Food Basics

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On rolls

Seth Godin was talking about rolls in the context of mediocrity: "Mediocre rolls are easier and more predictable. Once you figure out how to make a mediocre, tasteless, soggy roll, you can do it over and over again."

What so many mass-producers of baked goods (the grocery stores, etc) don't seem to get is that you can destroy the taste and texture of a great roll by putting it in a plastic bag. The same thing happens even when you have paper containers, if the rolls haven't been cooled to room temperature first.

But it seems the plastic bags are cheaper.

So if hard rolls or french bread are on my shopping list for the week, I'll go to the store that does their rolls right, and do my whole week's shopping there. So that's about $100 worth of commerce based on a few cents' investment in a paper bag, rather than plastic.

H'mmm...

Scots and New Zealanders join in Aid for Katrina Relief

Blog City, a blog host based in Scotland with members worldwide, has added a new function to its welcome page at http://www.blog-city.com/bc/  it is a link to donate for Katrina relief.

To ensure the donation goes straight to a well-known American charity where its members would be comfortable sending a donation, Blog City’s link goes  to the Salvation Army.

The well-known blogger NZBear, has launched Blog for Relief Day – a day of blogging focused on raising awareness of and funds for relief efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina. See here for more information.  Bloggers from anywhere can join in the effort!

Meanwhile here at home in the US, Strengthen The Good is launching "Matching The Good," where bloggers act as their own matching fund for victims of the disaster.

The program: Bloggers, rather than just making a donation to their charity of choice, challenge their readers to match the level of the donation by Midnight of next Monday (that allows five days for donations). Info here.

Update: The God Blog has a prayer option for the kind of help money can't provide

Technorati Tags: flood aid, Hurricane Katrina

Salt

Food Industry Accused of “Salt Assault” on America

CSPI Says Steep Sodium Reductions Achievable for Many Brands

Most foods sold in supermarkets and restaurants are too high in salt. But a new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) finds that some manufacturers are recklessly loading up their products with two, three, or even four times as much salt as their competitors within a food category. The dramatic differences in sodium from brand to brand are proof positive that many companies could easily achieve significant reductions without sacrificing taste, according to CSPI.

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200508171.html

Salt: The Forgotten Killer (released Feb. 24, 2005)
http://www.cspinet.org/salt/saltreport.pdf

***************************************************

Response statement of the Salt Institute to “Salt Content of Foods” issued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, August 17, 2005

Shooting repeatedly at the wrong target will not raise CSPI’s marksmanship scores.  If the target were correct, perhaps the additional ammunition CSPI recommends might be worth considering, but facts are facts – despite the contortions and twisting CPSI employs.  Twelve studies have reported on the relationship of salt intakes and the incidence of heart attacks and strokes.  Eleven of the twelve found no population health benefit to reducing dietary salt.  Three, including two in the U.S. and one in Scotland, found just the opposite: rather than a health benefit, lowering dietary salt is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart attack and all-cause mortality.  Let’s use the science we have, not abuse it.  Substituting public relations for medical science is not the answer.

Click here for further background.

http://www.saltinstitute.org/28.html

Splenda Ads by Johnson & Johnson Are Misleading, Says Advertising Standards Board

New Zealand Authority Upholds Complaint Against J&J

WASHINGTON, July 25  -- The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against Johnson & Johnson for misleading marketing practices in advertisements for the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda. "This complaint is on the basis that Splenda is being compared directly to sugar and misleading and confusing consumers into thinking it's as natural as sugar because it's 'made from sugar and tastes like sugar,'" according to the upheld complaint.

The Authority's Advertising Standards Complaints Board, made up of representatives from New Zealand's advertising and marketing agencies, reviewed 15 second and 30 second versions of an ad for the artificial sweetener along with focus group input. The Board determined that the ad deceived consumers into thinking Splenda is all natural like sugar, when it is actually a chemical compound. "The (Splenda) advertisement...gave rise to a likelihood of a consumer being confused and mislead as a result of the comparison in the advertisement," the Board decided. According to the ASA, when the Board upholds a complaint, they ask the company not to run the ad again.

In reality, the product Splenda does not contain and is not sugar. The artificial sweetener ingredient (sucralose) in Splenda is manufactured chemically. The sweetness of Splenda is due to the chlorocarbon chemical (sucralose) that contains three atoms of chlorine in every one of its molecules. In fact, the name sucralose is misleading because it is not a sugar but a chlorinated chemical.

