This announcement ahs been plastered accross the US and in some cases the Southern Pacific, there is a documented alert for Salmonella poisining from some pistachios products. This alert should not stop you enjoying Pistachios as not all suppliers are under scrutiny for this alert. In fact many have been practicing good food processing and handeling so there products are safe. I have neeb in contact with April Shunn Williams from Paramount farms and have agreed to post this updated news. Please look at the list below for a safe supplier or producer, we must all remember in these hard financial times that to boycott all growers and producers could be detremental to their livelyhood and the industry. We all enjoy the texture and taste of good quality Pistachios in our recipies and should support the industry at this time.

A quick recipie: Lamb cutlets with pistachos and nectarine salsa

Ingredients

Marinade
12 lamb cutlets
1tbsp olive oil
juice 2 oranges
2 tbsp grated orange rind
1/4 cup spicy fruit chutney

Salsa
1/2 punnet Fresh Pistachios, peeled, split and roughly chopped
juice 2 oranges
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 small cinnamon stick
2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
3-4 nectarines, cut into chunks

Method
Combine marinade ingredients, add cutlets and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare salsa by combining half the coriander and half the pistachios with all other ingredients. Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and allow to cool.
Barbecue or char grill or even use the George Forman or simular grill cutlets 2-3 minutes each side.
Serve with fresh pistachio salsa and sprinkle with remaining pistachios and extra coriander if desired.

A list of safe providers and links:

A&P Growers
American Golden
Barons
Berkley & Jensen Pistachios
Braga Farms
Braga Organic Farms
Cal Delights
Cal Fruit and Nut
Country Best
Cowboy
CVS Brand Gold Emblem Natural
Pistachios
CVS Brand Gold Emblem
Pistachio Kernels
Divine Organics
Doug Braga
Eagle Ranch Pistachios
Eden Organic
Everybody’s Nuts Pistachios
Flannigans
Futters Nut Butter
Garvey Nut
Giant
Golden Orchards Pistachios
Gust Picoulas
Harris Ranch
Heart of the Desert
Horizon Growers
Keenan Farms
Kirkland Everybody’s Nuts
Kopali
La Montanita Food
Lattitude 1
Living Intentions
Maisie Jane’s
Mamco
Marra Bros.
Melace Family
Meridian Nut Growers
Mount Hope
Nuts and Spice
Paramount Farms
Rosetti Fine Foods
Royal Himalayan
Sam’s International
San Joaquin Valley Farms
Sherman Thomas Ranch
Snack Club
Snakerz
Southern Grove
Specialty Commodities
Sunkist Pistachios
Sunridge Farms
The Nutty Gourmet
Wonderful Pistachios
Yurosek Farms

http://pistachiorecall.org/
http://www.fda.gov/pistachios/

Ausstattung:
Das Hotel, das nach den weißen Segeln benannt ist, die sich über sein Dach erheben, ist eines der besten im Urlaubsgebiet am Ayers Rock. Es ist ausnehmend schön eingerichtet, wobei sich die Inneneinrichtung am kulturellen Erbe der Ureinwohner orientiert. Im Empfangsbereich befindet sich eine Galerie und auch die Gemeinschaftsbereiche und Zimmer sind mit charakteristischen Kunstarbeiten gestaltet. Zur Hotelausstattung gehören 24 h Rezeption, Hotel-Safe, Wäscheservice, Restaurants und Konferenzmöglichkeiten. Parkmöglichkeiten sind ebenfalls vorhanden.

Zimmer:
Das Hotel verfügt über komfortable Zimmer mit luxuriösen Extras. Es gibt aber auch die eher schicke Variante mit Spa-Zimmern, die einen Freiluft-Whirlpool auf dem Balkon bieten. Die Unterkünfte gibt es in den Kategorien Standardzimmer, Deluxe Spa-Zimmer und Deluxe Spa-Suiten. Zur Ausstattung zählen standardmäßig Bad/Dusche, Haartrockner, Direktwahltelefon, TV, Minibar/Kühlschrank, Tee-/Kaffeezubereiter, Bügelset, individuell regulierbare Klimaanlage und Balkon oder Terrasse.

Sport/Entertainment:
Sie können aus über 65 Ausflugsmöglichkeiten, Aktivitäten und Sehenswürdigkeiten im Resort und im Uluru-Kata Tjuta Nationalpark auswählen, so dass Ihre Tage garantiert voller Spannung sind. Hier ist der ideale Ausgangspunkt, wenn Sie das Outback entdecken möchten, oder einfach nur Ihren tail an einem der 5 Swimmingpools des Resorts genießen möchten. Auch Tennisplätze sind vorhanden.

