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I love to cook, and as a result, my kitchen cabinets and pantry are filled with all manner of cooking related gadgets, tools & implements, and various appliances. The appliance I find myself using most often is a Black & Decker Food Steamer, which performs its duties admirably for me about 5 times a week. This excellent food preparation device costs only approximately $30.00, depending upon where you might purchase it.

The Black & Decker Food Steamer is an electric steamer that can more than adequately steam large quantities of food – everything from rice to seafood to chicken to vegetables, and the results are always delicious, aromatic, and healthy.

But perhaps the simple description offered above has not yet intrigued you or brought you to the level of excitement I tend to feel whenever I prepare a new batch of food to be steamed. Perhaps you do not yet see the allure of this fine piece of kitchen equipment.

If more inspiration is needed, then imagine a bowl of steaming fresh cauliflower, a brilliant white, speckled with black pepper, and a pat of butter melting over the top. The enticing aroma of sweet basil greets you first, and then the taste, tender-crisp with the subtle flavor of sweet basil infused with the cauliflower.

Such delicious fare is possible thanks to the built-in flavor scenter on the Black & Decker Food Steamer. Beneath the large bowl of food is a small screened compartment where you can place any manner of herbs and spices. Fresh basil or rosemary, garlic or sage, the rising steam will capture the essence of the aromatic herbs and subsequently impart the flavor and aroma into the steamed food. For heavenly herb-scented delight, the flavor scenter is a masterful highlight.

The steamer itself is very easy to use, and an included guidebook lets you know approximate steaming times for a large variety of foods, along with suggestions for various herbs that can accompany and enhance the food. The steamer is very compact and lightweight, and set up is simple.

Fill the base to the required level with water, set the tray with the flavor scenter and then the bowl of food on top, cover with the lid and set the timer to the required time, and in a short while, your dinner or side dish will be ready to serve. An insert for steaming more than one food at a time is also included, which makes a great time-saver and solves the problem of my wife and I wanting two different side dishes. A timer and automatic shutoff allows you to relax or prepare other parts of your meal without needing to keep the food steamer under a watchful eye.

Imagine a dinner of hot, tender, plump jumbo shrimp, scented and flavored with garlic and thyme, then drizzled with olive oil, beautifully white-pink in color and delectably sweet in flavor. After greedily consuming a plate of steamed shrimp, there simply is no other alternative. One can only imagine what the marvelous food steamer can do for lobster tails drizzled with clarified butter!

Because I've become more health conscious, I've also become aware of the health benefits of using the steamer, which makes the food much more enjoyable as well. Using the steamer enables the food to retain all its vital nutrients, which can otherwise be lost in other cooking methods. And because the Black & Decker Food Steamer is adept at delivering perfect, rice, vegetables, and other foods every time, with mouth-watering fresh flavor, we are encouraged to use it often, thus ensuring we eat healthily quite often.

The included rice bowl can easily handle four cups of rice or other vegetable, and the main bowl of the food steamer is capable of holding about 2 1/2 quarts of food. My wife and I are constantly amazed at how wonderfully the food steamer performs, and how bright and fresh the food appears when done, not to mention a taste that you can fully savor.

Clean up is as simple as setup. All the parts fit easily into a dishwasher or can be washed by hand, and then stored compactly back on a shelf or in the cabinet. Purchased on a whim, I would not have thought that this Black & Decker Food Steamer would become such a main attraction at dinner nearly every night, but I am certainly thankful for its company and its skills.

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A quesy tummy may indicate overindulgence but it might also mean a foodborne illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, 76 million Americans suffer such an illness each year. About 350,000 of these are hospitalized and 5,000 die. Foodborne illnesses, often called “food poisoning”, can be serious and include such variants as salmonella, listeria, and staphylococococcus. All are caused by bacteria which often multiply when food is not handled in a safe manner. Those most at risk for foodborne illnesses include senior citizens, children under the age of ten, pregnant women, and those with a weak immune system (HIV patients, transplant patients, or those recovering from other serious illness).Symptoms of food poisoning can include an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, pus or blood in bowel movements, extreme exhaustion and even fever. Onset can occur as early as twenty minutes after eating a tainted food product or take as long as six weeks to appear. Most commonly, foodborne illnesses affect the digestive system in one to three days after ingesting the culprit. And, most cases are mild and can be treated at home. Rest and plenty of liquids are often enough to speed recovery but if symptoms are acute or worsen, it's best to consult a physician.

