| Dining with Duvall: "Tasteful" Destinations
While I loyally patronize most of our local restaurants, once in a while I like to venture outside the Foothill communities to try something new. Last month I drove down the 2 Freeway for a unique lunch at Minx, the exciting upscale venue that opened late last summer on the hilltop site of the former Rusty Pelican in Glendale.Innovative executive chef Joseph Antonishek treated a small group of food writers to a sampler of his new box lunches. We hopped up on comfy stools at the chef's table, a sleek, kidney-shaped polished wood table overlooking the dining room. The "lunch box" is nothing like the one I packed for my kids. A shiny white square plate is divided into four sections; salad, entrée, side dish and dessert appear together. It's a quick, fun lunch for the gourmet diner.I tried the filet mignon, encrusted with hazelnuts and cocoa nibs.
Fruit mince tarts with brandy butter
To make the brandy butter, place butter and sugar in a Braun Food Processor and process until creamy. Add vanilla and brandy, and process until just combined. Remove and form into a log shape. Wrap in plastic wrap, twisting ends to form a neat parcel. Freeze until firm. To make the pastry, place the flours, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons iced water. Continue to process until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out pastry 5mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into eight circles and use to line eight 8cm-diameter loose-bottomed tart pans. Chill for 10 minutes. Divide the fruit mince among the tart shells.
Muy festive
When the newest Margaritas opened up last year in Exeter, local tongues wagged, and not to taste the salted rim of chilly tart tequila based cocktail. The parking lot was chock full from the start and still is many months later. We all wondered where the heck these people were going before it opened because the other restaurants in Exeter weren't as jam packed pre-margs. Some lamented the arrival of a "chain" restaurant, the demise of the independent restaurateur, but by my definition, Margaritas isn't really a chain. While Exeter is its 19th restaurant in New England, Margaritas is privately owned by a bunch of guys who actually go to Mexico, give back to the community, and since the headquarters is in Portsmouth, hang out in town from time to time. It's also easy to see why people flock there--it's a familiar experience to many, the food is plentiful and reasonably priced, the dcor is jarringly festive and the staff makes you feel very welcome.
What nudists, Schlitz beer and vitamin D have in common
Who would have thought that drinking too much Schlitz beer, years ago, would have not only gotten you drunk, according to Southbury chiropractor Dr. James Prado, but may have overdosed you on vitamin D? "In the late 1800s to early 1900s, they started vitamin D supplementation in foods to prevent rickets (a bone disease) in children," says Prado. "It wasn't really regulated, so they put too much in certain foods -- not only in milk but in things as varied as bread, hot dogs, soda and Schlitz beer. Then, they cut back on supplementation and now, most people are deficient. It's epidemic right now because we're all indoors or wearing sunscreen outdoors." Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining proper calcium metabolism -- regulating calcium balance in our bodies. "The majority of the vitamin D we get comes from sunlight," Prado said.
Why Migrate? It's Not For The Fruit
Science Daily Why do some birds fly thousands of miles back and forth between breeding and non-breeding areas every year whereas others never travel at all? One textbook explanation suggests that eating fruit or living in nonforested environments were the precursors needed to evolve migratory behavior. Not so, report ecologists W. Alice Boyle and Courtney J. Conway of the University of Arizona, Tucson, in the March issue of the American Naturalist. .
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