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  WINDY CITY TIMES

PALATE B'ef Isn't Always From Cows
by LEE GERSTEIN
2003-11-19

This article shared 1523 times since Wed Nov 19, 2003
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Who says carnivores have a monopoly on eating the unhealthy stuff? Now, vegetarians can skip the meat, but still chow down on down home Southern favorites, and faux Chinese. The good people over at Gardenburger remember how much they loved a country-fried steak ( even if they won't admit it ) , and have created a vegetarian version: Country Fried Chik'n ( ick ) with Creamy pepper Gravy. Really, it's just their protein-laden burgers, covered in breading, and smothered in thick white gravy.

If that sounds enticing and you want more ( or if you just want another option ) , the Meatless Sweet & Sour Pork ( Why not P'rk? ) reimagines the Cantonese favorite as sliced soy simmered with bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. Fans of Buffalo Wings will look aghast at the Buffalo Chik'n Wings, but to those of us who enjoy some meatless meals, there's a new option in the freezer. Lightly breaded and dripping in a hot sauce, there's not a lot to complain about.

Dessert In A Hurry

Food Giant General Mills recently released the findings of their study on dessert habits of those who eat at home. The study found that 75 percent of consumers enjoy dessert with dinner at home, and that 55 percent said they would like to have dessert more often. The findings conclude that, with easier preparation, most of these people would give in to their cravings. So, what's a corporate conglomerate to do, but give the people what they want? In this case, it's new Betty Crocker Complete Desserts, which come with everything you need right in the box. Choose from Southern-style Peach Cobbler, Classic Cherry Cobbler, and Old Fashioned Apple Crisp. The mixes include a fruit compote and pouch of dessert topping mix. Estimated prep time is exactly four minutes, which involves spreading the fruit in the pan, adding water, and then the topping. The dessert bakes for approximately 30 minutes.

Seismic Shifts In Cookie Crispiness

Have you heard about the Ig-Noble Awards, presented annually by Harvard University? They are a sort of inverted Nobel Prize Awards given for legitimate scientific research of astonishingly dubious nature. For example, this past year's big winner was a research scientist who published his findings on the first known example of homosexual necrophilia in the world of the mallard duck. Well, we have a possible winner for next year, with a recently published study in the scientific journal, Measurement, Science, and Technology.

Physicists at Loughborough University in Leicestershire, U.K. have finally discovered why the cookie crumbles. Employing the most advanced in laser technology, researchers were able to actually look inside an unbroken cookie, revealing fault lines. See, as a cookie is removed from the oven and allowed to cool, it absorbs moisture around its edges, which causes it to expand. But, at the same time, the cookie loses moisture in its center, which contracts. If you can't figure out where this is going for yourself, the researchers suggest that, due to strain built up in the cookie from these opposing forces, the cookie becomes vulnerable to crumbling.

I Told You So

Last month, I wrote about the benefits of beans. They are a protein-rich, high-fiber, low-fat combo that can't be beat for providing nutrition and energy to the body. Now, Nancy Kennedy, nutritionist to the stars, is using the bean platform to raise her profile, which means expect a line of foods, a book deal, or both, in the near future. Kennedy, who visits a celebrity's home to scout out their pantries for all unhealthful foods, returns with selected goods, like leafy vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Clients include J-Lo, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, and Kevin Costner, and they are all given the same routine. First, cut out the junk, and replace with healthful versions of the same. For example, Kennedy, in the November issue of Prepared Foods, suggests replacing traditional pizza with Mexican Pizza, which utilizes beans salsa, and low-fat cheese. Until I taste it, I remain strongly unconvinced. She also pushes bean burritos and turkey & bean chili. In the magazine, she says, 'So many celebrities I work with are surprised when I suggest they eat beans to stay slim.' But, combined with a sensible fitness regimen and a focus on the basics of a healthy lifestyle and avoidance of faddish diet programs, Kennedy believes just about anyone will see results.

Asia Conquers America

There are currently about 12 million people of Asian descent in the United States. Made up of a cross section of all the nations from the massive continent, these people have brought a taste for their various regional cooking to America, and the food market, which once marginalized these diets, is now championing them for the masses. Food biggies are creating their own products, like Uncle Ben's Rice and Noodle Bowls, reinventing brands, like La Choy, or acquiring some of the small independents that marketed mostly to the defined immigrant and second-generation populations, as Heinz recently did.

Chinese was the first Asian food to find acceptance with the nation at large, and, for a while, it seemed no others would ever catch on. But, over the last few decades, American's tastes have become more adventurous, with the sushi boom, and Thai restaurants popping up everywhere. Now, chain restaurants, like P.F. Chang's and Big Bowl have brought their American takes on Asian food to the malls of the nation. One of the original Asian restaurants to find success with modern America was the Kahiki Supper Club. Now shuttered, its name lives on in a successful brand of Kahiki frozen foods.

A little Chinese, a dash of Indian, Malaysian, or Polynesian, the food is unthreatening, and not too spicy. Look for egg rolls, pot stickers in various flavors, and appetizers like Beef Tiki Bites.


This article shared 1523 times since Wed Nov 19, 2003
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