Gluten-free chocolate muffins are a sexy vegan breakfast. The morning was cool and bright. It was going to be one of those quintessential Cape Cod autumn days. A day tourists swoon over. Worthy of a post card with The weather is sublime- wish you were here scrawled in black gel cursive between sips of a Hot Chocolate Sparrow latte. The sky was a bowl of cobalt blue with that particular pink edge Hi there! This is a short summary only. Visit Gluten-Free... 

Burger King (BKC) identifies its targeted demographic as “superfans.” Until now, that has meant young guys who regularly stuff themselves with fast food. But now Burger King is redefining the term: Advertising Age reports that the company has taken to defining a “superfan” as anyone who regularly stuffs himself—or herself—with fast food. After years of creating obnoxious (and occasionally clever) ads aimed at young... 

The New York Times on Sunday reported that the Obama administration will soon introduce legislation to restrict junk food in public schools . Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is talking about the proposal in a speech in Washington, D.C., today. This sequence from the Times ‘ article caught my attention: Orange County High School has vending machines with Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper, but even more popular among students is a candy... 

Three months have passed since my last update on Local Roots Market in Wooster, Ohio. Back then, were on the cusp of opening at last. What’s happened in the meantime? A lot . Following the close of the Downtown Farmers Market at the end of October, Local Roots Market opened as an indoor farmers market on November 7 with a roomful of tables for local produce and baked goods as well as individual freezers for producers’ meats. Customers... 

Remember the proposed soda tax? The added penny per fluid ounce, generating $50 billion in funds to combat obesity in the next 10 years. Well, forget about it. Never mind obesity. To hell with diabetes. The beverage industry needs to grow its bottom line, and no one is going to to tax its products. Certainly not a bunch of do gooders on behalf of the “nanny-state”. You see, in this great democracy called America, money votes. And... 

I’ve always been a little unclear of the correct terminology for lentils and peas and their friends. So I thought I’d take the time and look it up. Apparently the legume family includes alfalfa, clover (no wonder sheep love it), peas, beans, lentils, lupins, soy, chickpeas and peanuts. According to Wikipedia legumes are the only types of plant that are able to take in nitrogen from the atmosphere and turn it into protein. So they... 

Just a few more pictures from my recent trip. The glorious views over lake Wanaka from Rippon, Central Otago ( above ). This is an aerial view showing Kawarau (left) and Pisa Range (right, with its distinctive black poplar trees), in Central Otago’s Pisa district. This is one of the black poplars at Pisa Range, this time viewed from the ground.  Read More →

One of the great things about cooking without recipes is it leaves you free to add different ingredients and experiment, this keeps an old favourite new and interesting even after you’ve had it for the umpteenth time. Some might call this inconsistency, but for me there’s no such thing as a “best recipe”, because my tastes shift with the seasons and my mood. Curry rice is Japan’s quintessential comfort food, much... 

Keith P posed an interesting question in response to one of my blog posts from New Zealand. To paraphrase: does having a nice experience when visiting a wine region of country introduce a degree of positive bias in subsequent reviews? Let’s put this another way. Would it, in fact, be better for wine critics to have samples sent and taste the wines blind in a relatively neutral environment, such as their offices? There are a couple of well... 

The best kept secret in the food industry is its liberal use of the definition of a serving size . You’d think a serving size should reflect what the average person consumes, but it seems that many manufacturers are selling their products to smurfs, not humans. How else can you explain exactly 11 potato chips or half a cup of ice cream counting as a serving? The FDA, it appears, is calling the bluff, and according to the New York Times,... 

Image via Wikipedia The single biggest day for for avocado is Superbowl Sunday. Avocado is a super food, providing you with heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats, just 250 calories and vitamins A, C, E, the B vitamins, as well as fiber and potassium. You can scoop it from the skin using a spoon straight into your mouth. It’s just that good. Squeezing a few drops of lemons juice and a tad of salt make it even better. But for most of us, avocado... 

So I’m on my way home. Two weeks on the road is probably enough: I’m missing home. Still, it has been a great trip. I’m pictured above flanked by Andrew and Katharine, with whom I have spent two very enjoyable days. I wish we lived nearer to them. I’m now sitting in the lounge at Auckland airport, sipping a very precise Man O’War Sauvignon Blanc 2008. Next time …  Read More →

My last couple of days in New Zealand are being spent with some friends in Auckland, The Hemingways. We knew them well in the UK, but a decade ago they moved out with their five children to live here. It has been great fun. Their kids are now, with the exception of one, teenagers and young adults, and there’s a real positive vibe in the house. Where they are living, some way out of the centre in west Auckland, is pretty and leafy. We’re... 

Shot with an iPhone in Santa Monica, February 5, 2010.©2010 Karina Allrich. All rights reserved.  Hi there! This is a short summary only. Visit Gluten-Free Goddess at glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com for the recipe. Thank you! © 2005-2010  Read More →

A simple little iPhone app launched a few days ago that demystifies the ingredient lists of processed food. Called “Don’t Eat That” ( link to App Store ), it’s a database of information on more than 1,500 food additives and ingredients, broken out into red-lettered lists for those that are believed to be carcinogenic or unhealthy for children; are known allergens; and/or are likely to be derived from genetically modified...