The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 18

6B TIMES HERALD, PORT HURON, MICHIGAN MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1999 WHOMILCALLL LIFESTYLE STORIES Living Do you have questions? Comments? Ideas for stories about coping with everyday life? If so, please call Kim Estep, features editor, at 989-6267. Today's r-f? Blend The latest on people, trends, entertainment and the arts. DDDD gfS hmm? ft HEAT THINGS UP: Chili topped French actor enjoys being on stage PARIS Gerard Depardieu returned to the Freneh stage for the first time in 13 years and said he felt more comfortable there than in movies or on television. "It's a different kind of per crock, set it to low and go to work. It is ready when you get ifA.k AT w.i A i II I I I iro cf" vr -tri' 4 iA oregano IV2 pounds beef cubes for stew 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 large dried California chile peppers, seeds and stems removed 1 onion cup tomato paste 1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes drained, juice reserved 6 ounces (half bottle) dark beer V2 teaspoon each Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce Mix the chili powder and the other dried seasonings together and toss with the beef cubes.

Heat a skillet over high heat and brown the beef cubes on all sides, then drain off excess fat. Seed the dried peppers by tearing off the stem and pulling and shaking out the seeds. Cut the onion in Vi-inch pieces, then divide it in half and mince V2 finely. Place the minced half in the bottom of the crock-pot with a few tablespoons of the reserved tomato juice. Add the dry peppers next, then the remaining onion, then the stewed tomatoes.

Pour in the beer, then enough reserved tomato juice to cover. Add the Tabasco and Worcestershire and set the machine to medium low. Cook for at least 6 hours. To serve, remove the dry pepper and either discard them or puree finely and add back in. Serves 4.

home hot, steaming and delicious. Whichever recipe is right for you, each one has a little trick that makes it stand out from the pack. Speed Scratch Chili 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 pound lean ground beef 1 tablespoon chili powder cup dark beer 1 16-ounce can diced toma toes, with juice Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan with a wooden spoon. You will need to stir Jil fllll- ill AW AYM starts to turn golden, about 2 to 3 minutes, add the beef and stir to break it up as finely as possible. When about V4 of the meat has browned and has begun to render fat, add the chili powder and stir in.

When By TED THOMAIDIS Gannett News Service The Super Bowl is fast approaching Jan. 3 1 and hungry football fans soon will be blitzing your kitchen. To keep 'em happy, serve chili. Chili is one of those feel-gooti foods. Take a bite, and the pleasant heat begins somewhere at the back of your mouth.

It heads down to your stomach and you are warmed. Then there is a creeping northbound rush that triggers your scalp to sweat and your skin to flush. It may be cold outside, but you are not chilly anymore. If you decide at the last minute to have a Super Bowl party, you can throw together our first recipe in 15 minutes. It is simple enough to make mostly from ingredients you already have in the house, such as ground beef, an onion, a can of beans and some chili powder.

If you do not have the time to simmer your chili for very long, this recipe is for you because it uses just a touch of beer. The beer is a quick way to round out the flavor, and most of the alcohol will evaporate. Because chili is essentially a stew, it performs best if it has time to simmer slowly. The longer it cooks, the better it will taste. The other recipe is for a crock-pot.

All you need to do is load the ingredients in the Inventive cook gets spinach in kids' menu The Associated Press Debbie Powyszynski of Allen, Texas, cooks for a family consisting of husband Dave and their two sons. In addition to needing to get food on the table fast, "I'm always looking for' creative ways to get vegetables into my kids," she said. The recipe she devised for Speedy Spinach Squares Alfredo worked. "One son had four helpings, and he doesn't even like spinach," she said. The recipe is featured among the 30-minute main dishes section of the latest Pillsbury Quick Easy Bake-Off cooking contest.

Speedy Spinach Squares Alfredo 10-ounce can refrigerated pizza crust 1 cup frozen cut leaf spinach Vz cup store-bought Alfredo sauce 4.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese with onions and grated cheese is perfect for a Super Bowl party. Gannett News Service the meat is mostly browned but a little red color remains, add the beer. It should boil almost instantly. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and juice. Bring to a then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes.

