St. Patrick, are you ready for raw?
Looking for green food this St. Patrick’s Day? You can get much greener than the way some people are choosing to eat. I learned so much from meeting area raw foods enthusiasts. They all said that they gained a lot of energy from eating real food over processed junk. That sentiment is echoed by people in a new book.
“Raw food: A Complete Guide for Every Meal of the Day” by Erica Palmcratz and Irmela Lilja is filled with beautiful pictures of food and people. They aren’t all young model-quality beautiful. They’re real people of all ages who eat this stuff up. They make vegetable lasagna, and marinated salads look amazing, and who could go hungry with soaked buckwheat and fruit snacks and smoothies. I think people have forgotten what real food is and these authors are ready to make us healthy with wakame burritos, stuffed peppers and parsley tabbouleh.
I’m ready for summer where I could enjoy one of these recipes a day in the back yard.
Raw foodist heat food only up to about 104 degrees to make the most of nutritional value. They prepare — not cook — foods via soaking, grinding and sprouting. I’m starting with the following recipes, providing my lemongrass bush didn’t freeze.
Avocado Lemongrass Dip
A guacamole variation, good as a side dish, but equally yummy as a dip for carrots, cucumber slices and celery sticks.
1 avocado
1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 red chili pepper
Pinch of chili flakes
2 apricots, soaked
1 or 2 tablespoons of the soaking water from the apricots
1 teaspoon tamari
Put all ingredients in a food processor. Start by adding a little bit of the chili pepper if you don’t want too much spice.
Remove any remaining large pieces that have not mixed in well.
Sweet Breakfast Porridge
1 banana, chopped into large pieces
1 apple, chopped into large pieces
1 pear, chopped in to large pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flax seeds, ground
First put the pear into the blender, then add the banana and then the apple. Blending the fruit in this order prevents the mixture from getting too sticky.
Sprinkle the cinnamon and flaxseed over the mixture.
Raspberry Coconut smoothie
1/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 banana
1 cup apple juice
Fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
Blend the raspberries, banana and apple juice in the blender.
Garnish with mint leaves and coconut flakes.
Green reverse
I’m thinking of my grandmother’s day as a young homemaker. After a quest to collect crystal-like glasses from deterrent boxes, could she have imagined an era where people would spend money for a cup that only looks disposable?
Copco makes a clear, reusable To Go Cup that holds your cold drinks and helps keep an average of 312 cups a person out of the landfills, makers say. I say this 24-ouncer has been my smoothie savior, because the straw has stirring paddles on the bottom and the non-slip grip feels so good with its BPA-free self. Look for it at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores for $7.99.
Asian popcorn
I started my Oscar party the night before the ceremony, just to play popcorn. Black Sesame Mustard Popcorn is a perfectly good recipe from The Popcorn Board, but I was out of mustard powder, so I used wasabi powder instead. I used less butter than called for, and got flavor from the dark sesame oil, kosher salt and black sesame seeds. Results are attractive, and the photo shows some black-seeded popcorn in fancy glasses, as though they’re set out for a party. I just held my biggest mixing bowl in my lap and gobbled it all up.
Wine Wand
Glass jewels sound like their summoning fairies as they slide in the glass Philip Stein Wine Wand, a tool to aerate fine red wine in 2 to 3 minutes, saving the connoisseur hours of waiting. Just set the wand in the poured glass and let it do its stuff. The wand, a beauty even denuded from its leather case, replicates natural frequencies of air and oxygen, infusing them into the wine, which, makers remind, is “alive.” It sounds crazy, but I could tell the difference between the taste of a glass that had been wanded and one that had not. Another bit of wonder: the test glasses should be several feet apart on non-conductive surfaces (not glass or metal). I’ll bet you didn’t realize your wine was so reactive.
The wine wand is a perfect gift for your favorite onephile.
Perky Jerky
Everyone who got a taste of my Perky Jerky loved the flavor, the texture and just saying the name of it. It’s flavorful and juicy and so tender it didn’t even hurt my teeth. Billed as the world's first all-natural performance enhancing meat snack, the extra dose of energy comes from guarana’s caffeine for a “jerky experience you won’t find anywhere else.” I suppose it will keep you alert in the deer blind.
Development behind this fine product is told in the story, “Two Jerks in a Ski Lodge.” To shorten it, they spilled their energy drink on their peppered beef jerky and found it pretty good. We agree.
ddoiron@panews.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I prefer the term ‘frugal’ over ‘cheap’
My dinnertime topics often include a bit of a boast about how inexpensively I made such wonderful fare. But I’ve never written a whole cookbook about it.
Erin Chase dishes up kid-pleasing fare in “The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook” with 200 tempting recipes. They’re not all pasta, rice and lentils, but she does a great job with those basics, as well.
Barbecue lentils, blueberry wild rice and green pepper soup may be adventurous in your book, but cranberry pork chops, sloppy chicken joes and beef tacos sound like something the kids would try. I love her ideas and will probably make her whole wheat pizza dough often. I’ll pass on making my own hot dog buns, but hey, it’s there for you.
