Raw Milk Dealer Arrested By Bounty Hunters In California

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Raw Milk Dealer Arrested By Bounty Hunters In California

Rawsome Foods founder James Stewart was arrested by three bounty hunters (because bounty hunters can do that in California) in Ventura County and then carted off to jail for skipping two previous court dates after posting bail addressing his illegal distribution of raw milk. Rawesome Foods is a members-only co-op, so technically, he isn’t really “selling” raw milk, although it is completely legal to do so in California. However, the state has very strict laws about the production and sales of unpasteurized dairy, which can contain deadly bacteria if not properly handled.

The first time he was arrested, he posted $30,000 bail on charges of illegally selling raw milk. The second time he was arrested, it was on felony charges of illegally raising funds for Sharon Palmer’s Healthy Family Farms. Mark McAfee, owner of Organic Pastures, the largest raw milk distributor in the country, actually posted his $100,000 bail for him that time. For a second time, James didn’t show up, and Mark was in danger of losing his house, which he had posted in personal collateral.

When James confessed to him that he didn’t plan on attending his third court date, McAfee hired the bondsmen himself to seek Stewart out and arrest him.

“He refused to [attend],” McAfee told Food Safety News. “He said he’d go into hiding.”

Now in jail on his third arrest (and without bail), James has fired the attorney assigned to his case and is choosing to represent himself.

“It is my opinion that James is frail and naive-minded and follows people’s advice who are not ethical and conspiracy-theory oriented,” McAfee said.

Adding to the intense weirdness of the situation are James Stewart’s claims that he had been tortured while in prison and that he was afraid to go back.

“If they say I committed suicide, it means they killed me, Mike. They’re gonna try to kill me,” he said repeatedly in a Natural News interview.

Despite the bizarre circumstances of this particular case, McAfee remains assured that California’s raw milk policies aren’t in any danger.

“This is about the irrational conduct of one person: James,” he said. “Raw milk is 100 percent legal in California, and it is not going to jeopardize that fact or do anything to disrupt this critical and healing food source. The take-home message has nothing to do with the law and raw milk. It has to do with personal choices.”

[Food Safety News]

Vegetarian, Raw milk and Vegan with Bill & Sheila

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Roasting Peppers

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Roasting Peppers

I didn’t have it mastered, of course. And the other day I was reminded just how fantastic good peppers are when roasted nicely, and just how easy they are. If, that is, you have a good fire going. Because roasted peppers are at their best when they’re charred peppers, and they’re best charred over wood, or at least real charcoal.

They’re also at their best when they’re the right peppers. (We’re talking about sweet peppers here, not chiles, which are a whole other story.) Of this I was reminded about a week ago, when I had lunch at De la Riva, a fine Madrid restaurant with traditional daily menus, the kind of place where a gentleman (see the photo on its Web site) brings a variety of appetizers and then asks if you’d rather have meat, fish or both.

On the day I visited with some friends, among those appetizers was a plate of gorgeous long, bright-red peppers, perfectly roasted and peeled, sprinkled with salt and drizzled with oil. They looked the way they should, with a few stubborn bits of blackened skin still clinging to the flesh.

Two days later, wandering through the markets of a small town in Greece, I came across those same kinds of peppers, in both red and green. Their name doesn’t matter much: what matters is that they’re long, tapered and fairly regular, without a lot of wrinkles and twists. And what matters is that they’re not bell peppers, which are usually not only weaker in flavor but also more difficult to peel.

I’m not a lifelong fan of green peppers, which are the unripe specimens of whatever color they’ll eventually become, but in recent years I’ve come to appreciate them as not inferior but different. I bought about a dozen of each.

The market was one where you claim space on the counter and load your stuff there. Unnoticed, a fellow shopper’s bag of 30 or 40 green peppers joined my pile. So when I got back to the house I was staying in, I had not 25 but something like 60 peppers. This, plus a huge grill with lots of dry wood, gave me a chance to practice my craft; over all, a happy accident.

I make roasted peppers many ways: with a fork over a gas flame, as I did 44 years ago (a silly method, unless maybe you are doing only one); in an oven or gas grill (efficient, but imperfect); in a broiler (better); and over charcoal, which is the best way, unless you have (as I did last week) actual wood.

