Food & Drinks

Food and drinks that we have tried and recommend

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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Maitake Wild Mushrooms

Bonnie: A few weeks ago, a publicist offered the three of us some wild, 100 percent organic, cultivated mushrooms. “We’re encouraging your writing about, blogging and cooking with …. four varieties of mushrooms,” she e-mailed.

Who could resist? Once we each received a sampling containing king trumpet; brown beech; white beech and maitake or “hen of the woods” mushrooms, we set about cooking with them. It was unanimous. Seems we each found the robust earthy flavor of the maitake the most flavorful and decided to select it as our FeaturedBite — although you can’t go wrong with any of them. The maitake mushrooms are medium to dark brown, have odd-shaped brown caps and are clustered at the base.

To cook, I just cut off the base, gently pulled them apart and sautéed them in a bit of extra virgin...

Bryan: This is one of the funnier posts I’ve had to write here at Bite of the Best. There is nothing particularly hilarious about the product at hand (maitake mushrooms by Golden Gourmet, aka The Kinoko Company); the humor lies in my past treatment of mushrooms in general. I’ve mentioned in previous articles that I was, at one time, a very picky eater. Never did my past food finickiness reach greater heights than with mushrooms. I would literally plead with my mother not to cook mushrooms. Note that I wasn’t pleading with her for me not to eat them — that was never going to happen. Actually I was begging for them not to be cooked at all. There are a few documented occurrences of me literally fleeing the house to avoid the wafting scent of sautéing mushrooms. I could not stand the smell, let alone stomach the thought of these bizarre...

Eric: The maitake variety of mushroom, straight from the special-effects department of a B-horror movie, is without a doubt something different – in texture, taste and shape – but more importantly, it is a food worth trying.

Let me start by saying that I am not an avid mushroom eater; there is something typically unsettling about eating a “fungus,” and I generally try to avoid incorporating them into my food (this mind-set also lends itself to my disgust of the mold family – hello Roquefort). On the contrary, I am a strong advocate of trying every, and any, food at least once. This philosophy has led me to appreciate the tenderness of well-prepared...

By |2017-09-04T19:50:35-04:00September 17th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Rubschlager Whole Grain Squares

Bonnie: Just seeing some foods sets off my memory fireworks. Rubschlager square specialty breads trigger those mind explosions, with memories of the Tandy family preparing food and yakking in our kitchen as I was growing up.

I decided to pick up the phone to call my dad to see what he remembered.

“Of course, I remember,” he said. “We made canapés with them.”(For millennials who’ve never heard of canapés, think hors d’oeuvres that are savory-topped, small bread squares.)

I do recall nibbles made of these thin slices of European-style breads when my folks entertained. And I recall loving their hearty texture and flavor. That, and enjoying breads like these at an extensive mouth-watering smorgasbord in Stockholm topped with various herring. Yum.

So how delighted was I when a couple of years ago at an Oldways Whole Grain conference in Orlando, I met the company...

Bryan: These breads are certainly not going to replace my sandwich holders anytime soon. It’s not a lack of flavor or usefulness; it’s just that these breads are so tiny. Think of a slice of Wonder Bread and shrink its area by 30 percent and its width by 60 percent — now you’ve got a slice of Rubschlager. I was instantly taken aback, as I generally lean towards hearty breads, baguettes or bagels. I brought a selection of the pumpernickel and whole-grain breads to my office, waiting and watching to see what my colleagues would come up with. A quick breakfast is popular at work and the small slices toast perfectly, taking...

Eric: Let me first just preface what I’m about to write by saying this: Don’t simply skim over my part or underestimate my opinion about these breads (or for that matter any product) before you can judge it. You have to first realize the difficulty in writing in third position behind a “real-time” food encyclopaedia and a seemingly pro-active gourmet food “philanthropist.” By the time the blogging gets to me, and after you’ve immersed yourself in the varying writing styles of my family, I’m usually all out of anecdotes, recipe suggestions or historical references…meaning that most of the time you’re only left...

