Food briefs

Petite poppers

We love the trend: Single-serve bags of microwave popcorn that keep snackers happy without loading on too many calories. We’ve seen the product from many brands — Orville Redenbacher’s, Jolly Time and Act II call theirs “mini,” Pop Secret calls it “snack size.” Bags yield 4-6 cups of popped corn (as opposed to the 10 or 12 cups from regular bags) and calories start at 100 per bag (Jolly Time’s Healthy Pop, for instance) then move upward, depending on the flavor. Prices range from $2-$5 per box at many supermarkets.

For the love of poetry and hot browns

Food lovers of all types will want to get a copy of Saveur, which contains the upscale magazine’s annual listing of 100 food items to celebrate.

Among the 2005 items: a poem about plums by William Carlos Williams; a mystery novel set in the Italian wine country; libations from cool wine to hot coffee; kitchen tools such as a fireplace grill; foods from a Japanese pizza to Ritz crackers and a Kentucky Hot Brown; and great places to eat in India, Canada and Spain.

Selections are based on editors’ travels the previous year.

Choco-fix

Chocolate addiction will take on a new meaning when you sip a Chantico, the new dessert beverage from Starbucks. Made with cocoa powder and steamed milk, it’s unbelievably rich without being sugary, with a thick, satiny texture. Starbucks says it’s like drinking a liquid truffle; we say it’s more along the lines of drinking an entire truffle factory. Do you really care about calories at a time like this? For the record: 390 per 6-ounce cup — which costs $2.65-$3 at Starbucks. Buttery Chantico cookies, also available, are 55 cents each.

Fanta-sy Island

If you’ve been to the movies lately, you’ve probably met the Fantanas, four ’60s-looking, short-short-wearing mod beauties riding the Fanta Wave Rider around Fantana Island with bottles of the soft drink in their hands. The Web site, www.wantafanta.com, features a rockin’ FantanaCam, e-postcards, biographies on the four beauties (who look computer simulated), downloads and games.

Fanta is made by Coca-Cola and pitches to kids, but we couldn’t find an iota of nutrition information. We were just wondering how Mom would feel about it.

We sidled on over to bevnet.com for a fuller picture.

The nutrition facts: Serving size 8 ounces; servings per container, 2.5; calories, 120; fat, 0 grams; sodium, 20 milligrams; total carbohydrates, 32 grams; sugars, 32 grams; protein, 0 grams.

Ah yes, the fountain of youth.

Farming out the cheese

La Fromagerie animal cheese markers from Bonjour are sweet as well as practical: The white porcelain markers in cow, sheep and goat shapes can be inserted into the appropriate cheeses. A washable-ink marker is included for labeling. Each six-piece set (two of each animal) is $15-$17 online at amazon.com.

New oil touts health benefits

Look for another new oil touted for its health benefits hitting grocery store shelves.

Enova brand cooking and salad oil is made from all-natural soy and canola oils. According to its maker, ADM Kao LLC, (an Archer Daniels Midland joint venture with Kao of Japan, which marketed the oil in the Japanese market where it became a best-seller) Enova is made through a unique process so that less of the oil is stored in the body as fat, compared to other vegetable oils.

The oil can be used as a salad oil, or for frying, baking and sauteing.

Enova sells for $4.99 for a 20-ounce bottle.

Fruit in a capsule: the latest ‘nutraceutical’

If a daily spoonful of cherry or blueberry concentrate is good for one’s health, how about fruit in a capsule?

Brownwood Acres Foods struck a deal last year to market and distribute capsules of whole fruit developed by Flavonoid Sciences.

Founded by former cherry farmers Bob and Janet Underwood, Flavonoid developed a process of condensing cherries and blueberries into a paste, which is stuffed into bite-sized softgels. They retain 90 percent of the nutrients in fresh fruit, said Steve de Tar, Brownwood Acres president.

