Flash in the Pan

I can often tell how good a cookbook is by seeing how many small bookmarks my wife places among the recipes. Between bits of newspaper coupons and paper napkins, or whatever else was at hand, the top of my review copy of Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook has become a veritable forest. The recipes actually come from Brennan's restaurants. Given the extended family into which he was born - New Orleans restaurant royalty, with members owning a number of major names in that city's eating establishments - there is little surprise that he went into the business.

The beginning of the book has a "manual" for how to select, store, and handle various types of fish and seafood. I would have liked to see a bit more - for example, not just filleting a whole fish, but also gutting and cleaning it. However, even in the section on fin fish, there was a tip I had never heard for telling if a fish is done. Insert the tip of a knife into the thickest part of a fillet. Then put the tip against the inside of your wrist. If it feels hot, then it's done. And there's plenty of other useful information, like an explanation of the difference among different types of crab meat and crabs.

The recipes look fabulous: crab cakes with ravigote sauce, chilled smoked scallops with tomato-and-onion marmalade (making your own stove top smoker is in a tips appendix), oyster and artichoke bisque, baked catfish with sweet potato scales and andouille sauce, shrimp and spinach cannelloni with champagne butter sauce. This is upscale fish cookery.

Oddly enough, my eyebrows frowned when I came upon the dessert, side dish, and drinks sections. Heaven knows I love dessert, and there are some terrific recipes in here, and I've also been known to tuck into side dishes and even take the occasional drink (including a rum-based milk punch during a "Breakfast at Brennan's" at the famous restaurant owned by some of his kin). But there are so many general and even restaurant cookbooks, I found myself wishing that they had just concentrated on the fish alone, expanding those sections even more (not that they are skimpy by any means). But that's just me; my wife happily bookmarked through the rest of the pages as well.

It's a hefty $45, but you get a hefty amount of hardback for the money. It could make a great gift, whether for someone else or yourself.

Labels: book, cookbook, review

The Culinary Institute of America has come out with yet another beautiful and useful book: Cake Art. If you've ever had an interest in interest in creating dramatic desserts, this is a volume for you, although I wouldn't call this a book for beginners. It starts with an overview of tools and components that I found myself wishing had a bit more to it: more individual photos of each item rather than trying to discern elements in group photos, more explanation of what to do and how to do it, and more tips.

However, it's not a paralyzing shortcoming, as you can get some of that from browsing online retailers, stores, and catalogs. Where the book really shines is in the techniques and instructions. For example, on page 31 there is a photo with three spoons of meringue, one stiff, one medium, and one soft-peaked. There are formulas for both hard and soft ganaches (Books often don't explicitly set the two side-by-side, and there's a big difference in the resulting texture and use.) as well as modeling chocolate. You can learn to make ribbons and coverings of fondant. Pipe a flower from buttercream (with a tip on how to reconstitute the mixture if it separates) or mold it from molding chocolate, marzipan, or fondant. In short, there is a lot to learn.

And that might be the big problem for many would-be cake decorators. Some of these techniques require practice, and a lot of it. If you go directly to the projects and try to work your way backward into the techniques, the results are going to be disappointing. If you want to undertake a given project (which, smartly, tell you how far in advance - weeks in some cases - to start different parts), then read through, write down the techniques that are necessary, and practice well in advance. You don't really think that pastry chefs start on this level of work their first day of class, do you? However, if you are willing to spend some time, this book should be well worth your while.

Labels: cake, cookbook, dessert, review

The PR people for Mom's Best Naturals cereals sent over a sampling of different products, including instant oatmeal and Cheerio-like Toasty O's. It's an easy review - everyone here likes the products a lot. Good flavor unassailed by artificial preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, hydrogenated oil, or high fructose corn syrup. (My wife is on a crusade against the latter, and I can't say as I blame her.) It's nice to see a "natural" product that appears to be what it claims without tasting like a righteous cardboard box.

Labels: cereal, product, review

Grill Charms are stainless steel markers that you can press into meat that's sitting on your grill. The idea is "to distinguish spices and flavors, steak temperature, or avoid health or allergy issues." You press one of the charms into a burger or piece of chicken and know that it's different - special. But there are a few problems. One is that if because you need to put both sides of the meat (or vegetable - let me not dismiss the greener fare) onto the grill, you really cannot put the charm into place until after you've cooked one side. However, I find that something cooked rare medium will flip sooner than a well-done item. So you have to remember to put the charms in on that first flip, so that the side that's already done will have the charm, which you want face up.

Next, there are different collections. Depending on the collection you get, you might find it harder or easier to use. For example, in the charmed life collection, the charms bore marks of a crown, martini glass, dollar sign, clover, sail boat, and a palm tree on the beach. Pray tell, how do you remember which you assign to a given meaning? Checking the web site, the spiciness was a little clearer, with an X over a pepper for mild, a single pepper for regular, and multiple peppers for spicy. Clearest of all are those in the steak collection: R (rare), MR (medium-rare), M (medium), and so on. But what happens if I have a small party at which three people like medium-rare, two like rare, and one holds out for well? I don't get multiple doneness charms, so do I have to buy multiple sets at $19.95 for six or $4 for a single one? That seems like a lot of money for such a small piece of stainless.

I suspect the best thing is to divide the grill surface into a few sections. Put all the rare in one, all the spicy in a second, the salt-free in a third, and invest the money into some good beer to tide you through the chef experience.

