Apparently so, if you believe what you read. Krispy Kreme, a.k.a. breakfast central for the masses, has introduced yet one more item to their lineup of healthy breakfast foods:

“Krispy Kreme Introduces NEW Whole Wheat Doughnut. 100% Whole Wheat and Only 180 Calories!” the advertisement hollers at me (via email.)

Somehow I doubt it. I just plain doubt it. I don’t question the calorie count, because if they didn’t tell the truth about that they would be in big trouble. What I DO doubt is that there is anything more nutritious about this particular doughnut vs. any other Krispy Kreme, or any other doughnut, for that matter.

Realistically speaking, Krispy Kremes are very small doughnuts, hence the 180 calories. What I really want to know is what else is in this doughnut? How much fat? How much sugar? What else? Exactly what percent of that flour is made frome whole wheat? How much fiber am I really getting? And perhaps most importantly, how am I going to feel by lunchtime if I eat this for breakfast?

It’s possible that those who consume doughnuts do get a miniscule amount of nutritional something from them. But the fact is that doughnuts are possibly the worst breakfast food on earth. Personally, I don’t consider doughnuts to be food at any time of day.

If, however, you are a fan of doughnuts, I have a suggestion. Don’t bother with a whole wheat doughnut unless you really love the flavor of whole wheat. Eating a doughnut for its nutritional value is a bust. The only real reason to eat a doughnut is because you like it.

– Jolene Thym

For weeks now I have been trying to make decisions about my kitchen remodel. I started out just wanting a fresh coat of paint. But before I could get my paintbrush wet, I realized that the paint wouldn’t look good on crooked walls with random holes in them. So my father volunteered to fix the holes.

Then I took a look at the cabinets. After 22 years, they are in need of more than TLC. They need a makeover. On my way to deciding which color to paint the cabinets, I was stopped by the ugly, functionless stove hood that I nearly burned off the wall some 20 years ago. I could go no further until that thing was out of my kitchen.

At the paint store, I got very close to selecting cabinet and wall colors, but took a wrong turn and ended up near the countertops. My aging countertops would look just plain silly sandwiched between lovely new paint and revamped cabinets. Along with the counters, of course we need a kitchen sink replacement.

I started shopping for granite, but before I could get my hands on a slab, a surprise guest stopped by and insisted that what I really need is a skylight in the kitchen. Before I could even wrap my head around that idea, another person insisted that I need a larger stovetop, which means remodeling the cabinets.

Now, as you might guess, I am frozen. I don’t know where to start, what to do, and in what order. Do I start with the sink? Or the paint? Or the counter? If I had enough cash to hire a decorator and a contractor, I would. But I don’t. So for now, I think I’ll retire to my kitchen-in-transition and make a pot of soup. I’ll think about the kitchen remodel tomorrow.

– Jolene Thym

Right now, I have the equivalent of a Ford Escort for a stove. It’s small, wimpy and poorly designed. There’s nothing about it that I love; and a lot about it that annoys me.

I would love to trade my Ford in on what Italian stovemaker Paolo Bertazzoni calls a Ferrari — a precision appliance that can do zero to 500 degrees before I can peel a clove of garlic; a stove outfitted with burners so perfectly engineered that they can warm a hollandaise and sear a roast — at the same time.

OK, so maybe I can’t exactly afford the Ferrari that Paolo wants to sell me. But I can sure daydream about it — in detail, thanks to a pretty convincing sales pitch from Paolo about everything that makes his stove great.

“We are coming to the American market with a stove that has all of the BTUs and the standards of a pro-range, but our style is different,” Paolo told me.

Of course your style is different. It’s Italian! As Paolo talks, I can’t help but think how lovely it would be if I could test-drive his stove to confirm that it meets my criterion for a great stove. But he doesn’t offer. And at $4,000, that’s just not an option.

I can, however, share with you a few details about why that stove costs so much.

First, he says, a Bertazzoni stove has color — seriously great yellows and greens and reds that are cooked on in the very same way that the color is cooked on the surface of a Ferrari, (the manufacturing plant for which happens to be located very close to the stove factory. Hence, his comparison.)

Even better is that the Bertazzoni stove is completely cleanable, with no poorly-located screws or joints that cannot be cleaned. I like this idea a lot. My Ford Escort doesn’t include this feature.

Not convinced? That’s because I forgot to tell you about the Bertazzoni burner that kicks heat up in stages, for any size of pan, thanks to concentric rings of fire. If this doesn’t impress you, you are spending entirely too little time in front of the stove.

