Category Archives: A Food Writer's Life

Ultimate Foodie Gift Guide 2011

Posted on November 28, 2011 | 1 Comment

Many women angle for jewelery, others make-up. For me (no shock here), it’s all about food and drink (and some minor home improvements)! Below, find the edible presents I’m hoping to receive or own and heartily recommend this season (I know, I know, some of these are a bit extravagant, but I can dream!):

  1. Custom spice blend from La Boite a Epice in Manhattan: The most recent issue of Food & Wine Magazine profiles Lior Lev Sercarz, the founder of this spice boutique in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen. I’m dreaming of my own customized mixture, or at least, a few of the already-created blends made for expert chefs, such as Ana Sortun of Cambridge, MA’s Oleana and Sofra Restaurants. www.laboiteny.com (price unknown)
  2. Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Programmable Stovetop Slow Cooker (33567T): Since beginning work on my slow cooker cookbook for The Taunton Press, I’ve fallen increasingly hard for slow cooking–and this new reasonably-priced appliance makes the technique even easier! Brown meats and saute aromatics in the stovetop-safe crock. No more dirtying an extra pan or losing precious fond (brown bits) on the bottom of the pan! www.hamiltonbeach.com, about $75
  3. Davao White Chocolate Bar + Pistachios from Askinosie Chocolates. I love the subtle tang that goat’s milk lends to chocolate, and am further tempted by the addition of gorgeous, rich pistachios. www.askinosie.com, $10.50
  4. Any treats, especially petit fours, from Valerie Confections in LA. A couple of years ago, I received a shipment of their petit fours, and was entranced. Now I’m itching to try the rose petal and ginger varieties. www.valerieconfections.com, $50 for 12 petit fours.
  5. A trip to my favorite (domestic) foodie destination: Northern CA. As always, I would make a pilgrimage to San Fran’s Ferry Plaza Market, try Cotogna Restaurant (the casual offshoot of Quince) and Manresa, and spend a few days in the Napa Valley, returning to Ubuntu and the Oxbow Public Market, and trying new restaurants that have cropped up since my last visit.
  6. Decorative painting of my tired kitchen cabinetry. I would love the nicked, farmhouse-y wood to be coated in a creamy off-white matte finish. There’s no better way to wake up a blah or outdated kitchen.
  7. A larger outdoor grill. We can’t cook burgers, hot dogs, veggies, and BBQ chicken rapidly enough with our standard Weber Genesis Silver B model.
  8. …And while we’re on the subject of outdoor entertaining, a standing heat lamp (to extend outdoor entertaining season in my neck of the woods: Southern New England), a large and attractive umbrella or awning, and a fire pit.
  9. An outdoor shower. I know it’s not food-related, but my husband and I are still dreaming of the one we enjoyed at Manka’s Inverness Lodge in California’s Marin County. Cue in bird song and the aromas of eucalyptus and redwood. Need I say more?
  10. Black truffle butter, the perfect complement to rib eye steaks.
  11. A selection of varietal honeys, including some I’ve never tried, such as California’s stir thistle.
  12. Sea urchin. I have yet to try it, and am eager to do so.
  13. A new fridge, preferably a Sub-Zero (told you I was dreaming!). The model I inherited is over 20 years old, and on its last gasp.
  14. High-quality tea (especially flavored black and green) and coffee, such as The Perfect Sip Allegro Coffee gift set available at Whole Foods Markets. www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/774
  15. Gift certificates to Dean & Deluca, Williams-Sonoma, Balducci’s…

Should I add anything to this list? Let me know, and have a happy and healthy holiday season!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Chocolate, Gifts, Kitchen, Sense of Taste, Stores

Best Potato Chips

Posted on November 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Some months, my work for the “Taste Test” column hasn’t been so enviable: imagine tasting 300 salad dressings! Not so with my assignment for the October 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. I crunched my way through 130 different potato chips! Sour cream and onion, traditional, sweet and spicy, salt and vinegar, low-fat, and cheese, I tried them all!

