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Novelle International Announces Partnership with Presence ... - MarketWatch

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:35:10 GMT

Novelle International Announces Partnership with Presence ... MarketWatch - Oct 3, 2008 "Maqui Superberry is a quality product has clearly differentiated itself from the confusing pack of Goji, Pomegranate, Acai and Mangosteen products. ...

Dairy Foods - Fruity and nutty: adding fruits and nuts to dairy is nothing new, but there are some new twists, and leading industry suppliers know the how and the why. Plus:...

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 07:00:00 GMT
October 1, 2005 -- Dairy foods have historically served as ideal vehicles for fruits and nuts. The motive for adding fruits and nuts to dairy was to enhance flavor and...

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goji berry cultivationEverything You Always Wanted To Know About Cheese Curds

If cheese is at the top of your 'favorite food list', then you must carefully (and I mean, thoroughly) read this article. Cheese curd is yet another variety to the ever growing number of cheese by-products. But before tasting this delectable food, let us first know how it came to be and why it's here to stay.

Cheese is believed to be discovered by an unknown nomad. This nomad lived in the Middle East and was, as legend would say, on his way to a very long journey. He prepared for it by pouring in lots of milk in a saddlebag. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for cheese-lovers out there), the milk curdled after several hours of riding under the sun. What was supposed to be milk turned into white curds with liquid!

The science behind this is, the saddlebag has an enzyme (rennin) that causes coagulation. The rennin enzyme can be found in the bag because it is made from the stomach of young cows. Well, the rest as we all love to say, is history.

Cheese curds, although believed to have existed much earlier, were reportedly discovered by accident by some cheese scientists (UW) in their attempt to create a pure cholesterol product that still has the squeaking sound. The lab rats who consumed the first cheese curds then became capable of beer drinking.

A New York Times article in 1911, on the other hand, referred to a very old Celtic song (about the 12th century) where cheese curds were mentioned. This song was entitled: 'Visions of MacGonlannee'. You now have a rough idea of how old cheese curds are, haven't you?

While most cheese would take about 60 days to coagulate, cheese curds can be 'harvested' way, way before they become cheeses. So, in essence, cheese curd is 'premature cheese'.

Cheese curds are fresh by products of cheddar cheese (or at least most of them are; some can be made from mozzarella, Colby or Monterey jack cheeses). While most cheese would take about 60 days to coagulate, cheese curds can be 'harvested' way, way before they become cheeses. So, in essence, cheese curd is 'premature cheese'.

And the best way to eat them is by eating them fresh. The good news? Canada and the United States have many stores that sell cheese curds in retail. There are also a lot of factories that manufacture them (so don't worry about running out of cheese curd stocks!).

The top two places that produce and sell cheese curds are: Quebec and Wisconsin. So, if you are not from one of these two places or are far from factories that produce cheese curds, then they could be foreign to you.

The best part of eating them is to hear the 'fresh' squeak. It takes only twelve hours before they become unfresh. Another twelve hours after that and they are nothing but unusable cheese.

Fresh cheese curds are about the size of peanuts and are usually orange in color. It tastes much like other dairy products and about as firm as most cheeses are. The difference is, cheese curds have rubber-like texture as compared to cheese that has the texture of clay. And unlike most junk foods that are crunchy, cheese curds are moist and cool while having the same salty taste of your regular snacks.

There are several ways of serving cheese curds. In Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, cheese curds are usually deep-fried and served in fairs and carnivals and sometimes in bars or fast food chains (Culver's and A&W restaurants are examples of this). These deep-fried treats are first covered with batter (beer-based) such as what is used in onion rings. In the absence of this type of batter, the usual breading is used. The good thing about this? It tastes much like mozzarella cheese sticks.

