Toasted barley gives dish a nutty flavor
Soup as a main course is a great way to fill up on low-calorie vegetables and liquid, leaving you satisfied without feeling stuffed.
Choosing the right soup is the trick. Canned soups can throw a few nutritional curveballs into this healthy eating plan. They're usually loaded with sodium, and... (Monday, September 28, 2009)
Wine of the week -- Chateau Serilhan St. Estephe
This fabulous value that became available at an incredible price because of the economy is run by Didier Marcellis, ex-Cisco Systems, and has done a great deal in just a few years to turn it into one of the rising stars of the appellation. He has hired some superstars in the world of Bordeaux to... (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
Tidbits
Nabisco's latest is another version of Wheat Thins crackers. It's Wheat Thins Flatbread, long rectangular crackers (with a sprinkling of grains other than wheat), in Tuscan Herb or Garlic & Parsley flavors. (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
Lemon grass-infused milk gives pasta rich flavor
This Asian-style pasta dish gets its rich flavor from a sauce made with milk infused with cilantro, lemon grass and ginger. To get the best flavor out of the lemon grass, be sure to bruise it first. The easiest way to do this is to pound it gently with a rolling pin. (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
Amish Cook -- Enjoying visiting, fishing
We went to Jacob and Emma's house for a nice visit. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get there by buggy. We were glad to get to see and hold baby Marilyn again. She is so tiny and so cute.
... (Thursday, October 1, 2009)
Beer of the week -- 'Flashback' Anniversary Ale
Boulder beer is coined as Colorado's original microbrewery started in 1979 by two college professor's longing for the full-flavored taste of British Ales they grew to love from their trips overseas.
This beer is a hybrid of an India pale ale and a brown ale -- hoppy and dark roasted. Flashback... (Friday, October 2, 2009)
Start young to teach healthy eating
Television and peers can trump parents when it comes to influencing what children eat, but that doesn't mean families can't fight back.
A Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study found that parents have waning influence over what their kids eat. But it also found that the best defense... (Monday, October 5, 2009)
Recipe exchange
RECIPE REQUEST: The recipe box is running out of recipes, and we need your help to fill it back up. Send your favorite recipes to us, and it could be printed in an edition of Recipe Exchange.
This recipe comes from LUELLA CLAFLIN of Oakdale, who writes: "This is a good recipe for the cooler... (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)
Get your just desserts with apples, the versatile fall fruit
These days when Patty Eckdahl gets the urge to bake something with apples, all she has to do is step out her door and pick a few. Eckdahl and her husband, Steve, own Northwoods Orchard, a pick-your-own operation in Oronoco. (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)
Amish Cook -- Garden goodies galore
We are harvesting lots of sweet corn from our garden. My husband Joe planted quite a bit the first week of July. He didn't think it would give us such a big crop. We planted it in a part of the barnyard where the chickens always were before. We are wondering if the chicken manure is what gave it... (Thursday, October 8, 2009)
Quick Bites -- The Bears find a new Den in Byron
Last week, a popular Byron establishment, The Bears Den, moved about a half mile away to a new location at 845 High Point Drive N.E., by the Marketplace grocery store.
"We wanted to be able to separate the bar from the restaurant," says co-owner Dave Peterson about the move. "I think we succeeded... (Sunday, October 11, 2009)
Beer of the Week -- Southern Tier Iniquity Imperial Black Ale
What started as modest beginnings in Lakewood, N.Y., in 2004, this brew pub is now distributing in 17 states and pulling in award after award.
In 2007 Beer Advocate Magazine rated them the 35th best brewery in the country out of 1,400 entrants. (Friday, October 9, 2009)
Four Stars -- The chicken that got away
The funniest comment I got from a reader after last Tuesday's Four Stars review of outstanding chicken and wild rice soup served in Rochester area restaurants was this, from owner Jeff Eastman at Salad Brothers: (Thursday, October 8, 2009)
Wine of the week -- Decero Malbec
In its second vintage, winemaker Marcos Fernandez sought to keep his Malbec atypical.
Instead of bright, pushing red fruits and heightened spice, his Malbec chooses the mellow side of life. This Malbec is ripe, but sleek with a racy beam of blackberry and raspberry ganache flavors backed by hints... (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)
Small cuts of meat get to table faster
Looking to get dinner on the table fast? Put it on a stick.
Cutting meats and vegetables into smaller bits, then threading them onto skewers can dramatically reduce cooking time because there is no thick center for the heat to reach. A pound of chicken breasts left whole will take far longer to... (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)
1C Get your fill of autumn-inspired drinks
'Tis the season for all those wonderful fall and Oktoberfest beers again. And with flavors like pumpkin and new releases from your favorite brewers, who wouldn't be excited about this time of year?
There are far more new and re-releases to mention, so here are just a few to get you started. I'll... (Friday, October 2, 2009)
Four Stars -- Go wild with classic chicken and wild rice soup
If walleye sandwiches are the quintessential Minnesota sandwich -- and I demonstrated that last month in this column -- chicken and wild rice soup is the perfect North Star State companion for it. At its best, the state grain (called manomin in Ojibwe) provides a distinctive, nutty taste and crisp... (Thursday, October 1, 2009)
1C Chili lovers face a Challenge
Attention all chili lovers. Gather up your ingredients and get ready for the first annual Chili Challenge to be held Oct. 10 at Graham Arena 1 at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds in Rochester. This event, which will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., is a fundraiser to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of... (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)
Cook Q&A
When a recipe calls for a leek, should I use the entire leek, including the tougher, dark green portion of the stalk?
It depends on the recipe. Usually, you just use the bulb (the white part at the bottom) and the lighter green area of the stalk. As you noted, the dark green portion can be very... (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
Recipe exchange
RECIPE REQUEST: The recipe box is running out of recipes, and we need you're help to fill it back up. Send your favorite recipes to us, and it could be printed in an edition of Recipe Exchange.
This recipe comes from CAROL LITCHTBLAU of Lake City. (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
Buck stretcher -- snacks
Take a snack and a beverage with you when you go out to run errands. This may help prevent you from overspending on groceries or stopping along the way at a drive-thru or gas station to pick something up. (Tuesday, September 29, 2009)
