Category Archives: Snacks

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 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

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

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.

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

Best Frozen Waffles

Posted on February 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

Having two toddler sons, I was thrilled to get charged with evaluating frozen waffles! After all, other than homemade pancakes and French toast (when I have more time) or cinnamon toast, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal (when I have less), they’re my boys’ most frequent breakfast.

Ever since conducting the research for an article for Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine, my family’s breakfast (and dessert) habits have indeed changed. Now, when we want a decadent treat, we rush to pick up Julian’s Recipe Natural Butter Waffles in any flavor — one of the most delicious product lines I’ve ever tasted. For healthful, tasty staples, we turn to waffles from Nature’s Path (in addition to the winning Homestyle Gluten-Free product, we love the Hemp Plus and Buckwheat Wildberry), 365 (the winning Organic Flax variety), or Kellogg’s Eggo Nutri-Grain line, especially the blueberry flavor.

Here are some other products that really stood out (but didn’t make it into the article): Aunt Jemima Homestyle and Buttermilk waffles (for tender, white-flour goodness); Smucker’s Snack’n Waffles, especially blueberry (another dessert option); and Eggo Blueberry (for pillowy treats).

 

 

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Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Breakfast, Desserts, Feeding Kids, Shopping, Snacks, Stores

November Food Finds

Posted on November 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

This year, skip Black Friday madness, and order your holiday gifts online. Here are a few delicious ideas:

Les Macarons from Luxe Sweets: The perfect holiday gift, these tender, fresh French cookies from a small Austin, Texas business come in a variety of tempting flavors. I tried, and loved, the peppermint and chocolate. Can’t wait to taste the lavender with white chocolate ganache.

Sing Buri Cashews from Sahale Snacks: In an innovative combo, cashews meet sweet dried pineapple, salty peanuts, exotic lemongrass, and spicy Chinese chili. (The company makes other delicious combos, such as Valdosta Pecans, with sweet dried cranberries, black pepper, and orange zest.) Pour into a bowl and set out, along with some cheeses, before Thanksgiving dinner.

Nutorious Nut Confections in Cranberry Orange Tango: And while we’re on the subject of nut mixes, you must pick up a bag of this sweet, addictive, tangerine-scented snack (which, the company points out, can also be sprinkled over salads and entrees). You won’t regret it. To whet your appetite, here’s the ingredient list: walnuts, almonds, pecans, sugar, dried cranberries, egg whites, butter, cream, salt, orange oil, and salt.

Fever Tree Ginger Beer: I’m a huge fan of ginger–and this ginger beer impresses with a true depth of flavor. Made from three different types of ginger, the sophisticated, fizzy beverage is delicious straight and mixed into drinks.

For other ideas, check out descriptions of food and beverage products that won sofiTM awards from the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade. Among these, some of my favorites include:

  • Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company Linekin Bay Lobster Corn Chowder
  • The Sticky Toffee Pudding Company Sticky Toffee Pudding
  • Lucero Olive Oil Peach Balsamic Vinegar
  • Lucini Italia Delicate Cucumber Shallot Vinaigrette

Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping!

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Posted in Shopping, Snacks

Chocolate: For Me and My Three-Year-Old

Posted on October 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

It had been a long time since I’d indulged in a chocolate bar. After all, I’m a disciplined person–except when it comes to chocolate. I’ve been known to devour an entire box of truffles in one sitting. So you see why I need to be careful when it comes to my drug of choice.

Then the other night, I remembered my stash in the basement (which, being cool and dark, is an intelligent place to store chocolate, as well as wine). White styrofoam on the outside, the plain exterior of my storage box offers no clue to the treats within.

My bar of choice that evening: an Askinosie Davao Dark Milk Chocolate Bar + Fleur de Sel, which–along with the company’s El Rustico Dark Chocolate Bar (with vanilla bean morsels and sugar crystals)–is one of my favorite chocolate bars around. (While we’re on the subject, I’m also an ardent fan of Amano Chocolate, Michel Cluizel, Valrhona, Vosges, and Dolfin.)

Inspired, I decided to share the wealth, removing some Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate for my three-year-old son, Max. While he eagerly waited, I melted the chocolate in the microwave.

Soon, I was teaching him to dip pretzel sticks into the molten chocolate. “This is a nice combination!” he pronounced. Over the past few nights, we’ve varied the routine a bit, sometimes substituting apple or pear slices (note to parents: if you’re having trouble getting your little ones to eat fruit, try this).

The only downside: Max now requests Scharffen Berger chocolate more than I’d like…he’s developed an expensive habit. At least, Max is getting healthful antioxidants, I tell myself (the bar has a cacao content percentage of 70%).

