2003 Articles in the Boston Globe
A little bit of everything goes a long way
December 25, 2003
Don't pity the poor antipasto. According to Lynne Rosetto Kaspar, author of "The Italian Country Table" (Scribner), even though its origins are in peasant cuisine, many of the dishes, developed from leftovers, have now become antipasti, often translated as appetizers. The word "appetizer," however, barely does justice to the long list of antipasti at restaurants in Italy or to their sumptuous display on plain white platters. Antipasti can be so varied and elaborate that they can be a meal in themselves. The possibilities are endless: tidbits of seafood tossed with olive oil, garlic, and parsley; prosciutto in swirls like petals; a humble bowl of white beans in a warm bath of garlic, olive oil, and parsley; a rainbow of grilled peppers; plates of silvery anchovies; mixed olives in spices; a hunk of parmesan cheese shaved and served over bitter arugula with a drizzling of balsamic vinegar. Regional specialties also are varied. One of northern Italy's most famous contributions to the antipasto table is mortadella, which has morphed into an American lunch meat named after Bologna, the region's largest city. A single platter of mortadella, the fully cooked sausage meat studded with squares of fat and special spices, can stand alone as an antipasto.
<Click to read complete article.>
For dinner, too, eggs are a reliable comfort food
December 18, 2003
They're baaaack! Eggs that is. Denigrated for being high in cholesterol, eggs seem to be regaining their Grade A status. Sunnyside up or down, there is no more throwing away the yolk and making that pale substitute: an egg-white omelet. Diets like Atkins and South Beach tout protein, protein, and more protein.
We all know eggs are a good source of protein, but did you know the yolk is also an excellent source of lutein? Lutein is a caratenoid, often found in plants (carrots and tomatoes), and is famous for helping us maintain healthy eyes.
<Click to read complete article.>
Along with your cod, a side of controversy
December 11, 2003
The North Atlantic cod is the fish for which Boston is famous, the one after which the Cape is named, the main ingredient in our fish chowder. According to Mark Kurlansky, author of "Cod, a Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" (Penguin), the control of cod also has led to war and prosperity. Long before explorers from Northern Europe came looking for it in the 15th century, it was a dietary staple for Native Americans in this region.
<Click to read complete article.>
Korean scallion pancakes a savory comfort food
November 6, 2003
Kyong Ok Lim pokes her head out the door of her shop, New York Oriental in Cambridge, and looks up at the darkening sky. She says it's on days like these that Korean families wish for scallion pancakes.
Rain or shine, however, on Saturdays Lim is in the kitchen in the back of the shop making her signature savory pancakes. A steady stream of devoted customers comes through the door welcomed by an enticing aroma and shouts of "Hello" in Korean.
<Click to read complete article.>
Zappin’ the Apple
September 17, 2003
Traditional methods for baking apples take almost an hour, but how about zapping an a apple for a simple dessert or a sweet start to your day with breakfast? A micro-waved apple takes only minutes -- a great impromptu treat during apple season. You can even make an individual serving of fresh warm applesauce - no peeling and no pureeing - right inside the apple. Not all apple varieties are good for baking. Macs are great for munching but have a high water content and practically disappear in the cooking process. Choose a pie-baking apple like Cortland or Granny Smith, which stand up well in the microwave. Zap your apples in individual cups and they will hold their shape. Choose one that will rest nicely in a ramekin or small pyrex glass bowl (about 3 inches in diameter). Top with a spoonful of milk or cream for a lovely old fashioned flavor. The crumb topping is optional.
<Click to read complete article.>
Feeding on the many flavors of Stockholm
July 16, 2003
STOCKHOLM - Situated in an archipelago of thousands of islands, Stockholm is one of the most beautifully situated capitals in the world. After long winters, its frozen waterways are finally cleared of ice floes, and its tour boats ferry visitors in and out of its many harbors. By late March, it is warm enough to sit outside, and the city's streets and parks are crowded with diners bathed in the lengthening sunlight hours. By June and July, it never gets dark.
<Click to read complete article.>
Beauty secrets? Check the fridge -- Make skin cream and a snack, too
July 10, 2003
Sometimes it's OK to have egg on your face - or banana or yogurt or apricot or avocado. Just call it a food facial.
Facials at salons can be expensive, great for a birthday present for a friend, maybe, or a splurge for yourself. Instead, consider shopping for your salad and your beauty at the same time; think of it as an investment in good nutrition for both inside and outside your body.
