******************************************** Hot News from Soup Central at E.D. Foods July 15th, 2005 ******************************************** Over a MILLION site visitors Over 80,000 subscribers to this newsletter TABLE OF CONTENTS: For All you wanted to know (And some you didn't) About Corn A. Monthly Specials B. Some Corn-y History C. Selecting and Storing Corn D. What Doesn't Corn Do? E. Oh-So-Good (For You) F. Corn Recipes -------Outrageously Good Corn Chowder -------Crispy Corn Fritters -------Skillet Cornbread -------Black Bean Corn Salad -------Emeril's Dessert Corn Pudding G. People Pleasing Soups H. Corny Sites I. Dear Soup Lady -------Outrageously Good Chicken Pot Pie Soup J. Customer's Recipes Corner -------Chunky Cheesy Tortilla Soup K. Short and Sweet L. Quote of the Month M. For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously... ******************* A. Monthly Specials ******************* Check out all our great deals and specials at: U.S. Customers: http://www.ed-foods.com/special.html Canadian Customers: http://www.ed-foods.com/special_C.html ************************* B. Some Corn-y History ************************* Chances are, if you've celebrated a Thanksgiving, you know the important role that corn played in the survival of the first European settlers. The Native Americans, who relied heavily on corn for a variety of uses, taught the new settlers how to grow and use it. But you might not know how the Native Americans came across this tasty food to begin with. Corn is actually a member of the grass family, and although today we are used to full husks with many little kernels of corn, it's believed that these kernels originally grew separately and were each covered by its own floral parts, similar to kernels of oats and barley. It is thought that over 7000 years ago, this primative version of corn was developed and cultivated by the native populations into the husk and cob that we know and love today. Corn Types Flint Corn - Have a larger grain with relatively little flour tissue in the endosperm. Also known as Indian corn - it has a hard outer shell and kernels with a range of colors from white to red. Grown mostly in Central and South America. Dent Corn - Often called 'field corn' and is often used as livestock feed. It is a cross between flint and flour corn and is the main kind of corn used when making industrial products and various foods. It produces higher grain yields than the other types of corn and it can be either white or yellow. Sweet Corn - Often eaten on the cob (or canned/frozen). It's seldom processed into feed or flour. Gets it's name because it contains more sugar than other types of corn. Almost 50% of the sugar is converted to starch only 24 hours after sweet corn is picked, so eat it as fresh as possible. Popcorn - A type of flint corn. It has a soft starchy center that is covered by a very hard shell. When popcorn is heated the natural moisture inside the kernel turns to steam that builds up enough pressure for the kernel to explode. When the kernel explodes the white starchy mass that you like to eat, forms. ******************************** C. Selecting and Storing Corn ******************************** The key to getting a delicious cob of corn is to buy it as fresh as you possibly can. The sugar in the kernels begins to change to starch immediately after the corn is picked, so the less time between when it's picked and when it reaches your dinner table, the fresher and plumper your corn will be. The best way to tell if the corn you're buying is fresh is to go to your local farmer's market (or better yet, an actual farm) and buy corn that was picked the same day. But if you don't happen to live by a farmer's market, or a farm, there are still things you can look for when selecting your corn: 1. The husks should be bright green and fit snugly against the corn. The silk should be free from break-down or decay. 2. The ear should be free of insect or disease damage (so if you see a brown patch and think you can just cut around it, maybe just keep looking) 3. Feel the top section of the ear to determine if the kernels are filled out to the end (as they should be). 4. Once you've peeled back the husk to check out the kernels, the ear immediately starts to dry out (which is definitely not a characteristic of fresh corn!), so try to select your corn by feel and the look of the outside husk. 5. If you absolutely must pull back the husk before choosing an ear, look for kernels that are fresh, tender, plump and just firm enough to offer slight resistance to pressure. So I Bought My Corn...Now What? If you're not heading straight to the kitchen or BBQ after buying your corn, you need to make sure you store it properly. The less time between buying and eating your corn, the fresher it will be and the better the flavor. If you're going to wait a few days before eating your corn, store it in your fridge, with the husks still on, and sealed tightly in saran wrap or an air-tight container. If you'd like to enjoy corn all year round, you can freeze it - but try to freeze it as soon as possible after you buy it. For information on how to freeze your corn, see our newsletter on Freezing Fruits & Veggies: http://www.ed-foods.com/freezingproduce.html#B *************************** D. What Doesn't Corn Do? *************************** From removing carbon dioxide from the air to sweeting your soft drinks, corn has an enormous range of uses - some which may even surprise you. I can't get in to all of them here (there