Need cookies, no baking time?

Great American Cookie Co. has its holiday lineup in order. If you need something sweet, but don't have the time, energy, skill or oven space, here are some suggestions for that office party centerpiece:

Great American Cookies seasonal Original Chocolate Chip cookie cakes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and icing-decor, including: wreath, snowmen, Santa Claus, and many other festive designs. Cookie cakes also can be personalized with any message desired. Shoppers seeking individual-sized cookies can pick up a seasonal cookie tin filled with up to 16 of their favorite cookie flavors

Cookie Cakes - Suggested Retail Price: Small (8 x 6 inch): $10.99 - $11.99;
Medium (16 inch): $20.99 - $27.00; Large (30-40 inch): $29.99 - $40.00

Cookie Tins - Suggested Retail Price: $16.99/12 cookies; $18.99/16 cookies
Original Chocolate Chip
Original Chocolate Chip with M&M'S® Chocolate Candies
Peanut Butter with M&M'S Chocolate Candies
Peanut Butter Supreme
Sugar
Snickerdoodle
White Chunk Macadamia
Chewy Chocolate Supreme
Chewy Pecan Supreme
Domino
Double Fudge
Oatmeal Walnut Raisin
Pecan Supreme

Bright copper kettles....

New a few favorite things for the culinary guru on your list? From the Lisa Ekus group, these suggestions:

Along with bright copper kettles, crisp apple streudels, and schnitzel with noodles, these are a two of our favorite holiday gift ideas for food lovers:

For starters, spice up the holidays with the perfect gift for the food enthusiast in your life with Crowning Cuisine, the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) 2009 Calendar and Recipe Collection! More than just a calendar, it features 23 women chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers, along with an exclusive collection of more than two dozen of their favorite recipes and preparation tips.

The collection of signature recipes features favorites including: scallop margaritas with tequila ice, watermelon gazpacho with lime and mint, parsnip vanilla crème brûlée, strawberry lemon napoleons, caramelized onion and goat cheese tart, and more.

With recipes from, and whimsical food-crowned photographs of chefs such as Bonnie Moore of L’Academie de Cuisine, Nora Pouillon or Restaurant Nora, and Odessa Piper, the calendar is an ideal holiday gift for any chef or home cook. It can be purchased online for $12 (plus $4 shipping & handling). Proceeds from the calendar support WCR’s scholarship and internship programs for women in every stage of their culinary arts career.

And then, tour the world though salt, from the Celtic saline estuaries of France to the deep pure seas off Japan, from the ancient mines of Pakistan to the warm mineral springs of Peru.

The Meadow’s Around the World Collector Salt Set includes 50 salts from around the world, each chosen as the finest example of salt making from its region and culinary tradition.

The set comes with our starter set guide to accompany you in your exploration of the powerful and intriguing ways finishing salts behaves on food to evoke new depths of flavor. Fifty salts will be hand-chosen from our collection of gourmet salts, ranging from daily-use salts from every continent to super-rare and exotic salts. Every effort is made to assure that the Around the World Collector Set of 50 Salts includes some of the most distinctive, interesting, and delicious salt in the world.

The Meadow’s World Salt Tour : $298. Also, look for owners Mark and Jennifer Bitterman’s book, Salt to Taste, to be published fall 2010 by Running Press.

And this from the fans of olive oil

The Ins and Outs of Olive Oil


According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), olive oil is beneficial to the heart. It contains monounsaturated fat, which can help lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that consuming just two tablespoons of olive oil per day may reduce the risk of heart disease. With all the health benefits to using olive oil, there’s just one thing left for consumers to figure out – which one to use.

“When you stand there in the store, looking at the rows of olive oil, people are not sure what to buy and what to expect,” explains Enzo Febbraro, co-owner and executive chef of Washington D.C.-based D’Acqua Ristorante. “Olive oil is a wonderful ingredient to use when cooking and baking, but different flavors will alter the tastes.”

While olive oil comes in a variety of types, the most popular are light and extra virgin. All of them have the same fat content but, depending on the type, the acid level varies, and that changes the flavor. Here’s what to expect from the two most popular types of olive oil, and where they are best used:

· Light. This is ideal for baking and cooking when you don’t want a strong flavor but still want all the health benefits. Light olive oil has undergone a filtration process that leaves it with a lighter appearance and flavor, although the calorie count remains the same.

