Wine News: French wine crisis worsens as exports tumble

"French wine exports sank again in the first quarter of this year, confirming a downward spiral which has plunged the sector into crisis and brought thousands of wine-growers out onto the streets in protest.

Apart from champagnes and sparkling wines, exports of French wine dropped some 13.0 percent in value and 13.2 percent in volume in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, FEVS said.

This adds to the misery seen last year, when French wine exports lost some 9.2 percent in value, of which some US$943 million were lost in just the first quarter."

Read more: French wine crisis worsens as exports tumble

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Wine News: South Africa Tends to Its Wine

"Vergelegen, the 305-year-old wine estate owned by mining group Anglo American launched a super-premium wine in London this month. Wrapped in elegant black packaging and called simply V, it represents Vergelegen's bid to stand alongside the best wines of Europe, Australia and California."

Read more: South Africa Tends to Its Wine

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Coffee News: Drawn by coffee, strengthened by friendship

This story reminds me of when a quartet of us at Abuzz.com had our morning "Coffee Club" Good times...

"Coffee is what first drew them here. Now the large silver urn at the Publix in Rio Pinar Plaza is the outpost of what has become the Morning Coffee Club.

A homemade sign in a plastic frame near the urn displays a mosaic of members' photos -- eight Orlando men, most of them elderly, all wearing smiles that crinkle the corners of their eyes. Most are veterans of the U.S. Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force.

Their similar backgrounds might have brought initial camaraderie, but friendship has strengthened the bond. And, after all, a retired GI needs his joe. The store on Chickasaw Trail in east Orange County brews an excellent cup, says Russ Hudson."

Read more: Drawn by coffee, strengthened by friendship

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Coffee News: Brewing secrets. Behold! Elements of great joe unveiled

"Is there anything more completely satisfying than a mug of good coffee?

And is there anything more disappointing than a bad one?

If you're choking on your own brew, try these expert tips for making sweet Java. Or pass them on to someone who needs them."

Read more: Brewing secrets. Behold! Elements of great joe unveiled

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Coffee News: Here's the latest buzz on upscale coffee makers

"You can take the time to heat water to pour into a traditional manual coffee maker or dash off in half a minute with a single mug of coffee from one of those coffee pod machines that are selling like crazy.

The staggering number of choices in coffee makers and accessories means you can brew exactly what you want the way you want.

Here is a range of coffee equipment that can be found at retailers or at the Web sites listed by each product."

Read more: Here's the latest buzz on upscale coffee makers

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News: The popular Table

"Catering to customers on the go, Village Table has cooked up a delicacy for time-crunched patrons.

When Pam and Kevin Campbell needed a new business idea, they went to the kitchen, developed a recipe for success and started cooking. Then they did something unusual. They put their idea in the freezer. Literally.

The husband-and-wife team own the Village Table, a concept which allows patrons to make their own home-style meals in bulk, take them home and freeze them.

The idea of freezer cooking isn't new, but the Campbell's have added their own unique ingredients to make this concept a huge success."

Read more: The popular Table

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Recipes: The Grill is On: Steak Recipes That Rock

"Unabashed carnivores look forward to thick and juicy steaks much in the way chocolate lovers anticipate their next Godiva fix; the meat fulfills a craving that nothing else can satisfy.

Of course after people buy premium steaks, they want to be sure to treat them with tender loving care in the cooking process. But there are certain tricks and techniques that have to take place before that steak ever hits your plate -- from the purchase to the preparation."

Includes great tips and the following recipes:

• Mandarin Orange Steaks


• Mexican Roast

Read more: The Grill is On: Steak Recipes That Rock
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Cookbook Review: Cookbook's recipes bring out flavor of dining al fresco

"Jeremy Jackson has done it again.

Trouble is, I can't decide whether that's good.

Jackson, a quirky young writer from Iowa who dabbles equally in food and fiction, has a penchant for picking intriguing (if somewhat narrow) subjects for his cookbooks."

Includes recipes:

• Crostini With Peaches and Blue Cheese


• Noodles With Walnut and Blue Cheese Pesto

Order Good Day for a Picnic : Simple Food That Travels Well from Amazon.com.

