Ah, the glory of soft-ripened Brie cheese. Its semisoft consistency is alluring; heat it and it becomes an ooey-gooey delight. The bloomy rind that surrounds the disk is a downy white, a surface that aids the cheese to ripen from the rind inward.

The flavors vary from grassy to nutty, but I like one of the descriptions that cheese expert Laura Werlin wrote in her book “Cheese Essentials” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang).

“Think butter and you’ll have a head start in knowing what to expect …” Werlin wrote. Yes, think of adding that buttery taste and creamy texture to a wide variety of dishes, everything from burgers to pasta, salads to quesadillas.

Of course, it is delicious served room temp on a cheese board, but the following recipes give Brie the heat treatment. One uses Brie to be the cornerstone in a melt-on-the-pasta sauce, two use baked Brie for appetizers augmenting each dish with components with a sweet edge.  And one utilizes sliced Brie as a creamy melted garnish atop piping hot leek soup.

When buying Brie for these recipes, be sure to check the buy-by date on the packaging. The Brie needs to be young enough to have no hint of ammonia.

Linguine With Tomatoes and Basil, which also showcases Brie, was originally featured in the 1980s cookbook, “The Silver Palate” by Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Linguine With Tomatoes and Basil

Julie Rosso and the late Sheila Lukins changed the way many of us cook. In the early ’80s, when their classic cookbook, “The Silver Palate,” took off, it gave home cooks from coast to coast a shot of courage. A few years ago, to celebrate the 25 years in print and their new reissued “Silver Palate Cookbook 25 Years Anniversary Edition (Workman), they joined me in my home kitchen to cook up a favorite dish from their book. They prepared this delicious linguine that showcases Brie, tomatoes and basil. Enjoy.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pound cold Brie, rind removed, torn into irregular pieces; see cook’s notes

1 cup fresh basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, cut into thin strips

3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, best-quality olive oil; divided use

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds linguine

Optional: Freshly grated black pepper

Optional garnish: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook’s notes: Rosso told me that she likes the Brie rind, so she leaves it on the cheese. But if you want to remove the rind, it is easier to peel if you freeze the cheese.

DIRECTIONS

1. At least two hours before serving, combine tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, 1 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl.

2. Bring 6 quarts salted water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and linguine. Boil until al dente (tender but still firm), about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Drain pasta and immediately toss with tomato sauce. Serve at once, passing pepper mill and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Source: “The Silver Palate Cookbook 25 Years Anniversary Edition” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, $19.95)

Baked Brie with Honeyed Apricots is a scrumptious appetizer that can be served with slices of baguette, crackers or Melba toast. (Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen)

Baked Brie with Honeyed Apricots

To create sweet, creamy flavor in this delicious Brie appetizer, the wheel of Brie has the rind trimmed and is cut into cubes. This allows a honey-apricot mixture to be evenly distributed throughout this deconstructed cheese. An extra drizzle of honey and some minced chives at the finish reinforce the sweet-savory flavor profile. Be sure to use a firm, fairly unripe Brie. Serve with baguette, crackers, or Melba toast.

Yield: 8 to 10

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup honey, divided

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 (8-ounce) wheels firm chilled Brie cheese, rind removed, cheese cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave apricots, 2 tablespoons honey, rosemary, salt, and pepper in medium microwave-safe bowl until apricots are softened and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through microwaving. Add Brie and toss to combine.

2. Transfer mixture to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and bake until cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with chives. Serve.

Source: “Modern Bistro” by America’s Test Kitchen

This appetizer comes together with only three ingredients — Brie, thyme leaves and your favorite preserves. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Three-Ingredient Brie with Preserves

Need a quick-to-prepare appetizer? This very easy three-ingredient baked Brie is the ticket.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 7- to 8-ounce Brie cheese

1/3 cup your favorite preserves (such as cherry or mixed berries)

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

For serving: Sliced baguette or crackers

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Brie in center of small baking dish (the one I use is 5-by-7-inches). Spoon preserves on top of cheese. Sprinkle with chopped thyme leaves.

2. Bake 16 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven; the some of the cheese should be oozing out and should be piping hot. Let is sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers; provide a spoon for scooping.

