Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 5, 1994 TAG: 9401120005
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Almena Hughes
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Their all-important Lenten Holy Supper feast on Christmas Eve includes Kutia, a ritual dish of poppy seeds, nuts, dried fruit and honey, and traditional foods such as horseradish; borscht made with mushroom-filled dumplings; stuffed cabbage; Christmas cakes with poppy seeds, dates and nuts; a dried fruit compote spiced with cinnamon and cloves; and garlic cloves, which are said to bring good health to the family throughout the new year.
Here in the Southern United States, greens and black-eyed peas with hog jowls are the new year's choice of fortuitous food. But according to Campbell Soup Co., which this year marks its 125th anniversary of pleasing international appetites, the French eat pancakes to bring good fortune; Germans pair fish with white cabbage and carrots to symbolize silver money and gold. Lobster means good health and happiness for the Japanese; and the Swiss let a little whipped cream drop on the floor as a sign of abundance.
Alas, abundance - especially during the past few months - is to blame for many of us in this new year having to resolve to shed a few new-found pounds.
Experts agree that fat is still a four-letter word, and the main cause of weight gain. The Sugar Association says that calories from fat are stored as fat, while excess calories from carbohydrates and proteins are burned. So fill up on grains, fruits and vegetables, rather than meat, milk, fats, oils and sweets. And try to limit to between 20 percent and 30 percent your daily intake of calories from fat.
Speaking of fat, wonder why hardly anyone bought the idea of "Butterfinger Chocolate-Peanut Butter Lowfat Milk"? The product, one of 500 deemed most interesting among roughly 17,000 new grocery entries during 1993, won in the "Fool's Gold" category in a consumer poll by AcuPoll Precision Research Co. Other Fool's Gold winners included a fruit and vegetable wash, competing at $5.95 per bottle with tap water, and an antibacterial toothbrush spray, designed to combat a problem that most of those surveyed agreed only Felix Unger would think about.
The survey's "Pure Gold" winners included Oreo chocolate ice cream cones; cheesecake that thinks it's ice cream; and several highly portable, convenient or environmentally friendly products.
We know our products here in Western Virginia, too. As predicted by our own unscientific readers' survey, conducted in December, small kitchen appliances were popular as holiday gifts. Now, if they could just get people to read the instructions, they'd eliminate the top cause of breakage and disappointment with appliances, company officials say.
Nationwide, retailers said '93`s top sellers were espresso makers, Kitchenaid mixers, rice steamers, miniature food choppers, hand blenders and slow cookers. With the exception of the espresso machines and steamers, our unofficial survey knew that, too.
The hottest-selling appliance - drum roll - was the bread machine. I got one. It's sort of like having a new baby; I spend a lot of time just getting familiar with its functions.
Also like a new baby, it's sparked a whole slew of "buy products": you know, all the other products I'll need to buy to get optimum results until I figure out which one or two or even 10 I can get along without. These include special fast-acting yeasts and specially formulated bread machine mixes, including three varieties from Native Grains (800) 845-2486, using all unprocessed ingredients.
Cookbook author Lora Brody's Bread Machine Boost dough enhancer is supposed to improve the rise, texture, crumb and crust of loaves. A 10-ounce package, enough to enhance 10-20 loaves, sells for $7.95. Call (216) 946-1661.
There are manual slicers from most of the major bread machine manufacturers, ranging from about $20-$30, for those who crave uniformity. And there are catalogs, such as "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue" (800) 827-6836, which among other benefits tells consumers the number of cups per pound in its specialty flours, meals, grains, cereals and blends, which helps when ordering small quantities. It also lists products and ingredients for special needs such as allergies or diabetes. "The Baker's Find" catalog (800) 966-2253 includes relatively inexpensive bulk yeast and an array of baking chips, including hard-to-find cherry and lemon flavors.
There are bread machine cook booklets, such as Gold Medal's Special Editions recipe magazine "Homemade Breads," available in grocery stores' magazine sections through March 14. And there are more bread machine cookbooks than one could possibly ever bake from.
With state-of-the-art changing so quickly among these machines, a newsletter offering reviews, recipes, tips and general support for new bread machine moms and dads may be the best way to go. The bimonthly The Bread Machine Newsletter by Donna Rathmell German, author of "The Bread Machine Cookbook" series (Bristol Publishing) is $14.95 per year. Write 976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 3, Mount Pleasant, S.C. 29464. The quarterly The Magic Bread Letter costs $12 for one year and can be ordered through P.O. Box 337, Moss Beach, Calif. 94038-0337.
by CNB