Spices Of Life

What was Julia Child's favorite August sandwich? Sliced tomatoes on white bread with mayo and salt That combo screams out for a fresh rose. VIDEO video duration 3:25 MORE ROSE FOOD Prosciutto di parma and watermelon It tastes better than it sounds. Summer White Wine Suggestions Spanish Albarino Argentinean Torrontes, Portugese Vinho Verde, Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Summer Red Wine Suggestions Italian Barbera Dolcetto from Piedmont Grenaches from Spain, Australia, and the Rhone A nice juicy California red Zinfandel. So, enjoy our local seasonal bounty and try out some new fun wines Cheers, Howie Rubin

I'm a sucker for great looking vegetables and reasonable prices, so naturally I was drawn to the Food Project stand at my local farmer’s market. There, I talked with J. Harrison (Director of Agriculture, North Shore) and some of the kids working the stand, and they told me all about the Food Project: They sell their produce at stands in the Inner City and donate it to shelters, bringing good food to people who can't afford it. They had such passion in their voices, especially J, and if you go on their website, the www.thefoodproject.org you will see what a remarkable organization it is. The Food Project has become an inspiration for similar programs all over the U.S · Eat fresh, local food (organic if possible) · Support your local farmer’s markets Nina

I found this out recently at a PodCamp 3, a New Media conference in Boston, when I talked with Mignon Fogarty, who is known to many people as Grammar Girl about · Her terrific Quick and Dirty Tips Podcasts · Her newly published book,Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips For Better Writing. · Common grammar mistakes o Who vs Whom o Lay vs Lie o Effect vs Affect Watch this 2 minute video for some tips from the one and only... Nina

We are entering that wonderful part of summer in New England when farm stands, home gardens, and farmer's markets are overflowing with ripe vegetables and fruits! If I had to choose the ultimate wine to accompany all these great homegrown flavors, it would have to be a Rose. How about a salad of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and buffalo mozzarella....Or some corn that was just picked the same day....Or summer squash and zucchini on the grill? And let's not forget the berry families and fuzzy peaches, possibly as a side dish to a Sunday brunch? Now rose wines are originating from every wine-growing region in the world, and they are being made with a wide variety of red grapes. A few years back you would have never encountered a Chilean Syrah Rose or a South African Cabernet Sauvignon Rose. So, celebrate the bounty of our local farmers along with a cheery selection of refreshing rose wines. Cheers, Howie Rubin, Bauer Wines, Boston, Mass

I first discovered “Made in China, the stunning Chinese restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Beijin,g when it first opened in 2004. It’s STILL one of the BEST restaurants in China.. It’s four open kitchen areas captivate diners!! You can watch your Peking Duck bake to a lustrous golden brown in a massive, brick wood-burning oven. At a neighboring station, foods are tossed in woks over roaring fires and nearby a group of white-jacketed chefs roll out paper-thin dumpling skins and cook freshly made noodles. Surrounding walls are lined top-to-bottom with shelves full of wooden moon cake molds, tea pots, woks, clay pots, and an eclectic assortment of kitchen objects all “made in China”, underlining the restaurant’s theme. It is one of the MOST STUNNING restaurants anywhere!! It’s also pretty neat in a country where customers are usually barred from seeing ANY Chinese restaurant kitchen. The ingenious décor is the creation of Super Potato, an innovative design firm that has established an international reputation. The menu stresses classic Chinese dishes with an emphasis on northern regional cooking. Peking Duck skin is memorably crisp; pot stickers have a dramatic crusty top hat; and dumplings are generously stuffed with beef and leeks. A “must have” dish is the “tonghao” vegetables (edible chrysanthemum greens) which are tossed with chopped garlic and clear rice vinegar. The details are: Beijing Grand Hyatt, 1 East Chang An Avenue, (86 10 8518 1234) Another Insider Beijing Dining Tip For carnivores, who long to nosh on mouth-watering kebabs of tender lamb and rustic breads, seek out the Xinjiang Provincial Restaurant located at Beijing’s Xinjiang Municipal offices. On your way out, you can pick up some of the famous Hami melons, grapes and other seasonal fruits at bargain prices. They are all flown in daily from Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital city, along with sides of fresh lamb. Xinjiang Fanzhuang, #7 Sanlihe, Haidian district 86- 10 8836 5363, 6835 1820.

