Conscientious foodies should be well aware of fair trade practices and foodstuffs. In order to support new businesses and hemp empower nations we must buy their items. There is a lot to go for, from cocoa and tea to various fruits and vegetables.
Where to find these companies? Look on the web. Go to any search engine and type in fair trade foods. You'd be surprised at what come s up. For the US there is Garuda International, for the UK there is Fair Trade Foods. Also look to your local stores and hangouts to buy fair trade coffee and tea and baked good with fair trade spices and cocoas.
On this day we can be inspired by the man we honor and think of others who need us. For foodies that means helping countries who depend on our cravings for coffee and tea, chocolate bars and spice cookies.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Real Story Of Pepperidge Farm
If you're like me, you have always been in love with Pepperidge Farm products. From their famous goldfish to their cookies to their breads, they represent good quality baking at affordable prices. What I didn't know was their story. I had always assumed that this was a quaint baking outfit left over from another time. The real story is much different.
Pepperidge farm came about thanks to its' owner Margaret Rudkin. She had come up with a healthy alternative to white bread for her son who was beset with allergies. This was in 1937, long before grocery stores touted wheat and gluten free products. She made her son an all natural stone ground flour bread that not only helped him but was a hit amongst family and friends. The Rudkin family doctor even prescribed it to other patients and an industry was born. The company got its' name from the estate that the Rudkins owned , Pepperidge Farm.
The company added their rich line of Milano and Brussels cookies thanks to Margaret's being impressed with Belgian bakers and their creativity. This was in the 1950's and American cookies had yet to be sophisticated. Pepperidge Farm changed all that. Soon white bread America was being introduced to luxe styles of chocolate sandwiches and almond flour snaps. A few years later goldfish were brought to the line thanks to Margaret's trip to Switzerland and discovering Swiss fish crackers. The company was bought out by Campbell Soups a little after that however this enabled Pepperidge farm to now work on frozen pastries - another first for America.
Pepperidge Farm now has a whole host of elegant cookies along with down home sugar and chocolate chip kind.s The goldfish line has expanded as well , bringing all sorts of flavors from pizza to pretzels. This foodie wants to know. What's your favorite Pepperidge Farm treat?
Pepperidge farm came about thanks to its' owner Margaret Rudkin. She had come up with a healthy alternative to white bread for her son who was beset with allergies. This was in 1937, long before grocery stores touted wheat and gluten free products. She made her son an all natural stone ground flour bread that not only helped him but was a hit amongst family and friends. The Rudkin family doctor even prescribed it to other patients and an industry was born. The company got its' name from the estate that the Rudkins owned , Pepperidge Farm.
The company added their rich line of Milano and Brussels cookies thanks to Margaret's being impressed with Belgian bakers and their creativity. This was in the 1950's and American cookies had yet to be sophisticated. Pepperidge Farm changed all that. Soon white bread America was being introduced to luxe styles of chocolate sandwiches and almond flour snaps. A few years later goldfish were brought to the line thanks to Margaret's trip to Switzerland and discovering Swiss fish crackers. The company was bought out by Campbell Soups a little after that however this enabled Pepperidge farm to now work on frozen pastries - another first for America.
Pepperidge Farm now has a whole host of elegant cookies along with down home sugar and chocolate chip kind.s The goldfish line has expanded as well , bringing all sorts of flavors from pizza to pretzels. This foodie wants to know. What's your favorite Pepperidge Farm treat?
Friday, January 16, 2009
Guilty Pleasures Foodie Style
OK, fellow foodies, here's the first big question of 2009 - what's your guiltiest food pleasure?
For this foodie it has to be Pepperidge's Farm's Sugar Cookie. Yes, I know to other fellow food lovers it 's probably the most boring thing out there but not to me. There's something almost sinful about the way the cookie snaps under my teeth or the melange of different ingredients coming together to create a very comforting taste. These are the downfalls of my diet. I can eat an entire bag during the course of a day. They're irresistible.
Another treat that's almost right on a part with the PFSC's are Skittles. I rediscovered these over the Christmas holidays and now can't get enough of them. After all that cloying holiday chocolate there's something refreshing about the tart little bursts of fruit flavor. Plus they're just fun to eat.
These are some of my guiltiest food pleasures ( I can go on and on about my favorite restaurant, Villa Napoli's old fashioned cheeseless pizza) . Write in . I'm curious as to what everyone else's guiltiest food pleasures are.
For this foodie it has to be Pepperidge's Farm's Sugar Cookie. Yes, I know to other fellow food lovers it 's probably the most boring thing out there but not to me. There's something almost sinful about the way the cookie snaps under my teeth or the melange of different ingredients coming together to create a very comforting taste. These are the downfalls of my diet. I can eat an entire bag during the course of a day. They're irresistible.