<Click to read complete article.>
Load up your plate with regional Italian delicacies at a 'sagra'
July 9, 2003
MAGLIANO, Italy - There you are, dining al fresco on a warm summer's eve in the Italian countryside. Plates of the ''gastronomia tipica'' (local dish) are splayed out before you, and a pitcher of hearty wine is being passed your way. You are engulfed in a lively, informal atmosphere. The flow of food and conversation is constant. Friends and family greet one another with kisses on both cheeks and refrains of ''Ciao, Ciao.'' The aroma of grilled meats fills the air. And you know the bill will be incredibly inexpensive.
<Click to read complete article.>
The open-faced sandwich: a savory slice of Danish culture
July 9, 2003
Somewhere between the canape and the sandwich lies smorrebrod, an icon of Danish cuisine. Literally ''bread and butter,'' the smorrebrod is crowned with all manner of fish, meats, cheese, vegetables, spreads, and edible garnishes.
<Click to read complete article.>
Time to step out of the box and make your own crispy crackers
They won't steal limelight from spreads
June 19, 2003
Munching away happily on a variety of crackers gathered in a basket, a friend was incredulous when informed they were all homemade. ''Get outta town!'' she exclaimed. ''These are awesome!''
<Click to read complete article.>
A pumped-up energy-drink industry flexes its muscles
May 29, 2003
''Party like a rock star.'' ''For energy that lasts.'' ''Xapp your mind, Xapp your muscles.'' ''Vitalizes body and mind.'' Amp, Monster, Adrenaline Rush, Red Bull, XAPP: Are we talking about heavy metal bands here?
<Click to read complete article.>
Aebleskiver, Denmark's answer to the doughnut
April 30, 2003
COPENHAGEN -- Ask any Dane or Danish-American about aebleskivers, and you'll be treated to broad smiles. Aebleskiver --literally ''apple slice'' -- is a pancake puffball that rarely contains the apple tidbit originally tucked into its center as a sweet surprise.
<Click to read complete article.>
For vegetarians, creativity and nutrition knowledge are key
4/24/2003
''My favorite food used to be Chinese spareribs,'' says Reuben Solomon, 13, of Lexington. ''That is, until I realized I had ribs, too. I think I was 9 and I haven't eaten any meat since then.''
<Click to read complete article.>
Consuming more than one serving a common diet buster
3/27/2003
In your cache of kitchen gadgets do you have a scale for weighing food? Are your measuring cups and spoons ever-handy for dishing out those suggested serving sizes on the nutrition label? For example, the one that says two tablespoons of salad dressing equals 1 serving?
<Click to read complete article.>
In the Lime-light
2/19/2003
MIAMI -- Ask any five people about Key lime pie and they will agree on one thing only -- it should never ever be green.
''Honey,'' said the slight waitress with weather-beaten skin at a little dive called the Crack'd Conch (where the choices for dessert were a slice of Doris's Key lime pie or the whole pie), ''if it's green, man made it green. One more thing,'' she added as she set the pie before us, ''you're never gonna find two Key lime pies that are the same.''
<Click to read complete article.>
In Berlin, flavors of Turkey and Lebanon spice up the fast food
2/5/2003
BERLIN -- Isn't it fitting that the country that gave us hamburgers and frankfurters
now consumes fast food from Turkey and Lebanon? Doener from Turkey and
shawarma from Lebanon -- tasty sandwiches using spiced meat carved from a
rotating spit -- feed Berliners of all ethnicities.
<Click to read complete article.>
Clay pots irresistable in design, function
January 23,2003
What do a Romertopf Schlemmertopf, tagine, and donabe
(donabay) have in common?
They are all earthenware pots with covers, from different parts of
the world. The high-domed Romertopf and Schlemmertopf are from
Germany, the pyramid-shaped tajine (tagine) is from Morocco, and
the round donabe is from Japan.
<Click to read complete article.>
These breads go with the grain
1/15/2003
BERLIN - Early each morning, the smell of fresh bread beckons Berliners to the tiniest of backerei (bakeries), where locals line up for a slice, a bun, or a roll to munch on the way to school or work. Loaves are tucked into bags and eaten later with hard cheese, strong mustard, and ham. Bread plays an important role in the diet here. <Click to read complete article.>
|
