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Hot News from Soup Central at E.D. Foods
                 April 22nd, 2005
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      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 Spinach

The topic of this newsletter isn't the only green issue of the 
day - I'd like to take a short sentance (or two) to wish 
everyone a very happy Earth Day today. Even if the only thing 
you do is take a few extra steps to recycle your can, rather 
than throw it out, it all makes a difference. So, please think 
green and try to do your part to keep our planet healthy and 
clean. Now let's move on to everyone's favorite green, leafy 
vegetable - Spinach.

A. Making the links work
A. Fun Spinach Facts
B. Monthly Specials & New and Exciting
C. Spinach: The Great World Traveler
D. It was Popeye's Secret Weapon for a Reason
E. A Spinach-Powered Laptop?
F. Spinach Recipes
         Outrageously Good Tomato Florentine Soup
         Eggs Benedict Florentine
         Grilled Salmon with Crispy Spinach
         The Tastiest Creamed Spinach
         Spinach and Herb Stuffed Shells
G. Spinach Sites
H. People Pleasing Soups
I. People Pleasing Sauces
J. Customer's Recipes Corner
K. Short and Sweet 
L. Quote of the Month
M. I've Learned...

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A.  Fun Spinach Facts
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Aside from being extremely healthy, spinach has some 
interesting stories to tell, so look for spinach facts sprinkled 
throughout this newsletter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   1   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spinach is one of the few non-toxic natural green pigments 
and was not only used by medieval artists, but is still used 
today as a green body paint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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B. Monthly Specials & New and Exciting 
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Follow the link to view our monthly specials:
http://www.ed-foods.com/special.html

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C.  Spinach: The Great World Traveler
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Spanish originally came from Persia (now Iran), and was called 
"aspanakh". Spinach made its way to China in the 7th century 
when the king of Nepal sent it as a gift to the country. The 
Moors then introduced spinach to Spain after they conquered 
them in the 10th century (spinach is pretty good, but 
somehow I just don't think it makes up for taking over their 
country). In the 11th century, spinach was brought to Europe 
and it quickly grew in popularity, especially in Italy and 
England. Religious communities all through Europe found 
spinach particularly fascinating - and grew it in gay abandon 
(one assumes they consumed it that way too).

Today, spinach's popularity is greater than ever, with the 
United States and the Netherlands among the largest 
commercial producers.

Spinach is in the same family as chard and beets. They all have 
a bitter taste and both chard and spinach are slightly salty 
(talk about an unfortunate family resemblance). There are 
four different types of spinach commonly available:

Savoy - If you were forced to eat spinach as a child, this was 
probably it. Savoy has crinkly, dark green curly leaves with a 
springy texture and a bitter taste. Unless you were that one kid 
who actually liked their spinach, it's much better to cook this 
particular kind before eating.

Flat-Leaf - The name says it all - this spinach is flat with spade-
shaped leaves and has a milder taste than savoy. This type of 
spinach is perfect for salads.

Semi-Savoy - A mix of savoy and flat-leaf, it has slightly curly 
leaves. Its taste, just like its appearance, falls in the middle of 
savoy and flat-leaf - milder than the former, more bitter than 
latter.

Baby - This variety of spinach actually comes from the smallest 
leaves of flat-leaf spinach. It has a mild, almost sweet taste and 
is most often used for salads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   2    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici left her home of 
Florence, Italy, to marry the king of France. She brought her 
own cooks, who could prepare spinach the way she liked - 
since then, dishes prepared on a bed of spinach are referred to 
as "a la Florentine".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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D.  It was Popeye's Secret Weapon for a Reason
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Okay, so you probably won't sprout bulging biceps if you eat a 
can of spinach, but it does contain a variety of different 
nutrients that everyone needs.
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is important 
in maintaining bone health. It is also a notable source of many 
antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and 
selenium, which are important in fighting free-radicals.

If you're already impressed, you haven't read anything yet. 
Spinach is an excellent source of fiber, providing great 
roughage for your digestive system. Spinach is also a good 
source of many important minerals, such as manganese, 
magnesium, potassium, copper, and phosphorus - and these 
help to protect you against heart attack, stroke, heart disease 
and hypertension.

Spinach can also help to protect and promote eye health. It is 
very high in vitamin A and carotenoids, in particular Lutein, 
which is protective against eye disease such as cataracts (see 
the links section for an article on spinach's role in preventing 
cataracts). However, like carrots, spinach must be cooked to 
optimize the absorption of carotenoids.

