Archive for the ‘All’ Category

Join your host, Chef Jennifer Booker, and this week’s guests!  Josh & Mike Greenfield join Basil Radio to share some recipes from their great new show on HUNGRY called The Brothers Green.

Also, tune in and hear from Jon Taffer, Host and Co-Executive Producer of SpikeTV’s Bar Rescue, as he shares his insight on what it takes to be a top notch bar and nightclub!

The show goes live every Monday at 6PM EST / 3PM PST. Call in and join in the fun! 714.242.6215 

You can also listen in at: www.blogtalkradio.com/BasilMagazineRadio

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www.JonTaffer.com

GREAT GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN EATS
Cut Out the Gluten and Enjoy an Even Healthier Vegan Diet with Recipes for Fabulous, Allergy-Free Fare

by Allyson Kramer

Following a plant-based, gluten-free diet is one of the healthiest lifestyle choices around, yet it can be a challenge to create meals that not only match your needs, but taste delicious too. However, the days of challenge have come to an end!

GREAT GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN EATS by Allyson Kramer shows readers exactly how to create compassionate and wheat-free recipes that are impressive enough for even the most seasoned foodie. Full of fresh and all-natural ingredients, the 101 fully-photographed, scrumptious recipes you’ll find inside prove that eating vegan and gluten-free doesn’t have to be a sacrifice, but instead a delight!

From tempting appetizers, to hearty mains, to luscious desserts, you’ll find dishes to suit your every need and craving, including:

• Cherry Vanilla Bean Pancakes
• Mediterranean Croquettes
• Coconut Asparagus Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper & Fava Salad
• Walnut Ravioli with Vodka Sauce
• Rosemary, Leek & Potato Pie
• Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Cheesecake
• Banana Berry Cobbler

Being gluten-free and vegan doesn’t mean people stop craving the gluten-rich, animal product-laden foods from before but this book addresses those cravings and shows readers how to make similar foods with different, often overlooked products. Live a healthy and sustainable life, while still enjoying the foods you love, with GREAT GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN EATS!

DuClaw Brewing Company, a Maryland-based craft brewery, announced that the winner of the second Annual H.E.R.O. Homebrew Contest is a spicy and sweet Chocolate Chipotle Stout created by Vincent and Suzanne Powers of Nottingham, Maryland.  The H.E.R.O. Homebrew Contest challenges novice brewers and beer aficionados to submit their own brews for review by an esteemed judging panel of DuClaw brewers and experts.  The Chocolate Chipotle Stout will be brewed and ready for public consumption this fall.

The H.E.R.O. ’12 craft recipe is a silky-bodied stout boasting a spicy chipotle pepper bite perfectly balanced by smooth, sweet chocolate. It was chosen by DuClaw brewmasters over 54 other craft recipes submitted. H.E.R.O. ’12 will make its tap debut at a release event at the Bel Air, Bowie and Arundel Mills DuClaw Brewing restaurants this fall.  Chocolate Chipotle Stout will be distributed in kegs and a limited run of 22 oz. bottles, available everywhere DuClaw beer is sold.

Just like last year, every single penny from the sale of H.E.R.O. ‘12 will be donated to charity, and now DuClaw Brewing Company is asking for help from the public in finding the charity, individual or organization most in need of a H.E.R.O.  From now until June 30, 2012, DuClaw is accepting suggestions.  Email your organization or individual’s story to hero@duclaw.com and tell DuClaw why they are in need of a H.E.R.O.

“We started this competition for the dual purpose of giving aspiring brewmasters a way to earn recognition for their craft, and as a way to give back to our community,” said CEO David Benfield.  “Our mission is accomplished. Now it’s your turn.”

FROM MAY 7-11 2012, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WILL CHOOSE TO LIVE BELOW THE LINE.

Kevin Connolly, Malin Akerman, Nick Lachey, and Josh Groban, have all signed on to participate in the Global Poverty Project’s Live Below The Line  campaign.  Along with millions of supporters around the world these celebrities have committed to eat and drink on $1.50 for at least one entire day during the May 7th – May 11th 2012 challenge week in order to shed light on the 1.4 BILLION people who live in extreme poverty every day. $1.50 is the U.S. equivalent of the extreme poverty line – a number that the Global Poverty Project hopes to change by increasing the number and effectiveness of people taking action to see an end to extreme poverty.