James Joseph, a Tufts University scientist who has studied the health benefits of blueberries, said a consumer’s best bet remains fresh fruits and juices. But if they aren’t available, the softgels might make a good substitute, he said.

Winter helpers

The folks at Quaker Oats Co. are offering two free brochures to consumers, and a new online program that teaches parents how to prevent childhood weight gain and obesity.

At www.quakeroatmeal.com look for the “Strive for Five” program, where you’ll find some tools to develop healthy nutrition habits.

While quantities last, order the free brochure “Awesome Oats: Easy and Delicious Recipes” or the free brochure “Foods to Grow On” (a bilingual pamphlet that gives guidelines to make sure toddlers or preschoolers eat a well-balanced diet).

Send your request by e-mailing oatoffer@aol.com (make sure the name of the brochure you’re requesting is in the e-mail address line) or send your name and mailing address to P.O. Box 487, Chicago, IL 60690-0487.

Heartfelt grains

Kashi Heart to Heart instant oatmeal impressed us with its flavor and texture. Make it with boiling water or in the microwave. Each packet contains 160 calories, 3-4 grams protein and 4-5 grams fiber, as well as the daily recommended amount of vitamins E, B6, B12 and folic acid. Flavors are maple, raisin spice and apple cinnamon. A box of eight 1-ounce packets is $3-$5 at select grocers.

A league of its own

“Join the Celebration!” (Hillsboro Press, $29.95), from the Women’s Board of the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, was developed to commemorate the board’s 25th anniversary and the 125th anniversary of the Union League Club of Chicago. Its 345 recipes span many ethnic and regional cuisines; some are homespun (Virginia spoonbread souffle), others more upscale (grilled quail with ancho chili and honey salsa). To order, call 312-588-1863 or go online at ulbgc.org. All proceeds benefit the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, which serve inner-city youngsters.

Getting our goat (in a good way)

We loved the pure flavor and creamy, spreadable texture of Meyenberg goat milk butter. An 8-ounce package of this nearly white butter costs $4.60 to $6 at select grocers. Mail-order is available for a minimum order of 12 packages; call 800-891-4628.

New flavors of rum are lower in calories

Calorie-counting consumers can find light alternatives for everything from ice cream and cookies to bread and beer. But until now, one category has been missing from the diet world: alcoholic spirits.

Bacardi USA is about to change that. The Miami-based company announced the launch of Island Breeze, which offers half the calories of traditional spirits, wine or beer. Billed as the “original lite spirit,” Island Breeze comes in key lime, wild berry and coconut flavors.

The secret ingredient? Sucralose, the calorie-free sugar substitute known by the brand name Splenda. Island Breeze, developed in the firm’s Jacksonville, Fla., laboratory, also contains Bacardi rum infused with natural fruit flavors.

Island Breeze isn’t just lighter in calories — a 1.5-ounce serving has 48 calories, compared to 96 in the same size serving of vodka, rum, gin or whiskey — it’s also lighter in alcohol. Island Breeze is 18 percent alcohol by volume, compared to between 35 percent and 40 percent for most spirits. The alcohol content is slightly higher than wine, which runs between 10 percent and 12 percent.

New beverage mixes beer with something extra

Going against the grain in courting the young cocktail crowd, beermaker Anheuser-Busch Cos. is launching a new “brew” to go head-to-head with classic mixed drinks — traditional suds spiked with caffeine, fruit flavoring, herbal guarana and ginseng.

The world’s largest brewer’s nationwide rollout of B-to-the-E — the “B” standing for beer, the “E” for something “extra” and shown as an exponent of B — came as beermakers look to piggyback strides liquor companies have made in luring young consumers to flavored and mixed drinks.

Slightly sweet but tart and coming in the aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry, B-to-the-E is to be marketed toward “active 21- to 27-year-old experimenters looking for new tastes and options.”

