NEW & NOTEWORTHY.NEW: Do consumers really need another new bottled dressing choice? Apparently Lipton thinks so and has introduced Wish-Bone House Italian dressing Noun 1. Italian dressing - a vinaigrette with garlic and herbs: oregano and basil and dill dressing, salad dressing - savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type , positioned as a restaurant-style, full-flavored dressing. It's made with extra virgin olive oil olive oil, pale yellow to greenish oil obtained from the pulp of olives by separating the liquids from solids. Olive oil was used in the ancient world for lighting, in the preparation of food, and as an anointing oil for both ritual and cosmetic purposes. and a touch of Parmesan cheese a kind of cheese of a rich flavor, though from skimmed milk, made in Parma, Italy. See also: Parmesan . Our tasters liked the delicious flavor on tossed and pasta salads alike - and thought it would make a good meat marinade as well. Available in both 8- and 16-ounce sizes, suggested retail is $1.59 and $2.79 respectively. With 110 calories and 10 grams of fat per two-tablespoon per serving, it is not for the calorie-conscious. - Natalie Haughton COOKBOOK: As I paged through ``Joanne Weir's More Cooking in the Wine Country'' (Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. ; $32), I found myself making a mental schedule. I couldn't prepare the stone fruit and lettuce salad now, but I would save it for August when peaches are in season. The braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. beef with zinfandel and winter vegetables sounded terrific, but it would need to wait for the cool weather and all the root vegetables to return. The book thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. with earmarks, and I closed it feeling famished fam·ish v. fam·ished, fam·ish·ing, fam·ish·es v.tr. 1. To cause to endure severe hunger. 2. To cause to starve to death. v.intr. 1. . The real test is how well those seductive-sounding recipes turn out in the kitchen. I made dinner for friends, beginning with endive with Gorgonzola, caramelized onions and fig jam. The endive's trough-shape leaves cradled the onions, cheese and jam. It was a perfect mix of salty and sweet, rich and clean tastes. (The only distraction was the cheese, which I might skip next time.) Next was chicken braised in red wine with tomatoes and olives. It was the kind of dish that tastes as if it took hours of simmering and reducing. Instead, in less than an hour, the chicken was tender and had soaked up the intense broth of tomatoes, wine and garlic, and dinner was served. Like most of the recipes in the book, the dish had a minimal number of ingredients, explicit recipe instructions and a twist, signaling a sensitive, careful cook behind it all. Weir, a cooking teacher, is the host of ``Weir Cooking in the Wine Country'' on public television. Weir also understands how to draw the line between perfecting a recipe and making it accessible. Her recipes rarely send you to other parts of the book to make stock or a dough. And there are several recipes, like the three-minute almond cake with raspberries, that are simple without compromising on flavor. I can't say I felt as if I had visited the wine country, but I did begin to believe that there is a philosophy for living shared by some people who live there - a New Age version of living close to the earth. It's rather appealing. Eat seasonally. Cook thoughtfully. Eat well. - Amanda Hesser Amanda Hesser is a food writer, editor and cookbook author. She is currently the food editor of The New York Times Magazine, and the editor of T Living, a quarterly publication of The New York Times. , The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times HANDY PAN TARTE TATIN PAN: Le Creuset's tarte Tatin pan earned approval for its attractive design, ergonomic handles and excellent construction. The cast- iron dish, dubbed the Anniversary Pan for Le Creuset's 75th anniversary, has deep sides and good heat-retaining properties. It's designed to produce tarte Tatin, the upside-down apple tart, but it also can be used for cakes, deep pies and quiches. The 10-inch pan comes in flame, red and blue, can be used in the oven or on the stove top and is dishwasher safe. It's $70 plus shipping through www.cutleryandmore.com or call (800) 650-9866. - Chicago Tribune WINE OF THE WEEK Cherry-vanilla-chocolate. What a great flavor trio for an ice cream sundae - or for a red wine! I'll stick to the wine and suggest Woodbridge 1998 Lodi Lodi, city, Italy Lodi (lô`dē), city (1991 pop. 42,250), Lombardy, N Italy, on the Adda River, near Milan. It is an important dairy and light industrial center. zinfandel. Woodbridge wines are made by Robert Mondavi from vines averaging 30 years of age in the hot, fertile central valley of California near the town of Lodi. With its rich cherry aroma and berry taste accented by a hint of chocolate in the wine and vanilla from seven months of barrel aging, this '98 zin is a wine for hearty tastes. There are splashes of juice from other grapes in the blend - barbera, syrah and cabernet sauvignon - but the lush ripe fruit flavor and peppery pep·per·y adj. 1. Of, containing, or resembling pepper; sharp or pungent in flavor. 2. Vigorously sharp-tempered: a peppery sales clerk. 3. finish are pure zinfandel. At a suggested retail of $6.50 a bottle, a cook can indulge in cooking with this wine as well as drinking it. Try it with grilled steak or vegetables, ribs or roast pork with zinfandel sauce. - William Rice, Chicago Tribune DINING OUT n Santa Monica, Rebecca's, the hip Mexican spot at 101 Broadway, celebrates Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo (Spanish; “Fifth of May”) Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. The French army, better-equipped and far larger than the Mexican army, had been sent by Napoleon III to conquer Mexico. for three days starting Friday. The eatery features more than 200 tequilas and will turn its spotlight on Patron tequila with several drink specials made with Patron. The ``Patron Girls'' will also be on hand giving away Patron T-shirts and the ``Corona Girls'' will also be presenting giveaways. One lucky customer will win a trip for two to Las Vegas. Information: (310) 260-1100. Meanwhile, at the Santa Monica Airport Santa Monica Airport (IATA: SMO, ICAO: KSMO, FAA LID: SMO), also known as Santa Monica Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport located in the heart of the residential community of Santa Monica, California, United States. , Typhoon typhoon: see hurricane. restaurant features a Cinco de Mayo lunch buffet for $15 from noon to 3 p.m. Friday with numerous specialties from Mexico and dishes from Peru, Guatemala and El Salvador. The restaurant is located at 3221 Donald Douglas Loop South. Information and reservations: (310) 390-6565. - Larry Lipson CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Wish-Bone House Italian dressing) (2) no caption (``Joanne Weir's More Cooking in the Wine Country'') (3) no caption (Woodbridge Lodi Zinfandel Wine) (4) no caption (Le Creuset's Tatin pan) |
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