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France's unsung wines play well in snow
Few wines belong on a ski trip more than those from France's Savoie region. Clean and light, they revive the spirit like the mountain air that flows from the nearby Alps. Just ask the skiers and hikers who quaff carafes of the local beverage after a day of outdoor exercise. Savoie vintners, small growers who speckle the region's nooks and crannies, produce rivers of generic white wine for these tourists, and this flood has tainted the area with a reputation for wines that travel poorly. "Things have changed since I first went there about 30 years ago," says Berkeley importer Kermit Lynch. "Back then, there wasn't much of an attempt to make anything but ski station wines, but now quite a few people are making more serious wine." Regional pride and a well-heeled global market have spurred vintners, but even the best bottles do not yet rival France's greatest.
Kraft cuts Dairylea fat and salt
Food giant Kraft has said its Dairylea snacks aimed at children have been made healthier by cutting the amount of fat and saturated fat in Lunchables. Fats are being cut by about one third and the salt content is being reduced by about 9%. Dairylea products had been criticised by health campaigners who complained about Lunchables' high salt content. Kraft said revamped Lunchables had no artificial colours, flavours, or trans fats, and 113% more fibre than before. The firm said in a statement: "New recipe Dairylea Lunchables is one example of how Kraft Foods is working with consumers to help them make healthy choices more easily." Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) welcomed the move but said a chicken sandwich without cheese would contain about 0.64g salt, which it said is about a third of the salt content of the Ham 'n' Cheese Sub Lunchable.
Mushers shipping dog food for Iditarod
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Stan Hecker hoisted a 40-pound bag of dog food up on one shoulder, lumbered away and deposited it on a pallet to be shipped to one of the checkpoints along the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail. For Hecker, a 57-year-old retired labor relations practitioner from East Lansing, Mich., making the trek to Alaska for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has become a decade-long tradition. Hecker was one of about 30 volunteers who assembled Wednesday at a loading dock near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for the dog food drops - a sure sign that the world's longest sled dog race is just a few weeks away. "It became a vacation for me," said Hecker, who plans to spend 45 days in Alaska. "It's fun." As of Wednesday, 83 teams were to compete in the 2007 Iditarod, set to start March 3 from downtown Anchorage.
PostScripts: Notes from the food world
When making cornbread or cornsticks in a cast-iron skillet or cornstick pan, the most efficient procedure is to preheat the iron pan in the oven. Cornmeal batters are usually baked in a very hot oven, 425 degrees or hotter. First, grease the pan by placing a tablespoon of bacon drippings straight from the fridge (or solid shortening) into the skillet. Or divide the fat among individual cornstick molds in a cast iron pan. Then place the pan in the oven. As the oven heats to a high temperature with both coils red-hot, the pan will be ready, too. By the time the batter's mixed, the pan will be hot and the fat inside melted. Just swirl the pan to distribute the fat, then pour in the batter and bake as the recipe directs. Lidded jar Preserve the low moisture content of raisins, dried cherries, apricot halves and other dried fruits in a lidded jar, such as this new style from the makers of Ball canning jars.
VAT increase costs seven billion Euros to German companies
According to estimates by economists of the Deutschen Postbank the VAT increase will cost German companies about seven billion Euros in 2007 which is about 1% of the total amount of corporate earnings and unearned income in 2006. However, thanks to vibrant business activity the economy can easily cope with this, think the experts of the Deutsche Postbank. "Corporate earnings will increase strongly in 2007″, forecasts Dr. Marco Bargel, chief economist of the Bonner Bank. Furthermore, increased VAT does not burden all companies in the same way. Almost half of all the products and services consumed in Germany are exempt from VAT or a reduced tax rate is applied as in for instance the case in book trade, for food stuffs and in public local traffic. Here things have remained virtually unchanged.
Mr. Food - Kitchen Gadget Review: Mortar & Pestle
We're getting back to basics with an old tool that's making a big comeback: I consider the mortar and pestle the original food processor!We've all seen the mortar and pestle used as a pharmacist's tool, but actually it's been a kitchen tool for over 9,000 years! Practically every culture around the world has put this simple little club-shaped hand-held tool and bowl to use for grinding everything from grains to herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and much more.It's like the original food processor - except with no batteries or electricity required. It just takes some good old-fashioned elbow grease to release the flavors of our food and make them recipe-ready whether we need them crushed, crumbled, in paste or powder form.Available in loads of brands, styles, and price ranges, these kitchen helpers are making a big comeback.
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