Simple steps can be taken to minimize and prevent the possibility of foodborne illness. The first rule is to keep clean and this means everything from the food preparer's hands to utensils, countertops, and serving plates. Anyone preparing food should wash their hands first with warm, soapy water. All utenils used in food preparation should be clean. When dealing with raw meat products, keep the utensils, i.e. knives, cutting boards, turning forks, etc, seperate from those used with other foods. Wash thoroughly after handling raw meat. Store fresh meats for no more than 1-2 days in the refrigerator before use and consult consumer guidelines for the limits on freezing meat products.

If heading out on a picnic or cookout in an outdoor location, be sure to store raw meats in a seperate cooler from beverages, salads, and other foods. If hand washing facilities are not available, bring along sanitizing hand wipes or moist towellettes to use after handling raw meats.

At home or away, be sure to check all meats to insure that they are cooked to a safe temperature. Failing to fully cook meat can allow dangerous bacteria to breed and cause illness. Although cases of E-coli have diminished in recent years, e-coli outbreaks can be deadly. Other illness including salmonella and listeria can also begin with undercooked meat. Beef – including hamburgers – should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Farenheit. Poultry should reach at least 170 degrees and pork should register 180 degrees or more. Hot dogs – although sold fully cooked – should be cooked until they reach 165 degrees. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of meat and leave for 30 seconds for an accurate reading. Meat thermometers are available in most discount stores, hardware stores, kitchen specialty shops and even many supermarkets at nominal cost. Remember that no matter how experienced the cook, it is impossible to judge whether meat is done by appearance alone.

Avoid transferring cooked meat to a platter that held the raw product. Do not use the same cooking utensils unless these have been washed in hot, soapy water.

A standard in food safety is to keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold. Refrigerators should be set to 40 degrees Farenheit. Higher temperatures can allow bacteria to grow. If unsure about the temperature in a home refrigerator, invest in a thermometer to gauge the exact temperature. When transporting foods in cooler, make sure that it is an insulated cooler. Pack foods in several inches of ice or ice packs. Replensish as needed to maintain a cold temperature.

When temperatures are below 90 degrees, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reccommends that food not be left out – at room or outside temperatures – for any longer than two hours. When temperatures soar above 90, an hour or less is the limit. This is because bacteria grows most rapidly between 90 and 100 degrees.Bacteria in room temperature foods can double every twenty minutes.

Foods that require extreme caution include mayonaise based products such as potato or macroni salads. These foods tend to break down and allow bacteria to breed quicker than other products.

Cleanliness, frequent hand washing, safe temperatures, and common sense are the key to preventing most foodborne illnesses. Prevention IS the best medicine for these illnesses which can range from mild to severe.

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There are several places were you can buy food online, like Amazon.com, Homecookingx.com and a slew of other places. But is it really safe for you and your family? There are now even the food delivery services that allow you to order you food and have it delivered that same day. This seems like a great idea for parents especially during those nasty winter months. Although you will usually end up paying a much higher price for food online than you would if you just went to the store and brought it yourself. 

Most likely this is because of the delivery charge. Some of the parents that I have spoken with that have used it said the food was of good quality which is one of the main concerns. Some feel however that they would never like buying food online because they prefer to see it and smell it before they consider buying it, especially when it comes to produce.

Before you start buying food you will want to make sure that it is a reputable company. So make sure you do your homework. Many people are very picky however when it comes to their meat. This may be something that you will want to venture out to the store for yourself. Try looking for a website that includes articles and reviews from other customers. Feedback is great when you are trying to decide about buying something online, especially food. If you are still unsure after reading other reviews, you might want to start by ordering a few boxed items.

This is also a great way to order your baby products. You can buy diapers and wipes in bulk and you can shop around for online coupons. There are plenty of websites that now list online coupons for different companies. Try doing a search on google and you are sure to find a large amount. This will help to cover the shipping fee that you have to pay for delivery. The main thing about buying food online is to make sure that it is fresh and that all of the packages are undamaged when they are received. 