By |2017-09-04T19:51:50-04:00September 3rd, 2008|Food & Drinks|15 Comments
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al fresco Fully-Cooked Dinner Chicken Sausage

Bonnie: Summer whizzed by way too quickly for me this year. I do know that it’s really summer until September 21, but to most of us — including me — Labor Day signals the end of the season. And that means weekend entertaining.

If you’re the one doing the entertaining, consider grilling these delicious—and low fat—sausages from al fresco. A persistent PR (public relations) person first sent me these sausages to consider for my shoppers’ column in the Better Homes & Gardens diet issue. Yes, sausages in a diet issue. Seriously…

These sausages contain 70 percent less fat than traditional pork sausage, contain no artificial ingredients and — for those who can’t tolerate gluten — they’re...

Bryan: The second half of my summer cooking experience has been missing a significant factor: my grill. I ran out of gas about a month back, and for a variety of reasons have yet to replace my propane tank. It almost seemed unfortunate that I received a package of al fresco natural chicken sausages in the midst of having my grill on the sidelines; for I, like most meat-eaters, prefer to have my dinner protein fire-cooked. I sat sifting through the coldpacks and sausages, considering how I was ever going to try the sausage in the absence of propane. The first type I pulled from the box was the...

Eric: Anytime sausage enters the cooking arena, my mind immediately focuses on how to make (and constantly bring to new heights) a sausage sandwich smothered in caramelized peppers and onions. This sandwich (termed “hoagie,” “grinder,” “submarine” or “hero,” depending on where you were brought up), along with the classic meatball sub, chicken Parmesan and tuna melt, represents one of my favorite “comfort foods.”

I was initially excited when I saw the varieties of sausage – and in the back of my mind I was already imagining sinking my ...

By |2017-09-04T19:53:48-04:00August 27th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|8 Comments
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A Taste of Thai Pad Thai Sauce

Bonnie: I discovered this pouch a of couple years ago when Pam Simmons, the director of recipe development in the A Taste of Thai test kitchens, sent me various product samples to taste test. She also provided a number of suggested ways to use the sauce packet, other than the classic way described on the packet. (By the way, I prefer it with the addition of some diced fresh hot peppers or a few drops of hot pepper sauce, as I like my food spicy!) You’ll discover, as you scroll down to see the recipes, that this Pad Thai Sauce is also a sauce for meat, seafood and veggies.

According to Pam, “A Taste of Thai Pad Thai Sauce is authentic, made in Thailand and has...

Bryan: I don’t remember when my love affair with Pad Thai began, but I do trace its origins back to my time spent living in New York a few years ago. My old office was located on 47th and Ninth, in the heart of NYC’s Broadway and restaurant districts. Though for most people, a midday feeding is nothing more than routine, for us, lunch was a source of constant excitement. I developed more than a few go-to’s on the West Side. Though there was always a variety of great lunch specials (since most of the...

Eric: I, unlike the rest of my family, am not the biggest Pad Thai enthusiast. I am a fan of Asian cuisine – I am addicted to American-style Chinese food and will binge on sushi & edamame until my stomach hurts, but when it comes to Thai food, I’m always scared off by the sauce. As my brother wrote, a good Pad Thai sauce is hard to find – and even more difficult in a prepackaged form – so when you do come across one that uses tamarind as a main ingredient, be sure to give it a try. I recently took out my wok and tried the recipe...

By |2017-09-04T19:55:39-04:00August 20th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Miss Vickie’s Nine Grain Simply Salted Chips

Bonnie: For my job as a food product reviewer (Supermarket Sampler), I taste and write about the new products you’ll find on your grocers’ shelves, most of which I would never think of putting in my grocery cart. As you may have gathered from reading this blog, I like to cook, preferring my food without all the added chemicals in most convenience foods.

That said, I need to share with you some news about how our food giants — usually steeped in chemical additives — are adding all-natural snack lines to their lineups. I like that. Take Frito-Lay’s...

Bryan: There is just something special about potato chips. Though we have reviewed different versions of this ubiquitous snack food on Bite of the Best, and we very well may do so again in the future, I must say that we continue to top ourselves with the newest and most interesting products. Our most recent addition to the site is no different; Miss Vickie’s is truly one of the best chips I’ve ever had!

