Want a healthy chip and snack alternative, but not the added calories, preservatives, fat, cholesterol and sodium that comes with it? Snikiddy Snacks has new flavors to the Snikiddy All Natural Baked Fries line including 'Bold Buffalo'. The crunchy and tasty baked fries are completely free of trans fats, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and preservatives, gluten, and wheat. They're also low in saturated fat and sodium, containing less than 200 mg per ounce of sodium where other brands are an upwards between 270mg an 410mg. Snikiddy All Natural Baked Fries come in other delicious flavors: Original, Ketchup, and Garlic, and can be found in Whole Foods market, Toys R Us, Safeway, and Kroger Stores nationwide. Want to win this Product? Gratitude Gourmet has a Giveaway available for 2 winners! We are giving away 2 Packages with 4 flavors each. Just place a note on the Facebook post that you want to win this product. Enter Here. Sample Farmers Market Coupon Did you hear that doctors at three Massachusetts health centers have begun advising patients to eat “prescription produce” from local farmers’ markets in an effort to fight obesity in children of low-income families? They are giving coupons amounting to $1 a day for each member of a patient’s family to promote healthy meals. Per the NY Times Article, "One month after Leslie-Ann Ogiste, a certified nursing assistant in Boston, and her 9-year-old son, Makael Constance, received their first vegetable prescription vouchers at the Codman Center, they have lost a combined four pounds, she said. A staff member at the center told Ms. Ogiste about a farmers’ market that is five minutes from her apartment, she said. “It worked wonders,” said Ms. Ogiste, who bought and prepared eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, bok choy, parsley, carrots and red onions. “Just the variety, it did help.” You can read the full NY Times Article here. Studies indicate that cage-free eggs have a lower salmonella. Check out this CBS article for more high-level detail on the studies.
Guest Blogger Post by Emiko Taki Editor's Note: This is Emiko's first Gratitude Gourmet Guest post. She is a food writer and photographer. Thanks, Emiko! If you will recall, several posts back I brought back miso from Japan and shared about it briefly. I finally have a recipe that makes use of this special miso. It’s the kind made in the northern region of Japan with high quality Koshihikari rice and koji. They call it red miso, but the color is more of brownish red and completely different from Nagoya style red. This particular variety called “Kogane miso” was made with mochi rice, soybeans, salt and koji. It’s moderately salty and less sweet than white. I was so used to the Nagoya red which I grew up with, made with soybeans and salt only (pretty salty and bold due to two simple ingredients), the rich and complex flavor of Kogane miso by comparison is so much more elegant. I’ve been enjoying it little by little and experimenting with various dishes for the past few months. If you find good quality miso that you can eat it raw, the best way to enjoy is to eat it as a dip. Simply cut up your favorite vegetables into sticks and eat them like a snack. If it’s too salty for your taste, you can mix miso with sake, sugar and dashi, or that plus a drop of ginger juice. Recipe of the Day Ingredients: (serves 6-8) 1 med. onion 1-2 carrots 1 med. Chinese eggplant 1 red bell pepper 4 shiitake mushrooms, remove the stem 1 can whole stewed tomato 3 Tbsp sake 6 Tbsp miso 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp EV olive oil for cooking Wash and cut all vegetables in to 1 to 1 1/2” cubes. Heat olive oil a large pot over medium-high, stir in vegetables in the order of onion, carrot, eggplant, bell pepper, and mushroom. Add tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix sake, miso and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl. Add the seasoning to the pot and mix well. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Serve warm. While in Rome recently, I enjoyed the coffee bars where you get your expresso or iced coffee on the go at a coffee bar. I even checked out a coffee bar where Pope John Paul II had his iced coffee. The NY Times reports New York coffee shops are adding bars, and some are removing tables, and not making enough space for even an iPad (Ouch for some iPad owners). :-) Starbucks' SoHo location was overhauled in April with a wooden bar and stools. Check out the NY Times article here. I was very surprised to hear via this Press Release that a member of Smithfield Specialty Foods Group was appointed to the NASFT Board of Directors. NASFT hosts specialty food conferences. I believe you've heard that Smithfield's operations have been a breeding ground of disease, and have been potentially implicated in the Swine Flu Epidemic and deaths which followed throughout the world. Here's an article with more information http://www.grist.org/article/2009-10-29-swine-flu-cafo-wapo-article/ Here is the contact information for NASFT in case you would like to email them: NASFT Communications <lkramer@nasft.org> and rtanner@nasft.org Complimentary yoga classes will be held on the San Francisco W Hotel WET deck every other Wednesday from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m, and more details are here.
