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Grilled, poached, baked or fried, fish is not only quick and delicious, it’s a healthy, nutrient-rich choice. With the extensive selection of fresh fish both online and on local supermarket shelves, the only tough decision is how to cook it.

Try one of the recipes listed below or browse the related recipes for baked, fried, broiled and grilled fish, along with a variety of stews and chowders

• ¼ cup Butter
• ½ cup Fine Dry Bread Crumbs
• ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick slices

Melt butter; put half into a small bowl and stir in bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Brush tomato slices with remaining butter; dip in crumb and cheese mixture. Arrange on broiler rack covered with greased aluminum foil. Broil 5 to 6 inches below heat until lightly browned. Turn with a spatula and brown the other side.

Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes serves 6.

Pizza is actually modern Italian for pie. The origin of the term is murky but is said to be derived from an Old Italian word meaning “a point,” which later evolved to the Italian word pizzicare, meaning “to pinch or pluck.” A Neapolitan dialect of the word first shows up in print in 1000 A.D. in the form of picea or piza, assumably referring to the way the hot pie is plucked from the oven. Early forms of pizza were most likely what we call focaccia today, since the tomato didn’t reach Italy until the 16th century, hence no tomato sauce for the pie we know as pizza. The addition of mozzarella cheese (initially made from buffalo milk) did not come about until the 19th century. The standard tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza is first credited to Raffaele Esposito of the Pizzeria di Pietro, who dedicated the creation to Queen Margherita in 1889. The colors nicely coincided with the colors of the Italian flag.

Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States, but it was mostly confined to small areas of the Northeast. Once in America, the pizza stretched out to eighteen inches in diameter or more. The first pizzeria opened in New York City in 1896 at 53½ Spring Street. Yet pizza did not really gain popularity outside the Northeast until returning World War II servicemen returned from their tours in Italy with a hankering for the pizza they enjoyed in Naples. In the 1940’s, sales of oregano increased by 5,200 percent over eight years due to the surge in popularity of pizza and other Italian foods. In 1957, the Celentano Brothers marketed the first frozen pizzas.

Baked Tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

Ingredients

• 8 Fresh, Ripe Tomatoes, stem removed & cut in half horizontally & squeezed to remove seeds
• 6 tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Minced Parsley or Basil
• 2-4 Garlic Cloves, depending on size & your preference, minced
• Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

1. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer.
2. Mix the bread crumbs, herb and garlic.
3. Heat 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle the cut side of the tomatoes with salt and pepper and place cut side down in the hot oil. Cook 3 minutes, turn and cook one more minute.
4. Transfer them to the baking dish, cut side up. Repeat with any remaining tomatoes.
5. Spoon garlic mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, or until tender.

To serve:

May be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Leslie’s Feng Shui Sweet and Sour Shrimp

• ⅔ pound Medium Shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
• 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 Celery Stalk, diagonally cut very thin
• 1 Carrot, diagonally cut very thin
• 1 Medium Onion, julienne cut (thin strips from halved onion sliced from root to top)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon Oil

Sauce:

• 2½ tablespoons Cornstarch
• ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
• 4 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 4 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 20 ounce can Pineapple Chunks (in juice)

Marinate shrimp in 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch for about 20 minutes (in the refrigerator).

In a bowl or large measuring cup mix sauce ingredients: 2½ tablespoons cornstarch, ⅓ cup soy sauce (add soy sauce slowly and stir to avoid lumps), rice wine vinegar, dark brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and the juice from the pineapple chunks (reserve the pineapple chunks for later in the recipe). Set sauce aside.

Heat wok or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add shrimp (with marinade) to the pan and stir-fry until just cooked (shrimp will start to curl and turn pink). Remove shrimp to bowl or plate.

Add more oil to wok or pan if needed and stir-fry celery and carrot to soften and remove the vegetables to a bowl (not the one with the shrimp).

Add more oil if needed and add onion and stir-fry briefly to soften. Add back carrots and celery along with bell pepper and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add pineapple chunks to wok or pan and add back the shrimp. Stir-fry for a few seconds. Mix sauce and pour into wok or pan. Stir everything in the wok or pan and bring to a boil so the mixture can thicken.

Immediately remove from heat and serve with Chinese white rice or over crispy noodles. Enjoy your Feng Shui masterpiece!