Chase lived abroad, where there was only one toothpaste brand to choose from. Now back in America, she found her food budget shrinking as she began to buy more and more from her vast selections. Now couponing and healthy choices for her family has her back on track, and she wants to help readers budget their money and calories as well.
Here’s a Lenten idea: Make a shrimp marinade for about 40 cents with two crushed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper.
She calculates her pizza sauce can be made for 84 cents:
Homemade Pizza Sauce
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan or skillet, whisk the tomato sauce with the spices and olive oil. Simmer for 2 to 8 minutes. Makes 2 cups.
Ginger Salmon Marinade (estimated cost, 35 cents)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper
In a small bottle or plastic container, shake the soy sauce, ground ginger, oil and salt and pepper. Pour over four salmon fillets. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before grilling.
Link to your drink
We’re handed Sharpies with cups and my friend’s house, so no one loses their drinks. Drinkmarx customizable beverage markers take it up a notch with plastic collars you can snap on to cups, bottles and cans. Stickers spell out my name on a pink link and stickers with chocolate cake, the Eiffel Tower and a glass of wine symbolize things Darragh might like. I’m thinking creating your “marx” is part of the party fun. Hey wait, that Sharpie could come in handy by creating your own artistic designs on this cool tool. It’s fun, and prevents the spread of germs.
Beemster
Beemster sounds like a European car, but it’s an awesome Dutch cheese, which could help the good people of Nederland celebrate the Nederland Heritage Festival. I find the original so compelling it’s like a cheese candy. I’ve now enjoyed BeemsterLite Matured, which uses only grade-A milk from cows that have grazed freely on lush, pesiticide-free grasses of the Dutch Beemster Polder in North Holland.
People, the food pyramid says we’re supposed to have dairy daily, so we ought to enjoy it as much as we can. A serving of this is like a dessert that you’ll look forward to all day.
ddoiron@panews.com
My dinnertime topics often include a bit of a boast about how inexpensively I made such wonderful fare. But I’ve never written a whole cookbook about it.
Erin Chase dishes up kid-pleasing fare in “The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook” with 200 tempting recipes. They’re not all pasta, rice and lentils, but she does a great job with those basics, as well.
Barbecue lentils, blueberry wild rice and green pepper soup may be adventurous in your book, but cranberry pork chops, sloppy chicken joes and beef tacos sound like something the kids would try. I love her ideas and will probably make her whole wheat pizza dough often. I’ll pass on making my own hot dog buns, but hey, it’s there for you.
Chase lived abroad, where there was only one toothpaste brand to choose from. Now back in America, she found her food budget shrinking as she began to buy more and more from her vast selections. Now couponing and healthy choices for her family has her back on track, and she wants to help readers budget their money and calories as well.
Here’s a Lenten idea: Make a shrimp marinade for about 40 cents with two crushed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper.
She calculates her pizza sauce can be made for 84 cents:
Homemade Pizza Sauce
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan or skillet, whisk the tomato sauce with the spices and olive oil. Simmer for 2 to 8 minutes. Makes 2 cups.
Ginger Salmon Marinade (estimated cost, 35 cents)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper
In a small bottle or plastic container, shake the soy sauce, ground ginger, oil and salt and pepper. Pour over four salmon fillets. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before grilling.
Link to your drink
We’re handed Sharpies with cups and my friend’s house, so no one loses their drinks. Drinkmarx customizable beverage markers take it up a notch with plastic collars you can snap on to cups, bottles and cans. Stickers spell out my name on a pink link and stickers with chocolate cake, the Eiffel Tower and a glass of wine symbolize things Darragh might like. I’m thinking creating your “marx” is part of the party fun. Hey wait, that Sharpie could come in handy by creating your own artistic designs on this cool tool. It’s fun, and prevents the spread of germs.
Beemster
Beemster sounds like a European car, but it’s an awesome Dutch cheese, which could help the good people of Nederland celebrate the Nederland Heritage Festival. I find the original so compelling it’s like a cheese candy. I’ve now enjoyed BeemsterLite Matured, which uses only grade-A milk from cows that have grazed freely on lush, pesiticide-free grasses of the Dutch Beemster Polder in North Holland.
People, the food pyramid says we’re supposed to have dairy daily, so we ought to enjoy it as much as we can. A serving of this is like a dessert that you’ll look forward to all day.
ddoiron@panews.com
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Cook this, have fun, get full
Eating great food is a priority for me. If I can make it more healthy and save money doing it, that’s icing on the cake, so to speak. It’s an exciting mission to me, but those who thought it would be boring need only pick up “Cook This, Not That!”
Authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding have sassy commentary and eye-popping photos comparing dollars and calories saved recreating versions of popular restaurant foods. Try one restaurant’s baby back ribs for 3,021 calories, or make Dr. Pepper Ribs for 400 calories on your plate. Cornmeal catfish, teriyaki scallops, butternut ravioli, loaded pizza and turkey meat loaf mimic what you could get out. This is a good guy cookbook, it’s easy to read and it could just be the motivation you need to be good to your gut.
Here’s some quickie goodies from just two pages of this useful book:
• Mix a can of tuna with chopped pickles, minced onion, and equal parts Dijon and olive oil mayo. Stuff into a whole wheat pita.
• Mix together a bit of mayo with grated horseradish. Spread on toasted rye or wheat bread, then top with roast beef, sharp Cheddar, sliced cucumbers, pickled onions and arugula.
• Slice an avocado and remove the pit. Fill the round cavities with canned tuna and a squeeze of lemon, plus salt and pepper. Eat with Triscuits.
• Mix equal parts of cooked brown rice and drained canned black beans. Top with leftover chicken or steak (or deli turkey), salsa and guacamole. Eat with a small stack of tortilla chips.
Do you know Hungry Girl?
This real lady has a cool avitar kind of character that appears on healthy stuff. If you’re not familiar, get to know her, because Hungry Girl can point you in good directions, like toward Mann Packing Co. clean and cut-up packaged products. She’s on packages of cut up sweet potato, courage musquee (butternut squash) and other natural goodies you see right in front of you in the produce section, but may not be trying.
Snacks on the Go come in a party pack with the best celery I’ve ever tasted. That sounds funny, but it’s true.
Sweet potato slices tumbled out of a bag ready to be baked in olive oil. I actually blackened some (on purpose). Sprinkled with cinnamon, baked sweet potato spears also made a fabulous breakfast, paired with my famous special sauce of ketchup and Taco Bell packets, seasoned with chipotle dust.
Nothing could be easier than mixing olive oil, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard into their slaw mix, unless it would be putting the mix directly on a sandwich. Try something new.
“Quick & Easy Tips to Lose Weight”
Drink water, make juice, ditch stress and eat real food, Georgia Salgado Chavez asks readers in this slim little book. You may have heard it all before, but have you listened? The author keeps things short and simple, like this:
Simple recipes:
Smoothie: Orange, pineapple, coconut
Milkshake: 1 cup of milk, 1 banana, 1 spoon of honey
Juice: Carrots, parsley, cucumber, celery, beets and grapes
Fruit water: 1 cup of water, 1 spoon of raw sugar (honey) 1 slice of melon
Tea: Sage
Meals: Fish, steam it with some spices; lemon adds great taste to fish.
Seafood combo: add chopped tomato, cilantro, serrano pepper, onion (don’t add salt). Add lemon juice, mix it, and eat it with crackers.
Hippie Chips
You’ve gotta just love saying “Hippie Chips.” The baked potato chips come in fun flavors like White Room Cheddar, Woodstock Ranch and Memphis Blues BBQ. I’m hooked on the goods and groovy labels from Rock-n-Roll Gourmet, launched by a rocker couple. I think you’ll love eating and saying Hippie Chips, too.
“Don’t Worry, Be Hippie!” and “Peace, Love and Gluten Free” is how the all-natural snack is billed.
Rock & Pop Jalapeno Korn and Kettle Korn bags feature a suited keyboardist in a fedora and a rocker girl guitarist in black. This line puts me in an ‘80s feel.
ddoiron@panews.com
Eating great food is a priority for me. If I can make it more healthy and save money doing it, that’s icing on the cake, so to speak. It’s an exciting mission to me, but those who thought it would be boring need only pick up “Cook This, Not That!”
Authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding have sassy commentary and eye-popping photos comparing dollars and calories saved recreating versions of popular restaurant foods. Try one restaurant’s baby back ribs for 3,021 calories, or make Dr. Pepper Ribs for 400 calories on your plate. Cornmeal catfish, teriyaki scallops, butternut ravioli, loaded pizza and turkey meat loaf mimic what you could get out. This is a good guy cookbook, it’s easy to read and it could just be the motivation you need to be good to your gut.
Here’s some quickie goodies from just two pages of this useful book:
• Mix a can of tuna with chopped pickles, minced onion, and equal parts Dijon and olive oil mayo. Stuff into a whole wheat pita.
• Mix together a bit of mayo with grated horseradish. Spread on toasted rye or wheat bread, then top with roast beef, sharp Cheddar, sliced cucumbers, pickled onions and arugula.
• Slice an avocado and remove the pit. Fill the round cavities with canned tuna and a squeeze of lemon, plus salt and pepper. Eat with Triscuits.
• Mix equal parts of cooked brown rice and drained canned black beans. Top with leftover chicken or steak (or deli turkey), salsa and guacamole. Eat with a small stack of tortilla chips.
Do you know Hungry Girl?
This real lady has a cool avitar kind of character that appears on healthy stuff. If you’re not familiar, get to know her, because Hungry Girl can point you in good directions, like toward Mann Packing Co. clean and cut-up packaged products. She’s on packages of cut up sweet potato, courage musquee (butternut squash) and other natural goodies you see right in front of you in the produce section, but may not be trying.
