to hunt around for nutrition which helps maintain a healthy heart anymore. We have produced a great tasting all natural 100% Super Juice that has no fat, no cholesterol, no sugar or preservatives added and is fortified with key vitamins and minerals specifically designed for heart health. It’s really simple…Heart Healthy is great for your heart.”
Each eight ounce serving of Heart Healthy has only 120 calories and contains two servings of fruits and vegetables. Available in shelf stable 12 ounce and 64 ounce sizes, Drenchers™ Heart Healthy all natural 100% super juice contains Bodyguard™, a fortification package of 15-plus essential vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, electrolytes and herbs including:
Folate (Folic Acid) - An antioxidant and key vitamin in cellular function and repair; may help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system by reducing levels of homocusteine.
Calcium (Electrolyte) - Builds strong bones and aids in muscle action.
Magnesium (Electrolyte) - Maintains fluid and acid-base balance in the body. Aids in muscle function.
Niacin (B3) - Important for converting calories from protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy.
Potassium (Electrolyte) - Helps kidneys function normally. Promotes healthy skin and may help lower blood pressure.
C0-Q10 (Antioxidant) - May lower blood sugar levels and aid in production of energy.
Ginkgo Biloba (Herb) - Increases blood flow and mental alertness.
Creatine (Amino Acid) - Provides energy to muscles; lengthens life of cells and tissues by protecting them from injury or harm.
Hawthorne Berry (Antioxidant) - Contains bioflavonoids which can help reduce heart disease.
Heart Healthy also contains essential B vitamins (B5, B6 & B12) and powerful antioxidants (A, C & E) for increased protection, energy, strength and focus.
About NBI Juiceworks
NBI Juiceworks™ (New Beverage Insights Juiceworks™, LLLP), produces and distributes Drenchers™ and Sun Shower™ brand products. Using its exclusive (method of use patent pending) juice extracting and bottle filling process, NBI Juiceworks captures the full flavor, color, and nutrient value of fresh California-grown nectarines in its products. NBI Juiceworks was founded in Orlando, Fla. in 2005 and its executive team has over 150 years of combined management experience in the juice and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.nbijuiceworks.com.
Thanksgiving Dinner From A Forkable Feast
The Holidays are fast approaching. Let A Forkable Feast help you with your Thanksgiving Feast. (It'll be "our" little secret!!) Here is the Thanksgiving Menu & price list. To all of our Gluten free folks we haven't forgotten about you. We will have GF stuffing, assorted GF breads, GF Chocolate Chip Cookies as well as GF Turkey Gravy!
Menu Items Price
Brnd & Roastd Fresh Turkey (all white meat) $7.95
Brined & Roasted Fresh Turkey $6.95
“Carolinas Style” House Cured Ham $7.95
Chestnut & Apple Stuffing $3.25
Cornbread & Turkey Sausage stuffing $3.25
Glazed Brussel sprouts w/wo Pancetta $2.95
Whpd Swts w/dried chries, pears,wlnts,gngr $2.95
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes $2.95
Buttermilk Mashed Yukon golds $2.95
Root Vegetable Gratin $2.95
Sweet Corn Pudding $2.95
Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots $2.95
Bourbon-Pecan Pie feeds 8 people $9.95
Pumpkin Pie feeds 8 people $8.95
Apple pie feeds 8 people $8.95
Gingered Cranberry Compote 8 oz. $2.95
Homemade Turkey Gravy 8 oz. $2.95
Gingered Butternut Squash Bisque $3.25
Soup du jour $3.25
Please note that all of the prices are by the single portion unless indicated otherwise.
Please feel free to call us with any questions about our offerings (513-871-8646), or to place orders for pick up on November 26th. Please note that your order must be received by the Monday before Thanksgiving (11-24-08).
Menu Items Price
Brnd & Roastd Fresh Turkey (all white meat) $7.95
Brined & Roasted Fresh Turkey $6.95
“Carolinas Style” House Cured Ham $7.95
Chestnut & Apple Stuffing $3.25
Cornbread & Turkey Sausage stuffing $3.25
Glazed Brussel sprouts w/wo Pancetta $2.95
Whpd Swts w/dried chries, pears,wlnts,gngr $2.95
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes $2.95
Buttermilk Mashed Yukon golds $2.95
Root Vegetable Gratin $2.95
Sweet Corn Pudding $2.95
Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots $2.95
Bourbon-Pecan Pie feeds 8 people $9.95
Pumpkin Pie feeds 8 people $8.95
Apple pie feeds 8 people $8.95
Gingered Cranberry Compote 8 oz. $2.95
Homemade Turkey Gravy 8 oz. $2.95
Gingered Butternut Squash Bisque $3.25
Soup du jour $3.25
Please note that all of the prices are by the single portion unless indicated otherwise.
Please feel free to call us with any questions about our offerings (513-871-8646), or to place orders for pick up on November 26th. Please note that your order must be received by the Monday before Thanksgiving (11-24-08).
Corbett's Louisville Announces Wine Down Thursdays
At Corbett’s, we know that there’s no better way to “wine down” after a tough day than with a glass of wine perfectly paired with fresh, seasonal dishes. To help guests relax and make time for the finer things in life, Corbett’s has created a new monthly wine dinner series that will be held throughout 2009. The first series kicks off on Thursday, January 8th with a salute to Spain.
The price of each “Wine Down Thursdays” event is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. All dinners take place in Corbett’s Wineskellar and began at 6:30 p.m. Each tasting is limited to 40 guests. A perfect holiday gift for wine enthusiasts, the entire series can be purchased for $750, a price that reflects two complimentary months.
This dinner series will feature a minimum of five wines that have all been carefully matched to a five-course dinner prepared by chefs Chris Howerton and Kevin Rice. At each tasting, the focus will be on a new wine region. With the guidance of Corbett's sommelier Troy Ritchie, guests will learn about the various grapes from the selected region and come away with a new appreciation for the varietals of the evening.
“We wanted this series to be more than just your average wine dinner,” said Ritchie. “It includes a strong educational component tied to an exceptional dinner. It’s a chance for me to share my passion of wine with fellow wine-lovers, both novice and experts alike, while working with chefs Howerton and Rice to have each wine reach its full potential with the food pairings.
The 2009 “Wine Down Thursdays” are February 19, March 19, April 2, May 14, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 10, October 8, November 12, and December 17.
Corbett’s: An American Place is located at 5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard in Old Brownsboro Crossing in east Louisville. Corbett’s is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information or to make reservations, call (502) 327-5058.
The price of each “Wine Down Thursdays” event is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. All dinners take place in Corbett’s Wineskellar and began at 6:30 p.m. Each tasting is limited to 40 guests. A perfect holiday gift for wine enthusiasts, the entire series can be purchased for $750, a price that reflects two complimentary months.
This dinner series will feature a minimum of five wines that have all been carefully matched to a five-course dinner prepared by chefs Chris Howerton and Kevin Rice. At each tasting, the focus will be on a new wine region. With the guidance of Corbett's sommelier Troy Ritchie, guests will learn about the various grapes from the selected region and come away with a new appreciation for the varietals of the evening.
“We wanted this series to be more than just your average wine dinner,” said Ritchie. “It includes a strong educational component tied to an exceptional dinner. It’s a chance for me to share my passion of wine with fellow wine-lovers, both novice and experts alike, while working with chefs Howerton and Rice to have each wine reach its full potential with the food pairings.
The 2009 “Wine Down Thursdays” are February 19, March 19, April 2, May 14, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 10, October 8, November 12, and December 17.
Corbett’s: An American Place is located at 5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard in Old Brownsboro Crossing in east Louisville. Corbett’s is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information or to make reservations, call (502) 327-5058.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Ohio River Valley Barrel Tasting Tour
Southern Ohio wineries have teamed up for the 'Annual Ohio River Valley Barrel Tasting Tour.' The winemakers at Harmony Hill Vineyards & Estate Winery (Bethel), Kinkead Ridge Estate Winery (Ripley), Burnet Ridge (Cincinnati), Henke Winery (Cincinnati) and Woodstone Creek Winery (Cincinnati) will open their cellars to feature barrel sampling of unreleased vintages. Currently released award winning wines will also be available at the tasting counters for those interested in purchasing that special holiday gift. This is a very traditional event common in California and Oregon, for families and friends to tour their local wineries, taste current and upcoming releases, and meet the winemakers.
More information is available at www.KinkeadRidge.com/barreltasting.htm.
More information is available at www.KinkeadRidge.com/barreltasting.htm.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Holiday Flavors and Recipe Contest
Turkey Hill’s Limited Edition line features unique and classic flavors that accent special occasions. With the holidays quickly approaching, Peppermint stick and Egg Nog Premium Ice Cream will be available throughout the season.
Egg Nog is currently available in most stores that carry Turkey Hill products. Peppermint Stick will arrive in stores on November 17.
Said Turkey Hill President Quintin Frey, “We are always looking for interesting additions and homemade classics that tie special occasions to the taste of our products. We know that these delicious flavors will enhance the Limited Edition Line—and the holidays!”
