The Dude of Food Fact – Cellulose (wood chips)

    Wood Pulp is A Popular Food Additive

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2009

This product of Spain is a tasty red table wine.  la-roca-bottle_lar_garnachacalatayud_750_09_thumb

Las Rocas USA in Hayward, CA.

 

This is a lighter wine than the Malbec’s and Cabernet’s.

The wine has thin streaky legs. The taste immediately

reveals sweet berries and then lightly tapers with a fume

of apricot and pear. Not heavy. Not too sweet.

Great for day sipping, happy hour or with meals.  This

wine would go well with a meat, cheese and olive platter

as well as your favorite steak salad.

If you pay more than 10. it’s not a good deal. It is not the

average bottle, so be a unique wine buyer and try this.

 

 

Malbec – Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011

Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011IMG_2930

Vinted and bottled by B.E.D.M. Wines

Imported by Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA

Product of Argentina

This is the Dudes favorite Malbec yet tasted! This is the first of the bottles

that I have opened that came with a real cork. Good 1st impression. Upon

tasting this wine, I was immediately aware that the taste game had changed.

The bar had been raised. This was serious wine.

The full bodied wine smoothly drifts over your taste buds, dangling flavors of

blackberries and plums, leaving a rejoicing smile and desire for more.

There was no crazy tinny aftertaste. This was immediately my new favorite Malbec.

If it is a dollar more than the other Malbec’s in this price range, pay it!

Get this Malbec!

(side note)  April 2013 issue of Bon Appetite magazine includes McCormick

gourmet selection recommending this wine also.

 

 

Malbec – Cupcake 2011

Grown in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Dude of Food Wine Review
Cupcake 2011

Imported by Cupcake Vineyards, Livermore, CA

 

Grown at 2,400 feet under the shadow of the snow covered Andes mountains,

this Mendoza region wine is more talk than action. The flavors mentioned on

the back of the label mention flavors of plums, raspberries and a dark chocolate

flourless cupcake. Really?

Priced in the reasonable to cheap catagory, but you get what you pay for in this case.

Prefer the Sensual or Robert Mondavi over this Cupcake.

 

Malbec – Redwood Creek 2011

Raised in Mendoza, Argentina

The Dude of Food wine review
Malbec taste test

Imported by Redwood Creek Winery, Modesto, CA

www.redwoodcreek.com

 

I wanted to like this wine but felt it was just not quite as good as the

Robert Mondavi PS  ’11 or Sensual ’12. Not sure why. Same grape,

same region, same year.

 

This wine’s taste was much like the Sensual and Mondavi but there was a slight

shift that did not work in the Redwood Creek’s favor. The price is about the

same so if I had my option, I’d choose the others.