YoCrunch, the crunchy yogurt mix-in pioneer, is re-introducing a clever promotion designed to help parents transition their kids from candy to a more healthy balanced diet with yogurt once the indulgence of Halloween is over.
For up to two weeks following Halloween (which this year falls on Friday, October 31), parents can send any candy wrappers which their kids have earned trick or treating (limit one submission per household) to YoCrunch and be rewarded with a coupon good for any YoCrunch product.
YoCrunch is available in Vanilla topped with Oreo®, Butterfinger®, Reese’s Pieces®, Nestle® Crunch® or M&M’s Chocolate Candies®; Strawberry topped with Nestle® Crunch or 100% natural lowfat granola; and Blueberry, Mixed Berry, Raspberry, Peach and Strawberry Banana topped with 100% natural lowfat granola.
According to dairy industry veteran Kevin O’Rell, “YoCrunch serves as an ideal gateway food to better eating. It has all the health benefits of yogurt with kid-friendly crunchy mix-ins placed conveniently atop the package.”
Consumers interested in participating in the new Halloween promotion can send their children’s candy wrappers to the following address (limit one submission per household):
Shaina Zalma
YoCrunch
9507 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 300
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
All of YoCrunch’s lowfat yogurt products contain live and active cultures perfect for digestion and replete with a compelling mix of health benefits. Best of all, YoCrunch represents one of the few products on the market which offers the great taste of crunchy mix-ins and delectable yogurt which kids crave along with the nutritional value parents crave.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Complete 15-Minute Gourmet Cookbook
What can you cook up in 15 minutes? You might be surprised!
The offerings in your grocer’s freezer case or the fast-food drive-through are rarely nutritious or satisfying. But fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition just because life is hectic. Paulette Mitchell provides the solution; her speedy meals are simple enough that even a novice can prepare them for the family on a busy weeknight. She also makes it possible to create sophisticated gourmet dishes to please the palates of discriminating guests – all in 15 minutes or less.
Anyone can use fresh, flavorful ingredients and Mitchell’s THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh (Thomas Nelson, October 2008, $24.95) is guaranteed to achieve remarkable and beautiful results with minimal effort. The 350 recipes in Mitchell’s new book feature poultry, seafood, and beef and pork, as well as a chapter with vegetarian dishes. The recipes, representing many cuisines, are inspired by Mitchell’s world travels.
Mitchell also includes helpful suggestions for flawless execution and attractive presentation. “Fast and easy doesn’t make a dish less desirable, nor does it mean sacrificing complex flavors or a beautiful appearance,” says Mitchell. “If you plan ahead and get organized, you’ll be astonished at what’s possible in 15 minutes.”
Inside readers will find recipes such as:
· Modern Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup
· Soba Noodle and Steak Salad
· Greek Snapper with Feta Cheese
· Honey-Mustard Chicken with Papaya-Pineapple Salsa
· Ravioli with Hazelnut and Sage Pesto
There’s also a chapter on speedy desserts, with exquisite treats such as Chocolate-Glazed Strawberries, Limoncello Ice Cream, and Tiramisu Pronto.
Mitchell’s recipes rely on her imaginative use of ingredients, not on elaborate techniques. Pairing fresh ingredients with pantry staples, these recipes offer traditional favorites as well as modern dishes sure to delight.
About the Author
Paulette Mitchell is the author of 13 cookbooks and is known globally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. She has been recognized for her award-winning 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook and is a spokesperson, freelance writer, culinary speaker, cooking instructor, and television personality. Paulette is an avid world traveler and is most inspired by diverse cultures and flavors both near and far. She lives in Minneapolis. You can visit her online at www.paulettemitchell.com.
THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET
by Paulette Mitchell
Thomas Nelson
October 2008
Hardcover Original/$24.95
ISBN: 9781-4016-0355-7
The offerings in your grocer’s freezer case or the fast-food drive-through are rarely nutritious or satisfying. But fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition just because life is hectic. Paulette Mitchell provides the solution; her speedy meals are simple enough that even a novice can prepare them for the family on a busy weeknight. She also makes it possible to create sophisticated gourmet dishes to please the palates of discriminating guests – all in 15 minutes or less.
Anyone can use fresh, flavorful ingredients and Mitchell’s THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh (Thomas Nelson, October 2008, $24.95) is guaranteed to achieve remarkable and beautiful results with minimal effort. The 350 recipes in Mitchell’s new book feature poultry, seafood, and beef and pork, as well as a chapter with vegetarian dishes. The recipes, representing many cuisines, are inspired by Mitchell’s world travels.
Mitchell also includes helpful suggestions for flawless execution and attractive presentation. “Fast and easy doesn’t make a dish less desirable, nor does it mean sacrificing complex flavors or a beautiful appearance,” says Mitchell. “If you plan ahead and get organized, you’ll be astonished at what’s possible in 15 minutes.”
Inside readers will find recipes such as:
· Modern Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup
· Soba Noodle and Steak Salad
· Greek Snapper with Feta Cheese
· Honey-Mustard Chicken with Papaya-Pineapple Salsa
· Ravioli with Hazelnut and Sage Pesto
There’s also a chapter on speedy desserts, with exquisite treats such as Chocolate-Glazed Strawberries, Limoncello Ice Cream, and Tiramisu Pronto.
Mitchell’s recipes rely on her imaginative use of ingredients, not on elaborate techniques. Pairing fresh ingredients with pantry staples, these recipes offer traditional favorites as well as modern dishes sure to delight.
About the Author
Paulette Mitchell is the author of 13 cookbooks and is known globally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. She has been recognized for her award-winning 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook and is a spokesperson, freelance writer, culinary speaker, cooking instructor, and television personality. Paulette is an avid world traveler and is most inspired by diverse cultures and flavors both near and far. She lives in Minneapolis. You can visit her online at www.paulettemitchell.com.
THE COMPLETE 15-MINUTE GOURMET
by Paulette Mitchell
Thomas Nelson
October 2008
Hardcover Original/$24.95
ISBN: 9781-4016-0355-7
Veal Recipes and Secrets from the Pros
In a quest to win a trip to Montreal, chefs have submitted some inspiring veal recipes in the Le Quebecois Grain-fed Veal contest.
Chef Ryan puts a tropical flair on veal shanks. Chef Ken Hulme entered a recipe for Italian surf & turf consisting of veal and tuna. Chef Annie Meza claims that if you follow her simple steps for Carlani’s Veal Marsala over Pasta that “you will be able to cut the veal with a spoon—a sign that you’re a great cook”.
And it doesn’t end there. Some of the side dishes are just as mouthwatering including a recipe for wild mushroom gnocchi submitted by Chef Jim Lacovino and Chef Troy Johnson’s mushroom sausage. Popular pairings include spaetzle and several variations of polenta; including pumpkin polenta and macadamia nut polenta.
Le Quebecois Grain-fed Veal put out a call for professional chefs and culinary students to enter their best veal recipes for a chance to win a trip for two to Montreal including airfare and stay at the Hotel de la Montagne for 4 days and 3 nights, plus $1000 in cash.
Although these recipes have been submitted by professionals, the majority of them can realistically be recreated in a home kitchen. All the recipes entered can be viewed at the Le Quebecois Quebec Certified Grain-fed Veal site. Home chefs can buy Le Quebecois Grain-fed Veal at MarxFoods.com.
The contest isn’t over yet. Recipes can be submitted online at www.grainveal.com/contest through Friday, October 31 and the winner will be announced November 14. Read the contest rules.
Chef Ryan puts a tropical flair on veal shanks. Chef Ken Hulme entered a recipe for Italian surf & turf consisting of veal and tuna. Chef Annie Meza claims that if you follow her simple steps for Carlani’s Veal Marsala over Pasta that “you will be able to cut the veal with a spoon—a sign that you’re a great cook”.
And it doesn’t end there. Some of the side dishes are just as mouthwatering including a recipe for wild mushroom gnocchi submitted by Chef Jim Lacovino and Chef Troy Johnson’s mushroom sausage. Popular pairings include spaetzle and several variations of polenta; including pumpkin polenta and macadamia nut polenta.
Le Quebecois Grain-fed Veal put out a call for professional chefs and culinary students to enter their best veal recipes for a chance to win a trip for two to Montreal including airfare and stay at the Hotel de la Montagne for 4 days and 3 nights, plus $1000 in cash.
Although these recipes have been submitted by professionals, the majority of them can realistically be recreated in a home kitchen. All the recipes entered can be viewed at the Le Quebecois Quebec Certified Grain-fed Veal site. Home chefs can buy Le Quebecois Grain-fed Veal at MarxFoods.com.
The contest isn’t over yet. Recipes can be submitted online at www.grainveal.com/contest through Friday, October 31 and the winner will be announced November 14. Read the contest rules.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Organic Roadkill: Agribusiness Squeezing out Family Farmers
Groups representing organic farmers and their customers are calling on consumers to help save the organic industry by exclusively patronizing dairies, and other brands, that uphold the spirit and letter of the federal organic law. They claim the acquisition of major brands by corporate agribusiness, and their dependence on factory farms, threatens to force families off the land and deprive consumers of the superior nutritional food they think they are paying for.
"This could be the end of the organic industry as we know it," said Mark A. Kastel, codirector of The Cornucopia Institute, widely recognized as the organic industry's most aggressive farming watchdog. The Institute reports that the proliferation of industrial-scale dairies has bloated the organic milk supply, inflated the price of feed for dairy cows, and resulted in a financial crisis for family farmers, even as the market continues to grow—defying the general economic downturn.
The Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute announced today that it has filed formal legal complaints, seeking USDA enforcement, against two more operators of giant industrial dairies. The farm policy research group claims they are "masquerading as organic." Cornucopia also announced that it has released an update to its popular organic scorecard helping consumers make informed choices in the marketplace in selecting dairy brands that represent the highest level of organic practices.
The dairy segment, second only behind fresh fruits and vegetables, represents nearly $4 billion worth of annual revenue or about 15 to 20% of the organic industry.
For eight years, participants in the organic community—farmers, consumers, retailers, and other stakeholders—have fought the industrialization of organic milk by giant corporations and factory farms milking as many as 10,000 animals. Although the National Organic Standards Board, the expert panel set up by Congress to advise the Secretary of Agriculture, has voted to crack down on industry scofflaws five times since 2000, Bush administration officials have refused to act.
"This cynical corporate takeover of organic farming, an agriculture segment that is held in high regard by consumers, resulting in a highly successful and growing market, has been aided and abetted by the gross disregard of the USDA's enforcement responsibilities," said Merrill Clark, a certified organic livestock producer and former member of the USDA's National Organic Standards Board.
Cornucopia’s legal complaints to the USDA targeted Phoenix-based Shamrock Farms, which operates an industrial dairy milking approximately 11,000 cows in the desert 54 miles south of their plant, and the Rockview Farms Dairy of Downey, California, the operator of another giant industrial dairy in the desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada.
"When Cornucopia staff visited Shamrock’s operation we found inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility, and we were told by Shamrock employees that the confined cows had not been out in weeks," Kastel stated. Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed.
"Not only do these confinement operations create an unfair competitive playing field, discriminating against all the family farmers who work hard to fulfill both the letter and intent of the national organic standards, they also are denying the consumer the extra healthful nutrients that university studies have verified as being present in the milk of cows that graze fresh green grass," said Kathie Arnold, president of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance.
Cornucopia’s filing of a legal action against Rockview Farms Dairy chronicled similar alleged violations of organic livestock management rules. Rockview Farms, of Downey, California, produces their organic milk at a giant industrial farm in the Nevada desert near Amargosa Valley, just northwest of Las Vegas. Its milk is marketed under the Good Heart label.
"Just like Shamrock, Rockview's phony-baloney organic farm primarily confines their cattle in a massive feedlot milking both organic and conventional cows," Kastel affirmed. "This outfit is everything that organics isn't—in addition to confining their cattle, Rockview has been accused of environmental damage and even irrigates some of their land with waste products from a municipal sewage plant."
One way that Cornucopia is fighting unethical corporate players like Shamrock, Rockview, and the industry’s largest dairy, Dean Foods, which markets organic milk under the Horizon label, is to educate and engage consumers.
Cornucopia just updated their organic dairy scorecard, which ranks every brand in the country—large and small—based on their ethical approach to their milk production. It contains 107 organic brands covering fluid milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and ice cream.
"We have encouraged our 900,000 members and collaborators to use Cornucopia's research when making their purchasing decisions for organic dairy products,” said Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). In the past, OCA has called on its membership to boycott the Horizon brand and milk produced by Aurora Dairy, the nation's largest manufacturer of private-label organic milk.
"We are carefully examining Cornucopia's new findings and are likely to ramp up our pressure campaign to force these bad actors to change their business models or to exit the industry," Cummins added.
The good news for consumers, according to the Cornucopia study, is that 85% of all name-brand marketers are respecting both the letter and spirit of the federal organic law.
Besides farmers concerned with their livelihoods, consumers have also voiced dissatisfaction with the USDA's lack of enforcement by the alleged organic scofflaws.
A growing body of scientific literature clearly indicates that legitimately produced organic milk, from pasture-based animals, offers distinct nutritional advantages. This year Newcastle University reported that milk from grazing cows on organic farms contains significantly higher amounts of beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins.
According to Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the Newcastle University study, their research “clearly shows that on organic farms, letting cows graze naturally, using forage-based diet, is the most important reason for the differences in the composition between organic and conventional milk.”