Labels: gadget, grilling, product, review

Calling the Krups GVX2 (the all-black model is the GVX1) a "burr milling system" seems pretentious, so let's use a more realistic name: burr coffee grinder. For the most part, it does what it is supposed to, which is definitely good, although there are a few quirks that I didn't completely care for.

What generally makes a burr grinder superior to a blade system, at least for coffee, is the ability to set the texture of the grind with an adjustment mechanism, and not by trying to guess what amount of whirring corresponds to what you need. And there was an adjustment knob on the side of the GVX2. However, I found that it didn't set finely enough for espresso; the coffee brewed a few seconds too quickly for my taste even when I had the grinder at the finest setting. I was also ambivalent about setting the number of coffee measures you want and then pressing a button, which is really setting a timer to get the "right" amount of coffee. That worked roughly the same as the old Capresso model I used that finally gave up the ghost after years of service. But if you found yourself a bit short, there was no obvious way of getting just a little bit more. (Actually, I found that pushing the start button a second time would turn off the grinder, which had the same end effect.)

The hopper didn't have room for a lot of beans at a time, though enough for a double espresso or a few cups of coffee. Given how much room the two measures of espresso took up in the receptacle (it did keep the grounds contained nicely), I wouldn't have tried for 12 measures all at once, as I would have been concerned about it backing up into the machine.

I also found that at times the coffee would stop moving through the grinder, which was still on, and I'd have to give it a shake to get things moving again. Overall, it's a fair grinder, though not a great one. However, the list price of $59.99 makes it a reasonable entry-level machine choice.

Labels: appliance, coffee, equipment, product, review

Noble Juice shipped a selection of their products for testing. It arrived the other day and already we've gone through all but one of the bottles. The juices were uniformly good, some advertised as "natural" (as opposed to unnatural juice?) and others as organic. I thought the tangerine guava mango combination was particularly good and interesting: sweet with a faint hint of contrasting bitterness that only heightened the taste. The blood orange was also a treat, again with that complexity of taste. But then, I liked the orange tangerine as well.

An added benefit is that the company is shifting to a biodegradable bottle made out of corn. The products are also available through a wide number of grocery chains, so finding it shouldn't be too hard. It only gets tough when the juice gets home and is suddenly unprotected from the familial hordes.

Labels: fruit, juice, product, review

Although the DeLonghi DCG39 doesn't do well everything it seems to advertise, it has enough features and smart design to make it worth having if you need to grind things, like coffee beans or spices. The overall look is clean and visually appealing, with a great feature of an electrical cord that hand reels back into the body when you are done; the knob is hidden out of side underneath the unit.

You turn a knob on the front to set how much coffee you want and then hold down a button and watch LEDs light to tell you whether the coffee is coarse, medium, or fine. Because there is no hopper that feeds beans into the grinder, to be dispensed below, setting the volume is critical because it will affect for how long the grinding occurs. That makes operation a tad clumsy, but then, using older fashioned grinders, like my probably 20 year old Krups model, requires you to keep an eye on the results and to check from time to time to be sure the texture is right. So you have to do the same basic thing here.

The front knob lets you pick anywhere from 4 to 12 cups of coffee. That works well with my regular (not espresso) coffee maker, because it makes a minimum of four cups. But if you want to make a single or double cup, you really have to keep a close eye.

As far as the "fineness" lights that go on, it was a bit confusing at first. It turns out that you hold the button and wait for the lights to come on in succession. If you're looking for a medium grind (for drip coffee makers), you wait until that comes on, but the coarse (percolators or coffee presses) will also be lit. Although there is a fine grind for espresso, if you're serious about that drink, you simply don't have the control in adjustment to get a consistent pour, which you absolutely need. However, in an emergency it could do, and I suspect it would be fine if you wanted to experiment with Turkish style, in which you boil the grounds with water and some spices (cinnamon and cardamom, I believe).

The street price seems to be about $30, which seems fair for what you get. Overall, if you don't need to make espresso on a regular basis, this is a decent grinder choice.

Labels: appliance, coffee, product, review

Even if this brew didn't possess a complex flavor, with an aggressive helping of hops providing a nicely bitter after taste and an equally aggressive 7.2 percent of alcohol and brewed in the company's own facilities, and not jobbed out, Arrogant Bastard Ale would be worth buying for the attitude. On the front is the statement, "You're Not Worthy." On the back:

This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory -- maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it's made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you're mouthing your words as you read this.

And it tastes great with a partly dried-out piece of chocolate cake obtained from the same food coop that had the ale.

Labels: ale, beer, product, review

Oh, I hang my head in shame for I am not worthy. The black and tan is a marvelous drink but tricky to pour, as you making a layered drink, with a base of ale supporting a cap of stout (traditionally Bass and Guiness, respectively). People try doing this with a pint glass and a bar spoon, pouring the stout over the back of the spoon, but generally the result looks like a glass of caramel-colored liquid.

Bass came out with something they call a brolly - English slang for an umbrella - that supposedly helps make the drink. They sent one over, along with a glass and bottle of ale, but the devices are still available for free through the end of the month, unless you live in California, in which case you have to pay a buck. Don't ask me why; I can't figure out anything about that state.

First clue I should have had that something was going to go wrong was what appeared to be two conflicting sets of instructions. In one, you tip the pint glass (the three-cornered Bass one is nice) on a 45 degree angle and pour the ale down the side. In the other, you pour down the center of the glass, creating a good foam, whatever amount that indicates. The two different instructions agreed that you get the glass two-thirds full, and then set the brolly atop the glass and slowly pour the stout through it so the dark liquid floats atop the amber.

