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Peace and happiness begin where garlic is used in cooking

Total news: 10
Last news: December 12, 2007 16:35:25

Chi mangia bene vive bene

Total news: 9
Last news: December 11, 2007 17:19:37

The latest news and information from brandweek.com

Total news: 52
Last news: August 27, 2008 13:56:00

Provided by CandyFavorites.com, the Internet's Largest Candy Store

Total news: 10
Last news: June 23, 2008 15:09:11

Candy Favorites specializes in bulk and wholesale candy as well as Brachs and Jelly Belly. Please visit our online candy store offering over 2800 varieties of candy and retro confections

Total news: 59
Last news: August 9, 2008 20:44:20

Because another wine food beer and travel blog was too long of a title.

Total news: 24
Last news: August 28, 2008 02:23:22

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Sometimes it’s just so hard to choose between two perfectly wonderful gift ideas. I’ve been ordering olive oil kitchen accessories from Cruets.com to give as gifts. For that little bit extra pizzazz, I’m pairing each cruet with a special extra virgin olive oil. Terrific idea, isn’t it?

So if I’ve got this wonderful idea, why am I stuck on what to get Mom? (more…)

When it comes to giving exceptional gifts, I reign supreme. I’m so good at it that I’ve often thought I should hang out a shingle as a professional shopper. Now that would be a fun job! I could probably handle every shopping gig online so it wouldn’t take that much time.

Take the upcoming holidays for instance. With the help of some really neat online shops I’ve been able to indulge my latest fancy for kitchen accessories. Not just any kitchen accessory of course, but those designed for olive oil. I’m giving olive oil kitchen accessories. (more…)

Morley Safer of 60 Minutes said: “You can never have enough garlic. With enough garlic, you can eat The New York Times.”

You know, I think he might be right. Garlic is one of those things that, of course, combines greatly with its usual companions of onion, tomato, and basil, either by itself with each or all together in one flavorful dish. But sometimes I think you can put it with just about anything and improve the taste of the original.

You can’t have good Asian, Mexican, or Italian food without garlic. In fact, of all the different kinds of food in our world, Scandinavian is the only kind that didn’t develop with garlic as a seasoning. So if you think garlic is limited, then let me broaden your culinary horizons. (more…)

Grether’s Pastilles
More than you want to know about a great product

Grether’s Pastilles are perfect for throat dryness associated with colds, flu, overtaxing of the voice, environmental influences like heating and air conditioning, smoking, medications, age-related conditions, etc. The main active ingredient, glycerine, based on vegetable oils, creates a comforting, moisturizing protective coat on the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. People who stress their vocal cords by speaking a great deal or singing (among them Bill Clinton, Celine Dion and Sting) value the comforting relief given by the unique pastilles

Grether’s Pastilles have not only this soothing effect and an excellent flavor, they also have a remarkable history: the first mention of pastilles made from blackcurrant juice harken back to the 19th century in England, where the family business Allen & Hanbury Ltd, London got the long pastille tradition off to its start. The pastilles were available in Switzerland as early as 1910 under the original name Allenbury’s. In the early 70s, concurrent with the transfer of production from London to Switzerland, the brand was taken over by Doetsch Grether Ltd. Basel and renamed Grether’s Pastilles.

The demanding, time-consuming production process requires special knowledge and experience, and unique production facilities. Some of the ingredients are still ordered from the same suppliers who provided them for the pastilles’s inventor. The most important of these, Agar Agar, which gives pastilles their smoothness, makes mass production impossible. This gelling agent, produced from saltwater algae, must be soaked for many hours and then combined with the remaining ingredients and cooked. This fluid is then be left to settle to release its air. In the meantime, special wooden cases are filled with corn flour. The Grether’s Pastilles moulds, with the typical GP emblem, are pressed into the cornstarch and then filled with the pastille mixture.

During approximately 6 weeks of the first maturing phase, the corn flour soaks up the surplus moisture of the pastilles. When the required firmness is reached, they are separated from the cornstarch, sprayed with steam and dried overnight. They are now ready for the second, several-week long maturing process: the fruity aroma of the pastilles develops in air-conditioned rooms. So that none of the aroma escapes, the surface of the individual pastilles is coated with a tiny bit of beeswax and vegetable oil, which gives them their shine. Following a strict quality control regimen under the supervision of the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, the Grether’s Pastilles are then packed in their air-permeable packaging, enabling them to breath and mature further to be ready for sale.