· Extra virgin. If you only plan to have one olive oil on hand to use as an all-purpose type, this would be the one. It’s low in acid and has a fruity flavor and aroma. It provides a lot of flavor, even when only using a minimum amount. This type of oil works well for sauces, frying, marinades, meat, fish, pasta, vegetables, and baking. It’s also the variety most commonly used when consumed cold, with salads or for dipping bread.

When it comes to storing olive oil, it’s best to keep it either in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place. If it’s being stored in the refrigerator, it may thicken and it will need to sit out for a few minutes before being used, so that it can liquefy again. Olive oil is sensitive to heat and light; exposure to them can speed up the process of turning it rancid, so it’s important to store it in a dark area that is temperature-controlled.

Shelf life once it is opened varies, but most manufacturers recommend three to six months. Olive oil can be used as a substitute in most recipes that call for vegetable oil, shortening, or butter.

“When choosing an olive oil, the main thing to keep in mind is flavor. Some have a more pronounced flavor, and you have to determine whether you want that in your dish,” adds Febbraro. “The best olive oils come from Italy. Using a good one will go a long way toward adding flavor to what you cook, as well as providing many health benefits.”

What's with agave nectar?

An unorganized rant on ingredients coming across my radar:

No less than six recipes this week calling for 'agave nectar' instead of sugar. I'm as freewheeling as the next foodie, but that's a bit much even for me.

Lots of recipes call for polenta these days. I love polenta, but making it from scratch (Your mama would have called it cornmeal mush, by the way) takes time. Never fear. Spotted at Winn-Dixie in Golden Springs Thursday night: a pack of ready-to-serve polenta on the shelf in the Italian food section.

Also on tap at the WD: pearl barley, which is big in some Mediterranean cuisines and is a super, super cheap way to stretch soup and stew recipes to feed a few more people.

Chinese import alert.... going away

The folks at The Catfish Institute want you to know:

The FDA is reportedly considering quietly dropping the "import alerts" for five species of Chinese seafood imports, including catfish and shrimp, that were put in place during the summer of 2007. As a refresher, that was the "bad summer" for Chinese imports -- of lethal toothpaste, pet food, lead-painted toys, and contaminated seafood.

The import alerts require chemical testing for entry into the U.S. Unfortunately, the private lab testing system, as described below, is rife with abuse and deception. Not surprisingly, after a year of this the FDA is declaring victory over contaminated Chinese seafood, since they are not hearing too much any more about contaminated shipments, and are considering dropping the testing requirement.

While the testing requirement as currently constructed is little more than a "fig leaf" for a dysfunctional system, it at least forces importers to go through the motions.
Given the Chinese track record on consumer safety issues, and the FDA's inability to monitor and police imports, the last thing the Administration should do would be to remove even this minimal level of protection.

More importantly, dropping the import alerts for these items would cause the December (2007) trade agreement with China to kick in. Under this agreement, the U.S. would essentially outsource its seafood inspections to the Chinese Government and its designated producers. As discussed below, the Chinese food safety agencies are very much a work in progress, are in considerable turmoil, and have a very poor performance record. Is this really the system to which we want to entrust our seafood inspections?

The events of this past summer again underscore the need for a workable U.S. inspection system -- repeated outbreaks of illness both at home and abroad that were exacerbated by under-funded, inadequate, and overwhelmed inspection systems.

In the waning days of the current Administration, behind the thick fog of the elections and the rhetoric, the FDA could well cave in to the demands of Chinese importers and their free-trader corporate allies to eliminate any meaningful examination of incoming containers. They will claim that the "problem has been solved" and that the action will produce "greater efficiency," "less regulation," and "less bureaucracy." We disagree.

-- The Catfish Institute

A meat that won't 'boar' you

North American Import and Export is still looking for chefs and culinary students to get wildly creative with boar recipes. Prize: $500.

The competition is not over yet. Food service professionals (including chefs, caterers, culinary students, and food writers/bloggers) have until midnight on Monday, Sept. 15 to enter. This site can also hook you up with places that can supply boar. If boar won't do for you, then use good ol' pork.

