Dickey's Is Bringing The Heat To Pinterest

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Dickey’s Is Bringing The Heat To Pinterest

DALLAS, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants announced it’s bringing its unique brand of heat to the social sharing site, Pinterest. The world’s largest barbecue franchise launched its brand page earlier this year and is now firing up a contest that asks Dickey’s fans to post photos and recipes using any of Dickey’s meat or sides.

“We feel like this is a great opportunity to get to know our customers even better,” said Roland Dickey, Jr. president of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “I’m excited to see how creative our customers can be using our ingredients – we’re fired up for the competition.”

To enter, users go to www.dickeys.com and enter their smokin’ recipe that uses one or more of Dickey’s signature meats or sides. Recipes can be imaginative from casseroles or burritos to meatloaves or side dishes. Contestants will also upload a photo of their creations. We will pin photos to the “Smokin’ Pin Wins” board on Dickey’s Barbecue Pinterest site, http://pinterest.com/dickeysbarbecue/, that will showcase all entries.

The top five will be chosen for a recipe smokin’ showdown. They will be taste tested by Roland Dickey, Jr., president of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., and a winner will be chosen.

The first place winner will receive free barbecue for a year which is valid at any Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurant in the United States. The first place dish will also be featured online and bragging rights for having the “Smokin’ Pin.”

Second and third place winners will receive Dickey’s Barbecue T-shirts.

The contest begins April 30 and runs until May 13. The top five entries will be announced May 15 via Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and on www.Dickeys.com.

About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants
Founded in 1941, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants began in Dallas, Texas. More than 70 years later, Dickey’s is now the world’s largest barbecue chain. Currently, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants is located in 40 states and over 220 locations nationwide. For more information on partnering with Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants in any location, call (866) 340-6188 or visit www.dickeys.com. Also visit our corporate Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dickeysbarbecuepit. Dickey’s: Passionate about the Art of Great Barbecue.

Media Contact:
Jami Zimmerman
972.248.9899
[email protected]

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Food allergies require parents to be careful when feeding nuts to children

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Food allergies require parents to be careful when feeding nuts to children

Food allergies are increasing, affecting about 6 percent to 8 percent of children under age 5, and about 3 percent to 4 percent of adults.

Another reason they have been in the news is that new research may soon allow a treatment that might help the allergy go away.

Only some food reactions can truly be called “allergies.” Many people have intolerances to food. For example, lactose intolerance causes stomach pain in some people after drinking milk, and many parents feel that sugar or food dyes contribute to behavior problems. Although intolerances may cause discomfort or annoying symptoms, they are not dangerous. A true food allergy is caused by the body’s own immune system reacting to a food protein. Food allergies often cause an itchy skin rash, but symptoms can include vomiting, wheezing, difficulty breathing, throat swelling and even death. Even a tiny amount of the problem food can cause severe symptoms in sensitive patients.

Allergy to peanuts and nuts is one of the more common, and often more severe, food allergies. It is also an allergy that is usually not outgrown, unlike milk and egg allergies that usually resolve before a child starts school. In a child who has had symptoms from peanuts or nuts, there is no way to predict how severe a future reaction may be. In fact, many patients who had fatal or near-fatal reactions to nuts had never had severe symptoms before.

Because peanut and tree nut (almond, pecan, walnut, etc.) allergies are so common and can be so severe, many preschools have a “no nut” policy. Preschool children can be messy eaters, and even a trace of peanut butter left on the table could be very dangerous to another child. It may seem frustrating to have to check labels if your child is not allergic, but keeping the environment safe for all children is critical.

So when should you allow your baby to have peanuts or tree nuts? That answer is not very clear. Peanuts and tree nuts can be a choking hazard, so many pediatricians recommend avoiding them until age 3 anyway. From an allergy standpoint, avoidance used to be recommended until age 3, but recent research has not proved that this helps avoid the allergy. Factors such as family history, presence or absence of asthma and eczema also need to be considered. It is best to discuss all these factors with your pediatrician before introducing nuts or peanuts to your young child.