Snacks on the Go come in a party pack with the best celery I’ve ever tasted. That sounds funny, but it’s true.
Sweet potato slices tumbled out of a bag ready to be baked in olive oil. I actually blackened some (on purpose). Sprinkled with cinnamon, baked sweet potato spears also made a fabulous breakfast, paired with my famous special sauce of ketchup and Taco Bell packets, seasoned with chipotle dust.
Nothing could be easier than mixing olive oil, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard into their slaw mix, unless it would be putting the mix directly on a sandwich. Try something new.
“Quick & Easy Tips to Lose Weight”
Drink water, make juice, ditch stress and eat real food, Georgia Salgado Chavez asks readers in this slim little book. You may have heard it all before, but have you listened? The author keeps things short and simple, like this:
Simple recipes:
Smoothie: Orange, pineapple, coconut
Milkshake: 1 cup of milk, 1 banana, 1 spoon of honey
Juice: Carrots, parsley, cucumber, celery, beets and grapes
Fruit water: 1 cup of water, 1 spoon of raw sugar (honey) 1 slice of melon
Tea: Sage
Meals: Fish, steam it with some spices; lemon adds great taste to fish.
Seafood combo: add chopped tomato, cilantro, serrano pepper, onion (don’t add salt). Add lemon juice, mix it, and eat it with crackers.
Hippie Chips
You’ve gotta just love saying “Hippie Chips.” The baked potato chips come in fun flavors like White Room Cheddar, Woodstock Ranch and Memphis Blues BBQ. I’m hooked on the goods and groovy labels from Rock-n-Roll Gourmet, launched by a rocker couple. I think you’ll love eating and saying Hippie Chips, too.
“Don’t Worry, Be Hippie!” and “Peace, Love and Gluten Free” is how the all-natural snack is billed.
Rock & Pop Jalapeno Korn and Kettle Korn bags feature a suited keyboardist in a fedora and a rocker girl guitarist in black. This line puts me in an ‘80s feel.
ddoiron@panews.com
Monday, March 1, 2010
Aromatherapy is real
If you don’t believe me, watch me spray it into the newsroom. People raise their heads and perk up. One reporter gets visibly relaxed. Aura Cacia, a favorite brand of mine, suggests a bottle or two of its latest offerings is an economical bargain, considering it gives you a spa feeling at home. The popular Lavender Harvest line has opened the door for peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree.
Multitasking Harvest Collection scents come in aromatherapy mineral bath; bath, body and massage oil; and mist for room and body.
Peppermint Harvest promises “refreshing” and lavender, a favorite of my next-desk neighbor Mary Meaux, promotes “calming.” I love that my daughter got a whiff of “purifying” Tea Tree Harvest and it gave her memories of my pampering her through childhood aches. Eucalyptus has an “awakening” label.
I don’t worry that I don’t have a bathtub. I can use that packet of bath grains for a grainy rub down and foot soak. Wouldn’t that have been nice after my sprint down Procter Street to catch up with the News Mardi Gras float?
These goods are free of synthetic fragrances, colors or preservatives.
In other smelly-good news: Vermont Soap Organics has made my happy list again with a new collection of certified organic and USDA approved moisturizing shower gels in Sweet Orange, Country Lavender and Sweetgrass Shea. Besides the aroma and feel, I love the extra-large pump head ideal for folks who shower without benefit of their glasses or contacts. They’re proud that it’s a “shake first” product, because it helps keep everything natural. It leaves the entire bathroom smelling like a spa.
CleanWell wants to promote that it’s free of controversial triclosan, a known endocrine disrupter and synthetic chemical that mimics or blocks hormones. Well, I’d never heard of them, but I’m glad to know this stuff does more than kill germs and smell amazing. Look for the sprays at Target in original kid-safe and the invigorating new orange vanilla that leaves hands soft. It really does clean well.
Hairs to lookin’ good
I’m a sucker for fancy bottles, but even more of a fan of stuff that works. HerCut comes in slightly more sexy versions of some hair coloring squeeze bottles that my chemistry teacher’s wife saved for our lab chemicals. What memories.
I’m squeezing out shampoo and conditioner for The Shag. The line is designed for special needs of styles from the blunt, bob and pixie to long layers. The science of the shag formula comes from patent-pending Ionic Polymer Technology that creates separation and weight dispersion through negatively charged macromolecules that repel each other and create controlled separation. Whew. I actually do feel a positive difference in my hair, especially with the HerCut catalyst.
It also notes women with a shag (curls really, in my case) are rebels who rock, roll and never fall flat. Yep, that’s me.
If you don’t believe me, watch me spray it into the newsroom. People raise their heads and perk up. One reporter gets visibly relaxed. Aura Cacia, a favorite brand of mine, suggests a bottle or two of its latest offerings is an economical bargain, considering it gives you a spa feeling at home. The popular Lavender Harvest line has opened the door for peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree.