This contest is a bit different than your typical recipe challenge because all the recipes that have been entered can be viewed at the contest blog.

Here’s one of the recipes that’s been submitted:

Wild Boar Ragu over Chestnut Polenta

Submitted by Francy Deskin from East City Grill in Weston, Fla.

Serves 6

2 pounds Wild Boar boneless shoulder, cut into 1” cubes
2 Tablespoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 fennel bulb diced
6 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup Barolo
2 33 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes
1 box Beretta Gran Express polenta
2 quarts water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup parmesan
1 cup cream
1 cup chestnuts, chopped
½ cup chestnut honey
¼ cup each fresh chopped parsley and basil

Season the boar with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and dried oregano, massage in to meat.

Warm oil olive over high heat in a medium sized, heavy bottomed pot. Add the seasoned meat to the pot, preferably in a single layer, stirring occasionally. Once seared, drain the meat into a colander. Return meat to the pan and add onion, fennel and garlic until softened and translucent. Deglaze with the Barolo; reduce by half. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot. Rinse the cans out with a half can of water, and add it to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook until meat is tender, one to two hours, stirring occasionally.

For the polenta, pour 2 quarts of abundantly salted water into a non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Allow water to boil for 2 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and quickly pour all the polenta into the water, beating with a whisk or wooden spoon. Return the pot to the stove and cook for 5 - 6 minutes on a medium high flame, stirring constantly. Turn the heat off, stir in parmesan and cream, and let the polenta settle for 1 minute. Fold in chestnuts.

To serve, divide polenta among six warmed serving plates. Drizzle with chestnut honey. Top with ragu. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and basil.

More spicy living

One of the scariest and most enjoyable nooks in my house is the spice cabinet. I've got a friend who's a contractor/builder, and one of these days I'm going to have him custom make the spice rack to end all spice racks.

I love the aroma of herbs and spices. It's fun to cook with my daughter (who got her first set of kitchen basics for her 6th birthday Wednesday) and let her sniff all the jars, one by one, as we use them in recipes. It's a joy to see her eyes light up as she notices the difference between cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace. And to see her wrinkle her nose when she bites into a whole fennel seed. You can't cook with something if you don't know what it tastes like.

Into this new awareness of spices comes research indicating the psychological and psyiological benefits that culinary herbs and spices bring to our lives. I mean, you have to be heartless not to get an emotional boost from the smell of cinnamon rolls or banana bread (laced with nutmeg) wafting through the house.

Physiological benefits are still emerging, but there are certain spices and herbs that pack quite the anti-oxidant punch. We've tapped into spice giant McCormick for some new ideas.

Continuing our theme from this week's Your Table on exotic cuisines, let's go to North Africa:

Cinnamon Beef Tagine

Long, slow cooking brings out the layered flavors of North African spices, such as cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin, ginger and red pepper, in this Moroccan stew. Cinnamon and beef is actually a classic combination in Africa.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.

2 pounds top round beef, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth

1 medium onion, cut into small wedges

1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/8 teaspoon Ground Red Pepper

1 bay leaf

4 cups cubed butternut squash (3/4-inch cubes)

3 cups cubed sweet potatoes (3/4-inch cubes)

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup raisins

Coat beef cubes with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining beef and oil. Remove beef from pan; set aside.

Stir broth, onion, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, sea salt, ground red pepper and bay leaf into pan. Bring to boil, stirring to release brown bits in bottom of pan.

Return meat to pan. Add vegetables; mix well. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in raisins. Serve with couscous, if desired.

Apple Fennel Bulgur with Sausage
Bulgur, the nutritious Middle Eastern staple, is impressively combined with apples and kielbasa to create a unique and delicious dish.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Makes 6 (1-cup) servings.

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 cup uncooked bulgur (available locally)

1 teaspoon Rosemary Leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Sage, Rubbed

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

1/2 pound kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4-inch slices

1 Gala or Golden Delicious apple, cut in thin wedges

1 1/2 teaspoons Fennel Seed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Pour broth into liquid measuring cup. Add water to measure 2 cups.

Pour broth mixture into medium saucepan. Add bulgur, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon of the thyme, salt and sage; bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender. Set aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, apples, remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme and fennel seed; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add balsamic vinegar and herbed bulgur; mix well.