Dr. Laura Esswein is a Mercy Clinic pediatric allergy and immunology physician with Mercy Children’s Hospital. www.mercychildrens.org

Food Allergies with Bill & Sheila

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Gluten free, nuts, dairy - What's left?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Gluten free, nuts, dairy – What’s left?

I COULD HAVE figured the jokes I would get when I mentioned on Facebook that I was preparing snacks for my daughter’s preschool — dairy-free, gluten free, nut-free snacks.

“What’s left?” was the most common reply.

Like many child centers in these days of rising allergies, my toddler’s school has a blanket ban on nuts. But our particular class included kids who had other allergies and food sensitivities, too, including gluten free. We had to make a decision when the year began: Should we bring whatever snacks we liked when our turn came to supply the class, leaving the affected kids to bring their own separate, safe foods? Or should we try to prepare food everyone could eat together?

We went for the latter. And in the months since, I’ve been so glad we did, for a few reasons. One is that I love to see our kids diving into their treats every week united, feeling like a classroom family. Another is that we’re eating healthier snacks than I remember from my older son’s time at tiny school tables. Instead of Costco packs of processed granola bars and fruit leather, we’re wowed by whole and homemade foods. The third benefit? The restrictions have opened my eyes. I thought we were in for a real nuisance excluding so many ingredients. At the worst, I needed to buy some ingredients I wouldn’t normally have in my pantry.

I admit, there was the time when I was out of vanilla extract on my snack day and unthinkingly substituted some almond extract into my muffin mix. Oops. But I realized my error in time, and my own kids were happy enough to have a batch of nut-tainted muffins while I made a “clean” tray for school. Best of all — and contrary to what I might have expected — our snacks have tasted quite good. Adults could be deluding themselves about this, but I guarantee that our toddlers, digging into the contents of their gluten free, nut-dairy-free plates, are voting with fiercely opinionated and uncensored mouths. Mine voted “MORE. YUMS.”

A few tips:

1. Fruits and vegetables are simple and healthy. Along with banana wedges and bowls of berries and lightly cooked carrots, our kids have devoured (yes, really) roasted broccoli (sprinkle florets with olive oil and salt, and roast at 425 degrees about 20 minutes or until browned), sweet potato fries (same process as the broccoli, but peel and cut the potatoes into fries, and cook closer to 40 minutes), kale chips (wash, dry and stem a bunch of kale, tear it into pieces, toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, lay the pieces on a baking sheet, sprinkle with kosher salt, and bake at 300 degrees for around 20 minutes or until crisp).

One day we had an unexpected hit with curried parsnip chips, which one mom tossed together last-minute after forgetting it was her turn for snack. (She tossed thinly sliced parsnips with curry powder, lightly sprayed olive oil on a parchment-covered cookie sheet, put a single layer of parsnips on the sheet, sprayed the top with a little more olive oil, baked at 475 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, then tossed them and baked another 4 to 6 minutes).

2. Dips are tasty and often packed with protein. Hummus frequently shows up at our snack table, as do bean dips or bean salads, sometimes accompanied by gluten free rice crackers. Guacamole is another winner.

3. Easy alternates: Markets are packed these days with foods that account for different allergies. Plain yogurt is out for our class, but soy yogurts are fine, and just about as easy to find.

4. Going gluten free: Even a few years back, baking gluten-free recipes meant painstakingly assembling a collection of alternate flours, adding bits of each to compose an acceptable baking mix. You can still go that route, but it’s far easier now to simply buy a bag of gluten-free all-purpose flour, available at most mainstream markets. Or, for one-time needs, even Betty Crocker now offers a line of boxed gluten-free mixes for muffins and cakes.

Two parents in our class happen to be nutritionists, which probably helps keep our snack quality higher. One of them, Kathryn Reed, got this recipe (using a baking mix from thepurepantry.com) from the other, Chera Prideaux Sheets, impressed by the three cups of vegetables and fruits the recipe contained. If you don’t see that specific baking mix at the store, most grocery stores now carry all-purpose gluten free flour, though, of course, it won’t have the buckwheat taste. Reed says you can also make these muffins with regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need to avoid gluten, but the texture is better gluten free.