When your delivery arrives make sure you ask the delivery driver to wait a few minutes why you thoroughly check each item. Of course you will not want to take too long doing this, but just browse through everything and make sure that none of the items have a hole in them, or are damaged in any way. If they are then you can point it out to the driver, and then call the store to make sure that they credit your account. Also if you realize that after ordering for a while this problem continues to happen then you will probably want to stop ordering from them. 

If you do decide to purchase meat and produce online be careful to inspect it thoroughly before serving it to your family. But I would like to point out that there have not been any major complaints about home food delivery. Most of the people who have tried home delivery seem to be very happy with the results.

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The first reaction for most of us to the raw food movement might be utter disbelief. After all, how can human beings not only survive, but thrive, while eating nothing but raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains? (A strict raw food diet does not allow any cooked food, and it is a vegan diet, meaning no meat or dairy products.)

Dave Klein acknowledges that the diet is a major change for most people, but he also notes that even mainstream nutrition is moving toward raw fruits and vegetables, even if they don't take it to the extremes of raw food proponents. “Even the mainstream sources are telling people to eat more fruits and vegetables,” he explains.

But find a raw food follower, and Klein says it's also likely that you'll be looking at someone who is healthy, happy, and full of energy. “Raw fooders are mostly slim, vibrant, and healthy.”

If the call for more energy makes you want to reach for your double-cream latte, consider Klein's estimate that as many as three quarters of current raw food followers chose the diet as a result of severe health problems, many of which were caused by the typical American diet.

In fact, Klein's own story is one he aptly describes as being saved “at the 11th hour” by his discovery of raw food eating.
In his late teens, Klein began a ten-year odyssey of increasing illness. He reached a health and personal nadir when, while still in his 20s, doctors gave him a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, then recommended removing his colon or taking fistfuls of experimental, immune-suppressing drugs.

Klein came to realize that his predicament was directly tied to his diet, which was full of a lot of red meat and junk food.
Over the next several years, Klein's energy returned, his body healed, and he began to incorporate exercise and yoga into his regular routine.

Today, Klein is healthy, happy, and a strong proponent of the raw food diet. He is also the editor and publisher of Living Nutrition(R), an ad-free magazine dedicated to helping others along the raw food path. He also works with individuals who want to change their diets to raw foods, and with others operates raw-passion.com and the annual “Rawstock” festivals. (The next Rawstock occurs in August in Klein's home base of Sebastopol, making the North Bay city a veritable capital of raw food culture.)

Although dedicated to the raw food cause, Klein is definitely not shrill. “Some people make a gradual change which can take 10 or 20 years, while other people will plunge right into it,” he says. “Some people find the detox too difficult. Some people fall off the path for social reasons.” But Klein focuses more on the progress, not the status. “But if they include more fruits and vegetables, year by year, they improve.” He also acknowledges that some followers allow limited amounts of dairy products, cheese or yogurt, for example, rather than a strictly raw food approach.

But one part of the raw food experience seems to include a reduction in speed. “One of the goals is to enjoy eating without being rushed, without the television on. The goal is to become healthier and more relaxed.”

Klein also encourages people to work with a health coach familiar with the raw food diet, such as himself. At the same time, he discourages a recipe-book approach. “Raw food recipe books tend to be designed to sell, so they include attractive recipes that have too many ingredients or seem too complex, and they put people off,” he explains.

Advisors such as himself, he points out, “teach people simple eating, so everything digests and we don't eat haphazardly.”

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Whether you are watching calories, salt intake or fat, everyone knows that fast food restaurants are not the best place to eat a healthy meal. But there are some healthy fast food choices, and fast food restaurants are adding new, healthier menu choices every day. In general, here are some ways to make more healthy fast food choices.

First of all, French fries are not a vegetable!! Whenever possible, choose a lower calorie side dish, such as a salad. Many fast food chains have added some very tasty salads to their menus.  But beware! Salads, in general, are healthy. But those added options like cheese and bacon bits and creamy salad dressings can undo all your good healthy fast food intentions. Ask for low calorie or fat free dressings, get them on the side, and use them sparingly. In fact, condiments and sauces, in general, add unhealthy fast food calories, so if you must have them, get them on the side and use them sparingly. This includes such items as cheese sauce, tartar sauce, gravy, and guacamole. Eliminate the sour cream on the baked potato, the mayonnaise on the sandwich. Go for the veggies – extra lettuce and tomato, onions and pickles.

