Kudos to this kitchen product maker.

http://www.farberware.com                                        http://www.lifetimebrands.com

A couple weeks ago the Dude of Food needed a new “spatchula” and ended up purchasing a Farberware “slotted turner”.  It turns out there was a problem with the one I bought and I wrote the company an email to ask about it. To the credit of the company, they were interested in hearing what happened and were more than happy to replace the product. Today the new product arrived and all is good in the kitchen again.

Thank you Farberware and parent company Lifetime Brands, for supporting your customers and standing behind your product line. Maximum respect. You can bet the Dude of Food endorses your kitchen gear and when I need new kitchen utensils you can bet I will be looking at your brands.

 

Follow the Dude of Food on facebook at – www.facebook.com/thedudeoffood

 

Malbec – TERRAZAS de los Andes 2010

terrazas

Another fine wine from the Mendoza region nestled in Argentina. 

 

       TERRAZAS  de  los  Andes    Reserva     Malbec 2010

Produced and bottled by Terrazas de los Andes, Argentina

 

Selected grapes of the Mendoza region terraces, found a little more than 1,000

meters above sea level,  make their way into this wine. The selectivity of this

wine is probably why it is imported by the Moet Hennessy company.

Personally, this wine is almost as good as my still favorite Malbec, Bodega de

ELENA. The Terrazas is kind of similar to the Elena, but I found it to be a touch

lighter in body and flavor when landing on the tongue. The Terrazas is flowery

and fruity. Perhaps the Terrazas could be imagined as a merlot version of the

Elena if it were imagined as a cabernet of the same vinter.

The Terrazas is a good wine, reasonably priced and will be gone before the

bottles of Mondavi that other people brought to the party.

For comments or contact with the Dude of Food, please visit me at-

              https://www.facebook.com/thedudeoffood

                              or on Yelp as Dude Food G.

 

 

Red Rock Malbec Reserve 2010

peter pearce photo
peter pearce photo

 

Vinted and bottled by Red Rock winery Healdsburg, CA

                                           1.888.271-9463

       This Malbec is grown here in California, not Argentina.

The flavor of this reserve wine lacks the depth of the Bodega de ELENA

Malbec, which is my current favorite. It is not a bad wine, but if looking

for a reasonably priced California red, I’d go Murphy-Goode Cabernet.

Glazed Swai with zucchini isn’t what it appears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy_1YqKtNbwpeter pearce photo

This link above was the video used by the Dude to complete his mission.

As stated in the video, Swai is not expensive but it tastes mediocre.  I made the

dish pictured to the right  according to the video and it was pretty tasty.

What it doesn’t tell you is that Swai is raised in the Mekong River.

The Mekong River is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. Numerous factories get rid of the chemical waste by dumping them into the river. While pangasius fish (swai) can survive in such an extreme environment, they absorb all these contaminants. As omnivores, they eat whatever is available in the environment. Some breeders feed the fish trash and rotting matter to cut down the cost. Pangasius fish bred in such circumstances, certainly contain these toxic chemicals.

Injecting the fish with hormones helps to stimulate their growth. Certain breeders are able to make their fish grow four times as fast as they do in the natural habitat. Frequent use of antibiotics serves to control disease but can lead to the contamination of meat and development of antibiotic resistant pathogens.

Reliable farms utilize the clean areas of the rivers or breed the fish in artificial ponds. Frequent water changes and filtration maintain the quality of water, so that the fish avoid absorbing the pollutants. Trustworthy breeders feed the fish food scraps, dedicated fish pellets and rice bran. The carefully selected diet leads to healthier fish and improves the quality of their meat. Limited use of the antibiotics allows the fish to break the toxins down, instead of accumulating in the bodies of Swai fish.

To choose the safe fillets, check if the meat has been tested for the presence of the antibiotics and contaminants. Try to avoid panga fillets of unknown origin, as there’s a good chance that they are imported from these shady farms. The responsible shopping habits serve to reinforce the correct commercial breeding techniques. They protect the consumers from ingesting the toxic ingredients.

Bottom line, cheaper isn’t always better.

The Dude of Food Fact – Cellulose (wood chips)

    Wood Pulp is A Popular Food Additive

images

Think you won’t eat wood?  Think again.

Cellulose is added to many foods as a thickening agent, lending texture and boosting fiber content.

This reduces the need for expensive ingredients like flour and oil.

While cellulose comes from wood, it is the same structure as cellulose found in celery, serving as a

source of dietary fiber.

 

       The Dude of Food is not opposed, but I still think this kind of information should be more clearly marked on food labels.

In the case of the Mozzarella cheese above, the front of the label says organic. They are not lying, but I’d rather have flour and oil.

DownloadedFile-1powdered-cellulose-fda-approvedimages-2

Delicious Catfish Po’ Boy

New Orleans has shared many things a person into the arts can appreciate.

photo: Pete Pearce
photo: Pete Pearce

The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise.

Another gift of New Orleans is the Po’ Boy sandwich. (www.poboyfest.com/history)

Pictured here is my tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese.

Celebrity Kitchen LA – Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin

Celebrity Kitchen 3
Celebrity Kitchen 3

Imagine that table filled with platters of various appetizers, while we sip sangria served up by kitchen mermaid Rachael Ray and enjoy the smells of BBQing meats outside blowing in through the open french doors.

In the meantime, the music plays and we wait for the Dude of Food to throw the fresh coconut crusted whitefish in the pans heating up on the grill of this kitchen in the home of some cool people.

MURPHY-GOODE Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

               Murphy-Goode Winery        Santa Rosa, CA murphy goode

                               MURPHYGOODE.COM

 

This wine posses a heavy thick leg but lands on the taste buds

gracefully, reminding the senses of a bouquet of sweet berry flavors.

The flavor doesn’t linger long on the red carpet, before it melts away,

providing opportunity for another pleasurable taste.

For under $13. this is a pretty good wine, not so much over $15. as

you have entered a region of price where premiere tastes become more

pronounced.

Murphy-Goode cab is not a bad wine, but if you like a heavier full

flavored red wine, then the Bodega ELENA de Mendoza offers a bit more

bang for a little less bucks.