Back home in the South, with classics from the neighborhood:

Peach Watermelon Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
For a change of pace, try a fresh fruit salsa with lightly sweetened tortilla chips at your next cookout. The no-cook salsa is also great as a refreshing topper for simply grilled fish or chicken.

(photo above)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Refrigerate: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Makes 6 servings (1/4 cup salsa and 8 chips each).

Peach Watermelon Salsa

1 cup chopped peeled peaches

1 cup chopped seeded watermelon

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

6 flour tortillas (6-inch)

For the Chips, preheat oven to 375°F. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Spray tortillas lightly with no stick cooking spray. Cut each into 8 wedges. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with Peach Watermelon Salsa.

More recipes are available and the combinations are endless.

Regional delicacies -- online shopping

RegionalBest.com, a new e-commerce shopping concept featuring local foods from across the country, launches today nationwide.

Developed by two entrepreneurial businesswomen who have a passion for great food, and who care about what their families eat, RegionalBest.com offers foods that span 16 categories.

Included are foods such as artisan cheese and salami from Utah, crab cakes from Maryland, wild American shrimp from North Carolina, wild blueberry jam from Maine, grass fed lamb from Idaho, grass fed beef from Montana, and a bounty of holiday gift giving ideas from coast to coast. There are dozens of foods, all raised, caught or produced by local artisans, farmers, fishermen, ranchers, beekeepers, and other small specialty food companies.

"We searched, tasted, and interviewed consumers, food professionals and potential merchants to find the right foods and artisans for our site," explains Marsha Cade, RegionalBest.com co-founder, based in suburban Philadelphia. "Superb quality and great taste were our top criteria, plus we support sustainable and eco-friendly, farming and food production practices."

The site offers new foods and old favorites, some all-natural, some organic. Many of the website's merchants started by selling their foods at local farmer's markets, and are now ready to reach a broader audience. RegionalBest.com provides the resources and means for their expansion.
RegionalBest.com also tells the merchant's "story" -- how they got started, the special care they put into growing or making their products, the awards they've won, and other interesting tidbits about them and their products.

Here are examples of what you'll find:
· Utah's Beehive Cheese Company's, Tim Welsh and Pat Ford, left the fast-paced world of software and real estate to seek a simpler way of life as artisan cheesemakers. Their award winning, and labor intensive, Barely Buzzed cheese is hand-rubbed with a blend of lavender and espresso coffee.
· Lava Lake Lamb is raised with care by experienced shepherds. Located just southeast of Sun Valley, Idaho, the Lava Lake Ranch is dedicated to the proposition that what we eat matters. The ranch produces all natural, grass-fed lamb that is raised sustainably, humanely, and without antibiotics or growth hormones, and is never placed in feedlots.
· Gregg Charbonneau and Barth Anderson of Massachusetts' Barrington Coffee Roasting Company are coffee fanatics. They believe that directly supporting quality-driven producers is the ideal manner in which to promote sound, responsible growing practices, economic sustainability -- and ultimately, the best coffee.
"Our merchants are the heart of RegionalBest.com," explains Caragh Whalen, Cade's co-founding partner, who is based in suburban Boston. "Their commitment and dedication is amazing, and their stories are unique and compelling. We will continue to offer new products, stories, and blog postings to captivate our visitors. In fact, we're already creating a great community among our providers -- merchants are recommending other merchants to join the site which is very exciting!"

Skincare for foodies

Some things are just as good for the outside of the body as they are for the inside. If you've ever used a pineapple/apricot exfoliant for your face, then you're aware that items from the food chain can do beutiful work on the complexion. Here are some new products worth a look -- but not a taste:

JUARA Invigorating Coffee Scrub ($37)
Sumatra Coffee Beans exfoliate and tighten the skin while providing antioxidant benefits. Caffeine dehydrates fat cells and improves micro-circulation – Bye, bye cellulite!

VMV Id Apricot and Salicylic Clarifying Soap ($12)
A hypo-allergenic, exfoliating, invigorating and stimulating body cleanser.
v Apricot kernels buff, massage and stimulate the skin. Rich in Vitamin A and C, apricots also provide an excellent source of beta-carotene which calms irritation and infections. Salicylic Acid cleanses the skin, clearing up pimples and other bumps.