By giving a unique perspective of how limiting $1.50 worth of food and drink is, Kevin Connolly, Malin Akerman, Nick Lachey, Josh Groban, and the thousands of other volunteers around the globe will campaign to raise money for NGOs who provide life-saving work focusing on issues of extreme poverty. The intent is to gain perspective into the lives of the 1.4 billion people living in the world’s poorest countries who have no choice but to live that way every day.  Their participation in this awareness and fundraising campaign Live Below the Line will help draw attention to these issues and build a movement of passionate people willing and able to take meaningful action in the movement to end extreme poverty within our generation.

To sign up to participate or donate to the Live Below the Line campaign please visit:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/us-partners

Trinchero Family Estates (TFE), importer of Carmen Wines, today announced Carmen earned the Accredited Sustainable Certification by Wines of Chile (WOC).

Trinchero Family Estates (TFE), importer of Carmen Wines, today announced Carmen earned the Accredited Sustainable Certification by Wines of Chile (WOC). WOC created the Sustainability Program to recognize winegrowers and winemakers who reflect WOC’s core principles of conservation, sustainability, and wise stewardship of the land. This achievement reinforces Carmen’s steadfast commitment to sustainability.

Founded in 1850, Carmen is Chile’s first wine producer. Landmarks in its history include the rediscovery of the Carmenère grape – once presumed extinct – variety in its vineyards. This marked a turning point in the national and international wine industry and made Carmen the force behind Carmenére in Chile.

Carmen’s expert winemaking team travelled throughout Chile analyzing each viticultural area’s climate, soils, and temperatures in search of the best appellations. As a result, Carmen owns vineyards in Chile’s premier wine growing regions including Casa Blanca, Leyda, Alto Maipo, Colchagua and Apalta. Each vineyard showcases a varietal that best represents the vineyard’s unique character and terroir.

Today Carmen is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of their vineyards, not compromising natural resources and using sustainable farming practices. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by Wines of Chile as a leader in sustainability. Our environment and people are healthier because of our commitment to sustainable agriculture, and we can only hope to influence others to follow in our footsteps” says USA Export Director of Carmen Wines, Hector Torres.

Carmen further extends their environmental responsibilities to the general operations of the winery. In an effort to lower carbon emissions, Carmen dramatically reduced its chemical use by using pruned organic material and manure as natural fertilizer.

Furthermore, Carmen leads the use of lighter-weight bottles and employs earth-friendly packaging. Their use of lighter-weight bottles reduces the consumption of glass and the polluting gases produced during the manufacturing and transportation processes. Carmen understands the importance of preserving the land for generations to come and has taken a proactive role to always practice sustainable agriculture. Carmen is creating a model of quality and environmental sustainability for other wineries to follow.

Trinchero Family Estates is wholly owned and operated by the Trinchero family, Napa Valley vintners since 1947. The company produces more than 28 brands of wine including Sutter Home, Trinchero Napa Valley, Main Street, Napa Cellars, Terra d’Oro, Montevina, Seaglass, Trinity Oaks, Folie à Deux, Ménage à Trois, and the number one alcohol-removed wine, Fre. The company also imports Angove Family Winemakers Australia, Doña Paula wines of Argentina, Carmen wines of Chile and markets and sells the Three Thieves and Joel Gott brands. To learn more visit http://www.tfewines.com or http://www.carmen.com.

“A Giant Step for the Olive Oil Industry and a Guarantee of Quality for Consumers”- Pompeian CEO

Pompeian, Inc., with headquarters in Baltimore, MD., is the first olive oil manufacturer to attain the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service Quality Monitoring Product logo for its extra virgin and extra virgin organic olive oils.

The Quality Monitoring Program verifies the purity and quality of olive oil through rigorous USDA product testing and review of production processes. Participating companies must meet meticulous program criteria in order to fully enter the program.  Upon entering the Quality Monitoring Program for olive oil, companies agree to allow the USDA to conduct unannounced visits to review and inspect quality assurance records, test product samples and verify labels on an ongoing basis.

“We are proud be a leader in this area and honored to be the first manufacturer to participate in USDA’s Quality Monitoring Program for olive oil,” said Pompeian, Inc. Chief Executive Officer, David Bensadoun. “Having an objective third party like USDA verify the authenticity and quality of our products will provide consumers with the additional level of assurance that when they purchase Pompeian olive oil they know what they are getting. This is a giant step forward for the olive oil industry.”

