Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Sodium in excess is evil – or so they say. We’re always told to cut down on soy sauce consumption, for example. But a new study in the Journal of Food Science says soy sauce used instead of salt in the cooking process can significantly reduce sodium levels in foods while maintaining the “perception of saltiness.” Take our salty quiz about soy sauce and the new study.

1. How much sodium does a tablespoon of soy sauce contain?

a) 500 mg

b) 750 mg

c) 1,000 mg

2. Using soy sauce instead of salt in salad dressings reduces sodium by what percentage?

a) 10 percent

b) 25 percent

c) 50 percent

3. What is the percentage of sodium reduction in soup?

a) 17 percent

b) 42 percent

c) 71 percent

4. The study in the Journal of Food Science says researchers from Wageningen University’s Centre for Innovative Consumer Studies were affiliated with scientists from:

a) LaChoy Asia

b) Kikkoman Europe

c) Teriyaki New Jersey

5. How long does naturally brewed soy sauce take to develop?

a) One month

b) Six months

c) Five years

6. How many calories are in a tablespoon of soy sauce?

a) 1

b) 11

c) 111

ANSWERS: 1 c; 2 c; 3 a; 4 b; 5 b; 6 b.

Sources: www.foodnavigator-usa.com; Journal of Food Sciences, www.nutritiondata.com; www.kikkoman-europe.com.

Icebox cakes really are as easy as pie.

Also called refrigerator cakes, they require little or no baking and are easy to assemble.

Icebox cakes, according to www.foodtimeline.com, likely date to the early 1900s and became popular in the 1920s, thanks, in part, to Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Refrigerator Roll recipe.

Included on the label of Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies, the refrigerator roll was chocolate wafer cookies slathered with whipped cream, sandwiched together and covered with more whipped cream. It’s chilled until the cookies become soft and you can easily slice it.

You can strategically place the cookies on their side or in different ways so when you slice the cake, it’s a work of art.

Here are a few variations for the basic icebox cake recipe (see accompanying box) adapted from “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook” by the editors of America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen, Cookies and Cream, $34.95):

Toasted almond: Replace half of the vanilla extract with 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. Crumble 3 to 4 chocolate wafer cookies and mix with 1 cup sliced toasted almonds. Sprinkle this mixture over the cake.

For the whipped cream mixture, use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix in 1 tablespoon instant espresso or instant coffee granules. Mix until the granules are completely dissolved before adding to the whipping cream and the sugar. If desired, dust the cake with sifted cocoa powder or decorate with chocolate shavings.

Use ice cream for part of the whipped cream layers and freeze the cake.

Use pound cake, angel food cake and soft-style lady fingers in place of the wafer cookies.

CHOCOLATE-MINT ICEBOX CAKE

Serves: 10 / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 6 hours, 20 minutes

It’s best to allow this cake to set overnight.

1 3/4 cups well-chilled heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon mint extract

1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafers

1 1/4 cups miniature chocolate chips

Mint leaves for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, sugar and mint extract until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake: Spread each wafer with about 1 tablespoon of mint cream, forming about four stacks of six to eight cookies. Lay the stacks side by side on a sheet of wax paper, pressing gently to form a log. With small spatula or knife, cover log with remaining mint cream. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

To serve, gently remove wax paper from underneath cake (holding cake in place with a metal spatula, if necessary), and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Slice cake diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-inch-thick slices.

Adapted from www.marthastewart.com.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

360 calories (57 percent from fat ), 23 grams fat (13 grams sat. fat ), 36 grams carbohydrates , 3 grams protein , 162 mg sodium , 58 mg cholesterol , 2 grams fiber .

ICEBOX BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

Serves: 12 (generously) / Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes (not including chilling time)

CRUST

1 1/3 cups regular or chocolate graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

FILLING

1/4 cup cold water

1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin

12 ounces (1 1/2 eight-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

SAUCE, OPTIONAL

2 pints fresh raspberries or blueberries

1/2 cup sugar or to taste

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together all the crust ingredients. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and cool.

To make the filling: Place the cold water in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let soften, 2 minutes.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the cream cheese, heavy cream, blueberries, sugar and lemon juice; process until smooth.

Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. Place the bowl of gelatin over the pan with the water and heat, whisking constantly until it just melts; about 1 minute.

With the food processor running, pour the gelatin through the feed tube into the cheese mixture and process until smooth. Scrape into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set, about 6 hours or overnight.

To make the sauce: In a medium bowl combine the berries and sugar and stir, mashing about half of the berries with the back of a spoon and leaving the remaining berries intact. Let stand, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. You can refrigerate this for up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Release the cake from the pan. Slice and serve the cake with the sauce on the side.

Adapted from “Icebox Desserts” by Lauren Chattman (Harvard Common Press, $17.95).

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

323 calories (50 percent from fat ), 18 grams fat (10 grams sat. fat ), 38 grams carbohydrates , 5 grams protein , 207 mg sodium , 55 mg cholesterol , 1 grams fiber .

BASIC CHOCOLATE ICEBOX CAKE

Whip 2 cups well-chilled heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup granulated or confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Have ready 24 chocolate wafer cookies (look for them on grocery shelves near ice cream cones and toppings). Spread 1 tablespoon of the cream on each wafer and stack them in four stacks with six wafers each. Line up the cookie stacks to make a log. You can make a wider cake by placing stacks of six wafers side-by-side. Spread with the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. It will keep up to two days in the refrigerator.

The recipe for thick, creamy, chilly indulgence is simple enough. Milk. Ice cream. A flavored syrup. Blend to perfection.

The milkshake has satisfied for more than 100 years in just that way, mostly in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors. What we grew up with is what we enjoy even now, when hot summer days trigger that taste memory and the desire for something cold and so thick a straw can hardly do the job.

Yet at the same time, we reach back for comfort, today’s culinary revolution drives us to tinker, to infuse with exotic flavors. But mainly what we want is to booze it up. We want a child’s drink, but grown up. Heresy? Not so fast. The shake’s roots (circa 1885) involve a dose of whiskey, reports food writer Adam Ried. The drink was born as a restorative.

That’s what we need, some restoring. Ried has included a dozen spirited versions in his new cookbook, “Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes.” The genesis for shaking up this American icon comes from a late-night snack of mocha sorbet. Ried, who is always looking for inspiration for his Boston Globe food column, realized the sorbet would make a great shake. That eureka moment eventually led to the book. Years of equipment testing for “America’s Test Kitchen” and recipe developing at Cook’s Illustrated magazine have made Ried a thorough researcher. He started with a directive for 50 milkshakes.

“But I couldn’t stop myself,” admitted the jovial Ried. He delivered 100.

The key in applying spirits to shakes, Ried found, is to use them to enhance flavor, not just create a tipple. “It was interesting how some of them were really necessary,” he said. The toasty, nutty, slightly bitter flavor of chocolate played well with that of Guinness stout. Brandy accentuated the nuttiness of nutmeg in a peach shake.

We’re convinced. Enjoy these instead of dessert. Or perhaps a midafternoon treat on a hot day when you need restoration.

PEACH SHAKE WITH BRANDY AND NUTMEG

Prep: 10 minutes Makes: 2 servings

The nutmeg in this shake from “Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes,” by Adam Ried, plays well with the brandy. Let ice cream and sorbet soften until just melty at edges.

1/3 cup Cognac or brandy

1/4 cup cold milk

1 1/2 tablespoons peach preserves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1 pint each: peach ice cream, peach sorbet

1. Place the Cognac, milk, preserves, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of the nutmeg in a blender; blend to mix thoroughly, 15 seconds.

2. Add the ice cream and sorbet; pulse several times. With the blender motor off, mash the mixture down onto the blender blades with a spatula. Pulse, stopping and mashing, until mixture is well blended, thick and moves easily in the blender jar, 30-90 seconds. Pour into tall glasses; sprinkle each with nutmeg to taste.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 663 calories, 17 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 112 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 63 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

CAFFE CORRETTO SHAKE

An espresso that has been “corrected” by adding a shot of liquor (usually grappa or brandy) is called caffe corretto. In this recipe, Ried re-creates that traditional Italian indulgence in a milkshake with a pleasant coffee kick. To make it, use the same method as the peach shake, but with these ingredients: 1/4 cup milk; 2 tablespoons brandy, Cognac or Sambuca; 1/4 cup cooled espresso (or 1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water); and 1 quart coffee ice cream. Makes 2 shakes.

