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W E D N E S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 17 , 2008
IDBITS Add some cinnamon Here’s a trend worth tasting: the marrying of sweet and savory seasonings. It’s part of overall growing interest in the flavorings of the Middle East and North Africa, which blends spices many Americans consider sweet with ingredients they are more accustomed to using in savory preparations. For example, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and other similar ingredients frequently appear in rice, meat and vegetable dishes. If you haven’t already explored this very old (but maybe new to you) way of using your spice cabinet, check out Super Savory Cinnamon Salt by Vervacious, a nicely packaged blend of sea salt and Vietnamese cinnamon.
When is
Organic BETTER?
Which foods should be at the top of your grocery list and which ones you can live without
Pumping up and pairing up flavor Many people think the secret to great cooking is mastery of technique. It helps, but it’s hardly crucial. The key to cooking that tempts and satisfies, that brings people to the table, then brings them back for more, is understanding flavors and how they work together. And while a culinary degree certainly helps one understand this, more important is a willingness to try new foods, as well as old foods in new combinations. Now there is a book to help you take that flavorful trip. Flavor masters Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg have compiled an encyclopedic primer to flavor. Their just-released “The Flavor Bible” not only explains what foods taste like, but also offers exhaustive lists of flavor pairings for each. They suggest that mascarpone, for example, goes nicely with almonds, ladyfingers and peaches, among many other options. They also suggest pairings to avoid, such as maple syrup and brown sugar (too intense). The first two sections of the book explain how flavor works and offer advice from chefs and others about how they pair various flavors to create great recipes. It’s one of the rare cookbooks without recipes that everyone should learn to cook from.
COMMUNITY
Cheesecake recipe fits busy lifestyle
T
eresa Schuckert loves to teach. She would have to love it to do what she does: she homeschools eight of her nine children. The oldest is a sophomore at the University of Alabama. Her husband, Fred, is pastor at Grace Church where Schuckert teaches Sunday School and Pioneer Club. She was a school teacher before she had children and decided to stay home. Schuckert’s other love is to cook. It’s a good thing. With a family that large, a lot of food is consumed. Schuckert shares a recipe that is one of her family favorites. It Teresa is usually requested at birthdays Schuckert and holidays. It can be made ahead so it fits into a busy lifestyle. This recipe, along with some of Schuckert’s other recipes, can be found in Volume III of the Grace Church Cookbook.
FROZEN MOCHA CHEESECAKE
11⁄4 c. Oreo cookies (24 cookies), crushed 1 ⁄4 cup sugar 1 ⁄4 cup margarine, softened 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 2 ⁄3 cup Hershey chocolate syrup 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 teaspoon hot water 1 8-ounce tub Cool Whip OR 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
By Tiffany Stanton
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
E
nvironmental and health experts call them the “Dirty Dozen.” They’re the conventionally grown fruits and vegetables so tainted by pesticides and other chemicals that they may not be safe to eat, no matter how much they are washed. And Dianne Lollar, a registered dietician who served as chair of the American Dietetic Association Task Force on Sustainable Food Systems and is now nutrition director for Public Health Area 1 in Jasper, said that if consumers can only buy a few organically-grown products, they should be the ones ranked on the list. But she and many other nutrition experts say consumers should buy as many organically-grown products as they can afford, and for many reasons. “When a person buys organic, they are paying extra to help buy a cleaner world, more humane treatment of workers and a sustainable future,” said Lollar, who SEE ORGANIC | 4D
THE ‘DIRTY DOZEN’: ■ Peaches ■ Apples ■ Sweet bell peppers ■ Celery ■ Nectarines ■ Strawberries
■ Cherries ■ Lettuce ■ Imported grapes ■ Pears ■ Spinach ■ Potatoes
THE CLEANEST 12: ■ Onions ■ Avocado ■ Frozen sweet corn ■ Pineapples ■ Mango ■ Asparagus
Make pie crust by mixing together the first three ingredients and pressing them into a pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick spray (or use a ready made crust). Set aside. Combine the cream cheese, condensed milk, and chocolate syrup. Beat until fluffy. Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water. Add to mixture. Beat. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into the Oreo crust. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours. To have your favorite recipe featured here, reach Betty Slowe at betty.slowe@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0198.
The Environmental Working Group’s entire list of fruits and vegetables and their individual pesticide loads is available at www.food news.org/walletguide.php
■ Frozen sweet peas ■ Kiwi ■ Bananas ■ Cabbage ■ Broccoli ■ Eggplant
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
CHEF