Just in case I was still waffling, Paolo threw out one last tidbit — the Bertazzoni is made to last a lifetime. That, I have to say, is long enough for anyone to get their money’s worth out of the thing.

– Jolene Thym

From packaged to delicious…

I can cook, but there are times when I need to do other things, times when I just can’t peel and chop, saute and bake, puree and reduce — and wash all of the dishes dirtied during the preparation of a delicious meal.

Of course, lots of restaurants are happy to help me out — but last week I grabbed the opportunity to become a 30-minute chef, courtesy Cook! SF, a San Francisco company that shops, preps, packages and delivers every last ingredient I need to make a restaurant-quality meal in 30 minutes or less.

Being such a speedy chef is a bit pricey — it costs $24 to $30 per meal — but for someone who spends two or more hours in the kitchen night after night, it’s worth every cent.

This is why. It was 3 p.m. on a Friday and I was starved. I had a busy evening planned, and a headache on the back burner from not eating all day. I checked my watch and decided that if the promises on the Cook! SF paperwork were true, I had just enough time to serve up a gourmet meal.

I zipped open the cooler sack and pulled out a pair of boxes. Inside was a tub of sweet potato soup, an apple cake with fresh whipped cream to garnish, and bags containing perfectly prepped and pre-cooked asparagus, and large fillets of salmon.

Within 10 minutes I had read the instructions, put the asparagus in the oven and a salmon fillet in a hot pan. The soup went into a second pan for reheating. Ten minutes later, I scooped the food onto a plate for photos before diving in with a fork.

The fish was some of the best I have ever tasted. The fresh dill sauce was salty to taste, a perfect garnish for my barely salted fish and asparagus. The soup, made with sweet potato celery and onion, was lively and perfectly balanced.

Worth $25-$30? You bet. Later that evening I was surrounded by colleagues who had headaches from working too hard and missing dinner altogether. I felt great. I had not only had dinner, but a luscious, memorable, nutritious dinner that I cooked — with barely any effort at all.

A day later, I tackled a second sample, a dinner of Steak with Pomegranate Reduction and Mashed Parsnips served with an arugula-walnut salad.

Because the sauce required a few more steps than the salmon dish, preparing this dinner took about 20 minutes — not exactly a big investment of time. On the fork, I enjoyed this meal, except for the liver-flavor of the beef itself. Every other aspect of the meal was great. I especially enjoyed the fresh arugula and the potato-parsnip mash, an idea I want to duplicate soon.

Those who are interested in trying out the service will be happy to know that the instructions are ultra-clear, printed up with a color image of what the dish should look like. On the back side of the instruction card is detailed nutrition data for each recipe - essential for those on special diets.

Cook! SF is designed as a subscription service, where clients order one meal per week, delivered on Wednesdays. Every week there are two meal options. Entrees are $13.95, appetizers such as the salad and the soup are $2.65 (a bargain) and desserts are $2.95. Those who order more than two meals can add a third entree for $9.95. Delivery is $9.95.

For more information, go to www.cook-sf.com.

– Jolene Thym

OK, so I know P.F Chang’s China Bistro is a chain, and most food snobs don’t even consider chains when they’re in search of a good meal, but the truth is, real peeps eat at such places, and if you’re out and about and want something beyond Panda-esque fare, P.F. Chang’s is your place to go. It has nice atmosphere, an interesting menu and great cocktails. (Check out the pear mojito–pure refreshment).

I had what I might dare dub one of the best desserts of MY LIFE at the recently opened location in Pleasanton on Saturday night. The service was also darn good as was the salt and pepper prawns (juicy, tender, simple and addictive) and vegetables with creamy curry sauce. (They goofed on our order of sea bass, which they neglected to tell us they were out of, but made up for it with a melt-in-your mouth cut of salmon on the house.)

But on to the sticks. The Magic Sticks. Even though we were already completely stuffed, I had to have them. I didn’t regret it. The sticks are skinny hot crispy wonton sticks stuffed with chocolate. They’re served with a pot of peanut butter caramel sauce for dipping. Now, this alone would be enough, but to send the diner over the edge, you’re then instructed to role your freshly dipped stick into a thick bed of crushed toffee candy on the plate. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I must have scarfed down four of them.

My only complaint was I ran out of peanut butter sauce at the end. If there had been multiple people eating, we would have done battle over the stuff.