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Leek and Tarragon Soup is topped with a thick slice of French bread and a melted slice of Brie. (Photo by Nick Koon, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Leek and Tarragon Soup with Melted Brie Cheese

Soup isn’t just for winter.  A one-dish soup dinner, eaten outdoors in the cool of the evening, can be a welcome break from traditional summer fare. The soup can be prepared ahead, reheated and topped with cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 slices, about 1/2-inch thick, French bread

4 tablespoons butter, divided use

7 large leeks, trimmed, white and green part halved, washed, cut into thin crosswise slices

3/4 pound fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

21/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups fat-free, low sodium, chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/3 cup whipping cream or whole milk

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces chilled brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bread on baking sheet in single layer. Bake in preheated oven until toasted, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Spread with about 2 tablespoons butter and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add leeks, mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are soft and most of liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in broth and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add tarragon and pepper.

4. Ladle into 6 (2-cup) oven-proof soup bowls or large mugs.  Place bowls (or mugs) on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each with a piece of toasted bread and top bread with cheese. Bake uncovered, in 425-degree oven until bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want to further brown the topping,  remove baking sheet from oven and move rack to 6- to 8-inches below broiler element. Turn oven to broil and broil soup on baking sheet about 1 minute. Turn on oven light and watch carefully to prevent burning.

Source: “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.

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By Anna Helhoski | NerdWallet

Climate change is frightening, inconvenient, expensive and, increasingly, deadly. And there’s really no escape.

In this year alone, the U.S. has had a myriad of natural hazards worsened by climate change: the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane to make landfall; floods throughout the country; record-breaking heat everywhere; tornadoes in the Midwest; and wildfires in the West. The La Nina weather pattern is expected to arrive soon, which is likely to fuel storms in the Atlantic during this year’s hurricane season.

Climate change amplifies the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events. It can cause all kinds of disruptions and health hazards while driving up expenses like heating, cooling and homeowners insurance.

Get hammered enough by amplified weather events and you might wonder if there’s somewhere a little less hazard-prone to live. While there is no place on Earth that is immune to the impact of climate change, some places are less exposed to risk than others.

Last year, NerdWallet examined federal data and found that most of the fastest-growing places in the U.S. are also at high risk for natural hazards that are exacerbated by climate change. This year, we explored which places — in this case, counties — are least likely to feel the impact of natural hazards.

Isolation doesn’t guarantee fewer risks — just fewer people

If you rank places only by Federal Emergency Management Agency rating, the counties in the U.S. with the lowest risks are the places with the fewest people.

At the top of that list is Loving County in North Texas, where just 64 people reside — the least populous county in the country. No. 2 is Kalawao, Hawaii, which was originally established as an area of forced isolation for people with Hansen’s disease, or what was once more colloquially known as a leper colony. And No. 3 is Keweenaw, Michigan, a peninsula containing a national park where, as the county’s website says, you can “find solitude in the pristine, remote wilderness while sharing trails with the island’s moose and wolves.”

However, solitude doesn’t make for the best measure of risk from natural hazards. FEMA’s risk index takes population into account as part of social and community risk when it makes its risk designations — it stands to reason that the fewer the people, the lower the risk. But, of course, the natural hazards are still there: North Texas isn’t immune from extreme heat, tornadoes or extreme thunderstorms, for example. A Hawaiian island won’t be immune from a hurricane, earthquake, flash flood, wildfire or tsunami. And any area that is designated a peninsula, like Keweenaw, Michigan, is highly likely to be flood-prone.

While FEMA’s National Risk Index measures current risk, it must be noted that extreme weather effects are projected to worsen as the planet continues to warm on our current trajectory, and in coming decades, coastal flooding will increase as sea levels rise.

Note also that FEMA’s ratings consider not only the kinds of events that can be worsened by climate change (floods, droughts, wildfires, storms), but also natural hazards that aren’t affected by climate change, like earthquakes and volcanoes.

What midsize counties have the lowest climate change risks?

To get a better picture of what might make an area least vulnerable to natural hazards and still boast the creature comforts of basic infrastructure, NerdWallet set a population control of at least 100,000 people. It includes the annual cost of living in 2023 dollars, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator for households comprising two adults and two children.

What most populated counties have the lowest climate change risks?

People migrate to some of the most populated areas in the country for obvious reasons, like the availability of housing, jobs, entertainment and a desire for proximity to lots of other people.