Read more: Cookbook's recipes bring out flavor of dining al fresco

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Recipes: Area residents' favorite grilling recipes

The following recipes are found in the latest Kennebec Journal on MaineToday.com:

• Grilled potatoes with garlic
• Tarragon chicken burgers
• Grilled salmon with ginger-mustard glaze
• Rise and shine salad
• Beer can chicken
• Grilled Zucchini

Read more: Area residents' favorite grilling recipes --------

Recipes: My Favorite Recipes 5/23

Includes recipes:

• Sopaipillas


• Mexican Cornbread Surprise


• Homestyle Tacos

Read more: My Favorite Recipes 5/23

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Recipes: Cold salad recipes

Recipes from Lucy Butler, Wilton, New York, "Big Book Of Easy Suppers: 270 Delicious Recipes For Casual Everyday Cooking" by Maryana Volstedt, and "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook: Eating Well for Better Health" by Donald Hensrud et al.

Includes recipes:

• LUCY'S MACARONI SALAD


• CHOPPED GREEK SALAD


• CHICKEN SALAD WITH THAI FLAVORS

Read more: Cold salad recipes
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Recipes: Risotto Alla Milanese

"Risotto is very versatile. You can have it with meat, vegetables or seafood. You can serve it as an appetizer, a main course or a side dish. But for most people, the thought is that this classic Italian dish is hard to prepare.

So The Early Show teamed up with the folks at Williams-Sonoma and cookbook author Tori Ritchie to get easy recipes you can do at home. Check out basic tips Ritchie shares for the "Five-Minute Cooking School."

The following are her recipes for Risotto alla Milanese; Risotto with Artichokes; Risotto with Fresh Corn and Basil Oil; and Risotto Rustica with Prosciutto and Arugula."

Read more: Risotto Alla Milanese

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Fire up the barbecue - Just in time for summer, 6 hot cookbooks can make you a grill master

"Cooking food over an open flame is certainly not a modern cooking technique. Ever since man learned how to rub two sticks together back in the B.C. years (that's "before charcoal") to flambe the catch of the day, we've been on an endless pursuit of the ultimate grilling experience.

And every barbecue season the list of cookbooks offering the latest techniques, tips and recipes grows ever larger...

Whether you cook with gas, charcoal, wood or anything else that gets the job done, here are six of the latest cookbooks to help you earn the title of Grill God (or Goddess) at your Memorial Weekend barbecue."

Includes book reviews:

• Good Times, Good Grilling by Cheryl & Bill Jamison


• Weber's Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance


• The New Gas Grill Gourmet by A. Cort Sinnes


• Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life by Bobby Flay


• The BBQ Queens Big Book of Barbecue" by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig


• The Italian Grill by Micol Negrin

Includes recipes:

• Double-Decker Mushroom Beef Burgers


• Grilled Fresh Figs with Mascarpone and Balsamic Syrup


• Smoky Pepper Strips in Lemony Caper Marinade


• Tangy Thai Chicken


• Grilled Spice-Rubbed Vidalia Onions


• Grilled Prosciutto and Basil-Wrapped Shrimp

Read more: Fire up the barbecue - Just in time for summer, 6 hot cookbooks can make you a grill master
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Food News: Researchers compile recipes that give the flavor of Pompeii

"Sauces made from fermented fish entrails. A quiche-like pastry shell filled with bay leaves and ricotta cheese. For dessert, peaches with aromatic cumin and honey.

Those tastes may not be for everyone's palate, but the specialties of ancient Pompeii are being revived for a month at the site of the ruins by a research project intended to give new insights into how the Romans lived.

Pompeii's busiest restaurant was buried with the rest of the prosperous city when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. The eruption killed thousands of people, but a 20-foot-deep cocoon of volcanic ash kept the city almost intact, providing precious information on domestic life in the ancient world."