Sadly, the one area in which spinach doesn't live up to its 
healthy reputation is in its iron and calcium content. Although 
it does have a respectable amount of both these very 
important nutrients, they are just not properly absorbed by 
the body - whether it's eaten raw or cooked. This is because 
spinach contains a chemical called oxalic acid, which binds 
with iron and calcium and reduces absorption of both these 
minerals. To improve the iron absorption from your spinach, 
try to eat it with vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruit and 
tomatoes.

Here's an easy and delicious recipe that will help you get the 
most from your spinach:

Spinach Salad with Garlic-Infused Dressing

1 bag of baby or flat-leaf spinach, washed and torn
1 red large onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced or quartered
2-3 mandarins, sectioned
1-2 handfuls alfalfa sprouts
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 handful almonds (to taste)

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)

1. In a sealable container, combine the olive oil and garlic, stir, 
seal and refrigerate (at least 2 hours).
2. In a large bowl, add the spinach, onion, tomatoes, 
mandarins, eggs, sprouts and almonds. Drizzle with the garlic-
infused oil(strain the garlic pieces if you would prefer) and 
serve immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   3   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spinach juice is said to be the most potent of the vegetable 
juices for the prevention of cancer cell formation. Research 
has actually shown that those who eat spinach daily are less 
likely to develop lung cancer. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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E.  A Spinach-Powered Laptop?
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Plants have the unique ability to convert sunlight to energy 
through a process called photosynthesis. While this may be 
great for the plants, it hasn't been of much value to us until 
recently. MIT researchers have been working hard to take this 
photosynthetic process and turn it into the world's first solid-
state photosynthetic solar cell, which would be small enough - 
and strong enough - to one day power cell phones and laptops.

Spinach is an extremely efficient plant, producing a lot of 
energy relative to its weight and size, but they had an obstacle 
to overcome before they could reap the benefits of their 
revolutionary idea. Plants (as with all biological material) 
require water and salt to survive - and anyone who has 
accidentally spilled a glass of water on their keyboard knows - 
electronics need to be in a salt- and water-free environment.

The solution? Something MIT researchers are referring to as a 
"Spinach Sandwich". This device has no water, and is made 
with a bottom layer of conductive material, a thin layer of 
gold, then the special protein complexes, an organic 
semiconductor and finally, a layer of metal to top off the 
sandwich (I don't know about you, but that's not very 
appetizing). Although they are currently only converting 
around 12% of the energy to charge, they hope to reach 20% 
or more - which would provide an extremely efficient power 
source.
If you're interested in the specifics of this new technology, 
please read the full article at:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/spinach-0915.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   4   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33 percent 
increase in U.S. spinach consumption Ñ and saving the 
spinach industry in the 1930s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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F.  Spinach Recipes
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Spinach makes a delicious addition to any dish, so the 
possibilities really are endless. The real trick is knowing how 
to prepare your spinach for the tastiest results, whether it's 
steamed, creamed, boiled, sauteed or raw - so each recipe 
below is an example of a different way to prepare this yummy 
and healthy food. 

**Quick side note - a pound of raw spinach equals 
approximately 1 cup of cooked spinach.**

Outrageously Good Tomato Florentine Soup

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 serve-4 pouch O.G. Instant Tomato Soup Mix
4 cups water
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup cheese tortellini, al dente
4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1. In a stock pot, heat oil over medium heat and cook the 
onion, celery and carrots, until they begin to soften (3-4 
minutes). Add the water and bring to a boil.
2. Add the tomato soup mix, spinach, tortellini and basil and 
simmer until the tortellini is tender. Serve immediately.
*You can also spice it up by adding a single-serve envelope of 
our instant Tortilla soup mix.

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Eggs Benedict Florentine
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Serves 4 

4 English muffins, split
8 pieces Canadian bacon or ham
1 pound raw spinach, washed and de-stemmed
2 cup Hollandaise sauce (1 pouch O.G. Hollandaise, prepared)
8 poached eggs*

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach, 
and bring back to a boil. Cook until the spinach wilts 
completely (about 1 minute). Remove, rinse with cold water 
through a colander and squeeze out any excess water. Divide 
into 8 portions.
2. Fry the bacon or ham in a skillet, about 3 minutes on each 
side.
3. Toast or broil the English muffins and place 2 on each plate.
4. Top each English muffin with a portion of spinach, a piece 
of bacon/ham, and a poached egg. Drizzle (or drown, 
depending on your love of hollandaise :-) with hollandaise 
sauce and serve immediately.