USDA’s product verification for olive oil includes chemical testing and flavor analysis. USDA also reviews the performance of Pompeian’s production processes, quality assurance measures and recordkeeping system.  Under the program, USDA will continue to monitor the company, conducting unannounced plant visits to verify quality assurance measures and test the olive oils.

“USDA’s mission is to facilitate the trade and marketing of quality and wholesome agricultural products,” said Charles Parrott, Acting Deputy Administrator for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruit and Vegetable Program. “Consumers want assurance that the products they are buying are genuine. Products bearing the logo have passed our rigorous Quality Monitoring Program for olive oil criteria.”

“This measure is an important development for the olive oil industry.  We hope other domestic and international olive oil producers join this effort.  Our collective focus needs to be on the end customer, assuring them that they are getting the purest and highest quality olive oil. The USDA verification process under the Quality Monitoring Program for olive oil can help manufacturers inform consumers about the quality of their products.” said Bensadoun.

USDA utilizes a nationwide network of trained personnel to perform thorough, objective third party assessments as part of its verification services.

Bottles of Pompeian Extra Virgin and Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oils produced under the Quality Monitoring Program will begin carrying the logo this month.  Privately owned Pompeian is the fastest growing brand of extra virgin olive oil in the U.S.  And with its affiliates, Pompeian is the number one importer of olive oil, importing over 40,000 metric tons of olive oil annually from the Mediterranean region and South America.  Pompeian has facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as Southern California with over 100 employees.

Pompeian was started in Lucca, Italy, in the late 1800s as a producer and exporter of olive oil. In 1906 a young entrepreneur named Nathan Musher purchased Pompeian and continued to produce and export it globally building a warehouse in Baltimore. In the late 1920s the Musher family decided to consolidate all of its production in Baltimore where the company continues to bottle the oils it imports. Pompeian products are sold throughout the U.S.  www.pompeian.com

Dublin, California Welcomes BJ’s Restaurants

The new BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is located at the intersection of Fallon Road and I-580 as the latest addition to the 380,000 square foot Fallon Gateway shopping center in the heart of the Tri-Valley trade area serving Dublin, Pleasanton & Livermore. The restaurant is approximately 8,500 square feet, contains seating for approximately 280 guests, and features BJ’s extensive menu including BJ’s signature deep-dish pizza, award-winning handcrafted beer and famous Pizookie(R) dessert. BJ’s highly detailed, contemporary decor and unique video statement, including BJ’s 103″ plasma display as well as several high-definition flat panel televisions, creates a high energy, fun and family-friendly dining environment for everyone to enjoy. Hours of operation are from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

“We are excited to bring the BJ’s concept to Dublin, California,”

commented Jerry Deitchle, Chairman and CEO. “Our new Dublin restaurant is our third restaurant opening so far this year, and is also our 10th restaurant in the San Francisco Bay market where we enjoy some of our highest sales volumes. We continue to remain solidly on track to open as many as 16 new restaurants during fiscal 2012, including the relocation of an older, smaller-format ‘pizza and grill’ restaurant to a site that can support a larger-format BJ’s restaurant. All of our remaining new restaurants for the current year are either in the permitting stage or are under construction.” Investors are reminded that the actual number and timing of new restaurant openings is subject to a number of factors outside of the Company’s control including, but not limited to, weather conditions and factors under the control of landlords, contractors and regulatory/licensing authorities.

BJ’s restaurants offer an innovative and broad menu featuring award-winning, signature deep-dish pizza complemented with generously portioned salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, entrees and desserts. Quality, flavor, value, moderate prices and sincere service remain distinct attributes of the BJ’s experience. The Company operates several microbreweries in addition to using qualified contract brewers to produce and distribute BJ’s critically acclaimed proprietary handcrafted beers throughout the chain. For more information, log onto: http://www.bjsrestaurants.com.

The new Truvia® ’Behind the Bar’ product creates great-tasting, zero-calorie simple syrups to help operators meet the growing demand for reduced-calorie cocktails.

The Truvia® brand announced the nationwide launch of the Truvia® ’Behind the Bar’ product, specially designed for use at bars, restaurants and other foodservice establishments.  Now available through local foodservice distributors, the latest Truvia® brand innovation provides a solution to creating natural, great-tasting, zero-calorie simple syrups for cocktails.