Multitasking Harvest Collection scents come in aromatherapy mineral bath; bath, body and massage oil; and mist for room and body.
Peppermint Harvest promises “refreshing” and lavender, a favorite of my next-desk neighbor Mary Meaux, promotes “calming.” I love that my daughter got a whiff of “purifying” Tea Tree Harvest and it gave her memories of my pampering her through childhood aches. Eucalyptus has an “awakening” label.
I don’t worry that I don’t have a bathtub. I can use that packet of bath grains for a grainy rub down and foot soak. Wouldn’t that have been nice after my sprint down Procter Street to catch up with the News Mardi Gras float?
These goods are free of synthetic fragrances, colors or preservatives.
In other smelly-good news: Vermont Soap Organics has made my happy list again with a new collection of certified organic and USDA approved moisturizing shower gels in Sweet Orange, Country Lavender and Sweetgrass Shea. Besides the aroma and feel, I love the extra-large pump head ideal for folks who shower without benefit of their glasses or contacts. They’re proud that it’s a “shake first” product, because it helps keep everything natural. It leaves the entire bathroom smelling like a spa.
CleanWell wants to promote that it’s free of controversial triclosan, a known endocrine disrupter and synthetic chemical that mimics or blocks hormones. Well, I’d never heard of them, but I’m glad to know this stuff does more than kill germs and smell amazing. Look for the sprays at Target in original kid-safe and the invigorating new orange vanilla that leaves hands soft. It really does clean well.
Hairs to lookin’ good
I’m a sucker for fancy bottles, but even more of a fan of stuff that works. HerCut comes in slightly more sexy versions of some hair coloring squeeze bottles that my chemistry teacher’s wife saved for our lab chemicals. What memories.
I’m squeezing out shampoo and conditioner for The Shag. The line is designed for special needs of styles from the blunt, bob and pixie to long layers. The science of the shag formula comes from patent-pending Ionic Polymer Technology that creates separation and weight dispersion through negatively charged macromolecules that repel each other and create controlled separation. Whew. I actually do feel a positive difference in my hair, especially with the HerCut catalyst.
It also notes women with a shag (curls really, in my case) are rebels who rock, roll and never fall flat. Yep, that’s me.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Creative eaters unite!
Don’t say June Lay is on a diet. Just try her book for inspiration, recipes and motivation. “It’s Not a Diet, It’s Creative Eating!”
Trust me, Lay can make healthy eating an adventure, and that’s just how I think about it already. Her salad-a-day section includes enough variation to make me want every one, including Tuna Avacado, Lobster Mango, Heart of Palm Red and:
Shrimp and Bean Salad
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green beans
6 large shrimp, cooked and peeled, chilled
1/2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/2 tablespoon thinly choped fresh basil
1/3 teaspoon vinegar to taste
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt
Dash of fresh black pepper
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 cup gourmet mixed salad greens
Steam the beans, covered, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine beans, shrimp, tomatoes and cucumber with all spices/herbs/condiments. Place shrimp, beans, etc., on a plate on top of salad greens and add dressing. Enjoy and of course, add your own variation. This recipe can be made with lobster meat instead of shrimp, which is lower in cholesterol despite rumor to the contrary.
Turning to wine and chocolate
There doesn’t seem to by any way for a wine and chocolate pairing to meet with anything but blissfull success, yet Turning Leaf Winemaker’s, Nicole Hitchcock has sweet ideas for matchy-matchy fullfillment. I loved the rich red and dark chocolate combination so much I could hardly speak. While experts may not consider white chocolate a true chocolate, please consider it fine with this wine: Turning Leaf Chardonnay is a true find.
Get your glasses and friends and try these suggestions from the company:
Dark Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
• The richest of all the reds, this wine boasts notes of vanilla and brown that perfectly complement the bitterness in darker chocolates.
Milk Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Merlot
• The fruitier character in this Merlot brings out the natural, bright flavors in classic milk chocolate.
White Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Chardonnay
• A twist on the common red wine and chocolate pairing, the acidity level in drier whites, such as Chardonnay, cuts through the sweetness of white chocolate making for a more balanced bite.
Whee! Tea!
I didn’t realize hibiscus is the new superflower, but I do love to pluck them off bushes and stick them in my hair.
Republic of Tea is blooming with five new versions of caffeine-free herbal bouquets of premium African hibiscus, which makers call a “Superflower that brews a rich, full-bodied cup and features remarkable health benefits,” and is said to lower blood pressure. It makes a beautiful ruby red tea with layers of cranberry/citrus and gentle hints of rhubarb and raspberry. I’m enjoying the pineapple lychee variety as I write this. Lovely canisters also hold a natural, unflavored pure hibiscus, anther with blueberry, a vinilla apple and … get ready … a hibiscus key lime.