Grilled meats are healthier than fried or breaded, and a small hamburger is better than its larger double or triple meat option. Fish and chicken, or other white meat, is better than red meat. Whole wheat is better than white bread, if that is an option, and, generally speaking, a wrap is fewer calories than a sandwich. Chicken nuggets are one of the more unhealthy fast food choices you can make, along with breakfast sandwiches, fried meats, fries and onion rings.

Another source of empty and unhealthy fast food calories is the drink. A large cola contains 310 calories! Switch to milk, water, or bring your own diet version if you don’t like the options provided by the restaurant. A glass of water with a lemon wedge or two can be a refreshing option.

And finally, keep in mind that less is always better than more. Buy the smaller sizes, even if it means buying off the children’s menu. No super sizing! If you are fortunate enough to have someone you can share your food with, even better, since most fast food and other restaurant meals contain twice as much food (and therefore, twice as many calories) as should be consumed for a meal.

With a little planning and a little thought, you can make healthy fast food choices regardless of where you are eating.

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Food is a big issue on a farm. You need to feed the animals, so you have to grow food, which often feeds the family as well. Then there's all the processing of food that has to be done to store it. When it comes to feeding the farm animals, though, many farmers could be overlooking a few resources in their own home town.

Ever wonder what happens to outdated food from grocery stores? Food stores throw out tons and tons of food every year because the expiration date has passed without anyone buying the products. Since most people aren't interested in purchasing food that's gone out of date, stores simply throw the bakery goods, meats, cheeses, and other groceries into the dumpster.

In reality, some of these foods are still good – at least for pets and farm animals. Many products have a date stamped which says “Best when used by…”, meaning the product is its freshest and best-tasting before that date. Many of these products are still perfectly fine for feeding farm animals.

Talk to some of the local grocers to see if you can pick these throwaways up rather than letting them get hauled to the dump. Many of the managers will give you these items for free if you'll come and load them on a specific date, usually once a week or every two weeks.

Another place that throws away massive quantities of food is a restaurant. The foods left over on plates are scraped into a trash can before being placed in the dishwasher. Cooks often cut away bones, fat and such, too, while they're preparing orders. These foods are thrown into the dumpster at night, but many managers will allow farmers to take the foods home if they pick the garbage bags up at the end of each shift, or each night, depending upon how often they throw it out. Call some of the restaurants in your home town to see if you can scavenge some of their throwaways for your farm animals. It can amount to quite a bit of food over a period of time.

Bakeries throw out hundreds of loaves of bread, buns, cakes, pies and other items. These food items are perfect for pigs, especially, since they'll eat just about anything. Bakeries usually check stock once a week and remove outdated items from the store. Phone area bakeries to see if they will allow you to pick the foods up for your animals.

Schools also throw away quite a lot of food. On the first day of school, check with the cafeteria manager to see if you can haul away uneaten food. They generally just scrape trays into a trash can and take it to the dumpster, so they shouldn't have any problem with giving it to you if you ask.

It takes a huge amount of food to take care of a farm full of animals. Of course, you'll still have to buy feed but the scrap foods can help you stretch the budget. Other sources to consider are farm and garden markets that sell fruits and veggies, or sidewalk cafes that usually have plenty of leftover, half-eaten baked goods. Food scraps should be used immediately and you should never give molded or rotted foods to animals.

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Everybody is aware of the food guide pyramid because when we were kids we have all been taught about it in our nutrition class. The food guide pyramid consists of the basic dietary guidelines which we need to follow to lead a healthy life. This pyramid has been around for ages but ironically today more and more Americans are overweight.

This might make you think that the food guide pyramid wasn’t really helpful. Or probably the reason is that people are not following the dietary guidelines. Whatever be the case overhauling the old food pyramid was necessary. Therefore the United States Department of Agriculture has created the MyPyramid.

The MyPyramid is a personalized tool which helps in making correct diet choices. The new food pyramid has something for everybody – for people who are overweight and even for those who are already making healthy choices.

MyPyramid acknowledges the fact that not everybody is the same and understands that some people need to eat more while others have to eat less. The pyramid provides personalized guidelines to suit your lifestyle. This means that now people don’t need to go to a dietician, MyPyramid is all that you need.