Another popular way of eating cheese curds is: poutine. This is a French-Canadian recipe that tops French fries with cheese curds that's also oozing with mouth-watering gravy. Yet other ways of consumption is by sprinkling powdered cheeses that are flavored: garlic, jalapeno, Cajun, chipotle, pesto, paprika, butter, pepper or lemon) then serving them like potato chips.

Cheese curds are definitely rare. As mentioned, there are just a handful of places where they are produced and enjoyed. Although cheese curds are not available for everyone to enjoy, for those who do, let us say you are the lucky ones on the planet!

Lee Dobbins writes for http://cheese.topicgiant.com where you can learn more about making cheese, cheese recipes and different types of cheese like cheese curds.

Grits - Plural Or Singular?

I confess I am a VSC (Very Senior Citizen) and a displaced Yankee. I also admit I am somewhat "set in my ways." However, one of my goals for the new century is to become "unset in my ways." I have vowed to examine my dislikes and try to turn them into likes.

This includes foods I don't particularly like. That includes grits. Now before you tar and feather and ride me on a rail back to Yankee-land, let me explain this dislike. It stems from the first time I was served grits. I didn't order them, of course, and they were totally unexpected when they turned up on my breakfast plate. I stared at them. They looked like a glutinous, grainy, glob of library paste. I took one tentative nibble and decided they were not "tolerable" - an expression I inherited from my opinionated grandfather.

However, in my quest to re-examine my dislikes, I recently tried them again. At one of my frequent suppertime breakfasts at the local Huddle House, I changed my habit pattern. I ordered my usual cheese omelet but I didn't say, "Hold the grits - give me the hash browns." So I got grits, naturally. And this time they looked better - not like an unknown pudding-like substance. I took a large forkful and found them more than "tolerable." They tasted good!

This was a new experience and when I experience anything new I want to know more about it. So I did some grits research. My dog-eared dictionary defined grits as a plural noun, "Sometimes, especially in the South, used as a singular noun." That's a wishy-washy definition if I ever read one. In the October issue of the Smithsonian magazine, I found an author - Tim Warren - who is definitely pro-grits. He writes, "Today, grits can be used both as a singular or plural noun. In other words, 'grits are' and 'grits is' are both acceptable." I admire and trust anyone who writes for the Smithsonian so I buy Warren's definition.

Warren's excellent article contains a large portion of interesting facts about grits. It says that grits have historical significance. The Powhatan Indians of Tidewater Virginia introduced the earliest settlers to a hot and filling porridge made from cracked grains of maize. Corn became firmly entrenched in Southern cookery long before the Civil War. However, it was during the Reconstruction period that corn became the main staple of the South. As Warren expresses it, "It was the economic deprivation during Reconstruction that brought grits to the forefront of Southern cuisine and entrenched them firmly in the belly of Southern culture. They ate corn on the cob, hush puppies, corn bread - and they ate more grits."

One Southern town - St. George, South Carolina - demonstrates its fondness for grits in a big way. Each year, they celebrate a Worlds Grit Festival in April. Thousands of grits-lovers participate in three days of homage to their favorite food. Activities include corn-shelling contests, grits-eating competitions, and a Rolling in the Grits contest in which contestants dive into a kiddy pool filled with grits and have ten seconds to coat themselves with a much grits as possible. The winner is the one with the most pounds of grits on their person. Another grits festival is held at Warwick, Georgia. The Third Annual National Grit Festivals, a three-day bash, starts April 15 this year. It also features a grit-dunking pool plus gospel singing, square dancing, and arts and crafts. Warwick is located on Georgia Highway 300 (the Georgia/Florida Parkway) between Cordele and Albany.

