Italian Ices - A Mini Italian Holiday

How to cool off on a hot summer's night?

Enjoy an Italian ice. There is nothing as refreshing as a cup of this in any flavor. It's cooling and sophisticated without the cloying creaminess of ice cream. Ice in any form cleanses the palate of the days tastes as well as adding a pop of fresh fruity flavor. It's the perfect ending to a sticky day. Now we can see why Italians from the Alps to the Mediterranean and Adriatic beaches enjoy this cooler.

Italian ice is as old as the Republic itself. (actually much older. Italy became a unified nation in 1861). Nero first ate it when his cooks mixed ice brought from the nearby mountains and mixed it with honey and fruit syrups. Centuries later Marco Polo bought back tho e Chinese recipe for making ice which is similar to how our modern ice cream makers work. It was made in a metal tin that was surrounded by salt and ice to keep it cold and later dished out.

It was Catherine de Medici who introduced a variation of Italian ice to the French court. Upon her marriage to Henri II of France. Sorbet is an ice but the only difference is that it has a mushier consistency (think Slurpee). It's a child of the Persian sherbet or sharbat that the middle Easterners enjoyed. These were used also used as plate cleansers during the Gilded Age when courses were heavily sauced and spiced.A refreshing lemon sorbet helped to ready the taste buds for the next round of dishes.

Granita is probably the oldest form of ice and the one most popular today. It can be made with a variety of flavors from pineapple juice to coffee. It's also the easiest dessert to make for a summer party. There's really no prep time or clean up and the amount of dishes used is next to nothing.What is great about granita is that you can make it up in one or two flavors. Try a blueberry one with a lemon or a cherry with a cola one (this is a no brainer . Just freeze Coke or Pepsi). You can even serve it with a dollop of Cool Whip.

I can't let this entry go without mentioning my favorite ice place - Rita's. This chain is in almost every American town.The one near me is my summer hangout. I love their Alex's Lemonade flavor (named in honor for the brave little girl who used to sell lemonade) as well as their black cherry and chocolate. Check the website - www.ritasice.com for a location nearest you. They have a birthday club as well as a treat card (for every ten ices bought you receive a free one). They also give out free samples so you can taste the newest flavors.

This summer treat yourself to a little bit of Italy. Enjoy a cold, refreshing cup of Italian ice.It'll make you feel like your on a Roman holiday.

Espresso Granita.

4 cups espresso coffee
2-3 tablespoons sugar.


Mix hot coffee and sugar together. Stir and then put into a metal pan (you can use a ice tray without the dividers). Freeze until you're ready to serve. Using a fork, scrape the ice into crystals and put into bowls. You can drizzle some chocolate syrup on the granita and serve with a small side of Cool Whip.

Your Best Summer Barbecue Ever!!!!

Now that summer is officially here, it's time to stat planning barbecues. What makes a great outdoor party? Namely good food. Have something for every one's tastes. It doesn't have to be elaborate like a winter indoor party. Sometimes all it takes is a few easy to make dishes and voila - a memorable time.

Any outdoor party deserves a few nibbles. They don't have to be fancy cheese puffs (way too hot to make on a summer's day). Have a plate of veggies out with a cooling dip. Because of the salmonella outbreak amongst beefsteak and plum tomatoes serve grape and cherry ones. Also have broccoli, cauliflower, and some green beans for an interesting spin on crudites. As for dip think about making a quick vinaigrette and a richer ranch one. Hummus is a great appetizer. You can make it yourself or buy it from your local supermarket. Serve with pita crisps, crackers or thickly sliced French bread. Bruschetta is a another wonderful hors' oeuvre. For a new variation put a layer of sliced pepperoni or salami under the chopped tomato spread.

A barbecue's main course is always fun. You can have steaks, lamb chops and chicken breasts for a fancier take or just plain hamburgers and hot dogs for a more down to earth dining. For any kind of meat think about serving chutneys as opposed to relishes. Vegetable kabobs make an interesting side and you vary the combos. Grill some asparagus and peppers to go with your meats . These are a more sophisticated take on regular sides. If you still like the salad route , then go with potato salad seasoned with curry or a beet salad flavored with cloves. An easy side dish is macaroni salad but nix the mayo. Mix in olive oil, hot pepper flakes and some chopped broccoli. This isn't as cloying as the regular kind and goes well with grilled steak or chops.

An outdoor meal deserves a dessert worthy of the season. Keep in mind that sometimes just berries and fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip is a great meal ender. For a naughty kind of fun, you can forgo the cream and soak your strawberries ,blueberries and blackberries in wine. You'll not only get a sweet with a punch but also a fruity after dinner drink. You can also serve ice and mix it with vodka or rum for that people love frozen drinks so try to steer guests to maybe two at the very most). If you're still intent on serving some kind of cake, think of a store bought angel food one. This is light and can have a side of fruit or even ice cream.