It was so much fun to taste great rosés wines and learn about them from Wine Authority Howie Rubin, of Bauer Wines. Howie is a familiar face and voice to Bostonians: He has been writing and lecturing about wine for years on WFNX, WBCN, local TV stations, as well as at clubs and gatherings. Howie will be dispensing wine information regularly on Spices of Life. We welcome your comments and questions!. Here’s Howie’s knowledgeable take on roses…. Enjoy! Nina Howie’s Rap on Rosés I'm not ashamed to admit that I've always enjoyed the subtle qualities of a good rosé wine, dating back to since the late 1970's, when we were pouring rosé by the glass at the London Wine Bar in San Francisco. It is with mixed feelings that I witness this prolific rise in rosé's popularity over the last five years. On one hand, I'm glad that there is now a new wave of rosé -wine lovers, but on the other hand, fashionable trends like this (goodbye Merlot, hello Pinot Noir) often leads to overproduction and the watering down of a particular style of wine. But in the meantime, let’s ride the rosé wave, as sales of the pink are up about 53% in the United States, and a statistic that I find mind-boggling though, is that rosé sales have surpassed white wine sales in France. That’s a statistic I find mind-boggling. Now, there's an awful lot of great white French wine to be had, so this means rosé must be here to stay. We are now seeing rosé's from every red-wine growing region in the world, ranging from South African Pinotage Rosé, to Spanish Garnacha Rosé, to Sardinian Cannanau Rosé, to Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé. The list is both endless and exciting at the same time, and now is the time of year to be enjoying a nice chilled glass of the pink stuff! Some people avoid rosé because they still associate it with the sticky sweet Mateus Rosé or the white zinfandels of the 80's. ….but that's as antiquated a notion as equating Chianti with a fizzy red wine in a wicker bottle. Rosé producers could do themselves a service by denoting the level of sweetness on either their front or back labels. The joy of a good rosé is its ability to go with everything on the table or go with nothing at all. There is no better aperitif than a nice chilled glass of rosé at the end of a hot summer day. Its refreshing qualities pair well with Summer salads, fresh fruit, or just about anything coming out of the ground during the summer. Don't even get me started on the rosé and heirloom tomato marriage! So, if you're heading to the beach or out on a picnic, be sure to pack something colorful and easy to drink: Rosé. Prices do vary depending on the region and producer, and if you fell like shelling out a few bucks on a stellar rosé, you will be greatly rewarded. Cheers, Howie Rubin, Bauer Wines

With its lush gardens and quaint canals, Suzhou has always been considered a Must-see?city in China. Despite the building boom all over China, Suzhou retains its old-world charm. The gardens may be packed with tourists, but many still have tranquil corners and they have been beautifully restored. The newly-rebuilt Suzhou Museum, designed by I.M Pei http://www.szmuseum.com/szbwgen/html/xw/2006/0930/157.html is also a treasure. Make sure you visit the lovely gift shop which is managed by Roberta and Gee Pei, niece and nephew of I.M. Pei, the renowned architect. The highlight of our trip (besides the canal ride) was our stay at the beautiful Ping Jiang Hotel. www.the-silk- road.com/hotel/pingjianghotel/index.html Insist on talking to the manager, who can help organize your entire visit! Don and I were given a room with a magnificent Chinese bed and our friend, Mary, had a spacious room overlooking an enchanting courtyard. Friends introduced us to Roberta and Gee Pei and they were kind enough to take use to their favorite restaurant ?(and also a favorite of their uncle's, I.M.) Wu Men Ren Jia. It's located within walking distance of the Museum, Lion Rock Garden and the Garden of the Humble Administrator. The cuisine is "pure" Suzhou and it is in a sprawling, old -style Suzhou courtyard house. Our favorite dish was the stir-fried river shrimp- so fresh and simple. Suzhou is a lovely reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, and you can do it all in 2 days!! More from China coming up! Nina

When I went to Asia, my Cantonese chef/teachers introduced me to whole, new style of pickle-making and it’s so easy!! Any home cook can do it. As you can see from this Quick Bite, you simply mix equal parts vinegar and sugar with a little bit of smashed ginger. You add the vegetable(s) and let them marinate a few hours and you have a tasty, crisp pickle. I like to heat up the mixture to dissolve the sugar and speed up the process a little, but this step can be omitted. My Dad, who became an AVID cook a number of years ago, REALLY loves to make this pickle with cucumber slices. He makes it all the time. He’s 88 and is still cooking away so I tell people, if he can do it, anyone can!! Stay tuned for these upcoming videos: --My visit to Suzhou, the lovely city near Shanghai which is known as the Venice of China--My favorite restaurant in China and some of its specialties (Hint: It’s in Beijing!) --More Vegetable Quick Bites --A personal tour of my FAVORITE DIM SUM Restaurant in London Great Tips on BARGAIN Summer Wines with Howie Rubin, from Bauer Wines Nina

