TOP TEN FAVORITE FAMILY MEALS

McCormick Kitchens took up the challenge to boost the flavor – and potential health benefits – of the top ten internet-searched recipes of the season. Starting with these family favorites, they explored easy ways to add more flavor twists by adding spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits.


Top Ten Most-Searched Family Dinner Recipes

1. Spaghetti
2. Tacos
3. Pork Chops
4. Pizza
5. Chicken Soup
6. Enchiladas
7. Meatloaf
8. Lasagna
9. Chili
10. Beef Stew  

Westminster's Food Film Series begins Sept. 15

Westminster College's Environmental Center kicks off its first-ever Food Film Series beginning Sept. 15, 2011, with a screening of “FRESH.”


 All films in the series are free and open to the public and will take place on campus on the third Thursday in September, October and November, in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium. The Westminster campus is at 1840 S. 1300 East, Salt Lake City  (www.westminstercollege.edu)

“We are hosting our first-ever food series to share information with students and our community about food and current food issues,” explained Alizabeth Potucek, Westminster’s Organic Garden student coordinator. “We hope to start conversations and cultivate awareness about some current problems and ongoing solutions with our food system.”

Westminster’s new Food Film Series will include the following:

“FRESH”

September 15, 7:30 p.m. 

Produced and directed by Ana Sofia Joanes, FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

“Ingredients”

October 20, 7:30 p.m. 

American food is in a state of crisis. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, food costs are skyrocketing, family farms are in decline and our agricultural environment is in jeopardy. “Ingredients” explores a thriving local food movement as our world becomes a more flavorless, disconnected and dangerous place to eat. Discovering better flavor and nutrition, the film is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities. Westminster student Carson Chambers will also speak on the Real Food Challenge, a campaign to increase the procurement of real “local” food on college and university campuses.

“Greenhorns”

November 17, 7:30 p.m.
The Greenhorns documentary film, completed after almost three years in production, explores the lives of America's young farming community - its spirit, practices, and needs. It is the filmmaker's hope that by broadcasting the stories and voices of these young farmers, we can build the case for those considering a career in agriculture - to embolden them, to entice them, and to recruit them into farming.

WIN A YEAR OF CHICK-FIL-A AT LAYTON STORE OPENING

 A new Chick-fil-A is opening in Layton Sept. 22, and the first 100 adults in line that morning will get a free year’s supply of Chick-fil-A.

 First 100 celebrations have been happening at Chick-fil-A openings for the past eight years, according to a company press release. It's like waiting in line for concert tickets or a new hot movie opening. The parking lot party draws  Chick-fil-A fans who come equipped with couches, TVs, and tents to count down to the newest restaurant opening. Some participants who often arrive more than 24 hours in advance, for the music, contests and games. 

A similar scene is expected in Layton where Chick-fil-A will award a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A^® Meals (52 certificates) to each of the first 100 adults in line, age 18 and older with identification, at the restaurant located at

651 W. Antelope Road.  The line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, Sept. 22, sometime between 6 a.m. and 6:10 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, all 100 spots will be determined by a raffle. See http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/First-100 for complete rules. 

This year marks 30 years of business in Utah for the popular chain with the state’s first location opening in 1981 in Ogden’s Newgate Mall and its first stand-alone opening January 2003 in Sandy. The new Layton restaurant features the first multi-ordering drive-thru Chick-fil-A system in the state, seats 130, and offers a toddler indoor play area and free Wi-Fi for guests. 

Chick-fil-A operator Craig Saxton will transfer from his Layton Hills Mall location to operate the new stand-alone retaurant.  He's been involved in the restaurant business in Davis County for more than 30 years including 14 as a Chick-fil-A Operator.  Saxton studied business and accounting at Weber State University and is supported in the business by his wife Trudy, daughters Bambi and Natasha and their husbands. Along with being selected Rookie of the Year by the chain in 1998, Saxton has also earned the company’s highest honor for its Operators – the Symbol of Success -- four times.

 Founder Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta in 1967. The chain is now the second largest chicken restaurant chain, with more than 1,583 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C.

PILLSBURY CONTEST: WIN A $10,000 FAMILY VACATION

From September 21 through November 30, 2011, fans of Pillsbury baking mixes, frostings and flours have a chance to win a $10,000 family vacation.  They can visit www.pillsburybaking.com to enter the Pillsbury People Celebrate More Photo Contest. Fans are asked to submit a photo capturing an everyday family celebration, plus a brief description (140 words or less) describing the moment and how the family experience made them feel.