"I know I'm not the only consumer who would feel ripped off to know that when I spend extra money on organic milk for my family that it comes from giant factory farms," said Andrea Rae of San Diego, Calif.
The Cornucopia Institute’s updated organic dairy survey and scorecard can be found at www.cornucopia.org. And photo galleries containing images of the Rockview and Shamrock factory farm dairies can also be viewed on the Cornucopia web page.
Rockview's Amargosa operation, called Ponderosa Dairy, was indicted by a federal jury for illegally dumping nearly 2 million gallons of cattle waste in February 1998, creating a spill that snaked 18 miles across Nevada and California. "As far as I know, it's the biggest dairy waste spill in the western United States," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Cutler, lead prosecutor in the case, has elsewhere said to the media.
"Currently the local Ponderosa dairy poses more of a hazard to human health in Amargosa Valley than the proposed Yucca mountain repository for nuclear waste bordering our valley,” said Bill Barrackman, a certified organic pistachio grower located in the Amargosa Valley.
More on the environmental problems at Rockview’s Amargosa dairy can be found at
www.cornucopia.org/Amargosa.pdf.
"Consumers who pay premium prices for organic products do so believing that they are produced with a different kind of environmental ethic, a different kind of animal husbandry ethic, and social justice for family farmers," said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for the Institute and the report's primary author.
“Our report, Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk, and the accompanying dairy brands scorecard will empower consumers and wholesale buyers who want to invest their food dollars to protect hard-working family farmers who are in danger of being washed off the land by a tidal wave of organic milk from these factory mega-farms," Kastel added.
The Cornucopia Institute’s update to the report and scorecard was a year in the making and involved in-depth research and surveys of the nation’s dairy product manufacturers located in every region of the country. Company owners and senior management had to approve and personally verify their responses to the Institute’s 19 survey questions. Brands received scores ranging from "five cows” (ranking as the best) to “one cow” (substandard) based upon an analysis of the responses and other outside research.
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development, our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives.
"This could be the end of the organic industry as we know it," said Mark A. Kastel, codirector of The Cornucopia Institute, widely recognized as the organic industry's most aggressive farming watchdog. The Institute reports that the proliferation of industrial-scale dairies has bloated the organic milk supply, inflated the price of feed for dairy cows, and resulted in a financial crisis for family farmers, even as the market continues to grow—defying the general economic downturn.
The Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute announced today that it has filed formal legal complaints, seeking USDA enforcement, against two more operators of giant industrial dairies. The farm policy research group claims they are "masquerading as organic." Cornucopia also announced that it has released an update to its popular organic scorecard helping consumers make informed choices in the marketplace in selecting dairy brands that represent the highest level of organic practices.
The dairy segment, second only behind fresh fruits and vegetables, represents nearly $4 billion worth of annual revenue or about 15 to 20% of the organic industry.
For eight years, participants in the organic community—farmers, consumers, retailers, and other stakeholders—have fought the industrialization of organic milk by giant corporations and factory farms milking as many as 10,000 animals. Although the National Organic Standards Board, the expert panel set up by Congress to advise the Secretary of Agriculture, has voted to crack down on industry scofflaws five times since 2000, Bush administration officials have refused to act.
"This cynical corporate takeover of organic farming, an agriculture segment that is held in high regard by consumers, resulting in a highly successful and growing market, has been aided and abetted by the gross disregard of the USDA's enforcement responsibilities," said Merrill Clark, a certified organic livestock producer and former member of the USDA's National Organic Standards Board.
Cornucopia’s legal complaints to the USDA targeted Phoenix-based Shamrock Farms, which operates an industrial dairy milking approximately 11,000 cows in the desert 54 miles south of their plant, and the Rockview Farms Dairy of Downey, California, the operator of another giant industrial dairy in the desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada.
"When Cornucopia staff visited Shamrock’s operation we found inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility, and we were told by Shamrock employees that the confined cows had not been out in weeks," Kastel stated. Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed.
"Not only do these confinement operations create an unfair competitive playing field, discriminating against all the family farmers who work hard to fulfill both the letter and intent of the national organic standards, they also are denying the consumer the extra healthful nutrients that university studies have verified as being present in the milk of cows that graze fresh green grass," said Kathie Arnold, president of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance.
Cornucopia’s filing of a legal action against Rockview Farms Dairy chronicled similar alleged violations of organic livestock management rules. Rockview Farms, of Downey, California, produces their organic milk at a giant industrial farm in the Nevada desert near Amargosa Valley, just northwest of Las Vegas. Its milk is marketed under the Good Heart label.
"Just like Shamrock, Rockview's phony-baloney organic farm primarily confines their cattle in a massive feedlot milking both organic and conventional cows," Kastel affirmed. "This outfit is everything that organics isn't—in addition to confining their cattle, Rockview has been accused of environmental damage and even irrigates some of their land with waste products from a municipal sewage plant."
One way that Cornucopia is fighting unethical corporate players like Shamrock, Rockview, and the industry’s largest dairy, Dean Foods, which markets organic milk under the Horizon label, is to educate and engage consumers.
Cornucopia just updated their organic dairy scorecard, which ranks every brand in the country—large and small—based on their ethical approach to their milk production. It contains 107 organic brands covering fluid milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and ice cream.
"We have encouraged our 900,000 members and collaborators to use Cornucopia's research when making their purchasing decisions for organic dairy products,” said Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). In the past, OCA has called on its membership to boycott the Horizon brand and milk produced by Aurora Dairy, the nation's largest manufacturer of private-label organic milk.
"We are carefully examining Cornucopia's new findings and are likely to ramp up our pressure campaign to force these bad actors to change their business models or to exit the industry," Cummins added.
The good news for consumers, according to the Cornucopia study, is that 85% of all name-brand marketers are respecting both the letter and spirit of the federal organic law.
Besides farmers concerned with their livelihoods, consumers have also voiced dissatisfaction with the USDA's lack of enforcement by the alleged organic scofflaws.
A growing body of scientific literature clearly indicates that legitimately produced organic milk, from pasture-based animals, offers distinct nutritional advantages. This year Newcastle University reported that milk from grazing cows on organic farms contains significantly higher amounts of beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins.
According to Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the Newcastle University study, their research “clearly shows that on organic farms, letting cows graze naturally, using forage-based diet, is the most important reason for the differences in the composition between organic and conventional milk.”
"I know I'm not the only consumer who would feel ripped off to know that when I spend extra money on organic milk for my family that it comes from giant factory farms," said Andrea Rae of San Diego, Calif.
The Cornucopia Institute’s updated organic dairy survey and scorecard can be found at www.cornucopia.org. And photo galleries containing images of the Rockview and Shamrock factory farm dairies can also be viewed on the Cornucopia web page.
Rockview's Amargosa operation, called Ponderosa Dairy, was indicted by a federal jury for illegally dumping nearly 2 million gallons of cattle waste in February 1998, creating a spill that snaked 18 miles across Nevada and California. "As far as I know, it's the biggest dairy waste spill in the western United States," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Cutler, lead prosecutor in the case, has elsewhere said to the media.
"Currently the local Ponderosa dairy poses more of a hazard to human health in Amargosa Valley than the proposed Yucca mountain repository for nuclear waste bordering our valley,” said Bill Barrackman, a certified organic pistachio grower located in the Amargosa Valley.
More on the environmental problems at Rockview’s Amargosa dairy can be found at
www.cornucopia.org/Amargosa.pdf.
"Consumers who pay premium prices for organic products do so believing that they are produced with a different kind of environmental ethic, a different kind of animal husbandry ethic, and social justice for family farmers," said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for the Institute and the report's primary author.
“Our report, Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk, and the accompanying dairy brands scorecard will empower consumers and wholesale buyers who want to invest their food dollars to protect hard-working family farmers who are in danger of being washed off the land by a tidal wave of organic milk from these factory mega-farms," Kastel added.
The Cornucopia Institute’s update to the report and scorecard was a year in the making and involved in-depth research and surveys of the nation’s dairy product manufacturers located in every region of the country. Company owners and senior management had to approve and personally verify their responses to the Institute’s 19 survey questions. Brands received scores ranging from "five cows” (ranking as the best) to “one cow” (substandard) based upon an analysis of the responses and other outside research.
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development, our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives.
Fernside Children's Art Comes to KZF Gallery
KZF Gallery will open a unique exhibit called “Giving Grief Form” set to open October 16 and run through December. The works are presented by Fernside, a nonprofit organization designed to help the healing process of grieving children and teens after the loss of a loved one. Children in the Fernside programs are encouraged to creatively express their feelings of loss through their artwork, making the pieces a true display of their emotions. It is the children’s artwork that will be exhibited in the KZF Gallery show.
A variety of art forms will be featured in this exhibit. The art genres include collages, masks, Inuit stone Inuksuk figures, cracked pots, Tibetan prayer flags and animals shaped from clay. Children’s memories of their loved ones are invoked in their artwork. The process of creating the pieces enabled the children to express their feelings at the time of their losses and to find wholeness and strength once again.
The exhibit is being held in honor and remembrance of Rachel Burrell (1928-2007), the founder of Fernside, and George Kral (1920-2007), the founder and former CEO of KZF Design. Mr. Kral set the tone and attitude still present in the “core values” of KZF Design. Mrs. Burell, a pioneer in children’s grief, started the nation’s second center for grieving children and families. She paved the way for similar programs across the country.
The exhibit “Giving Grief Form” is open to the public October 16 through December. The KZF Gallery is located in the corporate offices of KZF Design in the Baldwin Building, 655 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati. Exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.
A variety of art forms will be featured in this exhibit. The art genres include collages, masks, Inuit stone Inuksuk figures, cracked pots, Tibetan prayer flags and animals shaped from clay. Children’s memories of their loved ones are invoked in their artwork. The process of creating the pieces enabled the children to express their feelings at the time of their losses and to find wholeness and strength once again.
The exhibit is being held in honor and remembrance of Rachel Burrell (1928-2007), the founder of Fernside, and George Kral (1920-2007), the founder and former CEO of KZF Design. Mr. Kral set the tone and attitude still present in the “core values” of KZF Design. Mrs. Burell, a pioneer in children’s grief, started the nation’s second center for grieving children and families. She paved the way for similar programs across the country.
The exhibit “Giving Grief Form” is open to the public October 16 through December. The KZF Gallery is located in the corporate offices of KZF Design in the Baldwin Building, 655 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati. Exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
YAMAZAKI - Rich, Sophisticated Japanese Whisky for the Holiday
Looking for a gift for someone who is impossible to buy for? This holiday season, shy away from convention and give them a gift they can truly indulge in and enjoy. Take the road less traveled with Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky. Aged either 12 or 18 years, Yamazaki has a rich and sophisticated character that’s bound to please the most discerning connoisseur.
Yamazaki has distinct characteristics that highlight its authentic Japanese heritage and set it apart from other whiskeys. A perfect climate and pure water are nature’s contribution to its unique flavor, but the use of American, Spanish and Japanese casks are a clear departure from traditional whiskey making. The Japanese oak adds a subtle sweetness and spicy flavor creating a taste that is truly distinct to Japan.
Looking for a gift that eludes taste, discovery and quality – then Yamazaki is the choice. Yamazaki 12 Year Old is available for $44.99 and Yamazaki 18 Year Old is available for $119.99. More information and images are available at www.suntory.com/yamazaki/.
Yamazaki has distinct characteristics that highlight its authentic Japanese heritage and set it apart from other whiskeys. A perfect climate and pure water are nature’s contribution to its unique flavor, but the use of American, Spanish and Japanese casks are a clear departure from traditional whiskey making. The Japanese oak adds a subtle sweetness and spicy flavor creating a taste that is truly distinct to Japan.
Looking for a gift that eludes taste, discovery and quality – then Yamazaki is the choice. Yamazaki 12 Year Old is available for $44.99 and Yamazaki 18 Year Old is available for $119.99. More information and images are available at www.suntory.com/yamazaki/.
Chick-fil-A Removes Trans Fat from Entire Menu
Chick-fil-A announces it has eliminated trans fat from its entire menu – from entrees to condiments. Chick-fil-A’s core menu items, including it’s signature Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, have been free of trans fat since their respective introductions, dating as far back as the chain’s first restaurant opening 41 years ago. And, the chain was recently recognized as being ‘America’s Healthiest Restaurant for Kids’ in a new book by the editors of Men’s Health magazine.
Cocktails for Valentine's Day
San Francisco Mixologist Victoria D’Amato Moran has been creating original cocktails her entire life. Her father owned a bar in the 1960s, and over the years, she has continued to perfect her craft. And now, with Valentine’s Day in mind, she has created specialty cocktails designed specifically to toast the holiday of love. Below are recipes and images of Vitoria’s latest Valentine’s Day concoctions.
Midori, the Japanese word for “green”, accentuates cocktails by adding a vibrant punch of color and a sweet melon taste. Its versatility lends itself to be a part of a wide range of cocktails. This holiday, Melon, Passion Fruit and Mango blend to create the luscious MIDORI Geisha Girl.
MIDORI Geisha Girl
1.5 oz. Midori Melon Liqueur
2.5 oz X Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 oz. Mango juice
Squeeze fresh lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Shake/Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with a mango heart or lemon wheel
ZEN, America’s first green tea liqueur, is made using the finest Japanese tea leaves and pure waters of Japan. The ZEN Passion mixes ZEN Green Tea Liqueur with berry juice, giving it a lovely shade of rouge.