But I let down the English and Irish parts of my muddled ethnic background when I couldn't get the damned stout to float. (I suppose that the Scottish part of me sat back, amused.) So much for the device making this easy, though in the press release, the Bass Pale Ale brand manager said that the device makes the black and tan "less challenging." Oh, good. Otherwise, I might have ended up with a monochromatic glass of liquid even faster than I actually did. Ah, well. When at first you don't succeed, have the barkeep pour another. I'll clearly have to continue practicing.

Labels: beer, product, review

Sometimes a name says nothing. In the case of Hershey's Bliss, I tried the dark, milk, and milk with "meltaway" center. Disclosure up front: milk chocolate is, in general, an abomination. Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the PR claim:

Hershey's Bliss Chocolate is specially crafted to ensure that every detail contributes to the overall chocolate experience. The slight domed shape of the individual square fits the mouth perfectly allowing the chocolate to melt evenly cascading rich, creamy chocolate notes across the tongue. The finish is satisfying and sophisticated, a lasting reward.

For the effective translation, yes, they are small pieces and, yes, they are square with a rounded top. But the chocolate is pretty boring - not bad enough to deserve blistering, but falling far short of bliss. The dark didn't have the bite and depth you might expect for a fine chocolate, and even the milk was dull. Even though the company is "targeting female chocolate lovers," I doubt that a sudden gender change by human hand or divine intervention would change my impression. Although they're holding some promotion that involves a claimed 10,000 home chocolate parties the weekend of April 25, I'd suggest staying in your own home with a good bar of chocolate, instead. You could even cut it up into smaller pieces.

Labels: chocolate, opinion, product, review

Sargento - makers of packaged cheese products - have been selling a set of products they call Artisan Cheese Blends. What they claim is that they are selling cheese blends "with artisan cheese from selected artisan farms", including the following variations: Double Cheddar, Mozzarella & Provolone, Parmesan, Whole Milk Mozzarella, Parmesan & Romano, and Swiss.

Read a bit further in the web site and materials, and you notice the major point: "Artisan cheeses with our specialty shredded cheeses." That makes sense, because there is no way that artisan farms could possibly create enough cheese volume to satisfy the mass market needs of Sargento. I tried a number of varieties (actually, one of each) that the company's PR firm sent my way, and they're not bad on a relative scale. The blends tended to be a little sharper, with a touch more flavor, than typical bagged shredded cheese. If I was looking for a quick and convenient cheese hit, these products might be fine. However, if you want real artisan cheese flavor, go buy real artisan cheese and use it in enough volume to make a significant difference. And, at $1.99 to $4.99 for bags holding three, five, eight, or ten ounces of cheese - or per pound prices starting at $8 and hitting $10.61 - that chunk of artisan cheese stops seeming so incredibly expensive.

Labels: cheese, opinion, product, review

It took a while to work through the phyllo-based products of the Fillo Factor and Aunt Trudy's (both from the same company). You spell fillo, I spell phyllo, it doesn't matter when, for the most part, the products are great. The underlying product is the dough. Typically people buy phyllo frozen because, from what I understand, it's a bigger pain in the pantry to make from scratch than even strudel dough. In everything we tried, the phyllo was perfect - crisp, never overly greasy from the fat that gets spread between layers when you actually bake with it. In sheet form, there is the regular kind as well as organic. Some types listed on the site that I didn't have to test were organic whole wheat or organic spelt. You can also buy pre-made 1.5-inch diameter organic round shells for either savory or sweet treats. This is a great tool for your next entertainment extravaganza.

The pocket sandwiches - broccoli and cheese, cheese and tomato pizza, spinach and cheese, organic eggplant and roasted peppers, organic Asian vegetable - were great. The teens liked them as well. Microwave according to the directions, and they come out surprisingly crisp. Appetizers were, sadly, more hit and miss. Spinach and feta were good. The potato and roasted garlic would have been good just as that, but there was an overly aggressive rosemary presence, which no one here found pleasing. The roast vegetable one filling cubed a bit too fine for my taste. Now, I know these are small, and that you couldn't use larger cubes, but maybe more roughly chopped, or even mashed. I found the texture a bit off-putting - not bad, just strange. The spanakopita was fine.

On to dessert. My wife, who loves baklava, loved the walnut variety that we got. I tried it as well and agreed that it was fabulous.

So, all in all, if your taste is like mine and you stay away from the potato and roasted garlic appetizers, at worst you'll find something acceptable, and at best you'll be impressed. Later on I'll report on the various prepared chilis that came in the test package from the company.

Labels: appetizers, meal, opinion, product, review, sandwich

This unit actually came in late last year to test, but I couldn't complete that effort until now, as I'll explain in a minute. The DeLonghi RO2058 is a deceptively big oven: you can fit a 12-inch frozen pizza (the back bends out to provide the extra room). At various times I've baked five large potatoes, a roast beef, or a casserole. So, there is lots of space to do some real cooking, which is great if you want to lower your energy bill, as you aren't burning fuel to heat a full-size enclosure. A small light lets you see progress, and, as advertised, the inside seems relatively easy to clean, and the crumb tray comes out easily enough.

It is great having the convection option if you are in a hurry, as the hot air currents can cut a good 25 percent off the time you'd need to cook many things. There is also a toasting function for up to six slices of bread, in case you want to avoid NCAD (Needless Countertop Appliance Duplication). There are a couple of wire shelves, or you can replace one with a broiling pan that slides into the sides the same was as the racks do.

