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:
12 Views
22:10:01 07/29/08
Discover FABULOUS Rosés (Pt.2)
[LESS INFO] 12 VIEWS | ADDED 22:10:01 07/29/08
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
3 Views
20:41:28 07/15/08
Made in China
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 20:41:28 07/15/08
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 d
1 Views
16:27:07 07/08/08
Discover FABULOUS Rosés
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 16:27:07 07/08/08
It was so much fun to taste great ros
2 Views
22:03:05 06/24/08
Suzhou Canal
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 22:03:05 06/24/08
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
0 Views
20:40:59 06/17/08
Quick Bites: Sweet and Sour Pickle
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 20:40:59 06/17/08
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
8 Views
00:57:11 06/04/08
Shanghai Golden Pancake
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 00:57:11 06/04/08
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
0 Views
05:54:51 05/29/08
1 Views
01:21:08 05/29/08
Quick Bites: Stir-Fried Broccolini
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 01:21:08 05/29/08
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
3 Views
04:57:29 05/28/08
Quick Bites: Stir-Fried Broccolini
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 04:57:29 05/28/08
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
1 Views
05:30:49 05/14/08
Quick Bites: Toasted Sesame Green Beans
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 05:30:49 05/14/08
“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.
1 Views
20:29:13 04/08/08
GOOD Chinese Food Revealed
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 20:29:13 04/08/08
Before Jennifer 8. Lee wrote her intriguing new book, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles”, everyone thought that Chinese fortune cookies were invented by an Italian in San Francisco. Not so! And you will have to read her book to discover their TRUE origin. Jennifer, as I discovered over lunch at one of my favorite new restaurants in Boston (Watch the video to see where I EAT MY DUMPLINGS ) is funny and smart. PLUS like me, she is obsessed with finding GREAT Chinese food. Okay they may not be AUTHENTIC Chinese, but they can be fun- especially if you add “in bed” at the end of your fortune. May you live a long, healthy, and happy life!! (in bed and out) Nina
8 Views
19:59:04 03/31/08
Best of FOOD Show (Pt. II)
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 19:59:04 03/31/08
Welcome back to the Fancy Food Show 2008, this time with the most INCREDIBLE cheeses you've ever seen or tasted! Paula Lambert is a CHEESE ICON (think Marilyn Monroe of the Mozzarella industry) who, in 1982, after living in Italy, she craved her freshly-made buffalo mozzarella. What did she do? She decided to make her own! And so armed with fierce determination, Southern charm, and a love of Italian cheese, she founded the Mozzarella Company (http://www.mozzco.com/) to bring gourmet cheeses to the American public. The rest, as we say, is history…
From her trademark fresh mozzarella to her goats' milk cheeses, (even a dessert cheese!!), everything I tasted was MEMORABLE!! Watch the video to find out more about this amazing woman and her award-winning creations. Also, check out the recipe section for a few of Paula's favorite cheese pairings and a quick and delicious recipe for Chicken with Fresh Mozzarella!
Bellissimo!
Nina
2 Views
14:52:19 03/23/08
Best of FOOD Show (Pt.I)
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 14:52:19 03/23/08
Want to be a "fly on the wall" at this year's Fancy Food Show, an event that features over FIFTY THOUSAND of the NEWEST, HOTTEST (pardon the expression) GOURMET food?? That’s what I did with my Nokia N93 Digital camera/telephone in San Diego a few months ago. But rather than put everyone through the TORTURE of visiting MANY food stalls and sampling everything from Indian food to stone-pressed chocolate, I selected my “BEST OF SHOW” for this and other upcoming videos. Their new “flavored salts” were my number one choice for some of the most innovative “fancy” foods I saw there...
Meet Mark Zoske and Naomi Novotny, who are obsessed, with salt- and not just with each other (they're engaged!!) –and they are creating some of the neatest salts- in addition to importing them from all the world. They're the founder and vice president of Salt Works (http://www.saltworks.com/), From Vintage Merlot to Green Chile, their high-quality salts are chock-full of delicious flavors and culinary creativity (it took them YEARS to figure out how to infuse salt with the full flavor of Merlot!). Check out the video and all their other amazing flavors!
Salt often takes a bad rap for raising blood pressure, but a little salt is absolutely necessary for the body to function. In fact, according to the American Dietetic Association (http://www.eatright.org/), the body needs at least 500mg of salt per day in order for all your muscles (including your heart) to work properly. So I say, if you need salt, it might was well be good salt, right?!
1 Views
01:57:26 03/19/08
The "Secret" of the Easter Bunny
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 01:57:26 03/19/08
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
0 Views
00:49:31 03/05/08
Quick Bites: Chinese cabbages
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 00:49:31 03/05/08
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!!
1 Views
17:39:50 02/28/08
Quick Bites: Cinnamon
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 17:39:50 02/28/08
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!
02/27/08