Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A Napoleonic Ode (and Lean Cuisine Pizza!)

Hmmmm…staring at your pantry, cupboard or freezer, wondering what to eat? Jams, jellies, preserved fruit, frozen food or canned ham? Who do you have to thank for this cornucopia of chow? Clarence Birdseye? That Foster Farms chicken guy?

How about Napoleon?

Napoleon? Auntie, you ask, can you be serious? Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor?

Apparently…yes. I have to confess, as the doyenne of the deep-freeze and mistress of the masticated, I was surprised to find out just how much the much-maligned 18th-Century Emperor of France contributed to our daily diet. 12,000 francs, to be exact, although that was 1810 francs, so I suspect it was indeed a lot of dough.

In 1795, (Wikipedia claims 1800) the French Directoire, apparently serious about that “an army marches on its stomach” quotation, offered a 12,000 franc prize to anyone who could develop and prove a new, efficient means of food preservation. A man named Nicolas François Appert (1750-1841), variously known as a confectioner, hotelkeeper, brewer and chef, wanted that prize money and spent 15 years of his life perfecting a method of preserving foods. Interestingly, he never actually understood what it was about his process that made it work, but work it did. Appert’s method was surprisingly simple; partially cook various foods, place them in a glass jar, seal the jar with a cork, and then cook it further in boiling water. The result was an airtight container holding cooked foods that would keep for long periods of time, a method that is still used in concept by today’s home canners. Appert demonstrated his methodology by sending a collection of preserved food to Napoleon’s army, which took the samples to sea with them for over four months. Appert gleefully wrote about the experience that “[w]hen opened, 18 different kinds of preserved foods were tasted, every one of which had retained its freshness, and not a single substance had undergone the least change at sea.” Given that he had sent preserved partridges, vegetables and gravy to Napoleon’s troops, one has to wonder just how tasty months-old boiled partridge can be, but given the preponderance of scurvy at the time, I would bet that the seagoing soldiers fell on this new delight like ravening wolves. Appert indeed received the 12,000 franc prize – from Bonaparte himself - and unwittingly launched the era of preserved foods with his "partridge cartridge," so to speak.

Within a year, a fellow Frenchman, Pierre Durand, (also known as Peter Durand) had relocated to Great Britain and had applied for a British patent to preserve food “in vessels of glass, pottery, tin, or other metals or fit materials.” King George III of course saw the value in keeping up with his rivals across the sea and granted the patent. Durand surpassed Appert by using tin instead of glass – creating the first canned food – and ushered in the advent of supermarkets (if you think about it).

On a humorous note, Appert used the proceeds from Napoleon’s prize to set up his own “boiling factory,” to sell preserved foods to others, but it was burned down less than ten years later…during the Napoleonic Wars. The Emperor giveth, and the Emperor taketh away, apparently.

Now, wasn’t that Appertizing?

Meanwhile, over at the Diner, ChristenW has just reviewed Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine Casual Eating Spinach and Mushroom Pizza, giving it a walloping 5 forks. She writes:


“This pizza is SOOOOO good - easily the best
frozen pizza I've ever had, diet or otherwise.
I'm a fan of 'white pizza,' "…
read the rest of ChristenW’s review here.


Visit us at the Icebox Diner!! Read over 1,000 consumer-to-consumer reviews of frozen food, prepared meals and convenience dinners.

Photos: Napoleon image, courtesy of Wikipedia Commons; Canned foods, copyright istockphotos.com, all rights retained. Please do not steal the images.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Fighting the Freshman 15 (30 Low-Cal Frozen Meals)

Not surprisingly, the emails have started coming in, complaining about the infamous "Freshman 15," the ubiquitous weight gain suffered by every young person beginning his or her college adventure. For some of us, it's temporary pudge brought on by the stress of a new place, new people, new lodgings; for others, it's just more of an ongoing struggle with food. Regardless of which category you belong to, if you're eating frozen food, TV Dinners and microwaveable meals - and you know you are - we're here to help. In honor of the Freshman 15, we've compiled a list of 33 frozen entrees and dinners, all 200 calories per serving or less.