ZEN Passion
3 pieces of ginger CRUSHED
1 oz ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
1 oz. SKYY Vodka
2 oz Acai Berry juice
Squeeze fresh lemon
Shake/Strain
Midori, the Japanese word for “green”, accentuates cocktails by adding a vibrant punch of color and a sweet melon taste. Its versatility lends itself to be a part of a wide range of cocktails. This holiday, Melon, Passion Fruit and Mango blend to create the luscious MIDORI Geisha Girl.
MIDORI Geisha Girl
1.5 oz. Midori Melon Liqueur
2.5 oz X Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 oz. Mango juice
Squeeze fresh lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Shake/Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with a mango heart or lemon wheel
ZEN, America’s first green tea liqueur, is made using the finest Japanese tea leaves and pure waters of Japan. The ZEN Passion mixes ZEN Green Tea Liqueur with berry juice, giving it a lovely shade of rouge.
ZEN Passion
3 pieces of ginger CRUSHED
1 oz ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
1 oz. SKYY Vodka
2 oz Acai Berry juice
Squeeze fresh lemon
Shake/Strain
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Cheescake Bible
Who doesn’t relish the creamy delight of cheesecake? Yet many have still to discover the ease of making one at home. THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE (Robert Rose, October 2008, $24.95) by acclaimed baking instructor George Geary shows readers that cheesecake is both easy and fun to make at home, and includes 200 delectable cheesecake recipes to get started.
THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE includes recipes for every kind of traditional cake a baker could desire: fruit, vanilla, chocolate, citrus, and nut cakes. The book also features recipes for innovative savory treats and no-bake delights for days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. These easy-to-follow recipes include:
Blue Ribbon Cheesecake
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
Banana Split Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheddar Chili Cheesecake
Savory Herb Cheesecake
The book also teaches readers how to dress their cheesecake up with an entire section devoted to toppings like Fresh Strawberry Sauce, Marshmallow Sauce, Port Wine Berry Compote, and more. With its extensive baking tips and techniques and outstanding color photographs, THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE is destined to become the one-stop guide to everything cheesecake.
About the Author
George Geary teaches baking techniques in more than 100 cooking schools across North America every year. A regular contributing editor to magazines and newsletters, he has also been the pastry chef and production manager for the Walt Disney Company and the Marriott Corporation. His previous cheesecake book, 125 Cheesecake Recipes has more than 100,000 copies in print; this is his fifth book. George lives in Corona, CA.
THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE
By George Geary
Robert Rose
October 2008
Paperback/$24.95
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0192-4
Sample Recipes from THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE
Blue Ribbon Cheesecake
I have won numerous awards with this recipe, also affectionately called “Patty’s Favorite Cheesecake” after my mom, my biggest fan.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
Topping
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract
Decoration
2 cups (500 mL) fresh strawberries, sliced
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.
Topping
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into center of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Top with sliced strawberries when completely chilled.
Tips
Zest lemons and limes before juicing and freeze the zest for another recipe. This cheesecake freezes well for up to 4 months before decorating. Defrost in the refrigerator the day before use and then decorate.
Variation
If fresh berries are not available, spread 1 cup (250 mL) strawberry preserves on top.
Lemongrass Cheesecake
Combining lemongrass and coconut milk with cheesecake creates a fusion that would be fun to serve after a Pacific Rim meal.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) butter cookie crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) pecans, toasted and ground
3 tablespoons (45 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut milk
4 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract
Decoration
Classic Whipped Cream Topping (see recipe, page 262)
1/4 cup (50 mL) shredded sweetened coconut, toasted (see tip, below)
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a saucepan, cook lemongrass and coconut milk over medium heat until milk starts to bubble. Strain milk and discard lemongrass. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until
very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in coconut milk and vanilla.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Ice top of cake with Classic Whipped Cream Topping or pipe rosettes around top of cake, if desired. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Tips
Lemongrass can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets, often where the fresh herbs are displayed.
Coconut is often burned by pastry chefs. To avoid crying over burnt coconut, follow this technique. Spread coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 3 minutes. Check the coconut and stir. Set the timer for another 3 minutes. Repeat until coconut is lightly browned.
Variation
Substitute whipping (35%) cream for the coconut milk.
Orange Honey Ricotta Cheesecake
The flavors of honey and oranges combine to make a great dessert. If you can find orange honey, by all means
use that for the honey in the recipe.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 m) graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon (15 mL) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons (10 mL) liquid honey
Filling
1 pound (500 g) ricotta cheese, drained (see tip, below)
4 ounces (125 mL) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) liquid honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons (10 m) grated orange zest
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt
3 egg whites
Decoration
2 oranges
2 tablespoons (25 mL) liquid honey
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and honey. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese and honey on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in yogurt, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
In a clean mixer bowl fitted with whip attachment, whip egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture carefully so as not to deflate the mixture.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Remove white pith and peel from oranges and cut into very thin slices. Arrange slices on top of cake. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat honey. Using a pastry brush, brush hot honey over orange slices. Chill before serving.
Tips
To drain ricotta, place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, place the cheese in the strainer and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Room temperature egg whites yield a much higher volume than cold whites. Save extra egg yolks in a small bowl in the refrigerator for up to 2 days by covering them with water and sealing tightly with plastic wrap. To freeze, sprinkle salt or sugar over the yolks in water.
THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE includes recipes for every kind of traditional cake a baker could desire: fruit, vanilla, chocolate, citrus, and nut cakes. The book also features recipes for innovative savory treats and no-bake delights for days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. These easy-to-follow recipes include:
Blue Ribbon Cheesecake
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
Banana Split Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheddar Chili Cheesecake
Savory Herb Cheesecake
The book also teaches readers how to dress their cheesecake up with an entire section devoted to toppings like Fresh Strawberry Sauce, Marshmallow Sauce, Port Wine Berry Compote, and more. With its extensive baking tips and techniques and outstanding color photographs, THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE is destined to become the one-stop guide to everything cheesecake.
About the Author
George Geary teaches baking techniques in more than 100 cooking schools across North America every year. A regular contributing editor to magazines and newsletters, he has also been the pastry chef and production manager for the Walt Disney Company and the Marriott Corporation. His previous cheesecake book, 125 Cheesecake Recipes has more than 100,000 copies in print; this is his fifth book. George lives in Corona, CA.
THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE
By George Geary
Robert Rose
October 2008
Paperback/$24.95
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0192-4
Sample Recipes from THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE
Blue Ribbon Cheesecake
I have won numerous awards with this recipe, also affectionately called “Patty’s Favorite Cheesecake” after my mom, my biggest fan.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
Topping
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract
Decoration
2 cups (500 mL) fresh strawberries, sliced
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.
Topping
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into center of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Top with sliced strawberries when completely chilled.
Tips
Zest lemons and limes before juicing and freeze the zest for another recipe. This cheesecake freezes well for up to 4 months before decorating. Defrost in the refrigerator the day before use and then decorate.
Variation
If fresh berries are not available, spread 1 cup (250 mL) strawberry preserves on top.
Lemongrass Cheesecake
Combining lemongrass and coconut milk with cheesecake creates a fusion that would be fun to serve after a Pacific Rim meal.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) butter cookie crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) pecans, toasted and ground
3 tablespoons (45 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut milk
4 packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract
Decoration
Classic Whipped Cream Topping (see recipe, page 262)
1/4 cup (50 mL) shredded sweetened coconut, toasted (see tip, below)
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a saucepan, cook lemongrass and coconut milk over medium heat until milk starts to bubble. Strain milk and discard lemongrass. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until
very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in coconut milk and vanilla.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Ice top of cake with Classic Whipped Cream Topping or pipe rosettes around top of cake, if desired. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Tips
Lemongrass can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets, often where the fresh herbs are displayed.
Coconut is often burned by pastry chefs. To avoid crying over burnt coconut, follow this technique. Spread coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 3 minutes. Check the coconut and stir. Set the timer for another 3 minutes. Repeat until coconut is lightly browned.
Variation
Substitute whipping (35%) cream for the coconut milk.
Orange Honey Ricotta Cheesecake
The flavors of honey and oranges combine to make a great dessert. If you can find orange honey, by all means
use that for the honey in the recipe.
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
1-1/4 cups (300 m) graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon (15 mL) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons (10 mL) liquid honey
Filling
1 pound (500 g) ricotta cheese, drained (see tip, below)
4 ounces (125 mL) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) liquid honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons (10 m) grated orange zest
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt
3 egg whites
Decoration
2 oranges
2 tablespoons (25 mL) liquid honey
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased.
Crust
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and honey. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
Filling
In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese and honey on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in yogurt, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
In a clean mixer bowl fitted with whip attachment, whip egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture carefully so as not to deflate the mixture.
Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
Decoration
Remove white pith and peel from oranges and cut into very thin slices. Arrange slices on top of cake. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat honey. Using a pastry brush, brush hot honey over orange slices. Chill before serving.
Tips
To drain ricotta, place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, place the cheese in the strainer and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Room temperature egg whites yield a much higher volume than cold whites. Save extra egg yolks in a small bowl in the refrigerator for up to 2 days by covering them with water and sealing tightly with plastic wrap. To freeze, sprinkle salt or sugar over the yolks in water.
California Dreaming
BON APPÉTIT RODEO DRIVE!
Visitors to Rodeo Drive have that certain joie de vivre, and when the bon vivants crave French Mediterranean cuisine, Salades de Provence is soon to be the choice. Opening this fall, owner Richard Makinadjian brings his native recipes to Beverly Hills 90210 inside the West Coast flagship salon of fellow-countryman and renowned style-maker Frédéric Fekkai. Salades de Provence dishes up an exclusive entrée menu consisting of fifteen diverse salads composed of organic baby mixed greens, chicken breast, salmon, lamb, smoked duck breast, sun-dried tomatoes and imported cheeses from France.
Seating nearly 40 guests at its savory new 440 North Rodeo Drive location, Salades de Provence serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. out on the salon's elegant bougainvillea-lined terrace. Makinadjian originated the restaurant in 1995 with his family-owned Papagayo in Aix-en-Provence in the South of France, and opened the first Salades de Provence in West Hollywood. Operating since June 2007, the popularity of the neighborhood restaurant prompted the extension of an outdoor patio to seat an additional 24 guests on La Cienega, and the expansion of the restaurant to Fekkai's Rodeo Drive location.
"Frédéric and I both come from Aix-en-Provence – the city of Cezanne, art and style," says Salades de Provence creator Makinadjian. "The marriage of Fekkai and Salades de Provence make the perfect pair."
Whether it's Saveurs Méditerranéennes (grilled eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers served with organic seasonal salad, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, polenta, shredded parmesan, pine nuts, fresh basil, fresh tomato sauce and olive oil), L'assiette Cezanne (Organic curly lettuce and lamb's lettuce served with a tartine of Poilâne loaf with Saint Marcelin cheese and rosemary, smoked duck breast, roasted potatoes, candied raisins, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, pine nuts, shallots, olive oil vinaigrette, cider, and provencal honey), Tarte Tatin avec sa crème fraîche (famous French caramelized apple pie) or Tartine de Cassis (Smoked salmon, dill crème fraiche served on toasted Poilâne bread tartine), Crêpe du Luberon (Scrambled eggs, bacon Emmental cheese wrapped in a crepe) or pain au chocolat with café au lait to whet your appetite, the tastes from the South of France are procured at Salades' two locations in Los Angeles.
Situated in the heart of the world's luxury capital, Salades de Provence offers mouth-watering, rich yet healthy delicacies in the elegant and refined setting of Frédéric Fekkai Beverly Hills. Aix-en-Provence is considered the little Paris – very fashionable, youthful and artistic. The West Hollywood location designs itself after this jewel of the French Riviera with a décor highlighted by saffron yellows, Mediterranean prints and Provencal style in an intimate, bistro setting.
About Salades de Provence
Salades de Provence originated from the family owned restaurant, Papagayo Aix-en-Provence, located in the South of France, where it has been serving gourmet organic salads, quiche, crêpes, various desserts and an exquisite French menu for more than a decade. The restaurant serves one of many delicacies such as the Parisian Sourdough bread "Pain Poilane" baked in a wood-fired brick oven in France, the fashionable Mariage Frèsres tea and the famous café "Richard" imported from Paris. Owner Richard Makinadjian brought the family recipes from the South of France to California. Created by his partner and cousin, Eric Martirossian and chef Alain Kalandar, the savory meals and desserts use only natural and finest ingredients available locally and imported from Europe. The first Salades de Provence was opened in June 2007 at 1040 North La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner every day from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with free parking. Opening summer of 2008, the chain expands to 440 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and offers its fine cuisine Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are not required but recommended by calling (310) 657.9696. For more information, visit www.saladesdeprovence.com.
SAVE THE DATE: THE LARGEST HALLOWEEN PARTY TO HIT THE WESTSIDE
WHAT: "The Joker"- The largest Halloween party to hit the Westside.