Among the counties with populations above 1 million residents, here are the counties where the risk of natural hazards is lowest. The analysis also includes the annual cost of living in 2023 dollars, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator for households with two adults and two children.

No matter where you live, climate change will cost you

The terrible truth about climate change is that even if you uproot your life and move to a place with low risks of natural hazards, intense weather events are still likely to find you. For example, most of the relatively high risks in midsize counties have to do with winter weather. In some places, winters are becoming less severe, but in others, they are worsening. And one big event could be devastating.

In the U.S., extreme weather events cost nearly $150 billion per year, according to The Fifth National Climate Assessment, a report released in November 2023 by the federal government. That sum doesn’t account for additional costs including loss of life, health care costs, or damages to what are known as ecosystem services — for example, food, water, timber and oil. There’s a billion-dollar weather or climate disaster in the U.S. every three weeks, on average, the report found. That is compared with one every four months in the 1980s.

Despite all this, nearly half of all Americans (45%) don’t believe that climate change will affect them personally, according to a December 2023 survey by Yale University. So how about what a single person pays: Issues related to climate change will cost a child born in the U.S. in 2024 at least $500,000 — and as much as $1 million — over their lifetime due to indirect and direct costs (such as missed cost-of-living increases and lower earnings), according to an April analysis conducted by ICF, a global consulting firm, and released by Consumer Reports.

Some current and future costs are likely to include:

Homeowners insurance. If you’re a homeowner, you know all too well how heightened weather-related disaster risks play into your homeowners insurance premiums. In certain places where risk is highest, private insurers won’t provide coverage for floods and wildfires.
Home maintenance, upgrades and safeguards against climate risks. These could include installing a sump pump or resealing basement walls; upgrading insulation and windows; adding or enhancing heating or ventilation systems; roofing upgrades and more.
Energy bills. With increased heating and cooling needs come higher energy bills.
Food. Weather changes present challenges to food production, which could lower supply and increase prices.
Higher taxes due to more government spending and lower government revenues. The Consumer Reports report cites reduced personal and corporation earnings that lead to less tax revenue combined with higher expenses that the government must take on for health care and infrastructure damages.
Lower income. The Consumer Reports analysis cites a possible decrease in labor hours due to extreme weather, which may lead to lower earnings.

Climate migration within the U.S. is already happening. A 2021 survey by the real estate website Redfin found that among those who plan to move, half say climate change-fueled conditions like natural disasters and extreme temperatures are factors in their decision. There are expenses associated with uprooting your life and moving elsewhere — and those aren’t costs that everyone can afford.

Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.

The article You Can’t Escape Climate Change, but in Some Areas, Risk Is Lower originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Deborah Vankin | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

You see them crowding checkout counters at grocery stores — a rainbow of bubble-gum pink, lime green and blueberry packets, slender and upright, like a multicolored chorus line of dancers tempting an impulse purchase. At the gym, they’re dissolved into enormous jugs of cherry-tinted water.

They’re especially prevalent on TikTok. Just search #watertok for a flood of #watergirlies, clutching Stanley tumblers at their #waterstations, which are crammed with neon-bright hydration powders and flavored syrups. #Wateroftheday? How about Strawberry Birthday Cake Water. Or Caramel Apple Sucker Water.

“If your water isn’t turning your mouth blue, you’re apparently hydrating wrong,” one skeptical dietitian observed on TikTok last year.

Hydration supplements in the form of powders, tablets and liquid additives have become a norm among consumers over the last decade, and are more popular than ever. The global electrolyte hydration drinks market was valued at $1.72 billion in 2023, according to Data Bridge Market Research. And it’s growing. The business of boosting one’s H2O is projected to reach $3.26 billion by 2031.

Why hydration is important

This bonanza of new hydration products plays to a basic but critical need: More than 50% of people around the globe, including in the U.S., are chronically underhydrated, according to the National Institutes of Health, which cites worldwide surveys. (“Underhydration” refers to people who don’t meet the recommended daily fluid intake, whereas “dehydration” refers to a more severe fluid deficit.)

Those statistics are concerning, considering hydration is the oil to our body’s engine. It aids in muscle repair, digestion, energy and focus. It’s necessary for lubricating joints, regulating body temperature and removing toxins from the body. It carries nutrients to cells and is crucial for hormonal balance, which can affect blood pressure and the menstrual cycle. Our level of hydration also contributes to our hair and skin health.

