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RECIPE: Winter Sangria

Looking for a group beverage for the weekend?

Sandeman, the world’s leading Port producer, has created a hearty winter sangria.

This Winter Spice Sangria recipe celebrates the flavors and colors of the season: fragrant cinnamon and clementines plus tart cranberries, which complement the rich red-fruit flavors in Sandeman Founders Reserve. The ruby Port is available just about everywhere Port is sold, but should you be unable to find it, substitute another ruby port.

Port is also delicious served alone at the end of the meal, with the cheese course or accompanying a rich chocolate dessert or chocolate candy.

It’s easy to mix up a pitcher:
 
 
SANDEMAN WINTER SPICE SANGRIA

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto
  •  
    Whip up a pitcher of winter sangria. Photo
    courtesy Sandeman.
  • 4 ounces cinnamon schnapps (Goldschläger is relatively easy to find)
  • 3 clementines, quartered or sliced
  • 6 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 18 ounces sparkling clementine juice or soda (if you can’t find it, substitute orange soda)
  • 6 ounces cranberry juice
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • Ground allspice to taste
  •  
    Preparation

    1. Combine Port, cinnamon schnapps, clementine pieces, cranberries, cranberry juice and cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

    2. Right before serving, add sparkling clementine juice/soda and sprinkle allspice on top, to taste.
     
     
    PORT vs. PORTO & TYPES OF PORT

    Port in English, Porto in Portuguese, and sometimes written as Oporto, combining the article (“the Porto”), is the second largest city in Portugal. Located along the Douro river estuary in northern Portugal, Porto was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Port wine is produced in the region.

    Port is made in several expressions: Crusted, Colheita, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), Ruby, Single Quinta, Tawny, Vintage, Vintage Character and White. Here’s an explanation of each type of Port.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Why & How To Use Miso Paste

    White Miso
    [1] Miso paste with American label (photo courtesy Nagano).


    [2] Miso paste in Japanese packaging (photo courtesy Nagano).

    Miso Paste
    [3] Miso paste (photo courtesy Steamy Kitchen)

      Challenge yourself in the kitchen this year by trying a new ingredient each month. To start the year off, here’s a suggestion from our consulting chef, Johnny Gnall: miso paste.

    Miso, a thick paste most often made from fermented soybeans,* is a traditional Japanese seasoning with which most Western cooks are unfamiliar.

    If you’ve eaten at a Japanese restaurant, you’ve likely enjoyed a bowl of miso soup. If you make fish recipes, you may have tried a variation of the exquisite miso-glazed cod that chef Nobu Matsuhisa made so popular in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

    But miso rarely finds its way into American home kitchens. This is a shame, because it is a versatile and complex ingredient that can add depth and flavor across the culinary spectrum.

    Savory and salty, miso paste is low in calories and fat yet rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, making it an important part of Japanese cuisine. This healthy ingredient was a favorite of the Samurai, the noble warrior class that existed from the 12th century until pre-industrial times.

    It endures as a common ingredient in Japanese dishes, from pickled foods, sauces and spreads to the dish Americans know best, misoshiru or miso soup.

    But miso can be an important culinary tool beyond Japanese cuisine. Chef Johnny often uses it simply to add umami to dishes that would otherwise lack that certain something.
     
     
    MISO & UMAMI

    The most common characteristic of miso, and arguably its defining attribute, is that elusive fifth taste: umami.

    Umami refers to that taste in foods that is often described as a “brothiness” or earthiness on the palate. Mushrooms and meat are the best-known ambassadors of umami. Here’s more to help you understand umami.

    Despite the difficulty one may have in describing it, umami plays an important role in cooking. Often you taste something and notice it lacks “strength” or seems “flat.” That absent quality you can’t seem to put your finger on is, quite often, umami.
     
    The umami in miso can play an important role in perking up just about any world cuisine, requiring only cooks who are bold enough to try it.

