Introduction

If there’s one thing I don’t hesitate to call myself an expert on, it’s coffee. As much time as I spend in its glorious company, I SHOULD be an expert by now. If I weren’t, it’d mean I just wasn’t paying attention, and is that ever not the case!

Truly wonderful coffee begins to leave an impression on you long before you even pour it into your cup. In fact, when you open the bag of coffee beans, the aroma lets you know how special your next cup of coffee will be.

I was reminded of this aromatic truth this morning when I opened a very handsome bag of NORTHSTAR coffee. I have a special place in my heart (and pantry) for coffee beans that “reach my nose” without making me lean toward the bag. When I opened the bag of NORTHSTAR FINE COFFEES coffee beans, I noticed that the aroma came to meet me rather than the other way around. Cool, that.

A FEW FACTS:

1. All coffee is not created equal

2. There are 28 grades of coffee.

3. Most coffee consumers drink grades 15 - 28, on average.

4. Even consumers of “Specialty” or “Gourmet” coffees are being served an average specialty grade 5.

5. NORTHSTAR only offers PREMIUM GRADE 1 COFFEES - the absolute finest available in the world.

6. All coffee is not created equal.

My cups of coffee were beyond spectacular this morning. Way beyond. I was almost disappointed because another great love of mine is iced coffee. I wanted to spare enough from my morning pot to sweeten and put on ice. I could tell from the aroma that this would be ideal coffee to use for iced coffee. But, alas, there wasn’t so much as a drop left!

The coffee was luxuriously smooth and rich. It was amazingly aromatic and made the entire morning extra special. It left me looking forward to my next pot, which, incidentally happens to be brewing now. Actually, it’s ready for me to enjoy - I know, not because I heard the brewing stop, but because the whole front of my house is filled with this wonderful aroma! Even my cats are excited.

If you want similar coffee experiences, get thyself to www.NorthStarFineCoffees.com. As for me, I have someplace I have to be right now.

Reuter’s reports that there has been an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning in the U.S. in nine states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah.

Illnesses in Texas and New Mexico are being blamed on eating raw tomatoes, so the investigation in the other states is also zeroing in on tomatoes. In Texas and New Mexico, there have been 57 reported cases of illness caused by an uncommon type of Salmonella bacteria called SaintPaul since late April.

About 30 more illnesses have been reported in the other 7 states. Health officials are trying to determine if they’re all connected.

Although at least 17 people have been hospitalized, thankfully no deaths have been reported. The ages of those sickened ranges from 3 to 82 years, she said.

Early research showed that the people who became sick in New Mexico and Texas had eaten raw tomatoes, so they’re being looked at as the source of thier infection. The investigation in the other 7 states is centering around raw tomatoes as well. (I SO feel like I’m reporting on a crime investigation.)

The specific tomatoes that seem suspicious (I don’t guess they have an alibi) are raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes.

According to the FDA, the tomatoes not linked to this outbreak (those with alibis) include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home.

An illness courtesy of Salmonella may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pains and bouts of fever 12 to 72 hours after eating the infected food. The illness can lst up to 4 to 7 days.

Infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness, which can be deadly unless treated with antibiotics.

Until the source of the infection is confirmed, health officials advise high risk individuals in New Mexico and Texas not to eat any of these suspected varieties of tomatoes. Personally, if I lived in New Mexico or Texas, I’d avoid the suspects whether I was in the risky group or not.

I’m fairly certain that, in the end, we’ll discover that it’s the gas prices that are to blame for the whole shebang. Why? Because in my mind, fuel prices are to blame for everything, that’s why. Where I live (Owensboro, Kentucky), it’s gotten up to $3.76.

I’ll report any new information I find on tomatoes, salmonella, and the investigation a.s.a.p.

Club Veg Art Print
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Reclining Salad Art Print
Brown, Greg
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Show Biz Art Print
Brown, Greg
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For more funtastic art prints by the same cool artist, click any of the prints or links above.

Brilliant.  Make that so brilliant it’s sick.

For those of us who do a lot of cooking (or even, I suppose, for those who do a little cooking), keeping what we’ve created fresh and fabulous is just as important as making it in the first place.  After all, if we’ve just made the greatest iced sugar cookies in the world or deviled eggs that put all other deviled eggs to shame, no one will be able to truly appreciate our brillaince if they get all smushed together.