“Proper hydration keeps every system of the body running smoothly,” says dietitian-nutritionist Vanessa King, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

After years of striving to adhere to a 1945 U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommendation of eight glasses of water a day, it tracks that we’d want to zhuzh up the ritual. (Some studies, however, suggest we need less water daily and that water requirements vary for individuals.) But is there any actual health value to these water additives? Do they aid with hangovers, enhance our workouts or energize us? Or are they simply there to make plain old water taste like a piña colada?

It depends on what product you’re peppering into your Hydro Flask.

“Hydration supplements can replenish you when your fluid status is down — so after workouts, for hangovers or when you’ve been sick,” says Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, an endocrinologist, nutrition specialist and professor at UCLA. “Depending on their composition, some get better absorbed and improve your hydration. Some are just for flavoring and they can have a lot of sugar or artificial coloring — it can be like drinking a soda.”

She notes that because these powders and tablets are categorized as supplements, they aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “So you just have to trust what’s on the label.” (To fill this gap in regulation, some sleuthing social media users have even carved out a niche content genre in which they analyze the ingredients listed on the labels of celebrity-backed supplements.)

What’s in hydration supplements?

More often than not, a hydration powder or tablet includes a mix of four main ingredients: electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride), a carbohydrate (such as glucose), vitamins (typically B vitamins, sometimes C) and amino acids. Depending on their quantity, and how they interact with one another, those ingredients may help hydrate your body more efficiently.

How these ingredients chemically interact with one another directly affects hydration. Water follows sodium for absorption, for example, and sodium molecules travel best with glucose molecules across the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, Surampudi says, so carbohydrates like sugar are not a bad thing in your supplements — they’re actually preferred.

Even so, it’s a delicate balance. A supplement with too much sugar may work against your aim to be healthier.

“The body stores excess sugar for energy later, and that’s stored as fat,” Surampudi says. “And if you drink too much [sugary fluids], that can lead to health complications.”

While sugar and sodium help fuel hydration, those with diabetes or high blood pressure should be careful with hydration supplements, paying attention to their sugar or salt intake.

“Use it with caution and discuss with your healthcare provider,” Surampudi says.

Do we need them?

Hydration supplements aren’t unsafe for most people to take daily if the sugar content is moderate — but they’re often not necessary, says Dr. Christopher Duggan, editor of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and a Harvard Medical School professor.

Most adults and children don’t meet daily hydration recommendations, he says, which is currently 13 eight-ounce cups of fluid for healthy men and nine for healthy women, according to the National Academy of Medicine. (Note this recommendation includes all fluids, not just water. And we tend to get 20% of our water intake from food.)

“So if adding a light flavoring gets them to drink more water, that’s probably not a terrible thing,” Duggan said. “But if the expense is high, it’s ultimately not worthwhile. Because unless you’re participating in vigorous exercise or your GI tract doesn’t work normally, water alone is probably an adequate hydration.”

Some hydration supplements even contain ingredients that are not hydrating when consumed in large quantities, such as caffeine. Though caffeine is a diuretic, consuming up to 400 mg of it daily can actually help with hydration, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ King. Other flavored powders contain various B vitamins, which may cause problems in excess.

“B6, if you consume too much of it because you’re getting it elsewhere, there’s a risk for some people of neuropathy, which means damage to the peripheral nerves (which are outside of the brain and spinal cord), and which can cause numbness and tingling, among other things,” Surampudi said.

Surampudi recommends consuming hydration supplements only in moments when your body is especially challenged.

“If there’s a situation where you’re fluid down, or in a high altitude or in an extremely hot climate, that’s where these things can be helpful,” she said.

How 8 top hydration supplement brands perform

Water is the essence of hydration, but consumers are now looking for a little something extra. (Dreamstime/TNS)

So take your hydration boosters with a healthy dose of skepticism. Here’s an analysis of eight hydration supplements — the good, the bad and the meh — according to L.A.-based dietitian Katie Chapmon.

Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier. “I would not have someone choose this to use every day because the added sugar is really too much — it’s the first and second listed ingredients. The other thing is: They boast, on their website, that the hydration multiplier has ‘3x the electrolytes of the leading sports drink.’ And that may be wonderful for someone who is doing very high-impact sports or who would require serious electrolytes replacement, but it’s not for the average person. Electrolytes balance out our cells, but if we have too much it throws off that balance and our cells can actually become oversaturated; it can make it harder for that cell to work and to get hydrated. This is why a more moderate amount of electrolytes may be a better option for athletes and heavy sweaters.”

