December 13,2007 - Westland Public Library

Mary Klemic, editor. (248) 901-2569. mk!emicd>riometownlife.com
.COM
Thursday, December 13, '2007
The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers
www.homeiownlife.com
Try Racnael's Greek Mixed
Grill Kebobs, featured in "Just
in Time."
What: Meet Emmy-award winning TV personality
and author Rachael Ray, host of her own talk show
and the Food Network series "30 Minute Meals" and
"Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels." Shell autograph her
latest book, "Just in Time."
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.
Where: Borders Books S Music, 34300 Woodward
Ave., Birmingham
More information: To secure a place in line be sure
to get a wristband from a Borders staff member.
They will begin handing wristbands out at 8 a.m. on
Dec. 20. Call (248) 203-0005.
^%achael Ray earned her stripes
§JF in the kitchen and became a
«8 ^, household name showing off
her culinary skills on such Food
Network favorites as 30 Minute
Meals and $40 a Day.
The Emmy-award winner now
hosts her own syndicated talk
show, Rachael Rap, and has successfully
launched the magazine
Every Day with Rachael Ray.
She continues to host two Food
Network series, the aforementioned
30 Minute Meals and
Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels.
Over the years Ray has written
a series of cookbooks based on her
well-honed 30 Minute concept for
people on the go. Her latest book
marks a slight departure from that
idea.
Just in Time offers super-simple
recipes for those who have even a
little time to cook, as well as some
double duty dishes for days when
it's possible to spend more time in
the kitchen. Fans will notice plenty
of Rachael-isms in Just in Time.
From healthy doses of her musthave
ingredient EVOO (extra virgin
olive oil), to soups so thick and
hearty she calls them "choup."
We've included a few of the more
mouth-watering moments from
the book in anticipation of Ray's
Birmingham book signing, and
just in time for the holidays.
By Stephanie A. Casola
Fifteen minutes
GNOCCHiwnti SPINACH AND GoRGOfgou
1 (10-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach
Salt
2 (14- to!6-ounce) packages fresh gnocchi
X cup chopped walnuts
% cup EVOO {extra-virgin olive oil), 4 times .
3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
Biack pepper
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
To defrost the spinach, place it on
aplate and microwave on high for 5
minutes. Wring it dry in a clean kitchen
towel and set aside.
Bring alarge pot ofwater to a boil for
the gnocchi and season it liberally with
saJt Cut open the gnocchi packages and
set aside. Place the walnuts in a small
skillet and toss over medium-low heat
for 3 to 4 minutes until toasted and
fragrant.
In a deep skulet, heat the EVOO
over medium heat Add the garlic to
the warm oil, then add the spinach,
separating the clumps as you add it to
the garlic oil. Season tilespinach with
salt and pepper, add the stock, and bring
to a bubble over medium heat. Add the
Gorgonzola to the spinach and stir until
it melts.
While the spinach heats, cook the
gnocchi in the boiling water for 2 to 3
minutes, or until they floatto the surlace.
Drain, then add to the spinach and
toss for 1 minute to coat, then adjust the
seasonings. Serve the gnocchi topped
with the toastedwalnuts.
Thirty minute meals
GREEK MIXED GHU. KEBABS
Salt
% pound orzo pasta
4 garlic cioves, minced
4 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves stripped and
finely chopped
6 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and
finely chopped
ktip green olive tapenade
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest and juice of 2 lemons
% cup pius 14 cup of extra virgin olive oil
(EVOO)
Ik pound firm white-fleshed fish, like halibut or
Please see RECIPES, D4
AN EGGN0G TO
REMEMBER
Need ideas for your
cocktail lineup this
holiday season Check
out Ti Adelaide Martin
and Lally Brennan's "In
the Land of Cocktails,"
an amusing collection
of recipes and stories
from the family that
gave us New Orleans'
famous Commander's
Palace restaurant.
This eggnog recipe
packs serious punch;
you might start with
'/* cup of Southern
Comfort, then add
more according to your
taste.
EGGNOG COUPE DE
MILIEU
Start to finish: 2 hours (JO
minutes active) Serves 6-8.
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream
'/s cup sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
'/; cup Southern Comfort
'/s teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Bring about an inch of
water to a simmer in the
bottom half of a double
boiler.
While the water heats,
in the top half of the
boiler combine the eggs,
heavy cream, sugar and
cinnamon. Place the top
half over the simmering
water and whisk until
thick and frothy, about 6
to 8 minutes.
Pour the mixture
through a mesh strained
into a btiwl. Refrigerate
until chilled like
custard, about 2 hours.
When cold, whisk in the
Southern Comfort and
vanilla. Divide among
chilled shot glasses and
garnish with freshly
grated nutmeg.
Compiled by AP Food Writer
J.M. Hirsch; Recipe from Ti
Adelaide Martin and Laily
Brennan's "In the Land of
Cocktails," William Morrow,
2007, $19.95. •
more gadgets to end 2007 on a happy note
Still can't find the perfect gift for the gadget lover in
your life Perhaps you've got some gift cards burning
a hole in your pocket. Whatever the case, check
out this final batch of 2007 hardware from my happy
holiday closet. Wow, there's some good stuff in there.
Tech Savvy
Rick Broida
THE $99 VIDEO PHONE
Okay, not really a video phone, but
rather a webcam, which can accomplish
more or less the same thing.
Specifically, webcams allow you
make Jetsonian video phone calls to
faraway friends and relatives. The camera
mounts atop your desk or monitor;
software connects you to the other party
(who will also need a webcam, of course,
along with a broadband Internet connection).
I recently tested webcams from five different manufacturers,
including Creative and Microsoft. They all
worked reasonably well, but there was definitely a standout:
the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000.
Though priced on the high side at $99, it produced
far and away the highest-quality video of the five webcams.
I also found it admirably easy to use, with smartly
designed software and some fun video effects.
It comes with a built-in microphone, of course, so you
really can have two-way video chats with your loved
ones. I highly recommend using SightSpeed (sightspeed.
com), a free program that makes video calling grandmafriendly.
THE $150 MP3 PLAYER
Okay, so you've got $150 to spend on a new MP3 player.
Three choices: the Apple iPod Nano ($149), Creative
Zen ($129.99), or Microsoft Zune ($149-99).
They're all great players, all
equipped with 4GB of .storage
space (enough to hold about
1,000 songs) and bright
color screens. You really
can't go wrong with any of
them.
That said, I have a favorite.
It's not the Nano: Much as I love
its elegant, wafer-thin design, it
falls short in the feature department.
Microsoft's new Zune is longer and a
bit thicker than the Nano, but still thin
and pretty, and stocked with extras like FM
radio and Wi-Fi for syncing and song sharing.
Unfortunately, Microsoft still doesn't offer TV
shows or movies, so the beautiful screen goes largely to
Please see BROIDA, D4
The Logitech
QuickCam, Pro
9000 delivers
top-quality video,
making it the perfect
webcam for video
chats with far-flung
friends and relatives.