April 21, 2020 (Paso Robles, CA) – The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance unveils its new Home with Paso Wine program, meant to bring the Paso Wine country experience home to its fans. Along with listing purchase specials for over 60 wineries in the Paso Robles wine region, Home with Paso Wine also features new and fun ways to connect with the area’s wineries. Through independent virtual experiences, Paso Wine led Zoom Hangouts, winemaker contributed play lists and home recipes, binge watch recommendations and the wines that pair, as well as a published photo gallery featuring fans’ posts, there are some creative new ways to experience the Paso Robles wine region. Visit Pasowine.com to see all that is available with Home with Paso Wine.

Immediately following the recommended closures of tasting rooms across California, wineries began to design special opportunities to continue to connect with those patrons who favored their wines direct from the cellar door. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance created the Home with Paso Wine program to help wineries broaden their reach. The list of exclusive offers included discounted wines and shipping premiums, but also showcases a list of services like delivery or curbside pick-up, which includes what restaurants have extended for take-out food options. This extensive list is continually being updated.

“The Paso Robles wine community’s relationship with its fans is tight, so not surprisingly our wineries quickly adapted into virtual experiences to continue to enrich that commitment,” said Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “Our team created Home with Paso Wine as a fun and unified way to connect with fans who have supported Paso Wine country for years. With so many wine lovers sheltering at home, we knew we had to bring the Paso Wine experience to them.”

If you cannot have visitors in the tasting room, bring the tasting room to the visitors. Virtual Experiences offers the viewer a chance to still have a memorable tasting with the winemakers and growers of the region. It also creates a platform that allows a winery’s creativity and innovation to shine, since no tasting is the same and everyone has a different way to present their story. Not all are on a reoccurring basis, so check back often to see what’s new.

Beyond the tasting experience, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance created the Paso Wine Zoom Hangout to create an opportunity for Paso Wine fans to hear what is happening in the region from a panel of winemakers and personalities. Set up as a webinar, the audience can listen in while the ingenuity and camaraderie of this region is on full display during these unscripted conversations. At 30 minutes long, its just the right amount of time to take a break from your day with a glass of Paso Wine.

The personality of the wine community continues to be shared through sound, sight, and smell, just through something other than a glass of wine. The winemakers and characters of Paso Robles have created Spotify playlists to be enjoyed with your favorite Paso Robles wine. Sometimes sleepy, sometimes brash, you can guarantee these lists were created with a glass in hand. Home recipes are as unique as a vintage, compiled for you are some Spirit Lifting Recipes as provided by the wineries, complete with a pairing suggestion of course.

Can you pair a wine with anything? In Paso, we think so. Check out the Binge-Worthy shows now available at your streaming service, and the wines we suggest you pair with them. 90s sci-fi to big cat breeding and prime time smut, you’d be surprised at how spot on the pairing can be. Home with Paso Wine programs wouldn’t be as fun without sharing, so the Alliance created a way for our fans to share their at home experience simply by including #HomeWithPasoWine in social media posts. Images are curated and shared to the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Facebook and Instagram sites as well as on the Home with Paso Wine Photo Gallery.

ABOUT PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY ALLIANCE
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is the official trade organization that represents wineries, growers and businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country is California’s third largest wine region. It encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information, visit pasowine.com. Facebook – @PasoRoblesWine, Instagram – @Pasowine, #pasowine, #HomeWithPasoWine.

(Englewood, FL) The Englewood Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the improvement of its employee recruitment and job posting website.  The enhancement provides the ability for anyone, whose employment has been impacted by CORVID-19, to register with the Chamber and to receive direct notifications of employment opportunities as well as announcements of relief benefits available.  “The Chamber is often notified by businesses that are looking for employees. We are also staying informed of relief assistance available to those affected by CORVID-19,” states Ed Hill (Chamber Executive Director). Hill continued, “By having a list of those in need, we can quickly provide resource opportunities directly to those registered.”

Any individual is permitted to register on the website. Registration involves entering basic information online such as name, phone number, email address and county of residence.  Registrants are also asked if they would submit to a background check if a job opportunity requires one.  (www.EnglewoodJobSearch.com) 

“The Chamber will always seek ways to be of service to our community during this difficult time,” says Jonathan Varner (Chamber Board President), “I’m proud of what we have done to help the area businesses and the general public.  As this develops, the Chamber will continue to do all it can.”