If you missed the baby tiger at Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, check out the adorable one on the tin of Year of the Tiger Tea, a limited edition chocolate orange rooibos Republic of Tea offering. The oranges are a traditional Chinese symbol of wealth, and you may feel pretty rich enjoying this filling blend. For every tin sold, the company will contribute $1 to Room to Read (roomtoread.org), a group that benefits children of the developing world.
Persian Superfood
Pomegranates whole are sexy. Luscious, tempting red fruits are even a table decor. The powdered stuff may seem less glamorous, but it sure is practical. Navitas Naturals has released a version that’s designed for pinking and perking up your smoothes, yogurt and desserts with potassium, polyphenols and iron. I’m mixing it into tap water and will soon experiment with a more potent liquid to see if I can get a pomegranate cocktail mixing. I blended some powder with banana and froze it in a bowl for a fabulous evening treat. A table spoon of fancy coffe creamer topped it off.
Don’t say June Lay is on a diet. Just try her book for inspiration, recipes and motivation. “It’s Not a Diet, It’s Creative Eating!”
Trust me, Lay can make healthy eating an adventure, and that’s just how I think about it already. Her salad-a-day section includes enough variation to make me want every one, including Tuna Avacado, Lobster Mango, Heart of Palm Red and:
Shrimp and Bean Salad
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green beans
6 large shrimp, cooked and peeled, chilled
1/2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/2 tablespoon thinly choped fresh basil
1/3 teaspoon vinegar to taste
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt
Dash of fresh black pepper
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 cup gourmet mixed salad greens
Steam the beans, covered, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine beans, shrimp, tomatoes and cucumber with all spices/herbs/condiments. Place shrimp, beans, etc., on a plate on top of salad greens and add dressing. Enjoy and of course, add your own variation. This recipe can be made with lobster meat instead of shrimp, which is lower in cholesterol despite rumor to the contrary.
Turning to wine and chocolate
There doesn’t seem to by any way for a wine and chocolate pairing to meet with anything but blissfull success, yet Turning Leaf Winemaker’s, Nicole Hitchcock has sweet ideas for matchy-matchy fullfillment. I loved the rich red and dark chocolate combination so much I could hardly speak. While experts may not consider white chocolate a true chocolate, please consider it fine with this wine: Turning Leaf Chardonnay is a true find.
Get your glasses and friends and try these suggestions from the company:
Dark Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
• The richest of all the reds, this wine boasts notes of vanilla and brown that perfectly complement the bitterness in darker chocolates.
Milk Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Merlot
• The fruitier character in this Merlot brings out the natural, bright flavors in classic milk chocolate.
White Chocolate, paired with Turning Leaf’s 2008 Chardonnay
• A twist on the common red wine and chocolate pairing, the acidity level in drier whites, such as Chardonnay, cuts through the sweetness of white chocolate making for a more balanced bite.
Whee! Tea!
I didn’t realize hibiscus is the new superflower, but I do love to pluck them off bushes and stick them in my hair.
Republic of Tea is blooming with five new versions of caffeine-free herbal bouquets of premium African hibiscus, which makers call a “Superflower that brews a rich, full-bodied cup and features remarkable health benefits,” and is said to lower blood pressure. It makes a beautiful ruby red tea with layers of cranberry/citrus and gentle hints of rhubarb and raspberry. I’m enjoying the pineapple lychee variety as I write this. Lovely canisters also hold a natural, unflavored pure hibiscus, anther with blueberry, a vinilla apple and … get ready … a hibiscus key lime.
If you missed the baby tiger at Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, check out the adorable one on the tin of Year of the Tiger Tea, a limited edition chocolate orange rooibos Republic of Tea offering. The oranges are a traditional Chinese symbol of wealth, and you may feel pretty rich enjoying this filling blend. For every tin sold, the company will contribute $1 to Room to Read (roomtoread.org), a group that benefits children of the developing world.
Persian Superfood
Pomegranates whole are sexy. Luscious, tempting red fruits are even a table decor. The powdered stuff may seem less glamorous, but it sure is practical. Navitas Naturals has released a version that’s designed for pinking and perking up your smoothes, yogurt and desserts with potassium, polyphenols and iron. I’m mixing it into tap water and will soon experiment with a more potent liquid to see if I can get a pomegranate cocktail mixing. I blended some powder with banana and froze it in a bowl for a fabulous evening treat. A table spoon of fancy coffe creamer topped it off.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Taste of the Triangle draws food lovers to sample specialties
BEAUMONT — Taste of the Triangle has moved to Ford Park in Beaumont, and the venue is still packed with food lovers lined up for what area restaurants are dishing out. Fans of gumbo, bread pudding and wine were in luck. There was abundant flow of each of these.
As for our Mid-County contributions, Sanderson’s delivered chicken Pontchartrain as promised and Geo Burrito made countless mini versions of their giant wraps and Stingray employees asked “pecan or raisin” as they moved hundreds through their line.
The Sabine Area Restaurant Association raises scholarship funds at this event and this year, honored the Young Men’s Business League.
