Food & Drinks

Food and drinks that we have tried and recommend

Häagen-Dazs Five: Mint

Bonnie: I’ve always been a Häagen-Dazs ice cream fan, with chocolate chocolate chip and mint chip my two favorite flavors. But with 300 calories and about 20 grams of total fat (of which 12 is saturated) in a 1/2-cup serving, I just don’t indulge very often. READ: less than once a year.

Seriously, that’s what happens as you age. You can’t afford to savor a bowl of premium ice cream as often as you’d like since your activity often lessens because of bad...

Bryan: Bonnie called a little while back to let me know about a new line from Häagen-Dazs called “Five.” It is a strange occurrence that I would come across a new food product first, but I let her know that I had actually seen the line and had even tried one of the flavors to great reception. The fact is, I’m an ice cream lover, and there is rarely a trip to the grocery store that does not involve at least a stroll...

Eric: It’s amazing to me to think that all ice cream isn’t made with just five ingredients – after tasting all the varieties in the new line of Häagen-Dazs Five, I started to wonder why it is that ice cream manufacturers consult their lab technicians for ingredients rather than their local farmers. It later dawned on me—profit margins.

Like most people with a sweet tooth, I’m also an ice cream junkie and, unlike my brother, I do...

By |2017-09-04T16:59:28-04:00April 22nd, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|1 Comment
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Sunkist Naturals: 100 Percent Tangerine

Bonnie: With one taste of this sweet nectar I was hooked on 100 percent pure tangerine juice. It’s not from concentrate; in fact it takes 2.5 pounds of fresh tangerines to make the juice for one 15.2-ounce bottle. The delicious result is rich in vitamins A and C and potassium. And like the rest of the Sunkist Naturals line, it contains no preservatives, no artificial anything. I like that. It’s my favorite of the Sunkist Naturals line, but — I’m sorry to share — the one that’s the least available. I’ve been told it will be on shelves again in May, when tangerines are in season in Florida. So keep [...]

By |2017-09-04T16:59:56-04:00April 8th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Donsuemor — Dipped Chocolate and Other — Madeleines

Bonnie: It’s funny how we trip over products that become our Bites.

Earlier this year, when in San Francisco to conduct a newbie networking seminar for the Fancy Food Show, I was standing in the New Product Showcase area, hoping to discover a product to consider for a Bite. I was looking into the glass cases displaying the new items when I almost fell over Michele Lanstra, assistant marketing manager for Donsuemor, who was about to put some of her company’s madeleines into the case.

“What do you...

Bryan: A day that will live in infamy. The arrival of the Donsuemor Madeleines was the worst offensive on my attempts at dietary restraint since the assault of the Sugabettens brownies of ‘08. Please don’t think I protest too much. I truly love the cavalcade of new and outrageous food products constantly gracing my doorstep. It’s just that sometimes the price I pay to bring our...

Eric: The day I received the package of the Donsuemor Madeleines, two thoughts went through my head: “How many can I eat before I realize I shouldn’t?” and, more importantly, “How do I hide them from my girlfriend?” The first question was answered rather quickly by the disappearance of nearly five of these delicious cakes, favoring the traditional versions over the...

By |2017-08-25T13:28:07-04:00March 25th, 2009|Food & Drinks|14 Comments
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Q Tonic

Bonnie: One summer night when founder Jordan Silbert and his friends were enjoying both the summer breeze and gin and tonics, he happened to look at the ingredient list of both the tonic and his friend’s can of soda. (Something I habitually do!)

“Do you know that tonic water has as much high fructose corn syrup as Sprite?” he asked the group. “I thought it had no calories, like club soda.”

Wrong. Tonic water is mostly...

Bryan: It’s funny to think how some of our most revered beverages got their starts. Coca Cola, the world’s most iconic drink, was initially sold as medicine for five cents a glass; mixed with carbonated water, it was claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, headache and impotence. If that’s what I’m drinking with my cheeseburger, why should it be so odd to find that tonic water traces its roots back to British officers stationed in India? The soldiers went about...