I was recently met with a rainbowed array of snack bags as I opened the newest case of food to arrive...

Eric: I have to agree with my mother in that I was pleasantly surprised to see that a food conglomerate had added an all-natural chip to its product line. There are plenty of potato chips on the market, and regardless of whether they’re kettle-cooked, baked, roasted or simply fried, I imagine that the majority of consumers (myself included) are looking for the healthiest alternative. Recently, and quite successfully, I’ve been trying to curb my habit of snacking. This was until I was introduced to the line of Miss Vickie’s chips.

My mother...

By |2017-09-04T19:58:25-04:00August 13th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|14 Comments
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Amy’s Samosa Wrap

Bonnie: I found this week’s FeaturedBite in my freezer, as it was sent to me for my weekly syndicated column, Supermarket Sampler, the one that reviews what’s new on the grocer’s shelves. Problem was, Amy’s Samosa Wrap wasn’t really new. I learned it was first introduced as part of one of Amy’s frozen Indian Meals. Now it’s sold separately.

I was hungry, just looking for a nibble in the freezer, and the wraps were there. So I microwaved the samosa, expecting to toss it out after a bite or two as I do with most products I need to taste...

Bryan: Amy’s has really been making a name for themselves as one of the ‘go to’ brands for prepared organic food products. You can find their line (consisting of a wide array of flavors and ethnic cuisine varieties) at Whole Foods and other high-end markets. What is more astounding about Amy’s is that you can find their line in your normal grocer’s freezer as well! I am excited at the implication of this food trend; it’s great to see such a wholesome product achieve significant market ...

Eric: In a world gone mad (with food “crazes”) this product shimmers as a beacon of hope that nutrition doesn’t have to be so bland. I was first introduced to this traditional Indian food while I was working in Zanzibar, and although the chef at the resort had strayed away from traditional samosas, incorporating a variety of different meats into the filling, they were still an amazing taste. The samosas ranged from small appetizers (chicken and beef fillings) to a dessert (fresh fruit filling and...

By |2017-09-04T20:04:58-04:00July 16th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Snake River Farms Kurobuta Pork

Bonnie: Millennials — like my culinary offspring — only know pork as “the other white meat,” that is the incredibly lean meat with a fat content similar to chicken. Seems that when chicken moved into the number one spot as America’s favorite in the ‘80s, the pork producers began producing lower-fat hogs to get into the competition.

That is all fine and good — if you know how to cook lean pork. Most home cooks don’t, resulting in something more like shoe leather than moist meat. Lean pork should be cooked until medium, so the internal temperature is no more than 150 degrees F.

But better yet, when you want to and can splurge, consider Snake River Farms (SRF) Kurobuta pork, tasting like the juicy tender marbled pork of...

Nutrition Note — There is no current documented nutrition data on Kurobuta pork, at least that I could find after calling the Pork Board (the organization that represents the industry) and Snake River Farms (SRF). The current...

SRF Recipes — My advice is not to use SRF recipes as they were designed for chefs and not always clear. My suggestion to SRF, now...

Bryan: It actually became a bit of a problem; the Snake River Farms pork roast had been sitting in our freezer for months. Making ice cream is a bit of a hobby in my house, but with so much pork filling up the place, there was no longer enough freezer space to store the machine’s cylinder overnight (an essential part of the process). It wasn’t that I didn’t want to eat the pork, it was just such an enormous portion that I couldn’t justify using it without a substantial gathering. Thankfully, my excuse came when a good friend who had moved to Palo Alto, Calif., came back to Atlanta for a week; we just had to have a dinner party. There was brief consideration amongst our group to gather at a nearby restaurant, ...

Eric: I guess once you’ve worked with, prepared and have eaten high-quality meats, you take for granted the fact that other people haven’t experienced the taste of such products. From a young age, I’ve always known the effect a dried piece of meat can have on self-indulgence, and fortunately throughout my cooking experiences, I’ve dried out my fair share of steak, chicken and pork to the point where I now know what a well-cooked piece of meat should taste like.

I feel like I could be a screenplay writer for a porn movie when...