Americans, including Yankees, now devour about 100 million pounds of grits each year. Most of those are instant grits. Many cooks, however, agree that the key to making good grits is to use stone-ground grits. Jane and John Lovett would also agree. They are owners and operators of Falls Mill, a restored 1873 water mill located at Belvidere in south central Tennessee. In my grits research, I surfed the Web with my computer. I keyboarded in "Grits" and found 485 sites! I didn't try to visit them all but I found that Fall Mills has an exceptionally fine Web site with beautiful pictures of the mill. Falls Mill, according to the Web site, is an operating water-powered grain mill and museum. They specialize in stone-ground grits and ship them to all parts of the country. Most orders, according to Jane Lovett, come from transplanted Southerners who are desperate for a taste of home. Falls Mill also has an e-mail address (fallsmill@tnco.net) which I queried for more information. The Lovetts promptly replied with a personal e-mail invitation to come visit. The mill is only 35 miles northeast of Huntsville, Alabama and is open every day but Wednesdays. There is a bed-and-breakfast log cabin and overnight camping is available at Tims Ford State Park about 14 miles away.

Saltwater Fish of the Pacific Northwest Coast of USA and Canada

Pacific Halibut

Pacific halibut are the largest flatfish in the ocean. They can weigh up to 500 -700 pounds and can grow up to 9 feet long. They are among the most popular North American fish. Pacific halibut are common along the Northwest coast of the the USA and Canada. Halibut prefer rocky bottoms where they ambush food. Their diet consists of cod, pollock, herring, octopus, crabs, shrimp and other prey.

Pacific halibut is very popular among seafood lovers and is low in saturated fat and sodium, as well as a source of vitamins B6, B12, magnesium and potassium. The meat is white, mild and flakey. It's thickness lends itself to a variety of recipes including grilling, baking and broiling.

Sole

The Pacific Northwest is home to 2 species of sole. Sole are smaller flatfish that are related to halibut. Dover sole and English sole are bottom dwellers that feed on small fish, amphipods, molluscs, crustaceans and other ocean life.

In addition to being sought after by recreational anglers, the fish are caught commercially by trawling and marketed as filet of sole. Both species make up a large portion of the commercial flatfish harvest in the Pacific Northwest.

Salmon

There are six species of Pacific salmon - chum, coho, king (chinook), pink, sockeye and steelhead - and all are wild. Salmon grow in the ocean, and spawn in the rivers. The fish spawn only once and die afterward. Salmon eventually migrate to sea, then return to their stream of birth to spawn.

Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which is well known as having health benefits. Studies have shown that smoked salmon has a very low level of mercury, unlike some other seafood.

Lingcod

Lingcod have a large head, large mouth, and large teeth. The fish have a long, elongate body which narrows towards the tail, the back having one long dorsal fin. Lingcod are usually dark gray, brown or a greenish color on the back with mottling or spotting along the back. Lingcod can reach up to 5 feet in length.

Lingcod is an important commercial catch in Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska. The fish are also sought after by recreational anglers because of its aggressive behavior, size and excellent table value.

Pacific Cod

Pacific cod are similar to Atlantic cod although generally smaller. Pacific cod are an important commercial food species. Local names include gray cod, gray wolf or grayfish. Pacific cod are found in the Bering Strait, along the Aleutian Islands and along Washington, Oregon and part of California.

Black Cod

Black cod is another Pacific fish. Also known as sable fish, these distinctive fish have dark skin and pearly white flesh. Seafood lovers describe the fish as having a smooth texture and rich taste, due to its high oil content. The fish is low in calories and a source of protein and other nutrients. Black Cod can contain up to 50% more Omega-3 Oil than salmon.

Alaska Pollock

Alaska pollock can grow to more than 20 pounds, although most of the fish landed in the commercial fishery weigh less than three pounds. Alaska pollock are caught in huge numbers by factory ships, with Alaska pollock making up roughly 40% of the U.S. total commercial catch. Also known as Pacific pollock, the fish are members of the cod family.

Pollock has lean, white flesh that becomes opaque when cooked. Most of the commercial harvest goes into fish sticks, fish portions for fish sandwiches and for Surimi products.

The author maintains seafood related websites including Fresh-Seafood, Commercial Fishing and Chesapeake Bay News.