100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer with Fruit Pigment SPF 20 ($37)
An all-natural 3-in-1 moisturizer provides flawless, sheer coverage. White tea and acai help to treat and reverse skin damage from free radicals. Pomegranate oil increases collagen production to help support skins natural structure and help repair itself. Fruit and Vegetable pigments provide sheer to medium coverage.

Skin Milk Shaving Milk with Real Milk Proteins
A one-of-a-kind shaving milk loaded with vitamins. Milk proteins and amino acids provide the skin with Vitamins A and D to help soothe, comfort and enhance skins natural suppleness. This creamy shaving milk forms a protective barrier that allows the razor to glide easily and comfortably while leaving your skin softer and smoother. Get ready short shorts!



Jerome Privee Moments Coconut Lime Paradise Body Lotion ($9 at Perfumania.com)
An everyday body moisturizer for smooth, supple skin
Formulated with exceptional moisturizing ingredients including Vitamin E and succulent plant extracts. The Coconut Lime Paradise scent possesses a blend of Lime Zest, Sheer Floral Bouquet, Ripe Melon, Coconut and Vanilla Musk.

Tam Tam crackers return to shelves

Manischewitz has finished its plant upgrade in New Jersey, meaning production has been stepped up on baked Kosher goods, specifically Tam Tam Crackers. They've been a mainstay in households across America for over 65 years and will return to supermarkets nationwide starting this week!

Tastier than ever, Tam Tams are available in seven delicious flavors including Original, Garlic, Everything, Whole Grain Garden Herb, Whole Grain Lightly Salted, Onion and No-Salt. Whether you eat them right from the box or with your favorite spread, you can once again enjoy the great taste of these delicious snack crackers all year long.

“The upgrading of our plant and ovens in our Newark, New Jersey facility in 2007, required us to shut down for a short period of time to install a new state-of-the-art matzo and cracker ovens,” said David Rossi, VP, Marketing, R.A.B. Food Group . “We are grateful for our consumers support during this time and are proud to say that the Tam Tams you know and love are back and better than ever.”

If consumers cannot find Tam Tams in their local stores, they should ask their grocer about the timing of when they will be back in stock.

Peaches, plums and nectarines! Oh, my!

A classic trio of Southern cooking is onion, celery and bell pepper. Folks in California have another Holy Trinity: peaches, plums and nectarines.

We've got peaches aplenty here in Alabama, and they've been joined at the produce stand by some fine plums and nectarines. If you haven't cooked with these ingredients, give them a go. They're tasty, crisp and can liven up your standard summer fare.

Peach Pie Smoothie
Prep time: 5 minutes

2 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 vanilla wafer cookies, crumbled

Puree all ingredients except cookies in a blender until smooth. Pour into 2 chilled glasses and top with cookie crumbles.

Italian-inspired Ciabatta

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes total

1 (1 lb.) whole wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
2 fresh plums, pitted and very thinly sliced
3 cups baby or chopped arugula
1/2 cup slivered red onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide dough into 3 pieces; roll each into a very flat oval on a lightly floured board (about 7 X 11-inches). Place dough on baking sheets and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake for 10 minutes. (May be prepared ahead to this point.) Just before serving, top each flatbread with 2/3 cup cheese. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. To prepare plum salad, toss remaining oil with remaining ingredients. Place equal amounts on each warm cheese flatbread and cut into 3-inch slices to serve.

Makes 6 appetizer or light lunch servings

Recipes courtesy of California peach, nectarine and plum growers. Many thanks.

It's never too early to plan Oktoberfest

First, recall that Oktoberfest actually starts in September. And, given that it's almost August, it's not too early to start getting geared up for September, which, as we've noted, means Oktoberfest.

And that means sausage.

The folks at Marx Foods have passed along their exotic sausage sampler, in case those standard pork brats won't fly for you this year.

The Specialty Sausage Sampler is seven pounds and includes 4 links of each of the following:
Venison Sausage with Merlot and Blueberries
Lamb Merguez
Buffalo Sausage with Chipotle Chilies
Duck Sausage with Foie Gras & Sauterne Wine
Duck Sausage with Orange Liquor
Rabbit Sausage with White Wine
Wild Boar Sausage with Cranberries and Shiraz
Smoked Duck Sausage with Apple Brandy
Wild Boar Beer Bratwurst

This sausage is great skewered as an appetizer, grilled, sautéed or paired with pasta for a main course. The sausages cook quickly (less than 10 minutes on the grill) making them a simple, yet elegant, dinner option.