Nothing smells better, nothing tastes better and nothing works better than blistering, direct heat. Both nights, I roasted the peppers, and some whole eggplant, as the fire began to peak; I grilled the rest of my food as it cooled a bit. The results were, if not optimal (personally, I could have done with a few anchovies) a bit of a revelation.

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Recipes: Pasta with Snap Peas, Basil and Spinach, Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Capers and more

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Pasta with Snap Peas, Basil and Spinach, Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Capers and more

A trip to the grocery store reveals an astonishing variety of colorful, superfresh vegetables. A source of true inspiration, they’re also proof that you don’t need much to make a quick, delicious meal.

Pasta with Snap Peas, Basil and Spinach

Makes 4 servings

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound short pasta, such as gemelli

3 garlic cloves, halved

8 ounces snap peas, halved

10 ounces baby spinach

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 ounces Parmesan, grated (3/4 cup)

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta and garlic 1 minute less than package instructions. Add snap peas and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach and basil and stir once to wilt. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain, but reserve the rest of the cooking liquid.

2. Add cream to pot and heat over medium-high until bubbling. Return pasta mixture and 1/4 cup pasta water to pot and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If necessary, add some of the remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional information per serving: 513 calories; 15 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat); 24 grams protein; 76 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams fiber

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Capers

Makes 4 servings

The roasted cherry tomatoes break down just enough to coat the pasta.

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, plus more for serving, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

3/4 pound short pasta, such as orecchiette

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, capers and oregano with oil and season with salt. Roast until tomatoes burst and begin to brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and reserve the rest of the cooking liquid.

2. Return pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water to pot and add tomato mixture. Cook over high heat until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. If necessary, add some of remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Serve sprinkled with oregano.

Nutritional information per serving: 432 calories; 12 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat); 13 grams protein; 71 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber

Pasta with Escarole and Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

Yogurt and feta create a bright, tangy sauce for this Greek-inspired dish.

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound short pasta, such as campanelle

1 large head escarole, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

7 ounces feta, crumbled (1 3/4 cups)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions. Add escarole and cook 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain, reserving the rest of the cooking water.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp, season with salt and cook until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Add pasta mixture and 1/4 cup pasta water and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in yogurt, feta and dill. If necessary, add some of the remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coatsthe pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional information per serving: 646 calories; 24 grams fat (10 grams saturated fat); 39 grams protein; 70 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber

Pasta with Peppers, Squash and Tomatoes

Makes 4 servings

Coarse salt

3/4 pound rigatoni

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

1 bell pepper (not green), cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved

Red-pepper flakes

Grated Pecorino Romano, for serving

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain, reserving the rest of the cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking apart with a slotted spoon, until cooked through. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a bowl.

3. Add 1 tablespoon oil and bell pepper to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add squash and 3/4 the tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and cook until tomatoes soften, about 4 minutes. Return sausage to pan and add remaining tomatoes. Season with red-pepper flakes. Cook until sausage is warmed through and juices thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Toss with pasta; if necessary, add some of the remaining pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Serve with Pecorino Romano.

Nutritional information per serving (without Pecorino Romano): 719 calories; 33 grams fat (10 grams saturated fat); 16 grams protein; 78 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber

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Fish, Crocs, Snakes on Pizza!

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Fish, Crocs, Snakes on Pizza!

From crocodile to caviar, it seems pizza lovers will throw just about anything on top of their beloved pies. So pass on the pepperoni, make room mushrooms, it’s time to tuck into some of the world’s weirdest pizza toppings:

Caviar, caviar and more caviar

Topped with four of the world’s priciest caviars, the “Luxury Pizza” will take a $1,000 slice of your savings. The decadent dish was the brainchild of New York restauranteur Nino Selimaj, who says well-heeled customers are quite willing to shell out for the prized pie. The four caviars involved are Imperial Special Reserve Persicus, Royal Sevruga, Alverta and Royal Transmontanus USA. And if that isn’t opulent enough for you, it’s finished with lobster tail, trout roe and wasabi.

Cookies, blueberry and shrimp

Cookies and shrimp sound like a match made in gastronomic hell, right? But hear us out because there’s logic to this sweet and savory madness. The shrimp sits on the flat, cheesy expanse on the pie along with raisins, potatoes and pumpkin seeds, while the blueberry comes in the form of a dipping sauce. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the Just Eat website points out you treat the shrimp as your entree then tear off the cookie crust and dip it into the blueberry for your desert. It’s available in Mr. Pizza outlets across South Korea if you want a slice of the action.