By |2017-09-04T20:01:41-04:00June 25th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|3 Comments
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Melissa’s Mangosteen

Bonnie: I hadn’t a clue what it was or how to eat the dark purple, almost brown, hard-shelled tropical fruit when I saw it among other fruit in a welcome basket at my hotel in Kuala Lumpur in the early ‘90s. Thank goodness the hotel included a pamphlet not only describing the exotic fruit, but how to eat each as well.

I stuck a sharp knife through, and around, the hard shell of the mangosteen to access this odd looking clementine-size orb, as instructed. Twisting its hard cap-like stem, I then carefully removed the top part...

Bryan: I like to think I’m well versed about all things food, but, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I had no idea that mangosteens even existed before receiving a shipment earlier this week. My education began when Melissa’s fresh mangosteens arrived; packs of four little plumlike fruits with a hard purple rind and a truly surprising, bizarre and delightful inside.

Getting into this fruit is job number one and it’s not an obvious task for your everyday apple eater; the...

Eric: I don’t know what more to say about the mangosteen. My mother has written about her first encounter with the fruit and her theory about the value of tasting it (and other fruit) in its natural habitat, and my brother has shared his insights on the particular taste and texture of the fruit, and on the documented health benefits of eating it. Now that it’s my turn to write about the mangosteen, the only thing...

By |2017-09-04T20:03:32-04:00June 18th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|14 Comments
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Dr. Kracker Klassic 3 Seed Flatbread

Bonnie: Unsolicited foods arrive so often at our home — my office — that I know almost all our delivery men by name and keep a basket of treats to reward them for carrying the heavy packages up my steps.

Unpacking, storing the contents and breaking down these boxes can often be daunting; it’s the least favorite part of my job. But inside I sometimes...

Bryan: I got my package of Dr. Kracker Klassic 3 Seed flatbreads and snackers (the bite size versions) only a few days ago and I’ve already found more uses for these than you might imagine. This is a very hearty and very crunchy snack. Not only are they tasty, but a single 3×5 whole wheat flatbread amazingly supplies 12 percent of your daily dietary fiber, a great excuse to break out the brie. Pile...

Eric: First thought that came to mind: “Damn good crackers.” These energy-packed bites are a combination of an amazing variety of flavors, something completely unexpected from the standard cracker. Growing up, I was always a Ritz cracker fan because of its simplicity — just as with most of the foods I enjoy. As...

By |2017-09-04T20:17:39-04:00June 11th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|4 Comments
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The Art of Chipotle: Sweet Heat Addiction

Bonnie: Last summer, in the midst of a July heat wave at an event where the air conditioning didn’t work, I was approached by Tom Pfleider, president and CEO of Pfleider Pfoods, the company that makes The Art of Chipotle products. He tried to tell me about his food products, but I was way too overheated to listen. I just wanted out of the muggy, over-packed room. But, impressed by his passion for his family business, I gave him my card, requesting that he send samples. Then quickly — very quickly — I exited that steamy room. I hoped his tenacity matched his eagerness. It did, as his samples arrived [...]

By |2017-09-04T20:23:49-04:00June 4th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Island Way Sorbets in Natural Fruit Shells

Bonnie: What a buzz! Last year at my annual trek to the Food Marketing Institute convention, where I learn what will be new on your grocer’s shelves, everyone was talking about Island Way’s delicious sorbets in fruit shells.

Island Way is a small company — especially compared to the other exhibitors such as Kraft, Campbell, and Nestlé — offering low-fat frozen treats in actual fruit shells; you nibble...

Bryan: We all have our own focus groups. Since beginning to write Bite of the Best, I have taken the opportunity to share many of my ‘Bites’ with my work colleagues. I keep a list on the break room fridge of BOTB tester products. Almonds, Craisins, Boca brats and more; our office kitchen now has a great selection of fun foods to enjoy on a momentary timeout. All that I ask in return for the continued sumptuous banquet is honest ...

Eric: These little pieces of dessert heaven are far from the “island way;” in fact they represent what many islands should adopt as an offering to their natives – a delicious frozen treat made from fresh fruit and served organically.

The first time I was witness (and tester) to this dessert was at a dinner party at my mother’s house. She unveiled it as a potential bite to an unknowing crowd of students and pensioners. Needless...

