THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 14, 1995 TAG: 9512130036
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAT DOOLEY, FLAVOR EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 197 lines
JOLLY OLD St. Nick wears that bowlful of jelly just fine.
And Mrs. Claus isn't likely to join the healthful-cooking sleigh ride anytime soon.
After all, a little extra girth keeps a body warm on a cold Pole night.
All points south, however, health-conscious cooks are on the lookout for ways to skim fat, trim calories, put the reins on sodium and cholesterol - and prepare tasty meals to boot.
That can make it hard on the gift giver, especially in this season of excess. It's so easy to snap up a box of candy or cookies, or shovel out some bucks for another handy appliance that makes life a little more sedentary.
So, what do you get the cook who's also a health buff?
Here's a smattering of items we found locally. While they probably don't conform to Santa's image, they'll likely fit your pocketbook. Some even can be tucked into a favorite healthy cook's stocking.
These days, less fat is where it's at. Witness the increase in sales of pressure cookers, which quickly cook nutrient-dense foods such as beans and wild rice, with minimal or no fat.
Experts at local cooking shops say today's cookers are better built - and less likely to explode under pressure. At Kitchen Barn, in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach, cookers start at $99. The Super Pressure Cooker from Magefesa of Spain (Kitchen Barn, $99.98) features a tight-locking lid, several safety valves and a stainless-steel ``sandwich bottom'' for even heating. Instruction booklet and recipes are included.
Not suprisingly, the return of the pressure cooker has brought forth a multitude of cookbooks. Lorna J. Sass accentuates the healthful with ``Cooking Under Pressure'' (William Morrow and Co., 1989, $18.95) and ``Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure'' (William Morrow, 1994, $23).
Also popular this year is Joyce Chen's line of Eastern cookware. Chen's 2-quart Good Earth Steam Pot ($24.95 at Bouillabaisse in Norfolk) is an inexpensive, easy way to cook low-fat. The terra-cotta pot is placed in a bath of boiling water in a stockpot or wok. Steam travels upward, along a center ``chimney,'' to moist-cook vegetables, seafood, poultry, rice or stews. Includes instruction and recipe booklet.
Turning out good food, of course, can be as simple as owning the right pots and pans. Quality nonstick cookware makes cooking without fat easy. The Scanpan 8-inch fry pan (Kitchen Barn, $46) has a permanent nonstick surface that doesn't require shortening. The pressure-cast aluminum base and thick bottom help foods cook evenly. The Scanpan line includes covered stewpot, saucepan and casserole.
Stovetop grills continue to thrill, especially when outdoor temperatures take a dip. The Maxi StoveTop Grill from Burton (Bouillabaisse, $29.95) features the healthful advantages of outdoor grilling, on 13 1/2-inch SilverStone nonstick surface, with dual handles for maneuvering. Dishwasher-safe, the maxi version of Burton's original design comes in six colors. Instruction and recipe pamphlet are brief, but you can always toss in one of the many grill books at kitchen and bookstores. Among them: ``Burton's ``Grill It In: Recipes for the Burton Stovetop Grill'' by Barbara Grunes (The Cole Group, 1991, $10.95) and ``The International Grilling Cookbook'' by Jay Solomon (The Crossing Press, 1994, $12.95). GADGETRY GALORE
If the health enthusiast on your list is light on his or her feet but not heavy into cooking, clever gadgets make life simple.
Vegetable lovers can slice, strip and spiral their way to health with Saladacco from SCI Cuisine International (Kitchen Barn, $46.98). Hand-operated by the turn of a crank, Saladacco cuts down to size any firm, raw vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, zucchini and even potatoes.
For those who like their carbohydrates in bagel form - but haven't mastered the basics of safe cutlery - - comes the 5-inch-high Beechwood Bagel Slicer from Lipper International Inc. (Bouillabaisse, $12.95). Slip the bagel into the slicer and let the horizontal slats, not your hand, be the knife's guide.
Pick up any low-fat cookbook or magazine, and you'll likely find a recipe for dips, dressings cheesecakes or spreads using yogurt cheese. The 32-ounce Yogurt Strainer from Progressive International (Bouillabaisse, $8.98) makes it easy and neat to separate the whey from the yogurt. Instructions and six recipes from television cook Graham Kerr are included.
Also popular is roasted garlic. The terra cotta Garlic Baker from VillaWare (Kitchen Barn, $10.98) not only looks nifty in the kitchen, but evenly roasts the garlic, for a full, rich flavor. Just brush the garlic with olive oil, put it in the baker and place it in the oven at 250 degrees. In an hour, the garlic is ready to spread onto crackers or bread.
Of course, no health buff lives by bread alone. Water, often, is the beverage of choice. Teledyne Water Pik offers an inexpensive way to make tap water more appealing, with its Pour-Thru Water Filter Pitcher System ($21.99 at select K marts and supermarkets, or call 800-525-2774). Teledyne says the 2-quart plastic pitcher with fillers and lid ``reduces lead, pesticides, chlorine and sediment'' in less than five minutes. BOXES AND BASKETS
Even the most diligent among the diet-conscious aren't saints. So give festive treats that pack pleasure, not a lot of calories or fat.
