Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 26, 1995 TAG: 9507270002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR AND ANN CRISWELL HOUSTON CHRONICLE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Among them, The Adventurous Appetite offers small-group culinary pleasure tours to exotic locations with distinct regional cuisines. In September, it will travel to Turkey. During November, the destination will be India. The New York-based company limits its tour parties to 10 members. Itineraries include exploration of local markets and hands-on preparation of gourmet meals, plus planned nonfood activities and free time. For dates, costs and other details, call (212) 873-9067.
"A Celebration of Spices" will be held from Sept. 24 through Sept. 30 on St. George's, Grenada, West Indies. Activities will include talks and demonstrations by American restaurant experts, including culinary historian and lecturer Jessica Harris, plus island culture, visits to places of special interest and free time. Early- booking discounts are offered for arrangements made before July 31. Phone or fax Island Cuisine Adventures at (809) 444-1180, or contact the Grenada Board of Tourism, (800) 927-9554 or (212) 687-9554.
From Oct. 20 through Oct. 22, Food and Wine magazine will feature Master Chef Jacques Pepin and other food and wine experts at the Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort in Puerto Rico. Cooking instruction, island flavor and Puerto Rican rums, plus table-setting design tips, entertaining techniques and fine-wine exploration will be offered. Contact American Express Travel (800) 435-0072.
On Nov. 4, Chocolatier magazine will begin an eight-day jaunt on the high seas for chocolate lovers. A "Bon Bon Voyage" truffle party will kick off daily chocolate events ranging from educational to entertaining. An on-board recipe contest will give cruisers a chance to win a free cabin for two on next year's cruise. Contact Theme Cruises International (800) 547-4790.
If you can't get out of town, you can still sample food. And what better place to start than your own back yard? Virginia's rich history includes some of the most palate-pampering provisions on the planet. An excellent starting point for finding out about foods and festivities in our state is the 170-page "Virginia Is For Lovers Travel Guide," issued by the Virginia Division of Tourism. Use the regionalized guide as is or as a springboard to contact specific area chambers of commerce. To receive your free guide and a supplement, call (800) 248-4833, extension 1110.
"Culinary Secrets of Great Virginia Chefs" by the Virginia Chefs Association and Martha Hollis Robinson ($19.95, Rutledge Press) combines the best of foods from renowned dining institutions with the best-kept secrets of some of the state's top chefs. Each of the 200 diverse recipes in this comprehensive compendium is rated according to degree of difficulty and lists ingredients by standard as well as weight measurements.
Aside from expanding your culinary experiences, sampling new foods is an excellent way to conform to recent healthful-eating findings. For example, the Food Guide Pyramid, adopted three years ago, has proved to be almost as challenging as pyramids in Egypt were to archaeologists.
Getting the recommended six to 11 servings of grain foods, two to four servings of fruit and three to five servings of vegetables daily may seem almost impossible to Americans raised on fast foods and meals from a box. But a food safari to explore the world's cuisines may be the answer.
Begin with ethnic cookbooks and a tour of ethnic grocery stores and supermarkets. Try a new food every week, and cook with the item until it becomes part of meal planning.
Look for ``new'' old grains, such as quinoa, millet, kamut and spelt. Serve grilled chicken or hamburgers with an aromatic rice, Asian rice noodles or Japanese soba noodles, bulgur (cracked wheat), couscous (steamed semolina), orzo and other shapes and flavors of pasta, or polenta (that's just cornmeal with an Italian accent).
The USA Rice Council suggests taking a pot of freshly cooked rice and "culturizing" it by adding cooked sausage, sliced green onions, chopped bell pepper, minced garlic and a dash of hot pepper sauce for Creole; saffron or turmeric, onions, tomatoes, garlic and seafood for Spanish; slivered almonds, onion, cinnamon, ground red pepper and chopped dried apricots for Moroccan; or Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, sour cream and chopped green chilies for Tex-Mex.
Try chayote (squash), arugula (a slightly bitter salad green), globe artichokes, taro, cactus pads (nopales), jicama, chilies, lentils and chickpeas (garbanzos). Try new seasonings, such as lemon grass and other Asian herbs and seasonings.
For more ideas on Mediterranean meals, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to "Near East's Mediterranean Taste Adventure," 350 California St., Suite 1600, San Francisco, Calif. 94104.
Recipes for:
EASY BANANA TIRAMISU
CARIBBEAN CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE-BLACK BEAN SAUCE
CHOCOLATE SILK PIE
MACADAMIA-CRUSTED SOFTSHELL CRABS WITH CRISPY ASIAN VEGETABLE SLAW
APRICOT-ALMOND CLAFOUTIS
CORNMEAL BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CREME FRAICHE
THAI-STYLE NOODLES, SPROUTS AND EGGS
MEDITERRANEAN TABOULI MOLD
SQUASH PANCAKES
by CNB