You can read about the five winners (Utz Kettle Classics Reduced Fat, Trader Joe’s Hickory BBQ, Archer Farms Salt and Vinegar, Herr’s Creamy Dill Pickle, and Boulder Canyon Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper) in the October issue of the magazine or here. Read on for the finalists:

Traditional/Plain: Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Sea Salt, Deep River Snacks Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt, Trader Joe’s Hawaiian Style, and Utz Wavy

Lowfat: Herr’s Reduced Fat Kettle Cooked, Michael Season’s Kettle Cooked Honey BBQ Reduced Fat, Laurel Hill Kettle BBQ Reduced Fat, Popchips Original Potato, and Kettle Brand 40% Reduced Fat Sea Salt

BBQ (other than traditional, the largest category): Utz BBQ, Lay’s Tangy Carolina BBQ, Wise Sweet Heat BBQ, and Deep River Snacks Mesquite BBQ

Salt and Vinegar (my own weakness): Utz Kettle Classics Salt and Malt Vinegar, Kettle Brand Salt and Vinegar, Herr’s Salt and Vinegar, and Wise Salt and Vinegar

Oddball: Deep River Snacks Sweet Maui Onion, Utz Red Hot, Herr’s Hot Sauce, and Hawaiian Chips Wasabi

→ Leave a comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Sense of Taste, Snacks, Stores

Best Cheese Ravioli

Posted on October 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

A few months ago, my kitchen felt like a furnace. That’s because I’d kept several pots of salted water boiling all day to prepare 23 bags (!) of cheese ravioli for a “Taste Test” article in Everyday with Rachael Ray.

The winners included Pasta Prima Five Cheese (positively swoon-worthy), New York Ravioli Jolie Ravioli Mac & Cheezy (delicious for adults and kids), Seviroli Three Cheese Large (excellent, and a good price), Celentano Light, and Buitoni All Natural Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti. Other noteworthy products included:

Kids: Seviroli Microwaveable Mac-a-Roli Bite-Size Ravioli (genius and tasty), Rising Moon Organics Itsy Bitsy Cheese Ravioli, and New York Ravioli Jolie Ravioli in Cheese and in Pizza-Roli

Artisan/Luxury/Special Occasion: Bertagni Buffalo Mozzarella Ravioli

Budget/Everyday: Kirkland/Costco Cheese Ravioli, Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli, 365 Organic Basil Parmesan Ravioli

If I was to be stranded on a desert island with a freezer and a stovetop (as if!) and could only bring two products–one for everyday and one for date night–I would choose Pasta Prima Five Cheese Ravioli and Seviroli or Kirkland Cheese Ravioli.

Once you’ve picked up your bag of frozen ravioli, what should you do with it? In addition to boiling the ravioli and topping it with sauce (marinara or brown butter with sage and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano), try frying it for an appetizer  or cooking it in flavorful broth for a soup.

Overall, I was impressed with many of the products. The only disappointment: at the time I worked on this article, there weren’t any whole grain cheese ravioli available in stores nationwide. Sounds like a great product idea to me, hint hint to pasta manufacturers.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Cooking, Feeding Kids, Main Dishes, Sense of Taste, Shopping

Best Flavored Waters

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Although plain-old tap water is my stand-by, I was beyond impressed by some of the products I tried for my flavored water “Taste Test” story in the August issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Among the roughly 79 flavored waters I tried, these (the winners, all featured in the article) truly stood out: Ayala’s Herbal Water Cinnamon Orange Peel, 365 Everyday Value Pomegranate + Polyphenols, Hint Strawberry Kiwi, Skinny Water Sport Shape Goji Black Cherry, and Bom Dia Coconut Splash Tropical Mango.

I do still turn on the tap when thirsty and regularly disappoint restaurant servers with requests for “plain old tap water.” Yet, now I’m tempted whenever I see the below finalists at the grocery store. My shortlist of absolute favorite brands: Coco Exposed, Hint, Ayala’s Herbal Water, 365, Aura, and two brands I didn’t try for the article: ALO Original and Taste Nirvana.

Finalists:

Coconut Waters: Coco Exposed Peach and Kiwi, Coco Exposed Passionfruit and Pineapple, Goya Sweetened Coconut Water, ONE Pink Guava, and ZICO Chocolate

Unsweetened: Ayala’s Herbal Water Ginger Lemon Peel, Metromint Goodberry Mint, Metromint Peppermint, and Trader Joe’s Lime

Lightly Sweetened: Aura Grapefruit Sage, Aura Orange and Basil, 365 Everyday Value Cranberry and Antioxidants, 365 Everyday Value Grape and Ginkgo, and SOBE Lifewater Pomegranate Cherry

Diet: Fruit 2/0 Peach, Propel Zero Kiwi Strawberry, Propel Zero Berry, Nestle Pure Life Orange, FUZE Slenderize Tropical Punch, and Aquafina Flavor Splash Wild Berry

If you want to make your own flavored waters, just toss slices of lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber and fresh mint leaves in a pitcher of ice water. To lightly sweeten and thicken the drink, add a bit of fruit juice or nectar. Let sit for a few minutes, and enjoy. You’ll feel as if you’re at a spa.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Drinks, Feeding Kids, Sense of Taste, Shopping, Snacks

Best Vinaigrettes

Posted on July 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

Favorite Vinaigrettes

I usually make my own vinaigrette; after all, it’s healthy, takes just a few minutes, and allows me to be creative and to customize my dressing to my salad. (One of my secrets: Even though, in cooking school, I learned to use a 3:1 ratio of oil to acid, I prefer a more tart and less greasy ratio of 2:1, sometimes even 1:1.)