The website, launched in 2018, has been a Chamber resource to help member businesses recruit employees and fill job openings.

The Englewood Chamber has adjusted its operations to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations that any events or gatherings of 10 or more people be cancelled through May 1^st.

ABOUT THE ENGLEWOOD FLORIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: The Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce is the community’s resource for visitors, residents, and businesses. Englewood is unique in that its only local governance is split between Charlotte and Sarasota counties. The Chamber works to bridge this divide, bringing together the resources of the state, counties, local businesses, and non-profit organizations to make Englewood a great place to work and play. The Chamber office is located at 601 So. Indiana Ave. Englewood, Fl 34223. Phone number is 941-474-5511
 

CLICK HERE to Download a .JPG version of the Press Release
CLICK HERE to Download a copy of the logo

Hundreds of thousands of people dine in restaurants all across the Gulf Coast every day. Our region has an international reputation as a world-class dining destination. Our well-traveled residents have helped by supporting and nurturing our vibrant restaurant scene. Restaurants are a driving force in our region’s economy and play a vital role in our community.

Especially in a tourism-driven economy like ours, restaurants are considered “second responders” in times of disaster or crisis. Whether the crisis we’re facing is a hurricane or a pandemic, restaurants are an important part of the support needed for communities to recover, as we are places to celebrate and share together in the human experience. Our local history of restaurateurs and chefs working together to help organizations in need is a longstanding tradition in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

The COVID-19 concern is real, and it’s important to know that our local restaurants respect the risks associated with the public spaces we provide for our guests. Our first emails of the day are now the updates from the Centers for Disease Control and National Restaurant Association.

As most people know, our local restaurateurs’ generosity provides gift certificates, food and staff for fundraising events and more. That ongoing commitment to our region enables schools, arts organizations, and hundreds of local nonprofits to continue their important work.

Money earned by hard-working hourly staff members in the restaurant industry enables them to support themselves and their families, and fund their countless dreams for the future. Our restaurants are as culturally diverse, in the broad international cross-section of our employees, as we are in the cuisine that we offer.

Our regional independent restaurants are a strong community of professionals who work together, not just in times of need, but in the individual challenges that we all face daily.

These local restaurants strive for clean health inspection reports, because it’s the right thing to do. Strict sanitation practices ensure that guests keep coming back to gather around tables, enjoy wonderful meals and make special memories.

Restaurant employees depend on income from tips and shifts, which they especially count on in peak season. Higher sales from March and April are what help local business owners and employees weather the slower summer months.

Our local independent restaurants need your support now, more than ever. Your favorite local eatery does not have the security blanket of a corporate infrastructure.

As we see local school closures, events and performance cancellations and more, the impact to hospitality workers across the board has become clear to them — that the stakes are high for both front-of-house and back-of-house employees to provide a safe environment for our guests and to avoid getting sick themselves. Daily, restaurateurs and their staffs are engaged in this process, and are sharing and discussing new information with each other. The creative sanitation and prevention ideas they continue to come up with are being incorporated into our food preparation and service procedures each day.

We are all working together, staying calm and working smart. Even our valets are now sanitizing the touchable surfaces in the cars they park!

No matter how many cases arise in our region, we know that many businesses will be affected. The restaurant business is the business of making people happy — and that means offering a safe place for small groups to continue gathering, celebrating, and retaining as much sense of normalcy as possible.

As we look at an immediate future with very few visitors to our area, I encourage you — even if you do not feel up to dining in a restaurant — to take advantage of the creative ways that the hospitality industry can continue to serve you and your family. Support your independent restaurateurs by purchasing gift certificates now for future dining, ordering curbside pick-up or delivery, or trusting them to provide a safe experience when you do walk in their doors.

We all know that eventually, this situation will subside and, God willing, with minimal impact on human life. Everyone in the hospitality industry appreciates your cooperation and patience.

Thank you for your ongoing loyalty and support. We all look forward to showing you our proud and smiling faces as you return to our establishments!

Michael Klauber is co-proprietor of Michael’s On East and co-founder of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals, a group of over 60 locally owned restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee County

The team at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, and the teachers at its Art School campus, are creating these new free online initiatives for parents and students.