Whipping up lots of compliments

Dean Jacobs’ Gourmet Souffle Kit produces an impressive version of the fancy dessert in a jiffy. Granted, the finished result tasted more like a sturdier angel food cake than a whipped souffle, but the flavor was good, and the results were as lovely as the picture on the box. A kit that includes four porcelain ramekins and enough product for eight servings costs $25 online at amazon.com.

Regional flavors

Academia Barilla extra-virgin olive oils from Italy, from the culinary institute in Parma that promotes Italian gastronomy, won us over. These artisanally produced oils come from various regions, with color-coded labels that identify the source. We loved the fruity richness of Monti Iblei-Gulfi from Sicily; other varieties include an intense, herbal-influenced Chianti Classico from Tuscany and Terra di Bari oil, with overtones of almond and walnuts, from Puglia. Bottles range from 500 to 750 milliliters and cost $20 to $30 each at specialty stores.

Oil with a difference

Enova, made from soy and canola oils, contains fewer fat molecules than other cooking oils. Which means, says manufacturer Archer Daniels Midland, that less fat is stored in the body — or, as the label says, it’s a fat that is “burned as energy, not stored as fuel.” The calorie count —120 per tablespoon — is the same. We cooked with Enova and were pleased with the results; we found no difference when compared to foods we cooked with regular vegetable oil. A 20-ounce bottle costs $5 to $6.

Get a grip

Though they won’t eliminate spills amid the thrills, SoloGrips disposable plates and cups, designed with hand-grip areas and indentations to help people hold them, may reduce some of stains guests leave behind. Many colors and sizes are offered, with packages of 15 to 50 from $1.80 to $5 at most grocery stores.

Chunky guacamole

Dig into a tasty pre-made guacamole dip. AvoClassic Guacamole is all natural and made with onions and spices. It’s available in the refrigerator section for $3.99 for a 1-pound package that comes in two individual plastic bags.

What we liked about it is the almost made-from-scratch taste, and chunks of avocado. If you’d like, add chopped tomatoes, more chopped onion or fresh chopped cilantro. Look for the brand at Super Target and Costco stores.

Eat free has strings attached

Site: Eat Free and Be Merry

Address: eatfreeandbemerry.com

It was the $100 restaurant gift card to Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s or Cracker Barrel that got our attention.

The site offers that or a free laptop, gas card, airfare, Playstation, Xbox, cell phone or other goodies in exchange for a few minutes of your time responding to a gantlet of consumer offers.

Among the many, you should click yes if you: smoke; are planning to buy a new car; are looking for health insurance; have a baby; need career training or a high school degree; desire a second mortgage or refinancing; owe for a student loan or seek two round-trip air tickets plus $100 in travel cash.

You must say yes to one.

So we clicked on the airplane tickets using our real name but fake birth date and the newspaper’s address and up popped an authorization to buy the Save4Less long-distance calling plan at $13.90 per month. After we tired of reading the small type, we said no thanks.

If you get caught by the trawler, be sure to run Spybot and your virus checker when you break free.

How to store fresh ginger root

Q. I have a large bag of fresh ginger root. What’s the best way to store it? — D.C, Northbrook, Ill.

A. Knobs from this underground stem (or tropical rhizome) can be successfully frozen by following these instructions from David Joachim in “Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks” (Rodale Books, $29.95): “Place whole, unpeeled knobs in a zipper-lock freezer bag for up to three months,” Joachim writes. “Slice or break off what you need and return the rest to the freezer.”

How to melt chocolate

Take care when melting chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop. It burns easily and can “seize” up into grainy lumps.

First, cut the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. For stovetop melting, place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. For melting in the microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup or bowl. Heat on medium heat (50 percent power) at 1-minute intervals. The total time it takes to melt chocolate in the microwave depends on the model and wattage of your appliance.

For each method, heat the chocolate only until about half of the pieces are melted; remove the container from the heat. Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The heat from the melted pieces will dissolve the remaining chocolate.