My mom is a history teacher so I can regurgitate dates and historical facts at the drop of a hat. Still, I have to confess that because of her maternal influence, I really am interested in history too. Don’t groan! As my mom said to me when I was grumbling about studying such dull stuff, “History is people, and their stories, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and often weird.”

She’s right. I’ve discovered world history is rich with stories about olive oil, one of my special interests. She told me about the war fought by the Jews who revolted against the Greek (and Syrian) army.

On this second day of Hanukkah, I thought that the time would be appropriate for me to talk about how olive oil is connected to why Jews celebrate this holiday. (more…)

ROUND LAKE, MN, November 14, 2007 - Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, Inc. announced today the acquisition of Brach’s Confections from Barry Callebaut, AG.  Included in the Brach’s business and asset purchase are three factories located in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Winona, Minnesota; and Linares, Mexico.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Dennis Nemeth, President of Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, stated, “We are very excited about the addition of Brach’s to Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company.  Brach’s brands and products are highly regarded and well established.  The long traditions of quality and established brands clearly mark our continued committment to the candy business ad fits with our long-term strategy.  In addition to broadening our current portfolio of brands, this acquisition provides opportunities for growth and expansion in our manufacturing and operations”.

Headquarted in Round Lake, Minnesota, Farley’s & Sathers candy Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of quality confectionary and gum products, offering full line, full service opportunities to all classes of the trade in the United States.  The company’s success in the industry, experience with acquisitions, and significant capital resources established Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, Inc. as a leader in the confection industry.  Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company has developed its business both through internal growth and through the acquisitions of famous confectionary brands, including  FARLEY’S, SATHERS, JUJYFRUITS, NOW AND LATER, BOBS SWEET STRIPES, SUPER BUBBLE, FRUIT STRIPE, RAIN-BLO, TROLLI, and CHUCKLES.

Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, Inc. is a portfolio company of Catterton Partners.  Catterton Partners is one of the largest private equity firms in the U.S., focusing on providing growth equity capital in consumer industries.  For more information regarding Catterton Partners, please visit www.cpequity.com.  For more information on Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, Inc., please visit www.farleysandsathers.com.

I’ve got to ask you something. Now, tell me, honestly, is there anything easier to prepare and serve than bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil? It’s not only easy, but delicious too.

I can’t think of anything that repays you in taste for so little effort. (more…)

I don’t know who first started cooking with garlic, but they did the world a favor. I mean, think about it. Did some primitive man gathering berries and roots while waiting for a brontosaurus steak to cook, dig up the bulbous herb, sniff it, and yell to his buddy, “Hey, try this.”

Hard to imagine just chomping down on a big head of this long-domesticated plant, isn’t it? But it’s equally hard to imagine a world without garlic bread, garlic mashed potatoes, and all the other dishes that garlic enhances with its unique flavor.

Garlic bread, without a doubt, is the easiest thing in the world to make. Let me tell you how my mom does it. (more…)

Clark bars, the signature item of one of the country’s largest candy empires, started with a small operation run by young entrepreneur David L. Clark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mr. Clark entered the candy business in 1891 and spent a few years learning the trade before starting his own company, D.L. Clark Co., in 1886.

He manufactured candy in two back rooms of a small house with the help of a small staff.

Within a few years, he made enough money to open a small factory in McKeesport, where the company became incorporated

By 1911, the company had outgrown its factory, and Mr. Clark purchased a large building from a cracker manufacturer.

In the 1920s when the company was making approximately one hundred and fifty (150) different types of candy and gum, Mr. Clark decided to create a separate entity for the gum-making business.

He felt that the candy and gum operations would be more successful if the were run separately, so he opened the Clark Brothers Chewing Gum Co. across the street from his candy factory.

Following Mr. Clark’s death in 1939, his family continued to run the business until 1955. The company operated smoothly in Pittsburgh for several decades but ran into financial difficulties in the 1990s.

Eventually, the company was bought by New England Confectionary Co. and relocated.