Associated article with recipes: Recipes from the Romans

Read more: Researchers compile recipes that give the flavor of Pompeii

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Review: Cooking Up Recipes Online

"I had six pounds of rhubarb, 40-plus cookbooks and a computer. Where to look for a recipe? Despite the cookbooks, I find the Web is often the best place to satisfy a food craving or help me figure out what's for dinner.

The Fannie Farmer cookbook has six rhubarb recipes; Epicurious.com has 84. Fannie Farmer is in my kitchen, but I can send an Epicurious recipe from my office computer to my cell phone."

Read more: Cooking Up Recipes Online

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Recipes: Low-Fat Recipes

"Here are some low-fat recipes developed by dietician Kristina Day that you can try at home. Day is with the Harvard group that recently found that reduced fat helps prevent breast cancer recurrences."

Includes recipes:

• Sauteed Fish Fillets With Lemon and Herbs


• Green Beans Almondine


• Yogurt Parfait


• Vegetable Omelet

Read more: Low-Fat Recipes

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Food News: A cache of emergency recipes is so handy

"Want some mock Devonshire cream to put on your strawberries? Mix together eight ounces of sour cream, two tablespoons of brown sugar and a half teaspoon of vanilla.

All out of self-rising flour? Make your own with three cups of all-purpose flour mixed with two tablespoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt."

Read more: A cache of emergency recipes is so handy

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Recipes: "Fresh Chinese" cleans up recipes for healthier diets

"'Fresh Chinese' is not your neighborhood takeout Chinese cookbook, and the first clue appears quickly.

Don’t use a wok, says author Wynnie Chan. Use a non-stick saute pan.

'I prefer this type of pan to a wok when low-fat cooking because the temperature from an electric stove top or gas ring often isn’t high enough to properly heat the sides of a wok,' she writes when listing the equipment you will need.

And that is just the beginning of Chan’s efforts to break us of our love affair with notoriously unhealthful, but exceedingly flavorful, takeout Chinese food – next to pizza, perhaps the most popular takeout food in the United States. "

Includes recipe:
Kung Pao Chicken

Buy the book, Fresh Chinese from Amazon.com.

Read more: ‘Fresh Chinese’ cleans up recipes for healthier diets

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Recipes: Recipes for relaxation

"Three-day weekends are supposed to offer a bit of rest and relaxation, not chain the cook to the kitchen. With a bit of planning, Memorial Day weekend meals can be a breeze for everyone.

We offer four Memorial Day entree suggestions that can be prepared in relatively short order, giving cooks plenty of time to prop their feet up and enjoy the day off."

Includes recipes:

• Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts


• Stuffed Peppers With Lamb and Pine Nuts


• Chipotle-Orange Flank Steak


• Cumin-Crusted Grilled Pork Chops Over Green Salsa

Read more: Recipes for relaxation

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Recipes: Recipes, please

"With Memorial Day and the beginning of summer grilling season at hand, today's column features some popular barbecue recipes from past Recipes, Please columns. These recipes were furnished by our readers several years ago."

Includes recipes:

• SMOKED CHICKEN WITH WHITE BBQ SAUCE


• WHITE BBQ SAUCE


• BASTING SAUCE


• BARBECUE SAUCE

Read more: Recipes, please

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Wine News: Pair grilled fare with wine

"Grilled salmon is great because it's healthful, it doesn't dry out when cooked on a fire, and it can be paired with red, white or dry rose. Try:

2002 Erath Pinot Noir, Oregon ($12.99). A slightly chilled Pinot Noir becomes fresh and drinkable.

1998 McDowell Vineyards Grenache Rose, California ($9.99). A dry rose is one of the most exciting and value-savvy grill wines.

With grilled chicken, you can't go wrong with chardonnay:

2002 Penfolds "Koonunga Hills" Chardonnay, Australia ($11.25). Delicious and well made with a hint of toasty oak, a touch of green apple and a refreshing finish."

Read more: Pair grilled fare with wine

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Wine News: Simply Wine: Sauvignon blanc the 'other' white for summer

"I'll never forget my first taste of sauvignon blanc. It was from an Eastern Washington winery. I was assured that it was a classic example of this grape variety. One sip and my head was plowed into a freshly mowed hay field with a bunch or two stuffed in my mouth. The grassy flavors I tasted were further marred by a load of other herbs such as rosemary and oregano. I was not eager for more.