New soups in plastic

Fairfield Farm Kitchens, makers of Moosewood vegetarian refrigerated soups, has introduced three new soups to its Organic Classics line. Look for Chicken Noodle Soup, Our Favorite Chili and Seafood Chowder at Whole Foods Markets and other gourmet grocers. They are sold in 18-ounce heat-and-serve containers for $4.49-$5.49. Each container holds about 2 cups of soup in a plastic bag. To heat, all you need to do is cut the package open and pour the contents into the container and microwave, or simply heat it in a saucepan on the stove. The soups are hearty, full-flavored and well seasoned. We also sampled three flavorful Moosewood vegetarian soups — Creamy Potato and Corn Chowder, Tuscan White Bean, and Vegetable and Hearty Mushroom Barley. The soups, according to the labels, are full of vitamins and low in fat. The Moosewood varieties are based on recipes from the Ithaca, N.Y.-based restaurant. Use the store locator at www.fairfieldfarmkitchens.com to find a local retailer.

Carbs a must, diet guide confirms

Go ahead, have some pasta. Atkins is out. Carbs are in.

America’s fling with high-protein diets is finally waning, according to a Mintel market research report that found introductions of low-carbohydrate foods had slowed to a trickle by the end of 2004.

The coup de gras was delivered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Jan. 12, when it released new dietary guidelines confirming the importance of high-carbohydrate grains and debunking the idea that a particular combination of nutrients can make people thin. The only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more.

The eating plan recommended by the committee of scientists who revised the dietary guidelines is, as in previous guidelines, carbohydrate-based. About 45 percent to 50 percent of the calories consumed in a day by most adults should come from carbohydrates, the committee concluded.

It’s all in how you say it

Kids won’t eat tapioca? Call it “bubble pudding,” and they just might.

Nutritionists suggest tempting picky youngsters with new names for old-fashioned, good-for-you foods.

Pork and beans might not sound appealing to them, but “camping beans” might. Call a muffin a cupcake. Yogurt smoothies are milkshakes. Broccoli florets can be “trees.”

A well-deserved rest for spoons

This sleek and curvy spoon rest from Architec Products is made of two dish-washer-safe materials, stainless steel and silicone. The raised dots along the length of this 11-by-3-inch spoon rest will steady spoons and ladles, and the cupped silicone at the top is heat-resistant to 600 degrees. It’s $10 and sold in white, black or red online at cooking.com; Crate & Barrel sells it in black only in its stores and by mail (crateandbarrel.com or 800-323-5461).

Tapping into tapas and other mini-meals

Mini-meals are fun whatever you call them — tapas, meze, hors d’oeuvres, dim sum — and they are adaptable to almost any meal scenario that busy lives and family activity may demand.

Tapas and hors d’oeuvres are established party food, ideal for entertaining. But small bites and downsized portions are also a good way to keep other mealtimes light and fun, and can have useful health benefits for weight-watchers.

Sharp knives and kitchen gadgets can help the cook turn out neatly trimmed, diminutive tapas and hors d’oeuvres. Some tips:

• Garlic press: Use it to mince whole garlic or even press black olives for a tasty tapenade. A good-quality press will allow you to mince more than one garlic clove at a time and include a built-in cleaner for easy cleanup.

• Pizza cutter: Cut pizza or even sandwiches into attractive, bite-sized portions. Be sure that your pizza cutter has a large, stainless-steel blade that removes for easy cleanup. A comfortable handle is also a plus.

• Cheese knife: This knife is suitable for cutting soft and hard cheeses without leaving cheese stuck to the blade. A perforated blade is helpful in this regard.

• Vegetable peeler: This standby is used to peel fruits and vegetables but can also be used for shaving chocolate for sweet treats. A comfortable handle is a must.

• Ice cream scoop: This scoops every last bite of ice cream from the container without bending. It’s also great for scooping seeds from melons and controlling potato salad portions.