I remember once, years ago, I made some ridiculously wonderful iced sugar cookies for a church picnic.  I concocted a recipe to mirror an Amish Sugar Cookie I’d tasted in an Indiana restaurant.  Dead on delicious!  As always when transporting cookies, I ran into a concrete wall (I could’t afford bricks back then).  I did the whole careful placement on a platter and the gentle-oh-so-gentle laying on of plastic wrap - but by the time we got to the park, smoosh city.  The creative side of my brain kicked in and I quickly stacked them together and presented them as Amish Sugar Cookie-wiches.  I was a heroine for the moment, but deep down I knew how much prettier they were with their little sprinkles aligned on top of their carefully “peaked” icing.

If I’d had a Baker’s Sto ‘N Go back then, the cookies would have made it just as they were intended to and I would’ve been a super heroine instead of just a heroine!  As a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking about countless instances when the Sto ‘N Go would’ve come to my rescue:  Christmas dinners when I had to transport deviled eggs and nearly showed up with egg salad instead, ballgames where the hot dogs could’ve ridden first class, sandwiches for picnics, etc etc.

I’ve been using my Sto ’N Go around the house just as much as on the road.  Brownies, fudge, cookies, appetizers, pastries…. they all stay fresh and beautiful thanks to this brilliant, brilliant invention.  I absolutely love mine and urge you to grab a few of your own.

Like me, you won’t have any idea how you ever got by without it. 

I’ve come across two new addictions this week I thought I’d share with you.

First of all, you know how much I love tea. You probably know that within the past few years I’ve fallen hard for Green Tea (…and I have no idea why I capitalized it - showing reverence, maybe?). Fortunately there are plenty of tea companies now who are making tea bags for Green Tea lovers, so with the right sweetening, I’m good to go.

However, I also love the convenience of bottles that I can grab and take with me, especially when the weather is nice. Lipton makes several varieites, but I wish they’d come out with one that wasn’t flavored so heavily. Don’t get me wrong, they’re delicious and you’ll find both the citrus variety and the berry variety in my Kroger cart regularly, but that’s just it - they taste like “the citrus variety” and “the berry variety” - you forget about the Green Tea even being there…for haters, I guess that’s a good thing.

I recently bought a bottle of Arizona Diet Gren Tea with Ginseng and I’m hooked. They’re flavored slightly with honey, so diabetics are advised to check with a physician first. I’m in love with the flavor….the pure GREEN TEA FLAVOR. It’s also amazing warmed up with a slice of lemon floating in the cup. Very, very nice. I was surprised just how good it was.

Something else that surprised me this week was a new cereal I tried. Cereal fanatic that I am, I won’t stop until I’ve tried them all. This particular cereal didn’t get my hopes up when I brought it home with me. I thought, “Okay, buddy, I’m going to give you a shot one evening (that’s when I eat my cereal - late at night), but I’m not expecting much.” I wasn’t being unkind, but how can your taste buds get their hopes up when the word Fiber is in the title? Hmmm?

So, Mrs. Doubtful grabs her favorite purple ceramic bowl - famous for introducing all new ceral to my world - and pours a bowl of FIBER ONE. THe picture on the box has strawberries and blueberries in the bowl, but I only have strawberries, so I go with that. Blueberries, bring your price down some and we’ll be friends again. I poured my milk on top, grabbed a spoon and sat down in my favorite rocking chair to watch Good Eats and see if I was going to experience any in the process.

I was totally surprised. This stuff is very, very good. A serving’s only 60 calories, with 0 grams of sugar….and, get this, it provides 57 percent of our daily value of fiber (or 14 grams). All of us are constantly searching for ways to add more fiber, vitamins, iron, and calcium to our diets. But it can get kind of confusing and tricky to work everything into our meals. The answer is actually just a bowl or two of cereal away! After all, if this cereal provides 57 percent of our daily value of fiber in one bowl - if we have a bowl in the morning and one in the evening with Alton Brown, we’ll be as set as Humpty Dumpty was before the fall.

Why should we be so stoked about Fiber? Read on!

According to Fiber One’s website, the following are healthy benefits from having enough fiber in our diets:

Digestive Health
The most recognized benefit of fiber is its important role in keeping the digestive system running smoothly by promoting regularity. Fiber adds bulk to help move food through the digestive tract.

Along with regular exercise and plenty of water, fiber plays an important part in maintaining digestive health.