When I asked what this awful wine was about, I got a lecture about the true flavors and character of this unique grape, sauvignon blanc. My response: Fine, I hope there is someone out there who likes this stuff. It's just not me.

Wine, like life, is in a constant state of change. Vintages vary from year to year, new wine regions come on the scene, winemakers around the world get better with each passing year, and sauvignon blanc has become 'the other dry white wine.'"

"Today's version of sauvignon blanc has much more subtle, fruity, mineral flavors. While the grassiness and herbaceousness are still there, it is a delicate counterbalance to the ripe fruit flavors of kiwi, lime, ruby grapefruit and melon.

In other words, it's a great summer wine that does well with so many summer foods and is a refreshing break from another bottle of chardonnay."

Read more: Simply Wine: Sauvignon blanc the 'other' white for summer

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Recipes: Summer grilling recipes

Includes recipes:

• Pesto-Stuffed Salmon with Corn Salad


• Grilled Portabella Mushrooms Stacked with Spinach and Manchego Cheese


• Bourbon-Barbecued Rib Eye Steaks


• Thunder Thighs


• Barbecued Spareribs with Apple Cider Mop

Read more: Summer grilling recipes

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Recipes: More recipes, guides available online

"Whether you love to cook or just like to eat, we have the ultimate online resource for you, at food.azcentral .com"

Read more: More recipes, guides available online

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Wine News: Summertime Grilled Favorites With Wine

"Wine is a delicious beverage to sip with this season's favorite grilled foods. 'Of course, the best advice in pairing wine with any food is to enjoy the wines you like with the foods you like,' says Wine Market Council President John Gillespie. But for those seeking a little guidance, try these simple wine pairings the next time one of these favorites hits the grill."

Read more: Summertime Grilled Favorites With Wine

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Recipes: The Flower of Brittany ~ Cauliflower Recipes

"Cauliflower is on sale at my local market and I've been taking advantage of the drop in price. The best cauliflower in France comes from Brittany, where it has been nicknamed "fleur de Bretagne", the flower of Brittany. On a recent drive from St. Malo to Cancale, I drove past fields of cauliflower planted on high hills overlooking the water, its no wonder they are so delicious with a view like that!"

Includes recipes:

• Quiche au Chou-Fleur: Cauliflower quiche with onions and Gruyère cheese


• Flan au Chou-Fleur: Creamy cauliflower flan flavored with Roquefort Cheese


• Salade Jurassienne: Cauliflower, Green Bean and Cheese Salad tossed with a Chive Vinaigrette


• Chou-Fleur à la Bretonne: A shrimp and cauliflower salad, tossed with vinaigrette and served on a bed of dandelion or other tender salad greens.

Read more: The Flower of Brittany ~ Cauliflower Recipes

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Food News: Cookbook's recipes spotlight best of good-for-you foods

"Some folks may argue with Dana Jacobi's choices of the 12 most beneficial foods, but because chocolate makes the list, I won't be one of them.

The goal of the "12 Best Foods Cookbook" (Rodale, 2005, $21.95) is to give readers recipes that feature those super foods that scientists tell us have health benefits because of their nutrients and antioxidants. This dynamic dozen includes: blueberries, black beans, broccoli, chocolate, oatmeal, onions, salmon, soy, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and walnuts."

Includes recipe:
Pork Tenderloin in Chipotle Mole

Purchase 12 Best Foods Cookbook : Over 200 Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods from Amazon.com.

Read more: Cookbook's recipes spotlight best of good-for-you foods

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Recipes: Greek food festival: Recipes

"Be Greek for a Day at the Flavors of Greece Food Festival - Chicagoland's most-popular ethnic festival. Enjoy Greek appetizers, entrees - like Gyros and souvlaki - and, of course, Greek desserts, including baklava and other mouth-watering pastries."