“My favorite way to make the sausage is grilled, sliced and skewered with a fig and watercress. It’s an effortless appetizer that’s delicious and results in an impressive presentation,” said Katy Springer, General Manager of MarxFoods.com.

Adding some charm to the grill

OK, this goes under the heading of something that, initially, seems frivolous but actually comes in handy, when you think about it: Grill Charms.

They're the meat griller's version of those little wine charms that go around the stems of wine glasses to remind everyone whose glass is whose. These lightweight charms stick into a steak or burger before cooking to keep track of how each piece of meat will be cooked -- as well as what spices might go (or not go) on it.

Think about it. If you're cooking for a group of people, and everyone wants a steak cooked differently, the charms can help you track how you cook them. (Keeping in mind that you can only see the charm from one side, so once you flip that Rare steak, you won't be able to readily see the charm with its R on it unless you take a peek.)

They'd also come in handy when some people have different dietary needs. A guest on a low-sodium diet probably needs to know which burgers have been drenched in Moore's or Dale's marinade.

The really nice thing about these charms: There isn't a W for "well done." As any lover of meat knows, any steak cooked to "well done" is anything but done well.

Grilling shrimp and mangoes

Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa

This makes use of fresh oregano, but don't be afraid to try it with dried oregano leaves. The mangoes looked great in the store yesterday(Sunday), so give this a go for a tropical twist. This serves 2 as a dinner portion.

It's easier if you have a grill basked to cook the shrimp, because they turn pink and curl when they're cooked. You're less likely to overcook them that way. But skewer them if you want to; just be careful not to cook them more than 6 minutes total, or they'll be little rubber doorstops.

Mango salsa

2 mangoes, pitted and peeled

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 large red onion, peeled and diced

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds and inner membranes removed, finely (finely) chopped

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano

6 tablespoons lime juice (about three limes)

1/4 cup pineapple or orange juice

Mix in a glass bowl. Cover and chill about an hour (longer if you're using dried oregano).

24 medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, but with the tails still on.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper

Mix in a gallon-sized zip-top bag and set aside for about 15 minutes. Either skewer the shrimp, or put them in a grill basket.

Cook over a hot grill about 3 minutes per side or until the shrimp turn pink and start to curl.

Serve tossed with the salsa.

New fruit bar on the market

Each day it seems a new health product comes out, with the makers touting its healing benefits. The latest entrant into this trend: the rise of superfruits. These are foods that are so good for you, apparently a Bulgarian man living on them alone lived to be 245. (OK, we made that part up.)

But they are supposed to contain tons of antioxidants and nutrients to make your body work better.

thinkproducts one of the nation’s largest producers of nutrition bars, is pleased to announce the launch of a superfruit bar, thinkFruit.

With recent studies championing superfruits, several thousand superfruit products are expected to enter the market in the coming year.

think Fruit has a reduced-fat bar that incorporates the flavors of pomegranate, acai, goji berry and noni fruit, along with high-protein ingredients such as dates, cashews, peanuts and almonds. thinkFruit is not only an immunity booster and a good source of fiber, but is also soy and gluten free.

“Since starting thinkproducts, I have been on a quest to harness the power of nature and provide consumers with pure functional foods. The launch of the thinkFruit bar is yet another example of our continued commitment as a leader in health, nutrition and the natural foods category,” says CEO Lizanne Falsetto. “Our company continuously seeks new ways of making the path to health and wellness convenient, delicious, and accessible to everyone.”

With less fat than the average fruit and nut snack bar, thinkFruit comes in four delicious flavors; Chocolate Pomegranate Power, Cashew Acai Protect, Peanut Goji Glow and Apple Noni Nourish. thinkFruit will be available in local retailers across the United States for $1.29 and online beginning July 2008.

Shopping for time

During the summer, I’ve got a relatively low cooking (that requires heat) threshold in the house. We eat a lot of salads. We eat a ton of sandwiches.