Come experience elaborate and frightening decorations on Wokcano's gorgeous outdoor patio. Guests are invited to dress in their best costumes, dance, drink and dance the night away under the moonlight to the sounds of award-winning Garth Trinidad from KCRW. Costume Contests include: Best Joker, Sexiest, and Best Overall Costume. Hosted signature apps from 9-10pm
WHERE: Wokcano Santa Monica, 1413 5th Street (at Santa Monica Blvd)
WHEN: Friday, October 31st, 2008
ADMISSION: $10.00 with costume, $20.00 without costume
OTHER: (21 +) Call today to reserve a VIP table on the patio (310) 458-3080
ABOUT WOKCANO:
Wokcano Restaurants invite you to enjoy the Asian-inspired vibe with modern, hip décor while customers enjoy the distinctive fusing of traditional and nontraditional Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines along with an impressive sushi bar selection. With six locations, Wokcano is one of the fastest growing Pan Asian restaurants in Southern California and is now expanding to Long Beach. The new Santa Monica location features a gorgeous 2-story interior with chic Asian decor and a huge multi-level outdoor patio with exposed brick enclosing the courtyard giving it a hip New York vibe. Live DJs spin an eclectic mix of music on the patio lounge every weekend. VIP table and bottle service are available. Hours are from 11am to 2am and Delivery and Take Out are available. For more info visit or to book an event go to www.wokcanorestaurant.com or call 310.458.3080.
WOKCANO HISTORY
Wokcano Restaurant & Bar is one of the fastest growing Pan Asian restaurants in Southern California. With locations in Pasadena, W. Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Burbank and Long Beach, Wokcano is quickly expanding and has plans to open in all major metro areas in California within the next five years.
Wokcano is the life-long dream of brothers Michael and Marcus Kwan. Born in China, the Kwan brothers arrived in the U.S. in 1989, and learned the restaurant business from the ground up by bussing tables at a restaurant in China Town. In Dec. 1995, the Kwans opened their first restaurant on 3rd Street in Los Angeles called The Islands. After a successful six years, they decided it was time for something fresh and new, and decided to combine traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern twist and offer unique sushi selections. It was then that the concept behind Wokcano was born. In 2001, they turned The Islands into the first of many Wokcano restaurants which they proudly built with their own two hands.
Wokcano distinctively fuses traditional and nontraditional Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines. Many of the dishes are derived from recipes the brothers experienced while growing up with their mother's authentic Chinese cooking. Great pride is taken in providing each individual guest with a modern, culinary Pan Asian experience they will enjoy time and time again.
In addition to the delicious food, Wokcano's hip décor captivates the interests and tastes of customers of all ages. It is one of the few uber-chic restaurants that is open from 11am to 2am, and provides a fast-paced delivery service that caters to its local area.
Visitors to Rodeo Drive have that certain joie de vivre, and when the bon vivants crave French Mediterranean cuisine, Salades de Provence is soon to be the choice. Opening this fall, owner Richard Makinadjian brings his native recipes to Beverly Hills 90210 inside the West Coast flagship salon of fellow-countryman and renowned style-maker Frédéric Fekkai. Salades de Provence dishes up an exclusive entrée menu consisting of fifteen diverse salads composed of organic baby mixed greens, chicken breast, salmon, lamb, smoked duck breast, sun-dried tomatoes and imported cheeses from France.
Seating nearly 40 guests at its savory new 440 North Rodeo Drive location, Salades de Provence serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. out on the salon's elegant bougainvillea-lined terrace. Makinadjian originated the restaurant in 1995 with his family-owned Papagayo in Aix-en-Provence in the South of France, and opened the first Salades de Provence in West Hollywood. Operating since June 2007, the popularity of the neighborhood restaurant prompted the extension of an outdoor patio to seat an additional 24 guests on La Cienega, and the expansion of the restaurant to Fekkai's Rodeo Drive location.
"Frédéric and I both come from Aix-en-Provence – the city of Cezanne, art and style," says Salades de Provence creator Makinadjian. "The marriage of Fekkai and Salades de Provence make the perfect pair."
Whether it's Saveurs Méditerranéennes (grilled eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers served with organic seasonal salad, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, polenta, shredded parmesan, pine nuts, fresh basil, fresh tomato sauce and olive oil), L'assiette Cezanne (Organic curly lettuce and lamb's lettuce served with a tartine of Poilâne loaf with Saint Marcelin cheese and rosemary, smoked duck breast, roasted potatoes, candied raisins, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, pine nuts, shallots, olive oil vinaigrette, cider, and provencal honey), Tarte Tatin avec sa crème fraîche (famous French caramelized apple pie) or Tartine de Cassis (Smoked salmon, dill crème fraiche served on toasted Poilâne bread tartine), Crêpe du Luberon (Scrambled eggs, bacon Emmental cheese wrapped in a crepe) or pain au chocolat with café au lait to whet your appetite, the tastes from the South of France are procured at Salades' two locations in Los Angeles.
Situated in the heart of the world's luxury capital, Salades de Provence offers mouth-watering, rich yet healthy delicacies in the elegant and refined setting of Frédéric Fekkai Beverly Hills. Aix-en-Provence is considered the little Paris – very fashionable, youthful and artistic. The West Hollywood location designs itself after this jewel of the French Riviera with a décor highlighted by saffron yellows, Mediterranean prints and Provencal style in an intimate, bistro setting.
About Salades de Provence
Salades de Provence originated from the family owned restaurant, Papagayo Aix-en-Provence, located in the South of France, where it has been serving gourmet organic salads, quiche, crêpes, various desserts and an exquisite French menu for more than a decade. The restaurant serves one of many delicacies such as the Parisian Sourdough bread "Pain Poilane" baked in a wood-fired brick oven in France, the fashionable Mariage Frèsres tea and the famous café "Richard" imported from Paris. Owner Richard Makinadjian brought the family recipes from the South of France to California. Created by his partner and cousin, Eric Martirossian and chef Alain Kalandar, the savory meals and desserts use only natural and finest ingredients available locally and imported from Europe. The first Salades de Provence was opened in June 2007 at 1040 North La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner every day from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with free parking. Opening summer of 2008, the chain expands to 440 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and offers its fine cuisine Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are not required but recommended by calling (310) 657.9696. For more information, visit www.saladesdeprovence.com.
SAVE THE DATE: THE LARGEST HALLOWEEN PARTY TO HIT THE WESTSIDE
WHAT: "The Joker"- The largest Halloween party to hit the Westside.
Come experience elaborate and frightening decorations on Wokcano's gorgeous outdoor patio. Guests are invited to dress in their best costumes, dance, drink and dance the night away under the moonlight to the sounds of award-winning Garth Trinidad from KCRW. Costume Contests include: Best Joker, Sexiest, and Best Overall Costume. Hosted signature apps from 9-10pm
WHERE: Wokcano Santa Monica, 1413 5th Street (at Santa Monica Blvd)
WHEN: Friday, October 31st, 2008
ADMISSION: $10.00 with costume, $20.00 without costume
OTHER: (21 +) Call today to reserve a VIP table on the patio (310) 458-3080
ABOUT WOKCANO:
Wokcano Restaurants invite you to enjoy the Asian-inspired vibe with modern, hip décor while customers enjoy the distinctive fusing of traditional and nontraditional Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines along with an impressive sushi bar selection. With six locations, Wokcano is one of the fastest growing Pan Asian restaurants in Southern California and is now expanding to Long Beach. The new Santa Monica location features a gorgeous 2-story interior with chic Asian decor and a huge multi-level outdoor patio with exposed brick enclosing the courtyard giving it a hip New York vibe. Live DJs spin an eclectic mix of music on the patio lounge every weekend. VIP table and bottle service are available. Hours are from 11am to 2am and Delivery and Take Out are available. For more info visit or to book an event go to www.wokcanorestaurant.com or call 310.458.3080.
WOKCANO HISTORY
Wokcano Restaurant & Bar is one of the fastest growing Pan Asian restaurants in Southern California. With locations in Pasadena, W. Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Burbank and Long Beach, Wokcano is quickly expanding and has plans to open in all major metro areas in California within the next five years.
Wokcano is the life-long dream of brothers Michael and Marcus Kwan. Born in China, the Kwan brothers arrived in the U.S. in 1989, and learned the restaurant business from the ground up by bussing tables at a restaurant in China Town. In Dec. 1995, the Kwans opened their first restaurant on 3rd Street in Los Angeles called The Islands. After a successful six years, they decided it was time for something fresh and new, and decided to combine traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern twist and offer unique sushi selections. It was then that the concept behind Wokcano was born. In 2001, they turned The Islands into the first of many Wokcano restaurants which they proudly built with their own two hands.
Wokcano distinctively fuses traditional and nontraditional Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines. Many of the dishes are derived from recipes the brothers experienced while growing up with their mother's authentic Chinese cooking. Great pride is taken in providing each individual guest with a modern, culinary Pan Asian experience they will enjoy time and time again.
In addition to the delicious food, Wokcano's hip décor captivates the interests and tastes of customers of all ages. It is one of the few uber-chic restaurants that is open from 11am to 2am, and provides a fast-paced delivery service that caters to its local area.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Using fine wines to fight breast cancer & raise awareness
The second generation of Cleavage Creek wines produced by owner Budge Brown will be released on October 4th, 2008. Dedicated to fighting breast cancer, Cleavage Creek and Brown continue their commitment to donate 10% of gross wine sales to breast cancer research. Brown lost his wife of 48 years to breast cancer in 2005. He obtained the Cleavage Creek label, and is focusing his efforts on funding research to find an end to the disease.
www.CleavageCreek.com
Cleavage Creek will release 6 varietals on October 4th. This much anticipated release continues a one-of-a-kind philanthropic venture, pairing fine wine and an effort to fund breast cancer research. The six new Cleavage Creek wines include a 2006 Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2006 Reserve Napa Petite Sirah, a 2006 Reserve Cabernet-Syrah, and a 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, all produced from grapes grown in Budge Brown’s own vineyards. A 2006 Secret Red and a 2007 Secret White complete the group. Brown expects a total of 1,600 cases of wine to be available for sale in October 2008.
Each bottle of Cleavage Creek wine honors a breast cancer survivor with their picture on the label. Their story is told on the Cleavage Creek website. Six survivors adorn the bottles of the second release of Budge Brown’s Cleavage Creek wines. The breast cancer survivors and their stories are every bit as unique and special as the wine they represent.
Ten percent of the gross dollar amount of this operation will be donated to cutting edge research to fight breast cancer. That’s gross, not net - a huge difference when determining the amount of money that will be contributed. These wines will be priced in the $18 - $50 range and are available for purchase via internet and phone. Gift sets of Cleavage Creek wines will be available in 2, 4, and 6 bottle sets.
To date, Cleavage Creek has donated over $37,000 to breast cancer research.
Budge Brown is a successful self-made businessman and farmer. Brown believes that Cleavage Creek wines can make a difference. “The world is full of people who enjoy good wines,” says Brown. “When they buy Cleavage Creek, they get a world class wine while helping efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. Everybody wins. When people learn about Cleavage Creek and the motivation behind it, well, if it reminds one person to go for a checkup, do a self-examination, or become more informed, we’re accomplishing our goal of saving lives. The cure for breast cancer may not come in my lifetime, but the mere existence of Cleavage Creek could bring it along sooner rather than later. Let’s get it done.”
Plans for Cleavage Creek vineyards in Napa are in the works, and they are ambitious. A tasting room and wine shop will soon be under construction just steps from the growing vines as the permit has already been approved by local Napa officials. Arlene’s Garden, a special meditation flower garden overlooking a lake has been built to honor the late Arlene Brown, Budge Brown’s wife and a victim of breast cancer. Her favorite flowers have been planted there, including over 20,000 daffodils, 10,000 iris, thousands of tulips, California poppies, a host of wild flowers, and roses. “I want people to visit Cleavage Creek and celebrate life and health,” says Brown. “There’s no better way to do that than with a fine wine and the company of those who are a part of the fight.” Brown looks forward to hosting events and celebrating survival. “We have to move forward,” he asserts. “The focus should be on finding a cure. We want Cleavage Creek to do all it can to help this process.”
Budge Brown speaks with great passion about the Cleavage Creek Wine Clubs. There is a special category of the club for those who have conquered breast cancer. Brown believes that not only should those with breast cancer survive, but they should thrive as well.
Brown’s goal is simple and his dedication is genuine. “I want to sell great wine, give a portion of our gross to the best sources for a cure, raise awareness, and celebrate survival. Our motto is ‘Live to Love Life’.”
About Cleavage Creek
Cleavage Creek vineyards are located in Pope Valley, Napa, Calif. Cleavage Creek is dedicated to producing world class wines and funding breast cancer research. For more information, please visit www.CleavageCreek.com or phone 1.888.295.1280.
www.CleavageCreek.com
Cleavage Creek will release 6 varietals on October 4th. This much anticipated release continues a one-of-a-kind philanthropic venture, pairing fine wine and an effort to fund breast cancer research. The six new Cleavage Creek wines include a 2006 Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2006 Reserve Napa Petite Sirah, a 2006 Reserve Cabernet-Syrah, and a 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, all produced from grapes grown in Budge Brown’s own vineyards. A 2006 Secret Red and a 2007 Secret White complete the group. Brown expects a total of 1,600 cases of wine to be available for sale in October 2008.
Each bottle of Cleavage Creek wine honors a breast cancer survivor with their picture on the label. Their story is told on the Cleavage Creek website. Six survivors adorn the bottles of the second release of Budge Brown’s Cleavage Creek wines. The breast cancer survivors and their stories are every bit as unique and special as the wine they represent.
Ten percent of the gross dollar amount of this operation will be donated to cutting edge research to fight breast cancer. That’s gross, not net - a huge difference when determining the amount of money that will be contributed. These wines will be priced in the $18 - $50 range and are available for purchase via internet and phone. Gift sets of Cleavage Creek wines will be available in 2, 4, and 6 bottle sets.
To date, Cleavage Creek has donated over $37,000 to breast cancer research.