These ideas resulted from consulting with an American father who lives abroad with his family. He shared his experience, strength and hope about the challenges his family has faced while staying at home due to school closures because of the coronavirus.

The Museum team sees this as a way to give back to the community and to be of service during this challenging time. Also further below are tips for parents on how to use art at home with their children, to keep kids engaged.

________________

Following is the updated statement from Irvin Lippman, the executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art:

“Art, culture, and creativity have always made a difference in powerful ways, especially during challenging times. We are grateful for your support and plan to give back to the community.”

“Being inspired and creative have not been canceled.”

“A special new series called Keep Kids Smart with ART will be available online to help parents and their children who are home from school.  You will also find other new digital programs especially made by the Museum, for all ages. We will continue our service to the community by creating new virtual educational and enriching experiences online and via our social media channels. Follow and connect on social media (@bocamuseum, #BocaMuseumfromHome).” Read the full statement about the Museum’s temporary closing here.

— Irvin Lippman, executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art

_____________

According to the National School Boards Association, kids who study art are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Studies show that art helps kids earn higher report card grades because skills developed through art lead to better learning in other areas.

Tips for parents and students on using art in your home:

• Provide a special “creative zone” at home.
• Make sure that your “creative zone” is mess-friendly and able to stand up well to spills and art-related fun.
• Focus on the fun process, not on the outcome.
• Create a special area to showcase your child’s artwork.
• Watch and encourage your children as they work on their art.
• Ask them questions to engage them while they create.

_______________

To our friends and colleagues in the news media – we hope you and your loved ones are safe, and we hope that it is ok to send you this update at this time.

Below is the revised press release about the new exhibitions that were going to open to the public on March 24 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The museum team will be tapping the beautiful imagery and powerful works by these amazing artists, for the new online programs for families. You may also view the press release here.

These stunning self-portraits from the National Portrait Gallery are from every decade of the 20th and the 21st centuries, starting in 1901 through 2015. When we look at these self-portraits now, it feels like these artists are looking at us from the past, into the present, in ways they could not have foreseen.

Photos may be downloaded here, and we thank you for taking a look. If you would like an interview via Skype, phone or email, please feel free to let us know.

“I don’t want to live; I want to love first, and live incidentally.”
Zelda Fitzgerald

~Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA – I just made my purchase. Four bottles of  Saint Amour, the wine that says everything on the day we celebrate romance. No gimmicks here, not another beverage from madman hype . This wine is the real deal: made in a region of Burgundy, named after the village of the same name, bright red like a Valentine heart and delicious with almost all food.

We all recognize that this wine bears a name which is gentle to the ear and to the heart. It is the wine of poets and lovers. If it did not exist, life would be a little less charming. The village of Saint Amour gives its name to this wine. Before that, a long time ago during Gallo-Roman times, a centurion named Amor belonging to the Thébaine Legion, stationed in the Valais region of Switzerland and famous for his Christian faith suffered martyrdom. In all evidence, the ways of lovers, with their pleasures and sorrows, are rarely easy.

Saint Amour legitimately claims to be the most romantic of the 10 Beaujolais Crus. It’s name translates to “Saint Love” and loosely to “holy love,” “pure love,” or a variety of other equally delicious and romantic terms.

With both the enchanting name and the reasonable price, this wine is ready for romance.

Saint Amour remind us that love is grand in all its forms – through youth, middle age, and maturity – and that this good wine is always an excellent accompaniment to romance, particularly on St. Valentine’s Day.

Here’a toast to everyone: All you need is love!

Note: Sherlock’s in Atlanta has Saint Amour and if you are lucky, the J.Sanders label. Good wine stores throughout the world sell out of this delightful wine each 14th day of February.

Old school journalism describes the style and stories produced by Doc Lawrence. “In everything I do,” he says, “there is a beginning, middle and an end.” One of the top travel writers in the country, Doc is steeped in the heritage of the deep south. Traveling the back roads from Texas to Virginia and on down to Key West inspires stories about local food and wine preferences, community theater, folk art and music often leading to clues for a good story. Heroes include Faulkner, Hemingway, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ralph Ellison, Dorothy Parker and Willie Morris. An Atlanta native, Doc keeps a well-stocked wine cellar and bar and two outdoor grills. He enjoys entertaining and believes that the greatest challenge for a writer is to keep searching for a higher life. www.thegourmethighway.com | doclawrence@mindspring.com

Where would we be without bees? Darn hungry for sure! Bees are necessary for growing a majority of our crops.  Without bees, we have no pollination for many plants. It is imperative we all protect and encourage bees in our yards.