Heart Health
Fiber – specifically soluble fiber – may also help lower blood cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk for heart disease. Fiber appears to lower cholesterol by interfering with its absorption in the digestive tract.

Diabetes
Fiber may also be important for people who have diabetes. Diets high in whole grain and fiber have been shown to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Weight Management
Getting enough fiber can also help curb your hunger and help you feel satisfied, which can help with weight management. Research suggests that people who have higher intakes of fiber tend to have healthier body weights.

High fiber foods, like Fiber One cereal and Fiber One Honey Clusters®, may help with managing caloric intake.

Also on the website you’ll find coupons, recipes, more healthy advice and information, and even a Free Sample offer for Caramel Delight Fiber One Cereal. Look alive purple bowl!

Coffee Lovers: Here’s a post just for you.

Just how trustworthy is my coffee knowledge? Well, let’s see…..my kitchen, my clothes, my vehicle, my computer desk, my living room chair and my cats all smell like coffee. Yeah, there you have it - I’m not an expert, I am THE expert. You’ve heard of basketball coaches, football coaches, labor coaches, and even life coaches, right? All hail the Coffee Coach!

I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged about the AMAZING Toddy’s Cold Brewed Coffee Maker before on this blog - but when something’s so perfectly wonderful, you just can’t help wanting everyone to know about it.

In 1964, as a chemical engineering graduate of Cornell, Todd Simpson developed and patented a cold brew system that, using regular coffee beans, creates a superior-tasting cup of steaming HOT coffee. And, with 67% LESS ACID than coffee made by conventional hot brew methods, it’s easier on sensitive stomachs. Many people who had to abandon coffee because of stomach discomfort have been able to fall in love with coffee all over again! I don’t know about you, but the words “less acid” mean an awful lot to me!

The Toddy coffee maker makes this possible because it extracts the coffee bean’s delicious flavor while it eliminates much of the acidity. In the process, it produces a bold, super-smooth coffee that can be served one cup at a time.

The Toddy brewer is also VERY ideal for making tea - served hot or over ice. And, yes, I am indeed the Tea Coach as well as the Coffee Coach. I’m one caffeinated Kentuckian, and you have no idea how much a caffeinated Kentuckian can get into.

For less than $40, you will receive: A Brewing Container with Handle, Glass Decanter with Lid, Reusable Filters (2), Rubber Stopper (1), Instructions & Recipe Guide. You’ll also want very, very much to order at least one bag of Toddy’s coffee beans while you’re on the site. You CAN use other beans with the system….and achieve smashing results. But for that initial experience, I’d love for you to use either the Americana beans or the Toddy Blend (I heart the Toddy Blend.).

When we first ordered the Toddy System, I didn’t know what to expect. My coffee maker and I had a great thing going and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the new kid in town. But I read the instructions and followed them to the letter - even if my coffee maker and I were snickering behind Toddy’s back. The snickering ended before the coffee cup even reached my lips - the bold, intoxicating aroma nearly took me to my knees. Then, when I tasted it, I was totally blown away. I would say that it reminded me of Coffehouse coffe, but I’ve never tasted Coffeehouse coffee this good.

I can talk all day about how amazing it is, but you’ll never know until you try it for yourself. This will be the smartest purchase you’ve made in years. While you’re at it, you might want to get a second one - Mother’s Day isn’t that far away, after all! Cllick on the coupon below to save more money:

See the front page of Buttermilk Press for some delicious recipes from Toddy’s website.

It’s definitely Disney Day here on Get Cooking!

The Ratatouille 4-Pc. Dessert Dish Set is just another one of the unbelievably adorable products on Disney Shopping.com.

I’m completely in love with the idea of adding fun and unexpected smiles to the dining experience.

2/3 cup chopped onion
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with chilies
4 tsp. paprika
4 TBS chilli powder
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 TBS flour
1/4 cup cold water
4 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 pound sharp process cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, saute the onion in oil until the onion is transparent. Add the tomatoes, paprika, chilli powder, and garlic.

Stir in a paste made from the flour and water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the cheeses and salt/pepper - stir until cheeses are a vision of melted heaven!

Serve hot with the best tortilla chips you can find, or better yet fry your own. I love to cut tortillas into wedges and fry them in batches. Right after removing them from the oil, I hit them with some salt. I also sprinkle ground red pepper to the last couple of batches.

Enjoy!