Prosecco is the spaghetti western of sparkling wine: A bit gassy but lots of fun. And just as Clint Eastwood was vaulted into stardom by his string of Italian B-movies, so is this Italian bubbly glowing brightly in the spotlight.

Prosecco was once a very local drink, the bubbles of choice for fun-loving Venetians and knowing visitors to Harry’s Bar, where prosecco was transformed into the Bellini with a judicious splash of peach juice. No one blinked at the adulteration; such was the fate of a “plonk” wine.

Today, prosecco is standing proud, enjoying unprecedented fame around the world.

Prosecco sales in the United States are up dramatically, according to The Nielsen Co., the marketing research firm. A little more than $24 million worth of prosecco was sold in this country during the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2009, Nielsen reported. Sales were $19 million for the same period in 2007-2008.

Dismissed just a few years ago as being sweet, fizzy and one-dimensional, prosecco has been growing drier and more complex. Quality and prices have risen too.

Styles of prosecco: The white prosecco grape is used to make the eponymous wine, which comes in three styles: still; frizzante or slightly fizzy; and spumante, which offers the full-blown sparkle most of us think of when drinking bubbly. To be called prosecco, the wine must be at least 85 percent prosecco. The remainder may come from such varieties as verdiso, perera and bianchetta.

Home turf: The grape’s home region is the Veneto, the northeastern region of Italy where Venice is located. The grape is believed to have been introduced to the Veneto from neighboring Friuli, according to “Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy,” by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch.

Noted areas: The best proseccos are made from grapes grown in the denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) region known as Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. Inside this appellation, located in the hills north-northwest of Venice in the province of Treviso, is a small sub-region called Cartizze. The very finest proseccos come from there and are labeled “superiore di Cartizze.”

What to eat with prosecco: Prosecco embodies the idea of sparkling fun, especially in the dog days of summer when something light, lively and cold is required. Given the Veneto’s position on the Adriatic Sea, this is a wonderful wine with fish and shellfish. Pour prosecco with grilled shrimp, steamed lobster, seared scallops and linguine in white clam sauce.

Serving tips: Chill a bottle of prosecco on ice or in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Use caution when opening it; sparkling wine is under pressure. Some proseccos are now being bottled with a crown cap instead of the traditional cork. Once opened and poured into a fluted sparkling wine glass, enjoy the prosecco in the spirit in which it was made.

TASTING 4 PERSONABLE, IF PRICEY, PROSECCOS

Prosecco’s new fame has not only boosted quality but hiked the price as well. Heading into the local supermarket to buy proseccos for this tasting, I thought I’d find the bargain bubbles of old. Not so. One bottle was priced at nearly $25, the second was tagged at $19 and the third was $16. (The fourth bottle was already in the cellar.)

I’m not alone in feeling the price pinch. A friend is a frequent visitor to Italy. While there, he drinks prosecco like soda pop. Indeed, he says that’s the way many Italian vendors sell it. But on his last trip he found the fizz was getting very expensive.

So the question is: Do today’s proseccos justify their prices? Are these sterling wines or mere tinsel in a glass? Whatever your verdict, you’ll likely have a great time reaching a decision. These four proseccos are all non-vintage (NV).

Candoni Brut

Don’t let the gaudy Etruscan scene wrapped around the bottle keep you from buying this personable prosecco. The wine is very crisp with a citrusy tartness leavened by a touch of melony sweetness. Lime and floral notes on the nose. Lots of bubbles. Serve with seared scallops, deviled eggs, crab cakes.

$19

Santa Margherita Brut

Toasty nose zipped with a spritz of lime. Creamy quality to the fizz. The wine starts off smooth, building in both sweetness and tartness to a citrusy kick on the finish. Serve with lobster ravioli, smoked salmon, caponata.

$25

Caposaldo Brut

A very aromatic wine with a sweet, biscuit-like fragrance. Apple tartness and floral sweetness combine. Vanilla note on the finish. Serve with grilled shrimp, fried fish, shrimp Louis.