just isn't enough room!) but I'll add a link in our Corny Sites section that has a more extensive list. Here are just a few of the many products in which corn plays a part: Soft Drinks - High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is blended with sucrose to create a sweetener used in most carbonated beverages throughout Canada and the U.S. Cosmetics - Corncobs, when finely ground, are relatively dust free and very absorbant. This absorbency makes corncobs useful carriers for pesticides, fertilizers, vitamins, hand soaps, animal litters and cosmetics Paint & Varnish - Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol is a resin developed from processing corncobs. These resins are useful in the paint and varnish industry as solvents for dyes, resins and lacquers. Spark Plugs - Starch is uesd in the production of the porcelain part of spark plugs. Paper Products - Paper products use raw starch in the manufacturing process. The raw starch has a high paste viscosity and is useful for specially coated papers, such as postage stampes and packaging tape. Pharmaceuticals - An oxidized starch paste, which dries to a clear, adherent, continuous film, is spread in a thin layer over aspirin tablets to coat them. Corn products, such as corn syrup, corn starch and cornsteep liquor are also used in the production of antibiotics. ************************** E. Oh-So-Good (For You) ************************** There is definitely a reason that corn has been listed as one of the world's healthiest foods. It is an excellent source of many important vitamins and minerals, and of fiber, all which contribute to excellent overall health. Heart-Friendly: Corn is high in fiber, and it has been shown that a high-fiber diet can lower high cholesterol levels. As well, corn is good source of Folate, a B-vitamin that lowers levels of homocysteine (which can directly damage blood vessels, leading to heart attack or stroke). *Interesting side note on Folate - it's been estimated that the consumption of 100% of the daily value of folate would, by itself, reduce the numbere of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. For more in-depth information on Folate's relationship to homocysteine levels, read this article: http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/homocysteine.html Memory-Friendly: Corn is also a great source of Thiamin, another of the important B-vitamin complex. Sufficient thiamin levels are critical for brain cell/cognitive function. It plays an integral part in the the synthesis of a neurotransmitter which is necessary for a properly functioning memory. A lack of this neurotransmitter can contribute to senility and Alzheimer's disease - so remembering to eat your corn will actually help you remember to eat your corn - try to get your head around that one! Stress-Friendly: Let's face it - we live in a stressful world, and chances are you will come across stressful situations on a daily basis. You might not be able to change this, but you can help your body deal with stress in a healthy way. There is another important B-vitamin, called Pantothenic acid, that is fairly abundant in corn. Pantothenic acid is responsible for a host of healthy activities, such as aiding in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, improving the body's resistance to stress, supporting the function of the adrenel glands, and fights infection by building antibodies. Cancer-Fighting: Unlike many other fruits and veggies, corn is actually more healthful and beneficial if it is eaten cooked. Studies have shown that cooking corn actually boosts its antioxidant activity (and antioxidants are responsible for neutralizing free radicals, which damage the body and can cause cancer). For more information on corn's cancer-fighting properties, here's an interesting article: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/02/9.12.02/cook_corn.html ****************** F. Corn Recipes ****************** There are just too many fantastically delicious dishes that you can make with corn. I'm going to go through some basic corn recipes that you can add to and modify to make it your own. And don't forget, corn makes the perfect addition to many of our soups and sauces - especially our Chowders and Vegetarian Chili. For basic methods of cooking corn, please see our corn recipe section: http://www.ed-foods.com/cookbk13.html ************************************ Outrageously Good Corn Chowder ************************************ Serves 4 1 pouch O.G. Potato Chowder (or Leek & Potato Chowder) 3 cups water 1 cup milk 2 cups fresh corn kernels 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or 1 cup finely diced ham, cooked 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1. In a medium-large pot, mix together the O.G. Potato Chowder and 1 cup water. Add corn and the remaining water. 2. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potato pieces are done, about 15-20 minutes. 3. Add in the milk, bacon (or ham), and pepper and bring back to a boil. If you find it's too thick, add a bit of water to reach desired consistency. Serve. Recipe Variations: - Add in your favorite veggies. Some suggestions: onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers - Add in some clams to make a hearty clam chowder - Top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese ******************** Crispy Corn Fritters ******************** Makes 12-16 fritters 375g fresh or frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup rice flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional) 1 medium yellow onion, cut into strips 1 stalk celery, finely sliced Any additional veggies you'd like, sliced 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup water lemon juice (a good squeeze) 1. Sift the flours, baking powder and spices into a bowl. 2. Mix the water, egg and lemon juice and add to the flour mixture, beating until smooth (you may need to add extra water to get the correct consistancy) 3. Stir in the corn, onion, celery and any additional veggies. 4. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan to a depth of 1/2" to 3/4". When hot, drop large spoonfuls of mixture into the oil, spreading it with the back of a spoon to make a circle of about 3". 5. Fry until the underside of the fritter is golden brown, then flip over and do the other side. 6. Lift out and drain on paper towel placed on a wire rack. Top with a liberal sprinkle of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Found on www.recipezaar.com ****************** Skillet Cornbread ****************** Serves 10 3 tablespoons margarine 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 3 tablespoons white sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup skim milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 (11 ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Melt margarine in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute 3 minutes. 3. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. 4.Add milk, egg, and onion mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in corn. Pour batter into skillet. 5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Recipe from Cooking Light magazine http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking ************************ Black Bean Corn Salad ************************ Serves 6 2 (15-ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 2 (15-ounce) cans of whole kernel corn, drained 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/2 cup green onion, chopped 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1/4 tsp seasoned pepper 1/4 tsp dried cilantro 1/8 tsp dried cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing 1. In a small bowl, mix together vinaigrette, seasoned pepper, cilantro, cayenne pepper and cumin. Set dressing aside. 2. In a large bowl, stir together beans, corn, onion, green onion and red bell pepper. Toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss again before serving. ********************************* Emeril's Dessert Corn Pudding ********************************* Serves 8 10-12 ears white corn, husks and silk removed 2 large eggs 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1 tsp orange zest 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup dried cranberries Cranberry Sauce 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8 (6-ounce) custard cups and set aside. 2. Grate each ear of corn on a coarse grater to extract 3 cups of corn pulp. 3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the cream, sugar, butter, orange zest, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and salt. Add the corn and cranberries and stir to combine. 4. Divide among the custard cups. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the center is barely set, 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly dust the tops with the remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Serve hot or warm with Cranberry Sauce. Found on http://www.emerils.com *********************** G. People Pleasing Soups *********************** "I tried the Potato Soup mix - By far the best I have ever had. I will buy again and again! I wouldn't have ever guessed (if I hadn't made it) that it was from a mix!" Nicole Collins, CA "I loved the soups. I have tried several varieties and they were all great! I never eat anything but homemade soup and your soups are right up there with the best of them!" Laurie Kane, NC "We tried two of your instant soups: Chickeny Noodle and Tomato. I loved the large noodles in the chicken soup. The broth is not too salty like many instant soup mixes and I like that it is not radioactive yellow like the Lipton Soup. The tomato soup is simply to die for! It's hard to believe it's from a dry mix. It is rich and creamy and taste SO good. The spicing is just right and make it taste really like a "gourmet" soup. Campbells can close down their soup business. Their condensed soup simply can't top yours and it takes a lot longer to prepare." Eve Gagnon, QC "My husband is a very spoiled man and is very picky about his soups. He says he will only eat homemade soups, but I cooked these up and (didn't tell him I bought them) and he LOVED them! Thank you so much!" Ruth King, TX ************** H. Corny Sites ************** http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/ You have to see this site to believe it! (To see some of these amazing mazes, just click on Ôfind a maze near you' and choose any location - they really are incredible) http://www.ontariocorn.org/ This site is a great resource for any and all information about corn - it even has a fun 'corn in the classroom' section for kids! http://www.campsilos.org A fantastic corn site for kids (and adults too!). Fun links, interesting information and games. http://www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/products.html An extensive list of the many uses of corn. ********************* I. Dear Soup Lady ********************* *You can send your questions to the Soup Lady at kellys@ed.ca Dear Soup Lady, "I was