The Grill won best restaurant with Goodfellows second runner-up and best decorated and Moncla’s first runner-up.
Savor of Ford Park won best associate with Lamar Institute of Technology as second runner up.
The next chance to feast like that:
The Rotary Club of Port Arthur will present the 23rd annual Taste of Gumbo, Etc. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center, along Texas 73.
Restaurants and other groups will provided tastes of their specialties. There will be a silent auction. Tickets will be $8.
Poor, healthy potato
Mourn the poor potato, forced to carry all that extra fat, dietitian Susan Burke March tells readers.
“Oh, the poor potato — never did any harm, just sitting there, waiting to be eaten for its delicious flavor, in its own lovely bare skin, without all that added fat,” she laments in “Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally.”
I hear her. I used to think a baked potato was my healthy option, without realizing I was piling on several servings of cheese, sour cream and butter. Now I pretty much enjoy the flavor of the actual potato, like she does, by splitting baked potatoes, brushing them with olive oil and broiling them until toasty.
Fitness and diet charts help readers track their progress as they read through this thick book and learn about portion control and alternative food picks and healthy habits. The author used to weigh a whole lot more than she does now, and takes a bit of offense when folks give her the old “You don’t have to worry, you’re naturally thin” bit. She wants everyone to know fitness is a commitment you have to work at, and it can be a fun and healthy deal for you and your loved ones.
Open It
Statistics are, you have someone in your life who could use Open It!, if not now, then soon. My mother was thrilled to try out a set of three red tools that have all you need to open tricky medicine bottles. OPENRX1 is bulbous, for pushing and turning, and has a slide-out magnifier for reading labels. OPENRXFT slides over push and turn bottles and has a blade for opening foil packets. OPENRXST is like a thick band for squeeze and turn lids. I was amazed by them all and she called them invaluable. Look for them at CVS or at EnjoyZibra.com.
ddoiron@panews.com
BEAUMONT — Taste of the Triangle has moved to Ford Park in Beaumont, and the venue is still packed with food lovers lined up for what area restaurants are dishing out. Fans of gumbo, bread pudding and wine were in luck. There was abundant flow of each of these.
As for our Mid-County contributions, Sanderson’s delivered chicken Pontchartrain as promised and Geo Burrito made countless mini versions of their giant wraps and Stingray employees asked “pecan or raisin” as they moved hundreds through their line.
The Sabine Area Restaurant Association raises scholarship funds at this event and this year, honored the Young Men’s Business League.
The Grill won best restaurant with Goodfellows second runner-up and best decorated and Moncla’s first runner-up.
Savor of Ford Park won best associate with Lamar Institute of Technology as second runner up.
The next chance to feast like that:
The Rotary Club of Port Arthur will present the 23rd annual Taste of Gumbo, Etc. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center, along Texas 73.
Restaurants and other groups will provided tastes of their specialties. There will be a silent auction. Tickets will be $8.
Poor, healthy potato
Mourn the poor potato, forced to carry all that extra fat, dietitian Susan Burke March tells readers.
“Oh, the poor potato — never did any harm, just sitting there, waiting to be eaten for its delicious flavor, in its own lovely bare skin, without all that added fat,” she laments in “Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally.”
I hear her. I used to think a baked potato was my healthy option, without realizing I was piling on several servings of cheese, sour cream and butter. Now I pretty much enjoy the flavor of the actual potato, like she does, by splitting baked potatoes, brushing them with olive oil and broiling them until toasty.
Fitness and diet charts help readers track their progress as they read through this thick book and learn about portion control and alternative food picks and healthy habits. The author used to weigh a whole lot more than she does now, and takes a bit of offense when folks give her the old “You don’t have to worry, you’re naturally thin” bit. She wants everyone to know fitness is a commitment you have to work at, and it can be a fun and healthy deal for you and your loved ones.
Open It
Statistics are, you have someone in your life who could use Open It!, if not now, then soon. My mother was thrilled to try out a set of three red tools that have all you need to open tricky medicine bottles. OPENRX1 is bulbous, for pushing and turning, and has a slide-out magnifier for reading labels. OPENRXFT slides over push and turn bottles and has a blade for opening foil packets. OPENRXST is like a thick band for squeeze and turn lids. I was amazed by them all and she called them invaluable. Look for them at CVS or at EnjoyZibra.com.
ddoiron@panews.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Pickle peppers, pig’s ears or blue berries
Pickled peppers, pig’s ears, blueberries, flowers, mangoes and more await those who like to spice it up. I have succumbed to “The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market,” Linda Ziedrich’s revised edition of a very resourceful, readable book. I am usually on the receiving end of such goodies. Armed with little more than sugar, vinegar and pickling salt, I can create such wonders as pickled peaches, pickled plums with red wine, honeyed jalapeno rings, and zydeco beans. The author likes to experiment, so novice though I am, I played around with seasonings to make spiced oranges and kumquats. It was a winner. This one’s next on my list:
Thai Pickled Carrots
1/2 pound carrots, thinly sliced, diagonally, then slivered
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 to 2 small fresh hot peppers, such as serrano, seeded, if you like, and minced
In a bowl, mix the carrots with the salt. Let the carrots stand for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the liquid cool
Drain the carrots. Return them to the bowl, pour the pickling liquid over them and toss them. Let them rest at room temperature for 1 hour. If you don’t eat them right away, store them tightly covered in the refrigerator. They will keep at least a week but are best eaten sooner. Drain them just before serving.