I will now be craving these babies til the end of time.

You like hot chocolate? I don’t mean hot chocolate. I mean hot-hot chocolate, as in hot chocolate with a little pepper sprinkled in? If so, then read on.

Now I have to admit that I much prefer hot (as in, great) to hot-hot (as in, spicy.) I confess that upon receiving a hot-hot four-pack of chocolate bars from Bella Cabosse, I paused. OK, I procrastinated. I don’t exactly like adulterated chocolate. But one dreary, tiresome afternoon I decided to stop web-searching and writing and to just dive in.

I started my “tasting flight” in France — with a Dolfin Chocolate Noir Au Poivre Rose. The moment I opened the plastic surrounding the chocolate, I was enthralled with the scent of fresh pepper and chocolate. I loved the texture and flavor of this peppery chocolate. I had to fight the urge to go back for a second and a third square, as I had other chocolates to try.

Next up was a warm, sweet bite of milk chocolate wrapped in cardamom and pepper, Dolfin’s Chocolate Au Lait Hot Masala. If I didn’t have a distinct dislike of the flavor of powdered milk in my chocolate, I would like this. In fact, the flavor of the chocolate echoes those I’ve tasted in Indian desserts. It’s authentic, bold, but not my favorite.

Third up was a chunk of Slitti Gran Bouquet Peperoncino. Wow. Now this is a hot chocolate. A little gritty in texture, but hot. I like the Au Poivre Rose better because it’s so aromatic, but those who want their chocolate truly hot will love this. The chocolate is extra dark, 73 percent, and the pepper delivers a little heat to the tongue and throat.

Last up was the Amedei 66 percent black chocolate from Tuscany. This slightly bitter, fruity, coffee-flavored chocolate wasn’t peppery at all — and it was the perfect finish to my hold-on-to-your-chocolate-bar taste adventure.

If you’re in the mood to “Spice It Up” call (800) 471-9590 or go to
www.BellaCabosse.com.

– Jolene Thym

Braised Shortribs with Ridgeline Cabernet Sauvignon — Photo by Mike Lucia, MediaNews Staff

The next time someone starts complaining about how calorie-illiterate people are, about how they don’t know or care how much fat, salt and fiber they put into their mouths, don’t believe it.

Sure, some of us carry a little extra weight. Some of us have a hard time saying no to foods that we know are not good for us. But last week, I got a pretty clear message that people DO care about calories when I ran a recipe for braised shortribs in my weekly Happy Together column.

The recipe, unbeknownst to me, delivered a whopping 1,400 calories per person, according to a computer program that calculates nutrition on all of the recipes we run in the newspaper.

The first email questioning the calorie counts made me laugh. I reasoned with the reader, suggesting that unless she sucked down every ounce of fat in the dish and then licked the plate, she didn’t have to claim all those calories. But when e-mails No. 2 and No. 3 came, I decided I needed answers. It turns out that our nutrition calculator gives ranges of calories — for example, 4 pounds of ribs might be 1,173 calories. Or it might be more like 650 calories. It depends, of course, on how lean the ribs happen to be.

It also turns out that the chef who wrote this particular recipe failed to instruct people to defat the drippings and remove the excess fat from the sauce before serving. Had the chef added this simple, easy step to his recipe, the calorie count per serving in that dish would have been reduced drastically - a full 100 calories for every 1 tablespoon of fat rendered and removed from the dish.

It is my observation that most chefs care about things like aroma, mouthfeel, freshness, complexity and flavor. Rarely does a chef talk about calorie counts. In my opinion, those of us who want to eat well AND be healthy can and should run recipes through our own fat-detectors, then cut fat wherever we can.

– Jolene Thym

Last week, I was elbow deep in pomegranate everything, the latest superfood that is so packed with antioxidants and other health benefits that we would be silly not to incorporate it into our diet.

This week, my e-mail inbox included the latest findings about cranberries. It turns out that they are serious antioxidants and are suspected to fight cancer in the body. They don’t have solid proof yet, but researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth say it’s all about those polyphenols.

Then, in my paper mail inbox, I was intrigued to find a glitzy release from California radicchio farmers who are pretty excited about similar findings regarding their bitter-ish red lettuce.

I realize that it would be impossible to eat all of the foods that claim to be good for me every day — or even every week. But a little red every day? That’s do-able. Dried cranberries, a radicchio wrap, blueberry smoothies, pomegranate candy. I can do red.

