Clutter-free spice shakers and boards from Soho Spices
American Vintage Wine Biscuits
Rhubarb
Mother Nature has fooled us with the rhubarb, as she often does in matters of fruits and vegetables. First, there are the visuals: The long stalks look like red celery, but one puckery bite lets you know you're not in wimpy celery territory. Then there's the science: Though rhubarb is generally regarded as a tart fruit, it's technically a leafy vegetable in the buckwheat family.
Rhubarb is one of the most ancient - if not the most popular - veggie in the produce section. It was first cultivated in Asia, probably Tibet and China, in 2700 B.C. and used medicinally. Rhubarb found its way to the United States in the early 1800s and was paired with strawberries in pies not long after that.
Field-grown rhubarb, at its peak from April to June, usually has cherry red stalks and green leaves. Its flavor is more pronounced than hothouse rhubarb, which has pink to pale-red stalks and yellow-green leaves.
Whatever its color, the leaves should never be eaten, because they are full of toxic oxalic acid.
But how did rhubarb become slang for a fight or argument? At www.wordorigins.org the usage is traced to 1920s radio shows when actors would repeat the word over and over to provide the sound effects for an angry crowd. Baseball announcers soon began using the word to describe a fight on the field.
Cooking class
To freeze homemade drop cookie dough without having to defrost an entire roll of dough at a time, scoop out individual balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Transfer to freezer until completely frozen, about 2 hours. Then place the frozen balls to a resealable plastic bag and freeze until ready to bake. To bake, do not defrost. Add a minute or two to the baking time. - From Cook's Illustrated magazine, June 2003.
Constant comment
"Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained." - French artist Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958)
What's that mean?
Delmonico steak is the name for a boneless cut of beef from the short loin, also referred to as New York steak. The term Delmonico refers to certain dishes made famous at the legendary Delmonico's in New York, the restaurant credited with introducing French cuisine to America in the early 19th century. Another dish bearing the name is Delmonico potatoes, which are cooked potatoes, diced or mashed, topped with grated cheese and buttered breadcrumbs and baked until golden. Baked Alaska and lobster Newberg were also developed at Delmonico's.
Food network news
Maybe his sitcom failed, but Emeril Lagasse is still the star of the Food Network. The popular chef signed a new, Bam!-worthy multimillion-dollar contract guaranteeing 90 new episodes of Emeril Live! and 26 episodes of Essence of Emeril annually for the next five years. . . .
Food Fight debuts at 10 p.m. Thursday on the cable channel. The show pits two-person teams of ordinary folks against each other in an Iron Chef-style cookoff. Two episodes filmed in the Tampa Bay area in January do not have air dates yet but will be shown this summer.
Buy these crackers
PR folks and food conglomerates are constantly pitching products to food editors. Many are of dubious merit, or at the very least don't taste very good. Then comes American Vintage Wine Biscuits. These chunky, buttery crackers come in three flavors: Red wine and black pepper; white wine, shallot and cayenne; and chianti, oregano and crushed red pepper. The pepper brings the heat, and the wine adds the interest. Crush them on salads, eat them with salami or nosh solo. Order by calling 718 361-1003 or online at www.americanvintage.com They are $5.25 a bag; minimum order is three bags. Florida Orange Groves and Winery, 1500 Pasadena Ave. S, South Pasadena, (727) 347-4025, also stocks some varieties.
Magnetic spice
Form meets function in clutter-free spice shakers and boards from Soho Spices. Crafted from stainless steel, sturdy, clear-topped containers have twist-and-shake tops and magnetic bottoms that can be slapped onto almost any metal surface, such as a refrigerator. A single shaker holds the contents of an average-size jar of spices or herbs. The spice shakers and boards are available in several combinations, with prices ranging from $29.95 to $179.95. Check them out at www.sohospices.com