We've tried to include a wide variety of meals, to account for differing tastes and lifestyles. So - in order, starting with the lowest per-serving calorie count:





  1. Amy's Organic All American Veggie Burger, 120 cal., 15 g. carbs, 10 g. protein, 3.0 g fat;
  2. Amy's Organic Texas Veggie Burger, 120 cal., 15 g. carbs, 12 g. protein, 2.5 g fat;
  3. Stouffer's Classic Welsh Rarebit, 130 cal., 14.0 g carbs, 12 g protein, 9 g fat;
  4. Amy's Organic California Veggie Burger, 140 cal., 19 g carbs, 6 g protein, 5 g fat;
  5. Stouffer's Classic Creamed Chipped Beef, 140 cal., 9 g. carbs, 9 g protein, 8 g fat;
  6. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Chicken Marsala, 140 cal, 12 g. carb, 14 g protein and 4.0 g of fat;
  7. President's Choice Blue Menu Tomato and Herb Chicken, 150 cal., 14 g carbs, 15 g. protein, 3.5 grams fat;
  8. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Comfort Classics Roasted Turkey & Vegetables, 150 calories, 12.0 g carbs, 15 grams protein, 5 g fat;
  9. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Sweet and Sour Chicken, 150 cal., 13 g carbs, 21 grams protein, 3.0 g fat;
  10. Amy's Organic Chicago Veggie Burger, 160 cal., 20 grams carbs, 10 grams protein, 5 g of fat;
  11. Amy's Organic Light in Sodium Black Bean Enchilada, 160 calories, 22 grams carbs, 5 grams protein and 6.0 grams of fat;
  12. Gorton's Grilled Fillet Meals Alfredo, 160 calories, 14 grams of carbs, 19 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat;
  13. Michelina's Avantage Creamy Parmesan chicken, 160 cal., 9 g. carbs, 18 grams Protein and 6.0 grams of fat;
  14. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Garlic Beef & Broccoli, 160 cal., 17 g carbs, 15 grams protein, 3.5 grams fat;
  15. Banquet Select Swedish Meatball Meal - 170 calories, 33 grams of carbs, 22 grams of protein and 19 grams of fat;
  16. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Orange Beef, 170 cal, 16 g carbs, 13.0 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat;
  17. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Beef Pot Roast, 170 cal., 9 grams caqrbs, 25 grams protein, 9.0 grams fat;
  18. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Chicken Marsala with Broccoli, 170 calories, 12.3 g carbs, 19 grams protein and 5.0 grams fat;
  19. Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada, 180 calories, 26 g carbs, 5 grams protein, 6 grams fat;
  20. Michelina's Lean Gourmet French Recipe Chicken, 180 calories, 23 grams carbs, 10 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fat;
  21. Stouffer's Hearty Classics Stuffed Peppers, 180 calories, 21 grams carbs, 8 grams protein, 7 grams of fat;
  22. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Steak Tips Portabello, 180 calories, 14.3 grams carbs, 15.0 grams protein and 7.0 grams fat;
  23. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Zucchini, Mushrooms - 180 calories, 32.0 grams carbs, 9 grams protein, 2.0 grams of fat;
  24. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Bistro Selections Roasted Chicken w/Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes - 180 calories, 19 grams of carbs, 14.0 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat;
  25. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Chicken Mirabella - 180 calories, 30 grams of carbs, 11.0 grams protein and 2.0 grams of fat;
  26. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Creamy Chicken Tuscany - 180 calories, 9 grams carbs, 22 grams protein, 8 grams of fat;
  27. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Shrimp Marinara, 180 calories, 31 grams of carbs, 9 grams of protein and 2.0 grams of fat;
  28. Michelina's Avantage Wholesome Menu Meatloaf in Gravy - 190 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 17 grams of protein and 9 grams of fat;
  29. President's Choice Blue Menu Chicken Curry - 190 Calories, 17.0 grams of carbs, 19 grams of protein and 5.0 grams of fat;
  30. President's Choice Blue Menu Sesame Ginger Chicken, 190 calories, 17 grams of carbs, 18 grams of protein and 5.0 grams of fat;
  31. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Comfort Classics Herb Roasted Chicken - 190 calories, 23.0 grams carbs, 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat;
  32. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Grilled Chicken in Garlic herb Sauce - 190 calories, 9 grams of carbs, 23 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat, and, last on our list for today,
  33. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Higher Protein Entrees Chicken Santa Fe - 192 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 33 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.

So - there you are. Thirty-three pretty terrific waist-watching meals that you can heat and eat without guilt and with blithe unconcern about contributing to your "baby fat." Try these meals, and ensure that the "blossoming" you do at college is between your ears...and not between the seams of your pants. Good Eating and Good Luck!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Don't be Cranky - Get Crabby! (Crab ‘n Bacon Appetizers)


(Credit to Meghan Pembleton, Special for the Arizona Republic)

I’m going to be out of town for the next few days, so I’m writing this and putting it up earlier than usual. I admit I was at a loss for a dish this week, but stumbled across this fantastic use of frozen food in The Arizona Republic. It takes a mere 4 ingredients, and almost no preparation or cooking. I’m absolutely disgusted and unspeakably jealous that I didn’t think of it myself. (Photo credit Meghan Pembleton, for the Arizona Republic).