This is the season to revel in outdoor entertaining. Have an array of tasty and unusual dishes for your and your guests. It's a perfect way to celebrate warm sunny days and starry breeze kissed nights.

Watermelon -Summer's Fun Fruit

What's an all natural cooler that's low calorie and fun?

Watermelon!

Nothing screams hot weather and fun eating that this bright pink fruit that's always cut into a big smile.It's cool and refreshing and just the perfect dessert for hot sticky days.

Watermelons started out in African Kalahari desert and were eaten as early as 5,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians. There are even hieroglyphs depicting it as being part of daily life.The seeds were spread to China (possibly via the Silk Route) and it's still enjoyed there today. Thirteenth century Moors brought the fruit to Europe during their raids. Slaves brought it over to America where it was grown primarily in the South. The watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which means it tho fruit grows on both vines and trailers. One watermelon vine can produce as many as one hundred melons. It was also bred to be seedless which most grocery stores sell alongside seeded ones.Watermelon is a great source of Vitamins A, C and BC as well as potassium. A cup of cubed watermelon is only forty-six calories so it's the perfect snack or dessert for dieters.

How to serve watermelon?. Chilled and sliced. You can get out the trusty melon baller and make balls for a melon parfait using it, cantaloupe and green melon. Many people turn a larger watermelon into a decorative basket. This old idea has been around for decades but it is a nice finish to any meal. They scoop out the middle, reserve that, and then fill with various fruits such as the melon pieces , strawberries, sliced bananas and pineapple chunks. This makes a festive end to any summer barbecue or out door party.You can also puree your watermelon to make ice or granita. Add other fruits such as pineapple or berries for a more interesting zing.

Watermelon is the perfect hot weather treat. It's not only sweet but refreshing and light. It's like a cool rain for your palate.

A Good Catch

July and August are the perfect months for fishing. There's nothing like the fresh catch of the day , steamed or grilled on your barbecue. Fresh seafood is fine however how safe is it? There are still areas in our oceans that can be deemed hazardous thanks to all sorts of nasty stuff. Where can you go for not only the freshest catch of the day but also the most healthiest?

In recent years humanity has been aware of the high levels of toxicity in our waters. There has been a lot of clean up, especially in the Atlantic, still is it enough? Most shore areas experience some kind of run off from the land. This includes chemicals found in commercial fertilizers and various cosmetics and bath products (most notably the parabens which will be banned in the US as of December 2008). This happens mostly when sewerage is channeled in local waters. Always be on the lookout where you fish. Stop fishing if you're off shore and you notice that there are red flags on the nearest beach. This indicates that raw sewerage is in the water and bathing along with fishing is unsafe. Radioactive waste is also dumped into oceans. The waste is transferred to cooling ponds and allowed to sit for a certain length of times , It is then dumped into the nearest sea.

What fish absorb the most pollutants?Let's face facts.Any fish does. It's not a matter of choosing one over the other. Crabs could contain just as many chemicals as sea bass. If you're concerned then cut out fishing all together. Supermarkets will provide you with fish and shellfish that have been raised in all natural or "free range" hatcheries.The quandary is if you like to fish what do you do? Catch and release? My advice is fish in waters you know are "environmentally safe" and try to limit fishing to maybe three times a month during the warmer weather.

Fresh fish is always a good catch. The problem lies not with them but with our waters.Remember to try to find a good catch in relatively clean waters.

Cool Cucumbers

During these hot and sticky days it's nice to have some refreshing dish. Cucumbers fit that bill. They are the perfect ingredient for a summer salad. Their lightness and fresh taste are like a cool breeze on a hot day. Not only that but they're easy to prepare - a plus when you don't feel like creating an elaborate dish.

Cucumbers actually started out in the Himalayas and northwestern India.The plant is mentioned in the great epic Gilgamesh and was a staple food of the ancient Urs. It was then brought to ancient Egypt and later to Rome and Greece where it became beloved . Cucumbers were also big with the French and the emperor Charlemagne had them grown in his gardens. Centuries later another French ruler, Louis XIV, also had cucumbers planted in the gardens at Versailles. Of course what would England be without them? The Brits still love them and feature cucumbers in their tea time sandwiches. It was the English poet and playwright Thomas Gay who first coined the phrase "cool as a cucumber" in 1732. The plant was brought over to the Boston area in the mid 1600's where it was a staple in kitchen gardens.