Makes 3 servings

Notes: Sweet and Sour is a wonderfully delicious way to experience the Yin and Yang of Chinese cooking. In this recipe a variety of colors are used in the vegetables to increase the elemental balance. Additionally, in Chinese cooking it is common for most of the ingredients to be the same shape. This is done so the ingredients cook evenly together, so the ingredients balance each other, and because it looks pretty. If you decide not to use the celery and carrot you can cut all the vegetables into chunks to match the pineapple and the shrimp shapes. Chunks of celery and carrot would overpower the dish and take too long to cook.

Fair Trade Certified coffee is now the fastest-growing segment of the US specialty coffee market. Building on the success of Max Havelaar and ATOs, TransFair USA opened its doors in late 1998 and began certifying Fair Trade coffee in 1999. In addition to coffee, TransFair has introduced Fair Trade Certified tea and cocoa to the US market. In Europe, Fair Trade products include tea, chocolate, bananas, sugar, honey and orange juice. In four years, TransFair has leveraged limited resources to certify 38 million pounds of Fair Trade coffee. This has generated US$31 million of additional income for farmers providing lasting benefits for their families and the earth.

• 6 Ripe Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 Purple Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 Sweet Red Bell Pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
• 2 Stalks Celery, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Chives
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 6 or more drops of Tabasco Sauce to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 cups Tomato Juice

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Serves 8.

Rome dominated the region now known as Burgundy in central Europe for centuries. They brought order, roads, empire and citizenship as well as a strong appetite for hearty cuisine. Bourguignon formed part of what the Romans called “Gallia Lugdunensis” (Celtic Gaul). In 486 the Franks, under Clovis I, overthrew Syagrius, the last Roman governor in Gaul and France was born.

Mushroom Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups Penne Rigate, cooked
• 1 small Tomato, diced
• ¼ cup Onion, diced
• ¼ cup Celery, diced
• ¼ cup Carrot, diced
• ½ cup Dry Red Wine
• 1 tablespoon Soy Spread
• ½ teaspoon Vegetable Boullion Paste
• ⅛ teaspoon Dried Thyme
• several grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

Preparation

Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Add the onion, celery and carrot, cook all the while stirring for 5 minutes. Add the tomato, mushrooms, wine, vegetable boullion and thyme. Simmer covered for 10 minutes or until slightly dry.

To the pan add cooked pasta and 1 tablespoon of the cooking water, toss until coated.

Serves 2

A simple cup of coffee, no cream, no sugar, has no calories. But make it a Coolatta or Frappuchino, and we’re slurping serious fat grams.

These coffees can be tempting, but when you add to them whole milk, whipped cream, corn syrup and sugar, these drinks can top 500 to 600 calories, more than a personal pan pizza.

Although mineral-rich enamel is the hardest surface in the human body, it’s not a match for the old-fashioned American soft drink — including the sugar-free kind.

In a study to be published next month, researchers found that the regular and diet versions of popular drinks such as Pepsi and Coke caused the same amount of dental erosion…

“Bacteria aren’t involved,” said von Fraunhofer, who, thankfully for his pearly whites, doesn’t have much of a taste for either diet or regular colas. “The acid in the drink itself dissolves the tooth directly. You literally dissolve the enamel and then the dentin away.”

No where was a man’s breeding or lack thereof more on display than at the table. While some rules seem a bit quaint, most 19th Century table manners would not be out of place today. People still don’t like it when you slurp your soup, or spray food when you talk.

For the most part, when older people lose their ability to do things on their own, it doesn’t happen just because they have aged. One major reason it happens is that they have become inactive. Older adults who become inactive lose ground in four areas that are important for staying healthy and independent: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.

Fortunately, research suggests that you can maintain or at least partly restore these four areas through exercise — or through everyday physical activities (walking briskly to the bus stop, for example) that accomplish some of the same goals as exercise. What may seem like very small changes resulting from exercise and physical activity can have a big impact.

The resting heart rate is the number of times the heart beats a minute while resting. The best time to take your resting heart rate is in the morning when you wake up. For women the average resting rate is between 74 and 84 beats per minute, for men it is between 72-78…

To get your working heart rate you must take your pulse after vigorous exercise that has lasted for at least 5 minutes. Keep marching or moving while you are taking your pulse…

Your recovery heart rate is the rate at which the heart returns back to normal after vigorous exercise. This is an important aspect of how healthy a persons heart is. The more cardiovascularly fit a person is, the quicker their heart will recover after exercise. Take your pulse one minute after you have stopped exercising and then again at 2 minutes and 5 minutes.

Everyone needs to exercise at the correct heart rate to get the most cardiovascular benefits and to stay safe. This heart rate is called your target or training heart rate; or the rate you want your heart beating at during vigorous exercise. Most fitness experts recommend exercising between 55% and 85% of your resting heart rate for optimal benefits.