Crab & Bacon Stuffed Mushroom Caps

1 4-oz. crab cake (fresh or frozen will do – use the kind with breading)
16-20 medium sized fresh mushrooms (½ - ¾ lb.)
2 tablespoons Hormel Real Bacon bits (or other quality real bacon bit brand)
1 tablespoon butter

Cook crab cake according to package directions. Wash mushrooms and break off stems. Place cleaned mushroom caps upside down on ungreased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375º F.

Dice the mushroom stems and place in small bowl. Add cooked crab cake and bacon bits and mash mixture with a fork; stir well to combine mushroom pieces to mix.

Spoon mixture into mushroom caps on baking sheet. Dot with butter. (Auntie tip: dice ice-cold butter up into tiny pieces, to make it easier to dot these smallish appetizers). Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Serves 4. One serving is about 4-5 stuffed caps; about 314 calories, 22 grams of fat, 90 mg. of cholesterol, 14 grams of protein and 16 grams of carbohydrate per serving. But, let's be serious - if we're eating crab- and bacon-stuffed mushroom caps glazed with butter, who's counting calories?

This is a really terrific use of frozen food. It’s the kind of appetizer that will get you the kudos of “home-cooked” or “hand-made,” when it is really more….what’s a good phrase? Ah…. “Home-assembled.” Trust me – nary a soul will guess that you used prepared or ready-made “help” in creating these tasty morsels. Yum!

And don’t forget…visit the Icebox Diner to read more than 1,000 consumer reviews of frozen foods, entrees, side dishes and meals.

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Saturday, September 09, 2006

Don't Skimp on That Shrimp (Contessa's Ragin' Cajun Shrimp)

Howdy, all:


This week is a quickie review, designed to make your cooking life easier. I'm reviewing Contessa’s “Ragin’ Cajun Shrimp,” and all I have to say about this entrée entry into the dinner sweepstakes is:

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!

In English, let the good times roll!

Having tried and loved Contessa’s garlicky Shrimp Scampi, I decided to take their Cajun Shrimp out for a spin, even though the description on the box – “whiskey flavored sauce” – left me a bit discomfited. Whiskey is for drinking, not cooking; I’ve never found anything flavored with whiskey fit to eat…until now.

Contessa’s Ragin’ Cajun Shrimp comes in a 12-ounce box, claims to contain “about 3” servings, each serving with 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbs and 11 grams of protein, and let me tell you, those calories are worth eating. The picture on the front of the box is deceptive; it makes the sauce for the shrimp look transparent, a bit “buttery,” for lack of a better word. The sauce is anything but buttery in taste, transparency or texture. Think instead of a sauce more akin in color, consistency and fire to “buffalo” sauce on chicken wings…orangey-red and hot hot hot.

Yes – bizarrely enough, this dish will knock your socks off, burn your tongue and amaze your taste buds. It’s actually HOT. Not just “spicy,” like Contessa’s Kung Pao Chicken meal in a bag; it’s hot enough where I will tell you not to try to feed it to the kiddies. In fact, if you’re not used to eating hotter dishes, you might want to give this one a pass. If, however, your taste buds crave heat and shrimp, shop no further. The sauce is salty, hot and full-bodied, replete with the bite only real peppers can bring to the table. Plan on a side of rice or angel hair pasta to complement the (more than enough) zesty sauce.

My sole complaint is that the sauce made this dish a bit trickier to sauté than the scampi version, because the heavier sauce coated the shrimp thoroughly in the frying pan, making it a bit harder to judge whether or not the shrimp were adequately cooked. The instructions call for 3-4 minutes on each side, and I found that you need the 4 minutes on medium-to-high heat to ensure that the shrimp are cooked; I judged by taking a shrimp out and cutting it apart to see if it was done when I’d had them on the second side for 3 minutes (they weren’t, and needed that last minute). The dish couldn’t be easier; plop the frozen shrimp, which come already-coated in a bag, into the preheated frying pan or skillet, cook 3-4 minutes each side, serve.

What could be simpler?

Vector Graphic, Shrimp: copyright Miroslaw Pieprzyk, 2006, istockphoto.com