Cyberspace may seem like an odd place to go for food information and cooking tips, but it's a veritable storehouse of dining data. Here are some interesting and helpful Web sites to try.
STARTING PLACES
(www.citysearchslc.com)
A local service, City Search will take you just about anywhere you'd like to go in and around Utah. Good food articles, restaurant information.
(www.kitchenlink.com)
Don't forage through the fridge looking for something to eat - surf into this favorite site. You'll find cookbook reviews, tips, recipes and menu planners.
(www.grits.com)
Totally uninteresting unless you have a thing about grits. However, the Food & Drink links can get you to online magazines, trade organizations and other interesting sites.
(www.cyberkitchen.com)
Mimi's Cyber Kitchen is an award-winning site with food and cooking info, recipes and links to many other commercial sources. Here, you can link up with mail-order food emporiums such as Balducci's, the Flying Noodle and G.R.'s Texas Pit Cooked BBQ.
(soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/)
An archive of 40,000 recipes from a variety of sources. You canuse the search feature to find a specific recipe, or browse in categories such as main dishes, ethnic foods and grains.
(www.onlineepicure.com) This is a basic link source, with a huge listing of food sites. Click into any category that interests you.
Restaurants
(www.sidewalk.com) A net guide sponsored by Microsoft that covers 10 cities (of course, not Salt Lake City), including, strangely enough - Sydney, Australia. Search by cuisine, check out menus, and be ready to pick a winner when you travel to one of the chosen places.
(www.bpe.com) "Sally's Place," named after a first-rate food writer who is the proprietor of this Web site, keeps you up to date with current food info and restaurant happenings. Reviews 40 different cities - of course, not ours. But it's a fun site.
(www.cuisinenet.com) Comprehensive listing with informations about 10,000 restaurants in 18 cities (No . . . ). There are 212 listings alone for Italian restaurants in New York!
(http://www.bestfood.com) Web site of Michael's on East, Sarasota, Florida. First restaurant to take reservations online, as well as offering virtual reality "tours" of the restaurant. Recipe pages. Doesn't matter if the place is far away - the site is a fun "hit."
(http://www.bordergrill.com) Chef/owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the hosts of a cable cooking show, "Too Hot Tamales," have put together an excellent page with recipes and chef's page.
(http://www.charlietrotters.
com) Revolving photos on the front page will take you to one of the country's hottest chefs. Don't even attempt to recreate Charlie Trotter's recipes - they're outrageous - but a delicious read.
Chocolate
(http://www.hcc.cc.fl.us/
services/staff/dawn/choco.htm) A site for your thighs! You'll find scads of chocolate adventures here. Click on "wav." file and hear a familiar voice ask you, "Would you like a chocolate?"
(http://chocolate.emanon.
net/chocolate.cgi/search) More chocolate galore!
(http://ww2.godiva.com/
recipes/chocolatier/sweetdreams/bandwcheese.html) Incredible chocolate recipes.
Fruits and vegetables
(www.broccoli.com) Take a trip to Broccoli Town USA - really. This clever site is set up like a town. Click on Mom's Kitchen for recipes, nutrition info or Kid's Club for games. Some of the products aren't carried in our area, but with a small amount of imagination - you can tailor the recipes to your needs.
(www.dole5aday.com) The Dole Food Co. focuses on nutrition and interesting facts about fruits and vegetables.
Healthy eating & fitness
(www.amhrt.org) Good advice here for cutting fat or making more healthful meal choices. The American Heart Association's site.
(www.fatfree.com) Not a fancy site, but the recipes are great. You'll find recipes for vegetarians and folks looking for low-fat alternatives. You can search by type of food or ethnic category.
(http://www.arborcom.com/
frame/10042/u2.htm#5) An interactive site sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Type in recipe and dietician will revise it to lower fat.
(www.diabetes.org/default.htm) Diet guidelines for diabetics, plus other information on the disease and organization.
Commercial products
(www.hersheys.com) Hershey's chocolate. Enough said.
(www.nabisco.com) Nabisco goodies and more.
(www.cowtown.org) National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Lotsa beef recipes!