    ________________

    *In addition to soybeans, rice and barley can be used. Salt and the fungus kojikin complete the recipe.

     

    TYPES OF MISO

    Miso is available in different forms or flavors, such as red or white miso paste.

    The differences depend on exactly which ingredients were used in its fermentation (such as rice or barley), the amounts of such ingredients, and how long they were fermented. Red miso paste, for example, is often fermented for a year or longer, whereas white miso paste is fermented for a much shorter period.
     
     
    HOW TO USE MISO PASTE

    You can make your own homemade miso soup, of course, but try it in American recipes. The beauty of miso is its versatility. It can be the star, providing its own unique flavor out front, or it can be one of many ingredients, lending that umami quality to a dish in need.

  • Add miso paste to create a delicious marinade.
  • Add a spoonful to enhance a vinaigrette or other salad dressing.
  • Add some to a stir-fry.
  • Use it to enhance a sauce instead of salt, MSG or our mother’s favorite flavor enhancer, Kitchen Bouquet Sauce, a blend of vegetable stock, salt and parsley.
  • Try it as a spread on canapés, or for a salty snack.
  • Use it to top fresh pickled vegetables.
  • Toss with pasta. Add your own favorite ingredients, or try anchovies, sautéed bell peppers and chopped green onions.
  • Even simple steamed or blanched vegetables can get a shot of flavor from miso: Add a tablespoon of miso paste to some stock (or even water), whisk to blend, and add your veggies to cook for a minute or two.
  •  
     
    JUST DO IT!

    The flavor and umami from miso can be unbelievably satisfying, which makes it a great tool to have on hand. Yes, its sodium levels can be high; but compared with salt, you get far more flavor and complexity with less overall sodium, as well as bonus healthy minerals, beneficial bacteria and protein. You’ll even pick up some antioxidants.

    So the next time you are at the grocery store, head to the international foods aisle and locate the miso paste. There may be several varieties to choose from; choose any one to start. Different brands and types will have different levels of salty and/or sweet.

    Then, add it to anything you feel could use a boost of umami flavor and won’t hurt from a bit of saltiness.

    Get to know miso as more than just the soup you eat before the sushi. It may just be the secret ingredient you’ve been looking for: You just may become mad for miso—and that’s a good thing.

      Miso Soup Garnishes
    [4] Miso soup with tofu and garnishes (photo courtesy Sun Basket).

    Miso-Glazed Salmon With Edamame
    [5] Miso soup with tofu and garnishes (photo courtesy Sun Basket).

    Shrimp With Miso Grits
    [6] Shrimp with miso grits (photo courtesy Silk Road Tavern [closed]).

     

      

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    RECIPE: 7 Tips To Make Healthier Mashed Potatoes


    Healthier mashed potatoes. Photo courtesy
    U.S. Potato Board.

      To eat better in the new year, here’s an alternative for healthier mashed potatoes. Use one or all of the tips; play around with different variations to see what you like best:

  • Use half boiled or steamed potatoes, half steamed cauliflower. The recipe is also known as cauliflower mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower looks like mashed potatoes, and is a mom’s trick to get kids (and reluctant adults) to eat their veggies. Sneak it into your mashed potatoes and save calories (plain boiled potatoes have 136 calories per cup, cauliflower just 25 calories). You’ll also get a better blend of nutrients: Both foods are rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C; potatoes are also rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Cauliflower offers a richer nutrient profile including manganese, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, protein, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamins B6, B9 (folate) and K.
  • Keep the skin on the potatoes. The skin contains approximately half of a potato’s total dietary fiber and nutrients. The fiber is an important addition to your recommended daily intake of 42g of fiber (here’s why), and fiber makes you feel fuller.
  •  

