Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412220021
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
From sea to shining sea, America is a smorgasbord of fish, meats, nuts, legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables. Over the years, as immigrants and various ethnic groups settled in different parts of the country, they took advantage of the local bounty and resourcefully combined those ingredients with the cooking techniques and preferred flavors of the "old country." Soon, different regions of the U.S. became known for their unique recipes and styles of cooking featuring native ingredients.
While there was once a time when one would have to travel to Boston to get baked beans or to New Orleans for a bowl of seafood gumbo, thanks to the benefits of canned foods, today Americans can delight in any regional cuisine, wherever they live, any time of the year.
No salmon in Peoria? Out of jalapeo peppers in Minneapolis? The answer is in the can.
Already heat-processed, chopped, peeled, sliced and seasoned, canned foods offer the convenience of minimal preparation because they only need a quick warming. And because most have a shelf life of two years or more, they're never out of season - allowing you to fix your favorite meal any time of the year.
Especially during the holiday season, canned foods can pull you through some tight times of cooking, baking and entertaining.
Cookbook author and Bon Appetit magazine columnist Melanie Barnard says canned chicken, beef or vegetable broths and soups such as cream of asparagus, cream of broccoli or cream of chicken make great ingredients for homemade speed-scratch soups, stews, gravies and sauces.
Barnard uses canned fruits to add color, flavor and texture to menus. She drizzles chocolate sauce over pear halves atop scoops of ice cream on fancy dessert plates for an easy, elegant "Pear Helene." A heated fruit compote of peaches, pears and apricots complements turkey or ham with equal flair.
Canned vegetables, seafoods, pates, nuts and nut products make quick appetizers, hors d'oeuvres and snacks. Plus the nuts and nut products make wonderful cake or cookie fillings.
When prepared for the table, canned foods are equally nutritious to their fresh and frozen counterparts. And in addition, canned food packaging is 100 percent recyclable.
For more information on the nutrition and safety of canned foods and more stylish yet easy-to-prepare recipes, the Canned Food Information Council offers a guide to the nutritional benefits of canned foods and a 20-page color recipe booklet. To order, send $1 for postage and handling and a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Chefs' Choice/What's in the Can?, Canned Food Information Council, 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Room 1020, Chicago, Ill. 60604.
To receive Hunt's free collection of 20 simple recipes using its ready tomato sauces, send your name and address on a 3-inch by 5-inch card to Hunt's Recipe Collection, P.O. Box 9988, Maple Plain, Minn. 55592.
And for a free collection of recipes from Melanie Barnard for the Steel Packaging Council, send your name and address to Can-Do Recipes, P.O. Box 991, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15230-0991.
Recipes for:
WHOLE GRAIN PANCAKES WITH CHERRY SAUCE
WARM FRUIT COMPOTE
SOUTHWESTERN CORN SALAD
PARSLIED HAM AND TURKEY LOAF
CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE: In a small bowl, whisk together 6 Tbsp. evaporated MINTED PEA PUREE
SWEET POTATO BANANA PUDDING
RED BEET EGG SALAD
RED RIBBON CRANBERRY COFFEECAKE
ELEGANT GORGONZOLA PASTA
CREOLE CHICKEN AND RICE
ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP
by CNB