Verpflegung:
Im Hotel befindet sich das lebhafte Buffetrestaurant Winkiku. Außerdem gibt es am Pool die Tapasbar Rockpool (saisonabhängig) sowie das preisgekrönte Restaurant des Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, das Kuniya Restaurant.

Sonstiges:
Ein für Gäste kostenloser Bustransfer verkehrt regelmäßig zwischen dem Flughafen Ayers Rock und dem Resort. Am Besten entdeckt man Zentral-Australien immer noch auf eigene Faust. Deshalb wird den Gästen empfohlen, ein Auto im Voraus zu buchen. Bustransfers sind zudem zwischen Alice Springs, Kings Canyon und Uluru möglich. Die Bustransfers können vor Ort gebucht werden.

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I’m at a loss for words. This sorbet is incredibly good.

On Friday, I received my weekly shipment of organic produce and was excited to see a small basket of mission figs. I’ll admit that I don’t have much experience with fresh figs aside from eating them plain or in salads.

I searched around looking at different recipes and when I came to this recipe from Ms. Adventures in Italy, I knew I had found the one. She based her sorbet on a fig ice-cream found in Perfect Scoop.

I reviewed her recipe and my only concern was how hard this sorbet might freeze. I recently made a watermelon-yogurt ice that turned into a solid unscoopable block. The advice from readers was to add alcohol to keep the mix from fully freezing. Well, I’m not one to turn down alcohol I went to our liquor stash to see what my selection would be and peeking from behind the brandy was a nicely aged port. Port & figs? Um, hell yeah!

Fresh Fig & Port Sorbet
adapted from Ms. Adventures in Italy

8 fresh figs
1/4 cup water
1 meyer lemon, zest and juice
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons port
1 1/2 cups water

Remove the stems and hard bits from the figs and cut into quarters. Add figs, 1/4 cup water, and meyer lemon zest to a sauce pan. As the mix is heated, add the zest of the meyer lemon. Cook covered for 10 minutes or until the figs have softened and begin to break apart. Stir two or three times during the 10 minutes.

Stir in sugar and cook uncovered until the figs begin to thicken and become syrupy (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.

Using a food processor or stick blender, puree the fig mixture. Remember, it’s HOT so use extreme caution.

To the puree, add the 1 1/2 cups water, port, and juice of the meyer lemon. I opted to user meyer lemon as it’s fragrant but not overly acidic. I didn’t want the sorbet to be too tangy.

Once the mix is cool, pour into an ice-cream mixer and mix according to your mixer’s directions. I let it run for about 25 minutes and it was semi-firm.

I took a few bites (it was hard to stop) then placed into a glass bowl and placed into the refrigerator freezer. I waited a few hours before diving into it … and found that it was indeed scoopable. The ice crystals are extremely small and it melts in your mouth. It’s creamy and thick without using any dairy products.

The flavor is lightly figgy with and undertone of the sweet port. The tiny yellow fig seeds dot the beautifully deep pink color of the sorbet. It’s absolutely, completely, totally, the best sorbet I’ve ever had and a great use for fresh figs!

This article has been reproduced from “>”>”http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2008/08/fresh-fig-port-sorbet.html”

Beautiful Downtown (and Uptown) Baker

If you head east and north out of Los Angeles, you end up on Interstate 15, in the middle of a very large desert. People do this for a few touristy reasons, but they’re usually on their way to Las Vegas.

Two hours out of Los Angeles you come to Barstow. An hour past Barsstow you arrive at the thriving community of Baker, home to 914 people, 15 restaurants, 7 gas stations, and 5 markets. Oh yeah, and at 134 feet, the world’s tallest thermometer.

The one thing you ask yourself when you get to Baker is why? The answer is tourists. It’s in the middle of the Mojave Desert, it’s hot, and it’s desolate. That giant thermometer is 134 feet tall in commemoration of the record temperature at Death Valley, some 80 miles away, but it’s not uncommon for the thermometer to report that Baker is over 110 degrees. Not exactly someplace I’d want to come home to.

But if there is anything a tourist needs, it’s available here, from ice to food to sleep. (And where else can you find Abducted Cow Jerky?) One place in Baker that everyone has to try sooner or later is The Mad Greek. The place is legendary for its gyros, but everything is good, from salads to baklava. I would recommend it as the place of choice if you’re there, but there are some things you should know to make your experience the best it can be.

The Mad Greek Restaurant

Number one tip is DON’T order the gyro, order the shawarma. They’re very similar and the price is the same, but the gyro is west coast mass produced gyro meat. The shawarma is made on site, and sliced a bit thicker than the gyro. The vegetables (tomato, onion, cucumber, parsley) are also chopped a bit finer on the shawarma. The tzatziki, which accompanies both, is excellent. The pilaf that comes with both is a bit on the salty side, but nicely flavored and they give you plenty.