The way to find your target heart rate is to do this formula. Take your age and subtract it from 220. Now multiply that number by 0.55. And, multiply the same number by 0.85.

Everywhere in the world, the richest people build the biggest homes, but as the world’s wealthiest nation, the United States is also building the biggest bodies. It’s hardly cause for patriotic pride. “We’re leading a race we shouldn’t want to win,” says associate professor of pediatrics David Ludwig. Many foreigners already view Americans as rich, greedy over-consumers, stuffing themselves with far more than their share of the planet’s resources, and obese American travelers waddling through international airports and hotel lobbies only reinforce that image. Yet our fat problem is becoming a global one as food corporations export our sugary, salty, fatty diet: Beijing has more than a hundred McDonald’s franchises, which advertise and price the same food in the same way, and with the same level of success.

Our Surfers nominate and vote for the Crème de la Crème of the Culinary, Wine and Beer sites on the Internet. Why waste your time surfing “Pages Not Found” when the Internets’ Top Culinary, Wine and Beer Web sites are one click away! Updated Hourly.

Reviews of many brands of lump charcoal, with viewer ratings.

The seeds for the International Brotherhood of Beer Drinkers were originally sown in 1987 in Flagstaff, Arizona with the founding of the International Society for the Advancement of Cirrhosis (ISAC). The five founding members of ISAC met weekly for the consumption of various alcoholic beverages, mainly Bud Light and Rumplemintz. The membership in ISAC rose and fell over the years, but the founders remained present in the organization until 1994 when job changes and relocations reduced the membership to just one of the original five, who found himself in Tucson, Arizona. Several furtive attempts to revive ISAC were made in Tucson, but the organization never gained the foothold it had enjoyed in Flagstaff. It was during these attempts that the focus of the meetings began to change. The original mission of ISAC was to ensure the members obtained a good buzz, regardless of the delivery medium. The underground meetings of ISAC in Tucson began to feature beer as the beverage of choice, and the principal objective became the sampling and enjoyment of imported and exotic domestic beers rather than just an excuse to get loaded. Many friends and coworkers of the lone ISAC member participated in these events, and all seemed to enjoy the outings. It was during this period that our last remaining ISAC founder became known as the Beerhound for his ability to sniff out rare and exotic beers to offer to his guests. In late 2001, Beerhound decided the focus of the group had changed enough that the ISAC name should be retired, and a new organization be formed with a new name and mission. Thus, on the last day of 2001, the International Brotherhood of Beer Drinkers was formed.

The year 1961 was a big one for French cuisine in America. The Kennedy family dined on it in the White House, Julia Child wrote about it in her first cookbook, and André Soltner cooked it up for New York’s elite as the new head chef of Lutèce.

This young Alsatian chef was among the first to cultivate America’s taste for the art of fine cuisine. Over four decades, André remained true to his impeccably executed classical menu, churning out exquisite food while training generations of future chefs in his highly disciplined kitchen. Nearly forty years on the job, it’s not surprising that he has been consistently showered with high praises and awards recognized around the world.

Fortunately, Cooking With Master Chefs has captured some of his hometown specialties from his Lutèce Cookbook as he demonstrates Tarte Flambée and Alsatian Meat Stew on the show.

Feeding hungry foodies with loaves and lessons for two decades, Danielle Forestier continues to contribute to the “artisan bread renaissance” across the United States as a bakery consultant to restaurants and food manufacturers. After training in Paris with Professor Raymond Calvel and working in a variety of bakeries, Danielle brought her classical baking techniques to California. Opening a European-style bakery called Les Belles Miches in Santa Barbara, she served fresh-baked wholesome loaves to her devoted following for years. The first woman and the first American ever to be awarded the title Mâitre Boulanger by the Chambre de Commerce in Paris, Danielle now shares her expertise with other passionate bakers as she travels around the world, continuing to collect new information on her journeys. In the show Baking With Julia, Danielle Forestier prepares her impeccable French Baguette.

Casseroles, Cooking with Kids, Deep-Frying, Freezing, Grilling, Knife Skills, Planning Ahead, Roasting, Sauces, Shellfish Skills, Side Dishes, Slow Cooking, Step-by-Step Photo Tutotials.

Old fashioned cooking, gardening, crafting, holidays and family traditions.

• 1 Large Eggplant
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 cloves Garlic, very finely minced
• 1 pinch each Thyme, Basil, Dill, and Oregano
• Salt and freshly grated Black Pepper

Heat grill.