Includes recipes:

• Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)


• Pastichio


• Souvlakia (Skewered Meat)

Read more: Greek food festival: Recipes

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Recipes: Two Recipes for Kolacky or Kolachky

"Rose wrote: My grandparents immigrated to the USA from Czechoslovakia. This is the recipe handed down from them. For Easter, this is a family tradition. All of the family get together at one house and make dozens of these to be shared with family and friends everywhere. We usually box and mail at least a few dozen to family and friends that are unable to join us."

Includes recipes:
Babcia’s Barbara Recipe – from Poland
Rose’s Kolaczki’s Recipe - from Czechoslovakia

Read more: Two Recipes for Kolacky or Kolachky

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Recipes: Recipes for a Fruitful Take on Outdoor Entertaining

"Ready for a change from the old burgers and dogs routine? The apple experts at Knouse Foods, makers of Musselman's Apple Butter, Musselman's Apple Sauce and Lucky Leaf Pie Fillings, have created a new recipe that gives the traditional pairing of pork and apples a summertime twist"

Includes recipes:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apple Butter Glaze
Lucky Leaf American Flag Cake

Read more: Recipes for a Fruitful Take on Outdoor Entertaining

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Recipes: Book has good recipes

"'Being Dead is No Excuse' is selling like hot cakes, according to book store owners. The book has traditional Southern dishes with stories interspersed.

At first glance, it seems like it would be a real hoot. The title brings to mind the popular comedian who does a stint about Southerners and their funeral foods. While the recipes in this book are delightful, delicious and practical for the everyday kitchen, the writing is as disappointing as a yellow cake with a big crack down the middle.

Like a botched cake, you'll probably go ahead and keep it but it certainly doesn't measure up to the standards most readers expect from Southern humor."

Includes recipes:
Tomato Pie
Salted Pecans
Sliced bananas

Purchase: Being Dead is No Excuse from Amazon.com.

Read more: Book has good recipes

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Wine News: Uncork wine with finesse by keeping it simple

"The only real barrier between you and the enjoyment of wine is the cork, a device that should have been abandoned long ago. Contrary to rumors, wine doesn't need to "breathe" through the cork: A screw cap is a better seal and less likely to fail. However, your date is not going to be impressed if you unscrew a lid, so here's how to uncork a wine bottle like a sommelier:"

Read more: Uncork wine with finesse by keeping it simple

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Wine News: Old world's brand new approach

"When it comes to buying wine, a recent survey revealed that most of us first look for the price, then the 'brand'.

We are not sure whether 'brands' deliver good value - or are even particularly exciting - but we consider them reliable and consistent."

Read more: Old world's brand new approach

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Food News: London Cheesecake, via Newcastle

"THERE are few words that make people salivate more easily than "cheesecake," and I'm not talking about the pinup. Even those without a pronounced sweet tooth (I include myself in that number) can muster an appetite when cheesecake - a dessert that straddles sweet and salty - is on the menu. Dishes that have long been part of human history speak most forcefully to us. Small pastries baked with cheese and honey were said to have been served to victors in the first Olympic Games centuries ago.

But cheesecake as we know it is a more recent phenomenon, a legacy of Jews from Germany and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Europe, as they spread throughout the world, taking culinary customs with them.

The popularity of cheesecake is also the story of successful commingling: the Germans provided the recipe, the Americans the cheese. European cheesecakes were generally made with cottage or curd cheese, but what made this dessert so prevalent was the invention of cream cheese by American dairymen in the late 19th century."

Includes recipes:
Cappuccino Cheesecake (May 18, 2005)
London Cheesecake (May 18, 2005)
Banoffee Cheesecake (May 18, 2005)

Read more: London Cheesecake, via Newcastle (Free subscription required)

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Recipes: Step Into Spring with Strawberry Recipes from Cooking Smart Magazine

"Strawberries are the quintessential harbinger of spring — they're colorful, flavorful and healthy. In fact, strawberries can go head to head with oranges in terms of vitamin C. The average berry also contains about 200 seeds — each of which contain ellagic acid, which shows promise in fighting cancer and heart disease.