  • Reduce the butter. Use whipped butter instead of solid butter sticks: It contains more air and thus fewer calories. We use half butter and half basil olive oil. Any flavored or regular olive oil will do, but use extra virgin olive oil—the better the oil, the better the taste.
  • Use nonfat milk. Instead of whole milk or half and half, use nonfat milk. We use the Skim Plus Milk from Farmland Dairies, which is 0% fat but as rich as 2% milk because extra milk protein is added, thickening the milk and concentrating the flavor. (It’s therefore more expensive, but well worth it). Each regional dairy has a different name for this type of product, and it’s not necessarily the most logically descriptive. For example, another brand in our area, Tuscan Dairy Farms, calls its concentrated nonfat milk “Over The Moon.” If you can’t find this type of milk, ask your grocer to point out the “extra rich nonfat milk.”
  • Replace sour cream with fat-free sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt. We don’t ordinarily use sour cream in our mashed potatoes, but know quite a few people who do. We tested the recipe with both fat-free sour cream and nonfat Greek yogurt. We preferred the yogurt.
  • Use sea salt instead of regular table salt. They have the same basic nutritional value, but sea salt has a better flavor and texture. It’s also a natural product, produced through evaporation of seawater with little processing, so the trace minerals and elements from the water remain (providing the flavor and color). Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits, then heavily processed to eliminate all the minerals.
  • Add fresh herbs for flavor. We love to snip fresh herbs into our mashed potatoes. Basil, chives and parsley are personal favorites—singly or together. They bring such sprightly flavor notes that no one will notice that far fewer creamy fats—butter, sour cream and/or whole milk—are there. A grind of fresh pepper completes the new recipe.
  •  
    Please share your own tips and tricks.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Teach Kids To Read food Labels

    You can’t read or listen to the news without hearing the alarming childhood obesity statistics, and adults aren’t doing well, either.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled over the last three decades. Today, more than one third of all children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese. Adult statistics are similar.

    One way the CDC recommends addressing the problem is for healthy eating to become a part of every child’s life. It begins with reading food labels and learning how to make decisions. The process can be made fun, and a learning experience for both kids and adults.

    As soon as they can read, children can begin to learn how to read food labels. Measuring food to learn portion control can be like a game for younger children, and also teaches measurements. Learning the components of food—fat, protein, salt and sugar, and how many grams are in a portion—leads to healthier food choices. Even young children can learn about vitamins and other nutrients in food.

    Here are some tips for teaching kids how to read food labels, provided by Fresh Healthy Vending. The company is also part of the solution, packing vending machines with good-for-you snacks instead of empty-calorie choices. (The company also offers franchises, if you want to work with healthy foods.)

     
    It can be fun learning to read nutrition labels. Photo courtesy U.S. Potato Board.
     
    1. Understand Portion Sizes. Set out a couple of the kids’ favorite foods, such as cereal and juice, along with a measuring cup. Demonstrate how to determine what a serving size is, based on the product’s Nutrition Facts label. Let kids measure out one serving. Continue each day with different foods until they have mastered serving sizes.

    2. Move On To Nutrition Facts. Once kids understand portion sizes, explain the information on the Nutrition Facts label, including calories, cholesterol, total fat, fiber, protein, total carbohydrates and sugar. Explain why it is important to know how much of each is in a serving, and what amount is considered high. For example, kids can look at a can of soda and see that it has 40 grams of sugar, and that is considered high; a serving of Cheerios has one gram of sugar, and that is considered low. This exercise will likely be a learning experience for you, too. The USDA advises adults who eat a 2,000-calorie diet to limit sugar intake to about 40 grams (10 teaspoons) of added sugar per day (in addition to the natural sugars present in fruit, milk and so forth). A teenager who follows a healthy diet can consume about 18 teaspoons of added sugars, according to USDA; but the average sugar intake of a teenager is about 34 teaspoons of sugar per day.

    3. Learn To Read The Ingredients List. Which ingredients are natural, which are artificial and chemical? Remind children that fresh fruits and vegetables don’t usually have labels but are usually the most natural and healthiest options around. Show them how to look up nutrition on the Internet (searching for “apple nutrition” will provide the answers). Explain the Daily Value, and how individual product decisions add up to the day’s total food intake.

