GOOD TASTES.POTLUCK COOKBOOK With fall events and gatherings getting back into full swing, more than likely you'll need some good and interesting potluck recipes. Peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- ``The Gourmet Potluck: Show-Stopping Recipes for the Buffet Table,'' by Beth Hensperger (Ten Speed Press; $18.95). It's filled with seasonally organized choices for dishes that travel well and serve from eight to 36 people. Hensperger, a Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern caterer and author of 18 cookbooks, highlights preparation timelines, serving equipment, on-site reheating Reheating The addition of heat to steam of reduced pressure after the steam has given up some of its energy by expansion through the high-pressure stages of a turbine. or refrigeration refrigeration, process for drawing heat from substances to lower their temperature, often for purposes of preservation. Refrigeration in its modern, portable form also depends on insulating materials that are thin yet effective. notes and serving temperatures with each recipe. Among the delicious-sounding creations are Vegetable Torta With Fresh Basil, Zucchini and Olive Enchiladas, Baked Chicken Tenders With Creole Mustard Sauce, Green Chile and Rice Casserole and Moroccan Chicken With Dried Fruit and Olives. All are savory selections -- no desserts here. -- Natalie Haughton NEW SPICE AND HERB spice and herb Dried parts of various plants cultivated for their aromatic, savory, medicinal, or otherwise desirable properties. Spices are the fragrant or pungent products of such tropical or subtropical species as cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and pepper; spice seeds PRODUCTS McCormick flavor experts have been busy -- and recently introduced several new products. Smoked Paprika paprika: see pepper. and Black Sesame Seed are the latest to join the Gourmet Collection line of premium spices and herbs. We loved the Smoked Paprika. It was delicious and gave a distinctive smoky flavor to numerous dishes we added it to. Try it on chicken, fish, pork chops and potatoes -- or use in chiles, quesadillas and on vegetables. Black Sesame Seed adds color, flavor and texture to rice, noodle, pork, chicken and other dishes. Roll a log of goat cheese in the seeds, then slice and place on top of your favorite salad. Suggested retail is $4.85 to $5.30 per jar. Garlic Herb, Parmesan Herb, Basil & Garlic, and Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper are the newest additions to the Signature Blends line. Available in easy-to-hold bottles, suggested retail is $2.29 each. New also are Roasting Rubs in three flavors -- French Herb, Savory Herb and Cracked Peppercorn pep·per·corn n. 1. A dried berry of the pepper vine Piper nigrum. 2. A small or insignificant thing. peppercorn Noun the small dried berry of the pepper plant Herb. Simply rub and roast. They flavor meats and pan drippings. Suggested retail is $2.89 per container. -- N.H. CAKES & MORE SusieCakes, An All-American Home-Style Bake Shop, has opened at 11708 San Vicente San Vicente (sän vēsān`tā), city (1993 pop. 28,529), central El Salvador. Among its industries are textile manufacturing and sugar milling. San Vicente is the commercial center of a region that produces coffee and sugarcane. Blvd. (at Barrington) in Los Angeles. It offers specialty layer cakes like German Chocolate, Red Velvet and Strawberry Chiffon chiffon (shĭfŏn`), plain-weave, lightweight, sheer, transparent fabric made of cotton, silk, or synthetic fiber; it is made of fine, highly twisted, strong yarn. , along with cupcakes, puddings, icebox cakes, cheesecakes, pies, and cookies and bars. Owner Susan Sarich, a Chicago native, brings an array of sentimental dessert favorites like grandma used to make to this neighborhood bake shop. Check it out. Call (310) 442-2253 for hours and information. -- N.H. CAPTAIN WAYNE'S COOKIES We love this concept -- and the novel way these cookies are packaged -- especially for a gift. Captain Wayne's First-Class Cookies was started by airline pilot Wayne Miller and his wife. The Santa Monica-based company, started four years ago, was an outgrowth of Miller baking and often bringing delicious cookies to his airline colleagues (he became known as Captain Cookie) -- and was inspired by an ``Oprah Winfrey Show'' episode (Po Bronson discussing his book ``What Am I Going to Do With the Rest of My Life'') after the events of 9/11. That show changed Miller's life, he notes. Miller packages the cookies in a 1-pound carry-on cookie tin ($15.95; filled with seven cookies), an overnighter tin (regular is $29.95 for 14 cookies in two flavors; overstuffed o·ver·stuff tr.v. o·ver·stuffed, o·ver·stuff·ing, over·stuffs 1. To stuff too much into: overstuff a suitcase. 2. To upholster (an armchair, for example) deeply and thickly. is $36.95 for 21 cookies in three flavors) or in an excess baggage basket ($99.95). You can add a photo or logo to the back of any tin (his company logo is on one side) for an additional $9.95. The cookies are available in four flavors -- chocolate chip (the company's signature cookie with three different kinds of chocolate and a touch of cocoa), triple chocolate brownie, peanut butter dream and oatmeal cranberry spice. Tasters really liked all of the cookies (all made with butter), but the chocolate chip and peanut butter were the favorites. Each tin comes with a passenger order form that looks like an airline ticket. A portion of the proceeds from the cookie sales goes to Make-A-Wish Foundation. To order, go to www.firstclasscookies.com or call (866) 419-2963. -- N.H. POMEGRANATE pomegranate (pŏm`grănĭt, pŏm`ə–), handsome deciduous and somewhat thorny large shrub or small tree (Punica granatum SCHNAPPS schnapps n. pl. schnapps Any of various strong dry liquors, such as a strong Dutch gin. [German Schnaps, mouthful, schnapps, from Low German snaps, from Pomegranate is showing up in all kinds of drinks and liqueurs Liqueurs are high-alcohol, high-sugar beverages with added flavorings usually derived from herbs, fruits, or nuts. Liqueurs are distinct from flavored liquors, fruit brandy and eau de vie which contain no sugar. Most liqueurs range between 15 and 70 percent alcohol by volume. . The latest to join the lineup is vibrant-colored Hiram Walker Pomegranate Schnapps made with real fruit flavor. Mix it with vodka, gin, rum, tequila or champagne for an interesting, unique taste. Available in various- size bottles, including 50 milliliters and 1 liter, suggested retail of the 750-milliliter bottle is $12.99. -- N.H. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (book: ``The Gourmet Potluck: Show-Stopping Recipes for the Buffet Table'') (2 -- 3) no caption (McCormick and Gourmet Collection spies) (4) no caption (Susie Cakes) (5) no caption (Captain Wayne's First-Class Cookies) |
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