Gluten Free High Fiber Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 12

2/3 cup safflower oil or coconut oil

½ cup honey or agave nectar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (make sure it’s gluten-free)

2 eggs

2 cups Pure Pantry Buckwheat Flax baking mix

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup finely grated carrots (2 small carrots)

1 cup finely grated zucchini (about ½ zucchini)

1 tart red apple, unpeeled, cored and finely grated

½ cup seedless raisins

1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Blend the oil, honey or agave, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs into a large bowl for about 1 minute to incorporate. Add the baking mix, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.

Add the carrots, zucchini, apple, raisins, coconut and orange zest to the sugar mixture and stir well. Scoop batter into 12 paper-lined muffin tins and bake 25 minutes.

Gluten free Recipes with Bill & Sheila

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Goat meat - Montana lags behind

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Goat meat – Montana lags behind

Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus). It is often called chevon or mutton when the meat comes from adults, and cabrito or kid when from young animals. While “goat” is usually the name for the meat found in common parlance, producers and marketers may prefer to use the French-derived word chevon (from chèvre), since market research in the United States suggests that “chevon” is more palatable to consumers than “goat meat”.

Cabrito, a word of Spanish origin, refers specifically to young, milk-fed goat. In the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, and in some parts of Asia, particularly Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, the word “mutton” is often used colloquially to describe both goat and lamb meat, despite technically only referring to sheep meat.

As cited in a New York Times article, goat is “the most widely-consumed meat in the world. Goat is a staple of Africa, Asia and South/Central America, and a delicacy in a few European cuisines. The cuisines best known for their use of goat include Middle Eastern, North African, Indian, Pakistani, Mexican, and Caribbean. Cabrito or baby goat, is the typical food of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Goat has historically been less commonplace in American, Canadian and Northern European cuisines, but is finding a hold in some niche markets. While in the past goat meat in the West was confined to ethnic markets, it can now be found in a few upscale restaurants and purveyors, especially in cities such as New York and San Francisco. Bill Niman of Niman Ranch has recently turned to raising goats and he, along with other North American producers, tends to focus on pasture-based methods of farming.

Goat can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as being stewed, curried, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, or made into sausage. Goat jerky is also another popular variety. In Okinawa (Japan), goat meat is served raw in thin slices as yagisashi. In India, the rice dish mutton biryani uses goat meat as a primary ingredient to produce a rich taste. “Curry goat” is a common traditional Indo-Caribbean dish. Cabrito, a specialty especially common in Latin cuisines such as Mexican, Peruvian, Brazilian, and Argentine, is usually slow roasted. Southern Italian and Greek cuisines are also both known for serving roast goat in celebration of Easter; goat dishes are also an Easter staple in the alpine regions of central Europe, often braised (Bavaria) or breaded and fried (Tyrol).

Montana

A state with about three head of cattle for every person, Montana has been slow to embrace the humble goat.

But with demand from new immigrant populations driving a market boom in this country, a few Montanans are getting in the goat business and trying the meat for themselves.

Producers are way behind consumers so finding the meat locally is challenging.

“You want to taste it? It’s delicious but you’ll be fighting other people at the grocery store,” said Yvonne Zweede-Tucker, who sells breeding goats locally and is the author of “The Meat Goat Handbook: Raising Goats for Food, Profit and Fun.”

“You go online and everybody is sold out, sold out,” she said. “The basic problem is the U.S. is about 6 million pounds short of goat meat a year and rising.”

For a producer, “it’s a lovely problem, but a problem,” Zweede-Tucker said.

“Most of the world consumes goat before they eat beef,” she said. “We’ve had room and capacity in the U.S. to raise cows, but most countries don’t.”

Zweede-Tucker said five acres is enough room for goats but would leave cows unsatisfied.