There are some drawbacks. I don't know whether someone accidentally sent me a European model, but the temperature scale was marked out in Celsius, not Fahrenheit, causing me minor mental convulsions as I was trying to convert between the two in my head. (Here's a hint: 180 C is about 350 F.)

And now let's to the rotisserie. I had put off checking it because we kept getting quartered chickens, and I wanted to test a whole one. The instructions claimed a 4.5 pound capacity ceiling, so when I picked up two chickens, I choose the smaller one, which weighed in at about 4.1 pounds. That was a disappointment. The heart of the rotisserie is a rod with a couple of fork implements that adjust with thumb screws. You put the skewer through the food, push the forks, tines inward, into the object of your future dining, and tighten them into place. That went well enough, but it was a little tricky to get the bar into place in the oven; it was a bit shorter than I had expected and easy to let one end or the other fall down while trying to get it into place. When I finally had it seated, I started the rotisserie - and found that the chicken was hitting one of the heating elements. Had I trussed the chicken, it would have been a little better, but it was clear that it still would have been banging into things. I'll try it again with something smaller, but it seemed too bad that turned out to be necessary.

Overall, I've been finding it useful, and at a street price hovering around $100, it's not too expensive to consider.

Labels: appliance, opinion, review

We had just run out of barbecue sauce and, desperately needing a fix, I searched the pantry shelves and found a bottle of Café Tequila BBQ Sauce. Frankly, I don't remember where or when we got it. This may have been one of those samples that came in from a PR firm, or we might have actually - gasp - paid money for it. Either way, it was there and I was game. Off, with some doing, came the wax seal on the long bottle neck and out, eventually, came the cork. Great flavor - some depth to keep your interest and yet delivering on the basic promise of a barbecue sauce.

So, it's worth getting, although there is one problem: the bottle. Yes, the wide bottom and tall, skinny neck are attractive and grab your attention. But that base takes up a bit too much shelf space in the refrigerator and the neck means you can't slip it onto just any of your shelves.

Labels: opinion, product, review, sauce

I've tried 'em, and they taste and act like regular eggs. But the people at Eggland's Best have a patented feed mix - which they license to producers around the country (generally you're getting a local egg with the Eggland's branding) - that supposedly improves nutrition. I have no way of verifying these claims independently, as the Flash in the Pan lab decided that when the first day of spring brings more snow and sub-freezing weather, it's time to move south. However, here are some of the improvements over normal eggs that the company claims: 19 percent less cholesterol, 25 percent less saturated fat and 10 percent less overall fat, almost three times the omega 3 fatty acids (research supports that they may help reduce risk of coronary heart disease), five times the vitamin E, and 25 percent more lutein (good for the eyes). To be fair, if you aren't eating egg all the time, then this isn't going to be a reliable source of nutrition. But when you are using eggs, it's nice to know.

We still go for: 1) eggs from our chickens (when they feel like paying off the massive debt in chicken feed they now owe), 2) organic store-bought, and 3) vegetarian-fed free range (though, to be truthful, chickens have eating habits that you probably don't want to know if you're ever to use an egg again in your life). But the Eggland's Best seems like a reasonable choice.

Labels: food, ingredients, opinion, review

While on a shopping excursion in the Brattleboro Food Coop, I came across a bottle of St. Peter's English Ale. Imported from Suffolk, England, the brew was good - round flavor with a pleasant hint of bitterness at the end. Unfortunately, my capacity for alcohol is limited, and I went through only half the bottle. But as we had some short ribs that needed tending to, I decided that a little braising would be in order:

Beer-Braised Short Ribs

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 4 lbs. short ribs
• 6 ounces beer (I used St. Peter's English Ale)
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds

Directions>

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together. Dredge short ribs in mixture. Heat 12-inch frying pan over high heat, add olive oil, and brown ribs on all sides. Transfer to dutch oven.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and celery, cooking until onions are translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking until onions are browned. Add mixture to dutch oven.
4. Add beer to pan and deglaze. After dissolving all solids, add tomatoes, basil, bay leaves, and cardamom. Heat through. Add to dutch oven.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover dutch oven and place in oven. Cook for three hours. Serve with egg noodles.

Serves 4-6, depending on the appetites. I found that kim chi goes well with this dish, as do braised greens.

Labels: beef, beer, braise, casserole, entree, opinion, recipe, review

I saw mention of the newest V8 V-Fusion flavor: açaí. For those unfamiliar with the products, they are blends of fruit and vegetable juices, meant to get people to ingest more vegetables by disguising the taste with something sweet. When the bottle came in, my kids started eyeing it, as I guess they are already fans, so if your intent is to improve the nutrition of a younger crowd, you've got that base covered. But what isn't clear, to my non-nutritional mind, at least, is just how much more of a balanced diet you can drink yourself into.

I know the mantra is to eat X many servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but when I looked at the bottle's label, darned if I could find a massive influx of vitamins or minerals. So while the advice is out there, I can't figure out exactly what it is trying to accomplish in results.

However, if there is a benefit from drinking some portion of your fruits and vegetables, and the V-Fusion fits the bill, the açaí version had a quite pleasant taste, and the bottle was gone a lot faster than would have been the case with a bottle of regular V8. (Though I like that as well.)

Labels: drinks, opinion, product, review

I should start by saying that I have an almost absolute dislike for flavored coffees. I generally hold that if I want an added taste, I can put in a shot of some more naturally-flavored syrup, go for something chicory-laced, or even add some ground cinnamon, cardamom, or other spice before brewing. But I have to admit that Flavorbean coffees are pretty good.

