Tips for Making Sensible Food Choices This Summer

In the summer, many of us are spending more time outdoors, and our schedules include running to and from the beach, the ballpark or a backyard barbecue.

Due to our on-the-go summer lifestyles, we often trade sit-down meals planned with sensible and wise food choices with quick meals on the run, or even dinner from a snack bar or local burger joint.

Rather than succumb to the temptation of the snack bar, consumers have many options. Food companies are offering portion-controlled meals and snacks in the "better for you" category, which are more practical and convenient and aren't loaded with extra fat and calories.

"Regardless of the season, we know people with active lifestyles are looking for foods that are portion-controlled to fit their busy schedules," said Schryse Williams, vice president of consumer brands for Dawn Food Products Inc. "The market for weight-loss foods is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.7 percent to 8.1 percent through 2010, with a growing number of consumers seeking smarter, yet convenient snack options."

Beat the summer heat with a mouth-watering ice cream for dessert!

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Cool Beverage Inventions for Hot Summer Days

Hot, sun-filled days and refreshing, ice-filled drinks are a match made in heaven. When the temperature rises, downing a glass of iced tea or lemonade is a sure-fire way to cool off. Today, iced tea and lemonade are staples of any outdoor picnic or get-together, but have you ever thought about the invention history of these tasty beverages?

The "World's Fair" Myth

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis is credited as the birthplace of many food and drink inventions, including iced tea. The story goes that merchant Richard Blechynden, a tea plantation owner, planned on giving some of his hot tea samples away at the Fair. With temperatures that day soaring, few visitors were interested. After Blechynden dumped some ice into the tea, he "invented" a drink that was a huge hit at the Fair.

But according to Missouri historian Lyndon Irwin, an article written 14 years before the Fair and published in the Nevada Noticer specifically mentions iced tea. The story chronicled a huge meal that was served during a reunion of ex-confederate veterans. After a meal that included 4,800 pounds of bread, 400 pounds of sugar and 60 gallons of pickles, patrons quenched their thirst on "880 gallons of iced tea."

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"Vary this dessert by using different flavors of ice cream."

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 ounce) package small chocolate chip cookies
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup hot fudge topping
• 2 quarts vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup whipped cream

Beat the summer heat with a mouth-watering ice cream for dessert!

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Perfect Summer Treats

Perfect Summer Treats

Orange Ice Cream Recipe

A hot summer's day begs for something cold. Oh, we could sip on a cold drink but nothing says  'Summer' like a bowl of homemade ice cream. I have the feeling that many people steer clear of making their own because it seems too time consuming. And I will admit that making a custard based ice cream does involve a little work.

But this recipe is different as there is no 'cooking' involved; just the stirring together of the ingredients. Think of it as an "iced" cream, as this is how I would describe its lovely grainy texture (like a sherbet) that's full of citrus flavor yet rich with cream.

My first encounter with this type of ice cream was when I was reading Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings book "Cross Creek Cookery". In it she describes making ice cream from fresh milk that "is yellow as buttercups" and 'is so thick, when ladled off into a bowl or pitcher, that it is impossible to pour". I try to imagine how good an ice cream made from milk that is so fresh would be. Unfortunately, it will probably never happen but we can indulge ourselves by making her recipe for Orange Ice Cream with the best quality cream and half-and-half we can find. Any variety of sweet orange can be used and you will notice I have added a little orange and lemon zest for extra flavor. For a unique presentation, place a scoop of orange ice cream into the half of an orange that has had its juice and membrane removed. Also lovely with fresh strawberries.

Beat the summer heat with a mouth-watering ice cream for desser!

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Top five food safety myths

Andrew Stephens corrects some common culinary misconceptions.

The three-second rule

That's what some people call this common bit of folklore: if you drop food on the floor, pick it up within three seconds or so and it will be fine to eat. Wrong. Even a nanosecond is enough for food to have a brief and fruitful affair with myriad bacteria that gets traipsed over the kitchen floor by footwear that has trodden upon footpaths, public toilet floors, train-carriage aisles and office carpet squares. The worst thing to do, says Lydia Buchtmann, of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), is to pick up food from the floor and slip it into something that will not be cooked, such as a salad or a dessert: "The bugs picked up can grow to dangerous levels very quickly and give you food poisoning." Of course, this sensible rule does not apply to extremely yummy foods (e.g. chocolate) or expensive items such as truffles.

Seafood is dodgy

Yes, those oysters can certainly be dodgy if left on the kitchen bench for hours. But, in general, poor old prawns, scallops, fish and so on get a bad reputation just because they pong more than other uncooked meats. Seafood is no more likely to cause food poisoning than other meats, and in Australia, strict regulations apply to its handling and storage. Be sure to use seafood within two days of purchase. FSANZ warns that letting the juices from raw meat or poultry drip onto foods that will not be cooked (e.g. salad or leftovers) is one of the biggest risks where meat is concerned.

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