Serves 4. Crock-Pot Chili 1 tablespoon chili powder V2 teaspoon each ground cumin, garlic powder, dried FROZEN PIZZA SPICE IT UP Want to improve frozen pepperoni pizza? Add one or several of these ingredients to your pie during or after baking: Chopped red onion: toss with olive oil and add to pizza during last five minutes of baking. Chopped portabella mushrooms: during last five minutes. Fresh basil: after baking. Pesto or basil-flavored olive oil: during last two minutes.

chetta (3.2). As a category, frozen pizza holds other advantages: It's generally cheaper than delivered. Another plus: Throw frozen pizza in the oven and you know when it will be ready to slice. You don't always know when or if the delivery person will find your house. Serving frozen pizza at parties also is more convenient.

You can bake the pizza as you need it and serve it hot. Practicalities aside, there is a disturbing truism: While there are good frozen pizzas that compare favorably with delivered, there also are mushy and pink, i-H'm 1 i J. 8 Frozen pizza is a formance. It's more human, more free," he said. In The Gates of Heaven, a murder mystery that opened last week at the Theatre de Gerard Depardieu Paris, Mr.

Depardieu plays Charles Quint, a 16th-century emperor who abdicates to seek redemption through religion. Mr. Depardieu has starred in several films. DiCaprio's latest film irks activists BANGKOK, Thailand Environmentalists are hoping to sink Leonardo DiCaprio's late.1 1 film shoot. Activists, loci i residents and hotel and tour operators have lined up aga nst 20th Century Fox's plai to film The Beach on Phi Phi Island, 340 miles from Bangkok.

They fear filming will harm Maya Beach, where the film crew removed natural vegetation. Linda Tripp tops fashion disasters BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. What a surprise! Linda Tripp, everyone's favorite best friend, heads Richard Black-well's annu al list of the women. Her look makes her "the 'Starr' of her very own the former fash Linda Tripp ion designer said. Madonna, a favorite target of Mr.

Black-well, was second Madonna has become a neo-Gothic and actress Kate Winslet was third wardrobe should have gone down with the on Mr. Blackwell's 39th annual list. Teen actor found 'The Faculty' fun NEW YORK Elijah Wood said his new film, The Faculty, borrows from his favorite teen movies of the 1980s. The movie, which is showing at Birchwood Cinemas in Fort Gratiot, slaps together smart, sophisticated teens such as Mr. Wood and trouble that could have been borrowed from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

"Those movies were all sort of fantasy," said Mr. Wood, 18. "It's so much fun to watch that." Stern stalker gets jail sentence NEW YORK A stalker who promised in a letter to Howard Stern that he would "absolutely, without a doubt" kill the shock-jock has been sentenced to 2'2 years in prison. The sentence was nearly twice as much as called for in federal guidelines. The case began when Michael Howard Stern Lance Carvin sent four letters to Mr.

Stern last spring from Las Vegas. "I will absolutely, without a doubt, kill you and this is 100 guaranteed," said one letter to Stern, whose New York-based radio show is broadcast nationally. From wire reports i iim i ii mr The Associated Press FORGET DELIVERY: To make Speedy Spinach Squares Alfredo, spinach, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, ham and bell pepper are layered over prepared pizza crust, then baked. This main-dish recipe is ready in 30 minutes. standby Broccoli or cauliflower florets: Blanch briefly in boiling water and drain well; add during last two to five minutes.

Roasted red pepper strips from jar: during last five minutes. Salsa: during last two minutes. Chopped green or black olives: during last two minutes. Cajun seasoning: Do not add too much if seasoning contains salt; add during last five minutes. Dried oregano: last five minutes.

Red pepper flakes: in beginning or at end of cooking. awful-tasting frozen disks that do not deserve the honorable name. In fact, seven of the frozen pizzas tested scored fewer than 3, average points, and two earned fewer than 2 average points. One. panel member described the flavor of last-place Totino's Party Pizza (1.2 average points) as "strange and smoky." She declared the pepperoni on the Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty (1.3 points) "unpalatable." Fine, not all frozen pizzas rank with the best of the delivery pies.