It’s simply too hot to heat up the kitchen with an oven and stove going, therefore anything hot prepared at our house in the summer either comes off the grill or out of the Crock-Pot.

The low-maintenance prep means that we have a little more time to spend in the grocery. Another change: Usually I buy groceries in huge volume, but summer’s schedule has us making fewer trips where we just dash in for one or two things we’re going to eat that night. Somehow, the grocery bill doesn’t seem so monumental when it’s broken down into smaller increments.
Although one of these days I’m going to walk out of there spending less than $20, and I’ll keel over in the parking lot.

This past Sunday saw us with lots of time on our hands. Dad was in New York, so the three of us tooled around town doing a great job of doing nothing.

We swung by the Golden Springs Winn-Dixie (still in the middle of its facelift) and strolled through the produce section. Lots of stuff caught the eyes of my littlest shoppers.

Fruit salads. A whole line of organic stuff (they’re determined to relieve me of more of my money and have definitely picked up on the organic trend.)

They lingered at all the vegetables they’d seen on TV that are now available on a regular basis. And, once baseball winds down, we’ll be cooking with frequently.

In the end, they grabbed a big bowl of fruit, already cut up. While I tried to convince them of the savings that would come about by buying all the elements and then cutting them up ourselves, they weren’t having it.

“But this way we can just go home and grab two forks and dig in,” the 8-year-old put it with clear, boy-inspired logic. “Look at the time that’ll save.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

Sure enough, they sat down, the bowl between them, grabbed two forks and jumped right in.
Dinner, done.

Review: New line of Kraft dressings

We get a lot of products through here to review -- lots of them from frequent flyers in the food world. Many times a company says they're retooling a product . It's ballyhooed as "new and improved" and all that, but then nothing comes to pass when you actually taste it.

This isn't the case with Kraft's new salad dressing line. (Our family favorite: Green Goddess -- a blowback from the 1970s that is as well done in this bottle as I've ever made it.) The flavors are fresh and worth any uptick in cost. Seriously. This stuff could pass for homemade. And the new bottle design is easy to hold -- even for a 5-year-old.

And, although folks have been using salad dressings as marinades for years, I admit I've been late coming to that party. However, some simply home-cooked meals can benefit greatly with a bit of gussying up.

Mediterranean Chicken
Prep Time:5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives

COOK rice as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add chicken and onions; sprinkle with oregano. Cook chicken 3 min. on each side or until chicken is lightly browned on both sides and onions are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, dressing and garlic; stir gently. Continue to cook 4 to 6 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF), turning chicken after 3 min. Stir in olives.
SPOON rice onto serving platter; top with the chicken and sauce.

Zesty Grilled Veggies
Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:20 min
Makes:8 servings

Ingredients:4 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into ½ inch-thick slices
3 each: red and yellow peppers, cut into ½ inch-wide strips
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Place vegetables in grill basket.
GRILL 10 min. or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Place in large bowl.
ADD dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Mail-order meatballs

Mama, mia, that's a spicy (and big) meatball.

Meatballs are a joy to eat -- and they can be fun to make -- but if you've ever tried to make a jumbo-sized meatball, you know how difficult the endeavor is. They fall apart. They don't get cooked all the way through, the result is a series of individual meat loaf servings. They taste OK, assuming they're cooked, but they ain't meatballs.

Here's a product that came our way the other day: Jumbo meatballs ordered online.

Slow roasted for six hours for an authentic old-world Italian flavor, Mama Mancini Meatballs in Sunday Sauce. The meatballs are jumbo sized and are terrific paired with favorite pasta, or even on their own.

Mama Mancini Meatballs and Sunday Sauce were developed and created by Dan Mancini from an authentic recipe that has been in his family for generations. The recipe owes its traditional Italian flavor to Dan's grandma, Ann Mancini, who immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in 1921.

"Out of respect for every grandmother, I say 'These meatballs and Sunday Sauce may not be the same as your Grandmother's, but they are made with the same love,'" said Daniel Mancini.

Mancini noted, "Sunday dinner at Grandma's house was always pasta and meatballs. Big, saucy meatballs that filled you up and made you feel good inside."

Mama Mancini's Famous Meatballs and Sunday Sauce are available online for $39.90 per dozen meatballs. Considering how much meat is in one, that's probably not a bad price.

