• Meet Paula Deen on the Set of “Paula’s Best Dishes” and enjoy dinner for two at her Savannah, Georgia restaurant, The Lady & Sons. Bidding ends Friday, April 30, 2010, and dinner will take place on May 7, 2010. Proceeds will benefit the New York Women in Communications Foundation. Get more information on this auction lot.
• Lunch with Ruth Reichl: Who knows food better than the acclaimed food critic and author? She joined Gourmet Magazine as editor-in-chief in April 1999, following six years as restaurant critic of The New York Times. Lunch with Ms. Reichl at one of her favorite New York spots. Bidding ends Wednesday, May 5, 2010. Proceeds will benefit the New York Women in Communications Foundation. Get more information on this lot.

Ready for a celebrity meet-and-eat? Photo
courtesy Charitybuzz.com.

• Surf & Dine With Marc Murphy In The Hamptons. A great item for people who summer in The Hamptons: The winner and a guest will spend an afternoon surfing with Chef Murphy and a private instructor, followed by a dinner for up to 10 guests cooked by Murphy in the winner’s Hamptons home. (Hey, who’s cooking at Landmarc and Ditch Plains while he’s surfing?) Bidding ends Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Proceeds will benefit City Harvest. Get more information on this lot.
• Chef’s Six-Course Tasting Menu for 6 at Tocqueville Restaurant. Co-owners Jo-Ann Makovitzky and Chef Marco Moreira will welcome you to Tocqueville’s new home, located steps from Union Square. An elegant, luxurious room with soaring ceilings sets the perfect stage for sophisticated French-American cuisine. Bidding ends Wednesday, April 21, 2010. Proceeds will benefit Figure Skating in Harlem. Get more information on this lot. 

Use it or lose it (or freeze it!). Photo
courtesy KingArthurFlour.com.

As a rule of thumb, whole wheat flour will go rancid sooner than white enriched flour. That’s because whole grains contain the whole kernel, which in turn contains the germ. The germ contains fat (oil)—and as we all know, fat goes rancid.

So you may have some extra time with white flour, but keep an eye on the date of your whole grain flours and other whole-grain products like grits.

For longevity, you can store any type of flour in the refrigerator—or better yet, in the freezer, for up to two years. But plan ahead: Refrigerated or frozen flour must come to room temperature before it’s used.

• What are whole grain flours? See our article on whole grain cereals and the benefits of whole grain foods.

Created by a team of parents, including a physician’s assistant, Gudernoobs are made in four flavors. The small, individually wrapped chews include Awesome Apple Cider, Big Time Brownie, Outrageous Oatmeal Banana and Perfect Peanut Butter.

Billed as “the original un-candy,”* each flavor has only five or six simple, healthy ingredients, like bananas, dates, flax, oatmeal, raisins and vanilla. There is no added sugar, artificial flavors, dyes, high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives. The product is all-natural and vegan.

*NOTE to hypesters and sloganeers: What is an original un-candy, i.e., non-candy? Fruit, grain, and anything that isn’t candy is un-candy. The original “sweet” was the date, which grew in the Middle East millennia before the word “candy” was formed; along with honey. The word “candy” is derived from the Persian “qandi,“ for sugar (also note the Sanskrit “kha??aka?,” sugar candy). The first qandi were fruits and nuts rolled in honey.

The name may be wacky, but kids will love
it. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Gudernoobs are available at select retailers or online by visiting WooHooFoods.com.

More Healthy, Sweet Snacks

This product and company name reminds us of our personal favorite “healthy snack,” Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. Created by Laura Trice, M.D., the products are superb. But if she hadn’t sent them to us, we’d never have bought them off the shelf.

We don’t want to eat “junk food,” wholesome or not. (What’s wrong with “Laura’s Healthy Sweets?”) Nevertheless, we encourage you to check out these cholesterol free, vegan and (in some varieties) gluten-free snacks. The Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food line is certified kosher (although a Jewish grandmother might not approve of the name, either).

Don’t wrap them up and stash them away—you’ll forget them and end up tossing them out weeks later. What a sad waste of cheese!

Instead, plan some recipes to use them ASAP. Our favorites:

• Fondue
• Cheese omelets
• “Mixed grill” grilled cheese sandwiches
• Queso asado (baked cheese, but you can microwave it), a dip for tortilla chips

Don’t hesitate to mix up the cheese styles and flavors—some of the tastiest fondues are blends of four or five different cheeses.

Turn those cheese scraps into a fondue,
cheese omelet or other favorite. Photo
courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Find more of our favorite cheese recipes.

Kick it with citrus liqueur (photo © Kudayta).
Kudayta.com.

Yesterday we presented home-brewed iced tea. Today, we have iced tea with a kick.

Instead of adding a squeeze of lemon to your iced tea, try lemon liqueur (such as Limoncello) or orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, GranGala, Triple Sec, etc.).

You can even find lime liqueur. Lluvia de Estrellas Lime Liqueur with Tequila would taste terrific with the iced tea (though higher proof!). A visit to a large liquor store (or an online search) will yield other brands.

Want some heat?

Try Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur.

June is National Iced Tea Month. June 10th is National iced tea Day.
 
Preparation

Start by mixing a teaspoon of liqueur into an 8-ounce glass of tea; add more to taste. The sweetness of the liqueur offsets the need for sugar or honey and lets you enjoy the elegant nuances of the drink.

But those who need things sweeter can add a bit of simple syrup, superfine sugar, agave or honey.

While you can create a tea-based cocktail by using an entire shot of liqueur, using a smaller amount creates an enhanced iced tea rather than an alcoholic drink.

Add a slice of fresh lemon, orange, or lime liqueur to garnish.