Nowadays, it's easy to find shops that cater to your gift-basket needs. Visit your favorite grocery or gourmet store, and comprise a basket or box of fruits, low-fat crackers and cheeses, non-alcoholic wine, sparkling cider or fruit juice. If you're uncertain or pressed for time, many stores will guide you, or even do the work.
West Side Wine Shop in Norfolk, for example, will design a ``Santa's De `lights' '' gift box ($32.95) or basket ($38.45) filled with low-fat Mariner crackers, reduced-fat Boursin cheese spiced with garlic and herbs, Kristian Regale Sparkling Pear Apple Juice Beverage, and Cowboy Caviar's Vegetable Pate, Almondina All-Natural Biscuits and Moose Lodge Heavenly Fat-Free Fudge. Or, you choose. Call 440-7600, or visit the shop at 4700 Hampton Blvd.
At Bella Monte, 134 Hilltop East in Virginia Beach, order up a basket filled with low-fat crackers, cookies, brownies and desserts, and pastas, grains, oils, reduced-fat cheeses and cookbooks.
The shop also carries a variety of infused olive oils. Different herbs and fruits blended into the oils create bolder flavors, so less oil can be used in cooking.
Also among the many Hampton Roads shops that will help you create a gift (or ask your favorite shopkeeper):
Taste Unlimited, Pacific Avenue and 36th Street (422-3399), Hilltop West (425-1858) and 4097 Shore Drive (464-1566), all in Virginia Beach; 1619 Colley Ave. in Norfolk (623-7770); and Great Bridge Shopping Center in Chesapeake (546-9000).
Williams Sonoma, La Promenade on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach (428-8908).
Azar's Natural Foods Cafe and Market, 108 Prescott Ave. in Virginia Beach (486-7778).
Read all about it
This year you'll find no shortage of books about healthy cooking, nutrition, fitness, weight loss and more. Some of 1995's most popular titles:
``The Occasional Vegetarian'' by Karen Lee with Diane Porter (Warner Books, $24.95).
``The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, New Revised Edition'' by Mollie Katzen (Ten Speed Press, $18.95).
``High-Flavor Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking'' by Steven Raichlen (Viking, $24.95).
``Nutrition for Women'' by Elizabeth Somer (Henry Holt, $14.95).
``Food and Mood'' by Elizabeth Somer (Henry Holt, $25).
``Women's Health Companion: Self Help Nutrition Guide and Cookbook'' by Dr. Susan Lark (Celestial Arts, $26.95).
``The New Wellness Encyclopedia'' from the editors of the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter (Houghton Mifflin, $19.95).
``How Nutrition Works'' by Kristine Napier (Ziff-Davis Press, $19.95).
Also, new on the bookshelf for men: ``Fight Fat'' by Stephen C. George, Jeff Bredenberg and the editors of Men's Health Books (Rodale Press Inc., $14.95). HEALTHY NEW YEAR
For gifts that keep on giving advice, recipes and other information on nutrition and health, consider a magazine subscription. Buy a copy of the magazine, call for a subscription, and give the current issue with a card.
Possibilities for the healthful cook:
Eating Well: The Magazine of Food and Health. $18 a year for six (bimonthly) issues. Published by Telemedia Eating Well Inc., in Charlotte, Vt. Call (800) 678-0541.
Cooking Light: The Magazine of Food and Fitness. $18 a year for nine issues (includes three bimonthly, or combined, issues). Published by Southern Progress Corp., Birmingham, Ala. Call (800) 336-0125.
Cooking Light also produces a pretty wall calendar, featuring a photograph and low-fat recipe each month. To order the calendar, call (800) 366-4712, Ext. 6474. Cost is $7.95 each.
Magazines that offer some recipes but emphasize health or fitness include Shape, Fitness, Prevention, Men's Health and Men's Fitness. You'll find them at most newsstands and bookstores.
Among reliable, nutrition-oriented newsletters not available on newsstands:
Nutrition Action Health Letter. From Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Washington, D.C., consumer-advocacy group best known for its scrutiny of movie-theater popcorn, Italian and Chinese restaurant food and deli sandwiches. Includes nutrition, health and product information, a few recipes. Cost for one year (10 issues) is $24. Call (800) 237-4874.
Environmental Nutrition: The Newsletter of Diet, Nutrition and Health. From Environmental Nutrition Inc., a consumer group in New York City. Includes nutrition, health and product information. Cost for one year (12 issues) is $30, or $4 per single copy. Call (800) 829-5384. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
TAMARA VONINSKI/The Virginian-Pilot
Olive Oils infused with herbs add zest to healthy foods. At Bella
Monte in Virginia Beach.
Beachwood Bagel Slicer by Lipper International helps cut your bagel,
not your hand. $12.95.
The Super Pressure Cooker ($99.98 at Kitchen Barn) and books by
Lorna J. Sass, ``Cooking Under Pressure'' ($18.95) and ``Great
Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure'' ($23). Pressure cookers quickly
cook nutrient-dense foods with minimal or no fat.
The Good Earth steam pot by Joyce Chen is an easy way to cook
low-fat. Recipe booklet included. At Bouillabaisse in Norfolk.
$24.95.
Photo
Cooking Light's calendar ($7.95) features low-fat recipes every
month.
by CNB