    4. Do Product Comparisons. The next step is to do label comparisons, so kids can determine which choices are better for them.
    5. Head To The Grocery Store. Once kids have been exposed to label reading at home, take them to the grocery store. Give them the assignment of choosing between options. Over time, they’ll become familiar with many foods, know which are healthy and unhealthy, and be able to identify healthier food options without always having to rely on reading labels.

    6. Take It To The Restaurant Level. How can kids make the best choices at restaurants? Chain restaurants have calorie counts. A calorie booklet or app can provide guidance at those without information.

    Turn the process into a game, with quizzes. Keep quiz scores on the refrigerator door. Consider rewards for achievement—a trip to the movies or the zoo is also a chance to make healthy eating choices. Offer a binder to keep nutrition labels, articles and comments.

    It will take time and practice—and patience—but you’ll be giving children a healthy advantage for life.

    For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Childhood Obesity Facts.
      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Dig Into Some Ruby Red Grapefruit

    One thing we love about January is arrival of delicious Ruby Red grapefruit. January through March are the peak months for the delicious fruit from Texas.

    Grapefruit began life as an accidental hybrid of an orange and a pomelo, in 18th-century Barbados. For 100 years or so, the sour fruit was grown as an ornamental tree. But in the late 19th century, growers were able to make the fruit sweeter, and it became a major crop in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.

    Over the years, grapefruit was bred in many varieties and in three colors: the original white flesh, plus pink and red flesh.

    Patented in 1929, the first Ruby Red grapefruit was an accidental mutation, a red-fleshed fruit found on a pink grapefruit tree. A hit from the start, sweeter with that alluring red flesh, Ruby Reds are marketed under the names Rio Red, Rio Star and Ruby-Sweet. (Ruby Reds are grown not only in Texas, but in Florida and elsewhere).

    If you aren’t already a grapefruit lover, head to the store and bring some home. They’re low in calories (42 calories per 3.5 ounces of flesh) and high in the cancer-fighting antioxidant vitamin A; the free-radical-fighting antioxidant vitamin C; the vision-friendly flavonoid antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, naringenin and xanthin; the dietary fiber pectin (which also lowers cholesterol); and potassium, which counters the negative effects of sodium; among other nutrients such as B vitamins.

    Red grapefruit also contains the powerful flavonoid antioxidant, lycopene, which protects skin from damage from UV rays and fights macular degeneration and several types of cancer. It’s one of our favorite great-tasting and great-for-you foods.
     
     
    HOW MANY WAYS DO YOU ENJOY GRAPEFRUIT?

    Here are nine pages of grapefruit recipes, from cocktails and appetizers through main courses, sides and desserts.

    Another favorite preparation: broiled grapefruit. It takes just three minutes: Sprinkle a half grapefruit with brown sugar, place on a cookie sheet and broil for three minutes. It’s ready when the sugar melts and gets crispy—the grapefruit version of crème brûlée.

     

    Red Grapefruit
    [1] Red grapefruit, winter’s delight (photo © Fit Mitten Kitchen).


    [2] A yogurt parfait with red grapefruit, mint and honey. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home.

     
    WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SECTION A GRAPEFRUIT?

    The video below demonstrates the best techniques to zest, peel, slice and section a grapefruit.

    A second Tip Of The Day: Don’t throw out the rind until you zest it. Citrus zest, the grated rind, is a terrific flavoring for baked goods and desserts as well as in savory dishes, such as meats and sauces.

    Add it to your vinaigrette, and toss it with cooked vegetables and olive oil or butter. If you don’t have a zester, here’s the one we use, from Microplane.
     
     
    FOOD TRIVIA

    Grapefruit was named not because it tastes like grapes (it doesn’t), but because the fruits grow on the tree in grape-like clusters.

      

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