According to the PR materials, most flavored beans are made using chemical solvents to deposit the taste on the coffee. I don't know that independently, but, if true, that perhaps explains the overly aggressive and harshness I've found when I've tried such brews. But the french vanilla and hazelnut varieties I received from the company to test were really pleasant. They claim that the coffees are "naturally flavored," which can be a slippery label to understand. But if you like flavored coffee, I'd suggest giving these a try.

And if you want something really different, add a half teaspoon of good cinnamon to the grounds. It's a lovely way to start an early morning.

Labels: coffee, opinion, product, review

OK, so the name sounds like something Roald Dahl threw out when writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But don't let the self-conscious cuteness of FruitaBü throw you. These organic fruit snacks have a strong and clean fruit flavor, though some tend a little to the sour. But they're aimed at kids, and those same kids often like incredibly sour candies that twist my lips into a knot when I even think of them. Also, all the sugars come from fruit, so there is no high fructose corn syrup that goes into these.

There are two versions. The fruit Twirls are like a ribbon of soft fruit leather spiralled up. The fruit Sploooshers are packets of some kind of gelatinous mass that I'm sure is a heretofore unknown physical state of matter. I found the texture mildly off-putting, as did my teenage daughter, though, as I did, she liked the Twirls. But, being the dutiful young woman she is, she brought samples with her to school to test on her friends. They pretty much said, "Bring more," and they preferred the Sploooshers.

So give them a shot. Chances are that you won't go wrong, and at least you're keeping the corn content out and available for ethanol for the car.

Labels: fruit, opinion, product, review, snacks

I recently reviewed Hormel Compleats - a line of one-dish meals that store on the shelf without refrigeration. The company's PR representatives just emailed in response to my comments on the sodium content:

I did want to clarify your statement on sodium content. The USDA recommends that healthy Americans get 2,300 milligrams per day. (USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Chapter 8 “Sodium and Potassium - http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm) At 600 milligrams or less, Hormel Compleats products provide roughly a quarter or less of the sodium recommendation per day. The sodium content in Hormel Compleats is equal to or less than other single serving shelf-stable offerings in the market today.

I think the PR firm meant that it wanted to challenge my statement, as I don't see how it would be in the position to clarify what I had said. In any case, the product may hover around the same sodium content as other shelf-stable offerings, but the company's analysis is off and even misleading. First, the USDA reference cited does not recommend that people get 2,300 mg of sodium, but less than 2,300 mg of sodium, which is a significantly different statement. If you are middle-aged or older, black, or have hypertension, the top number is 1,500 mg. But that's not the USDA's only statement on sodium.

Instead, let's consider this from the second chapter, Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs, of the same USDA 2005 dietary guidelines. I'd argue that looking at nutritional needs would be closer to the concept of a recommended minimum amount, and that the 2,000 Kcal nutrition levels are near an adult average, given gender and activity levels, which can widely swing the recommendations. That 2,000 Kcal number is the general baseline used for nutritional comparisons on food levels. For that level of caloric intake, the recommended sodium number is 1,779 mg. And here’s an interesting paragraph from the same chapter the company quoted:

Common sources of sodium found in the food supply are provided in figure 4. On average, the natural salt content of food accounts for only about 10 percent of total intake, while discretionary salt use (i.e., salt added at the table or while cooking) provides another 5 to 10 percent of total intake. Approximately 75 percent is derived from salt added by manufacturers.

In other words, packaged foods - shelf-stable or not - put the largest amount of sodium per serving into our diets. On the whole, I think that my analysis is probably more realistic in terms of viewing a food as "healthy" or not, and certainly closer to what a health professional would likely say than taking the number Hormel does and trying to interpret it as a recommended amount that people should have, rather than a maximum, with the understanding that, for salt, less is certainly more.

Labels: food, nutrition, PR, product, review

When the PR people sent samples of the tasty Weil by Nature’s Path Pure Fruit & Nut Bars, also in the box were two cereals: HempPlus Organic Hot Oatmeal and Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch. Let's take the former without any untoward jokes, out there, because hemp is not necessarily its more psychopharmacoligically active cousin banned on college campuses across this great nation. Instead, this is another source of dietary fiber that is supposed to provide health benefits. I gave it a shot. An instant cereal, you mix in boiling water, stir for a bit, and you get breakfast. I was surprised at the creamy nature of the cereal; usually that takes cooking in liquid, not merely adding something wet. The taste was passable, but I could pass on what turned out to be a nearly gelatinous texture. In fact, as I lifted a spoonful, I could see little trailing strands of goo stretching an inch or so back to the bowl. Hmm.

More textually pleasant was the Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch. It's a cold cereal, crunchy, with a fruity taste (freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries) and enough whatever in it that I found it didn't need sugar - just a dash of milk. Put me down for more of this one.

Labels: cereal, opinion, product, review

Hormel Compleats is a line of now one-dish meals in a form called shelf-stable, which means they can sit around on a shelf for extended periods of time, and marketed as meeting the USDA guidelines for a healthy lifestyle. But there are some problems, and I'd suggest passing on firsts, let alone seconds.

The most obvious issue is taste. Rather, the problem is lack of taste. I tried two varieties: beef steak & peppers, served over noodles, and Santa Fe style chicken with rice, black beans, and corn. Darned if I could detect much in the way of identifiable, or even existing, favor. Bite into a piece of chicken or beef, and you can tell there's a difference in texture, but not much else.

