FOOD NOTES | Helpful hints

VERSATILE FENNEL:
Fennel, with its distinctive anise taste is delicious both raw and cooked. Sliced into strips and dipped into little extra-virgin olive oil with a pinch of pepper flakes; it's a refreshing quick snack. Cut paper thin, either with a hand held mandolin or a super sharp knife, and then soaked in cold water, fennel curls into fanciful shapes. Tossed with apples and arugula it's the perfect for a cool weather salad. Cut lengthwise through the core into wedges, to hold its shape, it can be stewed or braised in chicken broth for a hearty side dish.
BASIC BRINE:
Brining meats, soaking them in a solution of water with salt and sugar, is becoming a popular technique. It intensifies the meat's flavor and keeps lean meats moist. Pork tenderloins are particularly good candidates for brining. Dissolve 1/2-cup kosher salt with 1/2-cup sugar in a quart of water and submerge the tenderloins in the brine for at least 45 minutes or up to a couple of hours. Pat the meat completely dry before cooking.
TIRED OF BLAND, BLAND, BLAND?
Watching your weight, but want tastier ideas using spices and other tips?
McCormick's Spices has launched "A Taste for Health" at www.mccormick.com/health, a one-stop shop for tasty recipe ideas that keep good health in mind. Recipe ideas are offered for trimming fat, curbing carbs and losing the salt.