(www.nppc.org) National Pork Producers Council. Oink!
(http://www.benjerry.com) Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
(www.quakeroatmeal.com) Quaker oatmeal magazine - recipes.
(www.weberbbq.com) Weber barbecue has set up a site packed with outdoor cooking tips, recipes and advice. You'll also find tips on how to plan quantities for a crowd.
(www.landolakes.com) Great site if you're in a hurry. Here you'll find meal solutions and recipes with prep times of 20 minutes or less.
(www.kraftfoods.com) Let your mouse walk you through the Kraft Foods interactive kitchen. Click the recipe box for the cookbook, or the shopping list on the refrigerator for ingredients needed.
(www.campbellsoups.com)
A colorful site that ranges from updates on Campbell stock investments, history of the company, nutrition info, and lots of recipes using Campbell's products.
Careers & education
(www.restaurant.org) This site, sponsored by the National Restaurant Association, includes governmental affairs updates, restaurant show info and educational programs. Links to hospitality schools and universities, recipe sites and dining guides.
(www.thomson.com/partners/
cia/default/html) This is the home Web page of the Culinary Institute of America - not the CIA you're thinking of. Learn about career possibilities, scholarship opportunities, or browse the online catalog of videotapes.
(http://www.ificinfo.health.org) International Food Information Council
Publications
(www.epicurious.com) This is our favorite food site! More than 6,000 recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet and House & Garden. You pick the cuisine, the meal, the main ingredients and the preparation technique.
(www.foodchannel.com) This resource includes recipes, stories, links to food-brand Web sites, links to dining guides, restaurant reviews.
(www.foodtv.com) From the TV Food Network, this site offers recipes you've seen prepared on the tube by famed chefs like Emeril Lagasse. A gift shop, too.
(www.yahoo.com) This site is like a "table of contents for the Internet." It lists Web addresses; simply type in "food" or "cooking" or "recipe" or whatever topic you want, and you'll find even more sites to explore. We input "food" and found 6,562 sites!
Amazing sites - first class restaurants around the world
(www.eurogourmet.com) Richard's Restaurant Rankings (who is Richard?) picks 21 of the world's finest restaurants. Great background on strengths and weaknesses of each. More important, a helpful site used by professional chefs who want serious info on their competitors.
Last stop
(www.pepcidac.com) Bloated? Check out the Pepcid AC Web site. You'll find details of what causes digestive distress and how to avoid it. Recipes created to help you avoid heartburn.
Last step
Take a nap, tired food traveler.
*****
Recipes
MANN'S ASIAN BROCCO BURRITO
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1-pound bag Mann's Broccoli Cole Slaw (or regular cole slaw)
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
1 pound ground turkey
8 burrito-size flour tortillas (9 to 10-inches in diameter)
1/3 cup bottled Szechwan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice powder
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Bottled Chinese Plum Sauce for dipping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot but not smoking. Add Mann's Broccoli Cole Slaw and cook, stirring and tossing, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using tongs or a large slotted spoon, transfer broccoli cole slaw to a large bowl.
In the same wok or skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of oil if needed. Cook onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is softened, but not browned, three to five minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground turkey and cook, stirring to break up the chunks of meat, until the turkey is lightly browned on the outside and no trace of pink remains, eight to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for 10 minutes to soften.
Stir the turkey mixture into the cooked broccoli cole slaw, adding the Szechwan Spicy Stir-Fry Sauce and Chinese 5-Spice powder to coat. Mix in the cheese.
For each burrito, place about 3/4 cup of filling just below the center of a tortilla. Fold in one side and then fold up from the bottom, enclosing the filling. Fold in the other side of tortilla and serve warm, with Chinese Plum Sauce for dipping. Makes 8 burritos.