But choose wisely, and the underdog from the freezer case may win big at your next party or weeknight supper. II One son had four helpings, and DD he doesn't even like spinach." DEBBIE POWYSZYNSKI, bake-off winner vig orously for this recipe, so a saucepan with tall sides is best. When the oil is hot, add the onions and stir. It should sizzle loudly. Stir constantly so each onion piece cooks evenly.

When the onion wilts and s' Place spinach in small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave on high for 2 minutes. Drain well; squeeze out moisture. Pat dry with paper towel. Spoon and spread Alfredo sauce over dough.

Arrange spinach over sauce; press slightly. Top with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, ham and bell pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into squares. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Makes 8 servings. source of Prepare the vinaigrette; whisk vigorously and check seasoning just before serving. Thoroughly rinse and dry the spinach. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss the spinach with the vinaigrette, top with onion rings, tangerine segments and pomegranate seeds.

Serve at once. Makes 4 to 5 servings. Chef's Notes: Grapefruit, oranges, ugli fruit, mandarin oranges or blood oranges, individually or in combination, may be used as substitute fruits. Slice onion rings and place in a container of ice water for up to 24 hours to crisp them. This also will mellow the harsh bite of the raw onions that some people find offensive.

By CHUCK MARTIN Gannett News Service Frozen pizza is the underdog Super Bowl snack. It gets little respect because frozen grocery Store pizza is preserved, after all not the real thing. Frozen pizza usually is reserved for emergency weeknight dinners, when leftovers have vanished and there is no time to cook. Serving frozen pizza at special occasions like Super Bowl parties is taboo in the snack world. Maybe no more.

In a 1998 pre-Super Bowl frozen-pizza vs. delivered pizza taste-test of a dozen frozen and one delivered (Papa John's) pepperoni pizzas, the frozen DiGiorno Rising Crust Pepperoni whipped the delivered pizza by a relatively wide margin (4.1 to 3.4 average points on a 5-point scale). The Taste Team cheered DiGiorno for its "good, thick crust," "stringy cheese" and "restaurant-quality" flavor. Trailing close behind in the contest were: Uno Original (3.3 average points), Tombstone (3.2), and Fres- folic acid Tangerine Pineapple Vinaigrette 3 tablespoons tangerine juice 2 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice 1 teaspoon lemon juice Vi teaspoon balsamic vinegar Vi teaspoon prepared creole mustard Vt teaspoon minced garlic one-third cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons olive oil teaspoon salt (or to taste) Va teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste) Combine the juices, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the oils gradually.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Makes cup. Salads are a good 1 cup cooked sliced ham, cut into 2-by-V2-inch strips (4V2 ounces) 13 cup chopped red'bell pepper Grated Parmesan cheese, optional Crushed red pepper flakes, optional Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease 1 3-by-9-inch (3-quart) baking dish. Unroll dough; place in greased baking dish.

Starting at center, press out dough with hands over bottom and halfway up sides. pastas are good sources. Other foods to include in your meals are beans, nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens. The following recipe for Spinach Salad with Tangerine and Pomegranate features folic acid-rich citrus and spinach. You may substitute other citrus fruits both in the salad and the dressing, if you prefer.

Spinach Salad with Tangerine and Pomegranate Tangerine Pineapple Vinaigrette (recipe follows) 10 ounces spinach leaves, stems removed V2 small red onion, sliced into paper-thin rings 2 tangerines, segments only 1 pomegranate, seeds only t-ms 1 jr. I By MARY DONOVAN The Associated Press Eating well means making sure your diet includes all the right nutrients. Folic acid may be one of the less familiar: In January 1998 it joined the list of fortifiers added to breads, cereals, pastas and rice. Folic acid is vital for cell growth and the synthesis of DNA. One of the simplest ways to get folic acid is to drink an 8-ounce glass of orange juice at breakfast.

Since that will take you only about half of the way, you also should cat more foods naturally high in folic acid at lunch and dinner, too. Fortified breads, cereals and The Associated Press LEAFY SALAD: Spinach Salad with Tangerines and Pomegranate, served with Tangerine Pineapple Vinaigrette, features plenty of folic acid-rich citrus and spinach. Folic acid is essential for cell growth and the synthesis of DNA..