Now let's move to the "healthy lifestyles" claim. I looked at the USDA guidelines. There are many versions of caloric and nutritional suggestions for different genders, ages, and lifestyles. But look at Table 2, and you see that for 2,000 calories, total sodium should be roughly 1,800 mg and 65 g fat. Now, Hormel says that the dishes are all under 320 calories, with less than 10 grams fat and not more than 600 mg of sodium. Let's say there are 300 calories in the one you're eating. That's roughly 15 percent of the calories you're allowed, and the fat falls roughly in line with that. But 600 mg of sodium is a third of the daily allotment, so you're hitting double the average sodium you might want.

Clearly you can't expect everything to come out on the average, but this makes me want to re-evaluate the healthy lifestyle claim. You could say that you are meeting the requirements by eating a lot less, which doesn't mean that the food is "healthier." And why is there so much sodium as a percentage? Because there is little flavor, and many packaged foods know that the salt taste is a major taste trigger to people. Which brings us back to square one. Convenience may be ... convenient, but as with convenience store prices, which are generally higher than grocery stores, you end up paying for that ease one way or another.

Update

I had an email from Hormel's PR firm about the review, challenging my remarks about the sodium content. Here's the entry with the exchange.

Labels: meal, opinion, product, review

While driving back from eastern Massachusetts to the western part of the state, we pulled over at the Johnny Appleseed rest stop in Fitchburg, home of that famous gardener. Being filled with the fruit spirit, my wife and I bought a bag of Seneca Apple Chips. The taste was pretty good - not a complete substitute for a potato chip, if you have that specific craving, but slighly sweet without being cloying, and precious little sodium. I thought they might be dried, but according to the company's web site, it uses a "proprietary vacuum cooking process." We tried the original flavor (otherwise known as apple), but there are some others, including caramel and cinnamon, a tart Granny Smith, and sour apple. They're definitely worth trying.

Labels: opinion, product, review, snacks

Disappointing is the word that comes to mind as I write this review. I have greatly enjoyed Honest Tea bottled ice teas, so when I heard about Honest Kids fruit-based drinks that had only 40 calories and complete vitamin C requirements for a child, I looked forward to testing them on the family. In came the Goodness Grapeness, Berry Berry Good Lemonade, and Tropical Tango Punch flavors. In went the straws so we could try them. Down went our brows, as the products are anything but impressive. The ingredients are organic, and the first two are water and cane sugar. At 40 calories, you might think that the products had little sugar, and you'd be right. Unfortunately, they have even less fruit juice (10 percent, according to the package) and flavor brings up the rear after a long delay. These drinks taste watered. With a suggested price of between $3.99 and $5.99 for eight 6.75-ounce pouches, my suggestion would be to buy a bottle of good fruit juice and water it down yourself.

Labels: drinks, opinion, product, review

A sample of three Veroli Foods products - three-cheese lasagna, meat lasagna, and marinara sauce - came in a few weeks back from the company's PR firm. It's taken this long to finish trying them all, and I can happily report that all were worth eating. A constant among all is the bright and sweet tomato flavor. The company says that they are vine ripened - I wouldn't know, but the taste is elemental, with little in the way of spicing to muddy the results. A jar of sauce can run between $5.99 and $6.49, but they are good.

The lasagnas were surprisingly good - not just because of the tomatoes, but the pasta, which comes out al dente, something I've never seen in a frozen pasta-based dish before. We liked both the cheese and meat ones (between $8.99 and $9.99). One box could serve four people, but expect heating in a regular oven to take 90 minutes total. I misread the package of the meat lasagna, took off the covering film at one hour, and was surprised by how loose it was. My fault; the extra half hour is key.

Unfortunately, distribution right now is thin. You can get the products in Central Markets if you live in Texas, or Kings Supermarkets in New Jersey. They're supposed to launch in other markets "in the near future," which means I haven't a clue, so check with the company itself.

Labels: Italian, opinion, product, review

There's a lot about VeeV that would ordinarily make me wary, if it weren't for one massively redeeming factor. It's made of açaí berries, which various celebrities (and would-be celebrities trying to market themselves) describe as a "super food." Comments like that make me look for my culinary kryptonite, even if I can feel healthy while pickling my liver. Next, the company claims to be carbon neutral, which is a worthy goal, I reckon, but it bothers me when this all becomes marketing and you wonder how buying credits from someone else does any good when the same amount of carbon ends up generated. Third, they tout donating $1 per bottle to "green initiatives," which bugs me because if a company wants to donate money, great, but don't put it in the form of "You'd better buy if you want us to give," which is how such things hit me. And their PR people circulate a list of celebrities, some of whom I've never even heard of, that love love love VeeV. Frankly, I don't care who else likes it. Now for the redeeming factor: it's really good.

I didn't try any of the supplied drink recipes, because I think an ingredient must be able to stand on its own. And it did - neat, in a wine glass. The berry flavor has deep earthy depths, which they described it as "notes of chocolate," a description I didn't find completely accurate, but close enough, as I couldn't figure out how to describe it. It's an unusual taste, and a tad astringent on the finish, but quite pleasant. I can see how this would work in mixed drinks as well. It's certainly worth trying, even if you do run the risk of becoming an eco-centric celebrity follower.

Labels: drinks, opinion, product, review

The PR people for Guiltless Gourmet sent a sample of a new version of their apparently 20-year-old baked tortilla chips. There are a number of flavors, though the one that showed up here was chili and lime. I'm not typically someone that likes flavored chips, but the tartness and bite weren't bad, which leads me to think that if you do like flavored chips, this might be to your taste. The crunch in them was excellent, even after the bag had been opened and then folded over and clipped shut for about a week. The release for the reformulated chips mentioned "better" texture and aroma - you won't get an argument out of me, although I never tried the earlier versions, so couldn't give a good comparison. But these seem good for a snack. Now, if only we had made salsa the other day, my afternoon would have been complete.

