Do-ahead Thanksgiving cooking makes it easy
Obviously, Congress had no idea in 1941 that we would become a nation of two-paycheck families over the next half century. Otherwise, our lawmakers surely would have scheduled Thanksgiving for the fourth Monday of November. Read more…
Veggies good for your mind, study says
Eating two or more servings of vegetables a day may slow a person's mental decline by about 40 percent compared with a person who consumes few vegetables, according to a six-year study of nearly 4,000 people age 65 or older. Read more…
Safe shopping
Retailers hire mystery shoppers to anonymously shop in stores, dine in restaurants, stay in hotels or work out in health clubs, then report on the experience to provide feedback. Typically, the mystery shopper is reimbursed and can keep any products. Mystery shopping companies abound worldwide. The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips to help consumers distinguish legitimate mystery shopping companies from bogus ones, which are common: Read more…
Excerpts from EyeSpy review
Excerpt from an evaluation done by EyeSpy mystery diner Brenda Lee on One Market in San Francisco: Our table was set neatly with a white tablecloth and napkins, silverware, wine glasses, a small candle-lit lamp, and salt and pepper shakers. Our server greeted us within four minutes of our arrival. He gave us a warm smile and said, ``Good evening, ladies. May I start you off with anything to drink? A glass of wine perhaps?'' Read more…
What they look for
Sample questions and guidelines from mystery diner evaluation forms: Please describe your telephone conversation (when calling to make the reservation). Read more…
Food Q&A: Shortening, butter, oils often aren't interchangeable
Q If a recipe calls for shortening, does it have to be solid fat such as Crisco, or can I use butter or oil? A Shortening is always solid, made so by hydrogenation. It is 100 percent fat and can be replaced by a solid animal fat, such as lard or suet. Note that although butter is also solid animal fat, it has 20 percent water built in, which can upset the balance crucial to some baking recipes. Take care when converting to butter, and never use the soft oil-based spreads, which contain great amounts... Read more…
Produce picks: Sonya apple
The Sonya is a new apple developed on the south island of New Zealand, in the Nevis growing region. The Sonya is a cross between a Red Delicious and Gala, with the crispness and shape of the Red Delicious and the sweetness of the Gala. Although it was developed about 12 years ago, it is just now coming into the supermarkets. It is being grown in Washington, and it does require some extra care. For instance, growers cover the orchards with netting to protect the fruit from direct sunlight. You may... Read more…
Books for Cooks: Rich history spices Puerto Rico cuisine
A recipe for good regional food could include abundant local ingredients; centuries of influence from other cuisines; a basis of good home-style cooking -- and professional chefs inspired to meld these ingredients to tasty effect. Read more…
Celebrity chef whips up meals for space
Celebrity chef Alain Ducasse wants to turn outer space into haute-r space. Meals cooked up by Ducasse were on board a Progress M-58 cargo ship that blasted off Monday for the international space station, France's National Center for Space Studies said Wednesday. Read more…
Wilson's Bakery bows out
Wilson's Jewel Bakery, a Santa Clara institution that turned out scrumptious confections and wedding cakes for generations of valley residents, has closed its doors after nearly nine decades. Read more…
Home Plates: Muffins a bonus for chocolate chip loaf fans
If the harvest loaf with the chocolate chips is a hit in your household, Maureen Meyer figures you're bound to love her banana chip muffins. Read more…
More Morsels: Michelin reaffirms Keller's star status
Thomas Keller, long recognized one of the top chefs in the country, has maintained his distinction as the only chef in America to receive two three-star rankings from the Michelin Guide. Read more…
Daniel: Ravenswood's zins big, yet restrained
Ravenswood Winery in the Sonoma Valley produces a variety of wines, but it's really become synonymous with zinfandel. The winery's motto is ``no wimpy wines,'' but in this era of over-the-top, massively alcoholic, sometimes sweet zinfandels, Ravenswood's zins show admirable balance and -- dare I say it? -- restraint. Read more…
Festive baked sweet potatoes freeze well
There's no lack of controversy about Thanksgiving sweet potatoes (marshmallows -- curse or blessing?), but most people agree they should be on the table in some form. Read more…
'Mystery diners' stealthily scrutinize restaurants
For foodies who dream of being restaurant reviewers, mystery dining can be a fantasy come true. But as anyone who has done it will attest, it also can be a lot of work. It takes painstaking concentration and recollection, particularly because mystery diners are forbidden from jotting down notes at the table. Read more…
Puff the Magic Preservative: Lasting Crunch, but Less Scent
This year, apples will be staying crisp and juicy months longer because of a gas called SmartFresh that growers and packers are using to slow ripening. Read more…
Just How Good Can Italy Get?
Two culinary havens for people passionate about their Italian food. Read more…
A Trio Grows in Arlington
** Willow Read more…
Fusion Amid Confusion
** Zengo Read more…
10 Under $10
One of the great things about Christmas and Hanukkah: all the gifts! One of the scary things about those and other holidays: all the bills that tend to accompany such acts of generosity. Read more…
French Pleasures
**1/2 L'Auberge Provencale Read more…
We'll Always Have Paris
** Cafe de Paris Read more…
Big Easy Moments
** Acadiana Read more…
Starting Fresh
** 1/2 Oya Restaurant & Lounge Read more…
5 Fun Places to Say, 'I Love You'
Champagne, roses and an elegant restaurant? That's one way to toast your mate on Valentine's Day. But in a region as diverse as ours, and with a world of dining rooms to choose from, there's more than one way to pull someone's heart strings. The classic French model might suit traditionalists, but not all of us belong to that club (or that income bracket). If over the years I've learned anything about the intersection between matters of the heart and matters of the table, it's that romance and food are very personal. Read more…