The Features of the New Food Pyramid Include:

Calorie Counting

The pyramid stresses on keeping a count on the calories that we intake. Keeping a count makes us realize how much we are eating and thus helps us know when we have deviated from the plan. The food pyramid advices people to use foods high in sugar and fat sparingly and also stresses on increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Protein consumption should be limited to lean meats and non-meat sources. The pyramid also advices to keep varying the types of fruits you eat so that things don’t become boring.

Exercise

Exercise is extremely essential if a person wishes to lead a healthy and life. Therefore the new food guide pyramid asks people to incorporate exercise into their lifestyles. Tips have been provided on how to get started and how much exercise will provide results.

Personal Plan

The new food guide pyramid essentially consists of 12 separate pyramids. This helps is catering to the needs to people of different age groups and lifestyles. You just have to provide your age, gender and activity level and the MyPyramid will offer a personalized eating plan.

Provides Options

It has been understood that it will not be easy for everybody to make all of the changes that have been advised. Therefore alternatives have also been provided. For example if you are finding it difficult to consume milk products then you are given the option to have soy products and leafy greens instead. This way you will be getting enough calcium even without consuming milk.

It will be hard for you to make all the changes in one go. Therefore you are advised to take one step at a time so that in the long run you would have easily switched to a healthy lifestyle. In the beginning you can also make use of diet pills like Phentermine and Xenical. You will require talking to a doctor before using these drugs as a prescription will be required. These diet pills are actually appetite suppressants so while you are using Phentermine you won’t feel that hungry. You will manage to reduce you calorie intake because while using Phentermine you won’t feel the need to eat again and again and also be satisfied by eating smaller amounts. This will help you to slowly regain control over your diet and lead a healthy life.

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The first reaction for most of us to the raw food movement might be utter disbelief. After all, how can human beings not only survive, but thrive, while eating nothing but raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains? (A strict raw food diet does not allow any cooked food, and it is a vegan diet, meaning no meat or dairy products.)

Dave Klein acknowledges that the diet is a major change for most people, but he also notes that even mainstream nutrition is moving toward raw fruits and vegetables, even if they don't take it to the extremes of raw food proponents. “Even the mainstream sources are telling people to eat more fruits and vegetables,” he explains.

But find a raw food follower, and Klein says it's also likely that you'll be looking at someone who is healthy, happy, and full of energy. “Raw fooders are mostly slim, vibrant, and healthy.”

If the call for more energy makes you want to reach for your double-cream latte, consider Klein's estimate that as many as three quarters of current raw food followers chose the diet as a result of severe health problems, many of which were caused by the typical American diet.

In fact, Klein's own story is one he aptly describes as being saved “at the 11th hour” by his discovery of raw food eating.
In his late teens, Klein began a ten-year odyssey of increasing illness. He reached a health and personal nadir when, while still in his 20s, doctors gave him a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, then recommended removing his colon or taking fistfuls of experimental, immune-suppressing drugs.

Klein came to realize that his predicament was directly tied to his diet, which was full of a lot of red meat and junk food.
Over the next several years, Klein's energy returned, his body healed, and he began to incorporate exercise and yoga into his regular routine.

Today, Klein is healthy, happy, and a strong proponent of the raw food diet. He is also the editor and publisher of Living Nutrition(R), an ad-free magazine dedicated to helping others along the raw food path. He also works with individuals who want to change their diets to raw foods, and with others operates raw-passion.com and the annual “Rawstock” festivals. (The next Rawstock occurs in August in Klein's home base of Sebastopol, making the North Bay city a veritable capital of raw food culture.)

Although dedicated to the raw food cause, Klein is definitely not shrill. “Some people make a gradual change which can take 10 or 20 years, while other people will plunge right into it,” he says. “Some people find the detox too difficult. Some people fall off the path for social reasons.” But Klein focuses more on the progress, not the status. “But if they include more fruits and vegetables, year by year, they improve.” He also acknowledges that some followers allow limited amounts of dairy products, cheese or yogurt, for example, rather than a strictly raw food approach.

But one part of the raw food experience seems to include a reduction in speed. “One of the goals is to enjoy eating without being rushed, without the television on. The goal is to become healthier and more relaxed.”