Budge Brown is a successful self-made businessman and farmer. Brown believes that Cleavage Creek wines can make a difference. “The world is full of people who enjoy good wines,” says Brown. “When they buy Cleavage Creek, they get a world class wine while helping efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. Everybody wins. When people learn about Cleavage Creek and the motivation behind it, well, if it reminds one person to go for a checkup, do a self-examination, or become more informed, we’re accomplishing our goal of saving lives. The cure for breast cancer may not come in my lifetime, but the mere existence of Cleavage Creek could bring it along sooner rather than later. Let’s get it done.”
Plans for Cleavage Creek vineyards in Napa are in the works, and they are ambitious. A tasting room and wine shop will soon be under construction just steps from the growing vines as the permit has already been approved by local Napa officials. Arlene’s Garden, a special meditation flower garden overlooking a lake has been built to honor the late Arlene Brown, Budge Brown’s wife and a victim of breast cancer. Her favorite flowers have been planted there, including over 20,000 daffodils, 10,000 iris, thousands of tulips, California poppies, a host of wild flowers, and roses. “I want people to visit Cleavage Creek and celebrate life and health,” says Brown. “There’s no better way to do that than with a fine wine and the company of those who are a part of the fight.” Brown looks forward to hosting events and celebrating survival. “We have to move forward,” he asserts. “The focus should be on finding a cure. We want Cleavage Creek to do all it can to help this process.”
Budge Brown speaks with great passion about the Cleavage Creek Wine Clubs. There is a special category of the club for those who have conquered breast cancer. Brown believes that not only should those with breast cancer survive, but they should thrive as well.
Brown’s goal is simple and his dedication is genuine. “I want to sell great wine, give a portion of our gross to the best sources for a cure, raise awareness, and celebrate survival. Our motto is ‘Live to Love Life’.”
About Cleavage Creek
Cleavage Creek vineyards are located in Pope Valley, Napa, Calif. Cleavage Creek is dedicated to producing world class wines and funding breast cancer research. For more information, please visit www.CleavageCreek.com or phone 1.888.295.1280.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Gourmet Food Options on the Internet
The Internet is fast becoming a staple shopping stop for consumers who are looking for convenience, ease and something different. The gourmet food market is one of those areas that is expanding on the Internet at a rapid pace. AppetizersToGo.com, an online purveyor of gourmet appetizers, has seen its business triple in recent years. Forrester Research Group, an independent technology and market research company, estimates that on-line food and beverage sales reached more than $17.4 billion in 2008. And having a niche product line, like appetizers, and doing that product well, helps set some online e-retailers apart from others.
AppetizersToGo.com has been providing gourmet and artisan appetizer products to the wholesale food business for more than 30 years. Its online business, which serves a line of more than 100 appetizers directly to consumers, has been in business five years. While this time frame may seem short in the standard brick and mortar business model, it is a success story in the world of Internet retailers. With more than 10,000 visitors to the site per day in its peak season, AppetizersToGo.com has seen its business grow from one that supplemented its existing wholesale business, to a stand-alone business that is thriving on its own.
"To be able to order unique gourmet appetizers while sitting at your computer at home or in the office, gives our customers remarkable ease and affordability, along with great entertaining options," said Karen Wolf Brown, co-owner of AppetizersToGo.com. "Whether it's a planned or impromptu party, we want to help people impress their guests with exceptional caterer quality food created by famous professional chefs, while keeping our prices close to wholesale."
Working with world-renown chefs has also given AppetizersToGo.com the opportunity to offer signature appetizer products not typically available at brick and mortar stores or even with caterers. The celebrity chef created appetizers are always popular selections at www.AppetizersToGo.com. Superstar chef Michael Schulson, star of the Style Network's "Pantry Raid," former chef of Buddakan NYC, and the talent behind Izakaya-Modern Japanese Pub in Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel & Casino, recently created an appetizer line for AppetizersToGo.com that has his famous signature style of "Asian on the outside and American on the inside." Terrance Brennan, master chef, owner of Picholine and Artisanal Bistro and Wine Bar in New York City, and cheese connoisseur, has created his inimitable French cheese and puff pastry "gougeres" for AppetizersToGo.com. Daniel Mancini offers his grandmother's family recipe in the Mama Mancini Meatballs and Sunday Sauce; and Christopher Styler, chef, cookbook author, PBS culinary producer and personal chef to rock legend Bruce Springsteen, is also one of the featured celebrity chefs that has worked with AppetizersToGo.com.
Offering more than 100 different handmade appetizers, AppetizersToGo.com ships the product frozen overnight directly to the consumer, and is guaranteed to be fresh and delicious. www.AppetizersToGo.com has the answer on what to serve at any occasion - cocktail or dinner party, summer barbecues, birthdays, children's parties, anniversary, engagement and even wedding receptions, holidays, or any special event. While the holiday season is always the busiest time for entertaining, people having a growing appetite for appetizers at any time of year. The hors d'oeuvres also make unique hostess, holiday, "welcome to the neighborhood," or corporate gifts. There's something to fit everyone's tastes and budget with most appetizers priced as low as $0.65 cents per piece, compared to the average of $2.20 per item for catered appetizers.
AppetizersToGo.com is a family owned business and is run by the husband and wife team of Matt Brown and Karen Wolf Brown. The wholesale side of the business has been satisfying the discreet palate of chefs, caterers, hoteliers and country clubs more than 30 years. In 2003, Karen Wolf Brown and Matt Brown realized the appeal to consumers of being able to order their famous hors d'oeuvres via the Internet and created www.AppetizersToGocom, which is serviced out of their wholesale manufacturing and packaging facility in New Jersey. Growing up in families that were successful in the food service industry, Karen and Matt benefit from the expert managerial skills of Karen's father, Carl Wolf, who founded the popular national brand Alpine Lace Cheese, which he sold to Land O'Lakes in 1998. Matt Brown got his MBA at the University of Illinois and spent seven years working in marketing for Kraft Foods. He honed his skills in quality food preparation, presentation and customer service running his own restaurant, The Blue Moon in New Jersey, before he and Karen found their niche in the hors d'oeuvres market. Karen Wolf Brown received her MBA from Northwestern University, marketed Alpine Lace Cheese, and managed Richard Simmons and other notable celebrities' diet and food television programs for GT Entertainment. It was her experience in the entertainment and infomercial industry that inspired her to offer a line of appetizers created by celebrity chefs.
AppetizersToGo.com is the premiere online appetizer site. www.Appetizerstogo.com offers more than 100 hors d'oeuvres shipped directly to the consumer, ready for any occasion whether it is an elegant anniversary, engagement or wedding reception, or a casual backyard barbecue, sophisticated New Year's Eve extravaganza, hip Halloween Party or creative children's party. AppetizersToGo.com can be found on the web at www.Appetizerstogo.com or by calling 1-800-757-0058.
AppetizersToGo.com has been providing gourmet and artisan appetizer products to the wholesale food business for more than 30 years. Its online business, which serves a line of more than 100 appetizers directly to consumers, has been in business five years. While this time frame may seem short in the standard brick and mortar business model, it is a success story in the world of Internet retailers. With more than 10,000 visitors to the site per day in its peak season, AppetizersToGo.com has seen its business grow from one that supplemented its existing wholesale business, to a stand-alone business that is thriving on its own.
"To be able to order unique gourmet appetizers while sitting at your computer at home or in the office, gives our customers remarkable ease and affordability, along with great entertaining options," said Karen Wolf Brown, co-owner of AppetizersToGo.com. "Whether it's a planned or impromptu party, we want to help people impress their guests with exceptional caterer quality food created by famous professional chefs, while keeping our prices close to wholesale."
Working with world-renown chefs has also given AppetizersToGo.com the opportunity to offer signature appetizer products not typically available at brick and mortar stores or even with caterers. The celebrity chef created appetizers are always popular selections at www.AppetizersToGo.com. Superstar chef Michael Schulson, star of the Style Network's "Pantry Raid," former chef of Buddakan NYC, and the talent behind Izakaya-Modern Japanese Pub in Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel & Casino, recently created an appetizer line for AppetizersToGo.com that has his famous signature style of "Asian on the outside and American on the inside." Terrance Brennan, master chef, owner of Picholine and Artisanal Bistro and Wine Bar in New York City, and cheese connoisseur, has created his inimitable French cheese and puff pastry "gougeres" for AppetizersToGo.com. Daniel Mancini offers his grandmother's family recipe in the Mama Mancini Meatballs and Sunday Sauce; and Christopher Styler, chef, cookbook author, PBS culinary producer and personal chef to rock legend Bruce Springsteen, is also one of the featured celebrity chefs that has worked with AppetizersToGo.com.
Offering more than 100 different handmade appetizers, AppetizersToGo.com ships the product frozen overnight directly to the consumer, and is guaranteed to be fresh and delicious. www.AppetizersToGo.com has the answer on what to serve at any occasion - cocktail or dinner party, summer barbecues, birthdays, children's parties, anniversary, engagement and even wedding receptions, holidays, or any special event. While the holiday season is always the busiest time for entertaining, people having a growing appetite for appetizers at any time of year. The hors d'oeuvres also make unique hostess, holiday, "welcome to the neighborhood," or corporate gifts. There's something to fit everyone's tastes and budget with most appetizers priced as low as $0.65 cents per piece, compared to the average of $2.20 per item for catered appetizers.
AppetizersToGo.com is a family owned business and is run by the husband and wife team of Matt Brown and Karen Wolf Brown. The wholesale side of the business has been satisfying the discreet palate of chefs, caterers, hoteliers and country clubs more than 30 years. In 2003, Karen Wolf Brown and Matt Brown realized the appeal to consumers of being able to order their famous hors d'oeuvres via the Internet and created www.AppetizersToGocom, which is serviced out of their wholesale manufacturing and packaging facility in New Jersey. Growing up in families that were successful in the food service industry, Karen and Matt benefit from the expert managerial skills of Karen's father, Carl Wolf, who founded the popular national brand Alpine Lace Cheese, which he sold to Land O'Lakes in 1998. Matt Brown got his MBA at the University of Illinois and spent seven years working in marketing for Kraft Foods. He honed his skills in quality food preparation, presentation and customer service running his own restaurant, The Blue Moon in New Jersey, before he and Karen found their niche in the hors d'oeuvres market. Karen Wolf Brown received her MBA from Northwestern University, marketed Alpine Lace Cheese, and managed Richard Simmons and other notable celebrities' diet and food television programs for GT Entertainment. It was her experience in the entertainment and infomercial industry that inspired her to offer a line of appetizers created by celebrity chefs.
AppetizersToGo.com is the premiere online appetizer site. www.Appetizerstogo.com offers more than 100 hors d'oeuvres shipped directly to the consumer, ready for any occasion whether it is an elegant anniversary, engagement or wedding reception, or a casual backyard barbecue, sophisticated New Year's Eve extravaganza, hip Halloween Party or creative children's party. AppetizersToGo.com can be found on the web at www.Appetizerstogo.com or by calling 1-800-757-0058.
Columbus Announces HighBall Halloween
In what’s being billed as part Carnivale and part Mardi Gras, with a pinch of Halloween, Columbus’ Short North Arts District will celebrate Halloween in its characteristic wildly creative style as it debuts HighBall Halloween: Masquerade on High. On Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, the free event will kick off at 6 p.m. with live music, a dance DJ, an unforgettable fashion show, a pet costume contest and a parade of costumes from beautiful to bizarre and fancy to fantastical.
Columbus fashion designers are being called upon to bring out their top designs to be displayed on the 40-foot stage as drag queen extraordinaire Nina West introduces each design. Project Runway’s Kelli Martin and Terri Stevens will be featured as well. Four judges will crown one designer HighBall Couture Costume Designer of the Year, who will receive a $1,000 prize package.
Thousands of dollars in cash and prizes will be awarded to costume contest winners in four categories: best drag king and queen, best celebrity look-a-like, best tag team (for teams of two or more people) and most artistically creative. Contestants can register the night of the event at the HighBall check-in station.
Pet owners are encouraged to dress their pets up in creative outfits enter them to win prizes for most whimsical, most colorful, most outrageous, best couple (owner and pet) and most fabulous costume. Details and registration information are available online at www.highballhalloween.com.
Columbus is a city unlike any other. Vibrant and alive, Ohio’s capital city is known for its unique style: an uncommon blend of neighborhoods, events, attractions and accommodations. Free visitors guides, maps and complete information about visiting Columbus are available from Experience Columbus, the region’s convention and visitors bureau, by calling 1-866-EXP-COLS or visiting www.ExperienceColumbus.com .The web site offers on-line booking at more than 125 hotels and the ability to build a personal itinerary though its “My Planner” feature.
Columbus fashion designers are being called upon to bring out their top designs to be displayed on the 40-foot stage as drag queen extraordinaire Nina West introduces each design. Project Runway’s Kelli Martin and Terri Stevens will be featured as well. Four judges will crown one designer HighBall Couture Costume Designer of the Year, who will receive a $1,000 prize package.
Thousands of dollars in cash and prizes will be awarded to costume contest winners in four categories: best drag king and queen, best celebrity look-a-like, best tag team (for teams of two or more people) and most artistically creative. Contestants can register the night of the event at the HighBall check-in station.
Pet owners are encouraged to dress their pets up in creative outfits enter them to win prizes for most whimsical, most colorful, most outrageous, best couple (owner and pet) and most fabulous costume. Details and registration information are available online at www.highballhalloween.com.