As announced on Turkey Hill’s blog, The Ice Cream Journal, Turkey Hill is holding The Ultimate Holiday Recipe Contest using the Egg Nog and Peppermint Stick flavors. Not limited to just drinks or pies, ice cream culinary artists should enter any recipe that uses either new Limited Edition flavor as the main ingredient.
Recipes should be sent to icecreamjournal@gmail.com by December 1. Pictures of finished products are also welcome but not required. The best recipes will be featured on the Turkey Hill website and authors will receive a one-month supply of ice cream. Two top recipes will be picked for each flavor and featured one at a time on the Ice Cream Journal, from December 8-11. Using a blog poll, visitors will vote on their favorite recipe to choose the winner, who will receive a year’s supply of Turkey Hill iced cream.
Each Turkey Hill Limited Edition flavor is made in small batches and available for a limited time only.
# # #
Located in the rich farming country of Lancaster County, Pa., Turkey Hill Dairy produces the fourth largest-selling premium ice cream brand and the number-one refrigerated iced tea brand in the nation. The third-generation, family-run dairy sells its products in a market that extends along the East Coast – from Maine to Georgia and west to the Rocky Mountain States. For more information about Turkey Hill, visit turkeyhill.com.
Egg Nog is currently available in most stores that carry Turkey Hill products. Peppermint Stick will arrive in stores on November 17.
Said Turkey Hill President Quintin Frey, “We are always looking for interesting additions and homemade classics that tie special occasions to the taste of our products. We know that these delicious flavors will enhance the Limited Edition Line—and the holidays!”
As announced on Turkey Hill’s blog, The Ice Cream Journal, Turkey Hill is holding The Ultimate Holiday Recipe Contest using the Egg Nog and Peppermint Stick flavors. Not limited to just drinks or pies, ice cream culinary artists should enter any recipe that uses either new Limited Edition flavor as the main ingredient.
Recipes should be sent to icecreamjournal@gmail.com by December 1. Pictures of finished products are also welcome but not required. The best recipes will be featured on the Turkey Hill website and authors will receive a one-month supply of ice cream. Two top recipes will be picked for each flavor and featured one at a time on the Ice Cream Journal, from December 8-11. Using a blog poll, visitors will vote on their favorite recipe to choose the winner, who will receive a year’s supply of Turkey Hill iced cream.
Each Turkey Hill Limited Edition flavor is made in small batches and available for a limited time only.
# # #
Located in the rich farming country of Lancaster County, Pa., Turkey Hill Dairy produces the fourth largest-selling premium ice cream brand and the number-one refrigerated iced tea brand in the nation. The third-generation, family-run dairy sells its products in a market that extends along the East Coast – from Maine to Georgia and west to the Rocky Mountain States. For more information about Turkey Hill, visit turkeyhill.com.
New Organic Green SuperFood Energy Bars from Amazing Grass
In response to busier lifestyles and poor dietary habits that prevent most people from getting their 5+ daily servings of fruits and vegetables, Amazing Grass has launched new, certified Organic Green SuperFood Energy Bars that feature a premium blend of nature's most nourishing and delicious SuperFoods. The energy bars provide health conscious consumers with a more potent, convenient and affordable way to satisfy their hunger and deliver nutrients to their bodies the way Mother Nature intended - unprocessed, organic and delicious.
Amazing Grass combined their alkalizing Organic Green SuperFood powder with antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and nutritious organic nuts and seeds to create the Whole Food Energy Bar and Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar. Like all Amazing Grass products, the new whole food energy bars are cold processed, raw, gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
Both varieties of the new energy bars feature an impressive nutritional profile and ingredient list. With no sugar added, the Whole Food Energy Bar has 220 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 25 grams of sugar and 36 grams of carbohydrates. The ingredients include Organic Dates, Organic Agave Nectar, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Organic Cashews, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Rice Crisps, Organic Almonds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Dried Cranberries, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Dried Coconut and Organic Vanilla Extract.
In addition to the ingredients listed above, the Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar features an innovative Fair Trade Organic Dark Chocolate Coating made from Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin and Natural Vanilla Flavor. The Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar has 230 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 27 grams of sugar and 37 grams of carbohydrates. Both energy bars are sold nationwide at Whole Foods Markets.
Amazing Grass Green SuperFood powder has a high concentration of naturally-occurring enzymes, carotenoids, phytonutrients and antioxidants that work synergistically to fight free radicals, remove toxins and repair damaged cells. Ultimately, Amazing Grass contains every amino acid, vitamin, and mineral necessary to sustain human life. Since the human body is designed to get nutrition from whole foods, the body is able to efficiently and rapidly absorb the nutrients in Green SuperFood and quickly convert them to fuel.
For the majority of people, stress and consumption of unhealthy processed foods can create an acidic imbalance in the blood that, among other problems, can cause the body to store water and build up fat in the arteries (cholesterol) as protection from acidic blood. The rich chlorophyll content and high alkalinity of Amazing Grass Green SuperFood helps to combat acidity and restore blood to the optimal pH level. It also promotes improved circulation, digestion and regular elimination.
The Amazing Grass Green SuperFood blend is a unique and potent combination of nature’s most nourishing, cleansing and rebuilding green superfoods including more than 70% certified organic ingredients and an enhanced digestive enzyme and active probiotic blend to improve nutrient absorption. Amazing Grass Green SuperFood combines nutrient dense green food concentrates with other uniquely powerful ingredients like açaí and maca. SambazonÒ Acai, is a purple berry loaded with antioxidants, healthy omega fats, fiber and protein that grows in the Amazon Rainforest; and maca is a nutritious root grown at high altitudes in Peru that is known to be an adaptogen that boosts the immune system and provides sustained energy, vitality and mental clarity. The Amazing Grass Green SuperFood blend also provides more organic whole leaf greens per gram than any leading green superfood mix, and unlike many others, it contains no soy lecithin fillers.
Amazing Grass’ mission is to educate the world about the benefits of green superfoods and the improved quality of life from healthy eating habits. In addition to the new Whole Food Energy Bars and Green Superfood Drink Powder, Amazing Grass offers organic Wheat Grass in drink powder and tablet forms, Green SuperFood Chocolate Drink Powder and Kidz SuperFood Chocolate Drink Powder. Amazing Grass products are widely available around the country and at www.AmazingGrass.com. The company’s popular GrassHeads program offers auto shipping along with discounts and other cool swag.
Amazing Grass is a friends- and family-owned company with roots that date back over 60 years of growing and dehydrating green foods. The company produces certified organic wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, rye grass and alfalfa at a family farm in Kansas, and markets the most nutritious, convenient and affordable green superfoods to help families thrive. Amazing Grass stands out because the grasses are field-grown throughout the winter allowing the roots to soak up nutrients from mineral-rich soil for over 6 months. “The young leaves are harvested just one time each year at their nutritional peak,” says President Brandon Bert. "The greens are carefully flash dehydrated at low temperatures, frozen as whole leaf powders and then packed in nitrogen to maintain freshness. The extra steps ensure customers get the most nutrient-dense raw green food powders in the world," adds Bert.
Amazing Grass combined their alkalizing Organic Green SuperFood powder with antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and nutritious organic nuts and seeds to create the Whole Food Energy Bar and Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar. Like all Amazing Grass products, the new whole food energy bars are cold processed, raw, gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
Both varieties of the new energy bars feature an impressive nutritional profile and ingredient list. With no sugar added, the Whole Food Energy Bar has 220 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 25 grams of sugar and 36 grams of carbohydrates. The ingredients include Organic Dates, Organic Agave Nectar, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Organic Cashews, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Rice Crisps, Organic Almonds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Dried Cranberries, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Dried Coconut and Organic Vanilla Extract.
In addition to the ingredients listed above, the Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar features an innovative Fair Trade Organic Dark Chocolate Coating made from Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin and Natural Vanilla Flavor. The Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar has 230 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 27 grams of sugar and 37 grams of carbohydrates. Both energy bars are sold nationwide at Whole Foods Markets.
Amazing Grass Green SuperFood powder has a high concentration of naturally-occurring enzymes, carotenoids, phytonutrients and antioxidants that work synergistically to fight free radicals, remove toxins and repair damaged cells. Ultimately, Amazing Grass contains every amino acid, vitamin, and mineral necessary to sustain human life. Since the human body is designed to get nutrition from whole foods, the body is able to efficiently and rapidly absorb the nutrients in Green SuperFood and quickly convert them to fuel.
For the majority of people, stress and consumption of unhealthy processed foods can create an acidic imbalance in the blood that, among other problems, can cause the body to store water and build up fat in the arteries (cholesterol) as protection from acidic blood. The rich chlorophyll content and high alkalinity of Amazing Grass Green SuperFood helps to combat acidity and restore blood to the optimal pH level. It also promotes improved circulation, digestion and regular elimination.
The Amazing Grass Green SuperFood blend is a unique and potent combination of nature’s most nourishing, cleansing and rebuilding green superfoods including more than 70% certified organic ingredients and an enhanced digestive enzyme and active probiotic blend to improve nutrient absorption. Amazing Grass Green SuperFood combines nutrient dense green food concentrates with other uniquely powerful ingredients like açaí and maca. SambazonÒ Acai, is a purple berry loaded with antioxidants, healthy omega fats, fiber and protein that grows in the Amazon Rainforest; and maca is a nutritious root grown at high altitudes in Peru that is known to be an adaptogen that boosts the immune system and provides sustained energy, vitality and mental clarity. The Amazing Grass Green SuperFood blend also provides more organic whole leaf greens per gram than any leading green superfood mix, and unlike many others, it contains no soy lecithin fillers.