(Source: Cutco Cutlery)

Slow a go-go

Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann take slow cookers to new directions in “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook” (Harvard Common Press, $16.95). Familiar casseroles and stews are here, as well as many clever updates among its 350 recipes: lentil and red pepper soup, fresh chili and corn chip meatloaf, and pizza sauce. The techniques and how-to charts will be of use to pros, rookies — and your mother, too. The cookbook is at some Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores and amazon.com.

Pick a pack of this pepper

Talamanca peppercorns from Ecuador are very highly perfumed — their flavor notes are floral, as opposed to fierce. A little bit goes a long way, but they are as spicy-hot as Tellicherry with a flavor that flows across the mouth, building slowly, then tapering off again. Very cool. They’re certified organic too. Bill and Dan Brugger of Florida-based Brugger Brothers have imported the freshly harvested black and white peppercorns since 1992. They’re only available by mail; a 4-ounce bag of whole black peppercorns is $7.75; the white peppercorns cost $8.75. Shipping is $3.50. Call 800-949-2264 or visit talamancapepper.com.

New spin on chocolate

William Bounds’ new chocolate mill puts an easy spin on creating chocolate shavings for desserts or coffee drinks. This is nothing you couldn’t learn, but if you would rather have a gadget do the work for you, we can vouch for this one — it is easy to use and effective. The mill is acrylic, with a stainless-steel grinding mechanism, and holds up to 1/4 cup of chocolate. It’s $35 by mail-order only from Williams-Sonoma: 800-541-2233 or williams-sonoma.com.

Community cookbook awards

“Toast to Tidewater,” a cookbook published by the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc., pays tribute to local food and wine so successfully that it has been named national first-place winner in this year’s Tabasco community cookbook awards.

In national second place is “Once Upon a Time,” featuring recipes and recollections from the Junior League of Evansville, Ind. “Lone Star to Five Star,” a cookbook created by the Junior League of Plano, Texas, is national third-place winner.

The Tabasco awards were established 15 years ago by McIlhenny Co., which describes their purpose as “to recognize the role these books play in chronicling and preserving local culinary traditions, which may have been around for generations.”

Grain gain

We liked the hearty flavor and texture of whole-wheat English muffins from Pepperidge Farm. The product contains no trans fats; each serving has 3 grams of fiber. A 12-ounce package of six muffins costs about $2.70 at select grocery stores.

Cookie Monsters

Elinor Klivans makes a case for larger-than-life treats in her cookbook, “Big Fat Cookies” (Chronicle, $17.95). We loved the peanut butter cup cookies, one of several creative recipes inside; others include pumpkin butterscotch chip cookies and Italian-inspired cornmeal currant crunch cookies. But old-fashioned favorites oatmeal and chocolate chip are here too. The book is at some Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores and online at amazon.com.

Asparagus heralds spring

It’s no mirage if there’s early spring green visible in your market’s produce section. The California asparagus harvest begins in February, peaks in March, April and May, then tapers off in June, the California Asparagus Commission says.

The commission estimates that nearly 95 percent of the 200 million pounds of fresh asparagus grown in the United States comes from California. Other U.S. commercial growers are in Washington state, Michigan and the mid-Atlantic states.

When you buy, choose bright green asparagus with compact, firm tips and smooth, tender skin. Tenderness relates to color: The greener (or the whiter, for white spears), the better.

Handle asparagus like flowers: Trim off the butt end, then refrigerate upright, standing in an inch of water, covered loosely with plastic. Or wrap cut ends in wet paper towel and store in a plastic bag with the top left open. Stored this way, asparagus keeps for two to three days in the refrigerator.

The vegetable can be blanched or boiled, steamed, microwaved, stir-fried or grilled — but do not overcook. Cook just until fork-tender, as little as 2 minutes if boiling, or up to 8 minutes for steaming, depending on the spears’ thickness.

— Wire Services