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By JANET K. KEELER © St. Petersburg Times, published May 30, 2001 eat your veggiesspotlight on plant food green beans
eating: Green beans, also called snap beans or string beans, are siblings to dried beans such as kidney and fresh shell beans such as limas. When you eat green beans, you nosh the seed pod and the tiny seeds inside. With most other beans, the pods are too tough to eat. Modern hybrids have eliminated the inedible string that ran the length of the green bean. Beans are a source of vitamin A and fiber. A 3/4-cup serving is 25 calories. buying: Peak season is May through October. They are available year-round in most places, but off-season green beans can be tough and less flavorful. When selecting, look for bright green, smooth beans. Snap one in half; it really should snap. Thin beans are usually sweeter and more tender than thick ones. Green beans go bad quickly; use them within a day or two of buying. preparing: Wash beans in cool water and snap or cut the tips off. Some cooks leave on the end with the tiny tail for presentation's sake. Cut them in desired lengths or on the diagonal. French-style beans are split lengthwise and are a good way to prepare older, tougher beans. cooking: Boil, braise, roast or saute depending on the dish. It only takes a pound of green beans 5 minutes to cook in boiling water. Save braising, slow cooking in moderate amounts of water, and roasting for older beans. These methods will enhance their waning flavor. quick fix: Red Potato and Green Bean Salad. Boil 11/2 pounds of small, red-skinned potatoes. Cool and cut into quarters. Boil 3/4-pounds green beans for 5 minutes; transfer to ice water to cool and stop cooking. Dice 1 small red onion. Mix potatoes, beans, onion and 1/4 cup choped fresh basil. Dress with a balsamic vinaigrette and serve at room temperature. this web site cooksThis big swig of a site holds thousands of recipes that can lead to countless entanglements with rum, tequila or whatever else you have a yen for. Webtender also offers a comprehensive bartender's handbook, several forums and a "Random Drink" selector for those with a devil-may-care attitude and a well-stocked bar. constant comment"A pate is nothing more than a French meatloaf that's had a couple of cocktails." -- Carol Cutler, author of Pate: The New Main Course for the Eighties (out of print) cooking classTo juice citrus fruit without a juicer, stick halved citrus with a fork and rotate it through the fruit. a new tasteThe publisher of Taste of Home magazine has launched Light & Tasty, which features more than 75 fat- and calorie-conscious recipes in each issue. Like those in Taste of Home, recipes in Light & Tasty are shared by subscribers, with an emphasis on family meals. A year's subscription is $11.98 for charter subscribers. Call toll-free 1-800-344-6913 or visit www.lightandtasty.com. juicy newsTropicana is building an extension to its fruit-squeezing factory in Bradenton to introduce a reduced-acid orange juice for people sensitive to citric acid. The juicemaker plans to have the new product on the market in about six months. It will be labeled "low acid." Also in the works is a sweeter juice product with more pulp made purely from Florida Valencias. pronto pesto
If you are hankering for basil pesto or chunky tomato sauce for bruschetta but are pressed for time, look for new products from Classico Creations. We give them top marks for taste and convenience. The pesto is ideal for hot and cold pasta dishes or as a spread for bread or crackers. Sun-Dried Tomato sauce has a pleasant tomato flavor that works well on grilled bread or as a veggie dip. A small amount of these sauces, designed to be a condiment or spread or mixed with pasta, goes a long way. Look for them in the pasta aisle. A 10-ounce jar is $2.79 to $3.29. Yomigaru, readers
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From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
Can't get enough of Food Network's Iron Chef? Then plunk down $21.95 for Iron Chef: The Official Book (Berkley, 2001), a behind-the-scenes look into the cult hit show. A chronology of battles, interviews with chefs and recipes are included. You might have a tough time finding some ingredients such as fugu (a toxic blowfish) and huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn), but a glossary of terms and ingredients is provided.