The Mad Greek's Shawarma

There are soft drinks, tea and lemonade, all the usual stuff, but you might want to try their famous fresh strawberry shake. There are people who drive to Baker JUST for the fresh strawberry shake. I’m one of them.

The Mad Greek's Fresh Strawberry Shake

If you don’t order the shake, or even if you do, you might want to order something from the dessert case. The baklava is heavenly. Yes, that’s an objective opinion. Their Greek Salad is also excellent and enormous.

Okay, you’ve ordered, you have your order number placard, now you need to pick a table to park yourself at and wait for your food. If it’s not hot outside, take your pick. If it IS hot outside, which is a lot of the time, turn right from the ordering counter and head for the outer door. Turn left before the door and you are headed into the chilliest part of the restaurant. There can be a 20+ degree difference between other parts of the restaurant and the cool slice of heaven on the northeast side.

The Mad Greek at Baker, California

Another unique feature of The Mad Greek is their pickled vegetables, which are free for the asking. Just make sure that HOT is a flavor you enjoy. If the air in the restaurant seems humid, that’s just the steam coming out of the ears of the pickle eaters. But look closely, they may be on fire and unconscious, but they’re still smiling.

The Mad Greek likes his pickles HOT!

This is a Greek restaurant, not a restaurant that happens to serve some Greek dishes. You may be tempted to shout, “Shut the bloody bouzouki!” but ambiance they have in spades. From the Mad Olive Trees to the murals to the cases with Greek military uniforms to the statuary. And the Greek flags. And it’s probably 110 outside, so sit back and relax and enjoy yourself. It’ll cost you about $15 a head, but it’s the closest you’re going to get to the Aegean this far from the Aegean. There are worse things. At least people aren’t dancing and throwing plates, and shouting, “Opa!” at you.

The Mad Greek by night

]]> http://munchbrothers.org/2008/this-greek-is-anything-but-mad/feed/ 1 http://munchbrothers.org/2008/comforting-and-quick/ http://munchbrothers.org/2008/comforting-and-quick/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:03:01 +0000 Justin Sweeney http://munchbrothers.org/?p=190 School brings on the need food that is quick and filling, as well as a sense of togetherness and comfort.  Meals that can be thrown together in the morning or the night before are often a necessity.  The following two recipes, rounded out with a crisp salad and french or garlic bread, make a filling meal, especially for sports-active teens.  By sprucing up pre-packaged salads to fit your family’s tastes, and making the “bread-in-a-roll” or buying a fresh loaf from the store bakery, you will have a tasty meal that is hearty but quick.

The first recipe is a called “Fast Lasagna”.  Many kids do not favor ricotta cheese, either because of the taste or texture.  By using a mixture of common cheeses and sour cream, you will get a very creamy type lasagna.  You can easily increase the amount that you place between the layers to suit your family’s taste.

The second recipe is called “Dump Cake”, which is how you literally put it together.  The is a fun recipe that children can help put together.  It is awesome when it first comes out of the oven, but can easily be rewarmed later.

Both of these recipes taste great, whether they are prepared the same day or the night before.  The ingredients are also easy on the budget! Enjoy!

FAST LASAGNA

Combine the following three ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. cottage cheese, large curd

Parmesan Cheese

Brown 1 pound ground beef and drain.  Add seasonings of your choice, such as oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.  Add one large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.  Cook 1/2 large bag of medium egg noodles, al dente.

Grease a glass dish with deep sides.  Generally, the size for this recipe isan 8-inch diameter pyrex bowl.  Divide the noodles, meat and sauce, and the cheese mixture in half, and layer in the dish, repeating once.  Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.   Bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Dump Cake

1 lg. can pineapple tidbits with syrup

1 lg. can cherry pie filling

1 pkg.  Yellow cake mix

1/2 – 1 c. chopped walnuts

1 stick butter or margarine

Spray an 11 x 13 glass cake pan with Pam.  Evenly spread the pineapple tidbits with the syrup on the bottom of the pan.  Place spoonfuls of the cherry pie filling evenly over the pineapple.  Sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the fruit, carefully breaking up any big lumps.  Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the cake mix.  The amount can be changed depending on your family’s tastes.  You can also totally eliminate the nuts.  Cut the margarine into small pieces that can be placed evenly across the layers.

Bake at the temperature listed on the cake mix box.  Make sure that the cake is completely done.  Some areas may appear “soft” because of the fruit juices and margarine.  The cake can be eaten as is, or can be topped with whipped cream or milk (my favorite).  This can easily be reheated as individual servings in the microwave.