Wednesday, May 16, 2001

'Mr. Food' offers desserts as easy as pie

Family and friends are rarely too busy to eat dessert.

With a little help from both Mr. Food and America's favorite pie maker, Mrs. Smith's Bakeries, even the most harried hostess isn't too busy to create great-tasting treats.

A popular nationally syndicated television personality for more than 20 years, Art Ginsburg, a.k.a. "Mr. Food," presents delicious recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.

"My goal is to keep it simple," says Mr. Food. "I offer lots of easy, time-saving recipes for today's hectic lifestyle. And desserts are favorites with everyone. When you start with great quality products like those from Mrs. Smith's Bakeries, you can add a few touches to 'make it your own' and, before you know it, you'll have everyone at the table saying 'Ooh, it's so good!!'"

With Memorial Day and summer dining just around the corner, Mr. Food has a couple of quick and easy dessert ideas sure to delight.

For the youngsters at the table, or those who love cookies and creamy treats (and isn't that everyone?), try serving one of Mrs. Smith's Cookies & Cream Pies with an array of toppings.

"These pies are the perfect time-savers, since they're ready to serve right out of the freezer," says Mr. Food. "Just cut the slices you need and pop the rest back into the freezer to keep until your next dessert craving."

Kids love desserts, especially when they can add their own special touches. Mr. Food suggests taking one of Mrs. Smith's Cookies & Cream Pies and letting the kids use their imaginations with toppings. Make cherry faces on the StrawBanana pie or decorate the ChocoMint or S'mores flavors with miniature marshmallows.

You could drizzle chocolate sauce designs on the Droxies pie or parade animal crackers around the rim of a LemonyLemon pie. "It's so easy to have yummy fun!" he says.

For an elegant delight, try one of Mrs. Smith's Restaurant Classics pies. These are the same, rich indulgent desserts you find in many restaurants. And nothing is easier. Just remove a Restaurant Classics pie from the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator a couple hours before serving.

Mr. Food's no-fuss philosophy: "I always encourage my viewers and readers to make dishes their own. It's easy to do here, too. Simply add a Cherries Jubilee sauce to Mrs. Smith's Restaurant Classics Authentic Key Lime pie for a tangy, tropical flavor twist. It's as pretty to look at as it is good to eat."

Key Lime Pie Cherries Jubilee

1 Mrs. Smith's Restaurant Classics Key Lime Pie (thawed according to package directions)

1 16-ounce can cherry pie filling - Juice of one orange (about 1/2 cup)

4 thin strips of orange zest

3 graham crackers, coarsely crushed

In a medium saucepan, heat cherry pie filling, orange juice and orange zest until just simmering. Spoon warm cherry topping onto slices of key lime pie and top with crushed graham crackers.

For an even easier topping and especially for those who love chocolate, Mr. Food suggests simply adding chocolate curls to slices of Mrs. Smith's Authentic Key Lime pie. Just use a vegetable peeler to shave off the sides of a chocolate candy bar. Adorn each slice with a handsome helping of the shavings.

Other Restaurant Classics pies include French Silk Chocolate, Cappuccino, and Peanut Butter Silk (Mr. Food's favorite!). Additional pie recipe ideas are available on the Mrs. Smith's web site at www.mrssmiths.com.

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