"juice" news and stories

Kale usually brings to mind steaming bowls of Portuguese caldo verde -- the hearty soup that's spicy with chouriço and thick with potatoes and the greens that give it its name. Or a variation I love, with lentils and kielbasa (try this recipe, from Kitchen Daily). But just as you peg kale as all homey and comforting, the greens take a walk on the wild side in this lemonade, from a recipe by Natalia Rose in The Raw Foods Detox Diet.

Fuji apples, celery, lemon and ginger join kale in the blender to create a sweet-tart drink that's refreshing, incredibly healthy, and makes you feel like a superhero. Wonder Woman, we've given you notice. Your Lasso of Truth may have competition.

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• In a city where it seems most everyone drives everywhere, two sisters lead a taste tour, on foot.
• But a trip on the light rail can be just as delicious.
• Now that Gourmet is gone -- and with it, Ruth Reichl -- Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild steps into the spotlight at Condé Nast.
• A round-up of gravy and stuffing recipes from the Los Angeles Times' test kitchen.
• Drinking juice at breakfast? You might as well be chugging soda.
• Raising your child on a vegetarian diet? If so, meat may become the forbidden fruit.
• Even though the picks may not be perfect, it's lime season in California.
• Dining guide "EAT: Los Angeles 2010" hits bookstore shelves Dec. 1.

Now that we've learned how to peel ginger with ease, this ginger juice recipe seems less daunting, especially with its powerful health benefits. Prized for its piquant flavor, ginger is a medicinal treat in addition to being a tasty one -- to list just a few of its talents, it treats stomachaches and indigestion, reduces toxicity and aids mild lung disorders.

Kickstart your day -- and immune system -- with a shot of the stuff by passing diced and peeled pieces of the root through a juicer. If deemed too spicy for more sensitive palates, mix the juice with water, other juices or sweeteners like lemon, sugar or agave.

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I'm stingy with my smoke.

Not in a "don't bogart that can, man" way. Just that if I'm going to go to all the trouble of stoking a hardwood lump charcoal fire, obsessively monitoring its low-'n-slow-ness for a goodly chunk of the day, feeding its greedy gut with beer-soaked mesquite and hickory chunks at half-hour intervals all for the sake of an albeit fabulous brisket or pork shoulder, I'm gonna want a bit more return on the investment.

Here's where foil pans of salt, cherries and lemons come in.

According to The New York Times, Tropicana's recent decision to redesign its packaging has resulted in parent company Pepsi Co's "own version of New Coke." The new Tropicana package, which features an image of a glass of orange juice, has been described by customers as "ugly" and "stupid," and has caused a widespread revolt. Bowing to the wisdom of the masses, Tropicana is discontinuing the new package and switching back to its popular "orange with a straw" design.

When I first heard about this, I mentioned it to my wife. My family regularly drinks Tropicana, which means that I am familiar with the new package. Like many of the company's critics, I don't really care for the design, but this is the sort of thing that I tend to ignore. Personally, I reserve my consumer rage for really big things like Jar Jar Binks and Claussen's inclusion of HFCS in their Kosher half-sour pickles. In fact, the last time that I got angry about a food package was when Stouffer's decided to portray nachos on the front of their frozen Welsh Rarebit.

Seriously: Welsh Rarebit nachos. The image still fills me with a barely-contained rage.