Ten finalist photos and captions will be chosen and posted on www.pillsburybaking.com for a nationwide online vote to help decide the winner beginning in January 2012. The winner will receive a family getaway, and will also be invited to celebrate Pillsbury Doughboy’s birthday this spring.

The contest coincides with some new Pillsbury baking products, such as mocha fudge and dark chocolate brownie mixes, chocolate chip, chocolate Funfetti and sugar cookie mixes, sugar-free cake and brownie mixes, and sugar-free creamy frostings. 

TOP TEN SEAFOOD LIST

Seafood at Market Street Grill

Americans ate 20 percent more tilapia in 2010 than they did in 2009,  propelling it from the number five spot to the number four spot with the single largest gain in consumption on the National Fisheries Institute’s (NFI) latest Top Ten Seafood List.

Other impressive gains saw pangasius jump 14 percent to claim the number eight slot, up one from last year. And while cod remained at number seven, it gained 11 percent over 2009.

                               2009                                                                  2010

Shrimp	4.1	Shrimp	4.0
Canned Tuna	2.5	Canned Tuna	2.7
Salmon	2.04	Salmon	1.999
Alaska Pollock	1.454	Tilapia	1.450
Tilapia	1.208	Alaska Pollock	1.192
Catfish	0.849	Catfish	0.800
Crab	0.594	Crab	0.573
Cod	0.419	Cod	0.463
Clams	0.375	Pangasius	0.405
Pangasius	0.356	Clams	0.341

 .

*Data in pounds per capita.

For many years, America's most-consumed seafood was canned tuna. But in 2000, shrimp surged ahead, and has remained at the top. That was mainly because shrimp prices were lowered due to imported farmed shrimp.  Many people don't realize that  more than 90 percent of U.S.-consumed shrimp is grown in fish farms in countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil and Ecuador. Farmed imports have definitely made shrimp more affordable to those who don't live near the Southern coastline. But there's the concern that the imports are squeezing out the American shrimpers, who can't catch wild shrimp as cheaply as a foreign counties can farm it.
Several prominent New Orleans chefs told me they insist on using domestic shrimp for this reason, and because they feel it has better taste and texture.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a "Seafood Watch" that recommends which seafood to eat and which to avoid, based on environmental issues, which types are overfished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life, or that have high levels of contaminants. Imported farmed shrimp is on its "avoid" list.
But, if you have a hankering for shrimp in Utah, you will find that American-caught shrimp is a lot more expensive and harder to find than farm-raised.

SILVER RESTAURANT IN PARK CITY

All that glitters definitely isn’t gold, you realize as soon as you walk into Silver, one of Park City's newest restaurants. The glamorous, three-level building at 508 Main is decked out in cobalt blue and silver sophistication. You’ll find walls covered with hanging metallic chain link and etched glass.


 There are deep blue tufted mohair banquettes that wrap all the way up the wall and ceiling, and chairs are upholstered in metallic faux alligator.

The name, “Silver,” reflects the glitzy ambience, but it’s also a nod to Park City’s mining heritage, said co-owner Mary Lisenbee, who noted that the Marsac Mining offices were once housed on the site. Most recently, it was an art gallery before Lisenbee and co-owner Lisa Barlow renovated it. 

Todd Mark Miller was Silver's executive chef when it opened last winter. Miller honed his skills in Salt Lake City’s Fresco, Trio and Metropolitan restaurants before making a name for himself in New York City. He came back to Utah a  few times as a guest chef for celebrity dinners during the Sundance Film Festival. 

But, Miller's tenure at Silver didn't last long, and now at the helm is Spencer Wolff, who was chef of the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C.  Chris Durfee, formerly of Salt Lake City's Metropolitan, is sous chef. 

Last weekend my husband, Kim, and I stopped in for dinner at Silver because I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. But I was a little concerned, because Kim isn't into what he calls "fru-fru" dining, where the dishes contain a lot of strange ingredients, and the tiny portions are so heavily garnished that he's not sure whether he should be eating it or wearing it on his lapel. But at Silver, he was pleasantly surprised to find many straightforward dishes to choose from.  And on the flip side, I found enough creative twists in the contemporary American menu to keep things interesting. 


Prices are in the “Park City splurge” zone (starters, $12-17; salads, $8-10; entrees, $24 for pasta carbonara to $40 for an 8-ounce prime beef filet). 


Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, so Kim stepped in with his cell phone.  Wish I could run the photos a little bigger, but you get the idea. 

Instead of the usual rolls and butter, or bread with olive oil, Silver serves its hot, fluffy rolls with bright green “chive oil” for dipping. 

For starters, I had Butter Leaf Wraps, three open-faced lettuce rolls filled with shards of red bell pepper, mushrooms, water chestnuts and a peanut dressing that packed a little heat.  