Klein also encourages people to work with a health coach familiar with the raw food diet, such as himself. At the same time, he discourages a recipe-book approach. “Raw food recipe books tend to be designed to sell, so they include attractive recipes that have too many ingredients or seem too complex, and they put people off,” he explains.

Advisors such as himself, he points out, “teach people simple eating, so everything digests and we don't eat haphazardly.”

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Everybody is aware of the food guide pyramid because when we were kids we have all been taught about it in our nutrition class. The food guide pyramid consists of the basic dietary guidelines which we need to follow to lead a healthy life. This pyramid has been around for ages but ironically today more and more Americans are overweight.

This might make you think that the food guide pyramid wasn’t really helpful. Or probably the reason is that people are not following the dietary guidelines. Whatever be the case overhauling the old food pyramid was necessary. Therefore the United States Department of Agriculture has created the MyPyramid.

The MyPyramid is a personalized tool which helps in making correct diet choices. The new food pyramid has something for everybody – for people who are overweight and even for those who are already making healthy choices.

MyPyramid acknowledges the fact that not everybody is the same and understands that some people need to eat more while others have to eat less. The pyramid provides personalized guidelines to suit your lifestyle. This means that now people don’t need to go to a dietician, MyPyramid is all that you need.

The Features of the New Food Pyramid Include:

Calorie Counting

The pyramid stresses on keeping a count on the calories that we intake. Keeping a count makes us realize how much we are eating and thus helps us know when we have deviated from the plan. The food pyramid advices people to use foods high in sugar and fat sparingly and also stresses on increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Protein consumption should be limited to lean meats and non-meat sources. The pyramid also advices to keep varying the types of fruits you eat so that things don’t become boring.

Exercise

Exercise is extremely essential if a person wishes to lead a healthy and life. Therefore the new food guide pyramid asks people to incorporate exercise into their lifestyles. Tips have been provided on how to get started and how much exercise will provide results.

Personal Plan

The new food guide pyramid essentially consists of 12 separate pyramids. This helps is catering to the needs to people of different age groups and lifestyles. You just have to provide your age, gender and activity level and the MyPyramid will offer a personalized eating plan.

Provides Options

It has been understood that it will not be easy for everybody to make all of the changes that have been advised. Therefore alternatives have also been provided. For example if you are finding it difficult to consume milk products then you are given the option to have soy products and leafy greens instead. This way you will be getting enough calcium even without consuming milk.

It will be hard for you to make all the changes in one go. Therefore you are advised to take one step at a time so that in the long run you would have easily switched to a healthy lifestyle. In the beginning you can also make use of diet pills like Phentermine and Xenical. You will require talking to a doctor before using these drugs as a prescription will be required. These diet pills are actually appetite suppressants so while you are using Phentermine you won’t feel that hungry. You will manage to reduce you calorie intake because while using Phentermine you won’t feel the need to eat again and again and also be satisfied by eating smaller amounts. This will help you to slowly regain control over your diet and lead a healthy life.

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“To be somebody you must last.” ~ Ruth Gordon

Food Icons: How have food icons sustained their popularity throughout the years? Why don't they don't age the way that we do? Tony The Tiger looks the same as when I was five years old and both The Pillsbury Doughboy and Charlie The Tuna bear not a single wrinkle upon their well advertised brows! Read on for their secrets and a smile or two.

From the valley of the Jolly Green Giant and the floors of Mr. Clean to the pastures of Elsie The Cow and the kitchen of The Campbell Kids, lies the fickle realm of television advertising where cartoons are born and cultural food icons are made. There's a thin line between a trademark and a food icon and it's one that not all cartoons pass with flying or other colors. Most of the more famous television food icons began their lives as animated trademarks; that is, they were used to represent a specific product. Born on the high-powered wings of the media (although not able to leap tall buildings in a single bound), these symbols have maintained the growing tide of their own fame. How many can recall the pleasing voice and face of Miss Chiquita Banana, luring us into the healthful world of the banana? Who could ever forget Charlie The Tuna, Tony The Tiger and The Pillsbury Doughboy? They too belong in the realm of television cultural food icons, but the question is: How did they get there in the first place?