This recipe for Strawberry Almond Crisp from the June/July issue of Cooking Smart magazine (www.CookingSmartMagazine.com) — on newsstands now — contains four super foods: strawberries, almonds, oats and orange juice. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats (the good fats) and in vitamin E, while oats are high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. Orange juice is, of course, high in vitamin C."

Includes recipe:
Cooking Smart's Strawberry Almond Crisp

Subscribe: Cooking Smart Magazine

Read more: Step Into Spring with Strawberry Recipes from Cooking Smart Magazine

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Food News: Eating in: Lunch rules for cubicle dwellers

"Once upon a time, people worked at their desks and got up for lunch. Now we know better. We can sell stuff on eBay and appear to be working, or we really can work every minute and look so stressed that people will think we're important.

In any case, cubicle dining quickly becomes the norm in times when workers feel insecure about their jobs. But there are social and psychological consequences and, as when cell phones first swept the land, a need for new rules of etiquette. We consulted experts in those three fields.

In happier days, workers take a break at lunch and come back refreshed. Maybe they just run to the dry cleaners, but they've had a change of scene. My father used to leave his store to have a sandwich and play liar's dice at Sam's, a restaurant up the street. I thought everybody did.

Not any more. In 2003, the American Dietetic Association found that 67 percent of people in this country regularly eat at their desks."

Read more: Eating in: Lunch rules for cubicle dwellers

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Food News: Web sites with tastiest recipes for all food lovers

"This list of food Web sites is by no means exhaustive (unless you try to get to all of them in one night)."

Read more: Web sites with tastiest recipes for all food lovers

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Food News: Anti-cancer cookbook has recipes for health

"Almost four years ago, the American Institute for Cancer Research devised its vision of "the new American plate." Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans — not the typical hefty portions of animal protein and mashed potatoes with a spoonful of veggies — should dominate dinner. The reason, says the group, which funds diet- and cancer-related research, is simple: Studies suggest that a diet rich in plant foods helps to guard against cancer.

At the time, the agency published a brochure with recipes. Then it developed healthful recipes for its Web site, www.aicr.org, and subsequent booklets, so a cookbook was a logical next step."

Read more: Anti-cancer cookbook has recipes for health

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Food News: A rare chef who loves to share recipes

"Killer recipes are often guarded like family heirlooms.

The more they tickle your taste buds, the more intent you are on keeping their secrets.

Not so with chef Debi Llorens.

Llorens - whose cooking column debuts in today's Plus Papers - bristles at the thought of hoarding a good thing.

'Why wouldn't I share?' exclaims Llorens, a 2003 graduate of the Connecticut Culinary Institute.

'A good recipe gives people a chance to feel the way I feel when I make something. I want another mom to take my recipe for cinnamon buns, so she can see that great look on her children's faces, so she can hear them ask her to make them because the smell makes them feel so comfortable, so relaxed, so loved.'"

Read more: A rare chef who loves to share recipes

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Recipes: Harrington has a winner in these recipes

"Here are the all-star barbecue recipes from Daily News "The Best Barbecue Cook in Philly" contest winner Bob Harrington. Each of the recipes took him years to hone and perfect. The baked beans were a huge hit."

Includes recipes:
BOB'S RIBS
BOB'S BAKED BEANS
BOB'S BARBECUE SAUCE

Read more: Harrington has a winner in these recipes

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Food News: Foodies share ideas and recipes on blogs

"ALL ACROSS the land, repositories of family recipes — kitchen drawers, tin boxes, binders — are being mined for gems worth sharing with neighbors.

This has been going on for generations, of course, but it has accelerated as the home computer has succeeded the backyard fence as a means of swapping recipes.

For Tom and Alice Bauer of Carmichael, it means that the contents of a thick manila folder not only are ending up on daughter Elise's hard drive but in the recipe collections of hundreds of strangers.

Anyone who goes online can tap into the family's treasure trove. They're all under "recipes" on Elise Bauer's Web site, www.elise.com."

Read more: Foodies share ideas and recipes on blogs

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Recipes: 'Hot' recipes

"Salmon is definitely one of the sexiest foods out there. When cooked right, its pink, tender flesh is rich and succulent." Lieberman also writes that this recipe is perfect date food."