As consumers pay greater attention to the sugar content of beverages, bars and restaurants are looking to provide lighter alternatives to the classic, sugar-based cocktail while maintaining great taste.  Research shows that “skinny” menu item claims have grown significantly over the past year. The Truvia® Behind the Bar product will help the food and beverage service industry meet this growing trend naturally and create great-tasting, reduced-calorie cocktails, teas, and lemonades.

Truvia® Simple Syrup is created by adding one package of Truvia® Behind the Bar product to ½ gallon of water and mixing until it dissolves.  This Truvia® Simple Syrup contains zero calories, compared to an equivalent amount of sugar-sweetened simple syrup with about 6400 calories.

“As the #1 natural sugar substitute in the United States, Truvia® natural sweetener has become a pantry staple for U.S. households,” said Mark Brooks, Truvia® global consumer products director.  “With its ability to deliver new revenue to the food and beverage industry, the Truvia® Behind the Bar product is a foodservice essential, as consumers expect a greater variety of reduced-calorie beverage options.”

Truvia® natural sweetener is a great-tasting, natural, zero-calorie sweetener born from the leaves of the stevia plant.  When used in cocktails, Truvia® natural sweetener enhances the intensity of fruit flavors such as citrus and berry, and smoothes out the overall taste while maintaining its flavor.

“This new product is a perfect tool for bars and restaurants to expand their menu offerings and give customers more of what they want – natural, great-tasting drinks at a fraction of the calories,” said Anthony Caporale, mixologist, host and producer of Art of the Drink.  “The Truvia® Behind the Bar product is the first natural, high-quality product with nationwide availability that is tailor-made for the food and beverage industry to deliver reduced-calorie cocktails.”

Discover reduced-calorie cocktails using Truvia® Simple Syrups and related product tips at www.truviacocktails.com.

Have you tried the Waffle Cut Lemon Parmesan Fries by Alexia?  If not, you MUST!  They are fabulous!

They are crispy waffle-cut potatoes with parmesan and lemon. Cut to enhance the texture and seasoned with zesty lemon and delicious parmesan cheese, these all-new Waffle Fries deliver a soft warm crunch of flavor that will make your taste buds dance.

Blogger Farihah Ali of Spice’s Bites combined basil, oregano and garlic to evoke the tastes of the Italian countryside. This is a simple yet unique twist on the waffle fry and is a fan favorite!

Try them today.  They are the perfect compliment to any meal or even as a snack.  Be sure to click on the link to get your coupon for $1 off of any Alexia product below.

Best!

Maureen

POM Velvet Cupcakes with POM Cream Cheese Frosting

Time to Table: 35 Minutes Prep / 20 – 25 Minutes Baking / 20 Minutes Cooling

Servings: 30 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:
POM Cream Cheese Frosting
Juice from 3-4 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 1-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
4 oz. soft unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. powdered sugar

POM Velvet Cupcakes
Juice from 6-9 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 2-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
16 oz. granulated sugar
12 oz. soft unsalted butter (3 sticks
4 ea large eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 oz. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 oz. cocoa powder
3/4 oz. baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Directions for POM Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Prepare fresh pomegranate juice*, score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water
• Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs), the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top, sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl.
• Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside, (refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use)
• Reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 3 fl. oz.
• Allow to cool, place butter into electric mixer bowl with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute
• Add the cream cheese and continue to mix for 2 more minutes, turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the pomegranate juice reduction
• Mix until the sugar is fully combined, remove icing from the mixer and place into a piping bag with a round or star tip.

Directions for POM Velvet Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF,
• Reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 1/2 cup, place sugar and soft butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream on medium-high speed, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy
• Turn the speed down to low and add the eggs in one at a time
• In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pomegranate juice reduction, white vinegar and vanilla extract, and then slowly add half of this to the mixer
• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and then sift at least two times until well mixed
• Add half of this to the mixer, add the remaining half of the liquids to the mixer, and then the remaining dry ingredients
• Finish off with the heavy cream, beat just until combined
• Place cupcake liners into cupcake pan, and using a spoon, fill with cake batter until it is just about 3/4 full
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
• Allow the pan to cool slightly, and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool fully
• Once the cupcakes are cooled completely, they can be iced with the pomegranate cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh pomegranate arils.