cookiesinheaven

"Giving the Bronx Cheer...Horsie style"
(note the cute pink tongue hanging down!)

Want more fuzzy fun? Go see the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Labels: Flickr Friday

Four people were charged in Oakland federal court today with growing marijuana that became the not-so-secret ingredient in treats resembling popular candy bars and other packaged food, including barbecue sauce.

Authorities say the four were connected with an operation known as Tainted Inc. that made marijuana-laced candies, cookies, ice cream, peanut butter, barbecue sauce, granola bars and brownies. - SFChron

Labels: secret ingredients

Labels: celebrity chefs, Santa Barbara

American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company, who ironically have launched an "organic" line of their sugar,and several other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such.

Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply.

...Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption. - Organic Consumers Association

Labels: GM, Sugar

Labels: Books

Big Island Candies was established in 1977 to manufacture and market fine quality macadamia nut candies and cookies using 100 percent Hawaii-grown macadamia nuts and Kona coffee, island eggs, real butter and high-grade chocolate. Since its founding, Big Island Candies has continuously introduced new and imaginative products that “wow” both the eyes and taste buds of its growing legion of fans.

All of our products are made with pride at our chocolate factory, gift shop, and headquarters in Hilo, Hawaii.

...If you can't come in person, you can still experience our Aloha Spirit and share it with others by ordering from our catalog or from this Web site. Mahalo, thank you, for visiting bigislandcandies.com!

Labels: Candy, Hawaii

Labels: weather

BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup fresh-squeezed blood orange juice
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
8 ounces premium tequila
7 ounces triple sec
1 Blood orange, sliced for garnish.

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Make a blood orange simple syrup by combining the sugar and blood orange juice in a small sauce pan; simmer over low heat until thick and syrupy. Allow to cool.

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. To prepare a drink, pour 6 ounces into a shaker filled with ice. Pour into margarita glass, garnish with a blood orange slice.

Serving glass: Margarita glass

Labels: Drinks, Flickr Friday

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced legislation to establish an effective national food safety framework for all fresh produce. The bill comes one year after a large-scale outbreak of food-borne illness caused by a virulent strain of E. coli in fresh bagged spinach sickened more than 200 people and killed three. Since then, U.S. consumers have been bombarded with repeated cases of contaminated food – everything from peanut butter to seafood to pet food. Just this week, there was a recall of a Dole bagged salad product because of E. coli contamination.

“It seems these fresh-produce recalls have become the rule rather than the exception in the United States – and that is unacceptable,” said Harkin. “It is increasingly clear that the Food and Drug Administration lacks the resources – and the authority – to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. The American people need to have confidence that their fruits and vegetables are produced and handled in a safe and wholesome manner.”

The current produce oversight system is a patchwork of state and federal regulations. For example, California and Florida have different mechanisms for certifying the safety of leafy greens and tomatoes, respectively. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has its own mechanisms to ensure the safety of produce; however, an Associated Press report last week noted that establishments that grow and process leafy green produce are inspected only once every 3.9 years.

...the bill would also require rulemaking to ensure that imported produce has been grown and processed with the same standards that we will have in the u.s.- Tom Harkin's website

Labels: Congress, food safety

Your Pirate Name Is...

Pegleg Mistress of Death

Labels: Fun

Home diva Martha Stewart, who has stamped her name on all things domestic from sheets and towels to pots and pans, will be serving up another edition: wine. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. said late Friday that it forged a partnership with E.&J. Gallo Winery to develop a brand of wines under the label "Martha Stewart Vintage" to be offered in six cities (Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte NC, Denver, Phoenix, and Portland OR) beginning in January. The wines will sell for about $15. - AP

Procter & Gamble Co. on Friday asked for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit it filed against Kraft Foods Inc. to stop the company from manufacturing and distributing a coffee container it claims infringes on its patent.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 27 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, alleges that a new plastic container in which Kraft is marketing its Maxwell House brand infringes on patents for a container it introduced in 2003 for its Folgers coffee brand.In its motion for the injunction, Procter said that its Folgers brand faces "irreparable" harm from the continued distribution of the Maxwell House containers. - Bizjournals

Americans feel better about buying food produced in the United States than overseas and believe food grown locally is healthier than food shipped from across the country, a new survey shows.

The poll released last week by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University found that 85 percent of Americans have confidence in the safety of their local and regional food systems.

But only 12 percent expressed confidence in the safety of food from anywhere else in the world. - AP

Mars just says NO.

The maker of M&M's and Milky Way bars says it would be a mistake to mess with its chocolate.

Mars Inc. said Monday it will continue to use 100 percent cocoa butter in its U.S. chocolate products, bucking an industry campaign to allow cheaper vegetable oils to be substituted.

The announcement comes amid a push by a dozen food industry groups to change long-established federal standards to allow for replacing cocoa butter with another vegetable fat, up to a level of 5 percent. - AP

Labels: In the News

From pastries to pasta, the price of just about everything made with wheat is going up.

Blame the trend on a biblical bout of bad weather -- drought, freezes and floods -- that has decimated wheat crops and created shortages around the world.

Wheat futures hit a record of $8.87 a bushel in Chicago trading last week before retreating to $8.75 on Monday. Still, that's a huge jump from $3.95 a year ago.

"This is a historic level. There is no way we can cut costs fast enough or deep enough to handle this type of huge increase in wheat," said Bill Nictakis, president of the fresh bakery division at Sara Lee Corp.