I am going to get on my soapbox and ask everyone to please stop using pesticides. They are one of the worst things for our planet, for our bodies, and for our wildlife, including our birds, butterflies, and bees. We as a country need an entirely new education about what a “perfect yard” looks like. A perfect yard is not a sterile looking space with perfectly cut grass and not a weed in sight.  You can still have a beautiful yard with lots of natives and even a weed or two.  It’s all how you look at it.

My very favorite food source for bees is an herb called African Blue Basil.  Here in Florida it is a year round food source.  It is the only true perennial basil and never needs dead heading.  I have several planted on all sides of my yard.  Every day when I walk outside, each plant is covered with bees, happily buzzing around from flower to flower.

Many herbs are superb for bees, along with providing food for you.  In fact, I grow many different herbs just for the bees and the butterflies.  Start with growing tasty herbs like chives, borage, lavender, lemon balm, many different mints, rosemary, fennel, hyssop, marjoram, and sage.  The bees will appreciate it and so will your stomach.

Flowers attractive to bees are cosmos, echinacea, bee balm, phlox, goldenrod, nasturtiums, snapdragons, milkweed, marigolds, black-eyed Susan, and daisies. Sow these varieties at different times of the year for a buffet of nectar all year long.

We have a large white jasmine tree at our house that literally vibrates with bees during its flowering.  You can hear the buzzing of very happy bees as soon as you round the corner to the back of our house. The smell is out of this world!  If the wind is right, you can smell it all the way to the front of our house. It flowers several times a year, so it is an excellent specimen for bees.

As I mentioned earlier, weeds are a major source of nectar for bees and many are quite beautiful.  My two favorites are what’s commonly called Florida snow and beggar’s tick, or formally known as largeflower pusley and bidens alba. Florida snow is that weed you see in many yards as almost a ground cover – tiny white or pinkish lavender color flowers covering the grass, looking like snow. I personally think it is beautiful.  Every day as I walk out to get the mail, the small patch of grass I have by my mailbox is loaded with bees. It makes me so happy to see it! I also allow bidens alba, the white flower with yellow center, to grow wherever it pops up.  Again, most people see it as a weed, but I see it as a lovely source of nectar.  Retraining the eye and mind is the key to appreciating these so-called weeds.

Having a water source in your yard is desirable.  It can be as elaborate as a pond or something as simple as a dish of water, just be sure you include a place for them to land and sip water without drowning. A few rocks or pebbles added is perfect. I have several water sources in my yard.  I started off with just a clay saucer normally used under clay pots, filled with water and pebbles for them to alight on.  Now, I have a few other dishes with pretty glass stones for them to land on.  Just make sure you change the water every few days.

Not all bees live in hives. Some burrow in the ground or wood piles and brush or live in a bee hotel you can make. Try to leave select areas in your yard natural with twigs and leaf litter or hang a bee hotel on your fence.

If you are worried about bee stings, I have a terrific and easy remedy that I know works because I have used it on myself.  I read once that if you wad up a few pieces of grass and rub them over the bee sting, it takes away the pain, so one day I inadvertently place my hand next to a bee and it stung me.  I ran in the house, washed it, and then remembered the grass thing, which I had just read about. I quickly went outside, wadded up some freshly picked grass, started rubbing it on my sting, and guess what? The pain stopped almost immediately and that was the end of it. I couldn’t believe this actually worked, but it did.  Try it next time you get stung and you will be amazed and pain free.

This is just a start to saving our bees. Be a bee warrior and start to heal the earth one yard at a time.

It’s been that way since she was 5, standing on a stool in her mother’s kitchen, armed with oregano and garlic salt.

“She watched Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet and Jacques Pepin years before it was cool to be a foodie.”

The words are from the forward of the chef’s new cookbook, “Reflections & Recipes of Chef Judi.” Find it at many area bookstores.