Scottish Scientists have unveiled a new biofuel made from whisky by-products, and they say it can power ordinary cars more efficiently than ethanol. Per the Reuters article, "It is derived from distillation by-products pot ale (liquid from copper stills) and draff (the spent grains); the method is based on an old process that was developed to produce butanol and acetone by fermenting sugar. You can read the full article here.
D Farrimond, A Chard, M Vincent -Photo M Vincent I was very pleased to meet David Farrimond and Ashley Chard from the US Cranberry Marketing Association during the SF Chefs events, and their Media Tasting at the Waterbar on the Embarcadero San Francisco with a gorgeous, sunny view of the Bay Bridge was beautifully prepared. Waterbar's Executive Chef, Parke Ulrich, and Pastry Chef, Emily Lucetti, greeted us and explained their delicious creations. The Staff was also happy to prepare a vegetarian tasting for me for which I was very grateful. I have two videos below of: Jennifer Philpot, Waterbar Mixologist explaining how she made her cocktails: Summer Breeze and The Velvet Rope, and Emily Lucetti, Pastry Chef, describing how she created her desserts. Several pictures are placed both at the top of this article and at the bottom so make sure you scroll down to see the desserts! :-). Courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, here are the SF Chefs '10 Recipes. Let me know which ones you like! Cocktails: 1. 99 Red Balloons Encanto Pisco, Yellow Chartreuse, 100% cranberry juice, lemon, homemade cinnamon tincture, “Spiced” cranberry foam. * spiced cranberry foam made by Bon Vivants 2. Radio Flyer Wild Turkey Rye, dried cranberry infused Cocchi Americano, The Bon Vivants “Tomahawk” Bitters, pickled cranberry. * The Bon Vivants “Tomahawk” Bitters is one of our homemade bitters – one of the dominant macerated elements is dried cranberry. The pickled cranberries will be a garnish. We will essentially be re-hydrating dried cranberries in our homemade pickling liquid. 3. San Cran – Grita Tequila Ocho Reposado served with a traditional Jaliscan accompaniment – Sangrita * Homemade 100% unsweetened Cranberry juice focused Sangrita with background elements including orange juice, lime juice, vanilla, cacabel chilli, chipotle chilli, guajillo chilli, cacao, cinnamon, clove, Combier Triple Sec. There will also be a freeze dried cranberry, salt, chili rim around the sangrita. 4. Pilgrim Punch Plymouth Gin, White Port, White Cranberry Juice, lemon, Chamomile tea, bitters, cranberry ice block. * Punch is one of the most historical methods of serving cocktails to large groups of people. We will furnish one of our large antique punch bowls for the events. Punches are traditionally served with one large block of ice so the punch gets cold with over-diluting the punch. We will make our large ice blocks out of cranberry juice so as the large ice block slowly melts over time, the color of the punch starts to redden and the flavors of the punch “season” if you will. The final aspect is that historic punches always are served with fruit elements floating throughout the liquid so when one is ladled a serving of punch, there will be dried cranberries ladled in with it. Recipes Courtesy of the Bon Vivants 5. Cranberry Sunset Glass: Collins Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. 4 shots Cranberry juice cocktail 11⁄2 shots Brandy 11⁄2 shots Orange juice 1 shot Apricot brandy Garnish: Slice of fresh orange. South of Manhattan Glass: Old Fashioned Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. 2 shots Southern Comfort 1 shot Sweet vermouth 1 shot Cranberry juice cocktail dash Angostura bitters Garnish: Fresh lime wedge. 6. Cranberry Citrus Breeze Glass: Martini Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. 