Amazing Grass’ mission is to educate the world about the benefits of green superfoods and the improved quality of life from healthy eating habits. In addition to the new Whole Food Energy Bars and Green Superfood Drink Powder, Amazing Grass offers organic Wheat Grass in drink powder and tablet forms, Green SuperFood Chocolate Drink Powder and Kidz SuperFood Chocolate Drink Powder. Amazing Grass products are widely available around the country and at www.AmazingGrass.com. The company’s popular GrassHeads program offers auto shipping along with discounts and other cool swag.
Amazing Grass is a friends- and family-owned company with roots that date back over 60 years of growing and dehydrating green foods. The company produces certified organic wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, rye grass and alfalfa at a family farm in Kansas, and markets the most nutritious, convenient and affordable green superfoods to help families thrive. Amazing Grass stands out because the grasses are field-grown throughout the winter allowing the roots to soak up nutrients from mineral-rich soil for over 6 months. “The young leaves are harvested just one time each year at their nutritional peak,” says President Brandon Bert. "The greens are carefully flash dehydrated at low temperatures, frozen as whole leaf powders and then packed in nitrogen to maintain freshness. The extra steps ensure customers get the most nutrient-dense raw green food powders in the world," adds Bert.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Jordan Grill
You're going to a game, the beach, a park, campgrounds, and you want to grill but don't want to bother with charcoal, lighter fluid or a cumbersome grill. The Jordan Grill is the answer. The Jordan Grill, a portable, disposable (usable several times!) grill is the instant solution for party hosts, tailgaters, apartment dwellers…..anyone who wants an easy, affordable, grill option.
A disposable Grill-in-a-Box, The Jordan Grill is ready to use…….just add the food! The Jordan Grill is a small grill-to-go that contains charcoal in a small aluminum pan with a grate on top. Whether you want burgers, ribs, hot dogs or vegetables, all you need is a match. This grill is easy to transport, effortless to use, simple to light and ready in 15 minutes. And with The Jordan Grill there's NO MESS! Just simply discard it when done. Ideal for picnics, tailgating, beach parties, boating, hiking, concerts, camping, fishing or a spur-of-the-moment barbecue (in winter, when the grill is put away), The Jordan Grill is made to go anywhere you go.
In addition, The Jordan Grill can be customized for corporate events, teams, universities and tailgating clubs in various quantities at a reasonable price.
The Jordan Grill is available for $5.99, plus shipping - at this price, most grillers will want to keep a few on hand! For more information on ordering the grill or customized grills, in quantity, call 914-235-8246 or go to www.thejordangrill.com
A disposable Grill-in-a-Box, The Jordan Grill is ready to use…….just add the food! The Jordan Grill is a small grill-to-go that contains charcoal in a small aluminum pan with a grate on top. Whether you want burgers, ribs, hot dogs or vegetables, all you need is a match. This grill is easy to transport, effortless to use, simple to light and ready in 15 minutes. And with The Jordan Grill there's NO MESS! Just simply discard it when done. Ideal for picnics, tailgating, beach parties, boating, hiking, concerts, camping, fishing or a spur-of-the-moment barbecue (in winter, when the grill is put away), The Jordan Grill is made to go anywhere you go.
In addition, The Jordan Grill can be customized for corporate events, teams, universities and tailgating clubs in various quantities at a reasonable price.
The Jordan Grill is available for $5.99, plus shipping - at this price, most grillers will want to keep a few on hand! For more information on ordering the grill or customized grills, in quantity, call 914-235-8246 or go to www.thejordangrill.com
Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante Inside Grand Sierra Resort Offers Decadent Dishes for Thanksgiving
Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante inside Grand Sierra Resort and Casino dishes a Thanksgiving specialty three-course menu for $32 available Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Saturday, Nov. 29.
The delectable dishes have been prepared exclusively for the Thanksgiving holiday and include a feast sure to satisfy any palate. The first course option is a Dolce Garden Salad which includes fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, onions and a choice of dressing.
Next, diners may indulge on an oven baked turkey dinner which includes turkey, Italian sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, marshmallow yams, green bean casserole and cranberry relish.
To conclude the luxurious meal, guests can choose from a delicious baked pumpkin or Dutch apple pie.
The special Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante Thanksgiving menu is served 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Saturday, Nov. 29. Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante is located in Restaurant Row at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 775.324.9444. Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante will also be open from 5 to 10 p.m. serving its standard menu. For more information, please visit www.grandsierraresort.com.
About Dolce Enoteca
Dolce Enoteca is located within the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino and is the premier Italian restaurant and lounge in Reno. With a contemporary take on Northern & Southern Italian fare, Dolce is a warm, sophisticated restaurant with glamorous décor and friendly service. Dolce has a full bar and an extensive wine list to compliment your meal. For more information and reservations, please call 775.324.9444 or check out www.dolcegroup.com
About Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino is located in the heart of Reno/Tahoe - America’s Adventure Place. GSR is northern Nevada’s most complete resort destination with nearly 2,000 guest rooms and suites. The property offers a wide variety of accommodations for the everyday business traveler to the complete family vacation with amenities that include 200,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, branded retail shopping, headliner entertainment, a cinema, a 50-lane championship bowling center, outdoor thrill rides, aqua golf driving range, the largest casino north of Las Vegas with 24 hours of heart-pounding action plus so much more. GSR is a proud member of Summit Hotels and Resorts, a prestigious brand of Preferred Hotel Group. For more information, please visit www.grandsierraresort.com or to make reservations call 1.800.648.5080.
The delectable dishes have been prepared exclusively for the Thanksgiving holiday and include a feast sure to satisfy any palate. The first course option is a Dolce Garden Salad which includes fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, onions and a choice of dressing.
Next, diners may indulge on an oven baked turkey dinner which includes turkey, Italian sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, marshmallow yams, green bean casserole and cranberry relish.
To conclude the luxurious meal, guests can choose from a delicious baked pumpkin or Dutch apple pie.
The special Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante Thanksgiving menu is served 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Saturday, Nov. 29. Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante is located in Restaurant Row at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 775.324.9444. Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante will also be open from 5 to 10 p.m. serving its standard menu. For more information, please visit www.grandsierraresort.com.
About Dolce Enoteca
Dolce Enoteca is located within the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino and is the premier Italian restaurant and lounge in Reno. With a contemporary take on Northern & Southern Italian fare, Dolce is a warm, sophisticated restaurant with glamorous décor and friendly service. Dolce has a full bar and an extensive wine list to compliment your meal. For more information and reservations, please call 775.324.9444 or check out www.dolcegroup.com
About Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino is located in the heart of Reno/Tahoe - America’s Adventure Place. GSR is northern Nevada’s most complete resort destination with nearly 2,000 guest rooms and suites. The property offers a wide variety of accommodations for the everyday business traveler to the complete family vacation with amenities that include 200,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, branded retail shopping, headliner entertainment, a cinema, a 50-lane championship bowling center, outdoor thrill rides, aqua golf driving range, the largest casino north of Las Vegas with 24 hours of heart-pounding action plus so much more. GSR is a proud member of Summit Hotels and Resorts, a prestigious brand of Preferred Hotel Group. For more information, please visit www.grandsierraresort.com or to make reservations call 1.800.648.5080.
Southern Celebrity Chef Cooks for 45,000 Diners
Emory University is proud of its mission to serve sustainable, delicious food to its diners; acclaimed chef and author Virginia Willis prides herself on cooking with only the finest, local ingredients. The coupling of Emory’s mission and Virginia’s expertise is exemplified in the Heritage Harvest Feast — a Thanksgiving menu comprised of recipes from Virginia Willis’s best-selling cookbook BON APPÉTIT, Y’ALL: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, May 2008, $32.50) which will be served throughout all of Emory University’s dining facilities on Thursday, November 13. To celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and in the spirit of friendship, family, and fellowship, Virginia Willis and Emory’s talented culinary team will cook soul-satisfying southern favorites, using local produce and heritage turkeys.
The daughter and granddaughter of consummate Southern cooks, Virginia Willis inherited their love of fresh, home-cooked food and unconditional hospitality before going on to become a classically trained French chef. These divergent influences inform BON APPÉTIT, Y’ALL, Virginia’s passionate homage to her culinary roots. Brimming with recipes meant for the family home kitchen, displaced Southerners yearning for a taste of home, aspiring cooks, and anyone who appreciates good food, and enhanced with stories, photos, tips, and techniques, BON APPÉTIT, Y’ALL seamlessly blends Virginia’s Southern and French roots into a memorable and thoroughly modern cookbook.
Emory University's sustainability vision sets an ambitious goal of 75 percent local or sustainably grown food in the hospitals and cafeterias by 2015. A Sustainable Food Committee was named by the President in the spring of 2007 to lead Emory’s Sustainable Food Initiative. The group includes a dozen members — faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students — from all across the University and has accomplished a number of projects including establishing food purchasing guidelines and defining “sustainable” and “local” food.