Small plate club
I love and faithfully use a Fiber One health tip: use smaller plates and your healthy portions won’t look so small. I have faithfully enjoyed the new Fiber One blueberry muffins you keep in the fridge. With a sweet flavor and 28 percent of daily fiber value, they fill me up until lunch time, where I meet my small plate again.
It’s the tops
Bottle Top is the answer to a question you may not have been asking. These colored plastic lids convert beverage cans into a reclosable “bottle” to prevent spillage, keep your drink fresh and identify which drink is yours. Bottle Top allows you to snap your can of drink closed so a bee won’t sneak in and sting your mouth when you drink it.
How often does that happen? I just received a Christmas newsletter announcing the dad of the family suffered just such a sting. OUCH! Talk about an ounce of prevention. Look for these at Walgreens; Wal-Mart; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Target; and CVS.
Mavea
Maybe you’re vain and only interested in Mavea’s sleek design. Maybe you’re vain and hoping that drinking better filtered water will improve your looks as well as your health. No matter, this pitcher with a “Smart Meter,” and one-of-a-kind recycling program is designed to empowers consumers to send back used filters at Mavea’s expense, where they reuse each component in commercial grade products.
If you like movies where parched travelers squeeze the last drops from their canteen into their dry throats, you may feel particularly hydrated after learning about Mavea’s micro-screen that eliminates black particles from ending up in the water the European design with a pour-through and neoprene handle and feet to prevent sliding and scratching and the reduction in chlorine taste, odor, and other unwanted elements. I love the feature of a “silverized” filter to inhibit the risk of bacteria growth. Drink up: Mavea looks great on the counter and it’s all BPA-free.
ddoiron@panews.com
Pickled peppers, pig’s ears, blueberries, flowers, mangoes and more await those who like to spice it up. I have succumbed to “The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market,” Linda Ziedrich’s revised edition of a very resourceful, readable book. I am usually on the receiving end of such goodies. Armed with little more than sugar, vinegar and pickling salt, I can create such wonders as pickled peaches, pickled plums with red wine, honeyed jalapeno rings, and zydeco beans. The author likes to experiment, so novice though I am, I played around with seasonings to make spiced oranges and kumquats. It was a winner. This one’s next on my list:
Thai Pickled Carrots
1/2 pound carrots, thinly sliced, diagonally, then slivered
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 to 2 small fresh hot peppers, such as serrano, seeded, if you like, and minced
In a bowl, mix the carrots with the salt. Let the carrots stand for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the liquid cool
Drain the carrots. Return them to the bowl, pour the pickling liquid over them and toss them. Let them rest at room temperature for 1 hour. If you don’t eat them right away, store them tightly covered in the refrigerator. They will keep at least a week but are best eaten sooner. Drain them just before serving.
Small plate club
I love and faithfully use a Fiber One health tip: use smaller plates and your healthy portions won’t look so small. I have faithfully enjoyed the new Fiber One blueberry muffins you keep in the fridge. With a sweet flavor and 28 percent of daily fiber value, they fill me up until lunch time, where I meet my small plate again.
It’s the tops
Bottle Top is the answer to a question you may not have been asking. These colored plastic lids convert beverage cans into a reclosable “bottle” to prevent spillage, keep your drink fresh and identify which drink is yours. Bottle Top allows you to snap your can of drink closed so a bee won’t sneak in and sting your mouth when you drink it.
How often does that happen? I just received a Christmas newsletter announcing the dad of the family suffered just such a sting. OUCH! Talk about an ounce of prevention. Look for these at Walgreens; Wal-Mart; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Target; and CVS.
Mavea
Maybe you’re vain and only interested in Mavea’s sleek design. Maybe you’re vain and hoping that drinking better filtered water will improve your looks as well as your health. No matter, this pitcher with a “Smart Meter,” and one-of-a-kind recycling program is designed to empowers consumers to send back used filters at Mavea’s expense, where they reuse each component in commercial grade products.
If you like movies where parched travelers squeeze the last drops from their canteen into their dry throats, you may feel particularly hydrated after learning about Mavea’s micro-screen that eliminates black particles from ending up in the water the European design with a pour-through and neoprene handle and feet to prevent sliding and scratching and the reduction in chlorine taste, odor, and other unwanted elements. I love the feature of a “silverized” filter to inhibit the risk of bacteria growth. Drink up: Mavea looks great on the counter and it’s all BPA-free.
ddoiron@panews.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