Columbus is a city unlike any other. Vibrant and alive, Ohio’s capital city is known for its unique style: an uncommon blend of neighborhoods, events, attractions and accommodations. Free visitors guides, maps and complete information about visiting Columbus are available from Experience Columbus, the region’s convention and visitors bureau, by calling 1-866-EXP-COLS or visiting www.ExperienceColumbus.com .The web site offers on-line booking at more than 125 hotels and the ability to build a personal itinerary though its “My Planner” feature.
Ancient Foods 'Back to the Future '
World trade in the 21st century has made it easy for foodies to enjoy nutritious ingredients that are icons in ancient cultures around the world, but that are still ‘new’ and unusual here in North America. Health-minded chefs at the cutting edge of the hot ‘ancient superfood’ trend and are creating delicious recipes to help people experience the flavor and energy of these culinary curiosities. Based in Los Angeles, Ani Phyo (www.aniphyo.com) is one of the innovative chefs leading the way with fresh modern recipes that celebrate these revered foods. This eco-lifestyle chef shares three of her ancient superfood recipes below, including Goldenberry & Mulberry Chutney.
Some of the hottest foods in North America right now were virtually unheard of a decade ago. “Acai berries from Brazil, sprouted chia seeds from Chile, goji berries from China, and raw cacao from Peru are the most popular superfood items in the marketplace right now,” says Ani Phyo, author of the internationally acclaimed best-selling book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable, Living Food Recipes. To advance her culinary creativity with superfoods, Phyo has partnered with Navitas Naturals (www.navitasnaturals.com) - one of the leading companies in this emerging category.
In addition to the acai, chia, goji and cacao noted by Phyo above, Navitas Natural’s unusual international offerings include yacon (Peru), camu-camu (Brazil), lucuma (Peru), goldenberries (Columbia), mesquite (Peru), mulberries (Turkey), maca (Peru), sprouted flax seed (Canada) and hemp (Canada). Navitas Naturals supplies ancient superfoods to many chefs at popular gourmet restaurants and bakeries.
Perhaps best known as the host of the award-winning, most popular ‘un-cooking’ show on YouTube, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen Show, Ani Phyo has been creating delicious recipes featuring ancient superfoods for several years. Ani inspires global audiences with her delicious, healthy, fast and easy recipes, as well as her eco-green lifestyle which is a good fit with Navitas Naturals. Two key goals of Navitas Naturals are to help spread sustainable organic agriculture, and to enhance economic opportunities for indigenous people in developing countries. “Our power foods come from the wisdom of ancient cultures that traditionally use plants for both culinary and medicinal purposes,” says Zach Adelman, company founder and President. “We source our ingredients directly from farmers that cultivate their crops sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices.”
Modern consumers’ appetite for international food, combined with the growing trend for healthier organic options, is fueling the popularity of organic ‘power foods’ from around the world. “It’s more fun and healthier to obtain vital nutrients by eating delicious whole foods rather than via isolates in supplement pills,” says Phyo. By reintroducing ancient natural foods to Western society, Navitas Naturals is expanding the functional food category and providing options with more bio-available essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals than most supplements and chemical extracts. “In most cultures around the world, food is medicine, and we want to plant that seed with people here in North America that lead a modern lifestyle,” says Adelman. For recipes and more information about Navitas Naturals, please visit www.navitasnaturals.com.
Ani Phyo is busy in the kitchen creating recipes for her new Huffington Post column and upcoming shows, and her next cookbook will be published in 2009. The new book will include some of the ancient superfood recipes she is developing with Navitas Naturals, and they are also collaborating on a recipe pamphlet that will be free to their customers. To see Ani creating culinary magic with superfoods, please visit this link http://www.aniphyo.com/category/videos, and others provided on her website and on YouTube.
Original Superfood Recipes by Ani Phyo
Goldenberry & Mulberry Chutney
Makes about 2 cups
1 Cup Navitas Naturals Mulberries
1 Cup Navitas Naturals Goldenberries
1 Tsp. Ginger, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced (approx. 1 Tsp.)
¼ Cup Cilantro, chopped
¼ Cup Red onion, chopped
½ to 1 Tsp. Jalapeno, chopped
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/8 Tsp. Cumin Seeds (optional)
Begin by soaking Mulberries and Goldenberries in 1 cup of water for 3 hours or more to hydrate. Place ginger, garlic and soaked berries in food processor and pulse into small pieces. Add other ingredients and pulse to mix.
Wild Berry Rice with Cashews
Makes 4 servings, about 3 cups
2 Cups Wild rice
½ Cup Navitas Naturals Raw Antioxidant Trail Mix
¼ Cup Navitas Naturals Cashews
1 Tbsp & 1 Tsp. Coconut Oil, liquid
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt
To soak wild rice, place 2 cups rice in 2 cups filtered water for 1 to 2 days, until desired softness is reached. Rinse and change water once or twice daily. Wash, rinse well and drain, before making recipe. Or, follow directions on package to cook your wild rice. In a mixing bowl, place your soaked or cooked rice with the rest of your ingredients. Mix well, serve, and enjoy!
Antioxidant Superfood Smoothie
Makes 1 to 2 servings
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds, soak overnight in 1/2 cup filtered water, to make chia gel
1 teaspoon Maca powder
2 Tablespoons Tropical Blend from Navitas Naturals (blueberry, acai, mangosteen)
2 Tablespoons sprouted flax powder, from Navitas Naturals
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 Cup frozen strawberries
1 Cup filtered water
Place all ingredients into your blender, and blend until smooth.
Some of the hottest foods in North America right now were virtually unheard of a decade ago. “Acai berries from Brazil, sprouted chia seeds from Chile, goji berries from China, and raw cacao from Peru are the most popular superfood items in the marketplace right now,” says Ani Phyo, author of the internationally acclaimed best-selling book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable, Living Food Recipes. To advance her culinary creativity with superfoods, Phyo has partnered with Navitas Naturals (www.navitasnaturals.com) - one of the leading companies in this emerging category.
In addition to the acai, chia, goji and cacao noted by Phyo above, Navitas Natural’s unusual international offerings include yacon (Peru), camu-camu (Brazil), lucuma (Peru), goldenberries (Columbia), mesquite (Peru), mulberries (Turkey), maca (Peru), sprouted flax seed (Canada) and hemp (Canada). Navitas Naturals supplies ancient superfoods to many chefs at popular gourmet restaurants and bakeries.
Perhaps best known as the host of the award-winning, most popular ‘un-cooking’ show on YouTube, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen Show, Ani Phyo has been creating delicious recipes featuring ancient superfoods for several years. Ani inspires global audiences with her delicious, healthy, fast and easy recipes, as well as her eco-green lifestyle which is a good fit with Navitas Naturals. Two key goals of Navitas Naturals are to help spread sustainable organic agriculture, and to enhance economic opportunities for indigenous people in developing countries. “Our power foods come from the wisdom of ancient cultures that traditionally use plants for both culinary and medicinal purposes,” says Zach Adelman, company founder and President. “We source our ingredients directly from farmers that cultivate their crops sustainably and in accordance with fair trade practices.”
Modern consumers’ appetite for international food, combined with the growing trend for healthier organic options, is fueling the popularity of organic ‘power foods’ from around the world. “It’s more fun and healthier to obtain vital nutrients by eating delicious whole foods rather than via isolates in supplement pills,” says Phyo. By reintroducing ancient natural foods to Western society, Navitas Naturals is expanding the functional food category and providing options with more bio-available essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals than most supplements and chemical extracts. “In most cultures around the world, food is medicine, and we want to plant that seed with people here in North America that lead a modern lifestyle,” says Adelman. For recipes and more information about Navitas Naturals, please visit www.navitasnaturals.com.
Ani Phyo is busy in the kitchen creating recipes for her new Huffington Post column and upcoming shows, and her next cookbook will be published in 2009. The new book will include some of the ancient superfood recipes she is developing with Navitas Naturals, and they are also collaborating on a recipe pamphlet that will be free to their customers. To see Ani creating culinary magic with superfoods, please visit this link http://www.aniphyo.com/category/videos, and others provided on her website and on YouTube.
Original Superfood Recipes by Ani Phyo
Goldenberry & Mulberry Chutney
Makes about 2 cups
1 Cup Navitas Naturals Mulberries
1 Cup Navitas Naturals Goldenberries
1 Tsp. Ginger, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced (approx. 1 Tsp.)
¼ Cup Cilantro, chopped
¼ Cup Red onion, chopped
½ to 1 Tsp. Jalapeno, chopped
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/8 Tsp. Cumin Seeds (optional)
Begin by soaking Mulberries and Goldenberries in 1 cup of water for 3 hours or more to hydrate. Place ginger, garlic and soaked berries in food processor and pulse into small pieces. Add other ingredients and pulse to mix.
Wild Berry Rice with Cashews
Makes 4 servings, about 3 cups
2 Cups Wild rice
½ Cup Navitas Naturals Raw Antioxidant Trail Mix
¼ Cup Navitas Naturals Cashews
1 Tbsp & 1 Tsp. Coconut Oil, liquid
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt
To soak wild rice, place 2 cups rice in 2 cups filtered water for 1 to 2 days, until desired softness is reached. Rinse and change water once or twice daily. Wash, rinse well and drain, before making recipe. Or, follow directions on package to cook your wild rice. In a mixing bowl, place your soaked or cooked rice with the rest of your ingredients. Mix well, serve, and enjoy!
Antioxidant Superfood Smoothie
Makes 1 to 2 servings
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds, soak overnight in 1/2 cup filtered water, to make chia gel
1 teaspoon Maca powder
2 Tablespoons Tropical Blend from Navitas Naturals (blueberry, acai, mangosteen)
2 Tablespoons sprouted flax powder, from Navitas Naturals
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 Cup frozen strawberries
1 Cup filtered water
Place all ingredients into your blender, and blend until smooth.
101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com
In January of 2008, David Grotto, RD published his groundbreaking encyclopedia of powerhouse foods, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life (Bantam; 2008). In its 8th printing in the U.S., available in the U.K. with foreign language rights sold in nine languages to date, 101 Foods has become the must have food guide for consumers and professionals everywhere. Utilizing innovative state-of-the-art technology, Dave takes 101 Foods to the Internet with the launch of his groundbreaking video-centric website 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com
101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com brings the foods featured in Dave’s book “to life” in beautifully produced, high definition videos with exciting new information, research, food-lore, history, health and the healing benefits of the 101 Foods, plus absolutely delicious recipes in addition to the ones featured in his book. You’ll find accompanying Bonus Material to augment each video, Dave’s Raves, a continuously updated list of recommended products and services, Dave’s Blog, and links to sponsors’ websites for even more great information and recipes. You can also join the 101 Foods community where you can send your comments, exchange information, recipes, or simply make friends.
101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com is dedicated to providing evidence-based nutrition information along with the latest emerging science to improve health in an engaging and state-of-the-art website, one delicious bite at a time.
Major sponsors of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com include:
Ponte Fresco Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois and San Juan, Puerto Rico - http://pontefrescousa.com
Select Milk Producers in Clovis, New Mexico and Eagle, Idaho - http://www.goodcow.com
Fair Oaks Farms Dairy of Fair Oaks, Indiana - http://fofarms.com
Berry Chill Yogurt Couture of Chicago, Illinois - http://berrychill.com
Participating Sponsors of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com include:
Washington Red Raspberry Commission - http://raspberryinfo.com
California Dried Plum Board - http://www.californiadriedplums.org
PepsiCo/Quaker Oatmeal - http://quakeroatmeal.com
About David Grotto, RD, LDN
David Grotto, RD, LDN comes from the natural foods industry where he owned and operated his own natural food store for over 25 years. His work led him to become a registered dietitian and after several years of working as a clinical dietitian, Dave started Nutrition Housecall, LLC, a nutrition consulting firm that provides nutrition communications, lecturing and consulting services, and also offers personalized at-home dietary services. In 2008, he published his first groundbreaking encyclopedia of powerhouse foods, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life (Bantam; 2008).
Dave hosted his own live radio show for over 10 years called Let’s Talk Health, CHICAGO! and went on to serve as a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for over six years. He has been featured in numerous radio and television programs such as You the Owners Manual radio program with Dr. Roizen and the Montel Williams Show and iVillage Live. He also co-hosted the national television program, Health & Lifestyles, Weekly and is now the Host and Executive Producer of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com
Dave also is a nutrition advisor to Fitness magazine and writes the featured column, “Ask the Guy-a-titian” in Chicago Wellness Magazine. He has appeared in numerous national magazines including Quick & Simple, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Self, Woman’s Health, Woman’s Day, Body & Soul, Ladies Home Journal, Weight Watchers, More, and Prevention. He is a professional spokesperson and is involved in public relations and advertising campaigns for select commodity boards and healthy products.
One of Dave’s passions is improving the health of children through good nutrition. He is the advisory board chair for Produce for Kids® and PBS Kids™ health initiative. Dave also lectures extensively on the benefits of humor and laughter therapy and is a Certified Laughter Leader, receiving further training in improvisation from The Second City in Chicago. He lives in the Chicagoland area with his wife, three daughters and two-female dogs making him an expert on the subject of “unopposed” estrogen.
101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com brings the foods featured in Dave’s book “to life” in beautifully produced, high definition videos with exciting new information, research, food-lore, history, health and the healing benefits of the 101 Foods, plus absolutely delicious recipes in addition to the ones featured in his book. You’ll find accompanying Bonus Material to augment each video, Dave’s Raves, a continuously updated list of recommended products and services, Dave’s Blog, and links to sponsors’ websites for even more great information and recipes. You can also join the 101 Foods community where you can send your comments, exchange information, recipes, or simply make friends.