About the Author
VIRGINIA WILLIS is a French-trained chef, food writer, cooking teacher, and television producer. She has worked with Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree, and her articles have appeared in Country Living, Family Fun, and Eating Well. She lives in Atlanta and is available for interviews. Visit www.virginiawillis.com for more information.
The daughter and granddaughter of consummate Southern cooks, Virginia Willis inherited their love of fresh, home-cooked food and unconditional hospitality before going on to become a classically trained French chef. These divergent influences inform BON APPÉTIT, Y’ALL, Virginia’s passionate homage to her culinary roots. Brimming with recipes meant for the family home kitchen, displaced Southerners yearning for a taste of home, aspiring cooks, and anyone who appreciates good food, and enhanced with stories, photos, tips, and techniques, BON APPÉTIT, Y’ALL seamlessly blends Virginia’s Southern and French roots into a memorable and thoroughly modern cookbook.
Emory University's sustainability vision sets an ambitious goal of 75 percent local or sustainably grown food in the hospitals and cafeterias by 2015. A Sustainable Food Committee was named by the President in the spring of 2007 to lead Emory’s Sustainable Food Initiative. The group includes a dozen members — faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students — from all across the University and has accomplished a number of projects including establishing food purchasing guidelines and defining “sustainable” and “local” food.
About the Author
VIRGINIA WILLIS is a French-trained chef, food writer, cooking teacher, and television producer. She has worked with Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree, and her articles have appeared in Country Living, Family Fun, and Eating Well. She lives in Atlanta and is available for interviews. Visit www.virginiawillis.com for more information.
Herbs Company Get National People’s Choice Award from Co-op America
Eugene, OR-based Mountain Rose Herbs is being named today as the People’s Choice for Green Business of the Year from Co-op America. The award will be made formally this Friday at the San Francisco Green Festival™.
Since 1987, Mountain Rose Herbs has focused on delivering exceptional quality certified organic products with a strict emphasis on sustainable agriculture. Mountain Rose Herbs, which employs 60 people, produces only about 80 gallons of waste each month, the equivalent of an average four-person household. They are working toward a goal of zero waste. Additionally, the company is working to protect our environment, support the local economy, and move America towards more sustainable transportation in this country by having their commercial fleet of trucks runs on 100 percent locally produced biodiesel, made from waste vegetable oil, one of the cleanest modes of transportation available.
Thousands of consumers nationwide took part in a Co-op America online questionnaire to select their favorite green businesses. Based on 6,277 ballots submitted by consumers across the U.S., the top-10 finalists for the most popular environmentally-friendly business were: AlterEco, San Francisco, CA.; Babyworks, Portland, OR.; Frontier Natural Products, Norway, IA.; GAIAM, Boulder, Co.; Kate's Caring Gifts, Fremont, CA.; Mountains of the Moon, Chicago, IL.; Mountain Rose Herbs, Eugene, OR.; Pizza Fusion, Fort Lauderdale, FL.; We Add Up, Mentor, OR.; and West Paw Design; Bozeman, MT.
“We were thrilled by the tremendous interest of environmentally and socially conscious consumers across the country in voting for their favorite green businesses,” said Co-op America Corporate Responsibility Programs Director Todd Larsen. “We’re pleased to announce that green consumers awarded the prize this year to Mountain Rose Herbs, which is focused on maintaining eco-friendly practices not only in their production but also in their shipping and office operations. Their green and sustainable practices are truly a model for other companies.”
Mountain Rose Herbs Operations Manager and Director of Quality Control Shawn Donnille said: “The environmental ideals and practices incorporated by this company are an accurate reflection of the principles that all of us adopt in our personal lives. None of this would be possible without the enthusiasm and commitment exercised by each employee, and we could not do it without them.”
Mountain Rose is committed to being 100 percent organic, and has been since 2001, when they decreed that no conventionally grown materials would enter their warehouse again. They are also committed to their sourcing, which means providing quality green products to their customers, as well as protecting workers all along the supply chain. They are also one of the only companies in the US to carry Fair Trade Certified™ herbs, which guarantee that workers at the beginning of the supply chain receive a living wage and work under fair conditions. They also offer other Fair Trade items in their product line.
Mountain Rose Herbs uses 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper in their catalog, post-consumer recycled packaging for shipping orders, and uses office supplies, including paper clips and push-pins that are made with recycled content. They also power their building on 100-percent renewable energy, use energy-efficient computers, and only use green, natural, and biodegradable cleaning products inside their facility.
ABOUT CO-OP AMERICA
Co-op America is the leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Co-op America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. Co-op America’s green economy programs encourage corporate responsibility, tackle climate change, build fair trading systems, advance healthy, local communities, and provide green purchasing and investing information for families and businesses.
To receive Co-op America’s popular publications, including Real Money and the National Green Pages, participate in Co-op America’s Green Business Conferences or Green Festivals, or to get its free e-newsletter, providing the latest green news, green discounts and opportunities to take action for a green economy, visit http://www.coopamerica.org, email info@coopamerica.org, or call at 800-58-GREEN.
Since 1987, Mountain Rose Herbs has focused on delivering exceptional quality certified organic products with a strict emphasis on sustainable agriculture. Mountain Rose Herbs, which employs 60 people, produces only about 80 gallons of waste each month, the equivalent of an average four-person household. They are working toward a goal of zero waste. Additionally, the company is working to protect our environment, support the local economy, and move America towards more sustainable transportation in this country by having their commercial fleet of trucks runs on 100 percent locally produced biodiesel, made from waste vegetable oil, one of the cleanest modes of transportation available.
Thousands of consumers nationwide took part in a Co-op America online questionnaire to select their favorite green businesses. Based on 6,277 ballots submitted by consumers across the U.S., the top-10 finalists for the most popular environmentally-friendly business were: AlterEco, San Francisco, CA.; Babyworks, Portland, OR.; Frontier Natural Products, Norway, IA.; GAIAM, Boulder, Co.; Kate's Caring Gifts, Fremont, CA.; Mountains of the Moon, Chicago, IL.; Mountain Rose Herbs, Eugene, OR.; Pizza Fusion, Fort Lauderdale, FL.; We Add Up, Mentor, OR.; and West Paw Design; Bozeman, MT.
“We were thrilled by the tremendous interest of environmentally and socially conscious consumers across the country in voting for their favorite green businesses,” said Co-op America Corporate Responsibility Programs Director Todd Larsen. “We’re pleased to announce that green consumers awarded the prize this year to Mountain Rose Herbs, which is focused on maintaining eco-friendly practices not only in their production but also in their shipping and office operations. Their green and sustainable practices are truly a model for other companies.”
Mountain Rose Herbs Operations Manager and Director of Quality Control Shawn Donnille said: “The environmental ideals and practices incorporated by this company are an accurate reflection of the principles that all of us adopt in our personal lives. None of this would be possible without the enthusiasm and commitment exercised by each employee, and we could not do it without them.”
Mountain Rose is committed to being 100 percent organic, and has been since 2001, when they decreed that no conventionally grown materials would enter their warehouse again. They are also committed to their sourcing, which means providing quality green products to their customers, as well as protecting workers all along the supply chain. They are also one of the only companies in the US to carry Fair Trade Certified™ herbs, which guarantee that workers at the beginning of the supply chain receive a living wage and work under fair conditions. They also offer other Fair Trade items in their product line.
Mountain Rose Herbs uses 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper in their catalog, post-consumer recycled packaging for shipping orders, and uses office supplies, including paper clips and push-pins that are made with recycled content. They also power their building on 100-percent renewable energy, use energy-efficient computers, and only use green, natural, and biodegradable cleaning products inside their facility.
ABOUT CO-OP AMERICA
Co-op America is the leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Co-op America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. Co-op America’s green economy programs encourage corporate responsibility, tackle climate change, build fair trading systems, advance healthy, local communities, and provide green purchasing and investing information for families and businesses.
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The Peat Inn
THE PEAT INN is a destination restaurant with a warm welcome and a reputation that extends well beyond Fife. Situated just 6 miles from the famous golfing and university town of St Andrews, The Peat Inn has been a food lover's institution for many years and, as of last year, is now owned and run by Chef and food columnist Geoffrey Smeddle and his wife Katherine.
The husband and wife team took over the iconic 5 star Scottish restaurant with rooms from previous owners David and Patricia Wilson in June 2006. David and Patricia built up the reputation of The Peat Inn over three decades, transforming it from an isolated rural pub into a culinary retreat. Geoffrey and Katherine adopt a similar philosophy and approach to their predecessors, which has already won over long-standing regulars and reignited interest from those who appreciate good food, fine wines and a warm welcome.
Geoffrey uses local seasonal produce combined with a classical French training, to create an imaginative and exciting menu, reflecting the best of Scottish ingredients. Prior to taking over the Peat Inn, Geoffrey was Head Chef at Sir Terence Conran's étain restaurant in Glasgow, where he won Best City Chef 2005 in the Scottish chef awards and the restaurant was also awarded Restaurant of the Year 2005-6 in the AA Restaurant Guide.