*Not sure how to poach an egg? I found a site that has step-by-
step instructions (for beginners) to poach the perfect egg.
www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/corn/poached_eggs.htm

Recipe Variations:
- Add some sauteed mushrooms and onions with the spinach
- Use smoked salmon instead of bacon or ham

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Grilled Salmon with Crispy Spinach
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Serves 6

Grilled Salmon
1 1/2 lb salmon fillets
2 cloves garlic, minced
Lemon pepper and salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Crispy Spinach
4 cups olive oil for frying
1 cup fresh spinach, washed and destemmed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper and salt (you can 
also spice it up - and lock in moisture - by rubbing about 1 tsp 
of O.G. BBQ rub into each fillet)
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, 
garlic, and olive oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large 
resealable plastic bag with soy sauce mixture, seal and turn to 
coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Place fillets on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 45 
minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. In a deep-fryer heat oil to 375 degrees (or on high in a deep 
skillet). Place a large handful of fresh spinach in the 
fryer/skillet and submerge to cook for about 30 seconds (you 
will need to hold the spinach down with tongs if you are using 
a skillet - otherwise it won't fry properly). Drain spinach on 
paper towels and repeat with remaining batches. Add a little 
salt and pepper to taste.

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The Tastiest Creamed Spinach
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Serves 6

5 Tbsp butter, divided (3 and 2 respectively)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup half and half cream
4 oz. cream cheese
1 small onion - minced
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach - thawed 
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tbsp 
butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in 
cream and then stir in cream cheese.
 2. Increase heat to medium, whisking mixture constantly until 
thick and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
 3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions in 
remaining 2 tbsp butter until transparent. Stir spinach and 
water into pan.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring 
occasionally, for 8 minutes.
5. Stir spinach mixture into creamy mixture and return to 
medium heat. Heat, stirring often, until warmed throughout.
 6. Remove from heat and fold in Parmesan. Serve.

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Spinach and Herb Stuffed Shells
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Serves 6

12 jumbo pasta shells, prepared according to directions and 
drained
1 jar (can/package) of your favorite Marinara sauce
8 ounces baby spinach
1 cup (packed) argula leaves
1/2 cup (packed) basil leaves
1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 scallions (green tops too!)
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Add an inch of water to a large pot. Add the spinach and 
argulua leaves to a steamer basket and place in the pot. Bring 
the water to a boil and cook until the greens are wilted (about 
2 minutes). Transfer greens to a sieve and let cool.
2. Puree the basil, parsley and scallions in a food processor 
until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large bowl.
3. Squeeze out all the remaining moisture in the wilted greens 
and puree them in the food processor. Add the egg, ricotta, 
parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg and herb puree and pulse to 
blend the mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon out a thin layer of 
marinara sauce on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Stuff each shell evenly with the spinach mixture, placing on 
the baking sheet. Pour remaining sauce over the shells. Bake 
for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
6. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for an 
additional 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

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G. Spinach Sites
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www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43

This site is called 'the World's Healthiest Foods', and it's 
exactly that - a list of nutritionally healthy foods and 
everything you could want to know about all of them. 

http://www.dole5aday.com/FoodService/Fun/F_School.jsp

I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the '5-a-Day' campaign that 
is currently going on (5 fruits and veggies a day, in case you 
haven't). Dole has a great section on their site with lots of 
information on different fruits and vegetables and a fun kids 
section too. (You can print out a coloring page, and soon 
they'll be coloring in characters such as Peter Peach, Kurt & 
Casey Collard Greens (yup, they really cover them all) and of 
course, Steward Spinach) They also have a kids cookbook, 
reference center and trivia section.

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=6623

Want to find out the nitty gritty on spinach's role in preventing 
cataracts? Here's the full article for your reading enjoyment

google.ca/search?q=spinach+recipes&btnG=Search&hl=en

This isn't a site, but rather search results for spinach recipes. 
There really are so many things you can do with spinach, so I 
thought I'd make it even easier for you to find a variety of 
delicious spinach ideas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   5   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spinach capital Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue in 1937 to 
honor E.C. Segar and Popeye for their influence on America's 
eating habits, making Popeye the first cartoon character ever 
immortalized in public sculpture (Mickey Mouse must have 
been furious!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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H. People Pleasing Soups 
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"I've been purchasing your soups for some time and am always 
highly satisfied with them. They are so versatile, I can make 
numerous different meals by adding a variety of ingredients. 
Your cheese vegetable soup is the best we have ever eaten. 
Your sauces are also excellent. I constantly recommend your 
website to all my friends."
     Nancy Olp, KY