wondering if you had a recipe for a soup called "Chicken Potpie Soup". It was kind of thick, but not too much and it was just like a potpie minus the crust. Thanks" Liz Hi Liz, While we didn't have a recipe for this soup when you wrote in, I thought it was such a great idea, that we asked our lab to whip something up for us and here are the Lab-Tested Outrageously Good results: Outrageously Good Chicken Pot Pie Soup Serves 8 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast 2 cups sliced cooked carrots 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked potatoes 2 cups cooked green peas 1 cups sliced cooked mushrooms Any additional veggies you'd like to add in, cooked *1 pouch O.G. Silky Creamy Potato Soup *1 pouch O.G. Cream of Chicken Veloute *7 cups water 2 cups milk 1. Boil 6 cups of water in a large stockpot. In a medium-large bowl, mix the Potato Soup and Chicken Veloute mixes with 2 cups milk and form a smooth paste. 2. Add paste to the boiling water. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve immediately in bread bowls. * Each pouch of Outrageously Good Soup mix is equivalent to 2 cans of condensed soup - if you're going to replace the soup mix with condensed soup, omit the 6 cups water. ***************************** J. Customer's Recipes Corner ***************************** Have you cooked up something delicious and uniquely yours with one of our products? If so, we'd love to hear about it! Your recipe could appear in our next newsletter or even on our website. http://www.ed-foods.com/feedback.html Chunky Cheesy Tortilla Soup I was reading your Beer Cheese Soup recipe today, and decided to make my own variation using what I had on hand. 1 4-serving pouch of O.G. Santa Fe Tortilla Soup Mix 4 cups water 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes (I left the skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer) 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup diced carrots 1 onion, chopped 1 cup chopped cauliflower 1 cup chopped broccoli 2 cans condensed cream of chicken (or mushroom or celery) soup (*you can replace the 2 cans with 1 serve-4 pouch of prepared O.G. Soup - omit the 2 cups milk*) 2 cups milk 1 pound processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed 1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, dissolve the Santa Fe Tortilla Soup Mix in the water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots and onion, mix well and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Stir in the cauliflower and broccoli and heat for 10 more minutes. 3. Add the cream soup, milk, and cheese to your pot. Reduce heat to low and allow the cheese to melt, stirring often. If desired, garnish with crushed tortilla chips and a dollop of salsa. Variations: add mushrooms, cooked cubed chicken, and/or chopped bell pepper. Amy Dyer, KY ******************* K. Short and Sweet ******************* "Absolutely loved every product!" Martinna Manicke, AB "Omigosh!!! WAY better than Campbells" Anne Kennedy, WY "You're a mom's best friend!" Judi Davies, ON "Great Product. Thanks!!" B. Williams, FL *********************** L. Quote of the Month *********************** "I am a soup lover, and usually make it from scratch, but it takes a lot of work. We first ordered your free soup offer and after trying it I was hooked, so we ordered the sampler packs. They all taste so good and the time it takes to cook them is great! It gets me out of the kitchen a lot quicker and we can sit and enjoy a great bowl of soup with homemade taste. The quantity is fantastic too! We all get seconds. Thanks E.D. Foods" Diane Spear, MN M.========== The Last Word ========= ==For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously...== - A day without sunshine is like, night. - On the other hand, you have different fingers - 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name - Honk if you love peace and quiet - Remember, half the people you know are below average - He who laughs last thinks slowest - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese - Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have. - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory - Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7 of your week. - Get a new car for your spoucee. It'll be a great trade! - Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow - Always try to be modest, and be proud of it! - If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments - OK, so what's the speed of dark - How do you tell when you're out of invisibl ink? - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. - Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now. - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines - What happens if you get scared half to death twice? - I couldn't repair your breaks, so I made your horn louder. - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name? ======================================== If you enjoyed this newsletter - or ever just parts of the newsletter - of course we want you to send it on to your friends. That's what makes the internet so much fun. And don't forget to let them know which of our soups is your personal favorite. It's just too good not to share. Thanks again. R.======= Well that's all for now folks =========== Keep good things happening in your life, and we'll try to keep good things happening on our site! Kelly ******************************** (and the Folks at E.D. Foods) The Home of Simply Soup'r Soups! {*<*} {*>*} Looking out for our customers