Another treat that's almost right on a part with the PFSC's are Skittles. I rediscovered these over the Christmas holidays and now can't get enough of them. After all that cloying holiday chocolate there's something refreshing about the tart little bursts of fruit flavor. Plus they're just fun to eat.
These are some of my guiltiest food pleasures ( I can go on and on about my favorite restaurant, Villa Napoli's old fashioned cheeseless pizza) . Write in . I'm curious as to what everyone else's guiltiest food pleasures are.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Quick Hot Meals
Quick and hot don't normally go together when describing a meal, yet you can make one none the less. It's important for us to have something warm and filling in us during these cold wintry days. The problem is time. How to come up with something that will be oven fresh in a minimum of minutes?
The best of anything hot and hasty is a good soup. Of course the homemade kind does take hours to create. You can cheat here by using instant soup and adding some ingredients. Toss in some extra veggies or steak strips to a minestrone. Throw in some rice to a tomato to make it heartier. You can also serve hot biscuits with it or toasted Italian bread. You can also serve it over a huge hunk of the last to make it more rib sticking.
Other quick and hot meals include grilled cheese and panini. These are great because you can vary the cheeses and stuffings. Try some slabs of ham or a layer of bacon under sharp cheddar . Paninis could be stuffed with grilled veggies such as peppers, onions and eggplants. Add chicken or ham to round it out.
You can create quick and hot meals. It doesn't take a lot of time and effort. Just a few minutes and a few cans of soup or slices of bread.
The best of anything hot and hasty is a good soup. Of course the homemade kind does take hours to create. You can cheat here by using instant soup and adding some ingredients. Toss in some extra veggies or steak strips to a minestrone. Throw in some rice to a tomato to make it heartier. You can also serve hot biscuits with it or toasted Italian bread. You can also serve it over a huge hunk of the last to make it more rib sticking.
Other quick and hot meals include grilled cheese and panini. These are great because you can vary the cheeses and stuffings. Try some slabs of ham or a layer of bacon under sharp cheddar . Paninis could be stuffed with grilled veggies such as peppers, onions and eggplants. Add chicken or ham to round it out.
You can create quick and hot meals. It doesn't take a lot of time and effort. Just a few minutes and a few cans of soup or slices of bread.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New Spins On Old Classics
Old recipes are the greatest. You get a sense of tradition along with rib sticking meals. However as with anything old, sometimes they need tweaking to be a bit more accommodating. Anyone can put a new spin on an old classic Updating recipes keeps them fresh and interesting too.
Currently I'm obsessed with updating rice pudding. I'm not too fond of this classic dessert to be gin with but I found a recipe that calls for brown rice. Now that intrigues me. It also call for non traditional recipes such as nutmeg and maple syrup. As with any rice pudding there are to be raisins but I've decided to add almonds for crunch and texture. Thanks to all of these ingredients, the traditional bland mix is now turned into something a bit wilder and earthier.
If you have a recipe that you;re bored with tweak it up some. For example bruschetta can always use an extra kick with a layer of spicy salami added to it. Grilled cheese can benefit from thick slabs of ham under the cheese or subbing regular cheddar with pepper jack. Pasta sauce can be made healthier with chicken instead of the traditional beef . You can even add more spices to it for a pasta arriabiata. For cakes and cookies think about tweaking up classic recipes. Everyone appreciates a chocolate chocolate chip cake or an oatmeal cookie with walnuts instead of with raisins.
Have fun with your old recipes. Tweak them a bit to create new and tasty spins. It'll make dinner and dessert a bit more fun.
Currently I'm obsessed with updating rice pudding. I'm not too fond of this classic dessert to be gin with but I found a recipe that calls for brown rice. Now that intrigues me. It also call for non traditional recipes such as nutmeg and maple syrup. As with any rice pudding there are to be raisins but I've decided to add almonds for crunch and texture. Thanks to all of these ingredients, the traditional bland mix is now turned into something a bit wilder and earthier.
If you have a recipe that you;re bored with tweak it up some. For example bruschetta can always use an extra kick with a layer of spicy salami added to it. Grilled cheese can benefit from thick slabs of ham under the cheese or subbing regular cheddar with pepper jack. Pasta sauce can be made healthier with chicken instead of the traditional beef . You can even add more spices to it for a pasta arriabiata. For cakes and cookies think about tweaking up classic recipes. Everyone appreciates a chocolate chocolate chip cake or an oatmeal cookie with walnuts instead of with raisins.
Have fun with your old recipes. Tweak them a bit to create new and tasty spins. It'll make dinner and dessert a bit more fun.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Nice Hot Sandwich
Nothing beats a hot lunch during these cold times. There's something so satisfying as oven fresh meat on bread slathered with gravy. Not only that , it gives you fortification when you're facing a hard day and freezing temps.