...Shoppers in Rome are threatening pasta boycotts to protest rising prices. In Lanzhou in western China workers are complaining about paying more at the industrial city's 3,000 noodle shops. - Latte Times

Labels: boycotts, prices, wheat

This weekend I met Ginger. She was thought to have been attacked by a coyote and was being cared for by a volunteer at the Retreat center. She attended classes with us, albeit, in her little cardboard box.

She also had lunch with us...casually wandering the grassy area in the dining area chomping on lettuce.

Thought immediately I needed to get a photo of her for Rurality!

Labels: chicken, Flickr

Labels: Flickr Friday, Santa Barbara

Labels: Birthdays, Montecito

Labels: Birthdays

Labels: cake, Flickr Friday

Labels: restaurants, Santa Barbara, Wine

Labels: Benefit, Los Angeles

...A lot of this innovation comes from eco-forward Australians and New Zealanders, the same people who were early adopters of plastic corks and screw-top caps. More than half the wine in Australia is sold in boxes, although that country has yet to catch up to Chile, where more than 50% of wine--basically, anything that costs less than $25--is sold in juice box--style containers. - Time

Labels: Wine

Santa Maria Barbecue has its roots in the mid-19th century, when the rancheros gathered to help each other brand their calves each spring. The host would prepare a Spanish style barbecue as a thank you for his vaqueros (America’s first cowboys), family and friends. Under the oaks of this serene little coastal valley they would enjoy a traditional feast that included beef barbecued over a red oak fire, served with Pinquito beans, bread, salsa and homemade desserts.

The present Santa Maria Style Barbecue grew out of this tradition, and achieved its "style" some 60 years ago when local residents began to string their beef on skewers and cook it over the hot coals of a red oak fire. The meat, either top block sirloin or the triangular-shaped bottom sirloin known as "tri tip," is rolled in a mixture of salt, pepper and garlic salt just prior to cooking. It is then barbecued over red oak coals, giving the meat a hearty, smoky flavor.

The traditional Santa Maria Barbecue menu features, of course, the barbecued sirloin, trimmed, sliced, and laid out in metal pans so that the diner may select the desired doneness. The only condiment for this tender and flavorful meat is a fresh salsa. With it is served grilled French bread dipped in sweet melted butter, perfect for soaking up every last bit of the flavorful meat juices. Also served on the side is a tossed green salad, and slow-cooked pinquito beans. For the most authentic Santa Maria Barbecue experience, select a robust Santa Maria Valley wine to accompany your meal. This tasty feast is finished with coffee and a simple dessert.

Once a well-kept local secret, word of Santa Maria Style Barbecue has spread around the world, enticing travelers to come by the thousands, seeking a taste of this local specialty, and it’s not difficult to find. On a typical Saturday, you will see clouds of fragrant smoke billowing through the air, leading you to numerous barbecues throughout the city. They range from outdoor feasts along Broadway sponsored by schools and local charities, to restaurants offering a more formal dining experience, to backyard cookouts where families enjoy their own recipes that have been passed down through the generations. It’s no wonder Santa Maria is called the "Barbecue Capital of the World." - SantaMaria.com

Granita
1 pound, 12 ounces sugar
4 cups Water
3 Cinnamon sticks
4 pounds, 12 ounces Stemmed California strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
Dash Salt

Cookie Cups
13 ounces Blanched almonds
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Light corn syrup
6 1/2 ounces Butter
6 ounces Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Anisette
4 1/4 ounces All-purpose flour

Marinated Berries
2 pounds, 12 ounces Stemmed California strawberries
8 ounces Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries
4 ounces Brown sugar
2/3 cup Orange juice
1 /4 cup Cointreau
Sweetened whipped cream (optional) as needed

Directions

To make Granita: In saucepan combine sugar, water and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil, stirring; boil 1 minute. Cool. Puree strawberries in food processor or blender until smooth. Strain out seeds in fine sieve. In chilled hotel pan thoroughly mix strawberry puree, lemon juice, salt and enough of the cooled sugar syrup to balance strawberry flavor. Place in freezer. As mixture begins to freeze, chip the frozen portion with the tines of a fork every 30 to 45 minutes until no liquid remains. Place in airtight container, cover and store in freezer up to 2 weeks.

To make Cookie Cups: In food processor grind almonds medium-fine. Place in sieve; shake out dust. In saucepan over low heat combine corn syrup, butter and sugar. Stir until butter and sugar is completely melted. Remove from heat. Mix in anisette, and then flour to blend thoroughly. Portion rounded tablespoonfuls of batter onto parchment-lined sheet pans, spacing apart, and flatten slightly (each cookie will be about 5 inches in diameter when baked). Bake in 350°F oven about 6 to 8 minutes until evenly golden brown. Cool slightly; lift with spatula and shape into pointed cups in 6-ounce martini glasses. (If cookies cool too much to shape, return to oven for a minute or two to soften.) When cups are hard and cool, store in an airtight container up to three days.

To make Marinated Berries: Combine ingredients in bowl at least 15 minutes before serving. For each serving to order: Place Cookie Cup in martini glass; fill with 1/2 cup Granita and top with 1/3 cup Marinated Berries. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Yield: 24 servings

Labels: BBQ, Holidays, Santa Maria, Strawberries

Labels: Cookbooks

Labels: celebrity chefs, Starbucks

Labels: farmers