Eric: Tonic water is an acquired drink taste, and just like certain foods in this world, it is one that I can gladly live without. It’s bitter, it’s tasteless and it doesn’t mix well with my favorite spirit, Bourbon. That aside, I can understand why some people live by it, either straight up, on the rocks or as a mixer with their favorite spirit. I know this because during the last two years I was in college, I started and successfully operated (with the help of a few friends) a cocktail bar named “The Alchemists.”

Part of the appeal of standing behind the bar...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:06-04:00March 18th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|13 Comments
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Planters Harvest Natural Nuts & Trail Mixes

Bonnie: I like everything about Planters Harvest line of 100% Natural Nuts and Trail Mixes with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. I also like that these have minimum sodium with the varieties ranging from a modest 40- to 100-milligrams of sodium per quarter cup of nuts.

As I’m sure you know, our government allows the following health claim on packages of many types of nuts: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

You won’t, though, find...

Bryan: When testing new food products here at Bite of the Best, we often receive the entire line…all varieties, all flavors, all options. We have generally found that we all inevitably gravitate towards one (or maybe two) types of a new product, selecting the truly best to write about here on the site. Today is different, though. Today we are letting you know about an entire new line of products: Planters Harvest 100% Natural. When a product is this good, you don’t split hairs about which ...

Eric: You’ve by now read about the nutritional value of the new line of Planters Harvest nuts, and are probably already drooling over the five varieties that the new line offers — but what about the value? Usually such “natural” products are overpriced and under portioned, leaving you with a empty feeling in both your stomach and your wallet. But the new line of Planters Harvest nuts contain a plentiful 9- to 11-ounces, with a price ($5.99) that competes favorably with the smaller ...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:06-04:00March 4th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|18 Comments
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Land O’Lakes Half-Sticks of Butter

Just sharing that you'll soon be able to find Land O’Lakes one-pound packages of salted butter containing half-sticks. Each pound package will contain eight half-sticks of butter, each measuring out to two ounces or one-fourth of a cup. This makes measuring half a stick more convenient, since you no longer need to rewrap the other half to keep it fresh. The best part  — these half sticks will cost what the same as the regular 4-ounce sticks. Being an unsalted butter user, I asked whether the half-sticks will soon also be available for their unsalted butter. Their response was since 83% of all the stick butter sold is salted — [...]

By |2017-09-01T15:19:28-04:00February 23rd, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|1 Comment
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SLAP YA MAMA

Bonnie: Last month, while in San Francisco to speak at The National Association of Specialty Food Trade Show (AKA the Fancy Food Show), I walked through the exhibits as they were being set up. That’s where I met Joe Walker.

With a smile from ear to ear, Joe shared the story of SLAP YA MAMA seasonings (see Bryan’s writings) and explained how his whole family worked together in the business. Also being part of a family business, I liked that.

I also liked how...

Bryan: There are very few savory dishes that I would ever prepare without adding salt, pepper and garlic...and if it’s anything for which I want a bit of heat, here comes the red pepper. I might as well go ahead and share a “secret recipe,” noting that this combination, plus a dash of ginger powder and smoked paprika, is actually my basic tuna seasoning.

As a rule of thumb, you should salt and pepper everything, especially meat, before...

Eric: I never thought I’d endorse a product with a name like “SLAP YA MAMA.” In fact, the first time I heard the name, it reminded me of past euphemistically challenged products such as “Chile Today, Hot Tamale,” and “Jamaican Me Crazy.” Both of these products had me remembering their names, but failed to leave a lasting impression on my palette. Many companies use the tactic of attaching a catchy name to a less-than-average product (i.e. “Helluva Good Dip,” “Phish...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:07-04:00February 18th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|8 Comments
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FAGE Total Yogurt 0%

Bonnie: My romance with the way of life in Greece began the first of the many times I’ve been there. Same with my first taste of tzaziki, a Greek garlicky cucumber yogurt dip, spread or sauce for roasted lamb.