3 shots Cranberry juice cocktail 11⁄2 shots Gin 1 shot Grand Marnier 1⁄2 shot Lime juice Garnish: Curl of orange peel. Recipes Courtesy of the CMC 7. Summer Breeze (blended drink) 2.5 oz light rum 3.5 oz cranberry juice cocktail 1/2 lime squeeze .5 oz pineapple juice 1 oz jalapeno infused syrup 1 spoonful Chantilly blend with ice garnish with 3 dried cranberries on top 8. The Velvet Rope 2 oz Vodka 1.5 oz 100% cranberry juice 1oz orange juice 1oz vanilla infused syrup .25 oz Grand Marnier 3 dashes peach bitters shake and serve up top with a splash of Prosecco garnish with a long orange twist or 2 skewered cranberries Recipes Courtesy of Jennifer Philpot, Bartender, Waterbar Sweet & Savory Dishes: Summer Gazpacho and Spicy Cranberry Relish - Summer Gazpacho (can be made one day ahead) 6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored, stems removed 2 stalks of celery, chopped 1 red onion, rough chopped 1 clove garlic 2 cups tomato juice 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar) Juice of one lemon Salt and pepper Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Give several quick blends, enough to keep tomatoes chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may add a splash of orange juice marinate overnight. - Spicy Cranberry Relish 2 cups fresh or dried cranberries 1 large jalapeno, minced with seeds 1 orange 1/2 cup sugar Zest orange and reserve juice. In food processor, pulse cranberries with jalapeno, sugar, zest, and orange juice. Chill. Can be prepared the night before and refrigerated, up to a week ahead. Recipe Courtesy of Aiemee Low White Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream Sundae with Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce, Pecans and Sweetened Dried Cranberries 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips 1 recipe Cran Raspberry Caramel Sauce (see below) 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries Place a scoop of ice cream in each of 4 bowls. Spoon some Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce over the ice cream. Sprinkle pecans and cranberries over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 4 Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce 1/2 cup Cran Raspberry Juice 3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Put the Cran Raspberry Juice in a small pot. Reduce to 1/4 cup. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Set aside. In a clean pot, stir the sugar and water together. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase to high heat and continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar has caramelized and is medium amber in color. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in a couple of tablespoons of the cranberry and cream mixture. (The caramel will sputter as it is added, so stir carefully.) Continue gradually stirring in the mixture until all has been added. Let the caramel cool, stirring occasionally, until warm. Whisk in the butter. Refrigerate until cold. Makes 2 cups In Advance: The coffee caramel sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Recipe courtesy of Emily Luchetti, Executive Pastry Chef at Waterbar Source VegNews Chelsea Clinton is a vegan and gluten-intolerant, and her wedding menu included vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free items, and a wedding cake that was gluten free. The nine-tier vanilla cake, filled with dark chocolate mousse, frosted in white fondant, and decorated with 1,000 edible sugar flowers was created by Frances and Maarten Steenman of La Tulipe Desserts in New york's Westchester County. Now for something YOU can make at home. Per VegNews, here's a Creme-Filled Chocolate Orange Cupcake Recipe that took top honors on Cupcake Wars, making vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli the fist vegan to claim victory in a Food Network competition. Enjoy! Per the NY Times, "A federal district court judge revoked the government’s approval of genetically engineered sugar beets Friday, saying that the Agriculture Department had not adequately assessed the environmental consequences before approving them for commercial cultivation." You can read the full article here.