A few steps from the restaurant lies The Residence providing luxury accommodation in eight luxurious suites, each individually styled, with en-suite marble bathrooms and views over the private gardens and surrounding farmland. Seven of these suites are split level, with a separate sitting room area upstairs, away from the bedroom. The Peat Inn captures the best of small country house hotels but with an unpretentious atmosphere.
In autumn of 2006 The Peat Inn was awarded 5 stars by VisitScotland as a restaurant with rooms, is one of Joanna Blythman’s choices in a list of the top seasonal restaurants in Scotland and is also one of the AA’s Top 200 rated hotels. The Peat Inn is about the whole dining experience: the warm atmosphere in the restaurant, the extensive wine list on offer and the friendly elegant service.
Dishes at the Peat Inn might include terrine of duck confit and foie gras with homemade toasted brioche; Anstruther lobster with lime, vanilla and mango; Roast monkfish with oxtail tortellini; Daube of beef with parsnip puree and glazed onions; warm milk chocolate and hazelnut fondant with espresso ice cream. http://www.thepeatinn.couk/
The husband and wife team took over the iconic 5 star Scottish restaurant with rooms from previous owners David and Patricia Wilson in June 2006. David and Patricia built up the reputation of The Peat Inn over three decades, transforming it from an isolated rural pub into a culinary retreat. Geoffrey and Katherine adopt a similar philosophy and approach to their predecessors, which has already won over long-standing regulars and reignited interest from those who appreciate good food, fine wines and a warm welcome.
Geoffrey uses local seasonal produce combined with a classical French training, to create an imaginative and exciting menu, reflecting the best of Scottish ingredients. Prior to taking over the Peat Inn, Geoffrey was Head Chef at Sir Terence Conran's étain restaurant in Glasgow, where he won Best City Chef 2005 in the Scottish chef awards and the restaurant was also awarded Restaurant of the Year 2005-6 in the AA Restaurant Guide.
A few steps from the restaurant lies The Residence providing luxury accommodation in eight luxurious suites, each individually styled, with en-suite marble bathrooms and views over the private gardens and surrounding farmland. Seven of these suites are split level, with a separate sitting room area upstairs, away from the bedroom. The Peat Inn captures the best of small country house hotels but with an unpretentious atmosphere.
In autumn of 2006 The Peat Inn was awarded 5 stars by VisitScotland as a restaurant with rooms, is one of Joanna Blythman’s choices in a list of the top seasonal restaurants in Scotland and is also one of the AA’s Top 200 rated hotels. The Peat Inn is about the whole dining experience: the warm atmosphere in the restaurant, the extensive wine list on offer and the friendly elegant service.
Dishes at the Peat Inn might include terrine of duck confit and foie gras with homemade toasted brioche; Anstruther lobster with lime, vanilla and mango; Roast monkfish with oxtail tortellini; Daube of beef with parsnip puree and glazed onions; warm milk chocolate and hazelnut fondant with espresso ice cream. http://www.thepeatinn.couk/
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tea and the Cold and Flu Bug
November is commonly referred to as the start of the dreaded “cold and flu” season, and the CDC estimates this year that there will be more than 200,000 Americans affected and most likely calling out sick from work, school and even social gatherings. So what can one do to avoid the cold and flu?
While the CDC strongly recommends an annual flu vaccine as the best way to reduce the chances that you will get the flu, consumption of immunity-boosting beverages such as hot and iced tea year-round may also aid the body in staying healthy during the cold and flu season.
Published research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University indicates that tea contains a component that can help the body ward off infection and disease, and that drinking tea may strengthen the immune system. The researchers identified a substance in tea, theanine, which primes the immune system.
A subsequent human clinical trial showed that participants who drank five cups of Black Tea a day for two to four weeks boosted the body’s immune defense system by four times.
According to this study, the data suggests that drinking Black Tea provides the body’s immune system with natural resistance to infection.
While drinking tea may not completely protect you from getting sick this season, the CDC states that healthy adults have a 30% chance of contracting the flu even with an annual flu vaccination, and the vaccine may be somewhat less effective for children and the elderly.
So try to stay healthy this cold and flu season and don’t forget to drink your tea every day! For more information about the role of tea in a healthy diet and lifestyle, please visit www.teausa.org.
While the CDC strongly recommends an annual flu vaccine as the best way to reduce the chances that you will get the flu, consumption of immunity-boosting beverages such as hot and iced tea year-round may also aid the body in staying healthy during the cold and flu season.
Published research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University indicates that tea contains a component that can help the body ward off infection and disease, and that drinking tea may strengthen the immune system. The researchers identified a substance in tea, theanine, which primes the immune system.
A subsequent human clinical trial showed that participants who drank five cups of Black Tea a day for two to four weeks boosted the body’s immune defense system by four times.
According to this study, the data suggests that drinking Black Tea provides the body’s immune system with natural resistance to infection.
While drinking tea may not completely protect you from getting sick this season, the CDC states that healthy adults have a 30% chance of contracting the flu even with an annual flu vaccination, and the vaccine may be somewhat less effective for children and the elderly.
So try to stay healthy this cold and flu season and don’t forget to drink your tea every day! For more information about the role of tea in a healthy diet and lifestyle, please visit www.teausa.org.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Grapes of Galilee Releases New Vintages
It was at a wedding in Galilee where, 2,000 years ago, Jesus turned water into wine. Today, this region is home to The Grapes of GalileeTM, wines of exceptional quality crafted to offer something original and inspirational in the spirit of unity for the various religions that originate from this area.
The Grapes of Galilee are grown next to Nazareth by the Sea of Galilee and watered by the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. They are ideal for celebrations such as wedding receptions and communions, or any festive occasions when Christians seek a physical connection to their spiritual homeland.
“The history of this wine is something that we can all share together,” says UC San Diego student Adam Haroz, who founded import company Haroz Vintners with his father, Pini, after being inspired by a trip to Israel. “I hope to provide a way to strengthen the bond between Israel and many other people through bringing wine from Galilee to the houses of the Christian community.”
Israeli wines have made great strides in recent decades, and the Galilee region is best suited for viticulture. The high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils make the area ideal for The Grapes of Galilee’s cabernet, merlot and chardonnay varietals. All three Grapes of Galilee wines are currently available in the United States. The wine’s suggested retail price is $13.99.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Deep royal purple, showing aromas of leather and dark cherry. Flavors focus on dark fruits, some plum, and hints of brown aromatic spice. Good mid palate with firm fruit tannins. Oak and fruit well integrated with a long, fruit-filled finish. Fruit and tannins in synch through to the finish, making the wine fun to drink.
Merlot 2006 - Medium bodied, with soft tannins and generous aromas of red and black berries with notes of cinnamon hearts and some oak. Oak initially frames the palate, which goes to red berries and black cherry, then becomes more integrated; very pleasant.
Chardonnay 2007 - Light gold, medium-bodied, with initial aromas somewhat shy, but clean and focused on pear and tropical fruit--specifically star fruit (carambola) and cherimoya. Very gentle fruit, unoaked, with good acidity gives the wine a clean, lively, fruit-focused finish.
“This is a completely unique venture,” says president Pini Haroz. “No one else is doing anything like this.”
To learn more about The Grapes of Galilee, visit www.haroz.com.
The Grapes of Galilee are grown next to Nazareth by the Sea of Galilee and watered by the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. They are ideal for celebrations such as wedding receptions and communions, or any festive occasions when Christians seek a physical connection to their spiritual homeland.
“The history of this wine is something that we can all share together,” says UC San Diego student Adam Haroz, who founded import company Haroz Vintners with his father, Pini, after being inspired by a trip to Israel. “I hope to provide a way to strengthen the bond between Israel and many other people through bringing wine from Galilee to the houses of the Christian community.”
Israeli wines have made great strides in recent decades, and the Galilee region is best suited for viticulture. The high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils make the area ideal for The Grapes of Galilee’s cabernet, merlot and chardonnay varietals. All three Grapes of Galilee wines are currently available in the United States. The wine’s suggested retail price is $13.99.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Deep royal purple, showing aromas of leather and dark cherry. Flavors focus on dark fruits, some plum, and hints of brown aromatic spice. Good mid palate with firm fruit tannins. Oak and fruit well integrated with a long, fruit-filled finish. Fruit and tannins in synch through to the finish, making the wine fun to drink.
Merlot 2006 - Medium bodied, with soft tannins and generous aromas of red and black berries with notes of cinnamon hearts and some oak. Oak initially frames the palate, which goes to red berries and black cherry, then becomes more integrated; very pleasant.
Chardonnay 2007 - Light gold, medium-bodied, with initial aromas somewhat shy, but clean and focused on pear and tropical fruit--specifically star fruit (carambola) and cherimoya. Very gentle fruit, unoaked, with good acidity gives the wine a clean, lively, fruit-focused finish.
“This is a completely unique venture,” says president Pini Haroz. “No one else is doing anything like this.”