Spiders, scorpions and snakes

One man’s pizza is another man’s poison for Swiss-based pizza chef Ismail Ertekin, who likes his pies laced with spiders, scorpions and snakes. The Croatian native believes tiny amounts of venom are harmless and takes his inspiration from homeopathic remedies. He even claims his poison-topped pies can cure people of arachnophobia. Sadly, you won’t be able to sample them as health officials have banned him from serving the devilish dish at his Zurich restaurant. ”Preservatives in foods are much more damaging than my poison pizzas,” he protested to the Austrian Times.

Bacon-wrapped hotdogs and maple syrup

Take the most mouthwatering fast foods America has to offer, slap them on a pizza base, then drown the whole thing in a supermarket aisle’s worth of cheese: we present to you the “Mega Pizza,” a meaty monstrosity to render any nutritionist speechless. Available in Pizza Huts across Japan, it’s loaded with hamburgers, sausage, bacon, bacon bits, mushroom, sliced tomato, onion, peppers and garlic chips. And in case you think the insanity stops there, the crust is stuffed with bacon-wrapped hotdogs and the whole thing is drizzled with maple syrup and ketchup.

Bananas and curry

If you’re one of those folks who loves something sweet on your pizza, you’ll feel like you’ve pied and gone to heaven with this banana-topped variation of the Hawaiian. The ham and pineapple are optional but the savory flavor — curry powder — is ever present. This dish is wildly popular in Sweden, where it features on many pizzeria menus and is seen as a routine taste combo. Even visiting diners seem enthused, and requests for the recipe are all over the internet. “I visited Sweden this past summer and I fell in love with the curry banana pizza that I had there,” read a recent post on Yahoo! Answers. “It sounds strange but it tasted phenomenal.”

Crocodile and kangaroo

The country that gave us Crocodile Dundee has now spawned the salt water crocodile pizza. The meat is thinly sliced and marinated in Thai herbs and spicy coconut cream to give it that extra bite. Snap up a slice at Sydney’s Australian Heritage Hotel. The same venue also serves up pies topped with roast Peking duck, roast pork belly, and, you guessed it, kangaroo.

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Sauvignon Blanc is a noble grape

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Sauvignon Blanc is a noble grape

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — In the world of wine, Sauvignon Blanc is a noble grape, especially in its native France.

In the Pacific Northwest, it is little more than an afterthought, which is too bad because the grape can produce deliciously crisp white wines that pair beautifully with regional dishes, especially seafood.

Sauvignon Blanc is thought to have originated in either the Loire Valley or Bordeaux. Today, it is well known in both regions. It is often blended with Semillon for dry white Bordeaux as well as Sauternes, the famous — and expensive — dessert wine. The grape is equally famous for being a parent (with Cabernet Franc) of the king of wine grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon.

More than a century ago, the grape was introduced to California, where it suffered from a poor reputation. In 1968, Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi renamed it “Fumé Blanc” purely for marketing purposes — and it took off in popularity.

In recent years, Sauvignon Blanc has become most famous in New Zealand, where it produces a dry, crisp and wildly flavorful white wine.

Alas, in Washington, Sauvignon Blanc has never been more than a minor player. Last year, about 4,300 tons were harvested, making it a distant No. 4 white wine grape behind Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Some also is grown in Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

It’s too bad that Sauvignon Blanc has yet to catch on in the Northwest because it can produce a food wine that is superior to Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, especially when paired with salmon, halibut, oysters, scallops, chowders and grilled or steamed vegetables.

Despite its rarity, finding a Northwest Sauvignon Blanc should not be too difficult, as some of the region’s largest producers (Covey Run, Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle included) make the wine.

Here are some Sauvignon Blancs we have tasted recently. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly.

—Claar Cellars 2011 White Bluffs Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $15: The Claar family harvested this lot on Sept. 28, and it hints at grilled peach, dried apple and pear with hints of honeycomb and toast. There’s a bit of weight to the drink and frothy acidity that makes it virtually bone dry.

—Covey Run Winery 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $9: Aromas feature gooseberry pie, Meyer lemon, lime, peach, river rock and a whiff of tom cat. There’s delicious acidity to the drink that brings Key lime, lychee, more wet stone and some grapefruit tartness. Those who enjoy dry Riesling will also appreciate this.