Includes recipes:

• DILL-RUBBED SALMON WITH CARAMELIZED LEMON SLICES


• CRISPY SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH BUTTER NOISETTE AND AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR


• SPICY CHICKEN BROTH WITH TORTILLAS, AVOCADO AND LIME


• PULLED PORK BARBECUE


• DRY RUB


• CIDER VINEGAR BARBECUE SAUCE


• SPICY SLAW

Read more: 'Hot' recipes

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Food News: Up to scratch - Home chefs hatch winning recipes at chicken-cooking nationals

"Someone once said, or should have, that there's an infinite number of ways to prepare chicken.

That was made abundantly clear at the 46th National Chicken Cooking Contest, held here last Friday. With 51 finalist dishes on parade (one from each state, plus the District of Columbia), chicken could be seen in nearly every conceivable guise: battered, broiled, baked, stewed, stuffed, sauteed; in salads, on skewers, over pasta, in tarts."

Includes recipes:

• MAHOGANY BROILED CHICKEN WITH SMOKY LIME SWEET POTATOES AND CILANTRO CHIMICHURRI


• SICILIAN SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Read more: Up to scratch - Home chefs hatch winning recipes at chicken-cooking nationals

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Recipe of the Week: Veal Steaks with Mushrooms

"This is quite an easy way to fix veal. The mushrooms add a wonderful flavor to the meat."

Read more: Recipe of the Week: Veal Steaks with Mushrooms

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Food News: Most Improved Pasta

"It is not my imagination. Whole-wheat pasta tastes much better than it did 10 years ago, when all of it was brittle and grainy. If consumers partook in a blind taste test today, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a dish of the best brands of whole-wheat pasta and those made with white flour.

Technology, for once not the enemy of good food, has figured out how to give whole-wheat pasta a texture quite similar to what most of us are used to, one that is slithery and that allows the pasta to slip down the throat deliciously and effortlessly."

Related:
Recipe: Linguine With Asparagus, Peas and Prosciutto
Sources: Worthy of Your Best Sauce

Read more: Most Improved Pasta (Free subscription required)

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Wine News: Court strikes wine-shipping ban

"Oregon wineries broke out the bubbly Monday to celebrate a split U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down bans 24 states had maintained on interstate shipment of wine.

Nowhere was the ruling more heartily toasted than Oregon's Yamhill Valley, where wineries have the cache to make major inroads in distant markets, but lack the volume to get around the bans the way their larger California counterparts do - by hiring national distributors to act as intermediaries."

Read more: Court strikes wine-shipping ban

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Wine News: High court lets wine flow more freely

High court lets wine flow more freely Winners: Small wineries are 'popping corks and celebrating'

"The big winners in Monday's Supreme Court ruling were the little guys.

Small wineries all over California reveled in a Supreme Court decision that could expand their business into eight states that include the nation's second, third, seventh and 10th largest wine markets (Florida, New York, Massachusetts and Michigan)."

Read more: High court lets wine flow more freely

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Recipes: Citrus Recipes

Includes recipes:

• MANDARIN ORANGE GLAZED ASPARAGUS
• ORANGE PEEL FRIED RICE
• GOOD FORTUNE ORANGE CHICKEN
• GRAPEFRUIT PLUM SAUCE FRUIT SALSA
• SEARED SCALLOPS
• CITRUS COOLER
• GINGER SYRUP

Read more: Citrus Recipes

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Recipes: Cinco De Mayo celebrations complete with avocados and guacamole recipes

"Amidst the mariachi music and margaritas, 37.6 million pounds of avocados are expected to be consumed this Cinco de Mayo, May 5, mostly in the form of guacamole recipes. To help celebrate this festive holiday, the Hass Avocado Board is sharing its Fabulous Fiesta Guacamole recipe and culinary tips to spice up every Cinco de Mayo celebration."