American demand is also driven by the health conscious. Goat meat is lower in calories and fat than beef, pork and chicken and is rich in iron.

The meat is like venison that was finished on alfalfa. It should be cooked slowly in moist heat. Slow cookers or roasting bags in the oven are good strategies.

Calls to Great Falls supermarkets and area butchers turned up no sources of goat meat. The Mountain Front Market in Choteau may be the only source in northcentral Montana, if not the state.

“It’s been pretty popular,” owner Jill Owen said. “People like it. A lot of people think it’s going to have a strong taste and it doesn’t. It’s not like lamb or gamey. I think it’s milder than beef.”

The store stocks chops, roasts, ground goat, breakfast sausage and kabob meat, all from Meadows Ranch along the Rocky Mountain Front near Ear Mountain. Producers Faithe and Tanner Lee approached Owen about stocking some of their goat meat to see if people would go for it.

Bill & Sheila’s Barbecue

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Leeks - Pretending it's Summer

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Leeks – Pretending it’s Summer

by Lauren Chatman

Because it felt like July last week, I almost expected the farm stands to be up and running, stocked with vegetables I’m used to eating when the temperature climbs into the 80s. I searched far and wide for something local to no avail. Okay, I took a drive to Betty and Dale’s on the Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike, and when I saw that the stand was still closed for the season I consoled myself with a Bay Burger milkshake. Fortified, I kept going, to David Falkowski’s cart on Butter Lane in Bridgehampton where I was finally able to snag a bunch of leeks.

I’m not complaining. Unlike city farm markets, where shoppers are ready to step on each other to get to the leeks and wild ramps at this time of year, the Bridgehampton stand was unattended and I was the only customer in sight. I happily deposited three dollars in the cash box, set my leeks next to me in the passenger’s seat, and brought them home.

Competitive cooks fight over leeks not just because they are the first sign of the vegetable bounty to come, but because of their sweet and delicate onion flavor, which enhances many foods without overwhelming. Leeks are versatile. Thinly slice them and toss them with halved cherry tomatoes, seeded and sliced cucumber, black olives, and oil and vinegar for a mildly pungent salad. Sauté them and then add some eggs and crumbled goat cheese to the pan for a quick spring scramble. Use them to make vichyssoise or French onion soup. Place them in gratin dish, pour a cheesy béchamel sauce over them, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake. I could go on.

At the farm stand, look for younger leeks, no more than 1 ½ inches in diameter. These will be milder and less tough than the giant specimens you see in supermarkets, the ones that have to be wrestled into a plastic bag and take up half a shopping cart. To prepare leeks for cooking, strip away any withered outer leaves. Trim and discard the roots and the dark green parts of each leek. Leeks are often full of sand and soil, no surprise since they’ve just been pulled from the earth. To clean, slice them in half lengthwise and rinse them well, ruffling the layers to remove any grit hiding inside. If you want to cook your leeks whole, use a sharp paring knife to cut a deep 2-inch slit from the root end through, and then rinse under cold running water while separating the layers to rinse away any dirt.

Just because I was dealing with a spring vegetable didn’t mean I couldn’t pretend it was the height of summer. So I fired up the grill. I trimmed the roots and upper leaves from my leeks, leaving just about 2 inches above the whites. Then I brushed the leeks with vegetable oil, sprinkled them with salt, and grilled them, turning once, until they were charred on the outside and cooked through. Conveniently, I grilled my teriyaki flank steak skewers alongside them, and both were ready to eat in about 8 minutes. I quickly chopped the leeks and sprinkled them over the flank steak skewers, along with a tablespoon of sesame seeds, and I had a summery dinner with some spring flavor.

Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak Skewers with Grilled Leeks

Serves 4

Teriyaki sauce contains some sugar, which gives the flank steak a wonderfully caramelized crust. It can also cause sticking, so oil the grill grids well before cooking.

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup mirin

2 tablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

1 ¼ pounds flank steak, cut across grain into 1/4-inch thick strips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more for the grill

4 leeks, trimmed and washed

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar in a small pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, to dissolve sugar. Bring to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes, and pour into a glass measuring cup to cool.