To learn more about The Grapes of Galilee, visit www.haroz.com.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Gourmet Tarts for the Holidays
The stress of shopping, cleaning and
cooking (not to mention working full-time) can be overwhelming during the
holiday season. This year, The Daphne Baking Company’s chocolate and
chocolate raspberry tarts make an elegant ending to any meal whether it be
an impromptu after-shopping supper or Christmas dinner. Served plain or
with flavored whipped cream, even the busiest hosts can serve memorable
holiday desserts. The tarts are currently available at retail outlets
throughout New Jersey, New York, and New England as well as on-line at
www.daphnebaking.com.
Chocolate: Indulgence at its finest. The Daphne Baking Company’s flaky
chocolate crust is filled with a decadent French Valrhona chocolate
ganache.
Chocolate Raspberry: A classic combination. Flaky chocolate crust is
filled with a chocolate ganache and topped with a raspberry curd.
Mocha Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso
Using an electric mixer, whip cream, sugar, cocoa, and espresso on
medium-low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to
medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.
###
About The Daphne Baking Company
“We do the work, you take the credit”
The Daphne Baking Company’s premier line of tarts provides the elegance of
fine pastry straight from the freezer. Each tart is made by hand with only
the finest, all-natural ingredients including sweet cream butter, imported
spices, and artisanal New England maple syrup. Each package contains two
3-inch tarts, perfect for tidy individual servings. The tarts will
maintain their freshness for three months if frozen properly. For a list
of stores and information on additional products by Daphne, visit:
www.daphnebaking.com.
cooking (not to mention working full-time) can be overwhelming during the
holiday season. This year, The Daphne Baking Company’s chocolate and
chocolate raspberry tarts make an elegant ending to any meal whether it be
an impromptu after-shopping supper or Christmas dinner. Served plain or
with flavored whipped cream, even the busiest hosts can serve memorable
holiday desserts. The tarts are currently available at retail outlets
throughout New Jersey, New York, and New England as well as on-line at
www.daphnebaking.com.
Chocolate: Indulgence at its finest. The Daphne Baking Company’s flaky
chocolate crust is filled with a decadent French Valrhona chocolate
ganache.
Chocolate Raspberry: A classic combination. Flaky chocolate crust is
filled with a chocolate ganache and topped with a raspberry curd.
Mocha Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso
Using an electric mixer, whip cream, sugar, cocoa, and espresso on
medium-low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to
medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.
###
About The Daphne Baking Company
“We do the work, you take the credit”
The Daphne Baking Company’s premier line of tarts provides the elegance of
fine pastry straight from the freezer. Each tart is made by hand with only
the finest, all-natural ingredients including sweet cream butter, imported
spices, and artisanal New England maple syrup. Each package contains two
3-inch tarts, perfect for tidy individual servings. The tarts will
maintain their freshness for three months if frozen properly. For a list
of stores and information on additional products by Daphne, visit:
www.daphnebaking.com.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Get Healthy this New Year with O.N.E.!
It’s that time of year again—time to sit down and consider that list of New Year’s resolutions. From hitting the gym to eating better, most of us have health and fitness goals at the top of our to-dos.
Make O.N.E. (www.onenaturalexperience.com) part of your new year! A healthy, grab-and-go drink from O.N.E. is a great way to get your day started right:
• Instead of coffee for your morning pick-me-up, try O.N.E. Coffee Berry as a healthier alternative—one 11 oz serving contains as much caffeine as a cup of green tea, but it is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants which help protect the body against oxidative stress (which we all need a little protection from!)
• Have a bit of extra time? Make a smoothie: blend some protein power and your favorite fruit with O.N.E. Coconut Water. Known as nature’s original sports drink, it’s loaded with all five essential electrolytes and potassium which quickly re-hydrates the body to give you the energy to make it through the day! It also contains only 60 calories per serving and is naturally fat-free.
• Have a long day ahead? Opt for O.N.E. Amazon Açaí to boost energy and stamina, combat pre-mature aging, improve mental clarity, bolster the immune system and detoxify the body. O.N.E. Amazon Açaí contains more antioxidants than pomegranates, is rich is Omega 3, 6 & 9 and Amino Acids, as well as Vitamin B & E, Ellagic Acid and Vitamin C. It is also rich in Anthocyanins, an essential antioxidant found in red wine. And, if you can’t get enough of this superfood, it now comes in a 1 Liter size.
Make O.N.E. (www.onenaturalexperience.com) part of your new year! A healthy, grab-and-go drink from O.N.E. is a great way to get your day started right:
• Instead of coffee for your morning pick-me-up, try O.N.E. Coffee Berry as a healthier alternative—one 11 oz serving contains as much caffeine as a cup of green tea, but it is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants which help protect the body against oxidative stress (which we all need a little protection from!)
• Have a bit of extra time? Make a smoothie: blend some protein power and your favorite fruit with O.N.E. Coconut Water. Known as nature’s original sports drink, it’s loaded with all five essential electrolytes and potassium which quickly re-hydrates the body to give you the energy to make it through the day! It also contains only 60 calories per serving and is naturally fat-free.
• Have a long day ahead? Opt for O.N.E. Amazon Açaí to boost energy and stamina, combat pre-mature aging, improve mental clarity, bolster the immune system and detoxify the body. O.N.E. Amazon Açaí contains more antioxidants than pomegranates, is rich is Omega 3, 6 & 9 and Amino Acids, as well as Vitamin B & E, Ellagic Acid and Vitamin C. It is also rich in Anthocyanins, an essential antioxidant found in red wine. And, if you can’t get enough of this superfood, it now comes in a 1 Liter size.
Culinary Competition is Saturday at Cincinnati State
Who: Ten aspiring young chefs
What: Cincinnati Bailliage 2008 Young Chef Rotisseurs Competition
When: Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m.; awards ceremony 6 p.m.
Where: Midwest Culinary Institute, housed in the Advanced Technology and Learning Center (ATLC) on the Clifton campus
Background: This is a competition for young chefs (age 27 and below) from the Greater Cincinnati area. It’s sponsored by the Midwest Culinary Institute and the Cincinnati chapter, or bailliage, of the “Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs,’’ which bills itself as the oldest gastronomic organization in the world.
Details: Contestants will be required to plan and prepare a three-course meal for four people from a basket of ingredients they will not have seen in advance. Winners will be picked by a panel of judges and announced at an awards ceremony Saturday evening. Members of the Cincinnati Baillage will be on hand to observe part of the competition and awards ceremony, and will dine Saturday night at the Summit, the fine dining restaurant operated by the Midwest Culinary Institute.
What: Cincinnati Bailliage 2008 Young Chef Rotisseurs Competition
When: Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m.; awards ceremony 6 p.m.
Where: Midwest Culinary Institute, housed in the Advanced Technology and Learning Center (ATLC) on the Clifton campus
Background: This is a competition for young chefs (age 27 and below) from the Greater Cincinnati area. It’s sponsored by the Midwest Culinary Institute and the Cincinnati chapter, or bailliage, of the “Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs,’’ which bills itself as the oldest gastronomic organization in the world.
Details: Contestants will be required to plan and prepare a three-course meal for four people from a basket of ingredients they will not have seen in advance. Winners will be picked by a panel of judges and announced at an awards ceremony Saturday evening. Members of the Cincinnati Baillage will be on hand to observe part of the competition and awards ceremony, and will dine Saturday night at the Summit, the fine dining restaurant operated by the Midwest Culinary Institute.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Feisty Cuban Cuisine Cookbook
Sabor – or flavor, in Spanish – is a concept that encompasses so much more than food. You can cook with sabor, speak with sabor, and dance with sabor, and in Cuba, sabor is both a state of mind and a way of life.
¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine (Running Press, November 2008, $29.95), the aptly titled latest cookbook from Ana Quincoces Rodriguez, offers a mouthwatering look at the food and flavors that make Cuba’s culinary heritage famous. Begin ning with the “holy trinity” of Cuban cuisine (gar lic, bell pepper, and Spanish onion) and moving on to a variety of delicious and authentic recipes, like:
· Croqueta Preparada (Cuban Sandwich with Croquettes)
· Mariquitas (Fried Plantain Chips) with Mojo Criollo (Garlic Sauce)
· Frituras de Bacalao (Cod Fritters)
· Empanadas de Chorizo (Chorizo Turnovers)
· Bistec de Palomilla (Minute Steak)
· Pierna Asada (Roast Pork Leg)
· Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
· Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan)
Author Ana Quincoces Rodriguez tells the story of Cuban cuisine with feisty flair, weaving the lively and spirited traditions of her family with classic dishes from the island of Cuba. Recipes are approachable enough for novice cooks but bound to inspire seasoned professionals, illustrated with gorgeous full-color photos throughout.
After just a few moments of paging through ¡Sabor!, cooks of all levels will hear the kitchen calling. Spicy, hot, and delectable, ¡Sabor! provides an intimate look at the cuisine of Cuba, a culture that embraces food with the same enthusiasm it has for life.
About the Author
Ana Quincoces Rodriguez grew up in a Cuban household in sunny Miami, Florida, where she was routinely conscripted to help her mother in the kitchen, which led to her passion for the art of cooking. Rodriguez has appeared in several magazines and newspapers and on national television numerous times as a result of the success of her first, self-published, book, Cuban Chicks Can Cook. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two teenage daughters.