"I made your chicken noodle soup and it was exceptional! Very 
easy to cook, and the taste was awesome - lots of noodles and 
chicken. Even my picky 3 years-old ate it all! I can't wait to try 
all of your soups. Thanks!"
     Pascual Matos, PR

"I tried your potato soup, and it was the best I ever had. I look 
forward to trying it again and taking it to a church function. It 
was easy to make and my family thought I worked all day on it! 
Keep up the good work."
     Suzie Thompson, OH

"I've tried several different soups and loved them. They were 
easy to prepare and had great flavor plus texture. My children 
(who don't care for soup) even commented on how good they 
were! Thanks!"
     Davina Kostiuk, MB

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I. People Pleasing Sauces
**************************

"I love to cook and with your sauces, I love it even more! 
Thank you, thank you!"
     Amy Walker, OK

"I just tried the first of the 3 sauces that were included in the 
free sample. The Rosee Sauce Mix with Parmesan was 
EXCELLENT!!!!"
     Juanita Sommerfeld, MI

"My husband and I have tried your soups and your pasta 
sauces, and we're very impressed with everything we've 
sampled so far. We especially love the Creamy Garlic pasta 
sauce. Keep up the good work. CHEERS!"
     Teri Burroughs, WA

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J.  Customer's Recipes Corner
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Share your latest creations or favorite recipes with us - just go 
to 
http://www.ed-foods.com/feedback.html 

BBQ Rub Chicken and Potatoes

"Put some rub on the chicken. Peel and slice some potatoes, 
rub them in olive oil and sprinkle with the BBQ rub. Put the 
chicken and potatoes in a clay pot cooker and roast until 
done. It was wonderful!"
Michelle Proctor, CA

Silky Smooth Creamy Potato Soup Recipes

"I use the Silky Smooth Creamy Potato Soup (serve 17 bag) for 
a base for all sorts of soups and stews. I just toss in a bag of 
frozen broccoli or mixed vegetables, or maybe some diced 
chicken. Its great!
     Melanie Daman, MI

"I made Silky Potato soup and added a can of crab. Got the 
idea from your recipe insert advising to add a can of clams to 
make clam chowder using the potato soup. (But hey, I didn't 
have clams, I had crab. It was still really good.) Thanks for the 
added recipes; they are a great idea. I will probably use them 
with all 3 of the soup varieties I purchased."
     Kathi Hess, OH

Frito Chili
"I just added my own hot sauce and some cheese and fritos 
and I was ready to eat."
     Monika Iszard, NV

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K.  Short and Sweet 
**********************

"I really love your company and products, and will definitely 
buy from you again!"
     Ericho Hayes, FL

"Easy to prepare for my busy life, it looked very appealing and 
the taste was great!"
     Evon Beech, MI

"Loved it - it is great!!!"
     Dr. Yogesh Mawal, NL

"After trying a sample of your soup, I placed an order - your 
soup is wonderful!!"
     Sharon Gordon, IL

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L.  Quote of the Month
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"I ordered one of free sample packs and was surprised at the 
taste of the soups. I don't like soup as part of a meal and 
rarely have soup at all, but after eating one of your soups, I 
started planning soup into every meal. Even as a freeze-dried 
product, the regular soups in the store are inferior to your 
brand"
     Robert Evans, MI

M. ========The Last Word =======
===========I've Learned...===========

If you have an email address or internet access, chances are 
you've come across a list of 'I've Learned...' sayings. There are 
so many out there that I couldn't possibly squeeze them all in 
here - If you'd like to read more, all you have to do is look up 
"I've Learned" in your favorite search engine and you'll find 
plenty of sites.

I've learned that opportunities are never lost; someone will 
take the ones you miss.

I've learned that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted 
with a smile.

I've learned that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 
minutes. After that, you better know something.

I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are 
unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and 
what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned that money doesn't buy class.

I've learned it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to 
destroy it.

I've learned that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your 
looks.

I've learned that one should keep his words both soft and 
tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned that under everyone's hard shell is someone who 
wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will 
dock elsewhere

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to 
give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength 
to help.

 ========================================
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 ===========
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Keep good things happening in your life, and we'll try to keep 
good things happening on our site!

************************************************************
              Leslie, Kelly, Denis
    (and all the other Folks at E.D. Foods)
                1-800-267-3333
              6200 Trans Canada
       Pte-Claire, QC H9R 1B9 Canada
         http://www.ed-foods.com
             mailto:edinfo@ed.ca
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********************************
(and the Folks at E.D. Foods)
 The Home of Simply Soup'r Soups!

    {*<*}   {*>*}
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