Chiquita Banana is the oldest of the lot mentioned above. (I should never say that about a “fellow” female, but the truth is the truth.) She dates back to 1941 when Dik Brown, the same artist who produced the Campbell Soup Kids, created her. She helped teach consumers about the nutritional value of bananas and how to ripen them. The first live “lady of fruit” was Miss Patty Clayton in 1944. The most famous Miss Chiquita was Elsa Miranda (no relation to Carmen) who made numerous personal appearances in 1945 and 1946.

Miss Chiquita first appeared on labels to identify the Chiquita Brand bananas in 1963. Her likeness remained unchanged for years and she eventually reached the ranks of media immortality (icon-dom). Until 1987 she was a sexy banana lady, but still a cartoon. And then all that changed. Whether or not bananas pass through puberty may always remain a moot point, but artist Oscar Grillo, who created the Pink Panther, most definitely transformed Miss Chiquita into a sultry yellow lady with a mission. You can hear her lilting pleas for all humans to eat bananas in her own seductive words at: www.chiquita.com

Charlie The Tuna, that striving go-getter fish of the 1960s, is another character forever immortalized by the powers that media be. He made his debut on American television in a commercial for Starkist in 1961. All his machinations to be selected by Starkist for lovers of fine tuna have always resulted in failure and the salty old soul has always been forced to bear the rebuke in actor Herschel Bernardi's voice: “Sorry Charlie. Starkist doesn't want tuna with good taste. Starkist wants tuna that tastes good.”

In Pago, Pago, American Samoa, the home of the Starkist canning factory, Charlie lives on in the form of a statue dedicated to his image. In case you can't find him, he's the jaunty-looking tuna on top of the pedestal wearing glasses and a red hat. A sign below him reads: “Home of Charlie The Tuna.” Perhaps it is his tenacity and our need to root for the underdog that keeps Charlie forever in our hearts. Or maybe, alas, it's simply clever advertising. I'm afraid that only his ad agency knows for sure!

Back in 1952, the Kellogg Company held a contest to see who would represent their new cereal called: “Sugar Frosted Flakes of Corn.” The contestants were Katie The Kangaroo, Elmo The Elephant, Newt the Gnu and Tony The Tiger. Tony was declared the winner, although it was nip and tuck with Katie the Kangaroo for a while. In 1953, Tony became the sole spokes-cartoon for Kellogg's “Sugar Frosted Flakes” cereal. Tony Jr. (originally referred to as “boy” and later as “son”) made appearances along with Tony Sr. who obviously had paternity denial issues for a while.

Thurl Ravenscroft, whose career in radio, film and television has spanned more than 60 years, is and always has been the voice behind Tony the Tiger. Thurl had been well known in the field of jingles and commercials as part of a quartet known as The Mellomen. Kellogg sent him a sample script along with a character description and his active imagination did the rest! The pay-off line was always: “Tony, are Frosted Flakes any good?” And Tony would always say: “Good? Why they're great!” It was Thurl who came up with the much more explosive and effective: “Gr-r-r-r-r-eat!!”

The Pillsbury Doughboy was created by an ad agency called Leo Burnett. Pacific Data Images, a pioneer in the work of computer graphics for film and video, created the animated version of the lovable figure for the commercials. In October of 1965, the 14 ounce, 8 3/4 inch character made his television debut advertising Crescent Rolls. His original voice was that of actor, Paul Fries (1920-86). The Doughboy's co-star in the commercial was Maureen McCormick. He started his career with another name: Poppin' Fresh. He is all dough with blue eyes and always wears a baker's hat and scarf. His hometown is Minneapolis; he loves to bake and twenty years ago he had a wife and two children.

A mock funeral from a master of puns added the following paragraphs about his passing in the Spring of 2002:

“The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

“Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man for all seasonings who never knew how much he was kneaded.

“Doughboy rose quickly in the show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a ‘very smart cookie', wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a bit flaky sometimes, he was still considered a roll model for millions.”Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play-Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough; plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

“The funeral was held at 3:50 for about twenty minutes.”

Napoleon once said (and he should know) that glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever. It is not known if the sister saying: “beauty fades, but stupid is forever” came from his mouth as well. Regardless, the man had a point. Time passes and what remains is only the whisper of recall to remind us of what once was. Miss Chiquita, the Campbell Kids, Tony the Tiger, Charlie The Tuna and the Doughboy are all mini legends in their own special way. They are all impressed deeply within my mind's eye where cultural icons never die and don't even get the chance to fade away!

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