The meatballs are shipped frozen anywhere in the United States and take 20-30 minutes in the oven to heat up.

Hot summer, cold candy

Now you can get your ice cream flavors to go, thanks to new Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy. These one-of-a-kind candy treats have the true-to-life flavor of Baskin-Robbins ice cream and are available in two delicious flavors: Mint Chocolate Chip and Very Berry Strawberry.

Now available in sleek, new 3.1 oz theatre box format, new Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy is perfect for enjoying anytime you crave a sweet indulgence!

Combining ingredients like real cream and multi-level flavor technology, Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy was developed with a proprietary flavor design process to recreate real-life ice cream taste. Within the new Baskin-Robbins Candy theatre boxes, each piece of soft candy is individually foil-wrapped so consumers can enjoy the delicious taste of Baskin-Robbins at any time.

New Baskin-Robbins Soft Candy theatre boxes are available exclusively in Blockbuster Video for summer 2008.

Suggested retail price of the new Baskin Robbins Soft Candy theatre box is $1.29.

Slimmer summer options

I'm always on the lookout for fresh ways to use old favorites: turkey, shrimp and tuna among them. Not only do the base flavors of these ingredients scream Summer Goodness, they're also lighter and healthier for our hot, humid nights.

Often we get locked into traditional ways of cooking. We don't exploit the full versatility of these stand-bys. The folks at French's passed along a few new twists to try. Simple preparation, but the flavors will surprise your family and your guests.

Floribbean Shrimp Salad

Serve the shrimp salad in martini glasses for an elegant presentation.

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: about 3 min.

Chill Time: 30 min.

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp. light lime vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. Honey Dijon Mustard
3 Tbsp. plain nonfat yogurt
1 large mango, peeled and diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium, red bell pepper, diced
1 medium, Haas avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 (5 oz.) pkg. mixed salad greens

COOK shrimp in boiling water to cover about 3 min. until shrimp turn pink. Drain and cool.
MIX vinaigrette, mustard and yogurt in large bowl. Add cooled shrimp, mango, bell pepper and avocado. Toss gently until coated. Chill.
SERVE on salad greens. If desired, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or basil.

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 264 Calories, 9 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 222 mg Cholesterol, 26 g Protein, 19 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Dietary Fiber, 491 mg Sodium.
Tips: Cooked and peeled shrimp may also be purchased from the seafood department.
Papaya or peaches may be substituted for the mango.

Cajun Turkey Burgers with Remoulade
Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 12 min.

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
6 Tbsp. Horseradish Mustard, divided
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 3/4 tsp. salt-free spicy seasoning, divided
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 Tbsp. drained pickle relish
2 tsp. chopped capers
4 small, whole wheat rolls, split

MIX turkey, 4 Tbsp. mustard, 4 Tbsp. parsley, and 1 1/2 tsp. spicy seasoning in large bowl. Shape into 4 patties, 1/2-inch thick.
COMBINE sour cream, remaining 2 Tbsp. mustard and 2 Tbsp. parsley, relish, capers and remaining 1/4 tsp. spicy seasoning in small bowl.
GRILL burgers over medium-high heat for 12 min. or until no longer pink in center, turning once. Serve on rolls with spicy remoulade.

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 374 Calories, 8 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 61 mg Cholesterol, 43 g Protein, 37 g Carbohydrates, 6 g Dietary Fiber, 835 mg Sodium.
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (without roll): 200 Calories, 5 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 61 mg Cholesterol, 37 g Protein, 4 g Carbohydrates, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 525 mg Sodium.
Tip: If the spicy seasoning is not available, substitute 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper in the sauce.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

This light-style tuna salad makes a good first course served over toast rounds.

Prep Time: 10 min.

1/2 cup reduced-sodium tomato-vegetable juice
4 Tbsp. Horseradish Mustard or Spicy Brown Mustard
2 (6 oz.) cans tuna, packed in water, well drained
2/3 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped pitted Kalamata olives (about 5)

MIX juice and mustard in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat well. Cover and chill.
SERVE tuna salad over lettuce, on whole wheat rolls or on toast rounds.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 136 Calories, 4 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 30 mg Cholesterol, 18 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrates, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 392 mg Sodium.