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Apples	Enjoy Breakfast	Chicken	Defrosting	Guava
Super Foods	Bangkok Winery	Red Wine	Junk food	Thailand Brand

The apple can be traced back to the Romans and Egyptians who introduced them to Britain and finally to America. Today, Americans eat about 120 apples apiece each year. At least 50% of the domestic crop is used in items we use every day such as, applesauce, juice, jellies, pies and other popular desserts. (Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, 1992).

Choose apples that are firm with no soft spots. Avoid apples that are discolored for their variety.

Keep apples in plastic bags in the refrigerator after purchasing to prevent further ripening. Apples should keep up to six weeks. However, check apples often and remove any apples that begin to decay or the others will do the same.

Wash apples well with soap and rinse with water. Prepare apple dishes just before serving to minimize browning (oxidation). Protect cut apples from oxidation by dipping them into a solution of one part citrus juice and three parts water.

There are about 2500 known varieties grown in the US. Thirty-six states grow them commercially with the following as top producers, WA, NY, MI, CA, PA, & VA. 56%of the 1999 crop was eaten as fresh fruit and 42% was processed.

High flavor impact. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. Its color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red.

Available year round Goldens firm, white flesh retains its shape and rich, mellow flavor when baked or cooked, making it the preferred "all purpose" cooking apple. The skin is so tender and thin that it doesn't require peeling. The red is the favorite for eating.

Available year round Like fine wine, its flavor improves with age. Fuji's spicy, crisp sweetness makes it an excellent snack or as applesauce. Fuji varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red.

Available August through March Heart-shaped, distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. It has a crisp, sweet taste that can't be beat. Is the perfect take-along snack… anytime. Great in salads.

Available September through April A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor. With a yellow-green base and a blush stripe. Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.

Available September through July Baker's dream, but Also a great eating apple. Smooth, blazingly bright red skin with sweet, slightly juicy flesh. Primarily cooking apples, with flavor that intensifies and becomes richer when baked or sautéed.

Available year round Mouthwatering tartness. Bright green Granny with a pink blush has a crisp bite and a tangy flavor. Its tartness really comes through when baked and sautéed. Enjoy Granny Smiths out of hand or in a salad.

Available October through August The apple with old-fashioned flavor. The Winesap has a spicy, tart, almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker's first choice. Violet red in color, it's great as a snack and in salads.

Available October through December McIntosh is juicy, slightly tart, yet very aromatic with white flesh and a rather tough skin that is two-toned red and green coloring. It's a favorite apple for eating, but is also widely used in salads, sauces, pies and is a mainstay in fresh cider.

Keep apples handy as a snack at work, put them in your lunch, eat one on break or chop one up in your salad. For a tasty dessert try baking an apple with a touch of cinnamon. Add chopped apples to your oatmeal. Use applesauce instead of shortening in your baked goods (1 to 1) to reduce fat and calories

There's no better time to examine breakfast eating habits than at the beginning of the school year. In fact, September has been designated as "Better Breakfast Month."

Studies show that children and adult students who eat breakfast do more and better work in school than those who skip it. In contrast, those who skip breakfast tend to tire more quickly, be more irritable, and react less quickly than those who eat breakfast. Because many of the basic subjects are taught before noon, breakfast is an important meal. The reasons for skipping breakfast are many. Those most frequently heard include: "There isn't time," "Food that early makes me sick," "I don't like breakfast foods," and "I'm skipping breakfast for weight control." Mostly these are just excuses. Breakfast doesn't have to take a lot of time. It can be simple or elaborate, cooked or uncooked, eaten sitting down or on- the-run, low or high in calories, mundane or varied. The main thing is to make it part of your morning routine. Breakfast can be just about anything, from last night's leftover pizza to a peanut butter sandwich to cereal and milk. For the person on the run, a blended smoothee--milk, ice cream and fruit or juice--might hit the spot. If this doesn't appeal, there's always peanut butter, granola or oatmeal cookies. When served with milk, these provide needed energy for kids on the go. Grapes, apples, bananas, hunks of cheese, cartons of yogurt and hard-cooked eggs are other quick and easy on-the-go breakfast ideas. When planning breakfast remember "bread-fruit-milk"--the basic components of a nutritious breakfast. Saving calories is another common reason people give for skipping breakfast. If your typical breakfast is a couple of donuts and coffee with two teaspoons of sugar, you have good reason to be concerned about the value of the calories you take in. However, the answer is not to skip breakfast, but to select a breakfast that provides nutrients with the fewest calories. For example, a breakfast with 8 ounces of fat-free milk, 1 ounce of dry cereal or toast, and 6 ounces of fruit juice has fewer than 250 calories. Yet it packs enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals to help you avoid mid-morning fatigue and the subsequent urge to eat anything in sight.