No longer needing to stand on a chair, the statuesque grown-up, 6-foot tall Judi Gallagher, culinary director for ABC7 in Sarasota, is not only living her dream but sharing it with the rest of us.

In her on-camera moments, she shares recipes, cooking hints and talks about area restaurants and other culinary topics.

“I loved the ceremony of food,” she said.

She still does. She appreciates the presentation as much as the taste, realizing like most top chefs that those things go hand in hand.

“My mother thought I should be a dietitian,” she said.

At her high school’s college night she discovered Johnson and Wales University at Providence, Rhode Island. It was close to Boston and New York and also to her friends at Connecticut College and Brown. All that plus cooking classes — what could be better for someone with such a passion?

Dressed in starched chef whites and steel-toed shoes, the would-be chef attended classes by day, cooked meals in the dorm at night (even at a culinary school, college food left something to be desired she said) and then worked in a diner on Saturday nights to earn the money for her dormitory creations.

After graduation, she worked as an intern with several of her college instructors at the college-owned restaurant before heading out on her own. As women chefs were not yet in vogue, she got to clean the dirtiest pans and prepare salads and desserts while the men wore the tall chef hats and created the entrees.

Marriage and a move to Glouscester, Massachusetts, offered the first taste of culinary success. She and her husband opened the Main Street Café, which was an instant hit.

“We were known for our soups and our brunch,” she said.

They would serve brunch to 400 to 600 diners. The cafe offered nine varieties of homemade muffins plus peach and blueberry cobbler among other tasty treats.

Several of these recipes, including one for her cream of mushroom soup, are featured in the cookbook. With such ingredients as four kinds of mushrooms and truffle butter, it is a good thing today’s grocers stock such once hard-to-find items.

Presentation is as important as the finest ingredients to this chef. She appreciates the artful blending of colorful food with colorful dishes. Consider that sometimes the term “colorful” refers to the use of a canning jar to serve a tasty lemon custard pudding topped with a blueberry sauce. Use a plain wooden cutting board to serve a flatbread “pizza” featuring thinly sliced grilled rare steak, herb cream cheese with arugula salad and blistered tomatoes.

This chef does more than simply fill bellies, run a consulting business and be a great wife and mother. She also has spent hours out in the community helping individuals and businesses. In 2008, she was a “She Knows Where She’s Going” honoree of Girls Inc. Her award reads, in part:

“Judi spices up our television and radio airwaves as well as writes for several local publications. She does this all while generously seasoning the culinary world with her consulting business for high-end restaurant clientele like Beach Bistro, Fleming’s, Roy’s, Venture Hotels and others.”

Yet all was not sugar and cream

Despite her childhood passions and role models, a top education and the birth of her son, Eric, while her first restaurant was drawing crowds, rain clouds were gathering. Lightening struck from out of the blue when her first husband and the family bank accounts vanished at the same time.

Chef Judi had $5 in her wallet, her beloved son, Eric, and her wonderful mother. Her mother stocked her freezer, filled her oil tank, gave her three days to wallow in grief and the courage to do what she needed to do to look out for her son and herself.

With money borrowed from her mother, she baked oatmeal cookies — lots of oatmeal cookies. She took them to a local gourmet store. Her next venture, Just Desserts was born. Baking by day, bartending at night and sleeping occasionally, with the help of a live-in sitter, her business began to grow, including Legal Seafoods and DeLucas Markets as major customers.

Chef Judi turned her life around, repaid her mother, met Paul Gallagher who proved to be the husband and father she and her son, Eric, deserved. It was time to follow the sun to Sarasota where her career would blossom even as she dealt with the loss first of her sister and then the mother who had inspired her, saved her and even now, years after her passing, seems to watch over the little girl on the stool who truly does know where she is going.

After her mother’s passing she worked for Ophelia’s by the Bay, began to write for some local magazines and since then has written about restaurants and hotels all over Europe and elsewhere. She did a food segment at a local television station. Eventually she was seen by local weather guru John Scalzi at ABC7 in Sarasota and “overnight” became its culinary director.

“I love every single moment,” Chef Judi wrote in her cook book. “Any day that someone stops me and shares enjoyment of the cooking shows or patronizes a restaurant or event based on my recommendations, I am so happy.”