$13

Martini & Rossi

This prosecco is made in the frizzante, or slightly fizzy, style. Crisp as the other bubblies but thinner flavor. Not a lot of fruit, some notes of toast on the nose. Serve with cold cuts, white pizza with pesto and artichokes.

$16

You want that wine. But your store may not choose to carry it. Perhaps there’s no distributor or importer in your area offering the wine. State law may prohibit you from ordering a wine from an Internet wine site or out-of-state retailer. What to do if your search for these wines runs dry? Ask your wine retailer for a wine similar in flavor, style and price.

For that lazy afternoon when you’re sitting under a shade tree or at the beach, here are some vintage readings.

“Food & Wine Cocktails 2009″ (American Express, $14.95), edited by Kate Krader, is the dependable new volume in the series, with more than 150 appealing recipes from bars and lounges across the country. They include mixologists’ adventures as well as classics.

Focused and refreshing: “Wine Cocktails” (Harvard Common Press, $12.95), by A.J. Rathbun, heady with recipes, information and some humor, from sangria to the kir royale – a thirst-quencher between covers.

“99 Drams of Whiskey” (St. Martin’s, $24.95), by Kate Hopkins, reports the blogger’s entertaining search for the “perfect shot” in Scotland and Ireland, Canada and the United States. Enjoy the high-octane ride.

“When the Rivers Ran Red” (Palgrave Macmillan, $26.95), by Vivienne Sosnowski, chronicles the impact of Prohibition in California wine country, a world away from big-city speakeasies. Intelligent, engaging, sympathetic and sharp.

“Passion on the Vine” (Broadway, $14.95), by wine merchant Sergio Esposito, offers a colorful, sentimental, affecting and appetizing memoir about the author’s life in Italy and America, and about adaptation and heritage.

For some New York touring: “Long Island Wine Country” (Three Forks/Globe Pequot, $24.95), by Jane Taylor Starwood. It’s an upbeat, illustrated guide, with profiles, recipes and an easygoing narrative. The foreword is by Louisa Thomas Hargrave, Long Island’s first vintner; photos by Bruce Curtis.

Every once in a while, say, on a weekend morning when the hours aren’t quite so harried, the notion of shoving aside the orange juice carton for the real deal – the orange sliced in half, squeezed of its slurpy juices – tickles our fancy as an exercise that raises breakfast from humdrum to hallelujah.

When it comes to simply squeezing an orange, though, it seems there’s a shelf full of options. You can twist, press, squish or plug in a plug. Which one’s the best, we wondered. So we lined up four choices found at Sur La Table stores and online (surlatable.com, and at most department stores). We gave each a whirl with a Valencia orange. Here’s the sweet, juicy report.

Juicer for juicer, what lands in your glass is, well, OJ – pure and sweet and oh so good for you. What separates the juicers is how much juice comes from each orange, and the work it takes to get it in the glass.

Mighty OJ Chrome Juicer

$50

Juice per orange half: just less than 1/4 cup

This beauty, all sleek and chrome and retro, the sort of juicer you might have found on the set of “I Love Lucy,” caught our eye, all right. But, egad! Trying to get a drop of juice nearly bruised the palm of our hand, as we tried to push down the handle. We tried and tried. Cut a slit in the orange, finally sliced it in quarters, and only then did we get the least amount of juice in the bunch.

DeLonghi Electric Citrus Juicer

$30

Juice per orange half: not quite 1/3 cup

This would be the high-tech end of the juicer brigade, and it gets the job done without much fuss. But there are six parts to clean, and you can’t use it outdoors, so don’t even think about hauling it to your next picnic.

Squeezer Citrus Juicer

$16

Juice per orange half: 1/4 cup

All bright and orange and enameled, this hinged gizmo looked simple enough. But despite squeezing with all our might, we barely got 1/4 cup of juice, and when we looked inside the squished orange half, it made us sad to see all that juicy pulp left un-squeezed.

Glass Citrus Juicer

$7

Juice per orange half: 1/3 cup

This is the juicer your granny might’ve had. And you know what? Don’t doubt Granny. This one charmed us with the easy, breezy way it worked (Plop on the orange half and twist to your heart’s content). The little glass bumps caught all the seeds, and we poured a hefty glass of simple sweet vitamin C. Cleanup couldn’t have been easier; there’s only one part to this ageless friend.