In the United States, Johnson & Johnson is currently involved in more than ten federal and consumer class action lawsuits alleging misleading marketing for the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda.

"This is an important ruling for consumers. As more and more sweeteners are used to formulate foods in the U.S., consumers need to be vigilant in reading the ingredients part of the Food Label to verify if the product is made with all natural real sugar or some man-made, chemical sweetener. To help consumers, advertising of these food products must be accurate and not misleading," says Andy Briscoe, President of the Sugar Association.

The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority was formed in 1973 and is a self-regulating body comprised of marketing and advertising agencies in New Zealand.

To learn more about the truth about Splenda, visit the website http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com.

Be there or be square! ;>)

BLOGGING WORKSHOP
What is this buzz about blogging?   

Find out all about it at this interactive workshop that will answer these six questions:
 What is a blog?
 Who uses blogs?
 Where do I blog?
 How do I blog?
 Why should I blog?
 How do I find an audience and promote my blogs?

When:  7 – 9 a.m., Friday, June 17th
Where:  Room #170, Arizona Western College Career Center, 1351 S. Redondo Center Drive.
Cost:  $19.95
Register: Call Carmen Madero at 928-317-6181, Monday–Friday, 7a.m.–3:30p.m.

               

Cool Cooking Concept

Maybe you already cook a bunch of meals and freeze them for the week ahead -- at this new place in Yuma AZ, you can skip the shopping and prep, and just assemble! Especially good idea this time of year when nobody wants to stand over a stove.

Read more here

Chat 'n Cook's website

Bouillon – soup base – gravy mixes

Bouillon
Both the cubes and the instant are often little more than salt and some flavorings, with only some color added to distinguish one variety from another. I often use the instant in place of salt to add some extra flavor to homemade soup or stew. Knorr’s is a good brand that has much better flavor than most others and even some tiny parsley flakes. (You may need to look for it in the imported foods aisle.)

Soup base
This is a product that has been used for years by professional chefs, and only recently available at regular grocery stores in small enough quantities to be practical for the average home cook. This isn’t powdered or granulated like bouillon is, it’s more like the consistency of the paste used for kiddie crafts. This is usually made from actual meat, and so the flavor is much better than even good instant bouillon. This is reflected in the price, which is several times more than the same quantity of the granulated stuff.

Gravy mixes
In most cases these aren’t much more than finely-powdered bouillon with some food starch for thickener. If convenience is your only concern, go for the canned stuff, which tastes better. The cost is another thing entirely. Gravy in the envelope costs far too much for me, and so if I need some gravy for something, say, the last round of turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving, I cheat by using either granulated bouillon or soup base. You can really only get away with this if you’re using it right on meat. I wouldn’t try it on potatoes, it’s really not good enough to stand alone.

Sneaky Turkey Gravy

2-4 T flour
2-4 T butter or margarine
2 cups water
1 tsp each beef and chicken bouillon granules
Onion and /or garlic powder to taste

In 2 cup glass measuring cup, microwave butter and flour 30 seconds on High. With fork or wire whisk, stir until smooth. Gradually add water to the 2 cup mark on your measuring cup. Microwave in two minute increments, stirring well each time, until gravy is the consistency you like. Note: use the larger amounts of flour and butter for added thickness and richness.

My Albertson's is #1

I know this is very late, but still it's worthwhile noting. It's also no surprise, as people like Ramona (the Grocery Manager) make this store a joy to shop!

Here's what they say at the Yuma Daily Sun:

Each year, Albertson's recognizes three stores among its 2,500 stores corporatewide: best new store, best existing store and best remodeled store.

For Yuma's store to be selected as best new store "is a huge honor," said Jayson McDonald, store director. He said he was presented with the award during a sales meeting in Boise. "That was a proud moment."
read more here>>>

Harvest Your Backyard

This might be fun...

He shows visitors how to eat wild in New York's parks

By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

NEW YORK – It's not what you'd normally think of doing in New York on a Saturday morning - hunting for chickens in Central Park. Actually, it was chicken mushrooms we were after, a form of wild fungus said to taste just like chicken.
My husband and I were on a foraging tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill, a naturalist who has been leading walks through New York's urban parks since the early 1980s. read more here>>>

Steve Brill's website is here.