Category Archives: Fruit

Cheap Foodie Thrills

Posted on December 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

In this time of economic austerity, splurges (over-the-top vacations, frequent meals out, all-you-can-eat organic produce, seasonal wardrobe refreshers) are off of the table for most of us.

Fortunately, we can still indulge in gourmet food. After all, a few $6 chocolate bars, $5 fig preserve jars, and swoon-worthy cheeses won’t break the bank. Here are some ways to treat and nourish yourself in this stressful period:

  1. Dalmatia Fig Spread: Not just any jam, this dark, seed-studded spread has an intense flavor reminiscent of brandy and dried fruit. Try it alongside a cheese plate, on toast, swirled into yogurt, dolloped atop vanilla ice cream…(about $5/jar)
  2. TCHO Chocolates: I recently tried the company’s new SeriousMilk bars: “Classic” and “Cacao,” and was completely blown away. Milk chocolate perfection: a rich and creamy texture, with serious cocoa flavor and a slight tang. For all of you milk chocolate skeptics, head over to the TCHO Web site (www.tcho.com), and order a bar. You won’t be sorry. (About $11/2 58-gram-each bars)
  3. Groats: With a name like “groats,” you’re probably far from tempted. But this unrefined form of oats becomes perfectly tender after an overnight stint in the slow cooker (rather than overcooked, as with steel cut oats). Purchase the steel cut variety of groats, add some flavorings, and wake up in the morning to a comforting, aromatic bowl of goodness. (Just a few dollars, buy in bulk at health food stores or Whole Foods Markets)
  4. Pecorino Cheese: Made with sheep’s milk, Pecorino is arguably as delicious as Parmigiano-Reggiano, but much lower in cost. Try this snowy white, salty cheese with a rich, meaty taste grated over pastas and stirred into meatballs. (around $5/half pound)
  5. Seasonal Produce: If you buy produce in season (one example: persimmons right now), you’ll glean the best product for the least amount of dough. Lately, I’ve been buying less organic–but more seasonal–produce, and doing so has made a large dent in my grocery bills.
  6. Lindemans Fruit Lambic: For those who don’t like beer, try this fizzy, fruity, sweet-but-not-saccharine product. The raspberry flavor is the perfect accompaniment to chocolate, such as TCHO SeriousMilk. (around $9/large bottle)

Do you have any other budget food and drink favorites? Let me know – I’d love to hear about them!

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Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Fruit, Gifts, Shopping, Snacks

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.

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

Pomegranate Arils

Posted on February 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

Pomegranate-Avocado Salad

Full confession: Sometimes, I hide packages of pomegranate arils (seed casings) from my two-year-old son and babysitter. I’m a generous mom, I really am. But, my son and I both have an insatiable yen for these jewel-like treats — and I have to feed my addiction. At least, it’s a healthy one — unlike some of the other foods I crave (pizza, banana pancakes), the arils are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with pomegranates, the fruits (berries) contain white pulp membranes and seeds. Each seed is encased in a juicy, tart-sweet fruit-like substance. Although you can remove the seeds from the fruits yourself, it can be a bit time-consuming. Plus, it’s almost impossible to yield membrane-free arils. (To see what I’m talking about, slice a pomegranate in half horizontally. Then, place the halves in a large bowl of water. With your hands, scoop out the seeds. Pieces of the white membrane should float to the top of the water. Discard the membrane and peel any remaining membrane off of each aril.) Now, I bet you understand why I was so excited to discover packages of pristine membrane-free arils at my local Whole Foods Market and Balducci’s.

So, how do I get my fix? My son takes his arils plain or topped with yogurt and granola. I sprinkle them on salads, like the one above. So simple, it features a gorgeous contrast of colors and balances the richness of avocado with the sweet-tartness of pomegranate and orange. I also add the arils to saffron rice pilafs, lamb burgers, cucumber-yogurt sauces (such as the Indian raita and the Greek tzatziki), fruit plates (especially those with pineapple), and cocktails. Try combining sparkling wine with a squeeze of lime, grenadine (which was originally made from pomegranate juice and sugar), and a bit of pomegranate juice. Then float some arils on top. Divine.

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Posted in Cooking, Feeding Kids, First Courses, Fruit, Shopping

Kaffir Lime, Unusual Apples

Posted on December 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Grey Apple

Few experiences are more thrilling than trying something completely new, hence my anticipation as I brought these fruits home  from a New York gourmet store. Since researching and writing a chapter on apples for my first book, Tasting Club, I’ve been especially keen to try new (or heirloom) varieties. The first fruit I removed from my shopping bag was the petite Grey apple (above). It was crisp and super-sweet, with the perfect hint of acid. I loved its antique appearance, like slightly oxidized copper. This apple was far from Red Delicious-flashy.

Kaffir Lime

Next, I tried a Kaffir lime, whose flavor I’d experienced in sweet and savory food (most recently in chocolate from Kee’s in NYC), but never by itself. I had no idea what fresh Kaffir lime tasted or looked like, and was delighted when I came across it in the flesh. There’s something somewhat lizard-like and impish about its appearance, making it seem fit for a Dr. Seuss book. Yet, its aroma is super-intense and haunting, reminding me of Meyer lemon, flowers, and pine. Super-tart, its flavor is more complex than that of a supermarket Persian lime. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find Kaffir limes again, as I’d love to use them to flavor cocktails, curries, rice pudding, and chocolate.

Esopus Spitzenberg Apple

Finally, my husband and I recently returned from a trip to Ulster County in NY, where this fruit (the Esopus Spitzenberg apple, above) was discovered in the 18th century. A beautiful blushing apple, it tasted a bit like strawberries. Supposedly, it was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple. Judging from my 2-year-old son’s requests for “more, more,” it might be his as well!

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Posted in Fruit, Shopping