“Reflections & Recipes of Chef Judi” is as much a fine cook book as a bitter-sweet autobiography of a well-known and much admired chef.

However, there is one thing missing — the recipe for her oatmeal raisin cookies.

“Only Eric, my son, will get that recipe.”

“Reflections & Recipes of Chef Judi” by Judi Gallagher, 108 pages, ISBN: 978-1-5462-4211-6. $22.9.5 Available at Barnes and Noble in Sarasota, Bookstore1, Southern Steer Butchers, Geiers, Creekside Traders and Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

*This article first appeared in the Venice Gondolier Sun

1. Shots

No, I’m not referring to the hard stuff, but a concentrated dose of everything that is good for you, all in one. “Wellness shots” or “boosters”,  are often used as a natural remedies for fighting a cold or the flu. However, they can also give you a burst of energy while boosting your immune system. There are many ingredients that can be used in a shot; cayenne pepper, turmeric, lemon and ginger are common. Simply juice your ingredients, add your spice/powder to the top, throw it back!

2.  Coconut

Adding coconut to juice amplifies the hydration of your drink along with adding B vitamins and minerals. You can use the fresh coconut juice found in the center of the nut, or the meat. Once you have opened the coconut, scoop out the “meat”. Then soak for 15-20 minutes in covered hot, but not boiling, water. Blend with remaining juice ingredients and enjoy.

3. Cocktail

Why limit your consumption of juice to breakfast? This juicing method may shock most people, but yes, you can have a shot of alcohol in your juice! Many trending restaurants are offering juice-based cocktails on their drink menu. “Juice-tails” or “kale-tinis” serve as a healthy alternative to traditional mixers as they are coupled with low calorie spirits, such as tequila and vodka. If you’re going to spend $10-15 on a bar drink, it might as well be healthy for you!

4. Nut Milk

Soy milk has been popular during the last few years, but alternative milk choices are taking the throne this year, and you can make your own by juicing. The key is to soak your nuts or seeds in a bowl of water overnight, (about 8-12 hours). This softens the texture to be easily juiced to a milky consistency. Soaking your nuts also makes the protein readily available for absorption, breaks down any gluten, and increases the supply of vitamins. There are many options when making your own nut milk, try a more exotic nut like macadamia, hazelnut or brazilnut.

5. Kombucha

A fermented concoction of bacteria, yeast and black tea, Kombucha can add a tangy taste to juice. It is a natural anti-inflammatory, can improve circulation, and can lower high blood pressure; just to list a few benefits. It is no wonder that it is being added to fruit and vegetable juices to equal one powerhouse. 

Regardless of how extensive or exotic your drink is, the first step to successfully juicing at home is choosing the right juicer. The two leading juicer types are centrifugal, the most affordable option, and cold press, the best quality option.

When selecting a juicer consider:

• Budget
• Versatility
• Quality
• Style

Centrifugal Models 

Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor ($49)

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-67601A-Mouth-Extractor/dp/B00E0IBKLQ

This juicer is a good for beginners. It doesn’t extract all juice from fruits or vegetables but gets the job done. It has a powerful motor and a container to separate the pulp from the juice.

Breville BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900 Watt Juicer ($194)

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BJE510XL-Fountain-Multi-Speed-900-Watt/dp/B000QBFFU8

This juicer is not only affordable, but performs quicky. Most parts are dishwasher safe, including the large feeding chute. Although, it does take extra time to clean and juice comes out slightly foamy. For most greens, this juicer works great, but doesn’t juice more leafy greens well.

Cold-Press Models 

Breville Fountain Crush Masticating Slow Juicer ($229)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008P8LAVW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008P8LAVW&linkCode=as2&tag=hubp0a7e4-20

This juicer is also a great starter. Unlike some juicers of its grade, this model extracts juice from kale easily. It has easy direction control and easy cleaning.

The Omega 8006 Nutrition Center ($269)

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8006-Nutrition-Center-Juicer/dp/B001L7OIVI

This juicer does more than juice fruits and vegetables. It can make baby food and nut milk with ease. It fully extracts vitamins, minerals and enzymes from all fruits and vegetables. Because of its low rotation speed, juice is extracted foam-free.

