Spices Of Life
Spices of Life , featuring Nina Simonds/Culinaria, Ltd and vlog pace-setter Steve Garfield, pairs innovative food/health/ lifestyle segme...Health
Video Episodes:
124 Views
18:38:36 11/21/07
World's greatest white truffle banquet
[LESS INFO] 124 VIEWS | ADDED 18:38:36 11/21/07
World's greatest white truffle banquet
4 Views
06:08:12 11/07/07
Weeknight Dinner: Quick and Easy
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 06:08:12 11/07/07
Cooking dinner on a week night, or any night, can be a challenge, especially when you are tired, hungry, and just want to make it all easy. That’s why one of my favorite options is to do a quick stir-fry. I use either leftover grilled or cooked meat or buy a boneless, skinless chicken breast, pork, or some shrimp, this recipe works with either of the three, add a few seasonings, grab some frozen or fresh vegetables, (I’m surprised at how good they are these days!) and mix up a hot and sour sauce. You can make a big batch in a jar and keep it in your fridge. Try this delicious and simple Spicy Stir-fried Chicken with Vegetables and Instant Couscous. Hailey and Ingrid, my lovely and helpful friends help me out in the video… aren’t they great? The recipe is really versatile. You can use all kinds of meats, seafood, vegetables, etc. Ice cold beer goes nicely with it, or you could tune in to our next video and see some great and reasonably-priced wines with Ann Trieger.
0 Views
06:08:12 11/07/07
Weeknight Dinner: Quick and Easy
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 06:08:12 11/07/07
Cooking dinner on a week night, or any night, can be a challenge, especially when you are tired, hungry, and just want to make it all easy. That’s why one of my favorite options is to do a quick stir-fry. I use either leftover grilled or cooked meat or buy a boneless, skinless chicken breast, pork, or some shrimp, this recipe works with either of the three, add a few seasonings, grab some frozen or fresh vegetables, (I’m surprised at how good they are these days!) and mix up a hot and sour sauce. You can make a big batch in a jar and keep it in your fridge. Try this delicious and simple Spicy Stir-fried Chicken with Vegetables and Instant Couscous. Hailey and Ingrid, my lovely and helpful friends help me out in the video… aren’t they great? The recipe is really versatile. You can use all kinds of meats, seafood, vegetables, etc. Ice cold beer goes nicely with it, or you could tune in to our next video and see some great and reasonably-priced wines with Ann Trieger.
1 Views
05:38:02 10/31/07
Morimoto: Samurai or Chef? Part 2
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 05:38:02 10/31/07
I must admit I had expected to be impressed by Chef Morimoto, but NOT entertained and charmed!!! He is FUNNY!!! (and so talented!) Being an author and having been on a book tour, I understand how difficult, stressful, and energy-consuming it can be and Chef Morimoto’s schedule was grueling. But can you imagine how DIFFICULT it would be if the airlines lost your knives???? And as you’ll see in Part II of Morimoto:Samurai or Chef, THESE ARE NO ORDINARY KNIVES!!! Morimoto also gives some INVALUABLE cutting tips. ENJOY!!! Nina
5 Views
05:38:02 10/31/07
Morimoto: Samurai or Chef? Part 2
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 05:38:02 10/31/07
I must admit I had expected to be impressed by Chef Morimoto, but NOT entertained and charmed!!! He is FUNNY!!! (and so talented!) Being an author and having been on a book tour, I understand how difficult, stressful, and energy-consuming it can be and Chef Morimoto’s schedule was grueling. But can you imagine how DIFFICULT it would be if the airlines lost your knives???? And as you’ll see in Part II of Morimoto:Samurai or Chef, THESE ARE NO ORDINARY KNIVES!!! Morimoto also gives some INVALUABLE cutting tips. ENJOY!!! Nina
3 Views
11:57:38 10/24/07
Morimoto: Smaurai or Chef? Part 1
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 11:57:38 10/24/07
I have been working with chefs since I was sixteen, but few are as FORMIDABLE as Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. To read about his background in the introduction of his BEAUTIFUL new book, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking” (Dorling Kindersley) is FASCINATING!! He grew up in Hiroshima and had a difficult childhood, but he had two dreams: To become a professional baseball player and a sushi chef. Aren’t we all glad that he chose the culinary path? (But then, maybe he would have ended up in Boston pitching for the Red Sox – GO TEAM!!!!) Although Morimoto is now a star chef with restaurants in New York, Philadelphia, Mumbai, and Tokyo, and he is famous all over the world as the Japanese Iron Chef, he confessed that his dream had been to write his own cookbook. He labored for two years and the results are IMPRESSIVE! The recipes, although challenging look delicious and the photos, by talented photographer Quentin Bacon, are exquisite. We salute Chef Morimoto ( CAN’T WAIT TO EAT AT HIS RESTAURANTS ) !!! Watch Part II to see his “weapons” and friends…( I mean his knives ) and see more of his unique talents.
