Food for Thought: Honey - tastes good AND cures coughs
Quote of Note
"Many families are going to relate to these findings and say that Grandma was right."
Dr. Ian Paul of Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine on a new study that shows honey might be the best remedy for children with coughs. The honey not only helped the kids in the study sleep better, it also eased throat pain.
Wise to the Word: Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais Nouveau (boh zhuh LAY noo VOH) is the first wine released after harvest, bottled right after fermentation, without aging. It's light and fruity and often served at Thanksgiving, about the time it arrives in stores. This red wine from the Beaujolais region of France is very affordable, and it is sometimes looked down on by wine snobs. Ignore them and enjoy this wine. Dorothy Gaiter, co-author of "The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine," writes, "Nouveau is the very first wine that will touch our lips from the current vintage, and that's something to celebrate." She recommends serving it slightly chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be consumed young, so drink it before New Year's Day. -- Canton Repository
Number to Know: 4
Number of Wise Men in a Red Bull TV commercial that has angered Christians in Italy. In the commercial, the fourth Wise Man comes to visit the baby Jesus bearing a can of the soda-like Red Bull. The company's slogan - "Red Bull gives you wings" - is said by an angel, which further compounds the blasphemy, an Italian priest said. -- Source: Reuters
Easy Recipe: Apple Puff Pancake
2 Tbs butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
Pinch of salt
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in a pie pan in the oven as it's heating and swirl it around to coat the edges. Mix together the eggs, milk, flour, and salt. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the melted butter. Lay the apple slices down in the butter. Pour the batter over the apple and bake for 30-35 minutes. Take it out and turn it over onto a serving plate. Cut in slices and serve. Sprinke with powdered sugar, if desired. Serves two. -- www.cheapcooking.com
Critic's Cupboard: Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips and Wonton Strips
Spatula Up: Naked salad? Why? The variety of salad toppings on the market is staggering, from glazed nuts to sesame sticks. The latest in the parade is crispy strips. I wasn't impressed with the tortilla strips, which lacked presence. I'd rather crumble my favorite tortilla chip on top of a Mexican salad. But the Garlic Ginger Wonton Strips were wonderful, with a firm yet crisp texture and a nice hit of ginger, garlic and soy sauce. They also work well as topping for stir-fry and wonton soup. -- Saimi Bergmann
Spatula Up: You can keep your boring garden-variety salad. Give me a chef, Caesar, Southwestern, Asian or BLT salad any day of the week. Now it's even easier to make a delicious theme salad, thanks to these tasty and convenient Fresh Gourmet strips. They have just the right amount of flavor -- not too mild, not too intense -- and the crispy crunch is just right. These two are terrific, and I can't wait to get my taste buds on the Wasabi Ranch Wonton flavor. -- Jennifer Mastroianni
Wine Tips
Chocolate and wine - is there anything better? But do you know what are the best wines to imbibe with chocolate? Here are the top varieties, from www.wineintro.com:
- Late-harvest Riesling is a sweet but complex white wine that is great as a dessert wine. It often has fruity and floral flavors.
- Merlot is not quite as harsh as other reds. It is mellow but still complex and has soft flavors of plum.
- Cabernet Sauvignon is known as one of the world's finest red wines, with its depth of complexity and richness of flavour. With its rich black currant and blackberry flavors, Cabernet goes very well with dark, rich chocolates.
GateHouse News Service