Visiting China is ALWAYS EXCITING to me BUT NEVER more than now –just before the Olympics (which has heightened the buzz). This trip, even after 37 years of travel and NUMEROUS visits, was AMAZING!! Here’s the first in a series of videos that I taped while in China. In Shanghai, we stayed at the brand new Hyatt on the Bund, a hotel that is located in the HEART of the ACTION shanghai.bund.hyatt.com. In the second floor Aroma restaurant, Mary Risley, owner of Tante Marie cooking school www.tantemarie.com , who is a dear friend and was with me on the trip, discovered a wonderful breakfast specialty that I had never tasted. It’s called a SHANGHAI GOLDEN PANCAKE and it’s so easy and delicious that I wanted to introduce people to it. Dieter Lengauer, the Executive chef, who you’ll meet in the video, had the clever idea to go out and explore some of the street foods of Shanghai so that they could create them back at the hotel. They saw these pancakes and hired one of the ladies (They call them “ai” in Chinese or Aunty.) Her name is Mary and she was lovely!! (Also a great cook!) Mary was also captivated by the dish and she made a special point of asking the chef (who shared her name) to teach her how to make it. Then, as soon as she got home, she tested the recipe, so thanks to Mary for her hard work. In the traditional dish, the Chinese use a fried cruller, but Mary tried substituting foccacia and really liked the result. Try it!! It’s REALLY GOOD!!! Enjoy!! Nina

TBD

What does SUNNY London, a Chinese artist/ designer, and the world-famous Chelsea Garden Show have to do with this week’s EASY vegetable recipe?? Let me explain… As you may remember, I was JUST in China 2 1/2 weeks ago (YIKES!!) traveling and researching several articles, BUT I missed meeting Shao Fan, an internationally recognized designer who had gone to London to build the FIRST-EVER Chinese garden for the show. (I am writing about him for an article in the NY Times.) SO I followed him to London for an interview and it was there, in the garden (video to come later) that I was inspired to do a simple Stir-Fried Broccolini for this week’s “Quick Bite” to launch our upcoming video’s on my trip to China. Next week, we offer a NEAT video and an introduction to a “Shanghai Golden Pancake”, a WONDERFUL, new snack that I had never tasted before!!! Just wait until you see it! In the meantime, enjoy this stir-fry, one of my “staple” recipes that I make for my family and serve with grilled or pan-fried seafood or meat with some steamed rice, couscous, quinoa, etc. I like to use different vegetables (same recipe) depending on the season and then add leftovers to soups, stews, or reheat quickly in my microwave for 1.5 minutes. Enjoy!! Nina

What does SUNNY London, a Chinese artist/ designer, and the world-famous Chelsea Garden Show have to do with this week’s EASY vegetable recipe?? Let me explain… As you may remember, I was JUST in China 2 ∏ weeks ago (YIKES!!) traveling and researching several articles, BUT I missed meeting Shao Fan, an internationally recognized designer who had gone to London to build the FIRST-EVER Chinese garden for the show. (I am writing about him for an article in the NY Times.) SO I followed him to London for an interview and it was there, in the garden (video to come later) that I was inspired to do a simple Stir-Fried Broccolini for this week’s “Quick Bite” to launch our upcoming video’s on my trip to China. Next week, we offer a NEAT video and an introduction to a “Shanghai Golden Pancake”, a WONDERFUL, new snack that I had never tasted before!!! Just wait until you see it! In the meantime, enjoy this stir-fry, one of my “staple” recipes that I make for my family and serve with grilled or pan-fried seafood or meat with some steamed rice, couscous, quinoa, etc. I like to use different vegetables (same recipe) depending on the season and then add leftovers to soups, stews, or reheat quickly in my microwave for 1.5 minutes. Enjoy!! Nina

“Easy Veggie Dishes” is the theme of our new “Quick Bite” series Lets’ face it, we ALL could use more delicious, easy veggie dishes. I just came back from China and walking around the streets to markets and Chinese “fast food” stalls, I was inspired to throw what’s fresh from the market into a HOT wok, with a few seasonings (ALWAYS chopped garlic), salt or soy sauce, maybe some hot chiles and serve it hot and fast. But then you could do something like we show in this video…. I like to serve these beans warm or at room temperature. They’re also a nice bed for a layered salad with other vegetables like roasted red peppers, and left-over cooked meat or seafood. I use a simple sesame vinaigrette for a dressing. (The recipe is in a number of my books including “Spices of Life, “Spoonful of Ginger”, and “Asian Noodles”. Green beans make me nostalgic because they remind me of the greens beans my Mom used to make on Thanksgiving. She used to pan-fry them with some onions in a pan, using a combination of water and soy sauce. She first covered them with a lid until they were crisp-tender, then uncovered the pan and reduced the juice to a glaze. I still love them- hot or cold. Enjoy! More Quick Bites and highlights from my trip to China- coming up!! Nina BTW, if any of you remember Hailey Hao from previous videos, Hailey is in Sichuan getting married. BTW, Sichuan province is where they had the BIG earthquake in China, but I am THRILLED to say, she is okay and not affected- even though her parents live about 5 hours away.