101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com is dedicated to providing evidence-based nutrition information along with the latest emerging science to improve health in an engaging and state-of-the-art website, one delicious bite at a time.
Major sponsors of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com include:
Ponte Fresco Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois and San Juan, Puerto Rico - http://pontefrescousa.com
Select Milk Producers in Clovis, New Mexico and Eagle, Idaho - http://www.goodcow.com
Fair Oaks Farms Dairy of Fair Oaks, Indiana - http://fofarms.com
Berry Chill Yogurt Couture of Chicago, Illinois - http://berrychill.com
Participating Sponsors of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com include:
Washington Red Raspberry Commission - http://raspberryinfo.com
California Dried Plum Board - http://www.californiadriedplums.org
PepsiCo/Quaker Oatmeal - http://quakeroatmeal.com
About David Grotto, RD, LDN
David Grotto, RD, LDN comes from the natural foods industry where he owned and operated his own natural food store for over 25 years. His work led him to become a registered dietitian and after several years of working as a clinical dietitian, Dave started Nutrition Housecall, LLC, a nutrition consulting firm that provides nutrition communications, lecturing and consulting services, and also offers personalized at-home dietary services. In 2008, he published his first groundbreaking encyclopedia of powerhouse foods, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life (Bantam; 2008).
Dave hosted his own live radio show for over 10 years called Let’s Talk Health, CHICAGO! and went on to serve as a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for over six years. He has been featured in numerous radio and television programs such as You the Owners Manual radio program with Dr. Roizen and the Montel Williams Show and iVillage Live. He also co-hosted the national television program, Health & Lifestyles, Weekly and is now the Host and Executive Producer of 101FoodsThatCouldSaveYourLife.com
Dave also is a nutrition advisor to Fitness magazine and writes the featured column, “Ask the Guy-a-titian” in Chicago Wellness Magazine. He has appeared in numerous national magazines including Quick & Simple, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Self, Woman’s Health, Woman’s Day, Body & Soul, Ladies Home Journal, Weight Watchers, More, and Prevention. He is a professional spokesperson and is involved in public relations and advertising campaigns for select commodity boards and healthy products.
One of Dave’s passions is improving the health of children through good nutrition. He is the advisory board chair for Produce for Kids® and PBS Kids™ health initiative. Dave also lectures extensively on the benefits of humor and laughter therapy and is a Certified Laughter Leader, receiving further training in improvisation from The Second City in Chicago. He lives in the Chicagoland area with his wife, three daughters and two-female dogs making him an expert on the subject of “unopposed” estrogen.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
New Fall/Winter Lunch Menu at mesh
Chefs Paul and Pam Sturkey announce the roll out their new Fall/Winter Menus which we be available beginning October 6, 2008. The fall menu ‘line up’ includes some of the mesh mainstays (and guest favorites) like the smoked chicken and andouille flatbread, the pepper crusted ahi tuna, and the great variety of delicious angus pride steaks; some of our exciting new items are listed below (a complete set of menus is attached). And, in response to the overwhelming requests by guests, Chef Pam Sturkey has brought back her scrumptious crème brûlée, which she has affectionately titled [on the menu], “alright already! ... crème brûlée”.
LUNCH:
SANDWICHES:
three cheese panini
fresh mozzarella + cheddar + parmesan
roasted tomatoes + caramelized onions
the mesh burger
smokehouse bacon + maytag bleu cheese
sun-dried tomatoes + truffle aïoli
SALADS:
organic baby spinach salad
smoked bacon + egg + sturkey’s spiced™
fried onions + maple vinaigrette
with chicken or sea scallops
ENTRÉES
shrimp penne pasta
andouille sausage + fresh peas + red pepper
corn + tasso cream
amish chicken ‘saltimbocca’
crisp prosciutto + potato gnocchi
asparagus + parmesan sage cream
DESSERTS:
bananas foster bread pudding
cinnamon anglaise + bourbon ice cream
chef pam’s twist on a linzer torte
hazelnut cake + raspberry compote and ice cream
Located at 6200 Muhlhauser Road, near the corner of Union Centre Blvd., mesh features
a large sleek dining room with a temperature controlled “wall of wine” showcasing nearly 2,000 bottles of some of the finest wine selections in the region. The chic mesh lounge offers happy hour prices, shaken and stirred martinis, small plates for late dining, and live music Wednesday through Saturday.
mesh is open for LUNCH Monday through Friday and DINNER Monday through Saturday. Valet Parking is available or arrive in style in the mesh limousine. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations are recommended. 513.777.7177. Please visit us at www.meshrestaurant.com for current menus, entertainment schedule and other restaurant information.
6200 Muhlhauser Rd.
West Chester, Ohio 45069
513.777.7177
www.meshrestaurant.com
Hours:
Lunch Mon-Fri. 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner Mon-Thurs 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri-Sat. 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Small Plates Mon-Fri. 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Mon-Thurs 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat. 10:00 pm – 11:30 pm
LUNCH:
SANDWICHES:
three cheese panini
fresh mozzarella + cheddar + parmesan
roasted tomatoes + caramelized onions
the mesh burger
smokehouse bacon + maytag bleu cheese
sun-dried tomatoes + truffle aïoli
SALADS:
organic baby spinach salad
smoked bacon + egg + sturkey’s spiced™
fried onions + maple vinaigrette
with chicken or sea scallops
ENTRÉES
shrimp penne pasta
andouille sausage + fresh peas + red pepper
corn + tasso cream
amish chicken ‘saltimbocca’
crisp prosciutto + potato gnocchi
asparagus + parmesan sage cream
DESSERTS:
bananas foster bread pudding
cinnamon anglaise + bourbon ice cream
chef pam’s twist on a linzer torte
hazelnut cake + raspberry compote and ice cream
Located at 6200 Muhlhauser Road, near the corner of Union Centre Blvd., mesh features
a large sleek dining room with a temperature controlled “wall of wine” showcasing nearly 2,000 bottles of some of the finest wine selections in the region. The chic mesh lounge offers happy hour prices, shaken and stirred martinis, small plates for late dining, and live music Wednesday through Saturday.
mesh is open for LUNCH Monday through Friday and DINNER Monday through Saturday. Valet Parking is available or arrive in style in the mesh limousine. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations are recommended. 513.777.7177. Please visit us at www.meshrestaurant.com for current menus, entertainment schedule and other restaurant information.
6200 Muhlhauser Rd.
West Chester, Ohio 45069
513.777.7177
www.meshrestaurant.com
Hours:
Lunch Mon-Fri. 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner Mon-Thurs 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri-Sat. 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Small Plates Mon-Fri. 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Mon-Thurs 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat. 10:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Fight For Clean Water Gets Serious
An ever-shrinking supply of clean drinking water in the United States may be a back burner issue during this presidential campaign, but it could easily become the number one issue facing the next generation of Americans.
Finding clean drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult and communities are already engaged in nasty legal battles over water rights. California has estimated it may run out of clean drinking water for its citizens within 20 years. Plus, a new awareness of the bacteria and parasites that currently contaminate our drinking water and the environmental cost of bottled water are also fueling intense debate.
Up until the 1960's, unfiltered tap water was considered to be the standard and safe source for drinking water. In the following years, however, environmentalists and the media drew attention to the dangers of water contamination and overnight water filtration and bottled water companies were born. These alternatives have fallen short of solving the clean water crisis.
Water filtration systems in the home simply cannot remove 100 percent of the lead, chlorine, pesticides, organic chemicals, and various microorganisms from ground water that has traveled through municipal pipes. Bottled water companies are under attack on three fronts: the water quality is sometimes not any better than unfiltered tap water; most of the plastic bottle containers cannot be recycled; and there is an enormous cost to the environment to truck this water around the country.
Citizens and companies who are reluctant to rely on government for the most basic human need have started to take matters into their own hands with new ideas and technologies. A California company has created a way for people to make their own ultra-clean drinking water from the air in their home, even if they live in a desert suburb.
Through an innovative technology, an appliance about the size of a small office water cooler condenses the moisture in the air, filters the collected water through a five-stage filtration system, and stores the water for consumer use in hot and cold dispensers. The only thing that is required for consumers to “make their own water" is a standard electrical outlet. And the cost is less than 50 cents per gallon.
With this new technology there is no need to use water that has been through municipal pipes, no need for plastic water bottles or the cost of trucking it around the country, no damage to the environment, and virtually no “carbon footprint” on the planet.
“We make it rain,” said Stephen Krauss, Ph.D., the executive vice president of Atmospheric Water Systems Inc., the company that makes a product called the DewPointe Atmospheric Water Generator (www.aws-h20.com). “We harness what Mother Nature provides to us.”
Since the water is created in the home, no bottled water or tap water can come close to its purity. DewPointe water is 99.99% free of all chemicals, solids and contaminants.
And most important for those who want to help the planet – not to mention those who hate depending on the government - they no longer have to rely on municipalities to give them the most important ingredient to life.
There is no way around it – in the future, there will be a lot more people and a lot less clean drinking water to share. Other innovative technologies are sure to emerge because even in our lifetime, water may replace oil as the commodity that is most prized.
About Stephen Krauss, Ph.D.
Stephen R. Krauss has over 30 years of executive management experience in sales, manufacturing, marketing, advertising and promotion, wholesale distribution, all on a national and international scale. He has an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts with minor concentrations in biology/life sciences, math computer science, a graduate degree in education (lifetime Secondary Teaching Certificate), a Masters in Business Administration and a PhD in International Business.
He has been a CEO and executive board member on numerous private and public corporations including pioneering marketing companies in the field of oxygen supplements where he was responsible for product development, marketing, sales and shareholder relations.
He is a nationally recognized corporate consultant in the fields of oxygen nutrition, effective team management and marketing. www.aws-h20.com
Finding clean drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult and communities are already engaged in nasty legal battles over water rights. California has estimated it may run out of clean drinking water for its citizens within 20 years. Plus, a new awareness of the bacteria and parasites that currently contaminate our drinking water and the environmental cost of bottled water are also fueling intense debate.
Up until the 1960's, unfiltered tap water was considered to be the standard and safe source for drinking water. In the following years, however, environmentalists and the media drew attention to the dangers of water contamination and overnight water filtration and bottled water companies were born. These alternatives have fallen short of solving the clean water crisis.
Water filtration systems in the home simply cannot remove 100 percent of the lead, chlorine, pesticides, organic chemicals, and various microorganisms from ground water that has traveled through municipal pipes. Bottled water companies are under attack on three fronts: the water quality is sometimes not any better than unfiltered tap water; most of the plastic bottle containers cannot be recycled; and there is an enormous cost to the environment to truck this water around the country.
Citizens and companies who are reluctant to rely on government for the most basic human need have started to take matters into their own hands with new ideas and technologies. A California company has created a way for people to make their own ultra-clean drinking water from the air in their home, even if they live in a desert suburb.
Through an innovative technology, an appliance about the size of a small office water cooler condenses the moisture in the air, filters the collected water through a five-stage filtration system, and stores the water for consumer use in hot and cold dispensers. The only thing that is required for consumers to “make their own water" is a standard electrical outlet. And the cost is less than 50 cents per gallon.
With this new technology there is no need to use water that has been through municipal pipes, no need for plastic water bottles or the cost of trucking it around the country, no damage to the environment, and virtually no “carbon footprint” on the planet.
“We make it rain,” said Stephen Krauss, Ph.D., the executive vice president of Atmospheric Water Systems Inc., the company that makes a product called the DewPointe Atmospheric Water Generator (www.aws-h20.com). “We harness what Mother Nature provides to us.”
Since the water is created in the home, no bottled water or tap water can come close to its purity. DewPointe water is 99.99% free of all chemicals, solids and contaminants.
And most important for those who want to help the planet – not to mention those who hate depending on the government - they no longer have to rely on municipalities to give them the most important ingredient to life.
There is no way around it – in the future, there will be a lot more people and a lot less clean drinking water to share. Other innovative technologies are sure to emerge because even in our lifetime, water may replace oil as the commodity that is most prized.
About Stephen Krauss, Ph.D.
Stephen R. Krauss has over 30 years of executive management experience in sales, manufacturing, marketing, advertising and promotion, wholesale distribution, all on a national and international scale. He has an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts with minor concentrations in biology/life sciences, math computer science, a graduate degree in education (lifetime Secondary Teaching Certificate), a Masters in Business Administration and a PhD in International Business.
He has been a CEO and executive board member on numerous private and public corporations including pioneering marketing companies in the field of oxygen supplements where he was responsible for product development, marketing, sales and shareholder relations.
He is a nationally recognized corporate consultant in the fields of oxygen nutrition, effective team management and marketing. www.aws-h20.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Old Farmer's Almanac Cookbook
From a trusted source, trusted recipes—just in time for holiday cooking!
The holidays are upon us again. It’s a time when “new” traditions are introduced and “old” traditions are embraced and shared—especially when it comes to cooking, food, and hospitality. At this time of year, we cook with love, crave dishes that we remember from childhood and still make our mouths water, and indulge in meals that make the season special. From the publishers of America’s most trusted reference, THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK (Yankee Publishing, Hardcover trade original /$24.95; August 2008) is a perfect resource for today’s kitchen, with tried-and-true recipes from the American holiday table and adventurous modern recipes to impress both family and friends.
THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is a veritable cook’s bible of home-style fare, conveniently updated for today’s healthful tastes and busy times. Packed with 400 delicious dishes, this book is designed to satisfy hearty appetites year-round with wholesome, good-eating snacks, casual meals, and special occasion dinners.