In short, a good nutritious breakfast need not include typical breakfast foods, but eating breakfast is a good habit to start off the school day.

By Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D. Food Science and Human Nutrition Specialist Colorado State University Cooperative Extension

It is not necessary to wash raw chicken. Any bacteria which might be present are destroyed by cooking.

Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and is condemned at the plant

FRESH CHICKEN

Chicken is kept cold during distribution to retail stores to prevent the growth of bacteria and to increase its shelf life. Chicken should feel cold to the touch when purchased. Select fresh chicken just before checking out at the register. Put packages of chicken in disposable plastic bags (if available) to contain any leakage which could cross-contaminate cooked foods or produce. Make the grocery your last stop before going home. At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains 40 °F, and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0 °F. If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely.

Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If freezing longer than two months, overwrap the porous store plastic packages packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage family packs into smaller amounts or freeze the chicken from opened packages. Proper wrapping prevents "freezer burn," which appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the chicken. Heavily freezer-burned products may have to be discarded because they might be too dry or tasteless.

When purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at time of purchase. Use it within two hours or cut it into several pieces and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within 3 to 4 days, either cold or reheated to 165 °F (hot and steaming). It is safe to freeze ready-prepared chicken. For best quality, flavor and texture, use within 4 months.

FSIS recommends three ways to defrost chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost chicken on the counter or in other locations. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Boneless chicken breasts will usually defrost overnight. Bone-in parts and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or longer. Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can be kept in the refrigerator an additional day or two before cooking. During this time, if chicken defrosted in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen without cooking first. Chicken may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leakproof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cold. A whole (3 to 4-pound) broiler fryer or package of parts should defrost in 2 to 3 hours. A 1-pound package of boneless breasts will defrost in an hour or less. Chicken defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. Foods defrosted in the microwave or by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing. Do not cook frozen chicken in the microwave or in a slow cooker. However, chicken can be cooked from the frozen state in the oven or on the stove. The cooking time may be about 50% longer.

The Hotline does not recommend buying retail-stuffed fresh whole chicken because of the highly perishable nature of a previously stuffed item. Consumers should not pre-stuff whole chicken to cook at a later time. Chicken can be stuffed immediately before cooking. Some USDA-inspected frozen stuffed whole poultry MUST be cooked from the frozen state to ensure a safely cooked product. Follow preparation directions on the label.

MARINATING
Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Boil used marinade before brushing on cooked chicken. Discard any uncooked leftover marinade.

Never brown or partially cook chicken to refrigerate and finish cooking later because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave chicken immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking.

SAFE COOKING
FSIS recommends cooking whole chicken to 180°F as measured in the thigh using a food thermometer. For approximate cooking times SEE COOKING TIPS

Since product dates aren't a guide for safe use of a product, how long can the consumer store the food and still use it at top quality? Follow these tips:

* Freeze chicken in its original packaging, overwrap or re-wrap it according to directions in the above section, "How to Handle Chicken Safely".

REFRIGERATOR HOME STORAGE (at 40° F or below) OF CHICKEN PRODUCTS

Information is also available from the FSIS Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov

Uh, oh! You're home and forgot to defrost something for dinner. You grab a package of meat or chicken and use hot water to thaw it fast. But is this safe? What if you remembered to take food out of the freezer, but forgot and left the package on the counter all day while you were at work? Neither of these situations are safe, and these methods of thawing lead to foodborne illness. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during "the big thaw." Foods are safe indefinitely while frozen. However, as soon as food begins to defrost and become warmer than 40°F, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply.