Still, bottled vinaigrette is ideal for 20-minute dinners or–when attractively packaged–even gifts. Now more than ever, you’ll find lots of delicious products, many natural-tasting, innovative, and perfectly balanced in flavor (the goal with dressings).

For the June/July issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine, I tried nearly 200 vinaigrettes (we didn’t cover creamy dressings). In addition to the five products that won (Lucini Italia Fig & Walnut Savory Balsamic Artisan Vinaigrette, Wild Thymes Raspberry Salad Refresher, Cindy’s Kitchen Lemon and Shallot Vinaigrette, Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian, and Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Reduced Fat Dressing), there were several stand-outs (see below for a listing by category).

Post-tasting, the brands I personally was most wowed by include: Brianna’s, Lucini Italia, Wild Thymes, Seeds of Change, and Cindy’s Kitchen (all fabulous, for the most part, across the board).

Categories in the article:

Balsamic: Lucini Italia Balsamics (Roasted Hazelnut & Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cherry Balsamic and Rosemary, and Tuscan Balsamic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Brianna’s The New American Creamy Balsamic, Cindy’s Kitchen Balsamic, Ken’s Chef Reserve Honey Balsamic, and Wild Harvest Roasted Garlic Balsamic

Berry: Wild Thymes Salad Refreshers (Black Currant and Pomegranate) and Makoto Raspberry Pomegranate Ginger

Citrus: Wild Thymes Meyer Lemon Salad Refresher and Maple Grove Farms Citrus

Asian: Brianna’s Ginger Mandarin, Wild Thymes Toasted Sesame Wasabi, Cindy’s Kitchen No Sugar Carrot and Ginger, Cindy’s Kitchen Deeply Roasted Sesame, Schoolhouse Kitchen Ginger Lime, Cardini Roasted Asian Sesame, Litehouse Toasted Sesame Ginger, Marzetti Asian Ginger, Olde Cape Cod Fat Free Toasted Sesame Soy and Ginger, and Trader Joe’s Sesame Soy Ginger

Italian (not Balsamic): Seeds of Change Italian Herb, Annie’s Roasted Red Pepper, Wish-Bone Mediterranean with Feta and Lemon, Trader Joe’s Tuscan Italian, Marzetti Sweet Italian, Wish-Bone Bruschetta Italian with Tomato and Basil, and Wild Harvest Rustic Italian

Categories we didn’t have room for in the article:

Tropical Fruit: Bragg’s Hawaiian Fat Free Passionfruit/Pineapple and Wild Thymes Salad Refreshers (Mango and Passionfruit)

Tomato/Roasted Red Pepper: Seeds of Change French Tomato, Seeds of Change Roasted Red Pepper, Wild Thymes Tuscan Tomato Basil, and Annie’s Roasted Red Pepper

Other: Lucini Italia Delicate Shallot and Cucumber, Brianna’s Champagne Caper, Brianna’s Rich Santa Fe Blend Fat Free, and Brianna’s Blush Wine

→ Leave a comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, First Courses, Sense of Taste, Shopping

Best Whole Grain Pastas

Posted on June 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

Hear the phrase “whole grain pasta,” and you might stifle a yawn. But, stay with me. Once you try the right products (which is key because some whole grain pastas are indeed too assertively wheaty or have an “off taste”), you just might start to prefer them, or at least crave them sometimes. And I (almost) guarantee: the more times you go the whole grain route, the more you’ll acquire a taste for it.

That’s because whole grain pastas deliver a complex, satisfying taste, not to mention more fiber and protein than refined varieties. They’re flavorful, complex, and satisfying enough to pair with just butter and cheese (if you did the same with refined-grain pasta, it might seem too flat or one-dimensional). And, whole grain pasta’s fuller-bodied taste and often sturdier texture make it the perfect match for assertive sauces, such as pestos.

Meanwhile, refined-grain pastas are ideal with lighter sauces, or for when you’re craving a soft, velvety texture. (There’s nothing like sheets of fresh refined-grain pasta tossed with butter, fresh herbs, and vegetables, as at the over-the-moon-incredible restaurant Al Forno in Providence, Rhode Island.)

