Spice of life

In a pickle? That’s a good thing if you’re making Tuscan Beef Stew, which includes pickling spices among its ingredients. This blend of cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, ginger, chili peppers, cloves, black pepper, mace and cardamom lends an exotic yet familiar flavor to recipes. To make the stew, place 2 tablespoons McCormick Mixed Pickling Spice in the center of a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Tie tightly with a long piece of string. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add 1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes. Cook until browned on all sides. Repeat with another pound of stew meat. Add 4 peeled carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices, 1 medium onion, cut into wedges, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained, and 1 cup dry red wine or reduced-sodium beef broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove spice bundle. Thicken stew by mixing 1 tablespoon each of flour and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in several tablespoons of the hot liquid from stew, then stir flour mixture into stew. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes, until stew thickens slightly. Place a slice of day-old bread, toasted, in the bottom of each serving bowl. Spoon bread over stew to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Hot pot

Leave it to All-Clad to jazz up the

humble slow cooker. This version

is programmable, with a stainless steel exterior and a removable ceramic insert. It has a 7-quart capacity and costs $99.95 at www.Williams-Sonoma.com.

A taste of summer

It may be chilly here, but it’s not

in Chile. Chilean fruit such as berries, peaches, plums and kiwis, is widely available at supermarkets. To take full advantage of the season, visit www.cffausa.org for recipes, tips and buying information.

Tidbits is hungry for news about local food products and events. Send your Tidbits by mail to:

Bangor Daily News,

attn: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329;

by fax to 941-9476; or by e-mail to

kandresen@bangordailynews.net.