_______________________________________________
¡SABOR!
A PASSION FOR CUBAN CUISINE
By Ana Quincoces Rodriguez
Running Press
November 2008
Hardcover Original/$29.95
ISBN: 978-0-7624-3347-6
_______________________________________________
Recipes from ¡SABOR!
Empanadas de Chorizo
Chorizo Turnovers
Many Cuban bakeries in Miami bake empanadas, which are small pastries that enclose with sweet or savory fillings. While the commercially made empanadas are delicious, they don’t compare to these homemade treats. First of all, these empanadas are — you guessed it — fried. Second, this filling is a combination of chorizo and sweet ham, providing a delicate flavor balance. I’ve also given you two options for making them with ground beef or with guava and cream cheese, for a sweet treat.
I serve these chorizo empanadas with a creamy picante dipping sauce that complements them perfectly. I invented this recipe many years ago, in an effort to find a nice appetizer to serve with mojitos and beer. I have been famous for them ever since. In fact, I cannot seem to fry them fast enough, and inevitably people burn their tongues trying to eat the empanadas before they have had a chance to cool.
You can prepare the stuffing for empanadas well in advance and freeze or refrigerate them until you’re ready to proceed with the recipe. This recipe calls for frozen turnover pastry disks (discos para empanadas), which are available at most major grocery stores in the Hispanic frozen food section (Goya makes some).
Makes 20 medium or 40 appetizer-sized empanadas
Empanadas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup vino seco (dry white cooking wine)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound ground Spanish chorizo sausage
1/2 pound ground sweet ham
Salt
20 discos para empanadas (frozen turnover pastry disks), thawed and kept in the refrigerator
Canola oil, for shallow frying
Sauce
1 cup thick, refrigerated ranch dressing (I like Marie’s)
1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce (like Tabasco)
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
To make the empanadas, heat the oil in a shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato sauce, vino seco, and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chorizo and ham and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
Remove one package of the pastry disks from the refrigerator. (Always leave the ones you aren’t working with in the refrigerator. They are easier to work with if they are firm.) Working on a lightly floured surface, separate the disks. If you are making appetizer-sized empanadas, cut each disk in half, creating two semicircles. If you are making the larger empanadas, leave the disks whole.
Place 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each half disk or 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons in the center of each whole disk. Fold each half disk to make a small triangle or each whole disk to make a semicircle. Using the tines of a fork, press around the edges to seal. If you do not plan to fry the empanadas immediately, covered them with a damp towel or place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 350°F over medium heat. If you do not own an oil thermometer, dip the corner of one of the empanadas in the oil to check if it is hot enough. The oil should bubble around the dough.
Add the empanadas, about 4 to 5 at a time, to the oil and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them once, until they are golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and continue frying the rest of the empanadas.
To make the dipping sauce, combine the ranch dressing and hot sauce in a bowl and garnish with the cilantro. Serve in a small bowl alongside the hot empanadas.
Empanadas de Carne (Ground Beef Empanadas):
Fill your empanadas with picadillo (page 144), omitting the potatoes. You can also use leftover picadillo for this.
Empanadas de Guayaba y Queso (Guava and Cream Cheese Empanadas):
Fill the empanadas with 1-inch cubes of both guava paste and cream cheese. Make sure you use the full-fat cream cheese that comes in a bar.
Platanos Tentación
Sweet Plantain Casserole
Any recipe with a name that includes the word tentación (temptation) in it, and is made with butter, rum, and brown sugar must be made immediately, no questions asked. So get yourself to the grocery store at once! This divinely rich plantain casserole has even replaced (sacrilege!) the sweet potato casserole at our Thanksgiving table for several years now. It is that good!
Make sure you use extremely ripe plantains in this recipe—the skins should be black and the flesh should feel mushy when pressed.
Serves 4 to 6
3 very ripe (black) plantains
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Peel the plantains and cut them diagonally into 2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the plantain slices in a single layer along the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
Heat the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, then add the rum, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir well and pour evenly over the plantains.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and flip the plantain slices over. Cover the dish with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.
Bistec de Palomilla
Minute Steak
This is the quintessential Cuban beef dish. It is served—usually with white rice and Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94) or French fries and garnished with raw onions and parsley—at every Cuban restaurant, cafeteria, and hole-in-the-wall eatery Typically, the cuts of beef used are a quarter-inch-thin top round or sirloin steaks, although you could start with a thicker cut of beef and just pound it thin with a meat mallet before cooking.
Serves 4
1/4 cup sour orange juice, or a mixture of equal parts lime juice and orange juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 (6- to 8-ounce) sirloin or top round steaks, cut or pounded to 1/4-inch-thick
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Arroz Blanco (White Rice) (page 82), for serving
Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94), for serving
Combine the orange juice and garlic in a small bowl.
Arrange the steaks in a shallow, nonreactive dish and pour the orange juice mixture over them. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes — no longer or they will turn an unappealing grayish hue. Also, because the steaks are so thin, they won’t need any longer for the tanginess of the sour orange to penetrate them. Discard the marinade and season the steaks with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a cast iron pan until the oil is almost smoking. Carefully fry the steaks, one at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and continue with the remaining steaks, letting the pan return to a high temperature after each steak. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before frying the third and fourth steak.
Combine the onion, parsley, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Garnish each steak with the onion parsley mixture, and serve with white rice and Tostones (Fried Green Plantains).
¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine (Running Press, November 2008, $29.95), the aptly titled latest cookbook from Ana Quincoces Rodriguez, offers a mouthwatering look at the food and flavors that make Cuba’s culinary heritage famous. Begin ning with the “holy trinity” of Cuban cuisine (gar lic, bell pepper, and Spanish onion) and moving on to a variety of delicious and authentic recipes, like:
· Croqueta Preparada (Cuban Sandwich with Croquettes)
· Mariquitas (Fried Plantain Chips) with Mojo Criollo (Garlic Sauce)
· Frituras de Bacalao (Cod Fritters)
· Empanadas de Chorizo (Chorizo Turnovers)
· Bistec de Palomilla (Minute Steak)
· Pierna Asada (Roast Pork Leg)
· Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
· Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan)
Author Ana Quincoces Rodriguez tells the story of Cuban cuisine with feisty flair, weaving the lively and spirited traditions of her family with classic dishes from the island of Cuba. Recipes are approachable enough for novice cooks but bound to inspire seasoned professionals, illustrated with gorgeous full-color photos throughout.
After just a few moments of paging through ¡Sabor!, cooks of all levels will hear the kitchen calling. Spicy, hot, and delectable, ¡Sabor! provides an intimate look at the cuisine of Cuba, a culture that embraces food with the same enthusiasm it has for life.
About the Author
Ana Quincoces Rodriguez grew up in a Cuban household in sunny Miami, Florida, where she was routinely conscripted to help her mother in the kitchen, which led to her passion for the art of cooking. Rodriguez has appeared in several magazines and newspapers and on national television numerous times as a result of the success of her first, self-published, book, Cuban Chicks Can Cook. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two teenage daughters.
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¡SABOR!
A PASSION FOR CUBAN CUISINE
By Ana Quincoces Rodriguez
Running Press
November 2008
Hardcover Original/$29.95
ISBN: 978-0-7624-3347-6
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Recipes from ¡SABOR!
Empanadas de Chorizo
Chorizo Turnovers
Many Cuban bakeries in Miami bake empanadas, which are small pastries that enclose with sweet or savory fillings. While the commercially made empanadas are delicious, they don’t compare to these homemade treats. First of all, these empanadas are — you guessed it — fried. Second, this filling is a combination of chorizo and sweet ham, providing a delicate flavor balance. I’ve also given you two options for making them with ground beef or with guava and cream cheese, for a sweet treat.
I serve these chorizo empanadas with a creamy picante dipping sauce that complements them perfectly. I invented this recipe many years ago, in an effort to find a nice appetizer to serve with mojitos and beer. I have been famous for them ever since. In fact, I cannot seem to fry them fast enough, and inevitably people burn their tongues trying to eat the empanadas before they have had a chance to cool.
You can prepare the stuffing for empanadas well in advance and freeze or refrigerate them until you’re ready to proceed with the recipe. This recipe calls for frozen turnover pastry disks (discos para empanadas), which are available at most major grocery stores in the Hispanic frozen food section (Goya makes some).
Makes 20 medium or 40 appetizer-sized empanadas
Empanadas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup vino seco (dry white cooking wine)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound ground Spanish chorizo sausage
1/2 pound ground sweet ham
Salt
20 discos para empanadas (frozen turnover pastry disks), thawed and kept in the refrigerator
Canola oil, for shallow frying
Sauce
1 cup thick, refrigerated ranch dressing (I like Marie’s)
1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce (like Tabasco)
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
To make the empanadas, heat the oil in a shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato sauce, vino seco, and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chorizo and ham and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
Remove one package of the pastry disks from the refrigerator. (Always leave the ones you aren’t working with in the refrigerator. They are easier to work with if they are firm.) Working on a lightly floured surface, separate the disks. If you are making appetizer-sized empanadas, cut each disk in half, creating two semicircles. If you are making the larger empanadas, leave the disks whole.