These dishes represent the crème de la crème of the Almanac’s vast archives, including prizewinners from Almanac reader recipe contests and dishes that have delighted families and friends for generations, such as:
· How to Cook a Lobster, Perfect Macaroni and Cheese, and Grape-Nuts Pudding
· Recipes your parents and grandparents served—only better–such as Corned Beef and Cabbage, Country Ham, and Rhubarb Chutney, and
· Yummy creations that are simply “Too Good to Leave Out,” like Real Hot Chocolate and Triple-Lemon Layer Cake
With more than 180 tried-and-true tips, shortcuts, and “Quick Fixes,” this is a book readers will want in close proximity in the kitchen to guarantee great-tasting results every time and a winning holiday season! THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is available where books are sold (in major bookstore chains and some supermarkets) as well as on Store.Almanac.com. It can also be ordered by phone, at 1-800-ALMANAC.
Since 1792, readers have looked to The Old Farmer’s Almanac for advice, and even in this modern age it remains a trusted resource. THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is made with the same passion for excellence, a delicious resource that cooks will come back to time and again.
About The Old Farmer’s Almanac
For almost 217 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has published useful information for people in all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise tables and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for everyone who likes to eat; and forecasts for those who don’t want the question of weather left up in the air. The Almanac, North America’s oldest continuously published periodical, comes out every year in September and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. The words of the Almanac’s founder, Robert B. Thomas, guide it still: “Our main endeavor is to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor.”
The holidays are upon us again. It’s a time when “new” traditions are introduced and “old” traditions are embraced and shared—especially when it comes to cooking, food, and hospitality. At this time of year, we cook with love, crave dishes that we remember from childhood and still make our mouths water, and indulge in meals that make the season special. From the publishers of America’s most trusted reference, THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK (Yankee Publishing, Hardcover trade original /$24.95; August 2008) is a perfect resource for today’s kitchen, with tried-and-true recipes from the American holiday table and adventurous modern recipes to impress both family and friends.
THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is a veritable cook’s bible of home-style fare, conveniently updated for today’s healthful tastes and busy times. Packed with 400 delicious dishes, this book is designed to satisfy hearty appetites year-round with wholesome, good-eating snacks, casual meals, and special occasion dinners.
These dishes represent the crème de la crème of the Almanac’s vast archives, including prizewinners from Almanac reader recipe contests and dishes that have delighted families and friends for generations, such as:
· How to Cook a Lobster, Perfect Macaroni and Cheese, and Grape-Nuts Pudding
· Recipes your parents and grandparents served—only better–such as Corned Beef and Cabbage, Country Ham, and Rhubarb Chutney, and
· Yummy creations that are simply “Too Good to Leave Out,” like Real Hot Chocolate and Triple-Lemon Layer Cake
With more than 180 tried-and-true tips, shortcuts, and “Quick Fixes,” this is a book readers will want in close proximity in the kitchen to guarantee great-tasting results every time and a winning holiday season! THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is available where books are sold (in major bookstore chains and some supermarkets) as well as on Store.Almanac.com. It can also be ordered by phone, at 1-800-ALMANAC.
Since 1792, readers have looked to The Old Farmer’s Almanac for advice, and even in this modern age it remains a trusted resource. THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC EVERYDAY COOKBOOK is made with the same passion for excellence, a delicious resource that cooks will come back to time and again.
About The Old Farmer’s Almanac
For almost 217 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has published useful information for people in all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise tables and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for everyone who likes to eat; and forecasts for those who don’t want the question of weather left up in the air. The Almanac, North America’s oldest continuously published periodical, comes out every year in September and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. The words of the Almanac’s founder, Robert B. Thomas, guide it still: “Our main endeavor is to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor.”
Lemon Bars-The New Dessert from Dessert Alert
Does your sweet tooth have a wild side? If so, this new year bring out that adventurous and daring side by adding some excitement to your desserts. Dessert Alert, the web-based gourmet line of sophisticated desserts has created the most luxurious lemon bars available today. These refreshing dessert bars are made with Dessert Alert’s now famous lemon mixture and baked over a buttery crust, then dusted with confectioner's sugar.
Available online at www.dessertalert.com, the lemon bars are great for any occasion. They add that special excitement amidst all the cupcakes and brownies. Perfectly moist and fresh, the lemon bars also make a great gift for those who love a little tart in their sweets.
1 dozen sells for $34 and 2 dozen sells for $62. They come in a beautiful gift box that’s ready to be opened and enjoyed.
For more information on Dessert Alert’s Lemon Bars please contact me and I would be happy to assist you in any way.
Available online at www.dessertalert.com, the lemon bars are great for any occasion. They add that special excitement amidst all the cupcakes and brownies. Perfectly moist and fresh, the lemon bars also make a great gift for those who love a little tart in their sweets.
1 dozen sells for $34 and 2 dozen sells for $62. They come in a beautiful gift box that’s ready to be opened and enjoyed.
For more information on Dessert Alert’s Lemon Bars please contact me and I would be happy to assist you in any way.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Organic Farm Prevails against Pesticide Spraying Company
A Santa Cruz County jury has found that the unintended contamination of organic crops caused by pesticides evaporating after application violated the rights of the organic crop grower. The ruling is the result of a case filed in May 2007 by Jacobs Farm / Del Cabo (Jacobs Farm) against pesticide application company Western Farm Service, Inc. The lawsuit claimed that Western Farm Service sprayed the toxic pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon and dimethoate on crops near Jacobs (organic) Farm, and that those chemicals contaminated their dill, sage, and rosemary.
Jacobs Farm follows strict guidelines outlined for farms that carry the organic label, which means it never uses toxic pesticides like organophosphates. Although the chemicals in question are legally used and closely regulated on some crops intended for human consumption, they are not permitted on culinary herbs or any organic crops. Even the trace presence of the pesticides made it impossible for Jacobs Farm to sell significant portions of its 2006 and 2007 harvests from its farm at Wilder Ranch State Park.
Jacobs Farm sought injunctive relief to stop Western Farm Service from spraying pesticide chemicals that volatilize and contaminate crops at Wilder Ranch State Park, where Jacobs Farm leases 120 acres. Jacobs Farm also sought compensation for losses that resulted from pesticide contamination. The jury's finding for the plaintiff will help protect Jacobs Farm from future contamination from organophosphate pesticides. The jury found that Jacobs Farm was damaged in the sum of $1 million, and Judge Robert Atack ordered judgment in that amount against Western Farm Service.
The court ruled that pesticide applications by Western Farm Service resulted in trespass of the pesticides onto Jacobs Farm and were legally determined to be a nuisance depriving Jacobs Farm of the right to use and enjoy the land,caused by negligence on the part of Western Farm Services. The landmark ruling sends a clear message to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) that pesticides that evaporate and move to non-target property with wind or fog need to be strictly regulated to prevent future property damage. Neither DPR nor US EPA specifically regulate this type of pesticide drift, although California regulations clearly prohibit off-site airborne pesticide movement that causes crop damage.
"With growing public concern about food safety and the use of pesticides on food, the world has changed for conventional and organic farmers," said Larry Jacobs, president of Jacobs Farm / Del Cabo. "Growing practices that do not rely on toxic chemicals already exist. We need to implement these approaches and work on expanding the toolbox so that farmers have more non-toxic options for crop production."
Jacobs Farm follows strict guidelines outlined for farms that carry the organic label, which means it never uses toxic pesticides like organophosphates. Although the chemicals in question are legally used and closely regulated on some crops intended for human consumption, they are not permitted on culinary herbs or any organic crops. Even the trace presence of the pesticides made it impossible for Jacobs Farm to sell significant portions of its 2006 and 2007 harvests from its farm at Wilder Ranch State Park.
The farm first discovered trace residues of chlorpyrifos and diazinon in October 2006. Staff and management responded quickly by stopping harvest of affected crops. Jacobs Farm management also contacted the County Agriculture Commissioner and DPR, requesting that they intervene to prevent continued drift of these pesticides. Jacobs Farm also notified Western Farm Service of the problem. When initial outreach to regulators and the pesticide applicator proved fruitless, Jacobs Farm brought suit against Western Farm Service.
"The scientific community's growing knowledge of how these chemicals move in the environment after application was not considered by pesticide applicators or government regulators," continued Jacobs "Regulations prohibiting the continued application of pesticides that damage crops on other farms are in place. But until now, these prohibitions did not apply to damage from pesticides when they evaporate after they are applied."
With this ruling, Jacobs Farm will be able to continue farming at Wilder Ranch State Park and plans to invest time and resources into developing methods for producing organic Brussels sprouts on a commercial scale, which would help neighboring farms to continue to produce their crop without the health or liability risks associated with the use of organophosphates.
"Like all organic farmers, Jacobs Farm deserves the right to do its work free from pesticide contamination," said plaintiff's attorney Austin Comstock. "We believe this attentive jury sent the right message to the regulatory agencies and the chemical industry to re-examine the use of these post-World War II pesticides."
Since October 2006, Jacobs Farm has tested each block of crops on Wilder Ranch before harvesting, and it has not sold any crops that tested positive for organophosphates insecticides.
For more information about organic farming in California and how this case affects farming practices in general, contact Chuck Benbrook (541) 828-7918 at the Organic Center or Bob Scowcroft (831) 426-6606 at the Organic Farming Research Foundation. To read a letter sent from EPA scientists to 2006 EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson regarding the dangers of organophosphates, see http://www.peer.org/docs/epa/06_25_5_union_ltr.pdf .
Jacobs Farm follows strict guidelines outlined for farms that carry the organic label, which means it never uses toxic pesticides like organophosphates. Although the chemicals in question are legally used and closely regulated on some crops intended for human consumption, they are not permitted on culinary herbs or any organic crops. Even the trace presence of the pesticides made it impossible for Jacobs Farm to sell significant portions of its 2006 and 2007 harvests from its farm at Wilder Ranch State Park.
Jacobs Farm sought injunctive relief to stop Western Farm Service from spraying pesticide chemicals that volatilize and contaminate crops at Wilder Ranch State Park, where Jacobs Farm leases 120 acres. Jacobs Farm also sought compensation for losses that resulted from pesticide contamination. The jury's finding for the plaintiff will help protect Jacobs Farm from future contamination from organophosphate pesticides. The jury found that Jacobs Farm was damaged in the sum of $1 million, and Judge Robert Atack ordered judgment in that amount against Western Farm Service.
The court ruled that pesticide applications by Western Farm Service resulted in trespass of the pesticides onto Jacobs Farm and were legally determined to be a nuisance depriving Jacobs Farm of the right to use and enjoy the land,caused by negligence on the part of Western Farm Services. The landmark ruling sends a clear message to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) that pesticides that evaporate and move to non-target property with wind or fog need to be strictly regulated to prevent future property damage. Neither DPR nor US EPA specifically regulate this type of pesticide drift, although California regulations clearly prohibit off-site airborne pesticide movement that causes crop damage.
"With growing public concern about food safety and the use of pesticides on food, the world has changed for conventional and organic farmers," said Larry Jacobs, president of Jacobs Farm / Del Cabo. "Growing practices that do not rely on toxic chemicals already exist. We need to implement these approaches and work on expanding the toolbox so that farmers have more non-toxic options for crop production."
Jacobs Farm follows strict guidelines outlined for farms that carry the organic label, which means it never uses toxic pesticides like organophosphates. Although the chemicals in question are legally used and closely regulated on some crops intended for human consumption, they are not permitted on culinary herbs or any organic crops. Even the trace presence of the pesticides made it impossible for Jacobs Farm to sell significant portions of its 2006 and 2007 harvests from its farm at Wilder Ranch State Park.
The farm first discovered trace residues of chlorpyrifos and diazinon in October 2006. Staff and management responded quickly by stopping harvest of affected crops. Jacobs Farm management also contacted the County Agriculture Commissioner and DPR, requesting that they intervene to prevent continued drift of these pesticides. Jacobs Farm also notified Western Farm Service of the problem. When initial outreach to regulators and the pesticide applicator proved fruitless, Jacobs Farm brought suit against Western Farm Service.
"The scientific community's growing knowledge of how these chemicals move in the environment after application was not considered by pesticide applicators or government regulators," continued Jacobs "Regulations prohibiting the continued application of pesticides that damage crops on other farms are in place. But until now, these prohibitions did not apply to damage from pesticides when they evaporate after they are applied."
With this ruling, Jacobs Farm will be able to continue farming at Wilder Ranch State Park and plans to invest time and resources into developing methods for producing organic Brussels sprouts on a commercial scale, which would help neighboring farms to continue to produce their crop without the health or liability risks associated with the use of organophosphates.
"Like all organic farmers, Jacobs Farm deserves the right to do its work free from pesticide contamination," said plaintiff's attorney Austin Comstock. "We believe this attentive jury sent the right message to the regulatory agencies and the chemical industry to re-examine the use of these post-World War II pesticides."
Since October 2006, Jacobs Farm has tested each block of crops on Wilder Ranch before harvesting, and it has not sold any crops that tested positive for organophosphates insecticides.
For more information about organic farming in California and how this case affects farming practices in general, contact Chuck Benbrook (541) 828-7918 at the Organic Center or Bob Scowcroft (831) 426-6606 at the Organic Farming Research Foundation. To read a letter sent from EPA scientists to 2006 EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson regarding the dangers of organophosphates, see http://www.peer.org/docs/epa/06_25_5_union_ltr.pdf .
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