0 Views
11:57:38 10/24/07
Morimoto: Smaurai or Chef? Part 1
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 11:57:38 10/24/07
I have been working with chefs since I was sixteen, but few are as FORMIDABLE as Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. To read about his background in the introduction of his BEAUTIFUL new book, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking” (Dorling Kindersley) is FASCINATING!! He grew up in Hiroshima and had a difficult childhood, but he had two dreams: To become a professional baseball player and a sushi chef. Aren’t we all glad that he chose the culinary path? (But then, maybe he would have ended up in Boston pitching for the Red Sox – GO TEAM!!!!) Although Morimoto is now a star chef with restaurants in New York, Philadelphia, Mumbai, and Tokyo, and he is famous all over the world as the Japanese Iron Chef, he confessed that his dream had been to write his own cookbook. He labored for two years and the results are IMPRESSIVE! The recipes, although challenging look delicious and the photos, by talented photographer Quentin Bacon, are exquisite. We salute Chef Morimoto ( CAN’T WAIT TO EAT AT HIS RESTAURANTS ) !!! Watch Part II to see his “weapons” and friends…( I mean his knives ) and see more of his unique talents.
0 Views
21:47:56 10/09/07
Healthy Food is a Laughing Matter
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 21:47:56 10/09/07
When was the last time you saw standup comedy in the snack aisle? Meet Tim McIntire , HYSTERICAL comedian, and former junk-foodie. We had a BLAST romping around the supermarket and sharing our favorite snacks. I was trying to eat healthy and Tim, well, you'll just have to watch the video.
0 Views
21:47:56 10/09/07
Healthy Food is a Laughing Matter
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 21:47:56 10/09/07
When was the last time you saw standup comedy in the snack aisle? Meet Tim McIntire , HYSTERICAL comedian, and former junk-foodie. We had a BLAST romping around the supermarket and sharing our favorite snacks. I was trying to eat healthy and Tim, well, you'll just have to watch the video.
2 Views
11:51:33 10/03/07
The Food Project
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 11:51:33 10/03/07
Growing vegetables, relationships, and confidence -- what could be better? The Food Project, started west of Boston in 1991, produces almost a quarter-million pounds of food a year that goes to homeless shelters and lucky consumers. Along the way, urban kids learn about farming, gain confidence and responsibility. Nina finds out how they do it.
22 Views
14:51:15 09/25/07
Best Recipe Ever: Moon Cakes
[LESS INFO] 22 VIEWS | ADDED 14:51:15 09/25/07
The Harvest Moon Festival and Moon Cakes are VERY SPECIAL to me. First of all, my adapted recipe of Moon Cakes with a buttery-vanilla crust stuffed with a DELICIOUS, apricot marmelade filling is SERIOUSLY GOOD. We just baked some today to send to a Chinese friend...YUM!! Watch the video and see how the Moon Cakes girls and Imake them! Get the recipe at http://spicesoflife.com This is also a beautiful time of year and it was this very same time THIRTY-SIX years ago (YIKES!!!)... at the tender age of NINETEEN that I went ( all by myself ) to Taipei, Taiwan to study Mandarin and Chinese food! (Boy, was I innocent and optimistic!!) I arrived on a plane at 3 am (after traveling thirteen hours) knowing NOONE EXCEPT a woman, Huang Su Huei, whose name I had been given by a fomer classmate in my freshman Mandarin class at the University of Wisconsin ( I dropped out after finishing a year ). Little did I know that she was a FAMOUS cooking teacher who had a WONDERFUL cooking school in Taipei. Not only did she and her family adopt me, but I lived with her for over three years and we translated and wrote THREE Chinese books together. ("Classic Chinese Cuisine I and II and "Chinese Snacks".) Back to the moon cakes.... My Mandarin was not very good and her and her husband's English was not great, but when we arrived at their house, they served me tea and mooncakes. We communicated through the moon c akes .... . They told me about the festival, explained the story , and the rest as we say is history.... Let's all celebrate this beautiful, but poignant time of year! Enjoy the full moon and MAKE MOON CAKES !! Nina
4 Views
13:24:47 09/18/07
Unlocking the Secrets of Tea
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 13:24:47 09/18/07
It was a pleasure to meet the couple at their store “ Cooks Shop Here ” in Northampton, Mass and watch Bob Heiss brew one of his favorite oolongs, offer all kinds of tea tips, and talk about their tea treks to Asia. (Not- to- mention that they introduced me to some AMAZING tea!!) Although we feature Bob in the vlog, Mary Lou is EVERY BIT AS PASSIONATE and in any conversation the two seamlessly finish one another’s sentences.