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Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Feeding Kids, Snacks

Best Ice Cream Treats

Posted on October 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

Sure, fall is upon us, and winter is in the foreseeable future. But, that doesn’t mean individual ice cream treats (or “novelties,” to use industry jargon) aren’t still tempting us from the freezer case at our nearby grocers.

A few months ago, I had the enviable task of tasting about 100 novelties–and five of the top products ended up in an Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine story. This means, an embarrassment of riches couldn’t be recognized.

Here are some of my other favorites:

Bars (sticks or no sticks): Haagen-Dazs, Julie’s Organic, Snickers, Whole Treat (Whole Foods Market), Dovebar, Ben & Jerry’s, Trader Joe’s Ice Cream Bon Bons, and Klondike Caramel Pretzel, and–for light–Breyer’s Smooth & Dreamy line (especially chocolate chip, vanilla caramel chip, and chocolate-covered strawberry) and Skinny Cow (especially chocolate truffle and caramel truffle)

Cones: M&M’s, Snickers, Nestle Drumstick Vanilla Fudge, Good Humor King Cone, and Blue Bunny Champ! Vanilla

Sandwiches: Trader Joe’s (chocolate chip cookie), Julie’s Organic, Klondike Oreo, Klondike Chocolate Peanut Butter, and–for light–Weight Watchers Vanilla

Cups: Great Value (especially butter pecan turtle and chocolate overload) and–for healthy–Skinny Cow (especially cookies & cream and chocolate fudge) and Weight Watchers chocolate fudge brownie

If I could choose only five to take to a dessert island (one equipped with freezers!!), I would pick Julie’s Organic chocolate-covered coffee bars (which ended up in the article), chocolate-covered chocolate ice cream Dovebars, Snicker’s bars, and Trader Joe’s ice cream sandwiches and bonbons. I might also sneak in some Whole Treat (Whole Foods) bars and sandwiches.

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Posted in A Food Writer's Life, Chocolate, Shopping, Snacks

September Food Finds

Posted on September 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

Each month, I’ll post noteworthy food and drink finds. Here are a few exceptional products I’ve enjoyed recently:

1. Mary Louise Butters Brownies: Last night, I swooned over the Zen brownies  from this Austin, Texas-based company. Gorgeous, their tops are speckled with tiny shards of crystallized ginger. The brownies themselves are the perfect blend of cake-y and fudgy. I can’t wait to try the company’s 19 (and growing) other creative flavors, especially the Seriously Stout (great idea!), Kona Buzz (with hazelnuts and coffee–who would have thought?),  Grand L’Orange (with orange zest and Grand Marnier), Ruby Port (with Port and espresso), and Madeline (gluten-free and vegan, with coconut and agave nectar). In another example of innovation, the company sells Brownie Butts, the crisp edges from its pans of tender brownies. Friends and family, don’t be surprised if you receive a box of these as a gift from me sometime soon.

2. Rhythm Chips: I was beyond impressed when I tried these air-crisped kale chips. Few foods sound less sexy than kale chips, yet these are among the most addictive, delicious snacks I’ve ever tried. To produce each two-ounce bag, one pound of fresh kale is used. You already know all of the nutritional benefits of kale, but it’s easy to forget them when you’re enjoying the chips’ crispy texture and intense flavors, including Kool Ranch, Bombay Curry (my favorite), and Zesty Nacho.

3. Revolution Tea 3D Iced White Teas: The five flavors of these iced teas–featuring white tea, fruit juice, and just a hint of sweetener–are intensely flavorful and not too sweet (I find most packaged iced teas way too sugary). I’m especially fond of the Pink Grapefruit and Mango flavors (as an added bonus, sales of the former benefit breast cancer research).

4. Danielle Chips: These 11 “exotic fruit snacks” are dangerously addictive. It’s a good thing they’re vacuum-fried with non-hydrogenated oil, so I don’t feel too guilty ever time I indulge in a bag. My favorite flavors, so far, are the pineapple and jackfruit.

5. Early Bird Granola: This Brooklyn, New York-based company has received a lot of press–for good reason. Put simply, it turns out the best granola I’ve ever tried. I’m especially enamored with the Choc-a-Doodle-Do variety, with organic rolled oats, toasted organic coconut, organic sunflower seeds, extra-virgin olive oil (yes, and it works beautifully here!), organic brown sugar, 65% dark chocolate, real maple syrup, and salt. The combo of extra virgin olive oil, dark chocolate, and salt is especially delicious.

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Posted in Shopping, Snacks