Bite of the Best

What it is: A weekly newsletter and accompanying website about outstanding recommended products How it comes: As a weekly NewsBite and posted on the website Where it is: On www.BiteoftheBest.com Who it's for: Anyone interested in food, nutrition and kitchen gadgets Suggested retail price: Free Nutrition notes: Includes foods as nutritious as possible, with some added indulgences

Bonnie: Pardon our indulgence. Next week, we’ll be back to business as usual. Usual as a BiteoftheBest.com’s NewsBite, that is. This week, instead of sending you a Featured Bite about one recommended product, we’re featuring the details — and tons of photos — of our official launch party.

With Eric home for a couple of weeks getting ready to go to Zanzibar for a hospitality internship, I decided Bryan should fly home too, and we’d celebrate our new site since we’d all be together at home for the first time in a couple of years.

“Thanks for coming,” I said, as I handed each guest their official coded party map detailing the evening’s food, libations and entertainment. “Be sure to turn the map in when you leave to see whether you’ve won the Soda Club Seltzer Maker or a Lean Cuisine Susan B. Komen insulated lunch bag.

“Grab your mug and a spoon for tastings. Everything here has been or will be featured as a Bite of the Best, and don’t forget to stop at one of the Wi-Fi stations to peruse the site if you haven’t yet seen it.”

After all the instructions, partygoers sipped Absolut100 cocktails and Lake Chalice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc while nibbling on Madhouse Munchies All American Sea Salted Potato Chips and Tastefully Simple Sesame Chips with Corn & Black Bean Salsa. Guests snacked on a cheese board of Jarlsberg, Cabot Creamery Sharp Cheddar, and Vermont Butter & Cheese’s Bijou and Fresh Crottin, all garnished with Craisins.

Guests also sampled various soups made from BiteoftheBest.com products including Campbell’s Select Gold Label Golden Butternut Squash Soup, Portuguese Bean Soup (using Progresso’s Cannellini beans) and Chicken Tortilla Soup (featuring Swanson’s Organic Chicken Broth). Having promised party attendees the soup recipes, they’re included below.

I had to laugh, as so many of our guests uttered in amazement that the foods they were eating were surprisingly good. I just kept reminding them that these were Bites of the Best. It’s the whole point of our site: to let others know about outstanding products.

While roaming the party and listening to Glenn Roth on jazz guitar, many partygoers tried their hand at Oxo’s Mango Slicer and the Soda Club Seltzer Maker. Others watched “Big Night” and “Ratatouille” in the silent movie theater while eating their soup. It was after 2:30 am when the last few party guests left!

What a fabulous celebration — I wish you all could have attended.

Golden Portuguese Bean Soup Cook 1 pound thinly sliced chorizo, linguiça, or other garlic sausage in a 4-qt saucepan over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add 1 minced large onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups water, 1 peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash, 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes, 4 peeled and diced carrots, 1/2 t cracked pepper, 1/4 – 1/2 t salt and, if desired, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or more. Add 1 rinsed and drained can of cannellini beans and 1 shredded small head of cabbage. Simmer covered 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Combine 32-ounce chicken broth, 12-ounces cubed chicken, 1 c favorite salsa, 2 c corn, 1 can rinsed and drained black beans, 1/2 t chili powder and 1/4 t cumin in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with tortilla chips and chopped fresh cilantro. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Bryan: I haven’t been to my hometown in a bit, so returning this past weekend for the launch party was a great time and just another reminder of how good food is so integral to good life. The predicted 100% chance of rain stopped an hour before the party started and everything went smoothly from there. Friends, family, good food and a few cases of wine—what more could you ask for? Flavorful soups and Absolut100 warmed partygoers on the cold New England October night while a crafted movie theater provided entertainment by the bar. The event was great and a fun way to let people enjoy the products we’ve been writing about. My homecoming also gave me a chance to conduct an all too brief food-tour as I quickly headed to the closest farm stand (a mere 2 minute drive) for freshly picked apples and pumpkin pie. I also ventured to a few downtown favorites (a 10 minute drive): Yorkside Pizza for a monstrous meatball sub, Mamoun’s for falafel and stuffed grape leaves, and dinner at a new Asian fusion restaurant in the growing New Haven dining scene. I love food, and I love sharing great finds with good friends. I look forward to continuing to bring all our readers our favorite picks and hope you continue finding and sharing your picks with us!

Eric: As part of my time in The Netherlands, I was able to start a party & event organization, www.thegc.nl. Over the years of spearheading and planning events, and marketing and running operations, I discovered one of my passions: planning and coordinating to the very last detail. I was glad to be able to travel home and help my mother plan and organize our website launch party. It was nostalgic to see the faces of old family friends and relatives, as well as, after nearly 4 years apart, be with my brother in the house we grew up in. I would like to thank everyone who was able to attend (as well as those who could not), for being part of our family project.

Linda Guica, Frank and Claire Criscuolo, and me

Meredith Jones, Bryan and me

Rich Lee, Richard Girsch, Meghan Flynn, Jane Lazgin

Eric and Chris Koury

Susan Strecker Richard, John Richard and me

Products highlighted at the launch party included:

• Absolut, Absolut100
• Cabot Creamery Sharp Cheddar
• Campbell’s Select Gold Label Golden Butternut Squash Soup
• Contrex Natural Mineral Water
• Craisins
• Jarlsberg Cheese
• Lake Chalice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
• Lean Cuisine Lemongrass Chicken
• Madhouse Munchies All American Sea Salted Potato Chips
• Mangoes from The National Mango Board
• McCormick Smoked Paprika
• Oxo Mango Slicer
• Rubschlager Bread
• Sabra Hummus
• Saco Buttermilk Blend
• Soda Club Seltzer Maker
• Swanson’s Organic Chicken Broth
• Tastefully Simple Sesame Chips and Black Bean Salsa
• Vermont Butter & Cheese Bijou and Fresh Crottin