2. Combine teriyaki sauce, garlic, and pepper in a large zipper-lock bag. Add flank steak strips, seal, and turn several times to coat meat with marinade ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.

3. Heat gas grill to high. Clean grids and brush with vegetable oil. Brush leeks with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

4. Thread meat onto thin metal skewers. Grill meat and leeks, turning once, until leeks are lightly charred and softened and steak is cooked to desired doneness (6 to 8 minutes total). Transfer skewers to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve.

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Researchers Find New Use For Onions

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Researchers Find New Use For Onions

Studies carried out by doctors and scientists have found that onions have a miraculous quality of attracting bacteria and viruses.

Researchers have proved that placing an unpeeled onion on a dish in a room could prevent people contracting flu as the onion absorbs the bacteria. A woman suffering from pneumonia has been found to have been cured since she placed an onion cut at both ends in an empty jar; and place the jar next to her at night. The onion had been found black in the next morning by absorbing the germs.

Onions and garlic placed around the room are reported to have saved many from the black plague since they have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties. The doctors have also advised that people to avoid eating onions cut left in open air for some time as it would contain absorbed bacteria on it. They say that such onions are poisonous.

Researchers have found that onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions, and people should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. They say it is dangerous to cut an onion and plan to cook it the next day. The onion becomes highly poisonous, even after a single night, and creates toxic bacteria. These bacteria may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning They also say that dogs should never eat onions, as their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

(Information Department)

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Delicious salad recipes for summer

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Delicious salad recipes for summer

Salads are the perfect breather to a scorching summer. Here are no-fuss ways to jazz up classics

While salads ideally belong to the first course of a meal, make them interestingly and they can pass off as a winning, main course candidate. During summers, the body’s energy level and appetite are naturally low and dealing with constant dehydration is the biggest dietary challenge. “Salads are a light, refreshing, nutrient-packed meal that keeps one hydrated for long,” says Chef Yakuta Sarkari from Cold Food Company. Sarkari has been dabbling with dressings and dips and likes to add innovative ingredients such as Chinese cabbage, fennel bulb, sunflower seeds, kiwi, tangerines, passion fruit and fresh figs to make her salads interesting, full of varying textures and visually appealing.

Chef Thomas Zacharias from Olive Bar and Kitchen focuses on presentation and says, “Present salads innovatively, string them on skewers, add robust cheese like goat or blue and vary the dressing to give them a visual and flavour boost.” His personal favourite ingredients include heart of palm, quinoa, avocado, sweet melon, watermelon, slow roasted beet, green apple and other vibrant options. Here are a few snazzy recipes you could try your hand at, this summer.

Recipes by Chef Yakuta Sarkari

Balsamic glazed watermelon salad

Ingredients for salad

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 medium-sized ripe watermelon (deseeded)

½ cup pine nuts (set a few aside for garnishing)

Handful of fresh mint sprigs

Method

In a heavy-bottomed pan, reduce balsamic vinegar on low heat until it turns into a thick emulsion, which is balsamic glaze. In another skillet, place the pine nuts and toast them over medium-high heat. Set aside to cool. Chop the watermelon into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a salad bowl. Add toasted pine nuts and mint sprigs. Dress it with the balsamic glaze, adding one tbsp at a time and using your fingertips to mix. Garnishing with nuts and mint.

Sunshine salad

Ingredients for salad

50 gm rocket salad leaves (washed, dried and torn)

10 gm lollorosso salad leaves (washed, dried and torn)

250 gms broccoli (washed and cut into florets)

1 yellow zucchini (washed and sliced)

100 gm cherry tomatoes, (washed and halved)

½ cup crumbled feta

Ingredients for salad dressing

3 tbsp pure Olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp lime zest

2 tsp honey

Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper as per taste

Method

For the dressing, mix together juice, lime zest and honey. To this, add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer it into a glass jar and let it refrigerate for a few hours before use. In a salad bowl, toss the salad leaves with broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese (leave some for garnishing). Drizzle with cool salad dressing and mix evenly. Garnish with feta cheese and serve.