By |2017-09-04T20:33:06-04:00May 21st, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|35 Comments
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Blue Diamond® Bold

Bonnie: I do love almonds.

For heart health, I try either to nibble an ounce a day or use almonds in place of bread crumbs as a coating for fish or chevre or to add crunch to my salads. For the most flavor, be sure to toast the nuts before adding them to salad. Just heat in a 350-degree oven or in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until fragrant and golden, watching carefully as once they begin to toast almonds can burn easily.

For nibbling, though, I like them a bit spicy, which is why...

Bryan: Whatever happened to lunch? I sit and ask myself this question from time to time as I remain shackled to my desk, not from fear of an overbearing boss, but from an e-mail inbox that just won’t cease. I believe the two-martini lunch has gone the way of the dodo as e-mail and other forms of instant communication continue to demand such rapid response times that deals may be won or lost over appetizers.

This dilemma never used to bother me, as my old office was on 47th...

Eric: I remember when I was growing up I would scoff at anything that contained nuts. The mere sight of a chopped walnut in a brownie or a single peanut’s presence in one of my chocolate chip cookies would be enough to enlist the “surgeons tools” — my pudgy little fingers — to dissect the baked good until it was simply nut-free. I fast forward my life 10 years and can’t imagine a world without nuts. I can understand that over time a person’s taste buds can change, but when I look back, I can no longer imagine how I ever felt disgusted by...

By |2017-09-04T20:34:53-04:00May 14th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|5 Comments
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Steamfresh Long Grain Rice

Bonnie: Birds Eye did it again. First with veggies (see FeaturedBite), providing frozen portions that steam in a few minutes in the microwave - and this time they’ve done so with rice.

I like Steamfresh because it’s quick, convenient and contains only rice (or rice and plain veggies). In a recent survey, Birds Eye discovered that people are not confident in their ...

Bryan: BiteoftheBest.com has become a fan of the “Steamfresh” line; we raved (rightly) about their veggies a while back. Birds Eye is a welcome change from their over-sauced, over-salted brethren in the frozen vegetable aisle. Though not what I would consider their “core competency,” Birds Eye has now ventured farther down the rabbit hole of the Steamfresh brand into brown rice; the result is a clear success, (of course, why else would my...

Eric: It’s funny when I read what my mother has written and realize that I, of the belief that I am a “foodie,” have neglected to learn what it means to properly prepare rice. “But you have to stir!” says my girlfriend as I sit here writing. Stirring is something we’ve gotten quite accustomed to doing while cooking Jasmine rice for one of our favorite meals (Chicken ...

By |2017-09-04T20:36:14-04:00April 30th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|15 Comments
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Brothers-All-Natural Fuji Apple Crisps

Bonnie: Many of my product discoveries are from research for other media outlets. And that’s how I found these dehydrated slices of fruit. I was looking for products for my supermarket shopper’s column in Better Homes & Gardens’ special Diet issue and reached out to food public relations professionals.

One suggested a new freeze-dried 100 percent natural peach crisp, just added to Brothers-All-Natural line of fruit crisps. I was a bit leery, as I had previously sampled some horrid stuff, but I said sure. And I suggested she also send what she thought was the best-tasting variety in their line.

I’m glad I tested the Fuji apple slices first, as they are a Bite of the Best. I might not have kept...

Bryan: Dried plums made an appearance a while back on Bite of the Best and that’s when my affinity for dried fruit was established. Banana chips, dried apricots, Craisins and more; fruit provides a truly healthy snack in a world of sugar, salt and fat.

Apples were a particularly popular staple growing up in New England. We had an annual apple-picking tradition at a friend’s ...

Eric: I recently received a package of these dehydrated apples and was eager to rip-open a bag and try what my mother had been raving about. I had really never tasted an apple in such a form, perfectly dehydrated and still crispy, and my first instinct was to savor the bag as I would savor each bite of an orchard-fresh apple. The taste is powerful and the...

By |2017-09-04T20:40:15-04:00April 16th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|83 Comments
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Bruce’s Sweet Potato Pancake Mix

Bonnie: Eric’s friend Mike Rakiec reminded us of these sweet potato pancakes when he recommended them on the site as a Bite of the Best.