- Each serving contains 404 calories, 21g fat, 26g carb, 734mg sodium, 83mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.broccoli.com/kitchen/recipes/asianburrito.htm)
BLACK AND WHITE CHEESECAKE
For chocolate wafer crust:
2 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
White chocolate filling:
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup half-and-half
8 ounces white chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Chocolate glaze:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
To prepare the chocolate wafer crust:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Remove the bottom from an 11-by-3-inch springform pan. Trim an 11-inch cardboard cake circle so that it fits snugly within the curved lip of the bottom of the springform pan. Cover the bottom with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang all around the edge. Carefully attach the side of the pan so you do not tear the foil. Wrap the foil overhang halfway up the outer side of the prepared pan.
Make the white chocolate filling:
In the 41/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed for 30 to 45 seconds, until creamy. Gradually add the sugar in a steady stream, until blended. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed, mix in the flour just until combined. Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to beat at low speed. Add the yolks, beating well after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl and beat for 30 seconds until smooth. Beat in the half-and-half. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture several times to ensure that it is evenly blended. Stir in the white chocolate pieces.
Scrape the white chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the cheesecake for 2 hours and 20 minutes or until firm. Turn the oven off; leave the cheesecake in the oven and prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and cool for an additional hour. When the cheesecake is completely cool, cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. The cheesecake may be prepared up to this point and refrigerated up to 5 days.
Make the chocolate glaze and glaze the cheesecake:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the corn syrup, water and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth.
Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator. Undo the clasp on the side of the springform pan and carefully remove the side of the pan. Using a small metal cake spatula, gently smooth the chocolate glaze over the top of the cheesecakes so that no white areas show through. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 5 minutes to set the glaze.
To serve, cut the cheesecake with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping the blade in hot water and wiping it dry after each slice. Serves 16.
- Each serving contains 685 calories, 47g fat, 56g carb, 337mg sodium, 135mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www2.com/recipes/recipes/chocola tier/sweetdreams/bandwcheese.html)
BORDER GUACAMOLE
5 ripe avocados, preferably Haas
6 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro
4 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Shredded lettuce for serving
Sliced tomatoes drizzled with cracked black pepper
Cut avocados into quarters. Remove the seeds, peel and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and combine with a fork. Mound on a bed of shredded lettuce and garnish with sliced tomatoes drizzled with the black pepper garnish. Serve immediately. Makes 6 appetizer servings.
- Each serving contains 405 calories, 45g fat, 3g carb, 950mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.bordergrill.com/basics.html)
CRACKED BLACK PEPPER GARNISH
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon
1 teaspoon salt
Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon over vegetables or drizzle lightly over dressed salads as a garnish. Makes 1/2 cup.
- Each 1/8 cup contains 240 calories, 27g fat, 0g carb, 535mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.bordergrill.com/basics.html)
PASTA SALAD WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE
2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
1 pound uncooked pasta
Prepare pasta according to package directions (without adding salt), drain and set aside. Combine tomatoes, oil, vinegar and pepper in a large bowl. Combine the red onion, red pepper and pasta together in a separate bowl. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta and toss well. Serve. Makes 8 1-cup servings.
- Each serving contains 297 calories, 8g fat, 48g carb, 14mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.diabetes.org/recipes/032998.htm)
GYRO STYLE PORK SANDWICH
1 pound boneless pork loin
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dill
2 pitas, halved
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Cut pork crosswise into thin slices. Slice them into strips 5-by-1/2-inch. Combine olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Pour over pork slices. Cover and refrigerate for 1-8 hours. Meanwhile, in small bowl stir together yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drain marinade from pork slices and place pork in single layer in shallow pan. Roast until crisp, about 10 minutes. Open each pita half to form a pocket. Distribute pork among each half. Top each sandwich with some chilled yogurt mixture and sliced onions. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 303 calories, 8g fat, 306 carb, 295mg sodium, 69mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.nppc.org/CONS/Recipe%20archive/gyrosand.html)
CREAMY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken or celery soup, undiluted
1/4 cup GREY POUPON Dijon mustard
Cook chicken in 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan; keep warm. Cook mushrooms in remaining oil in same skillet until tender. Stir in soup and mustard. Return chicken to skillet; heat mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 358 calories, 25g fat, 9g carb, 830mg sodium, 56mg cholesterol.
- From (http://www.nabisco.com/kitchen/recipes/creamychickenandmushrooms.html)