"Foods should never be thawed or even stored on the counter, or defrosted in hot water. Food left above 40°F (unrefrigerated) is not at a safe temperature," cautions Bessie Berry, manager of the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline.

Even though the center of the package may still be frozen as it thaws on the counter, the outer layer of the food is in the "Danger Zone," between 40 and 140°F – at temperatures where bacteria multiply rapidly.

"When defrosting frozen foods, it's best to plan ahead and thaw food in the refrigerator where food will remain at a safe, constant temperature -- 40°F or below," recommends Berry.
There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.

Refrigerator Thawing

Planning ahead is the key to this method because of the lengthy time involved. A large frozen item like a turkey requires at least a day (24 hours) for every 5 pounds of weight. Even small amounts of frozen food -- such as a pound of ground meat or boneless chicken breasts -- require a full day to thaw. When thawing foods in the refrigerator, there are several variables to take into account. Some areas of an appliance may keep the food colder than other areas. Food placed in the coldest part will require longer defrosting time. Food takes longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35°F than one set at 40°F. After thawing in the refrigerator, ground meat and poultry should remain useable for an additional day or two before cooking; red meat, 3 to 5 days. Foods defrosted in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality.

This method is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, meat tissue can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product. The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat or poultry – about a pound – may defrost in an hour or less. A 3- to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately. Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

When microwave defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwave defrosting. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed and, indeed, may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria to grow. Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked before refreezing.

Guava is an oval shaped fruit that varies in size from a small egg to a medium apple. The thin skin may be yellow, red, purple or nearly black and the flesh ranges from a pale yellow to a bright red. Guava is sweet with a slight tart aftertaste. Its texture is firm; similar to an apple. Guava is native to South America, but is now commonly grown in California, Florida and Hawaii. It is also known as a Bangkok Apple or Guayaba. Selection Select fruit that gives to gentle pressure and is unblemished. Fresh guavas are often only available in the region near where they are grown, but may be ordered by mail. Canned guava products are available nationwide throughout the year in larger supermarkets.

Store ripe guavas in the refrigerator for up to a week. Green, unripe guavas should be stored at room temperature until ripe. Ripe guavas stored at room temperature will spoil quickly; normally within a couple of a days.

The entire guava is edible. The rind and small seeds inside, along with the creamy flesh are often used in making jellies, preserves, and sauce. To be eaten raw, guava needs to be very ripe. Guava is typically sliced lengthwise into 5 or 6 slices and seeds discarded.

A list of the top 10 healthiest foods may seem like a come-on. Magic food? We all know there are no real magic foods. The road to optimum health is not in a pill or one magic food. But there are foods that pack such a nutritional wallop and possess such powerful health benefits, that they are referred to as "super foods". This healthy food list consists of foods that are nutrient dense. That is, they have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods. They have also been proven to contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that prevent disease: from cancer to heart disease to arthritis, and many more. These super foods are perfect for heart healthy, low fat cooking and most fit perfectly into a low carb lifestyle as well. The 10 healthiest foods are foods that are so exceptionally good for us that we should include them in our healthy diet on a regular basis. Our list of super foods is arranged alphabetically, not in order of importance. Each is an amazing food, jam packed with health giving benefits.

Berries are extremely rich in antioxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from damage and therefore from diseases like cancer. Among other things they are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. Blueberries might help reverse the short term memory loss that often comes with aging.

Broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage) helps fight cancer, especially breast, colon and lung. It boosts the immune system. Broccoli also contains antioxidants and a substance called sulforaphane, which research is showing to be a powerful cancer fighter and preventer.

The citrus bioflavanoids in oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit have anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. Many of these citrus bioflavanoids have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and blood clot inhibiting abilities.

Numerous studies have shown that regular consumption of garlic can lower our blood pressure. It also prevents the blood from being overly sticky and decreases LDL cholesterol (the "bad" one) while increasing the good HDL cholesterol.

Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a special type of fat that is essential for our bodies, but that the body cannot produce. Omega-3 essential fatty acids protect us against heart disease. Almonds are also known for their ability to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Oats also help reduce cholesterol. Research shows that one bowl of oatmeal per day can reduce cholesterol by up to 23%. Oats are also considered an excellent grain for diabetics as they have less impact on blood sugar levels than some other grains.

The Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish may help prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the body's rate of blood clotting.

Spinach's secret weapon, lutein, makes it one of the best foods in the world to prevent cataracts, as well as age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the elderly.

Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and as such helps to protect the cells in our bodies from damage.

Turkey is one of the leanest protein foods and is low in calories, making it an excellent healthy food choice. Turkey also contains selenium which has been shown to inhibit cancer development, improve the immune system, and aid in the metabolism of our thyroid hormone.

You can see that the top 10 healthiest foods, or "super foods", are also some of our favourites. By including these super foods in a healthy diet on a regular basis you can easily gain many health benefits. Making healthy food choices just got easier.

Wine maps of the world will have to be redrawn, thanks to the unlikely success of a winery in Thailand. Wine critics finds out how a company with floating vineyards proved the skeptics wrong.Think Thailand and floating markets, sun-drenched beaches, elaborate temples and spicy food might come to mind. In a land far, far away from the famous wine regions of the world, you would never expect to find vineyards and grapes. But now you can, thanks to the success of one winery, New Latitude, whose character full vintages are increasingly finding their way on to wine lists in Europe and the US. Not only are they challenging conventional concepts of Thai tradition, but also the basic rules of winemaking itself.

Accepted wisdom has it that the only areas of the world suitable for viniculture lie between 30 and 50 degrees latitude on either side of the equator. Now such notions have to be re-considered to take into account Siam Winery, at just 13 degrees north. It was actually in 1685 when the first grape vines arrived on Thai soil, along with some fine bottles of French claret. They were a gift for King Narai, courtesy of Louis XIV of France. The Thai nobility had never drunk anything like wine before, and rapidly developed a taste for it. For years the drink remained a privilege reserved exclusively for the upper classes but, due to increasing demand, two varieties of grape were brought over in 1957 to be tested for their suitability in the Thai climate. Thus, a new industry was born. Out of the five wineries that are now found in Thailand, there is one that stands out from the rest, and that is the Siam Winery, situated 100km south-west of Bangkok, in the Chao Praya Delta. Siam Winery has been producing wine since 1999, and it is now Thailand's largest exporter of the product.

Siam Winery differs from its country counterparts in using "floating vineyards". Located in the Samut Sakhorn Province, these are not floating in a literal sense, as vines still need their roots to remain in the ground. However, each vineyard is interlaced canals, which produces the impression of a series of islands; each shaded by a canopy of the vines, with large bunches of grapes dangling above the water's surface. Thailand is famous for its floating markets, which is probably why someone coined the phrase "floating vineyards".

Successfully growing vines in such a hot and humid climate is a feat in itself, but this is not the whole story behind the success of the Siam Winery. And the man who perhaps deserves the lion's share of the credit for creating commercially viable wines in such unlikely circumstances is Frenchman Laurent Metge-Toppin, Siam's director of business development and a man with both a sommelier's degree from the US and an encyclopedic knowledge of French wine-making techniques. "When I took the job, I did wonder at first if maybe people were a little dreamy about this project," admits Metge-Toppin, "but, after seeing the state-of-the-art facilities, and the quality of the fruit, I was sure it would work."

Metge-Toppin was given the challenging task of producing a suitable blend; one which would complement Thailand's famously spicy food and could stand up on its own in the international wine market. Metge-Toppin jokingly calls the red he has helped to create, Côtés de la Rivière Kwai. He is the first to admit that, "Everything is different when you are growing wine in Thailand, so you need to adapt. And, after you have adapted your growing techniques, there are the problems of storage - as well as people's perceptions."

As one wine critic said, "I still find it hard to believe that New Latitude wines will ever be seriously good - but then that's what we said about New World wines not so long ago."