Place 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each half disk or 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons in the center of each whole disk. Fold each half disk to make a small triangle or each whole disk to make a semicircle. Using the tines of a fork, press around the edges to seal. If you do not plan to fry the empanadas immediately, covered them with a damp towel or place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 350°F over medium heat. If you do not own an oil thermometer, dip the corner of one of the empanadas in the oil to check if it is hot enough. The oil should bubble around the dough.
Add the empanadas, about 4 to 5 at a time, to the oil and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them once, until they are golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and continue frying the rest of the empanadas.
To make the dipping sauce, combine the ranch dressing and hot sauce in a bowl and garnish with the cilantro. Serve in a small bowl alongside the hot empanadas.
Empanadas de Carne (Ground Beef Empanadas):
Fill your empanadas with picadillo (page 144), omitting the potatoes. You can also use leftover picadillo for this.
Empanadas de Guayaba y Queso (Guava and Cream Cheese Empanadas):
Fill the empanadas with 1-inch cubes of both guava paste and cream cheese. Make sure you use the full-fat cream cheese that comes in a bar.
Platanos Tentación
Sweet Plantain Casserole
Any recipe with a name that includes the word tentación (temptation) in it, and is made with butter, rum, and brown sugar must be made immediately, no questions asked. So get yourself to the grocery store at once! This divinely rich plantain casserole has even replaced (sacrilege!) the sweet potato casserole at our Thanksgiving table for several years now. It is that good!
Make sure you use extremely ripe plantains in this recipe—the skins should be black and the flesh should feel mushy when pressed.
Serves 4 to 6
3 very ripe (black) plantains
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Peel the plantains and cut them diagonally into 2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the plantain slices in a single layer along the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
Heat the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, then add the rum, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir well and pour evenly over the plantains.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and flip the plantain slices over. Cover the dish with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.
Bistec de Palomilla
Minute Steak
This is the quintessential Cuban beef dish. It is served—usually with white rice and Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94) or French fries and garnished with raw onions and parsley—at every Cuban restaurant, cafeteria, and hole-in-the-wall eatery Typically, the cuts of beef used are a quarter-inch-thin top round or sirloin steaks, although you could start with a thicker cut of beef and just pound it thin with a meat mallet before cooking.
Serves 4
1/4 cup sour orange juice, or a mixture of equal parts lime juice and orange juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 (6- to 8-ounce) sirloin or top round steaks, cut or pounded to 1/4-inch-thick
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Arroz Blanco (White Rice) (page 82), for serving
Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94), for serving
Combine the orange juice and garlic in a small bowl.
Arrange the steaks in a shallow, nonreactive dish and pour the orange juice mixture over them. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes — no longer or they will turn an unappealing grayish hue. Also, because the steaks are so thin, they won’t need any longer for the tanginess of the sour orange to penetrate them. Discard the marinade and season the steaks with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a cast iron pan until the oil is almost smoking. Carefully fry the steaks, one at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and continue with the remaining steaks, letting the pan return to a high temperature after each steak. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before frying the third and fourth steak.
Combine the onion, parsley, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Garnish each steak with the onion parsley mixture, and serve with white rice and Tostones (Fried Green Plantains).
100 yr. old soda fountain finally selling famous hot fudge
After 100 years of serving their hot fudge sauce exclusively at their
stores in two-ounce pitchers, Lagomarcino's is now offering their
famous hot fudge in 10-ounce glass jars made precisely to the secret
formula that has always been used. The recipe will remain a well-kept
secret; with the hot fudge carefully prepared 25 jars at a time in their
own candy kitchen.
Lagomarcino's is a renowned confectionery and soda fountain in the
Quad Cities that is celebrating 100 years of continuous business in the
same family in 2008.
Founded by Angelo Lagomarcino in 1908, the confectionary has
operated continuously in downtown Moline, Illinois, and along with the
sale of the hot fudge in a jar, they are celebrating their centennial with
a new book "Sweet Memories: The Lagomarcino Story." This heart-
warming look at 100 years in business and their loyal customers was
written by Quad-City Times columnist and author Bill Wundram.
Angelo Lagomarcino obtained the secret recipe for their delicious hot
fudge sauce from a traveling salesman in 1912. Angelo paid him $25
for the recipe, against his wife's better judgment. She scolded him for
spending so much money, but he was right. The same recipe is still
used today and has earned Lagomarcino's national and international
recognition from well-known culinary magazines and food editors. It's
been touted by reviewers as "the best Hot Fudge in the Solar System."
The hot fudge sauce is served along side the ice cream in its own little
pitcher.
In a survey by Illinois Magazine published in its July 2002 issue,
Lagomarcino's was voted the "Best Homemade Candy" in the state. In
2006, Lagomarcino's won an America's Classics Award from the famous
James Beard Foundation in New York. The James Beard awards "are
considered the Oscars of the food industry," co-owner Beth
Lagomarcino said of the Beard awards.
The soda fountain also serves sandwiches, soups, salads, old-
fashioned sodas, phosphates, and a fruity pop invented by Charlie
Lagomarcino in the '20s.
At their Moline location, it's the original décor with the mahogany
booths, Tiffany-style lamps, and a hexagon terrazzo floor with blue
flowers. The metal ceiling is still there from when the building was
built and the original cigar and candy cases are still in use.
Lagomarcino's also opened a location across the river in the historic
Village of East Davenport in 1997.
The fourth generation of Lagomarcino's is helping continue the
delicious tradition. "My college kids are working this summer and (her
brother) Tom's children have," Ms. Lagomarcino said. "His kids have
worked extensively. It is how they helped pay their way through
college."
Both the books ($19.95 each) and glass jars of hot fudge ($7.95 each)
are for sale at their two stores.
Locations: 1422 5th Ave., Moline, IL, 309-764-1814
Village of East Davenport, 2132 E. 11th St., Davenport, IA, 563-324-
6137
For more information, visit http://www.lagomarcinos.com.
For information on the Quad Cities area, contact the Quad Cities
Convention & Visitors Bureau at 309-277-0937 or visit their website at
http://www.visitquadcities.com. Located on the Mississippi River in
the Midwest, the Quad Cities is comprised of Davenport and
Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline/East Moline, Illinois; and
surrounding communities.
stores in two-ounce pitchers, Lagomarcino's is now offering their
famous hot fudge in 10-ounce glass jars made precisely to the secret
formula that has always been used. The recipe will remain a well-kept
secret; with the hot fudge carefully prepared 25 jars at a time in their
own candy kitchen.
Lagomarcino's is a renowned confectionery and soda fountain in the
Quad Cities that is celebrating 100 years of continuous business in the
same family in 2008.
Founded by Angelo Lagomarcino in 1908, the confectionary has
operated continuously in downtown Moline, Illinois, and along with the
sale of the hot fudge in a jar, they are celebrating their centennial with
a new book "Sweet Memories: The Lagomarcino Story." This heart-
warming look at 100 years in business and their loyal customers was
written by Quad-City Times columnist and author Bill Wundram.
Angelo Lagomarcino obtained the secret recipe for their delicious hot
fudge sauce from a traveling salesman in 1912. Angelo paid him $25
for the recipe, against his wife's better judgment. She scolded him for
spending so much money, but he was right. The same recipe is still
used today and has earned Lagomarcino's national and international
recognition from well-known culinary magazines and food editors. It's
been touted by reviewers as "the best Hot Fudge in the Solar System."
The hot fudge sauce is served along side the ice cream in its own little
pitcher.
In a survey by Illinois Magazine published in its July 2002 issue,
Lagomarcino's was voted the "Best Homemade Candy" in the state. In
2006, Lagomarcino's won an America's Classics Award from the famous
James Beard Foundation in New York. The James Beard awards "are
considered the Oscars of the food industry," co-owner Beth
Lagomarcino said of the Beard awards.
The soda fountain also serves sandwiches, soups, salads, old-
fashioned sodas, phosphates, and a fruity pop invented by Charlie
Lagomarcino in the '20s.
At their Moline location, it's the original décor with the mahogany
booths, Tiffany-style lamps, and a hexagon terrazzo floor with blue
flowers. The metal ceiling is still there from when the building was
built and the original cigar and candy cases are still in use.
Lagomarcino's also opened a location across the river in the historic
Village of East Davenport in 1997.
The fourth generation of Lagomarcino's is helping continue the
delicious tradition. "My college kids are working this summer and (her
brother) Tom's children have," Ms. Lagomarcino said. "His kids have
worked extensively. It is how they helped pay their way through
college."
Both the books ($19.95 each) and glass jars of hot fudge ($7.95 each)
are for sale at their two stores.
Locations: 1422 5th Ave., Moline, IL, 309-764-1814
Village of East Davenport, 2132 E. 11th St., Davenport, IA, 563-324-
6137
For more information, visit http://www.lagomarcinos.com.
For information on the Quad Cities area, contact the Quad Cities
Convention & Visitors Bureau at 309-277-0937 or visit their website at
http://www.visitquadcities.com. Located on the Mississippi River in
the Midwest, the Quad Cities is comprised of Davenport and
Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline/East Moline, Illinois; and
surrounding communities.
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