As you’ll see, Bob has developed an enticing ritual that’s culled from their travels in China and Japan, where tea is revered for its flavor, health benefits, and the opportunity to take a short break from the fast and busy pace of contemporary, everyday life.
From the moment I first laid eyes on the manuscript of “ The Story of Tea ” by Mary Lou and Bob Heiss, I knew it was extraordinary. (See the accompanying article in the Wednesday Dining In/Dining Out section of The New York Times this week.) No other book, to my knowledge, has contained as much fascinating and detailed information with chapters titled “The History of Tea”, “Life of a Tea Bush”, “Journeying Along the Tea Trail”, “An Encyclopedia of Tea“ and” Brewing the Perfect Cup”. The book is now in stores and available via the internet. Even through their writing, the Heiss’ communicate their enthusiasm and passion.
Watch the YouTube video Chinese Fountains of Tea to see Bob use another fun and unexpected method to brew and pour tea, Chinese-style.
Chin Chin!
Nina
0 Views
23:56:40 09/13/07
Healthy Foods For Kids Exposed
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:56:40 09/13/07
This month we are focusing on healthy food and kids. Myra Goodman of Earthbound Farms Organics and her family are certainly health-conscious. Her children LOVE salads, often coming home from school to snack on raw veggies and fresh fruits - on their own accord! How does she do it? The answer she says (besides having acres and acres of the fresh produce growing around their house) is that healthy doesn't have to mean sacrifice - healthy can be delicious!
2 Views
23:43:17 09/09/07
19 Views
20:57:30 08/24/07
Nina Unscripted: Nell Newman
[LESS INFO] 19 VIEWS | ADDED 20:57:30 08/24/07
Nina Unscripted visits Newman’s Own Organics and talks with Nell Newman about her organic food company, her latest passions, and her unwavering commitment to sustainability.
I know everyone talks about wanting to meet Paul Newman, Nell Newman’s celebrated father and creator of Newman’s Own, a company that has contributed over $200 million dollars to charity, but PERSONALLY Joanne Woodward is the one I want to meet. Any woman who managed to stay married to one of America’s most popular leading men and active in her own right has my UTMOST admiration. Nell is that type of a woman herself. As you’ll see from the video, she started out as a conservationist and ended up an entrepreneur who convinced her once- skeptical father to loan her and her partner money to start a new branch of the business, which has become MIGHTY successful.
Nell’s charming and unpretentious manner (and her dedication to making the world a better place) is a testament to the ideals her parents seem to have instilled in her. It was not only fun, but lovely to listen to Nell share stories of her childhood and her Mom’s “healthy” cooking. (nut loaf and yeast gravy) Fortunately, Nell, a talented and enthusiastic cook in her own right, learned a thing or two about making snack food. (no nut loafs there!!) Despite their commitment to health, Nell and her staff had NO PROBLEM demolishing the box of Harborsweets chocolates I brought to them. As Nell would be the first to admit, a little chocolate now and then, -especially when it’s Newman’s Own- never hurt anyone.
Onward to organic marshmallows!!! (You’ll just have to watch the video...)
Nina
9 Views
18:50:40 08/21/07
Wine Tasting Myths Exposed
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 18:50:40 08/21/07
Sandy Block, who is a Master of Wine, a credential NOT MANY people in this country can boast, is not only INCREDIBLY knowledgeable about wine, but he is down-to-earth and FUN!! What better recipe for a Spices of Life program? Especially since we feel that a knowledge and appreciation of wine is part of the "enjoyment of life" experience. Sandy, not only provides some great tips about some of his favorite summer wines, but he helps us debunk some myths about the "rules" that we have come to associate with wine. Sandy, in his articulate, but diplomatic manner TRASHES them all. It’s a blast and what better fun than to sip and enjoy some great wines on a summer, fall, or winter’s day?
A Votre Sante or Gan Bei, as they say in Chinese which means "Bottoms Up"!!
Nina
10/24/07