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Wednesday, July 18, 2001
Outside the box

IN THE KITCHEN WITH...

Katey Franceschini, chef and owner of Island Javas.

   Katey Franceschini, chef and owner of Island Javas, tells coffee lovers to stop giving their caffeine supplies the shivers.
   "There are lots of misconceptions about the best way to store coffee beans and freshly ground coffee," she said. "To maintain flavor, avoid the refrigerator and freezer. Store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place, such as your pantry or cupboard shelf."
   Franceschini said coffee lovers with a sweet tooth should add 2 teaspoons of finely ground coffee (preferably espresso) to their favorite chocolate chip recipe.

   BERRY GOOD
   If you like foods that deliver a lot of bang for the buck, consider the sweet strawberry. Eight medium-sized strawberries supply 160 percent of the recommended intake of vitamin C, 270 milligrams of potassium, 4 grams of dietary fiber and 20 percent of the daily allowance of folate. Not bad for a snack that packs a mere 50 calories and 0 grams of fat.
   By the way, each strawberry has an average of 200 seeds. The seeds on the outside of the berry are the actual fruit; the red berry is just the stem.
   Source: California Strawberry Commission

   QUICK BITE
   Tupperware Chef Series Forged Chef's Knife

   A Tupperware knife? Surely, we thought, it must be plastic. But no, this new generation Tupperware item is a stainless steel, professional-grade slicer that means business. Our venture into the kitchen found the knife cut with best of the name-brand varieties, and we liked the almost-imperceptibly curved handle. The only drawback was the tool's noticeable heft, which might deter the daintier cook who faces a lot of chopping.

   Food safety
   Grill safety
   To prevent cross-contamination, never put cooked food back onto a plate or surface where they had been when raw. Cut down on transporting multiple dishes from the kitchen to the grill by putting raw meat, poultry or seafood on a piece of foil on top of the plate.
   Stocking the pantry
   To add variety to your daily meals, stock your pantry with a wide array of pastas, canned tomatoes, beans, broths, grains, spices and dried herbs.

   WEB SITE OF THE DAY
   makeicecream.com
   Instead of cooling off with a pint of your favorite ready-made ice cream, why not make your own? With recipes for every flavor from chocolate marshmallow to cookie dough to raspberry ice cream, lovers of the creamy concoction should be able to undertake a labor of love without breaking a sweat.

   - Written and compiled by Leanne Libby



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