Kim had a crab cake — chunks of delicate crab held together by sheer willpower instead of the starchy breading that many crab cakes suffer from. It was topped with thin slices of raw fennel and Granny Smith apple.

  

Two signature entrees are the slow-roasted beef short ribs (a holdover from Todd Mark Miller’s original menu) and local red trout topped with chopped shiitake mushrooms and ponzu brown butter. Kim had the trout, and he enjoyed it even though he's not a mushroom lover. 

My juicy, tender 10-ounce Kobe steak came with a little ramekin of blue cheese sauce, asparagus spears, cripsy wisps of brussels sprouts, and "chickpea frites," which are sort of like hummus in french-fry form (see the rectangular logs in the photo). 

As a side dish, Kim and I shared a luscious Sweet Corn Pudding, rich with fresh corn, butter and cream.  Chef Wolff has shared the recipe with me, and I'll be running it in this Wednesday's Deseret News Food section.

For dessert, we had a plate of “s’mores”  — little brownie-like squares topped with browned house-made marshmallows, and scoops of house-made sorbet.  


I can't recommend that you eat at Silver every night — it would be hazardous to your wallet, your waistline and your humility! But if you want to dine in luxury and feel like one of the Beautiful People for a night, this is a good bet. 

BIGGEST LOSER: SAM POUEU RECOVERING

The Facebook page, "Pray For Sam Poueu," is posting updates from family and close friends of Sam Poueu, the former "Biggest Loser" contestant who was critically injured last Saturday in a fall. The latest, from Patti Anderson posted Friday afternoon, "Stephanie just called and Sam is out of surgery. The doctor said it was a SUCCESS!! Thank you sweet Jesus and thank you everyone who prayed for Sam. Keep praying, he's got a long journey ahead. Also pray for Stephanie & our families to help us 
every step along the way. God love you all."


Patti Anderson is the mother of Sam's fiancee, Stephanie Anderson. Patti and Stephanie were partner contestants  on "Biggest Loser" Season 9, where Stephanie and Sam first met.


TMZ and People.com reported that Poueu fell several stories from a building last Saturday, and was in critical condition in a San Francisco hospital. Their reports also said he was  conscious and is being treated for a pelvic injury, torn ligaments, a punctured lung and a broken leg. For more info about the accident and an update on Sam's recovery, check here: http://chewandchat.blogspot.com/2011/10/biggest-loser-sam-poueu-now-in.html.


Fans may recall that Sam, 24, and his cousin, Koli Palu, were partners on the "Biggest Loser" Season 9, with a goal of inspiring their Samoan community. Sam didn't win the top prize, but he did win the heart of fellow contestant Stephanie Anderson.  The couple got engaged in 2010.  


The "Pray For Sam" Facebook page has marshaled Sam's many fans from around the world, who are selling wristbands  to raise money for medical expenses, sharing healing-related Bible scriptures, and dedicating their workouts to him. A special prayer time was set for Friday, Sept. 9 at noon Pacific Coast Time, inviting anyone and everyone to stop and offer a prayer on his behalf. Those who want to buy wristbands or donate money can check the Facebook page for website addresses. 


Several  posts from earlier this week  are included here:


Patti Anderson (9.7.11)
Thank you so much everyone for your amazing love and support. Sam will be in awe knowing how many people around the world are praying for him and keeping him close to their hearts. Stephanie, Sam's mom, dad, sisters and all of the Poueu and Anderson families are overwelmed and so appreciative. Keep praying, praying & praying!


Koli Palu
Sam Poueu's condition is steadily improving by the hour. This morning he gave three thumbs up on command. He is still in ICU and fighting. Thanks to everyone for there prayers and support. Please keep praying for Sam, he's doing great but has a long fight in front of him

 Ashley Johnston:
Sam Poueu is improving everyday! He is such a fighter. We all saw him fight for his life once, he is fighting again and is making such improvements! Keep praying. Hes not doing this on his own! Xoxo

 Koli Palu:
Sam Poueu has made serious improvement in the last few hours. He has become very responsive to Stephanie Anderson and his Mother, squeezing their hands and kicking his feet. The head trauma has pretty much stabilized. He still has a long way to go but thank you so much for your love and prayers."  

Ada Wong:  

Hi Everyone, I visited Sam yesterday and after talking with the family, it is apparent he's a fighter! I have every hope that he will make complete recovery. 


The Biggest Loser Resort is forwarding letters, notes, cards and gifts to Sam's family while he is recovering. They can be sent to:  
 Care Packages for Sam Poueu
The Biggest Loser Resort
327 Latigo Canyon Road
Malibu, CA 90265