Top-quality room sprays that are
environmentally-friendly. Photo courtesy
Fruits & Passion.

The home products in the Cucina line have never failed to please. We’ve used both the “ambiance” products (candles and diffusers, home fragrances, potpourris); and household care products (cleaning, laundry and ironing and air fragrances).

We recently tried three of the six varieties of Deodorizing Fragrant Kitchen Spray: Coriander and Olive Tree, Ginger and Sicilian Lemon, and Pink Pepper and Anise. We’re not sure about the Sicilian Lemon, but the others filled the air with sophisticated fragrance of a lush garden or flower bouquet. You can tell that the finest ingredients are used. The water-based formula contains a deodorizing agent and fragrance.

The Pink Pepper and Anise spray is more feminine and pretty; the Coriander and Olive Tree spray is more unisex and sophisticated. (We preferred the latter.)

The company aims to be environmentally responsible. The sprays comply with regulations for improving air quality and reducing VOCs. They are hydrocarbon-, alcohol- and DE/DEH phthalate-free. The spray is released from the bottle simply using nitrogen, the main component of air.

A 5.2-ounce spray is $14.00 at US.Fruits-Passion.com. Think of it for house gifts, holiday gifts and teacher gifts.

But what if you’ve bought a middling melon—cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon or other favorite—that’s lacking in sweetness?

Don’t despair or reach for the sugar bowl. Instead, sprinkle on some non-caloric sweetener. For those who don’t use artificial sweeteners, natural agave nectar is delicious and is the lowest-glycemic natural sweetener available.

Other options: a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or a pinch of salt. While salt may seem counterintuitive, it heightens the flavor of foods. That’s why there’s at least a pinch of it in most recipes, including cakes and cookies.

Not sweet enough? Fix it! Photo courtesy
BaldorFood.com.

Ready-to-eat in two minutes. Photo courtesy
House-Foods.com.

Shirataki is made from the root of a plant (Amorphophallus konjac, a member of the yam family) that is rich in glucomannan, a beneficial type of fiber. Some studies indicate that glucomannan can play a role in blood sugar control, as well as improve cholesterol control and abet weight loss.

Shirataki is a “good” carbohydrate, and approximates a pasta experience for only 3g of carbohydrate per four-ounce serving.

These tofu shirataki noodles are imported by House Foods America Corporation. The plain noodles—which can be found in angel hair, fettuccine and spaghetti varieties—can be used in any way that conventional noodles are used: in pasta dishes; with grilled fish, meat or other protein; in noodle puddings and pasta salads.

The company also sells ready-to-eat So-Yah! tofu shirataki microwave meals, currently available in mild Creamy Coconut Curry and spicy Red Vindaloo Curry. After a 90-second zap plus a minute to cool down, they’re ready to eat. As a shelf-stable product, the individual-portion boxes can be toted anywhere, and can be stashed at work as a quick snack.

We enjoyed both varieties. The packets have a lot of sauce, which is best used by topping the tofu shirataki with sliced chicken, pork or…grilled tofu.

You can find a store locator on the company website, which also has a list of online vendors.

What’s an onion stone? It’s a mis-named piece of stainless steel—not a stone—shaped like a small bar of soap that removes the smell of onions from your hands when you wash your hands with it. It also works with garlic and fish odors.

But there’s no need to clutter up the gadget drawer; you don’t need an onion stone. Just wash your hands with a large stainless steel spoon; it will do the same thing. If you have a stainless steel sink, you’ve got a whole lot of stainless steel to rub against.

How does it work?

It is believed that the odor-creating sulfur in the food reacts with the stainless steel, which is made of iron and chromium, and becomes neutralized.

Slice away, then grab a spoon. Photo
courtesy PachD.com.

It’s easy to make a sweet-and-tart fruit
vinaigrette. Photo and recipe courtesy
WildBlueberries.com.

It’s simple to mix oil and vinegar, but not that much more trouble to make a delicious fruit vinaigrette.

While it’s the perfect time to take advantage of high-antioxidant summer blueberries, you can make this recipe year-round with frozen fruit.

BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, preferably Dijon or whole-grain)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen/thawed

2. Add blueberries. In this easy recipe, the blueberries are added whole; but if you have extra time, you can purée the fruit for a thicker dressing. Then, add the purée in step one, and garnish the salad with some extra blueberries.

3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes 1-1/2 cups. Serve with green salad, salad greens with grilled chicken or fish or with fruit salad.

You can use this recipe to make mango, raspberry, strawberry or other fruit vinaigrette as well. Since the fruit is larger, you’ll need to make a small dice or else purée it.

Find more of our favorite salad dressings in our Oil, Vinegar & Dressings Section.