Nuun Sport Hydration. “This one has a lower amount of added sugar. It might be for someone who wants to flavor their water — which, alone, would help increase fluid intake and therefore their hydration. It has electrolytes — your sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride — but I would not have someone use this from a serious athletic standpoint because athletes need to not only replenish electrolytes lost but also sugars lost through expelling energy through exercise. Would it help hydrate cells? Sure, a little bit. But most people will end up drinking this because they like the flavors — and a lot of people like Nuun’s flavors.”

Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Drink Mix. “I like this one as a water flavoring — out of all of them, it was one of my favorites for that. But it’s not a true electrolyte blend. It includes sodium and Himalayan salt. But there’s no chloride and magnesium. This would not be a recommendation for gym-goers or athletes as it doesn’t contain any sugars, which are needed for adequate electrolyte and energy replenishment. It’s just a water flavoring because it contains lower amounts of sodium and potassium than other hydration alternatives. The ingredients are straightforward and clean — it has no added sugar, which is great — but it’s not in the same boat as an electrolyte product, even though it’s advertised as that.”

MIO Strawberry Watermelon Liquid Water Enhancer and MIO Sport Electrolytes + B Vitamins. “Out of all of these, MIO is probably one of my least favorites. The first is just a water flavoring, but all these additives — like sucrose acetate and Red 40 — they’re not good for you. Red 40 is a synthetic food dye. It’s considered safe, but a lot of people can have allergies causing headaches. It’s safe but not as good as Cure, which uses a natural additive like beet powder for color. Mio Sport uses Blue 1 for coloring, also a synthetic dye. It does contain B vitamins — B3, B6 and B12 — but not the complete B complex of eight B vitamins. It’s also not as strong of an electrolyte blend. Like Cure, it is missing your chloride and magnesium.”

Ultima Replenisher, Broad Spectrum Electrolyte Mix. “This one is OK from a standpoint that it’s going to flavor water and has the electrolytes that we’re looking for, like potassium, sodium, magnesium and chloride. But they’re relatively low amounts, containing one-sixth the amount of sodium in Nuun and Orgain; therefore, it is not for serious athletes.”

LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes, Raw Unflavored. “This is a clean, straightforward brand and zero calories — just your electrolytes. It isn’t flavored, though, so would not be an adequate water flavoring product. It would be good for a smoothie boost or if someone is on an elimination diet. But you’d need to add in a carbohydrate source, like fruit, for this to be more hydrating. It would have to be a whole lemon squeezed in. Or, if doing a smoothie, add a quarter cup of frozen berries to help absorb the electrolytes and help hydration.”

Water Boy Hydration Electrolyte Drink Mix for Weekend Recovery. “I was nervous about the high sodium content here. Sodium is the first ingredient and it’s almost 50% of your daily value. Compared to the other electrolytes — potassium, magnesium and chloride — the sodium is very high and the others are low. It’s a really odd balance. But it has zero sugar and it has only 1 gram of carbohydrates, which, from the ingredient list, I’m assuming is coming from a natural flavor or potentially the vegetable juice. But it’s not enough carbohydrates to balance out the high sodium content. This product is marketed as a ‘hangover’ cure because alcohol dehydrates the body; dehydration is a major contributor to hangover symptoms. Rehydrating the body using alkaline salt neutralizes the acid from alcohol and dehydration; however, this product would benefit from a better balance of all electrolytes, not just high amounts of sodium.”

Orgain Hydro Boost, Rapid Hydration Drink Mix. “I like this one for athletes. Sugar is the first ingredient, but for athletes that would help absorb the electrolytes. And it would also replenish glucose storage in the muscles. And I like the balance of sodium and chloride here too. There’s also potassium. It’s missing magnesium, but because the sodium and chloride are so well balanced it outweighs that. There’s also no synthetic flavoring. It’s all things like organic lemon juice and organic monk fruit. It’s not for everyday use because of the high sugar content, but great for athletes for specific use like a long-intense bike training, high energy, intermittent workouts or an event, like a sports game.”

_______

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.