Labels: product, review, snacks

There are those who like their iced tea sweetened and flavored enough to mask the taste of the foundational ingredient. And then there are others who enjoy the tea itself. Finally, there are the fickle, like me, who sometimes want cold tea one way and sometimes another. This morning, after making the rounds for my daughter (busy social calendar) on her paper route, I wanted something more astringent and yet delicate. I found that with Teas' Tea from Ito En. My choice was a jasmine green tea, brewed, apparently, from loose tea leaves, jasmine flowers, water, and some vitamin C. The taste was pleasant, clean, and as close to real tea as I can imagine you can get in a bottle. The 16.9 ounce bottle I had was a bit under $2, a case of 24 bottles purchased online is $36 (not sure about shipping, as I didn't want to sign up for the site), and there's a retailer locater. There is also a range of flavors, mostly based on green, but with a golden oolong and a brown, not available at the local shop. Wish they were.

Labels: product, review, tea

Ghirardelli has come out with a new line of "filled premium chocolate bars," so I asked them to send some samples to test. And as it's still Valentine's Day, I figured it was an appropriate time to mention them. Reactions here were mixed. My wife snarfed the solid dark chocolate and managed to finish it off while forgetting to give me a taste. Uh huh. But she thought it was good, some depth of flavor, and fruity. I trust her taste, even if I obviously can't trust her with chocolate.

I actually found that I liked the fillings more than the chocolate itself. The flavors inside over powered those of the coating. I particularly liked the raspberry and even the mint, which is unusual, as I'm generally not a big mint fan. (After a taste, I passed it on to my daughter, who snapped it up so fast that it was a good thing my hand was open. Do you detect a pattern in my family?) The caramel was also good.

Suggested retail price of the bars is $2.29, which isn't bad compared to the price of many higher end chocolate bars.

Labels: chocolate, opinion, product, review

A load of these snacks that are vegan, wheat free, organic, and without genetically-modified materials came in from the PR people fro Nature's Path, which has a "collaboration" with Andrew Weil, M.D. I take that to actually mean licensing use of his persona, name, and image, but toss all that aside for a moment. These are genuinely good. It's solid fruit and nuts, and I'm glad I insisted that my family members leave at least a taste of each for me when they snarf the bars. For example, the Banana Manna (oh, please, spare me the name) has dates, dried banana, and almonds. The 1.6 ounce bar has 180 calories, with 50 calories from fat (nuts being the culprit), 4 grams of dietary fiber, some low level vitamins. But if you've got a craving for something sweet, skip the candy bar and tuck down one of these, or maybe a chia seed and raspberry, chocolate walnut, or one of the other flavors.

Labels: opinion, product, review

I generally eschew product announcements because I either want to know I'm suggesting something good, or I want the opportunity to mock someone unmercifully. However, my family has been eating Tribe hummus for years. It's very good, given that it's ready-to-eat, so this seemed a natural - consider it a review of a new packaging concept. The company is putting hummus into 2 ounce snack containers. You get a choice of roasted garlic, classic, 40 spices, and roasted red peppers.

The small containers come in two ways. One is a four-pack, whose suggested retail price is $2.99, "which is line priced with their most popular 8oz hummus product line." In other words, apparently they're not charging a premium for smaller packaging. Nice to see for a change. There is also a single 2-ounce snack pack that comes with a few crackers and runs ... $1.49 suggested retail, or roughly twice the unit price in the four-pack. Ah, well, so much for avoiding premium pricing.

The hummus does have to be refrigerated, so don't plan on keeping it in a hot lunch box all day.

Labels: opinion, product, review, snacks

There are books that amuse and a few that shock. But if you partake of fast food in any of its forms - whether a burger joint or upscale chain café - get ready to be dumbfounded. The Stop & Go Fast Food Nutrition Guide by Steven Aldana, Ph.D, shows calories, fat (split into various categories), sodium, and dietary fiber of a wide range of the snacks, meals, and drinks you could find at close to 70 chains ranging from A&W to White Castle. Entries are color-coded in a green, yellow, and red motif to show relative healthiness of of the chow.

Let's take an example or two. Like the Starbucks apple fritter? That's 790 calories, with 37 milligrams of fat and a whopping 830 milligrams of sodium. Death on a dish. A plain old 16 ounce latté? That's a grande at 260 calories. How about a Hardee's Big Country Breakfast Platter with country steak? Just 1150 calories, 455 milligrams of cholesterol, and a completely astounding 2660 milligrams - otherwise known as almost 2.7 grams - of sodium. Personally, I'd double check the numbers for the green, yellow, and red coding: a Subway sweet onion chicken teriyaki 6-inch sub may have only 5 milligrams of fat and 370 calories, but it's got 1220 milligrams of sodium.

At $6.95 list, it's a great investment, and if you want to go to the web, you can get all the contents for free. Take it with you when you're out and get rid of some weight, because you'll surely lose your appetite.

Labels: book, diets, fast food, nutrition, review

There are a lot of people who are alergic to peanuts, and when the persons in question are young, they must feel as though they are sticking out like sore thumbs. Parents have to check for the presence of the nobby legume everywhere, with some schools having gone peanut free to prevent cases of anaphylactic shock. There is also the feeling of deprivation, as everyone else gets to eat PB&J. Those with peanut alergies might want to check out SunButter from SunGold Foods. It's made of sunflower seeds - just as you could make a butter out of any nut, seed, or legume with enough oil content.