Last year I predicated the demise of the cupcake trend and the fizzle of the whoppie pie. Their moment in the culinary spotlight has come and gone. At the time I spoke about the renaissance of doughnuts. Not just any doughnuts — these were going to be both sweet and, yes, savory. In fact I even predicted the Food Network Show, Cupcake Wars would be switching over to doughnut wars and indeed, these fried old-fashioned treats are fast becoming the new old-fashioned sweet treat. It’s happened. Doughnuts are one of the foods of the year. And with so many good recipes out there, this is your year to make them at home.

Doughnuts can be fried or baked. Some recipes call for yeast as an essential part of the recipe; other recipes don’t use yeast at all. The word doughnut can also be acceptably spelled as donut. The first is traditional, the second a more modern arrival based on advertising. Either way is fine in today’s food world.

Who doesn’t have a childhood memory of a favorite doughnut? Call them beignets, call them doughnut holes, call them fried crullers, they all conjure up this memory of Saturday morning treats that now aren’t just for breakfast anymore.

Recently at the South Beach food and wine festival in Miami I had the good fortune of attending Andrew Zimmer’s “best munchies” party. One nominee stood out for his doughnuts. I mean really stood out. As in the best doughnuts we ever tasted! “Dandee Donuts” out of Hollywood, Florida, just plain melt in your mouth. Light and pillowy, this doughnut  is rolled in doughnut crumbs while still warm. The first bite you gasp with joy, by the third bite you are reaching for another.

If you are making doughnuts at home here are a few tips to remember:

Make the glaze before you fry the donuts so its ready for dipping them right out of the fryer. Sift the powdered sugar for smooth and silky glaze

Dip the doughnut cutters in flour before cutting each doughnut so the dough does not stick to the cutter. Flip doughnuts in the fryer with skewers or chopsticks at the surface of the oil to prevent breaking.

It won’t be long before you start noticing doughnuts moving up in status in your town. Consider an architecture of glamorously decorated doughnuts replacing a traditional wedding cake. Or savory doughnuts being used in chicken and beef recipes. How about savory doughnut holes stuffed with bacon or pancetta? Bake them, fry them stuff them, make them sweet or salty. Whatever you do, you can’t go wrong with doughnuts on your menu this year. And, of course, a simple plain or glazed doughnut is still one of the best things you can have with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Basic Yeast Doughnuts

(from Alton Brown)

1 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening (approximately 1/3 cup)

2 packages instant yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

23 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface

peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.

Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.

Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven  to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts  into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Easy Orange-Sugar Fried Doughnut Holes

( From Sunny Anderson. Makes 20).

1 orange zested

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 container (8 large) store-bought buttermilk biscuit dough

vegetable oil for frying

Place zest, sugar and cinnamon in a paper bag and shake to combine.

Place oil in a deep pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the pan. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Slice biscuit dough in quarters and roll into balls to form 24 doughnut holes. Working in batches, place doughnut holes in hot oil and fry until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the hot doughnuts to the paper bag and shake to coat with orange sugar. Serve immediately.

Savory Cream Cheese & Herb Doughnuts

(From Averie Sunshine. Makes 6 doughnuts when using a doughnut pan or muffin tin.)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 ½ tablespoon cream cheese, melted

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash seasoning blend

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

1 egg

1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice

6 tablespoon buttermilk (and maybe 2 tablespoons more, depending upon consistency.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease or cooking-spray the doughnut pan (or muffin tin). In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt/soften 1.5 tbsp butter and 1.5 tbsp cream cheese.  No more than about 15 seconds.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices and seasonings, egg, cheese, and add the melted butter & cream cheese mixture to it all.   Stir by hand to combine. Then, slowly add the buttermilk.  You may need as little as 1/4 c or more like 1/2 cup, or even a splash more. The amount of milk needed is going to depend on the type of cheese and cream cheese used. You are looking for a fairly thick batter, thicker than cake or brownie batter – more like cookie dough consistency.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a plastic bag with a corner cut off) to pipe the batter into a 6-doughnut  pan. Or, do this with a spoon. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Doughnuts will not be golden brown, but should be springy. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan, about 5 minutes. Serve on a plater with the cream cheese spread on the side in a ramekin.

Herbed Buttery Cream Cheese Spread

While doughnuts are baking or cooling, make the spread by combining and whipping by hand:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cream cheese

Pinch finely chopped rosemary

F&M