I played with recipes, not getting the results I wanted until I thickened my yogurt to be more like that found in Greece.

To thicken yogurt, dump plain...

Bryan: Though we’re currently reviewing the 0% plain Greek yogurt, I did want to point out that the FAGE line does offer a wider selection of flavors, with fruits such as cherry, peach and strawberry. Greek yogurt (basically a “strained yogurt” to reduce liquid content) is quite rich, and while I find the fruit combinations enjoyable, they truly are far too overwhelming for even the most decadent of my morning routines (when maybe a donut sneaks...

Eric: All yogurt is not created equal – so for all of you Yoplait and Dannon junkies, there is something more to consider the next time you’re walking towards the dairy case.

In my opinion, a good tasting yogurt should consist of two essential components: fat and flavor. If it’s missing either of those, then you’re probably not going to find a product worth eating. For these reasons, I have always...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:07-04:00February 11th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|85 Comments
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KIND Almond & Apricot Bar

Bonnie: As a business traveler, I always stash a granola, cereal or fruit-and-nut bar or two in my computer case for those moments when my plane sits on a runway for hours, or when I run between my connecting flights with no time to buy something to eat. In other words, for when I’m starved.

And, being a food-product reviewer, I always have a variety of bars to sample in my testing closet — a three-shelved, two-foot-deep, always-full-of-samples cabinet. From this group of samples, I hadn’t found many that I would actually purchase. That is, until I ...

Bryan: We generally keep to the topic of food here at Bite of the Best (and why wouldn’t we with all the amazing products out there?). Our readers would likely not know this, but I studied politics and diplomacy in school; I found it particularly interesting that we would be reviewing KIND bars this week in light of the recent (and ongoing) conflict in the Middle East. A quick note before I really confuse you.

KIND Snacks is part of the PeaceWorks group, a self-described ...

Eric: Nuts and seeds and fruits, oh my! As you probably read already, unless you peruse down below-the-fold first, KIND bars are all-natural snacks made from ingredients that don’t involve a chemist, and whose parent company donates a certain percentage of its profits to its foundation that support “moral globalization.” Usually, the unfortunate side affect of such a morally uplifting and tasty product is the price, but at roughly $2 per bar, you’re not going to pay...

By |2017-09-04T18:48:24-04:00January 21st, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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da Rosario Organic White Truffle Acacia Honey

Bonnie: Skip this review if you — like Eric — are not a truffle lover. I’m referring to the underground strong-smelling fungus that grows near the roots of trees, not the chocolate confection.

But for those who love this extravagant fungus, I have a delicious item for you — one that’s an affordable luxury in these economic times. It’s da Rosario Organic White Truffle Acacia Honey. This blend of honey and white truffle oil is heavenly. Orgasmic, actually. And a little goes a long way.

My favorite use is simply drizzled...

Bryan: My God, what can you say about this product that doesn’t involve exclamations like “I wanna slap somebody?” Da Rosario truffle honey is sooo good that I literally snuck it home through security at the airport (ssshhh… don’t tell TSA). There was absolutely no way that I was going to forgo the divine pleasure that is truffle honey just because it happens to be sold in a 4.25-ounce container. I can just see the headlines now, “Man stopped trying to sneak honey onto plane… no tea was found on the scene.”

This is already one of my picks for...

Eric: As mentioned many times before in my writing, I view myself as the black sheep “gourmand” of the family. I am by no means a wine connoisseur. I would choose a rack of ribs over a piece of foie gras. And I detest the taste (and more specifically the smell) of truffles – not the chocolates, but the mushroom-size tubers that are almost more expensive, per ounce, than gold.

There are certain foods that I believe shouldn’t be trifled with. Chocolate should be milk or dark, not...

By |2017-09-04T18:50:12-04:00January 14th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Kahiki EasyCrisp Vegetable Egg Rolls

Bonnie: I usually avoid foods that purportedly crisp in the microwave, as they usually have that telltale off odor and odd taste — and they’re not really crisp.

