FOOD TIDBITS

If you like Indian food, you can use Parampara traditional Indian spice mixes to prepare it in just minutes.

By EVA BEN-DAVID
If you like Indian food, you can use Parampara traditional Indian spice mixes to prepare it in just minutes. The Chicken Tikka Masala is prepared by adding water and lemon juice to the mix (originally, this recipe calls for curd), and adding that to pieces of chicken breast. The mix is quite spicy, even though it's adapted for Israeli taste buds. You can get the mixes at the Tiv Ta'am stores and at Indian food stores for NIS 10 a packet. Elite has new whole-grain petit beurre cookies, containing four types of whole grains as well as calcium and Vitamin D. These petit beurre cookies contain 20% less fat than the regular variety; a 500 gr. package (2 x 250 gr.) is NIS 11.50. Soda Club has a new flavor called the Energy Drink, an artificially-flavored soda mix you can make with the Soda Club soda machines. The Energy Drink contains Vitamin B6, folic acid and niacin, as well as Vitamin C, and is great before and during sports activities, or if you simply want to feel more energetic. The Energy Drink is NIS 14.90 for a 500 ml. bottle, good for preparing 12 liters of soda. Nestl 's Nok Out ice creams are delicious, and now they're available in a mini-version, perfect for just a little snack, without the whole load of calories. There are two mini-Nok Out varieties: peanut-caramel and strawberry. A package of six is NIS 25. Those who want to keep in shape love Nestl 's Fitness breakfast cereal, and a new addition to the Fitness cereals is Fitness & Fruits, containing whole-wheat grains, rice, dried fruit (apple, papaya, cranberry, pineapple, raisin and coconut) as well as 10 vitamins and minerals. A 375 gr. package is NIS 24.45. Maimon Spices now have rose water extract and mei zahar, made from citrus fruit. The extracts can be used to prepare winter drinks such as Sahlab, Chai Masala tea or the Malabi dessert. The price for a 24 ml. bottle is NIS 8.90. My husband, who usually won't touch Israeli-style waffles, loved the new gourmet chocolate waffles by Max Brenner. The chocolate is on the outside of the cookie, and it's a good, bitter chocolate at that. Too bad there aren't many waffles in a package. Sold at the hefty price of NIS 33 at the Max Brenner chocolate stores, don't expect to see these treats passed around by soldiers doing miluim! Tara has new creamy flavored milk drinks, in vanilla and mocha ice cream flavor, using ingredients such as white chocolate pralines. The Vanillata and Mochalatta drinks cost NIS 5.95-6.95 for a 500 ml. carton.