Retro Tea Art Print
Kungl, Michael L.
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Deco Tea Art Print
Kungl, Michael L.
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My love for tea has actually claimed a corner of our dining room. I have an antique hanging shelf that’s full of boxes and tubes of teas, from Green Tea with Purple Oxidants to Pear White Tea. There are also a few miniature ceramic tea sets and other art pieces celebrating the glory that is tea!

The art prints above will soon be joining the party. They’re absolutely gorgeous and, framed, will be works of art. While they could be ordered framed, online, I think I’ll be able to save some money by framing them myself. Money saved, of course, means more money to spend - so that makes me a happy shopper.

Speaking of tea, have you ever tried the Lipton bottles of green tea and white tea? I buy the Diet and regular varieties of each and my family loves them. They’re easy for my girls to grab on their way out the door or to take to the tv, computer, or their room while tangling with homework. I really can’t say which one is my favorite because I love the White Tea with Raspberry, the Green Tea with Citrus and the one that I have on my computer desk right now - the Diet Green Tea with Mixed Berry. It’s absolutely, positively amazing.

You have to try them!

Something I’ve discovered - from this side of the equation as well as that side of the equation - is that cookbooks and cooking dvds make wonderful gifts. What cook wouldn’t want to open a present and find Paula Deen smiling at her/him, like she is on the cover of Food Network Paula’s Home Cooking Vol. 4: Complete Sweets (above). Recipes include Cheesecake with Praline Sauce, Savannah Chocolate Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce, Gooey Toffee Butter Cake, Fresh Strawberry Sorbet, Caramelized Brownies, and many more. Disc 1: Paula’s Desserts Sugar and SpiceSexy Southern ChocolateJust Desserts Disc 2: Sweet Endings Ice Cream SocialPaula’s Sweets ShopBirthday Party Disc 3: Celebration Sweets Sweet EndingsCandy/SweetsPie In The Sky. (Running Time: 210 minutes.)

Another huge hit would be the Food Network Favorites: Recipes from Our All-Star Chefs Cookbook. This cookbook brings 120 restaurant-quality recipes, reliable cooking tips and easy instructions from some of today’s hottest Food Network chefs like Paula Deen and Wolfgang Puck right into your kitchen. Bonus features include question and answer sessions with the featured chefs about favorite foods and secrets from their kitchens.

See the product above? That’s what an ingenius product looks like. I’ve always wondered why in the culinary world more cookbooks aren’t produced in Recipe Card form. A recipe card is so much easier to take to the grocery store! The Semi-Homemade Cooking Recipe Cards also cost less than a typical cookbook would. Without the costly hard cover and glossy pics, I guess the publisher keeps their cost down and then passes those savings along to us. A prospect that delights me.

Last, but not least, someone I really miss on the Food Network, Jamie Oliver. The Naked Chef is a cookbook you’ll want if you’re as big a fan of Jamie’s as I am.

From the Publisher:
Jamie Oliver—a.k.a. the Naked Chef—is England’s #1 bestselling food sensation, a charismatic, streetwise culinary wonder boy whose personality is as fresh and unpretentious as his cooking. In this extraordinary cookbook, Jamie takes all of the trade secrets he has accumulated since he started cooking at age eight and distills them into a refreshingly simple style that really works for people who are passionate about food, but don’t always have a lot of time, money or space. Jamie has applied his strip it bare then make it work principle to all his meals—from salads to roasts, desserts to pastas— and has created a foolproof repertoire of simple, feisty, and delicious recipes that combine bold flavors with fresh ingredients. With more than 120 no-fuss recipes, this book, a sumptuous feast for the eyes as well as the stomach, is modern cooking at its best.

Speaking of charismatic, back to back episodes of Ace of Cakes are on tonight. YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! This show, thanks to its cast of characters, oozes charisma and fun. It’s one of the Food Network shows that could, I think, easily make it on Network television. When they aired the first episode I thought, “They have got to be kidding me. A show built around a cake decorating studio?” I watched, of course, because it’s my beloved Food Network - and one of my cats gets cranky if the channel is turned. By the first commercial break, I knew I’d never miss a minute of Duff, Mary Alice, Geoffrey, and the rest. (”And the Rest…” That sounded so Gilligan’s Island.) Click HERE to learn more about these deliciously off-beat and entertaining personalities. And, by any means possible….yes, even if it means wrestling for the remote control….watch the episodes tonight. There’s nothing on television quite like Ace of Cakes.