Roasted asparagus, I admit, are one of my FAVORITE vegetable dishes…. What could be better?? They’re easy, delicious, NO POTS, and taste great the next day. But then I was talking to my best friend and cooking colleague, Debby, and she suggested adding lemon zest to the virgin olive oil and making a FLAVORED OIL. The dish is/was a smashing success. And it’s SO SIMPLE! Try making a large batch, store it at room temperature, and use it as a dressing for all your vegetables. You could also add some soy sauce or salt AND you could use other seasonings like ginger, garlic, fresh herbs… Remember with great ingredients, LESS IS MORE!!! Enjoy!! Nina

TBA

TBA

Want to tour a chocolate factory where you are surrounded by fountains overflowing with dark and milk chocolate?? Then you MUST watch the video of my recent visit to my favorite chocolate company: Harbor Sweets!! I remember the first time I read about Harbor Sweets. It was in a BIG article in “Gourmet Magazine”. Little did I know that it was 5 minutes from my house and EVERY TIME, you go into the store for a visit or to pick up an order, they offer you one of their SCRUMPTIOUS chocolates. My FAVORITES are “Sweet Sloops” (Stay tuned to see how they are made in an upcoming video.) It was really neat to go on a tour with the President Phyllis LeBlanc, who started working there as a college student 30 years ago and to see my wonderful, old friend Ben Strohecker, who is like Santa Claus to me because as he modestly told me, “I started my own chocolate company in 1973, I wanted to create the "best piece of candy in the world", regardless of cost.” And they are PRETTY good!! Nina

Have you noticed the AMAZING selection of mushrooms in the produce section of your local supermarket?? Forget the button mushrooms and check out the portobello’s, cremiini, shiitake and “dance for joy” maitakes. And they are especially memorable seasoned with garlic and a little soy and added to stir-fries, soups, stews, and to season noodles or rice. But the other remarkable thing about certain types of Chinese mushrooms is their proven health-giving benefits So Watch the Video and see the additional benefits mushrooms bring to the table. BTW, don’t worry about slurping your noodles…. Japanese chefs consider it a sign of appreciation that you are enjoying the dish!!

We know it’s IMPORTANT to “eat your broccoli”, but do you know why??? And do you want to explore the world of Chinese cabbages? (as well as the rest of the family of cruciferous vegetables……) Well, it’s all here and MORE in this Qick-Bite. To top it off, if you go to the recipe section, you will find my recipe for Lion’s Head, one of my FAVORITE dishes in the whole world, especially when there’s a chill in the air and you need something soothing and sumptuous to warm you up. And it’s even better reheated!!

Fragrant, and delicious, cinnamon is a FANTASTIC spice to use in QUICK and EASY desserts (like the oranges with honey and candied ginger) or mixed with other spices in the CHETTINAD SPICE POWDER. It’s a great rub for roasted, pan-seared or barbecued meats, seafoods, and vegetables. And according to research, (and approved by the American Diabetic Association) cinnamon can help the body metabolize blood sugar. Watch the video to find out more about this great spice!

Want to see a FAST and DELICIOUS Curry Stew and get the definitive word on how long to cook meat?? Then watch the video and join Amy Carpenter of WelcomeToAmyville.com and me in the kitchen. .You can also see how I cheat in the kitchen and one of the nifty tricks I have for making a stew QUICKLY. Also for the FIRST TIME at Spices of Life we are doing a GIVE-AWAY!!! Win a FABULOUS SPICE BOX from our friends at The Spice House!!! Do you know a nifty way to cut ginger? Are you savvy with cinnamon? Have a way with cardamom? Spices of Life wants to know about it and share it with our viewers. Send your cleverest spice tip to ninasimonds@gmail.com and you could be the lucky winner of a Curry Lover's Gift Box, courtesy of The Spice House! Click here to see a description of this amazing gift box. You must be a registered reader of Spices of Life, and receive the Spices of Life Newsletter in order to win. Click here to sign up for the Newsletter. You may only submit one tip per person. The contest runs from Wednesday, February 27 through Wednesday, March 12 at midnight. Winners will be notified within a week of the deadline..

Dinner Doctor is back with AMY CARPENTER, the beautiful and talented artist, video artist, and web personality of WelcomeToAmyville.com. We help Amy solve her dinner issues (NO time, WANTS quick, delicious, and easy) Sound familiar??? Find out what we recommend… Recipes for the video will follow next week. IN THE MEANTIME go to the “RECIPES” section of SpicesofLife for a WONDERFUL and EASY recipe for Ginger Honey Salmon (in honor of February heart month) AND treat yourself to some daffodils. They’re are in the markets and a reminder that spring is just around the corner (SIGH)

Chili peppers are one of my favorite spices and hot chili oil is a staple condiment which we sprinkle on pizza, in stir-fries, soups, stews, and MANY other DISHES. Watch the video and see some of its therapeutic qualities.