That is, until I tried these Kahiki EasyCrisp Vegetable Egg Rolls. These are low in fat and calories, have a clean label and taste good. One microwaved 3.25-ounce, 4-inch egg roll contains a modest 70 calories, 2 grams fat and 530 milligrams sodium. What I like even more is that these egg rolls contain no unpronounceable ingredients, no trans fats and no preservatives.

Each box contains three egg rolls, individually wrapped in its own cooking pouch. To prepare...

Bryan: This product is my surprise of the year! At first glance, there was nothing about a microwave egg roll that enticed me, nothing at all, though I am a huge fan of egg rolls, especially dripping in sweet duck sauce…. It was too hard to imagine this historically fried, crispy treat emerging from the sogginess-inducing microwave; something was severely wrong with this picture.

Everything changed in an instant when I tore open the package and got into the instructions. Each Kahiki EasyCrisp Vegetable Egg Roll comes wrapped in special paper; a microwave-safe foil that acts as a...

Eric: Two of my favorite things about eating: Asian cuisine and snacking. I am a strong advocate of “the snack,” and believe that small snacks throughout the day, along with proper meals, are the base for a healthy diet. Snacks are the cornerstone of my daily routine — and I’m not talking about a bag of chips or some cookies. A snack should satisfy your hunger and be nutritious. I always will opt for a handful of nuts, some chopped red pepper and hummus and recently, my new favorite, the...

By |2017-09-04T18:51:26-04:00January 7th, 2009|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|19 Comments
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Holiday Food Gifts – 2009

Bonnie: We’re veering from our traditional format for the next two weeks to provide you with a listing of a small number of outstanding products that we feel would make great holiday gifts. This week’s edibles include the following…

Bryan: Though, generally, our goal each week is to provide you with one great-product recommendation, we’re doing things a “bite” differently over the next two weeks. Bite of the Best will be chock-filled with a variety of great foodie gift ideas…. Hey, someone’s got to get the economy moving :-)

Eric: Holiday shopping can be difficult; overbearing sales personnel, ridiculously long checkout lines and, unfortunately for this year, an economy with prices going down but credit rates going up. Luckily, the holiday gifts we’re reviewing won’t break your bank account, and are mostly available for order online. So grab a drink or snack and browse through a collection of holiday gifts aimed to please the “foodie” in all of us.

By |2017-09-04T19:31:48-04:00December 10th, 2008|Food & Drinks, Food & Drinks, xyz misc|3 Comments
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Food Should Taste Good — The Works

Bonnie: “ “Of course it should,” I thought, when I saw the sign “Food Should Taste Good.” I just chuckled.

I was with a group of business friends walking through the exhibits at the American Dietetic Association’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Chicago in October.

“That’s the company’s name,” explained Beth Talbot as she saw the quizzical expressions on our faces.

The line of chips that Beth represents not only taste good but have that clean...

Bryan: Though it does seem an overly simplistic motto, “Food Should Taste Good,” I can completely agree that this is a basic mantra we all should live by. The fact that a company has named itself this, puts a rather heavy burden on its shoulders; its food had better taste damn good! It’s almost too bad that Bite of the Best only brings our readers quality products, as the headline for a bad review this time would’ve written itself: “Food should taste good, but it sure doesn’t.”

Bonnie got very excited when the...

Eric: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be blind? Deaf? Deathly allergic to bee stings? Have intense food allergies?

I believe at some point we all wonder what it would be like, and how our daily lifestyle would change. I know I have. Recently I started to wonder how my eating habits would change if I were to self-diagnose myself with celiac disease. This “wonderment” popped into my head shortly after...

By |2017-09-04T19:34:18-04:00December 3rd, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Sugabettens Baking Brownies

Bonnie: Making from-scratch brownies is as easy as baking gets. To melt some butter, mix it with sugar, cocoa, eggs and a bit of flour to get a batch of chocolate chunk, fudgy brownies ready for baking takes me less than seven minutes.