Dress it right

Lemon dressing: To four spoons of fresh lemon juice, add a pinch of lemon zest. Mix in ample olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Thyme balsamic vinaigrette: Add a pinch thyme to some Dijon mustard and add balsamic vinegar. Whisk in ¾ cups of vegetable oil and season.

Honey mustard dressing: To ¼ cup of vinegar, add a spoon of Dijon mustard and an equal amount of honey. Add ¾ cups of vegetable oil before you season.

Shrimp and noodle salad

Ingredients for salad

150 gm noodles (boiled)

150 gm cabbage (shredded)

150 gm carrots (shredded)

2 scallions (thinly sliced)

1 cup cilantro leaves (chopped)

350 gm cooked medium shrimp

Lime wedges for garnish

Ingredients for dressing

¼ cup Teriyaki sauce, 2 tbsp Fresh ginger (finely grated), 1 Garlic clove (crushed), ½ tsp Chinese chili sauce, ¼ cup Sunflower oil, sea salt to taste

Method

In a salad bowl, place the cabbage, carrot, scallions and cilantro leaves. For the dressing, in a blender, combine teriyaki sauce, chilli sauce, ginger and garlic and puree it to form a smooth puree. To this add sunflower oil and season it with salt and pepper. Transfer the dressing in a salad bowl and add the cooked shrimp, noodles and the shredded vegetables to it. Mix and garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve it with lime wedges.

Lettuce lessons

Iceberg

Commonly available and widely used given its fresh and neutral taste, it has a crisp texture that goes well with vegetables that have strong flavors such as onion and peppers.

Romaine

Bright green in colour, it has thick ribs. It is crispy and has a characteristic leafy flavour that goes well with mushrooms and zucchini.

Arugula

These are deep green leaves with a peppery flavour and a slightly bitter note. It’s popular as a topping for gourmet pizzas and goes well with sweet ingredients such as beets, pomegranate, orange and grapes.

Radicchio

Also known as red chickory, it has a strong, bitter flavour that’s an acquired taste. It is best when combined with other lettuce or served grilled with roasts. It can also be teamed with sweet fruits such as apples and pears.

Curly endive

Also called frisee, it has outer green leaves that are bitter and strong in flavour, while the inner leaves are yellow with a sweet and mild flavour. Like arugula, it goes well with sweeter vegetables and fruits.

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Does chief pie taster David have the best job in Wales?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Does chief pie taster David have the best job in Wales?

WHEN it comes to job satisfaction, David Jackson really takes the pie.

The 40-year-old ex-chef and food science graduate has an unusual – but some would say vital – role in everyday Welsh life.

While many of his friends are confined to the office from nine ’til five, David can normally be found travelling the length and breadth of the country – tasting pies.

To give him his proper title, David is chief pieologist for Caerphilly-based food and pie suppliers Peter’s.

You’re probably aware that we are the pastry pioneers with ‘game changers’ like our hit Premier Pepperoni Pizza slice, Premier Cheesy Bean slice or Premier Chicken Fajita slice with “Discovery” Seasonings – boy, do they taste good!

You may have heard (or tasted) our simply delightful new range of premium pies, pasties, rolls and slices. These are deliciously deep filled and have a ‘perfect crunch’ puff pastry lid with a melt in the mouth experience, and the best deep fillings in our 40-year history. We like to call them our ‘Premier’ range.

However, there is another equally impressive side to Peter’s … that involves some 900 products! From pie and pastries to bacon and beans, from chips and peas to meats and cheese, from flap jacks and cookies to desserts and drinks, we supply goods fresh as a daisy to fast food outlets, fish bars, restaurants, cafes, sandwich shops, independent retailers, schools, hospitals and hotels throughout the country.

A typical working day can see David conduct taste panels at breakfast and lunch with as many as eight or a dozen pies on offer.