– Jolene Thym

There is simply no way around it.

If you are married or have a valentine of any sort, then you must — I repeat MUST — give chocolate on Feb. 14. If you know what’s good for you, you will ignore any and all comments to the contrary.

The only real question left is which chocolate? If your valentine is one of those rare people who don’t love the deep, dark, fruity flavor of serious chocolate, then just get the prettiest package you can find.

If, however, your valentine appreciates the exotic nuances of the exotic bean so much that she considers milk chocolate heresy, then you need to shop very carefully. For this kind of chocolate aficionado, the chocolate gift is not judged on quantity or on packaging. It’s all about the quality, the terroir and the percentage of cocoa that’s inside.

Since I happen to be in the latter category, I would like to offer a bit of assistance to those who find themselves stymied by the maze of chocolatey options at this time of year.

First off, if you have the time and the money, you would do well to get your hands on a box of XOX Truffles, which has stores in Oakland and San Francisco. These authentic little truffles are ethereal and come in every flavor imaginable. You can find them at Whole Foods in Marin and San Francisco, but beware the price. They cost about $40 per 1/2 pound if you buy them anywhere else but direct from the stores, at 754 Columbus Ave. in San Francisco or 6126 La Salle Ave., in Montclair Village, Oakland.

Another option is to head straight for chocolates at your local Whole Foods, Andronico’s, Mollie Stone’s, or other specialty grocer or cheese shop. There you will find expertly crafted, locally made chocolates made of only the finest ingredients.

Valentine’s Day chocolate boxes by Charles Chocolates range from $30 for a small box of 22 chocolate hearts to $90 for a two-tiered 63-piece chocolate extravaganza. Get the assortment — the caramelly, crunchy, super-salty peanut butter butterfly is incredible. For especially fresh chocolates, order online, and pick up your order at Charles Chocolates, 1451 66th St., Emeryville. For details go to http://www.charleschocolates.com or call (888) 652-4412.

No time to shop? Go online and buy an entire chocolate experience, courtesy Bella Cabosse. The online company functions like a chocolate missionary, teaching and sharing about chocolate throughout the world. Their goal is to get unique chocolate into every mouth — chocolate that will erase any inclination of eating lesser, compromised chocolate. The Michel Cluizel World Tour tasting flight offers a taste tour of cacao regions. Special for Valentine’s Day is the Spice it Up V-day Flight. Orders are processed straightaway — which means the standard $12-shipping charge guarantees chocolate on your doorstep within two days. To order, go to http://www.bellacabosse.com.

Too expensive for your wallet? No problem. Chocolate-shoppers on a budget can find plenty of top-notch chocolate on the candy bar aisle of any grocer or market. Do not underestimate bar chocolate. If you read the ingredients listing on the back of the bar you will find that, unlike so many boxes of supermarket-quality filled chocolates, the bars are serious, unadulterated chocolate.

Top chocolate bar picks, not necessarily in order, include:

Ghirardelli’s Toffee Interlude or Citrus Sunset ($2.50,) both of which offer a bit of crunch within a bar of rich, velvety chocolate.

Also on the Ghirardelli menu are the company’s new 60 percent Intense Dark Mint Bliss squares. The chocolate is crisp, fruity and minty all at once.

Slightly more expensive but worth every penny of the $3.50 per bar is Green & Black’s chocolate. Since I love orange, my favorite is the Maya Gold. But the espresso is great for those afternoon blues. I have yet to see them on store shelves, but keep your eyes out for the new Green & Black minis, little bites that may be too small for guys, but they are just what a girl wants.

More great bars include the fruity, nutty Chocolove line ($2.29). I like the cherry and almond, but you might prefer the ginger in dark chocolate or the toffee and orange rind.

Purists would definitely enjoy every chunk of the Valhrona chocolate bars ($2.69), which come in 56, 71 and 85 percent cocoa, and the Droste Pastilles ($1.79), rolls of plain dark chocolate discs that are perfect for melting in the mouth.

One last note: If the idea of giving a chocolate bars seems too unromantic for Valentine’s Day, get your hands on some of the newest additions to the NewTree line: the gingery Sexy, and the cherry-infused Blush. The bars are $6 for one or $3.50 for a pack of three minibars. They can be found at Andronico’s markets, Gloria Jean’s and specialty stores throughout the Bay Area. Another option is to go to http://www.levillage.com and get the 18-mini-bar collection for $24.95.

– Jolene Thym