If you are looking for a perfect claret or Bordeaux you aren't going to find it here: such wines simply don't stand a chance against the power of the Thai chili. However, what you will find is a wine that will accompany even the fiercest dish. "Thailand has amazing food," says Metge-Toppin, "and now you can enjoy it with a glass of wine that will make the whole meal so much more enjoyable." His Monsoon Valley range of wines includes a white which is made from a local Malaga Blanc grape variety. With its exotic aromas of lemongrass and watermelon, it is the perfect complement for green curries. The red is velvety and medium-bodied, and is made from a blend of Pokdom, Shiraz and Black Muscat varieties. It would be best suited accompanying a Duck curry or perhaps a peppery seafood dish. And, when the local Malaga Blanc, Pokdom and Black Muscat grapes are macerated and fermented together, they produce a refreshing rosé. The export market accounts for 75 per cent of Siam Winery's sales, which are predicted to be in excess of 350,000 bottles this year (compared to 80,000 in 2004). Countries buying these wines now include Germany, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand and the US and, with an estimated 6,000 Thai restaurants worldwide, orders are surely only likely to increase.

As Metge-Toppin proudly points out: "Selling our wine to every Thai restaurant in the world would amount to over six million cases each year. Even Jacobs Creek would be jealous." This demand could be easily met: unlike the West, which has just one harvest each year, Thailand has two and, because of the climate, can grow grapes continuously for eight months at a time.

Dutch scientists have confirmed that red wine is healthier than an alcopop. A binge drinking experiment showed those who hit the bottle might do better to choose Cotes du Rhone over cocktails. Twenty healthy volunteers drank six glasses of red wine or six glasses of Bacardi Breezer in three hours. Blood samples were taken after 90 minutes and at the end. Researchers measured what happened to the blood platelets involved in clotting. Unlike cocktail drinkers, red wine drinkers showed no sign of platelet aggregation. Dylan de Lange, of the University Medical Centre in Utrecht, reports in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research today that modest drinking - particularly of red wine - may actually be beneficial to cardiovascular diseases.

Thai restaurants overseas whose product quality meets the government's standard will be all symbolized by 'Thailand Brand', according to the Ministry of Commerce.The government's Thai Kitchen to the World Committee recently agreed to use the 'Thailand Brand' as the sole symbol of all qualified Thai restaurants worldwide, Advisor of the Commerce Minister Pimol Srivikorn told TNA here on Tuesday.

"Previously Thai restaurants overseas were symbolized by both the 'Thailand Brand' of the Department of Export Promotion and the'Thai Select' of the National Food Institute, which had caused confusion to Thai food entrepreneurs and customers. So, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak assigned the Thai Kitchen to the World Committee to consider and decide on the only symbol which solely represents the quality Thai restaurants overseas," he explained.

"The committee initially agreed to choose the 'Thailand Brand' as the sole symbol of all qualified Thai restaurants across the world, as it has been more popular and recognized," he noted.The proposed symbol of the selected Thai restaurants worldwide is expected to be approved by the cabinet in late October, according to Mr. Pimol. After the cabinet's approval, all Thai restaurants using the 'Thai Select' symbol would change to use the 'Thailand Brand', he said.

All the Thai restaurants symbolized by the 'Thailand Brand' are to be inspected by Thai authorities concerned every two years to ensure the quality of their food products, which are, however, allowed to modify to meet the demand of local customers in their respective areas with the main Thai culinary recipes remained. Among more than 9,000 Thai restaurants worldwide currently, 1,085 have been symbolized with the 'Thailand Brand' since 1999, the number of which is rising every year.Mr. Pimol said a main obstacle of Thai food businesses overseas is a shortage of experienced chefs.The Thai Kitchen to the World Committee is, therefore, liaising with Rajabhat Institute Suan Dusit, Kasetsart University and the Department of Skill Department to help train chefs to serve the Thai restaurants overseas, according to the commerce minister's advisor.The Thai Kitchen to the World Committee will also help address other problems faced by the overseas Thai food businesses, including other restaurants serving cheaper and sub-standard food, but branding it as Thai dishes in disguise.

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