When grill is hot, slice eggplant about ½-inch thick. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the oil and vinegar mixture.

Place eggplant on the hot preheated grill. Grill about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.

Just as cookbooks were once considered recreational reading for food lovers — that old-fashioned but beloved Joy of Cooking comes to mind — these days, Web sites called food blogs are used by increasing numbers of us for culinary dreaming, recipes and not-so-occasional soul searching. I know this because I’ve succumbed to the lure and now spend hours each week writing my own blog and reading others.

Like online diaries, blogs (short for Web logs) are Web sites with regular updates and links to other stories and resources on the Web. There are blogs on every topic imaginable and food blogs are among the currently trendy. In them are recipes, food gossip, the history of specific cuisines or ingredients, restaurant reviews, photos of real meals made by real people for their real families and food-related musings of regular folks who simply love to eat. These musings are sometimes brilliant and sometimes boring. Yet they are the essential ingredients of a blog. It’s up to the author, or blogger, to concoct an appealing combination of ingredients to make his or her site so delicious that readers keep coming back for seconds.

Think about the characters representing your major cereal brands: Cap’n Crunch. Tony the Tiger. The Quaker Oats Quaker man. Toucan Sam. Count Chocula. Frankenberry. Lucky the Leprechaun. Snap, Crackle and — yes — Pop. The Kellogg’s rooster. The Trix Rabbit. All males! …

Now many individuals, confronted with a social injustice of this magnitude, would choose to look the other way. But Frank J. Phillips is not “many individuals.” He wrote a petition to the cereal companies and circulated it at his school, St. Mary’s School in Medford, Ore., where many students signed the petition out of what I assume was a sincere desire to keep Mr. Phillips distracted from attempting to teach them Latin…

I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking: “Dave, are you insane? Our nation is struggling to deal with war, worldwide terrorism, a mounting budget deficit, a health-care crisis and some very questionable votes on American Idol. With all these serious problems facing us, how can you possibly ignore the Honey Nut Cheerios Honey Bee? Surely you wouldn’t call IT a male?”

No, I would not. I would call it gender-neutral. And as the father of a 4-year-old girl, I frankly do not want my daughter to grow up in a world where her cereal-spokesperson role model is an asexual bee.

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the June 2004 issue of the Archives of Opthamology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved 77,562 women and 40,866 men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants’ consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARM, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men.

While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARM, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply tossing a banana into your morning smoothie or slicing it over your cereal, topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with a half cup of blueberries, and snacking on an apple, plum, nectarine or pear, you’ve reached this goal.

The continuing battle against the obesity epidemic moves this week to a biotech park affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. That’s where physician and scientist Richard Atkinson, president of the American Obesity Association, starts assembling a new lab designed to test blood for a fat virus.

Yes, that’s right. A fat virus.

When Jamie Finley begins an experimental weight management treatment later this month, she could receive a shock. Actually, the 41-year-old Woodbridge mother and business manager could get a whole series of them, and that’s fine with her.

The shocks will come from a machine the size of a half dollar she’s volunteered to have surgically implanted in her stomach as part of a clinical trial at the George Washington University Hospital Weight Management Program. Finley, a former Arkansan who grew up on Southern fried chicken and eggs cooked in bacon grease, hopes the novel device — called an implantable gastric stimulation system — will help her control her appetite and shed some of her roughly 200 pounds. And keep them off.

1. What is your dream weight?
2. What is the weight at which you’d be happy — not as ideal as dream weight but still something you’d be glad to achieve?
3. What is the weight you’d find acceptable — not something you’d be terribly happy with but which you could live with if it were your current weight?
4. What is the weight at which you’d feel disappointed — it’s less than you weigh now, but it would still leave you feeling very unsatisfied?

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania asked these very questions of a group of obese women beginning a weight-loss program. The average dream weight amounted to a loss of 69 pounds — 32 percent of the women’s current body weight. The weight loss the women would have found merely acceptable was 55 pounds — a 25 percent weight change. And the weight loss that would have been disappointing was 37 pounds — 17 percent of their body weight.

After 48 weeks, almost an entire year, half the women did not achieve even their “disappointed” weight.

Can you really injure yourself while stretching?

Yes. Too-vigorous stretching, stretching until it hurts, or holding the stretch too long is not recommended. Stretching should feel good. You should stretch to the point of mild discomfort, at most, and then ease up…

Will stretching prevent injury?