—Indian Creek Winery 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Snake River Valley, $12: The nose is filled with pleasing lemon/lime aromas, backed by tropical notes of lychee and grapefruit. That grapefruit sets you up for the flavors, which include delicious fresh lime juice and a bit of slate. It’s nicely balanced and a bright expression of the variety that includes some citrus pith bitterness ideal for summertime fare such as ceviche.

—Cedergreen Cellars 2010 Spring Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $14: This reveals aromas of green apple, vanilla and spice. What follows are flavors of papaya, apple and a touch of lemon on the crisp and lingering finish.

—Bateaux Cellars 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley, $10: This wine would pair well with seafood, featuring aromas and flavors of gooseberry, Asian pear and quince.

—Spangler Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Oregon, $18: Aromas offer gooseberry, honeydew melon, pineapple grassiness, slate and a whiff of smoke. The palate comes loaded with star fruit, lime juice and yellow grapefruit pith, and its assertive acidity lingers. Enjoy with white asparagus soup or pumpkin bisque.

—Kestrel Vintners 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17: This opens with elegant aromas of sweet herbs, fresh hay, lemons and limes, followed by bright flavors of citrus and fresh herbs, all backed with lovely acidity.

_____________

Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman are the editors of Wine Press Northwest magazine. For more information, go to www.winepressnw.com.

Bill & Sheila’s Wine

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A la Carte: 'Food in Jars'

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Click photo to enlarge Crockpot

A la Carte: ‘Food in Jars’

There’s something so iconic, so sweet, so gosh-darned sticky and messy about making jam on a hot summer day. You feel retro and virtuous at the same time, like a character out of “Little House on the Prairie.” But here’s the thing: Jam-making is a wonderful endeavor when your backyard has been overrun with blackberry brambles or you’ve gone hog wild at the U-Pick and now have panic-inducing quantities of fruit. For everyone else? Not so much — not when you need to buy 12 pints of berries to make way too many jars of jam.

Fortunately, Marisa McClellan understands — or perhaps she just gets that when faced with that many strawberries, we promptly eat half of them. The Philadelphia-based food blogger’s new cookbook, “Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round” (Running Press, $23, 240 pages), is all about small-scale pickling, jamming and preserving. It’s aimed at home cooks who don’t need to provision an army but who’d like to preserve the bounty from their small kitchen garden or a brief foray to the farmers market. Best of all, McClellan doesn’t stop at jam. She ventures into chutneys, curds, salsas and relishes, too. Hello, hot dog-ready Zucchini and Pepper Relish!

Here’s just a taste:

Nectarine-Lime Jam

Makes 3-4 pints

5 cups pitted, unpeeled nectarines, chopped

3 cups sugar

Zest and juice of 2 limes

3-ounce package liquid pectin

Prepare a boiling water bath for processing the jars. Sterilize 4 pint jars and lids.

2. In a large pot, bring the nectarines and sugar to a boil. Let jam boil for 15-20 minutes over high heat, until the fruit softens and can be mashed with the back of a spoon.

3. If you prefer a smoother-textured jam, use an immersion blender to break down some of the chunks. If you like chunkier jam, leave as is. Add the lime zest and juice and stir well. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full 5 minutes, until it looks molten and syrupy.

4. Ladle into prepared jars, wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

— “Food in Jars”

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Summer Vegetable: Carrots

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

carrots

Summer Vegetable: Carrots

From our friends at Farm Share, who deliver fresh New York State farm produce. Recipes below.

Carrots were originally every color except orange: red, black, yellow, white and especially purple! First cultivated in Afghanistan, these original carrots had purple exteriors and yellow flesh. In the Middle Ages, the Dutch developed the bright orange carrot.

Carrots are related to parsnips, fennel, parsley, anise, caraway, cumin and dill. Wild carrot is often known as “Queen Anne’s lace”. It is so called because the flower resembles lace; the reddish, purple flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne supposedly pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.

Carrots are nutritional heroes, they store a goldmine of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for vision, the immune system, embryonic development and reproduction, bone metabolism, and skin and cellular health.

Recipes

Simple Roasted Carrots
adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
10 carrots
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. (The carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big.) Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.

Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste, and serve.