Sandwiches began with the Earl of Sandwich wanting something quick and fuss free to eat during his time at the gaming tables .His cook's creations were a variation of the hot sandwich, cold roast beef on toasted bread. The first real hot sandwich was the BLT, a variation of a Victorian tea sandwich. Move to fifty years later when diners are all the rage in America. They were the first to serve hot open faced sandwiches, using roast and turkey along with ladles of gravy.
Other countries have their variations on this. Italian has the hot pressed paninis while the Cubans create their version , full of hot pork and ham. The French have that yummy fried cheese, the croque monsieur which is a lovely blend of Gruyere cheese and ham fired golden brown in butter. (they also have a croque madame which subs turkey for the ham).
However you slice it there;s nothing like a hot sandwich on a cold day. It;s the perfect buffer for those cold temps and an empty, growling stomach.
Sandwiches began with the Earl of Sandwich wanting something quick and fuss free to eat during his time at the gaming tables .His cook's creations were a variation of the hot sandwich, cold roast beef on toasted bread. The first real hot sandwich was the BLT, a variation of a Victorian tea sandwich. Move to fifty years later when diners are all the rage in America. They were the first to serve hot open faced sandwiches, using roast and turkey along with ladles of gravy.
Other countries have their variations on this. Italian has the hot pressed paninis while the Cubans create their version , full of hot pork and ham. The French have that yummy fried cheese, the croque monsieur which is a lovely blend of Gruyere cheese and ham fired golden brown in butter. (they also have a croque madame which subs turkey for the ham).
However you slice it there;s nothing like a hot sandwich on a cold day. It;s the perfect buffer for those cold temps and an empty, growling stomach.
Monday, January 12, 2009
FinallyThe Bagna Calda Entry
I finally feel well enough (OK so almost well enough) to actually write about bagna calda. this is a gourmet and foodie treat that my Piedmontese relatives make during the winter months. It's an interesting melange of anchovy with beef or veggies.
Bagna calda means hot bath in Italian (it's bagna caoda in Piedmontese) and it's definitely that. Savory anchovies fillets are melted into a mix of butter and oil in a fondue pot. Minced garlic is then added for more flavor. Traditionally Savoy cabbage was put in to it to cook up and soak up the "bath" however a Paterson NJ version also was created. Paterson was the East Coast's home for silk and it lured the silk weavers from Piedmonte's towns such as Biella . The workers brought their own spins to traditional recipes such as bagna and pascoi (stuffed Savoy cabbage). One was adding raw London broil to the dip. It cooks up beautifully adding a rich red meat juice. This blends perfectly with the anchovies' saltiness. (if you;re wondering how anchovies got to the landlocked region, it's because of the Genovese fish merchants, directly south of Piedmont, who used the alpine hills and valleys as drying spots for their catches. This was done during the winter months).
Of course bagna wouldn't be complete without a long crusty loaf of Italian or French bread. use it to sop up the dip from your plate or take a hunk and let it cook up in the pot. This is a treat until itself especially when you're able to get your hands on the heel .
Bagna calda is a fun and tasty winter dish. It's the best thing a bout the New Year!
My family's recipe
1 tin anchovy fillets.
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced,
Sliced raw London broil or steak, cut up Savoy cabbage and mushrooms.
In a fondue pot add olive oil anchovies and garlic Stir until melted. Toss in meats and veggies. and cook until done.
Bagna calda means hot bath in Italian (it's bagna caoda in Piedmontese) and it's definitely that. Savory anchovies fillets are melted into a mix of butter and oil in a fondue pot. Minced garlic is then added for more flavor. Traditionally Savoy cabbage was put in to it to cook up and soak up the "bath" however a Paterson NJ version also was created. Paterson was the East Coast's home for silk and it lured the silk weavers from Piedmonte's towns such as Biella . The workers brought their own spins to traditional recipes such as bagna and pascoi (stuffed Savoy cabbage). One was adding raw London broil to the dip. It cooks up beautifully adding a rich red meat juice. This blends perfectly with the anchovies' saltiness. (if you;re wondering how anchovies got to the landlocked region, it's because of the Genovese fish merchants, directly south of Piedmont, who used the alpine hills and valleys as drying spots for their catches. This was done during the winter months).
Of course bagna wouldn't be complete without a long crusty loaf of Italian or French bread. use it to sop up the dip from your plate or take a hunk and let it cook up in the pot. This is a treat until itself especially when you're able to get your hands on the heel .
Bagna calda is a fun and tasty winter dish. It's the best thing a bout the New Year!
My family's recipe
1 tin anchovy fillets.
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced,
Sliced raw London broil or steak, cut up Savoy cabbage and mushrooms.
In a fondue pot add olive oil anchovies and garlic Stir until melted. Toss in meats and veggies. and cook until done.
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