Cucumbers are basically a fruit and belong to the same family as the squash and the muskmelon. It is also a diuretic and presently used by weight watchers and body builders . the dwarf variety used in pickles to the Burpee Hybrid and the Master Slice Hybrid. If you have the time you can make a batch of pickles however I feel that cucumbers goes best in a salad. There's nothing like a sliced one with a dill and sour cream dressing. If you want a lighter salad, then substitute a vinaigrette for the sour cream. Also don't be afraid to put them in your regular salads. Cukes add crunch and balance out the stronger flavors of broccoli cauliflower, and tomatoes. You can also add them to a spinach salad for a different spin or for a lighter tasting beet or string bean salad.

This summer look to the cucumber for a light and refreshing taste. It's the perfect foil to spicy barbecues and heavily spiced grilled meats. It stands out as a cool breeze does on a hot summer's day.

Cucumber Salad With Sour Cream

1 medium to large sized cumber.

1 cup sour cream

2 sprigs chopped fresh dill.

Salt and pepper to taste

Score cucumber with a fork for a decorative lacy edging. Then thinly slice and mix with sour cream and dill. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

A Foodie's Nightmare - Food Poisoning!!!!

What does every foodie fear?

Salmonella.

Unfortunately sometime in our lives we're going to run against some form of food poisoning. It could innocently happen if we buy spoiled food or wind up going to a questionable restaurant. The problem is that it's something that won't go away despite all this modern processing and washing technology. Yet we can be prepared for it and know what to do when we've been stricken.

Food poisoning essentially is a bacterial infection. It begins with the food being contaminated by anything from bacteria and viruses to surprisingly enough environmental toxins or toxins occurring within the food itself, (such as mushrooms, seafood, plants and even shrubs) There are six variations of food poisoning with salmonella being the most common. The deadliest is E coli which can lead to the most severe symptoms and death. During these hot days be especially careful and wary of what you eat and where you eat it. You can get a mild form known as traveler's diarrhea through food that has been handled by unclean hands or food that's been stored in old or broken down refrigeration.This usually happens when you go away , especially to countries that don't enforce sanitary conditions in their restaurants. The disease can also occur in your own kitchen. You can acquire botulism through improperly canned food where too much air is allowed in during the canning process. This infects the product, allowing it to be a breeding ground for bacterial strains. Even every day foods such as egg yolks, chicken beef, pork and fish can be potential ticking time bombs. Also be wary of leaving out dairy products and salad dressing. A milder variety known as Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which is common in dust and air can contaminate and cause stomach discomfort.

Believe me you'll know when you get the symptoms between the vomiting and stomach discomfort (due to the intestines becoming inflamed).The best bet is to just ride it out. If it's severe call your doctor or head straight to your nearest ER. The very old and the very young may have ot be hospitalized because food poisoning affects them the worst. You'll either have to give a stool sample, along with a blood one. The food will also be tested to see what kind of food poisoning you have. Once you get home you'll be on a bland diet of broth and toast.Stock up on drinks such as Gator Ade that will help get your electrolyte levels up to par. Avoid any drink made with milk. Most doctors recommend the BRAT diet for about a week This consists of Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. Sometimes a little sip of brandy a few days later helps but that's only if you're up to it. You probably won't feel like eating or drinking anyway. Just rest and take a little holiday.

To keep your kitchen a safe haven, wash down cutting boards, plates and utensils that have come in contact with any raw meats. Keep reminding the spouse and the kids to constantly wash their hands after using the bathroom. As for the food , throw any rotting or bad smelling food straight into the garbage. Don't buy any dented canned food. Throw any any damaged cans that you have in your house. (this even includes pet food. Your cat or dog can also suffer from some kind of food poisoning as well).

This summer be safe and sound when it comes to eating. Pay attention to where and what you're ingesting. Nothing dampens summer fun than a nasty bout of food poisoning. Trust me on this, I know.

Plum Delicious

This is the time of year fro plums, that voluptuous fruit that is more than a treat , it's a sensual delight. There's nothing like having one as a cool, refreshing as a dessert or even as a snack.

Plums go back as early as 497 BC and were even mentioned in Confucius' writings. They arrived in Europe under the rule of Pompeny the Great and also Alexander the Great brought the fruits back with him fron his Persian exploits. They grew throughout Europe during the Medieval Period. The American colonist discovered the native American kind and over the years Americans have cross bred them with the European genus.

Most US grocery stores sell the red and yellow Japanese kind . There are about eight different varieties from the Casselman to the Santa Rosa .Most back yard plums are the deep purple or blue European kind. The fruit is also being cross bred with apricots to produce the pluot a slightly bigger and juicier plum-apricot hybrid.The fruit is high in vitamins and fiber and makes a good snack for those on diet.

This season try plums. Their sensuous sweet taste is just right for these sultry days.