Ensalada De Habas Y Zanahorias
(Fava Bean and Carrot Salad)

2 cups fresh fava beans, shelled
4 carrots, sliced 1/4 ” thick
2 sprigs fresh epazote (mexican herb – can be found in many gourmet or mexican grocery stores)
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced finely
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:

1 Shell the fava beans and measure out 2 cups. Wash, peel and slice carrots.
2 Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil along with the epazote. When boiling add fava beans, cook 6 minutes. Add the carrots (do not remove favas) and continue boiling 2 more minute. Drain and discard epazote.
3 Chill the fava beans in the refrigerator for one hour(this is to firm the fava beans so as to facilitate peeling).
4 Meanwhile wash, and dice remaining ingredients. Mix in a medium sized bowl.Set aside.
5 After an hour has passed, take out the beans and peel off the skins very carefully so as to not break the beans too much. Add beans and carrots to remaining ingredients.

Serve.

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Crispy Pork Belly with Caramelized Onion and Fig Agrodolce

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Crispy Pork Belly with Caramelized Onion and Fig Agrodolce

Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat derived from the belly of a pig. Pork belly is popular in Asian cuisine, and forms a part of many traditional European dishes such as the Alsatian Choucroute garnie, the Swiss Berner Platte, and the German Schlachtplatte. In the United States, bacon is most often made from pork bellies.

A 100-gram serving of pork belly typically has about 520 calories. The calorie breakdown is: 92% fat (53 g), 0% (0 g) carbohydrates, and 8% (9 g) protein.
This cut of meat is enormously popular in Chinese cuisine and Korean cuisine. In Chinese cuisine, it is usually diced, browned then slowly braised with skin on, or sometimes marinated and cooked as a whole slab. Pork belly is used to make Slowly Braised Pork Belly or Dongpo pork in China (Sweet and Sour Pork is made with pork fillet). Koreans cook Samgyeopsal on a grill with garlic, often accompanied by soju. Uncured whole pork belly has more recently become a popular dish in restaurants in the United States as well.

Crispy Pork Belly with Caramelized Onion and Fig Agrodolce and Creamy Polenta

Serves 7-8

Pork Belly

2 rectangular slabs pork belly (1 1/2 to 2 pounds each), skin removed, fat retained

4 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons coarse ground pepper

1 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled

1 quart chicken broth

Agrodolce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow or brown onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup honey

7 ounces dried figs, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water (if necessary)

Polenta

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups polenta (not quick-cooking) or cornmeal

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Water, if necessary

8 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

1. Score the fat of the pork belly without cutting into the meat. Rub the salt and pepper onto both sides of each slab. Place slabs, fat side up, in a 10- or 12-quart pressure cooker (in a single layer if possible; cut them in half, if needed); pour broth over the belly and add garlic cloves.

2. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, bring it to high pressure, then lower the heat to maintain that pressure and cook for 45

minutes.

3. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove belly from braising liquid, along with garlic cloves; drain and keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, make the agrodolce. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, then saute onions for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and syrupy, 30-40 minutes. Add water, a little at a time, if it’s too thick. Keep warm.

5. For the polenta, bring broth, milk and salt to a boil in a large heavy pot. Add polenta in a thin stream, whisking. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes, to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes total.

6. Add cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

7. To serve, cut pork belly into 7 or 8 serving pieces. Sear the fat side of the belly in a hot, nonstick skillet or griddle until crispy (45 seconds to 1 minute). Spoon warm polenta onto plates. Top with pork belly and agrodolce. To garnish, squeeze the cooked garlic cloves out of their skins on top of the agrodolce. Add rosemary.

— Laureen Pittman of Riverside, winner of the 2012 Great Garlic Cook-Off at the Gilroy Garlic Festival

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Naked Wines offers custom crush for $100 per ton to experienced winemakers | wine

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

Naked Wines offers custom crush for $100 per ton to experienced winemakers

Naked Wines, the fast growing online wine retailer, is helping talented winemakers to reduce costs by offering custom crush at the remarkable price of $100 per ton at the former Blackstone Winery.

Naked aims to support independent winemakers by removing their greatest costs. All the winemaking up to post malo, including crush and adds, can easily cost 10 times more than this offer, and crush facilities are often in a hurry to get as much volume through the winery as possible. Naked Wines is more interested in working professionally with the best winemakers than in turnover and volume.