There is no hard evidence that it does. Runners who never stretch before running are no more prone to injury than those who stretch, according to some research. But, in theory, stretching should protect against injury, and many athletes believe it does. Whatever the answer, cold muscles are more likely to tear than warm ones. Warming up before stretching may prevent stretching injuries, and stretching itself may help prevent injuries while exercising.

It is news guaranteed to raise a cheer among those who enjoy a glass or two: drinking half a bottle of wine a day can make your brain work better, especially if you are a woman.

Research to be published tomorrow by academics at University College London has found that those who even drink only one glass of wine a week have significantly sharper thought processes than teetotallers.

Question: What exactly is a “serving” on a food label?

Answer: Probably not what you think.

That’s what the Good Housekeeping Institute food pros found when scanning the grocery shelves. Although the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates portion size, food manufacturers can still decide if their products serve more than one for their food labels. For example:

Nutrilicious carob-coated donuts boast only 120 calories per serving, but one small donut has three servings, according to the package, or 360 calories…

Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Bowls look like a single serving, since the food comes in a single bowl. But, according to the label, one noodle bowl serves two, for a total of 240 calories.

Pasta with Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Fresh Mozzarella

Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil
• 6 to 7 large Garlic Cloves, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• ¼ teaspoon Hot Red Pepper Flakes
• 6 to 8 medium Ripe Tomatoes (3 pounds), cored and cut in eighths
• ½ cup chopped Fresh Basil leaves, plus several sprigs for garnish, optional
• ½ teaspoon Coarse Salt, preferably Kosher
• 1 tablespoon small Capers
• 1½ teaspoons Anchovy Paste
• 1 pound Farfalle (bow-tie) or Fusilli (corkscrew) pasta
• 1 ball (about 4 ounces) fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
• Coarse Salt, preferably Kosher
• freshly ground Black Pepper

In a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish, combine olive oil, garlic and hot red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and gently toss. Roast in preheated 375° oven, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Stir in chopped basil and ½ teaspoon salt and continue to roast for 15 minutes. Stir in capers and anchovy paste and continue to roast until tomatoes darken and the juices concentrate, 25 to 40 minutes. (The time will vary depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes.) Set aside. (The sauce can be made up to 2 hours ahead and left to stand at room temperature. Or cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat over medium-low heat.)

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Using plenty of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). This will probably take about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain well and divide pasta among 4 warm, shallow bowls.

To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup of the sauce along the center of each serving. Arrange mozzarella cubes along either side of the sauce on the plain pasta. Sprinkle each serving with Parmigiano-Reggiano and garnish each with a basil sprig, if desired. At the table, season with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.

— From “Everything Tastes Better With Garlic” by Sara Perry (Chronicle Books, 2004).

• Look at it. It should be clear and free of sediment. (Bits of cork don’t count, here).
• Smell it. Does it smell nice? Wine should not smell bad, at all, ever.
• Swirl it in your glass and smell it again. The aroma or nose should change slightly for the better.
• Take a little in your mouth and enjoy the three sensations of the first impression, the middle taste and the finish. The finish should last a few seconds. (In fact, pro’s count the seconds… the very, very best wines linger for up to a minute and a half or so.)

What follows are some truths about how wine can react with food:

• A wine high in tannins (Bordeaux, for instance) mated with a food high in tannins (like walnuts) will render the wine almost undrinkably dry and astringent.
• Protein tends to calm tannins, so a very tannic wine might be rendered glorious when enjoyed with rare beef.
• Delicate foods — veal, or filet of sole for example — will be overwhelmed by a full-bodied red wine. By the same token, a hearty lasagna will virtually cancel out a dry, medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc.
• A wine can add its primary flavor to a dish, giving food a layer it didn’t start out with.
• Some wine and food combinations result in a flavor that was not present in either one and is not meant to be, metal for instance. Try white turkey meat with red Bordeaux if you doubt this.
• Sometimes it’s as though this wine has been searching all its life for this food and fireworks ensue.
• Tannic wines make sweet foods taste less sweet; salty foods emphasize tannin.
• Salty foods mute the sweetness and enhance the fruitiness of a sweet wine.
• Wines that are high in acid taste less acidic with salty or sweet food; acidic wines also can offset oily foods.

Remember — any combination you enjoy is a good combination!

Is wine fattening?

The calories in a 4 ounce glass of wine ranges from about 80 to 100 calories. Lighter wines tend to have fewer calories than heavier wines. Some wines are higher in carbohydrates than others due to their residual sugars. For example, a dry Sauvignon Blanc may have 2 grams of carbohydrate where as a very sweet dessert wine could have up to 12 grams. Wine is fat free and contains no cholesterol.