If you’re still skeptical, know that many whole grain pastas are mild enough in flavor to be indistinguishable from refined grain pastas. It’s a win-win situation: you’ll be adding extra nutrients to your diet without sacrificing flavor or texture.

All in all, I recommend having three types of dried pastas in your pantry: refined grain, wheaty whole grain, and mild whole grain. This way, you’ll have lots of options to suit all types of sauces.

But, which products should you buy? For Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine’s April 2011 issue, I tried 42 different dried whole grain pastas, and we ended up with four winners: Trader Joe’s Organic Whole Wheat Pasta, Rao’s Homemade Whole Wheat Penne Rigate, Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccini Plus Flax, and Annie Chun’s Japanese Soba Noodles.

Other noteworthy dried whole grain pasta brands/products include:

Whole Wheat: Racconto, Wild Harvest (very mild flavor), Hodgson Mill, Patsy’s, Delallo, and Bionaturae

Alternative Grain, Multigrain, or Flax-Fortified (these have a more assertive taste): Jovial, Racconto, Hodgson Mill

Asian Noodles: Roland (udon or soba), other Annie Chun’s noodles (including pad thai brown rice and mai fun brown rice, both of which are gluten-free)

→ Leave a comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Cooking, Main Dishes, Sense of Taste, Shopping

Best Bottled (and Homemade) Smoothies

Posted on June 1, 2011 | Leave a comment

For an instant breakfast or nutritious snack (for you or your kids), pick up a bottled smoothie from the grocery store. For “Taste Test” in the May 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, we tasted dozens of products. In addition to the five winners — Bolthouse Farms Berry Boost, Sunkist Naturals Pina Colada Protein Smoothie, Jamba All Natural Smoothies Strawberries Wild, Naked Green Machine, and Lifeway Low-Fat Pomegranate Kefir — the standouts were:

Berry: Jamba Juice Razzamatazz (freezer kit), Lifeway Blueberry, Stonyfield Farms Raspberry, and Sunkist Berry Cherry Bountiful

Banana: Yoplait Strawberry Banana (freezer kit), Bolthouse Farms Strawberry Banana, Edy’s Strawberry Banana (freezer kit), and Stonyfield Farms Strawberry Banana

Tropical: Bolthouse Farms Amazing Mango, Naked Juice Tropical Smoothie with Coconut Water, Trader Joe’s Mango, Odwalla Mango Tango, and Sambazon Amazon OJ

Oddball: Odwalla Red Rhapsody and Green Valley Organics Blueberry-Pomegranate-Acai

Green: Trader Joe’s Very Green, Bolthouse Farms Green Goddess, and Odwalla Superfood

Or, if you’re home and looking for a quick and delicious drink, try one of my favorites:

–Make an agua fresca, a refreshing drink from Mexico (more a juice than a smoothie): In the blender, puree fresh fruit (such as any kind of melon, strawberries, or pineapple) with fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and–if necessary–sweetener (such as agave nectar). Sometimes, I’ll also add some cold water.

–Whiz your way to a novel summer smoothie: Try pureeing fresh peeled ripe peaches with whole milk, a pinch of nutmeg, ice, and a bit of sweetener. For a grown-up twist, add some rum.

–Make mango lassi, an Indian smoothie: Blend ripe mangoes with whole milk, ice, sweetener (honey, sugar, or agave nectar), a bit of fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and some ground cardamom.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Breakfast, Drinks, Feeding Kids, Fruit, Shopping, Snacks

Too Much Ruined Nonstick Cookware?

Posted on May 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

The routine’s been getting old: Every few months, I’m back on Amazon replacing my 10-inch nonstick sauté pan. Why? Each time, the surface cracks and begins to discolor.  When I turned to a very informative article in The New York Times, I learned that I’d been mistreating my pans. I patted myself on the back for spreading oil on the entire inside surface before heating them and using soft materials when cleaning them. Yet, I’d been committing another nonstick pan sin: cooking over high heat.

It’s not surprising why I’d been doing this. First, I’d been trained in cooking school to sear over high heat, which yields golden brown, crusty surfaces with lots of flavor. Secondly, in their recipes, top food magazines and cookbooks instruct readers to sear over medium-high or high heat in nonstick pans. Maybe the article had been wrong? I wondered.

I decided to investigate further, by turning to nonstick pan manufacturers to get their guidance on high heat cooking. A Calphalon customer service rep told me not to exceed medium or medium high; meanwhile, an All-Clad rep told me not to go above medium heat for ANY of their pans (even their regular ones). That came as a shock.