“We’re building a network of America’s most serious winemakers,” explains Robin Langton, Director of Winemaking who brings years of experience working for Patz Hall, Calera Wine, Vignobles Andre Lurton, Oyster Bay, and many more. He continues, “This is an offer designed to grab the attention of experienced winemakers with impressive track records.”

Veteran winemakers already applying

Most of the 100,000 case winery is already accounted for with industry veterans like Ken Deis who is finally making his own Napa wine after heading up the winemaking at Flora Springs, Joseph Phelps, and Heitz for nearly 40 years.

Naked Wines is accepting applicants until August 6^th. Interested winemakers should email suppliers@nakedwines.com with information about their experience as winemakers and the wine they would like to produce.

Website : http://www.nakedwines.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nakedwinesusa Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nakedwinesusa Contact Details: adam.reiter@nakedwines.com / 707 723 4762

NOTES ON NAKED WINES What we’re all about Naked Wines was born in December 2008 when twelve friends quit their jobs in the middle of the recession to do things a little differently. Our goal: Find the world’s most talented, undiscovered winemakers and set them up in business.

How we go about it:

100,000 customers invest over $3 million dollars a month towards future orders (we call them ‘Angels’)
Which we use to fund independent winemakers
In return for exclusive wines at preferential prices
Which we pass back to our customers

We call it the ‘virtuous circle’, as everybody gets more for less, without trampling on anyone along the way.

The hard and fast facts If you’re looking for something a little meatier, this should help:

We’ve invested in 50 independent winemakers to date
We ship an average of 10,000 bottles of wine every day
We’ve seen over 100% growth year-on-year, with sales of $40 million in 2011
We’ve recruited 200k customers, 100k of which invest over $3 million dollars a month towards future orders
We were named the UK’s most innovative wine company for two years on the trot, at the IWC
We were named the UK’s Online Business of the Year at the 2011 National Business Awards
And we’re probably the world’s largest group of net wine investors

A truly social business As well as the model itself, the website delivers a truly social experience.

Customers can chat directly to one another and to the winemakers.
Customers can vote with their feet on new initiatives and wines, to decide what makes the cut.
And we can suggest to customers what to buy AND what not to buy, based on their preferences.

The team The man at the top is Rowan Gormley, former Virgin Wines and Virgin Money CEO, and our non-executive director who keeps us in check is Ian West, former BSkyB MD. The rest of us are an assorted bunch of 20 wine and tech-loving employees based in Napa.

Media contact: Adam Reiter, 707-723-4762, adam.reiter@nakedwines.com

SOURCE NakedWines.com

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LISTERIA - Expanded Health Hazard Alert/CFIA: Certain Gills Onions Brand

Posted on July 31, 2012 by bilrob

LISTERIA – Expanded Health Hazard Alert/CFIA: Certain Gills Onions Brand Fresh Diced

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jul 25, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
The public warning issued on July 18, 2012 has been expanded to
included additional codes.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not
to consume the Gills Onions brand Fresh Diced Red Onions, Fresh Diced
Yellow Onions, and Fresh Diced Celery Onions described below
because these products may be contaminated with Listeria
monocytogenes.

The following Gills Onions brand products, Products of U.S.A., sold
in 198 g packages bearing a Best Before date up to and including
08/03/12, are affected by this alert:



        
        -----------------------------------------------------------------------
        -----
        Product                               UPC
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Fresh Diced Yellow Onions             6 43550 00044 3
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Fresh Diced Red Onions                6 43550 00045 0
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Fresh Diced Celery  Onions           6 43550 00046 7
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

These products may have been distributed nationally.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption
of these products.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell
spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may
cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high
fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women,
the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly
at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like
illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature
delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The CFIA is working with Canadian importers, distributors, and
retailers to recall the affected products from the marketplace. The
CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recalls.

For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at
1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8)(8:Monday to Friday).

For information on Listeria monocytogenes, visit the Food Facts web
page at:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/listeriae.shtml .

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA’s Food Recall
Report at:
http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp .

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food
safety facts, visit:
www.foodsafety.gc.ca . Food and consumer product
recalls are also available at
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca .



        
        Contacts:
        CFIA Media Relations
        613-773-6600

SOURCE: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Bill & Sheila’s Food Safety – Bacterial Infections – LISTERIA

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