Whole Planet Travels to Paraguay

by deerfield, July 14, 2009 | Permalink

Check out our latest blog post from Steve who works for the Whole Planet Foundation: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/07/whole-planet-travels-to-paraguay/

On this leg of his trip through South America, Steve explores Paraguay and opportunities for building a microcredit program in the country where Whole Foods Market sources its organic sugar cane.  Steve experiences the hospitality of folks who remember Phillip Sansone, Executive Director of the Whole Planet Foundation, from his days as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay over 30 years ago.

Wild Alaska Salmon Video

by deerfield, July 8, 2009 | Permalink

At Whole Foods Market, we strive to provide our customers with the highest quality natural and organic ingredients available. This is not just another fish story - this is our story on Wild Alaska Salmon. Check out our video of sourcing Wild Alaska Salmon, here:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/video/

Keith Harris, Whole Foods Markets Alaska Port Buyer, lives in Alaska all summer to be on site when each salmon fishery opens for the season. No other supermarket has someone on site overseeing standards for the quality of the wild Alaska salmon. Check out what Keith does and why this makes our wild Alaska salmon special.

Not Just Another Fish Story: Wild Alaska Salmon

Cooking Wild Alaska Salmon

by deerfield, July 8, 2009 | Permalink

GRILLING
How: Oiled grill grates or grilling basket (to prevent sticking, brush fish with oil, too)
How Hot: Medium heat
How Long: 8 to 10 minutes for 6-oz fillets

BAKING
How: Parchment paper-lined baking sheet
How Hot: 350˚F oven
How Long: 10 to 12 minutes per 6-oz fillets

PAN-FRYING
How: Large skillet with a thin layer of oil
How Hot: Medium to medium-high heat
How Long: 6 to 8 minutes for 6-oz fillets

Cooking Note: A one-inch-thick fish fillet should be done after about 10 minutes using any cooking method, but always check before the time is up! It’s ready when the flesh is opaque and easily flakes with a fork.

MORE TASTY WAYS TO ENJOY WILD ALASKA SALMON

In a Niçoise Salad: Arrange flaked cooked salmon on a platter with lettuce, hard-cooked eggs, small boiled potatoes, steamed green beans, tomatoes and olives. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

In Salmon Cakes: Leftover salmon makes great cakes! Serve mini cakes as appetizers or on a bed of lettuce or cooked greens for a complete meal.

Over Soba Noodles: Place seared or grilled salmon over sautéed mushrooms, green onions and snow peas tossed with soba noodles and soy ginger sauce.

In a Spread: Combine cottage cheese or farmer cheese with chives, chopped fennel and a squeeze of lemon. Stir in flaked cooked salmon. Serve on toasted bread, endive spears or romaine leaves.

Sparkling Mineral Water Taste Test

by deerfield, July 7, 2009 | Permalink

As a life long sparkling mineral water drinker, I have more than two cents to add whenever I drink a new type of mineral water. I believe in big bubbles - but not so overly fizzy that digestion becomes difficult. I love hints of flavor, like lime, but below I’m going to limit myself only to rating pure sparkling mineral waters. So, here is my shortlist of great Sparkling Mineral waters. You can find all of these at Whole Foods Market Deerfield.

#1. Tie between Perrier ($1.69/Liter) and WFM Brand Sparkling Mineral Water ($1.39/L). These two mineral waters taste strikingly similar. Both have bold, big bubbles throughout the bottle with a low sodium taste. Entirely drinkable, the soft flavor and bubbles last for up to 4 hours. I challenge any other sparkling mineral water company to produce similarly long lasting bubbles.

2. Pellegrino ($1.69/Liter). The queen of sparkling mineral water. With a bottle design second to none (perfect as a secondary flower vase) and soft, light bubbles flowing effortlessly throughout each sip, Pellegrino is a water to be reckoned with. While softer than our #1 rating, Pellegrino is by sheer design the perfect party water. The only hiccups I’ve experiences have been a short window of opportunity - goes flat much more quickly than other mineral waters - and a bit too much salt. Pellegrino also is less consistent: I’ve opened a number of flat bottles of Pellegrino (compared with none of Perrier and WFM). But, this could perhaps be attributed to Pellegrino’s extremely soft bubbles.

#3. Poland Spring ($.99/Liter). The least expensive of the lot (although it is packaged in plastic), Poland Spring is like a puffed up Perrier. Heavy, large bubbles, lots of air and low sodium.

#4. Appolinaris ($1.99/liter). More on the European, saltier, less bubbly side. Beautiful bottle and would be a great gift for a guest.

#5. Gerolsteiner ($2.69/liter). The most expensive of the group but doesn’t blow the other waters out of the park. Therefore, mainly because of it’s slightly higher price, this water is #5.