I know: I’ve timed it. I timed that and a few hundred other brownie (and cookie) recipes when writing magazine recipes and cookbooks, as readers always want to know the time involved in the preparation.

Of course, the key to doing so is to have all the...

Bryan: As I’ve mentioned before, my additional focus group (beyond the experienced palettes of Bonnie and Eric, of course) is my office. The rate at which a product disappears at the office is directly proportional to how tasty a product actually is. Case in point: I brought in two boxes of ginger candy a few months ago, and these boxes are still sitting on the commissary countertop. I brought in a box of Sugabettens Bars a few weeks back; it was gone in an hour and a half...

Eric: When I was asked for my opinion of the Sugarbettens brownies, I had two words: Friggin' Delicious. I am an avid baker, but being one, I rarely enjoy the fruits of my labor. It is unfortunate, but for the majority of us bakers, the sheer enjoyment of devouring a pan of warm brownies is about as appealing as biting directly into the half pound of butter we use to make them. Don’t think I’m not human. I will indulge in the occasional sweet treat, but usually not one that I’ve ...

By |2017-09-04T19:36:01-04:00November 26th, 2008|Food & Drinks|2 Comments
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Pace Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salsa

Bonnie:—I’m a sucker for a spicy salsa, especially one with black beans and corn.

Ever since I wrote my “Beans” cookbook back in the early ‘90s, I’ve added those tasty, nutritious morsels to all sorts of dishes, including salsas. In fact, one appetizer created for that book is similar to Pace’s Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salsa. I originally based the Quick Southwestern Bean Dip recipe on an addictive dish I had at a friend’s home, and had to restrain myself from consuming the entire bowl.

Basically, I combine black beans,...

Bryan: Salsa is a major part of American life. The prevalence of salsa as a staple condiment has been solidified by the oft-quoted claim that salsa now outsells ketchup in US markets. The battle between these competing tomato forces is actually more of a stalemate than a victory: Information Resources noted in mid-year 2007, that “salsa outsold ketchup, $462.3 million to $298.9 million…ketchup edged out salsa by units sold, 176 million to 174.9 million…and because ketchup...

Eric: I started laughing as, while I read my brother’s words about the influence of salsa on the American palette, a scene from Seinfeld flashed through my thoughts. “You know, it must be impossible for a Spanish person to order seltzer and not get salsa,” stated George Costanza after arguing that salsa was now the No. 1 condiment in America.

I have to admit that I am not an enthusiast of traditional salsa; my palette and my stomach don’t...

By |2017-09-04T19:37:09-04:00November 19th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|18 Comments
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Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar

Bonnie: Earlier this year when on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania, I visited a spice plantation and saw the actual orchid plant that produces the vanilla pod. I’d used dried pods, but had never before seen the beans in their natural habitat.

Who doesn’t love the flavor and aroma of pure vanilla? Notice I said “pure” – no imitation vanilla extract allowed into my kitchen. As for whole vanilla beans, I store them in my sugar canister – giving the ...

Bryan: As we all sat down recently to discuss our slate of ‘bites’ to finish 2008, the question was raised; Should we write about a product that was, despite its great taste, essentially just sugar? “Tell me why it’s special?” Eric asked. “What makes it a Bite of the Best?” A moment of silence ensued, only to be broken by my reply, “Have either of you ever seen an infused sugar before? I mean sold commercially?”

Nobody could remember a product similar in any way. Aside from a variety of artificially flavored...

Eric: How many products can we, as consumers, tolerate? I began to ask myself this question as I strolled down the cereal aisle of the local supermarket overwhelmed by the endless sea of cereal boxes. Do we, as a society, really need 100 varieties of cereal? Has our freedom to choose left us with too much to choose from? This is a colloquialism that has plagued my thoughts for the past few years, especially since I started to write for Bite of the Best...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:08-04:00November 5th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|2 Comments
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Phillips Steamer Creations: Steamed Spiced Shrimp

Bonnie: Steam heat is the hottest thing in the freezer.