”I would like to suggest a brand of sweet potato pancakes that I have tasted at the Leblang residence. They were the tastiest pancakes I have ever tried. I don’t recall the company who makes them, however. Maybe Bonnie can help me with this one.”

Mike — like many of the boys’...

Bryan: I’m a bit of a cause-head when it comes to Epicurean matters. I’ve been accused of proselytizing to no end over foods I believe the entire world should rejoice in; I simply cannot sleep at night knowing my brethren aren’t enjoying the best spoils of our planet. My recommendations can vary widely,from where to get the best cheeseburgers (an epic NYC toss-up between Big...

Eric: Pancakes. What a word. The mere sound of it makes me hungry. I am a glutton for pancakes but strangely enough I don’t find myself to be a breakfast fan, and still prefer a cup of coffee instead of any of the infamous lumberjack breakfast items. While growing up, I remember the cold winter mornings when the mountain of pancakes — oddly enough formed from Mickey ...

By |2017-09-04T20:41:26-04:00April 9th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|34 Comments
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Tropicana Pure Valencia

Bonnie: The best tasting orange juice? The fresh-squeezed glassful I’ve sipped while sitting outside in a Florida orange grove. Second best? This new 100 percent Valencia orange juice. It’s sweeter and less acidic than Tropicana’s Pure Premium (which to date had been the gold standard of supermarket chilled juices.)

To be honest, at first I was skeptical — and confused — when the varieties of Tropicana Pure arrived at my doorstep. Skeptical about how this new Valencia juice could be described as the most premium Tropicana had ever offered, as I had thought that Tropicana Pure Premium was....

And while we’re talking grapefruit juice, let me add a Health Note from WebMD: “limit fresh grapefruit consumption while...

Bryan: You might ask, what is there really to say about orange juice at this point? The beverage has become such a staple of morning routines that we rarely discuss its various qualities these days. Americans drink it in all forms, but mostly from concentrate and rarely with any thought, aside from price. I was among this group of ‘sale’ buyers until...

Eric: The commodity FCOJ (Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice)...The first thing that came to mind when I was thinking about “orange juice” was the movie “Trading Places” where Billy Ray & Winthorpe’s cornered the FCOJ market. It is curious to me that my first thought was a movie reference, and not the usual childhood...

By |2017-09-04T20:46:14-04:00April 2nd, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|150 Comments
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Lipton PureLeaf All Natural Ready-to-Drink, Unsweetened

Bonnie: The South has always done ice tea right: freshly brewed and unsweetened, with your glass continually refilled. It’s somewhat like the North does with tap water. I’ve experienced this bottomless beverage service during my many visits there.

I like that fresh brewed unsweetened ice tea. But I don’t like tea with added sweeteners and flavorings—that includes most bottled ones — especially where sweeteners and flavorings are artificial. This is the main reason I’ve always avoided most bottled tea.

And then I tried Lipton PureLeaf Unsweetened Tea.

I wasn’t expecting a fresh brewed taste from a bottled tea, which is why it surprised me when...

Bryan: As you may have realized last week, I love tea. Hot tea is great, but iced tea is my true love. The affair with iced tea began with my first job; I was a short-order cook serving the breakfast crowd. Snapple was in it’s heyday then and the kitchen’s fridge was full of it. Every morning revolved around a hot egg sandwich and an iced tea. I loved them all sequentially, going through a long raspberry phase before falling head over heels for...

Eric: To be honest, I really couldn’t tell you what a good iced tea should taste like anymore. While growing up, I followed in many of my brother’s footsteps, but the Iced Tea Incident of 2002 ended my love affair with Lemon Snapple, and scarred me from trying an iced tea for a few years to come. It all started during my summers working on the beach in Connecticut. I was an iced tea junkie and would get my “fix” from my daily Lemon...

NOTE — Bonnie: Before sending Snapple the bottle to find out exactly what the “finger-esque” object was, I had taken this photo of it. Little did I know that six years later, Eric would reference it in a blog we would be doing together.

After receiving the bottle, a spokesperson from Snapple ...