McKinsey Global Study: Executives & Importance of Biodiversity for their Future Strategies8/23/2010
Per a recent McKinsey Global Study, Executives are now beginning to recognize the importance of biodiversity for their future strategies. You can read more about the Study here: http://ow.ly/2sDKk
The SF Chefs Sugar Party featured renowned and award-winning pastry chefs from some of the most famous San Francisco restaurants. If you attended, you would have tasted the best-of-the-best and most creative desserts being made today, and met these hardworking chefs literally making the desserts and putting on the finishing touches right in front of your eyes! Many of my Gratitude Gourmet readers are vegetarian or eat some vegetarian, and I'm including many of the Restaurants and Pastry Dishes featured at the event below. Also, a friend of mine during the event asked me how one can veganize desserts. Check out the delicious Details/Answers below. While at the SF Chefs' Sugar Party Saturday, August 14, 2010 at the Westin St. Francis, a friend of mine, who knows that I'm very familiar with vegan food, asked how one can make desserts vegan. My real introduction to vegan desserts and foods started with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, cookbook author and speaker. The common substitutions include: ground flaxseed and water instead of egg, and almond and soymilk instead of regular milk. For practical ideas on vegan substitutions, check out Colleen's Food Inc Recipes which include Blueberry Cobbler, Decadent Chocolate Cake, Fresh Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Chunks etc. Are you hungry now? Some of the SF Chefs Sugar Party Restaurants, Chefs and Desserts featured the following. May you be inspired to try these or try your hand at your own culinary creativity :-) and let me know the results! I'm currently experimenting with a vegan strawberry cheesecake. 1) Tell Tale Preserve Company & Humphry Slocombe Collective - Ice cream bon bon, raspberry-sweet corn ice cream sandwich - Imperial stout float roasted white chocolate 2) Absinthe- Luis Villavelazquez- Partnered with Smitten Ice Cream- Robyn Goldman - Cantalope, Lavender and Lemon 3) Anchor & Hope- Christine Law - Blue Bottle Coffee Milkshake with Maple Whoopee Pie 4) Orson- Elizabeth Falkner- Partnered with Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous - Grilled sour dough ice cream sundaes with concord grape syrup, salted brazil nuts and spanish peanuts and chantilley 5) Westin St. Francis- Jean-Francois Houdre - Peach Assemblage Slow Roasted Peach Puree Poached Peach in Anis Syrup Thyme Financier House-made Crème Fraiche Ice cream Thyme meringue sticks 6) Michael Mina- Catherine Schimenti - Smoked Vanilla Bean Parfait, with cashew butter, fudge and marshmallow 7) Farallon- Emily Luchetti - Peach Split with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream, Butterscotch Sauce and Raspberries- Partnered with Bi-Rite Creamery 8) Nick Flores of RN74 - "Blackberry-Coconut Verrine" Blackberry Creme, Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta, Coconut Sorbet as well as Assorted Macaroons & Chocolates Gary Danko & Mary Vincent (David Hom) I remember enjoying a very nice dinner with wine pairings at Gary Danko's San Francisco restaurant a few years ago. As a vegetarian at the time, I asked the Server for vegetarian - wine pairing selections, and I was very pleased with the delicious and savory results. During SF Chefs 2010, I had the opportunity to meet Gary Danko as he was preparing for a Williams Sonoma San Francisco Cooking Demonstration, and he was in the midst of a recipe challenge by taking an old recipe and reinventing it. Gary was reinventing the old Tiramisu recipe by using a Raspberry Shrub. Per Gary, "a Raspberry Shrub is an old way of preserving fruit with vinegar and straining it and cooking it with sugar that makes a thick syrup. If you taste it, it's very sweet and tart." He then adds brandy into the vinegar and soaks the lady fingers into it. He also makes the traditional filling with marscopone and lightens it with whipped cream. A video of Gary Danko describing part of the process is below. It was great meeting you Gary, and thank you for taking the time to share your creative, gourmet insight with us at Gratitude Gourmet! The August 11, 2010 TasteTV at The Press Club's 1st Annual Wine & Food Pairing Taste-Off was a great success!At the Taste-Off, attendees sampled six food & wine combinations, and helped the Press Club decide the best new pairing to put on their lounge menu. Attendees judged seasonal plates paired with four reds and two whites from their six, Northern California partnered wineries: Miner Family Vinyards, Fritz, Saintsbury, Mount Eden Vinyards, Hanna, and Chateau Montelena. The food pairings already had two vegetarian options, and I asked Chef Bill if he could make all my pairings vegetarian or vegan. His colleagues graciously created special food pairings. Here were the Veggie Pairings (these can be veganized with some creativity): 1. Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, Napa 2008 Savory Zucchini Cakes topped with an Arugula Pesto Cream, Fried Shallot Garni 2. HANNA Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River 2009 Lettuce Cups with Summer Grilled Peach Salsa 3. Mount Eden Domain Eden Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains 2008 Organic Spinach and Mushroom Blintz with Truffled Chevre, Chive Oil Drizzle 4. Miner Family Sangiovese, Gibson Ranch 2007 Creamy Three Cheese Crostini with Heiroom Tomato, Basil Chiffonade 5. Fritz Reserve Zinfandel, Dry Creek 2007 Tostadas with Artisan White Cheddar, Cilantro Cream 6. Saintsbury Toyon Farm Pinot Noir, 2007 Crispy Taro Root, Island Slaw Garnish Miner Family Sangiovese, Gibson Ranch 2007 was the Event Winner!! Congratulations! Credit: Nielsen-Massey Are you in the mood for Granola? Here's a delicious recipe to try. Gourmet Blueberry Vanilla Granola 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup wheat germ 3/4 cup flaked coconut 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or nuts of choice 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 cup gourmet blueberry syrup 1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup dried dates 1/2 cup raisins Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the oats, wheat germ, coconut and pecans in a large bowl and toss to combine. Whisk the brown sugar, canola oil, maple syrup, blueberry syrup, vanilla paste, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Recipe courtesy of Nielsen-Massey. Like the Gratitude Gourmet articles? Make sure you've signed up for my weekly e-newsletter to receive the latest news and sweepstakes offers. 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Do you like coffee? If so, how do you drink it? Here's an interesting consumer packaging article from The NY Times called 'A Coffee Conundrum'. I've seen these 'pods' in the United States and in Europe and questioned the practice of single-use packaging due to environmental reasons. BTW - There are more health benefit coffee studies from this month's Prevention Magazine (September 2010) called '4 Ways Coffee Cures'. Specifically: 1. At least 1 cup per day lowers your risk of early death from all causes by 37% 2. At least 2 cups per day reduces your risk of death from heart disease by 25% 3. At least 3 cups per day slashes your risk of dementia and Alzheimers by 65% 4. 4 or more cups per day makes you 56% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes Which reminds me...it's time for my daily almond milk latte created from a pound package of organic coffee (no pods) made in my old fashioned-style Italian Coffee Maker in this picture :-) Many of you know I worked in Hungary, and as of late, I've been wanting to try a vegetarian Paprika Potatoes (Paprikás Krumpli). Try this recipe, and let me know what you think! if you have a recipe you like better, please let me know by commenting on this post! Ingredients: 4 Medium potatoes cut into wedges or slices 1 Onion 2 Tablespoons canola oil (or water for a lighter version) 3 Teaspoons paprika 1 Tomato 1 Garlic clove Mince the onion. Saute the onion in the oil until golden. Add the paprika and 1 cup of water. Add the tomato and garlic, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add potatoes and add water until the potatoes are covered. Enjoy! Larry Shiller's mother's chocolate macaroons were his very favorite chocolate treat. After his mother died, he decided to produce hand-crafted, gluten-free macaroons last year. Each Minneapolis-based macaroon is made from all-natural ingredients, including imported Schokinag chocolate, flaked coconut and Gahara vanilla bean extract and, depending on the flavor, topped with a piece of fruit or a nut. The macaroons cost $12.95 to $14.95 a dozen. Lily Bloom's Kitchen macaroons are available from the company's website. |