Seems there’s a new, patented microwave-bag technology that allows foods to steam right in their bags. That’s why in the past few months in Supermarket Sampler (my syndicated column), I’ve reviewed many frozen products that steam in the microwave, including Birds Eye Steamfresh, Healthy Choice Asian Steamers, Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, Ore-Ida Steam n’ Mash and today’s FeaturedBite, Phillips Steamer Creations, specifically the Steamed Spiced Shrimp.

As you know, steaming is a healthy way to cook food, as you’re cooking in heated vapor (AKA water), not fat. I like that. And I like it when companies add only ingredients that I’d add at home, and have what I call aFB_Steamed-Spiced-Shrimp_1.jpg “clean” ingredient list. That’s true of Phillips Steamed...

Bryan: Seafood is one thing I don’t mess around with. For some reason, I’ve accepted the fact that I will (rarely) enjoy beef or chicken in a fast-food environment, but wouldn’t look twice at their fish offerings. No clams casino at the diner, no Long John Silvers’ offerings, no popcorn shrimp from Popeyes for me. I used to try to stick to the old adage of “can’t see the water, don’t sea the food,” but that just doesn’t work anymore (said the man living in Atlanta).

Much has changed over the years. You can now get quality, fresh sushi in Park City, Utah, with no ocean...

Eric: Who doesn’t love shrimp? They have such a subtle, sweet taste, they’re low in fat, they’re high in protein and best of all, they leave you sitting on the loo (a gentler word for toilet), hands clenched, as you pray to the god of shrimp to make the pain go away….

Flashback to the first, and reluctantly second time, I tried the shrimp from the Phillips Steamer Creations line. I’ll preface this by saying that while growing up I had a weak stomach and I knew the bathroom of a restaurant better than I knew the table. The first time I tried this shrimp I...

By |2017-09-04T19:39:05-04:00October 29th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|10 Comments
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O Citrus Champagne Vinegar

Bonnie: The decision was difficult. We pondered which flavorful “O Olive Oil” product we’d select as this week’s FeaturedBite. One of their flavorful citrus olive oils, perhaps? After all, they’re made in small batches where the organic citrus fruit is crushed together with the olives. I drizzle the Meyer Lemon over my lightly salted grilled asparagus or my salad, the Blood Orange over roast turkey or duck, and the Tahitian Lime over salmon or shrimp. O also makes a Clementine, Jalapeño Lime and Ruby Grapefruit Oil. Each transforms whatever you’re using it on to something subtly spectacular. Or, should I select one of their rice or wine vinegars? “We are [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:42:37-04:00October 8th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Aux Delices Des Bois Truffle Butter

Bonnie: I’ve found that people either love or can’t stand the smell of truffles. There’s very little middle ground. I’m one of the former — a truffle lover.

It was the ‘70s. I was dining with my dad at an upscale Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of NYC near the medical center where my mom was hospitalized when I first discovered these pungent fungi. I recall a large rice-filled apothecary jar on the front table catching my eye. Odd, I thought. Why have a jar of rice displayed? I was clueless that truffles were...

Bryan: What more can you ask for in a food product? Combining two of the most decadent, luscious, rich food products on earth (butter and truffles) into one easy-to-use substance is exactly what Transatlantic Foods has done with its latest release. Truffle Butter is simply amazing, a deeply delicious foodie find that will change your attitude about how (and how frequently) truffles can be used in your kitchen creations.

As Bonnie has pointed out, truffles are an extravagant treat for curious...

Eric: In my head, truffles – the word, the smell and the taste – resonate as a detection alarm for unskilled cooks. Throughout my catering and banqueting experience I’ve come across myriad dishes that contained the elusive (and incredibly expensive) fungus, and not one of them properly delivered its taste and exquisite flavor. There was one caterer in particular for whom I would work who used to use a ratio of 1:1 (potato to truffle) for her mashed potatoes. Ever since serving for her I have not been able to enjoy the truffles essence – that is, until now.

By |2017-09-04T19:43:47-04:00October 1st, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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