"woman" news and stories

Pretty Mean Snacks were another great find that I made at the Fancy Foods Show this year. The company makes indulgent chocolates that are designed specifically for women. They're not fortified with every nutrient known to man and they're not intended to give you any super-human powers, as some woman-oriented products seem to claim. Instead, they're guaranteed to lift the spirits and make you sigh with pleasure at the exotic, well-balanced flavors in rich chocolate. They may be called PMS chocolates, but they're really supposed to be a cure for the crankiness sometimes associated with it and an outlet for stress.

Whether you like the little woman-centric gimmick or not, you can't deny that the chocolates are fantastic. The flavors include:

• "Sweet Sassy Sister" - Milk Chocolate with Sweet Basil and Heavenly Mango
• "Pure Passion Princess" - Pumpkin and Peanut Butter blended with Cinnamon in Milk Chocolate
• "Deep Decadent Diva" - Fragrant Rosemary with Tropical Roasted Pineapple in Dark Chocolate
• "Hot Mamma Madness" - Dark Chocolate with Tangy Ginger and Mild Wasabi

My favorite was the amazing Pumpkin and Peanut Butter blended with Tawny Cinnamon in Milk Chocolate, which struck the perfect balance of pumpkin and cinnamon, with a rich peanut butter background, that just melted into your mouth in a sea of milk chocolate.

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For years, binge-eating has been thought to be an almost entirely secretive, private habit, but some new research by Dr. Gayle Timmerman of the University of Texas at Austin's School of Nursing shows that binge eating may be more likely to occur in restaurants, especially for women. Binge eating is overeating compulsively and in a restaurant that can translate to ordering an appetizer and a dessert when you might only otherwise have been hungry enough for one main course. Women tended to take in an extra 200-300 calories and about 15 grams of fat when they ate out.

The frequency with which the study participants, as well as people in general, eat out is one of the biggest causes for concern. The participants went to a restaurant or got take out on half of all the days they were in the study and when meals out get that frequent, they are no longer "special occasions" calling for indulgence, though that is the mindset than many still have. Another problem is portion size which, when combined with restaurants' "ample delicious food cues," can cause even a disciplined eater to press on with eating when they should have stopped.

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Master sommelier Alpana Singh has just penned a new book about women and wine, Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine & Having Great Relationships. It is based on her observations of couples and how they interact over wine, as well as how to incorporate wine into different occasions, such as from "first dates to 'meeting the parents'." It seems aimed at women who are novice wine drinkers - just about everyone, compared to Singh - and wants to serve as an introduction to the subject, to push wine one step closer to being an everyday thing. Here are a few of Singh's most basic tips for wanna-be wine lovers

• Older isn't always better, so don't be afraid to drink it if you've got it.
• Chardonnays are "'pretty boys' that don't ask you to think." Develop a taste for "sophisticates" like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Sangiovese.
• Chilling inexpensive wines makes "off" flavors disappear in whites, and makes reds "taste earthier and richer."
• "Don't give easily recognized, inexpensive wines as gifts." Look for more obscure, but still recommended, budget wines.

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The classic wedge shape of a pie server and its rectangular counterpart, the cake server, rarely change much in appearance from model to model and brand to brand. Like many kitchen tools, they are designed for function and not to have a stylish edge. For anyone interested in fashion, this fact makes servers boring because the designs of almost every other piece of cookware and tableware, including plates, measuring cups and appliances, change from year to year, if not season to season like designer apparel does. Those fashion-conscious individuals, who want to serve their cake and eat it too, will love the Shoe/Handbag Server Set. The sliver plated pieces are shaped like a high-heeled shoe and a handbag, giving a version fashionable look to a functional tool.

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It's called the Women's Wonder Bar and it is supposed to cure PMS. It is flavored slightly with rose and contains soy and "chaste tree berry." On the wrapper, it says "Take sweet revenge on PMS, menopause & everyday cravings with this delicious Swiss chocolate." The chocolate bar, which is from a line of products called Health by Chocolate, takes the marketing approach that overtly says you should eat a lot of chocolate. For example, their FAQ says "Q: What happens if I go on a health by chocolate binge and eat more than one bar? A: You'll be in a very good mood."

Other products include an Instant Bliss Beauty Bar, which contains oils that are supposed to be good for the skin, the Instant Bliss Beauty Drink (essentially the same as the bar, but liquid), and the Beautiful Bones Bar, which is orange chocolate with calcium and vitamin D.

The calcium bar aside, since I have seen many other similar products, I have little doubt that these bars will not "work" in that they won't cure PMS or make your skin perfect. They were all designed with the supervision of an holistic doctor and, if things like soy were enough to prevent PMS, then there would be a lot of women who don't get cramps, etc. I'm not the only doubter, either.

I do think that many people get a moos boost from eating chocolate, though, and as long as it makes you feel good, it's hard to argue with indulging in a piece or two. Just know that you're eating it because it's chocolate, and not for any other reason.

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