It means buying lunch has now become a dim and distant memory.

And such is the value of his work that David’s bosses are now looking into insuring his tongue and taste buds for a massive five-figure sum.

David, from Rogerstone, Newport, said: “It’s a typical comment when you go away on holiday.

“People say: ‘What do you do?’

“When I say I’m a pieologist it kind of stops them in their tracks and it gets a giggle.

“It’s a pretty rare role. You have great fun with it and meet interesting people and customers.

“At the end of the day, it’s a hoot and you can’t take it too seriously when your job is to develop the next great pie.”

David’s job sees him work with food retailers to watch food trends, work on recipe development, plan products – and, well, eat.

And despite his pie-heavy diet David says it hasn’t had too adverse an effect on his waistline over the years.

“Obviously with the great job which I have you have the great opportunity to try a different trouser size every year,” he said.

“We have a fairly fixed diet. And it’s a balanced diet because you have a pie in each hand!

“I have actually lost weight during the last two years but you do have to be careful with your diet.

“Normally we don’t swallow a lot of what we are tasting. We are trained to professionally taste rather like the wine tasters.

“Though every once in a while, yes I will admit, you eat the whole product.”

The work he and his colleagues do has reportedly brought in millions of pounds of extra business over the last few years.

It means there is a high price on David’s mouth and his bosses are now looking to insure his tongue and taste buds, though premiums run above £10,000.

David said: “Because we have had such great success in recent years, and brought in £20m worth of business from product development, the business investigated the potential for insuring my taste buds and tongue.

“I understand the costs around it are not all that terrific and the premiums are rather steep and going into five figures.”

Recently, David has been devouring a beef and coca-cola pie as well as thai green and red chicken pies, which are all in development.

He said: “For more than 30 years we have had a pie made from steak and kidney and chicken and mushroom. But we always have to keep an eye on the market.

“The really interesting part of the job is looking at trends in food.

“There’s a big trend for food with spiciness and a lot of British, patriotic products with the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee this year.

“Just last week we were tasting a coca cola and beef pie.

“It had a coca cola-based sauce with prime British steak and a little hint of chilli just at the back.

“My taste buds have taken a bit of a battering.”

Alongside pies, David’s other big passion is racing cars which he has done recently with some success in his Caterham 7 sports car at the Castle Combe circuit.

“I have had a few wins so the pies aren’t slowing me down too much,” he said.

“I have always had an interest in cars since I was three-years-old and I have been fortunate enough to fulfil my dream and buy a Caterham.”

And asked if there was any job he would swap for his own, there was only one thing David could possibly think of.

“Yeah, beer tasting at Brains,” he said.

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Green Coffee Bean Extract for Weight Loss Discussed on Dr. Oz

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Green Coffee Bean Extract Can Help With Weight Loss

NEW YORK, NY - On a recent episode of the Dr. Oz show, View the video here, the benefits of green coffee bean extract were talked about. Dr. Lindsey Duncan discussed a recent study that made headlines when it claimed that the green coffee bean could help with weight loss. While there are many products out there that claim to help with losing weight, green coffee bean diet pills are being shown to help people burn fat fast.

In the recent study conducted at the University of Scranton, people took one of two doses of green coffee bean extract – or a placebo. On average, people lost an additional 17 pounds over a 12 week period – quite a bit more than those who took the placebo. While other studies are currently being conducted around the world, initial results for green coffee bean extract are looking good.

Green coffee bean extract is needed because the weight loss comes from “chlorogenic acid,” which is not produced with roasted coffee beans. Instead, an extract of green coffee beans must be used to get the full effect. Many different companies have flooded the market, offering products based around green coffee bean extract.

On the Dr. Oz show, two guests took a green coffee bean supplement – both with good effects. One lost 2 pounds over 5 days while the other lost a whopping six pounds in the same amount of time. While not a miracle drug by any means, it has been shown to help numerous people lose weight quickly and keep it from coming back.