Like many retro favorites, McKeesport Candy Co., was one of the first wholesaler in the nation to offer Clark Bars and still does so today via its web site at CandyFavorites.com

Did you know that Chupa Chupa’s were launched in 1958 by a Spanish businessman named Bernat Fontladosa and are now one of the best selling lollipops in the world

This famous lollipop is sold in over one hundred and seventy (170) countries and the company claims to produce over four billion lollipops yearly

The name, now familiar to almost any candy lover, comes from the Spanish verb “chupar” which translates to suck or lick

Little do people know that the famous floral logo was designed by a famous Spanish artist named Salvador Dali

The “Original” One Hundred Thousand Dollar Bar
Manufactured by Nestle

In 1950’s the hottest programs on TV were quiz shows like “The $64,000 Question,” “Twenty-One,” and “The Big Surprise.”

On the “Big Surprise”, one of the first trivia shows, the contestant chose a subject area and was asked to answer questions ranging in value from $100 to $100,000.

Due to the success of the “Big Surprise”, Nestle decided to launch a new candy bar to take advantage of the popularity of the successful television program

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Introduced in 1920 , the Baby Ruth candy bar has fueled one of the great candy mysteries with speculation as to where it got it’s name

Some say it was the great baseball slugger, while other’s claim it was President Grover Cleveland’s daughter.

Here’s another piece of candy trivia:

The fabled Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bar were originally made by the now defunct Curtis Candy Company

The company president, Otto Schnering, used a unique, albeit dangerous, marketing ploy of dropping these candy bars out of planes over major cities

The candy is no longer manufactured by the Curtis Candy Company and distribution is, more often than not, by truck but they remain one of America’s favorites candy bars

Some might think roses and garlic go together like Chanel and fish oil, but that’s simply not true. In many parts of the world, garlic is a cash crop, but I think of it as being planted in flower beds. (more…)

I’m horrified! I discovered something I didn’t know about olive oil. You see, it all started with garlic. I’d never have known this if I hadn’t got interested in the stinking rose. Isn’t that some name? No one really knows why, centuries ago, garlic was named the stinking rose. Well, the stinking part might be understandable, but the rose part? You could say it’s because the bulb resembles a tight rose bud, but that’s quite a stretch of the imagination.

Anyway, back to my big discovery. (more…)

Hippocrates gave us the Hippocratic oath to which doctors swear. He also is remembered for saying something that natural and organic food supporters could use as a rallying cry: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Actually, in light of what I’ve learned about garlic, Hippocrates still might be considered an astute and learned Greek in today’s world.

Garlic, like extra virgin olive oil, has remarkable health benefits. (more…)

When most people think of roasting, they think of a hearty beef roast or a succulent turkey at Thanksgiving. They don’t think of a head or garlic unless they’ve tasted the luscious result from roasting a big garlic bulb.

If you didn’t know you could roast garlic or didn’t know how, I’m here to rescue you from this sad lack of knowledge. (more…)

Does it seem to you that every morning television show and news broadcast has a resident doctor on staff now? Not that I get to watch much morning TV, but my mom keeps me informed. She flips from one channel to the other and is always telling me what Dr. So And So said. She says sometimes they just confuse the issue with so much advice.

The thing I notice about all this prevention information is that two areas are mentioned again and again. (more…)

When some people plan vacations, they look at glossy brochures of cruise ships or spectacular casinos in Las Vegas. Me? I’m looking over a brochure for a tour to Tuscany that offers me the privilege of picking olives during the next olive harvest. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? (more…)

Did I mention that I come from a long line of self-proclaimed cooking experts? I used to think this was funny. Not any more because I must confess I too think I’m an expert. My friends promote this thinking. They think I’m a kitchen wizard. Of course, most of them eat out all the time or pick up something on the way home from work. So they’re easily impressed.

Still, they flatter me and tell me I should have my own television cooking show. That probably wouldn’t work because I’d have to actually list specific ingredients and measurements. My kind of cooking, which I learned from my mom, is (more…)

Wow! Who would have thought that garlic could be so similar to my other favorite ingredient olive oil? I’m amazed at their similarities. Not that they’re from the same plant groups or anything like that. I mean olives are drupes, like cherries and grapes. Garlic is an allium, like onions. Cherries and onions? Not anything alike. What I mean is that garlic is used as a food, but it also has remarkable health benefits, just like olive oil. (more…)