While the Circulon Web site advised not cooking over high heat, one of their reps said that I could do so, but only for short periods of time. Finally, the Analon and T-Fal Web sites also recommended against cooking over high heat. Why? High heat can degrade the nonstick surface. From my own experiences, I have to agree.

My conclusion after this research: Sure, cooking over lower heat can be frustrating (almost emasculating), akin to abiding by the speed limit when it’s only 20 or 25 miles per hour. However, I’m tired of replacing my nonstick pans.

From now on, I plan to primarily use my cast iron pan when cooking over high heat, as I did a couple of nights ago with pan-seared chicken thighs. After all, the cast iron conducts heat well and can tolerate high temperatures. I’ll save my nonstick cookware for dishes that wouldn’t benefit from a good sear, such as frittatas and vegetable sautés. I’m also curious about the Green Earth frying pan, available at Amazon.com, a nonstick pan whose ceramic interior can–according to its manufacturer–tolerate very high temperatures. Has anyone used it? What do you think of it? I’d love to start a dialogue about this.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Cooking, Kitchen, Main Dishes

Best Gluten-Free Baking Mixes

Posted on May 4, 2011 | 3 Comments

A few months ago, I found myself buying a ridiculous amount of eggs, oil, and disposable baking pans (insert “green” guilt here) at the grocery store. The reason: I needed to test 55 gluten-free baking mixes (10 pizza crust, 15 pancake, 9 muffin, 10 yellow cake, and 11 brownie) for my “Taste Test” column for Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine. After days of stirring and oven use and a group tasting, we ended up with five winners, profiled in the March 2011 issue.

In general, I was beyond impressed with the cakes and brownies–so much so that I served a gluten-free chocolate cake at my oldest son’s last birthday dinner (even though none of the attendees had dietary constraints)! The muffins and some of the pancakes were also pretty good, tender and flavorful. However, the pizza crusts were the least successful.

So, in celebration of Celiac Awareness Month, here’s a listing of the winners and finalists:

Pancake: The winner was Kinnikinnick Foods. The finalists included King Arthur Flour, Bisquick, Hodgson’s Mill, and Pamela’s.

Pizza Crust: The winner was Bob’s Red Mill. The finalists were Namaste, King Arthur Flour, Kinnikinnick, and Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza.

Muffins: The winner was Authentic Foods Chocolate Chip. The finalists were Authentic Foods Blueberry, Really Great Food Corn, and Pamela’s Corn. (I’m still seriously craving those moist corn muffins!)

Yellow/White/Vanilla Cake: The winner was Really Great Food (with a subtle note of nutmeg-like mace). The finalists were Authentic Foods, Betty Crocker, Gluten Free Pantry, and Pamela’s.

Brownie: The winner was Gluten Free Pantry. The finalists were Trader Joe’s, Cherrybrook Kitchen, Authentic Foods, and Pamela’s.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Bread, Cooking, Desserts, Shopping

Best Sliced Bread

Posted on March 29, 2011 | 1 Comment

Several months ago, I felt like a kid again – I tasted every sliced bread available in stores nationwide for the September 2010 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine (102 products!).

The resulting article featured five top-notch products: Cinnabon Cinnamon Bread (which I’m still dreaming about – what a worth-it indulgence!), Rudi’s Organic Bakery 14 Grain (I fell in love with this company’s entire product line), Nature’s Pride Country White (loved this brand too!), Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Rye Seed (super-flavorful and healthy), and Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat (an apt staple).

Below are other noteworthy products, listed by category:

White Bread: Archer Farms/Target White, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Soft Hearty White, Berlin Bakery Classic White Spelt, and Wonder Bread Whole Grain White

Whole Wheat Bread: Nature’s Pride Double Fiber 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat with Fiber, Arnold Grains and More 100% Whole  Wheat Double Fiber, and Earth Grains Double Fiber 100% Whole Wheat.

Multigrain Bread: Rudi’s Seven Grain with Flax, 365 Birdland Multiseed, Nature’s Pride Nutty Oat – Hearty, Archer Farms/Target Multigrain, and Milton’s Multigrain

Rye Bread: Mestemacher Three Grain with Rye Seeds, Rudi’s Organic Jewish Light Rye, Pepperidge Farm Jewish Rye Bread Seeded, and Pepperidge Farm Deli Swirl Rye and Pump

Sweet/Breakfast Bread: Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread Raisin Cinnamon, Sun-Maid Raisin Bread Cinnamon Swirl, Rudi’s Organic Cinnamon Raisin, and Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin

→ 1 Comment

Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Bread, Feeding Kids, Shopping