Newsletter Has An Asian Flavor
Asian cooking is unquestionably hot these days, its influence felt in everything from sesame-spiked salad dressings to Thai pizza, even a proposed new Asian food pyramid.
To help you keep current, R.W. Lucky, a Seattle teacher and cooking enthusiast who has lived in and traveled throughout an area ranging from India to Japan, has launched a quarterly newsletter titled “The Asian Foodbookery.”
The friendly, no-frills, eight-page publication includes cookbook reviews, recipes and various food-related writings about Asian lands.
Subscriptions are $14 per year, with a sample issue available for $3.50. Write to: The Asian Foodbookery, P.O. Box 15947, Seattle, WA 98115-0947.
Off the In-tater-net
So you’ve got a fancy computer sitting in the study, and a sack of potatoes in the cellar, and absolutely no idea what to make for dinner?
The National Potato Promotion Board rides to the cyber rescue with its “Ready, Set, Dinner” software, featuring 40 potato recipes, a weekly menu planner and the ability to print out a grocery list.
To order, send a check or money order for $3.99 (payable to Specialized Marketing Services Inc.) along with your name, address and preference for Macintosh or Windows versions (specify 4 or 8 megabytes RAM for Windows) to: Ready, Set, Dinner, P.O. Box 52950, Irvine, CA 92719. Allow six to eight weeks for delivery.
The software also can be downloaded from the Internet. For instructions, send e-mail to software@potatoes.com
Tuber tally
Speaking of spuds, the latest government statistics show that 35 percent of the U.S. potato harvest is used for frozen products (primarily fries), 29 percent is sold as fresh produce, 11 percent is turned into potato chips, 9 percent is dehydrated and 1 percent goes into such canned goods as soups and stews.
There’s no mention of what happens to remaining 15 percent of the crop, but we would imagine they’re the lower-quality kind that are converted into upholstery. You know, couch potatoes.
Dove bars beware
One of the newest potato products on the market comes courtesy of Duncan Farris, a Boise State University senior: Spud’Stix, a large, oval piece of processed potato on a stick that’s pre-baked and frozen, ready to be deep-fried or reheated and dipped into your favorite sauce.
The potato popsicles aren’t available in our area yet, but Farris would like to link up with a local distributor. If anyone’s interested, he can be reached at (208) 368-0883.
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MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.