The trickle of molten cheese inside a jalapeno pepper just became a raging river. Popular Science reports that New Mexico State University's chili breeding program has created a new "extra large, medium hot jalapeno pepper precisely optimized for jalapeno poppers." The NuMex Jalmundo will change the menus at bowling alleys forever.
You might not feed as many people as a Kansas farmer this year -- although preparing Thanksgiving dinner may feel like you're cooking for 129 people -- but you can feature some of what they grow on your dinner table.
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition has launched a campaign and corresponding Web site, Eat Local for the Holidays, which has a list of farmer's markets, local vendors and a guide to what's in season.
| It's good for desserts...and acne! |
The essence of rose, for example, in the form of rose water, is used in beverages and desserts at Chai Shai. And rose water, a culinary staple in Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern dishes, is beginning to waft into American kitchens, as in this light, summery rose-water sorbet.
Winter squash is hardy, needing to be scrubbed, peeled and subdued on the grill after months of storage. Summer squash is more delicate. The skin is soft and edible, and it needs to be used within two to three days after you buy it at market. It's squash, just with half the work.
Zucchini, yellow crookneck squash (similar in taste to winter squash) and pattypan squash are all readily available right now. Each is capable of starring on your dinner plate or making a fine side dish.
I would not want to be in charge of procurement at the Costco in Johnson County. The store currently doesn't have large bags of pine nuts in stock and after hearing a Costco employee receive a few choice words about that decision, it would seem that hell hath no fury scorned like a woman denied an oversized sack of the key pesto ingredient.
But it is not just in Johnson County that a pine nuts craze is raging. Fickle temperatures and a poor crop in China have led to a dramatic increase in price. The Chicago Tribune looked at the situation domestically and what's going on in China, the main supplier of pine nuts to America.
Nectarines are pocket fruit. Wrap one in a paper towel and you've got nature's version of a hot pocket. Perfect for eating on the go and with a soft, red-yellow center.
The end of August is also traditionally the end of nectarine season, which means we better make the most of the next week or so. You want fruit that has a bit of give, but is not bruised. A nectarine should ripen after two to three days on the counter.
Watermelons snag your eye. It's got green racing stripes and a bright red pulp that has made it a picnic staple. But in August, cantaloupe is the fruit that you should fall under the spell of your melon baller.
Ripe melons are somewhere between beige and gray in color. If you run
your finger along the side, the netting pattern on the outside should
feel raised. Avoid melons with a strong odor or soft spots. Those are
too ripe or rotten. You'll know you've got it right if you cut into the
melon and find pale orange flesh that is consistent in color.
In an effort to address concerns over salt content, the H.J. Heinz Company announced at the end of last week that it will change its ketchup recipe (earlier this year, the ketchup packet got a makeover). Heinz will cut the amount of sodium by 15 percent -- the first change to its iconic, market-leading ketchup in 40 years.
This decision comes in the wake of last month's news that the Food and Drug Administration hopes to work with the food industry to cut the amount of salt in processed foods and eventually regulate the amount of salt allowed legally. Critics worry that with a different formula, the new ketchup will fail to live up to their expectations. Supporters suggest that Americans' salt intake is unsustainable and a number of health issues, including a rise in hypertension and heart attacks, require us to decrease our sodium intake. What do you think?
Is it a good decision for Heinz to change the ketchup recipe?survey software
[Image via Flickr: Leonid Mamchenkov]
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