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Small bites

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 28, 2007

Buying pork? Point your cart to the web

The Internet is a fine source for gourmet pork, which usually can be delivered within a day or two of ordering. Niman Ranch has a Web site, www.nimanranch.com, and there are several suppliers of Kurobuta pork, including Snake River Farms, www.snakeriverfarms. com, the company that helped introduce Wagyu beef.

The American Berkshire Association sells meat through its Web site, www.berkshiremeats.com, and Heritage Foods USA, a spinoff of Slow Food USA, has a Web site with links to producers of Berkshire and several other heritage types of pork, www.heritagefoodsusa.com.

More ways with whole grains

Looking for more ways to get whole grains into your diet? Here's a book that might help.

Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way by Lorna Sass (Potter, $32.50) demystifies wheat berries and familiar grains like cornmeal, oats and rice as well as the less familiar quinoa (an ancient grain used by the Incas), triticale (a natural hybrid of wheat and rye) and farro (a kind of wheat).

The book starts with an introduction that covers definitions, prep tips ("To rinse or not to rinse?" Answer: It depends on the grain) and how to select and store whole grains. Perhaps the best part of this section is "The grain bank: Whole grains as fast food" - where Sass explains how to incorporate whole grains that take a long time to cook into a time-pressed mealtime schedule.

All produce needs a good scrubbing

Yes, you need to wash fruits and vegetables, even those with thick skin you don't eat. Here are the best techniques:

Bananas, avocados and watermelon

Wash skin with a scrubber to eliminate contamination that could be transferred to flesh after touching or cutting through the exterior of the fruit.

Cantaloupe

Give this big boy extra scrubbing. "We've had a number of outbreaks of salmonella associated with cantaloupe," says Michelle Smith, a food safety scientist with the Food and Drug Administration.

Apples, tomatoes, plums, pears and peaches

They fall into the easily bruised category and should be washed under running water.

Leafy greens

The FDA advises removing the outer leaves from heads of greens, such as iceberg lettuce or cabbage, rinsing the inner portions and using a salad spinner to thoroughly dry them.

Prewashed bagged greens

According to the Partnership for Food Safety Education, prewashed greens do not need to be washed again in the home.

Broccoli

Break or cut the head into small florets, which can be placed in a strainer and rinsed under cool water. Do not allow broccoli to soak.

Corn

Though protected by the husk, ears of corn still should be rinsed under cool water before eating, according to the Fresh Supersweet Corn Council. The silk, those white threads that cling to the ear, are best removed by brushing the ear with a soft brush or towel.

[Last modified March 27, 2007, 15:58:08]