Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday Food #23

The girls are off school today for parent-teacher conferences, which means I’m not rushing around packing lunches, doing hair, and signing forms. . . why don’t I break tradition and do my Friday Food first thing instead of posting just before midnight?

So, here is the first of many posts about the ADA FNCE (American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo).

I wanted to share with you all the coolest new gadget that I was able to see in action.  It is called the Acti-Fry (made by T-Fal) and it’s a pretty amazing little contraption.  The motto of the Acti-Fry is “nutritious and delicious.”  It is an appliance specifically designed to make great-tasting food that is also good for you.  It is capable of cooking all types of food from a Thai stir-fry to a hearty chili, but what people love it the most for is cooking French fries.  If you love French fries, this just might be the gadget for you.  You can make TWO POUNDS of fries with just ONE TABLESPOON of oil.  (That comes out to just 3 grams of fat per serving!)  They had them there to sample, and let me assure you, they were fabulous—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  You can also make your own granola.  If any of you have ever made homemade granola, you know that it takes about an hour in the oven.  This granola uses MUCH less oil and it is done in just NINE MINUTES!  The granola tasted great as well—it had just the perfect amount of crunch!

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Ellie Krieger*, the host of Healthy Appetite on the Food Network, was there promoting the Acti-Fry.  I got to chat with her for a while and she told me that she has one at her home and that she is pretty sure she’s addicted to the fries!

So, you’re sold, right?  At this point, the only thing that might keep you from buying this nifty little appliance is the price.  It ain’t cheap—it retails for $299.  But hey—Christmas is coming up, right?

Europe has always been ahead of the U.S. in fashion and eco-consciousness, so I’m sure it’s no surprise that they’re ahead in the food industry as well—they’ve had this appliance over there for years now.  It’s just making it’s debut here in the States (sold online and at Macy’s), so maybe in a while, it will be a staple in nicer restaurants and many homes!  We can hope!

*I also got a free signed copy of Ellie’s new book The Food You Crave.  I’ll let you know if I like any of her recipes once I try some out!

4 comments:

Erin said...

that sounds AWESOME! i so want one!!

Mirien said...

Darn. The price scared me off. Maybe someday the price will come way down. And I checked Ellie's book out of the library and liked it--I like her eating philosophy.

Margaret W. Hammond, RDN said...

This sounds really intriguing. What else can you make in it besides fries and granola? Thanks for sharing what you learned at ADA. I hope one day I can go to the conference again. I'll stay tuned for more of the fun things you learned about in Denver!

jessie said...

Wow.. I want one, too! Just another fun appliance to add to my wish list! :) (Wheat grinder, Vita-Mix, front loading washing machine, etc. ;)