PR materials from the company say "Tastes Like Peanut Butter, But Is Peanut-Free." I'd disagree. The three varieties I tried - smooth, organic, and natural crunch - were perfectly fine if you like the taste of sunflower seeds. I don't mind them, but am not a huge fan, so this is not a product I'd regularly purchase. Also, no one in my family is allergic to peanuts. But if that is a problem, I could see how these products could be useful. They also have a pretty wide distribution, so finding them shouldn't be that difficult.

There is another use I can see, as well. If you use peanut butter in baking or cooking, this could let you experiment with an alternative taste.

Labels: opinion, product, review

I just finished a draft of a story, for a publication on New York's Long Island, on smoked fish. As part, I was looking for good local purveyors and got pointed to Shwartz Appetizing. The company sent samples and I'm in complete heaven (and jockeying with my wife for portions). With a couple of stores in Brooklyn and one in Cedarhurst, I don't know exactly where the proprietors find their wares, but, good heavens, they are gastronomically trancendental.

Pickled herring in cream sauce and a Mediterranean style had subtlety and a continuing echo of flavors that makes any other brand I've had from a store taste like so much library paste. Like lox? Try the creamed pickled variety and realize that you only need to nibble on a piece - forget the bagel and absolutely avoid the cream cheese. The whitefish chubs were magnificent, and although my wife didn't care for the Matjes herring, it was the first time I've tried this style and found myself looking forward to a second bite. (Don't care for that dear? Don't toss the rest of that piece - here, let me take care of it for you.) Finally, smoked sable, when prepared this deftly, is something you should start with, because the delicate flavor is something you should savor and enjoy before more raucus tastes come into play.

If you live anywhere near Cedarhurst, Flatbush, or Boropark, drive over immediately. (Well, not during Shabbos starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Saturday.) If you don't, look up the number of one of the stores and call - if you're lucky, maybe they'll ship some to you. And if it's expensive, pay for it anyway, as this is an experience that you should have at least once in your life.

Labels: fish, opinion, product, review

It's a damp and chilly New England day - just the type to call for a good cup of tea. I've noticed that a growing number of tea manufacturers have jumped on the pyramid-shaped tea bag bandwagon. The rationale is that the shape of the bag allows manufacturers to include whole tea leaves, not just bits and powder, and that water can flow more easily around the ingredients, improving the flavor.

My testing and tasting suggest that a lot more is due to the quality of the tea first and the bag's shape second. For example, Saphara, which is a brand from Celestial Seasonings, was enjoyable. Of the two types that the PR representatives sent, I gravitated to the mango ginger decaf green, though I was a little less enthused over the tropical rooibos - a South African herbal tea with lemongrass, orange, and coconut. Nothing wrong with it; the mix just wasn't my - my apologies - cup of tea. Calling the tea "whole leaf" is a bit disingenuous, as when you read the box you see that it's "rough cut." I think that means that whole leaves don't hold up in bags, even if they are mesh pyramids. The bags, tags, and strings are biodegradable, which is responsible in my eyes. But the list price is $6.99 for a box of 15 bags, or about 47 cents a bag. Personally, I'd prefer to brew a pot with whole leaf tea, but as each bag comes in a separate plastic wrap, this is more convenient.

I received a greater array of flavors from Lipton, but found that the pyramid bags there seemed more of a gimmick. The PR write up says that the shape "allows for the long leaves and real fruits and caramel to fully infuse while steeping in a hot cup of water." Sorry, but I don't think you'll find a long leaf in one of them, as they are pretty much all broken up as well, though not as much as a country western song or the traditional flat bags. The teas are cheaper, at $3.49 for a 20-count box, or 17 cents a bag, and they taste it. Of the six flavors the PR people sent for me to sample, the Bavarian wild berry was reasonably pleasant. Others seemed weaker in flavor, even steeping for upwards of five minutes.

I'd skip the Lipton, pick up some Saphara - or, better yet, Revolution Tea - for convenience use, and then get a decent tea pot and a good batch of loose tea. You'll pay less and enjoy it more.

Labels: opinion, product, review, tea

At times, I find myself becoming dizzy and nigh on to nauseated as one company after another batters away with product health claims. "Contains antioxidants!" shouts one. "Chock full of omega-3 fatty acids!" yells another. "Oh, yeah? Well, our omega-3 acids are low fat!" I expect another to loudly declare. A recent entry into the health hystrionics is CherryPharm - though one with redeeming values.

Surely this must be one of the worst names in the annals of food history (though there do seem to be serious contenders for this title every year). It sounds like a cough syrup or even, heaven help the digestion, a laxative. Being neighter, it is, instead, a fruit juice mix "harnessing the natural power of 50 whole tart cherries" - whatever that exactly means - in an 8 ounce bottle. That container also holds water and apple juice concentrate, so it's not straight tart cherry juice. The manufacturer touts the nutritional value, but a quick look shows that while they say it is good for muscle aches and cramps, there are also few vitamins.

But then, I'm no nutrition expert and think that you cannot depend on any one food stuff, no matter how mighty, to balance your diet. What I can say is that the juice is tasty - the whole family tested the sample sent by the company's PR firm and liked it. Be warned, it is also tart, which can be more refreshing, I think, than a sugar-laden slurry. You can purchase the product from the web site in batches of 8 bottles ($2.50 each) or 24 (price drops to $2 per). Shipping on a case of 24 bottles is $6.22 (at least when going to Massachusetts), which would make the least expensive per bottle price $2.26.

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