Includes recipe:

"Fabulous Fiesta Guacamole"
"AVORITA"

Read more: Cinco De Mayo celebrations complete with avocados and guacamole recipes

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Recipes: California-grown brochure has recipes, tips

“California Grown” has just the answer when it comes to taking full advantage of the state’s great products and living a healthy life.

The California Grown lifestyle and menu brochure, “Live Deliciously!” is filled with recipes and tips designed to help Californians embrace a healthy lifestyle and meet the USDA’s new food guidance system, while taking full advantage of the Golden State’s offerings."

Includes recipe:

"SPICY SALMON WITH TOMATO AND AVOCADO SALSA"

Read more: California-grown brochure has recipes, tips

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Wine News: Strictly for wine lovers

"You swirl, sniff, sip and spit. And in between you scribble some notes. Then you do it all over again. And again. 

Wine tasting is repetitive and hard work. But in the process, you learn to discern the fragrant bursts of sweet pineapple and melon, or the sinfully rich dark chocolate and toffee aroma. And sometimes, when a rich white wine coats your mouth, it feels like you’re sinking your teeth into a ripe, luscious peach. 

Wine tasting techniques were just one of the many lessons I picked up at the Professional Sommelier Certificate course run by Hospitality & Tourism Consulting (HTC) in Asia. Over six full-day classes spread over three months, I learned about the winemaking process, the difference between Old and New World wines, wine and food matching, and how to serve wine like a proper sommelier. We tasted more than 40 wines during the course – from Chilean, Argentinean and Hungarian to French and Spanish wines."

Read more: Strictly for wine lovers

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Wine News: Chile's the hot spot for reds

"Chile is a good source for easy drinking affordable wines. The reds have a subtlety which other New World wines generally lack, but the whites tend to lag behind.

The warm fertile river valleys where most Chilean wines are made are just too warm for white grapes.

So for quality chardonnay, sauvignon blanc (and red pinot noir) look to the coastal regions of Limari, Casablanca and Leyda, or Bio Bio way down south towards Antarctica.

For modest red wines Chile does merlot well, with soft rounded tannins and fleshy ripe plum flavours."

Read more: Chile's the hot spot for reds

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Wine News: French swallow pride and simplify wine labels

"For 70 years France has stubbornly clung to the most complicated and arcane wine labelling system in the world.

But in a desperate attempt to stem the threat from the New World, French producers are starting to tell consumers what is in their bottles."

Read more: French swallow pride and simplify wine labels

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Wine News: Canned Aussie wine a hit in Japan

"Suggest buying wine in a can to most people and they will baulk at the crudity of such an idea. However, talk to Barokes, the Australian winemakers responsible for launching and patenting wine in a can, and they will tell you change is in the air.

They will also tell you that it is the Japanese, rather than Australians with their "anything goes" attitude, who are bypassing the wine bottle to crack open the can."

Read more: Canned Aussie wine a hit in Japan

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Recipes: Recipes from 'The One-Armed Cook'

Includes recipes:

"Shrimp, orzo and broccoli"
"Broccoli slaw salad"

Read more: Recipes from 'The One-Armed Cook'

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Reviews: Books provide angles on 'the best' recipes

"Deciding what's "the best" is a tricky challenge, since such definitions are clearly subjective - especially with recipes and food. De gustibus, and all that.

A smart first move for the seeker of perfection is to tap into the experience of others reliably qualified to make a preliminary selection for you. Then, what's left is the pleasure of testing and tasting to pinpoint your own winners.

Happily, from time to time editors at distinguished culinary establishments do the research, make their choices and publish helpful opinions in books such as the following."

Books reviewed:

• The Best of Gourmet - 20th Anniversary Edition


• Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2005


• The New Best Recipe


• Best American Side Dishes


• Best of the Best


• The Best American Recipes 2004-2005: The Year's Top Picks from Books, Magazines, Newspapers, and the Internet

Read more: Books provide angles on 'the best' recipes

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Food News: Recipe cards part of 'Go Wild' push

"They aren't known for their catchphrases like "Bam!" and "Pork fat rules!" They don't have a nightly cooking show on the Food Network.

But just like Emeril Lagasse, chefs from some of the best-known restaurants in the Ta