Green coffee bean extract does this by increasing the metabolism and helping control glucose levels in the body. This double combination can really help people with burning fat fast. Studies are still being conducted, but early results are looking good. For those who have tried diet supplement pills in the past, it may be hard to try another, but many are recommending green coffee bean diet pills as a wonderful way to help with weight loss.

It is recommended that people read the ingredients of any dietary supplement carefully and discuss it with a health care professional. However, with the recent study showing that it helped with shedding pounds quickly, many are turning to this as a way to get a little help achieving their weight loss goals. Exercise and a healthy diet are still recommended, but green coffee bean extract may be a good way to get a little extra help.

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Asparagus - Celebrate the 'aristocrat of vegetables'

Posted on April 30, 2012 by bilrob

Asparagus – Celebrate the ‘aristocrat of vegetables’

May marks National Asparagus Month. Here are some ideas to help you enjoy the “aristocrat of vegetables.”

How to select and store asparagus:

•Select bright green asparagus with closed, compact and firm tips. Also look for cut ends that are not dry.

•Keep fresh asparagus clean, cold and covered. Trim the stem end about 1/4 inch and wash in warm water several times. To maintain freshness, wrap a moist paper towel around the stem ends of the asparagus, or stand upright in two inches of cold water. Refrigerate and use within 2 or 3 days for best quality.

•If storing in the freezer, blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then cool in ice water immediately. Drain well and pack in plastic freezer bags or containers leaving no excess air space. Use within eight months for best quality.

Source: www.asparagus.org.

Health benefits of asparagus:

Folic Acid

Asparagus is a good source of folic acid, providing as much as to 33 percent of your daily needs in a half-cup serving. Folic acid is one of the B vitamins that helps the body produce and maintain new cells. In particular, red blood cell formation is dependent on adequate levels of this vitamin.

It may also help cells resist changes in their DNA associated with the development of cancer. Folic acid plays a very important role in pregnancy by significantly reducing the incidence of birth defects known as neural tube defects (malformations of the spine and brain).

Digestion

Asparagus is rich in fiber, containing about 3 grams per cup. It also contains a noteworthy amount of protein (about 4-5 grams per cup). Both protein and fiber help stabilize our digestion and keep food moving through us at a desirable rate.

Asparagus also contains significant amounts of the nutrient inulin, which is referred to as a “prebiotic.” Inulin bypasses the first segments of digestion and arrives at the large intestine undigested. Because of this, it is an ideal food source for certain kinds of “good” bacteria in our intestines that are associated with better nutrient absorption.

A few quick serving ideas:

1.) Add chopped asparagus to salads, omelets, rice, quinoa and pasta dishes.

2.) Coat asparagus with olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes. Try coating in grated Parmesan cheese for a real treat.

3.) Fire up the grill. Marinate asparagus in olive oil, coarsely-ground pepper, kosher salt, minced garlic and a bit of balsamic vinegar for about two hours.

Thread 6-7 asparagus stalks into a row, onto two bamboo skewers, piercing the asparagus toward the top and bottom of the stalk. Barbecue at a medium-heat setting for a total of 5-6 minutes.

Asparagus with creamy tarragon sauce

Serves 4.

Active Time: 15 minutes Total: 15 minutes

All you need

•2 bunches asparagus, tough ends trimmed

•1?2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

•6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

•4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

•1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

•1 tablespoon water

•2 teaspoons Hy-Vee Dijon mustard

•Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

All you do

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put asparagus in a steamer basket, cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon juice, water, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the asparagus. Serve warm or cold.

To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days. This sauce is like a luscious, creamy béarnaise sauce without all the calories and fat.

Nutrition facts per serving: 114 calories; 7g fat (1g sat, 2g mono); 8mg cholesterol; 10g carbohydrate; 0g added sugars; 4g protein; 2g fiber; 350mg sodium; 336mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (42% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv).Carbohydrate Servings: half.

Source: adapted from Eating Well, Inc.

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Asparagus – Celebrate the ‘aristocrat of vegetables’

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Asparagus with creamy tarragon sauce

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