By |2017-09-04T20:50:37-04:00March 19th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|6 Comments
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Swanson Organic Chicken Broth

Bonnie: When the boys were growing up, nearly every week I had a pot on the stove to make stock from whole chickens purchased on sale and veggie trimmings that I stockpiled in the freezer. We were on a very tight budget, so I made most everything from scratch. I’d freeze the chicken stock in 1 and 2 cup portions to use as I needed. Fast forward a decade or two, and convenience now trumps—especially since Swanson introduced their Organic Chicken Broth. It’s made from free-range chickens, is fat free and contains less sodium than regular chicken broth. I like all that.

Broth (which is basically strained stock that's been cooked with vegetables, herbs and seasonings) is an ideal base for soups. I’ve included a few recipes...

Bangkok Chicken & Rice Soup Toss 3/4-pound chicken breasts cut into strips with 2 teaspoons curry powder...

Pumpkin Soup with Ravioli In a large saucepan combine a 15- to 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin...

Express Mulligatawny Soup Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add ...

Definition: Most folks use stock and broth interchangeably but they’re different, and I’d like to help set the record straight...

New product preview: While researching this, I learned that Campbell’s will be introducing...

Bryan: I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating; great food comes from great ingredients (and naturally, bad ingredients beget bad food). Unsung heroes are important and chicken stock is the lonely workhorse of any kitchen; that trusty plow mule pulling meals along without star-power or even any casual recognition to speak of. Though we will rarely hear accolades heaped upon stock, the foundation of any soup or sauce, we ...

Eric: As I’ve also mentioned in past writings, to me, cooking is a form of art, and just like da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Michaelangelo’s David, great recipes, and timeless dishes, deserve a place in the pages of history. The “simple meal” is an underrated staple of our diet, and I for one am a fan of the simple soup. The first question that came to mind when confronted with writing this review...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:12-04:00March 5th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|15 Comments
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Jarlsberg Cheese

Bonnie: I don’t recall my first taste of Jarlsberg (pronounced YAHRLZ-berg) cheese, but I do recollect its buttery flavor and how its holes made it look like Swiss. It had a yummy mild nutty flavor.

I also recall dropping Swiss cheese (shhh… don’t tell the Swiss) from my shopping list and replacing it with Jarlsberg. Not only is it tastier but it melts nicely too. I love using it in recipes.

(The Jarlsberg Lite version, btw, is quite tasty for a 50 percent less fat, 30 percent fewer calories cheese.)

Use Jarlsberg (regular or lite) for cooking in any recipe calling for Swiss cheese. Top onion soup, add to a Reuben sandwich, use in a grilled cheese, or try it in one of these Express Lane Cooking recipes:

  • Ham, Jarlsberg and Potato Frittata: Preheat broiler. Cook 1 peeled and diced potato in 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet with an ovenproof handle over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add 2/3 cup diced ham and 1 medium-sized chopped onion or 3 chopped scallions. Cook until onion/scallion softens and ham is heated through, about 3 minutes. In a bowl, beat together 6 eggs, 3 tablespoons Jarlsberg cheese...

Bryan: I love cheese; it’s a food group unto its own and deserves any epicurean’s full affections. Our family often jokes that we could (happily!) live on bread, cheese & wine alone. I have actually had the pleasure of embarking on such a culinary quest on several money-scraping treks across Europe. They really do love their cheese across the pond, with each country having its own myriad great flavors and unique variations. Though most Americans simply refer to any holey cheese as ‘Swiss’, the style is actually called ‘Emmental’. The cheese did originate in...

Eric: Note: If you regard American cheese as a cheese, than read no further.

You might not have been taught about him much while you were growing-up, but Johnny Appleseed’s second cousin, Olive Culturedmilk, was an inspirational legend for most of us modern day cheese gluttons, and my personal hero. Unlike his pompous cousin who traveled with a pot on his head spilling his bag of seeds all over the countryside, Olive hand-picked his locations (mostly focusing on Western Europe, but also certain parts of Vermont) to “fertilize” with the tastes of ...

By |2017-08-31T16:18:12-04:00February 27th, 2008|Food & Drinks, xyz misc|2 Comments
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