Valenciano’s Artisanal Sea Salt Crackers

I originally chose the crackers as a complement to the aforementioned sauce (or as I originally thought – dip), but found that I liked them just as well on their own for a perfect pre-dinner snack. I tried the sea salt flavored crackers, although they come in sesame as well. Not too heavy or salty, they have a good crunch and a lot of flavor. They’re also the perfect shape for dipping, and taste great when paired with raspberry jam. Compared to the sauce, these crackers were fantastic.

Price: $1.98

Where: I also found this product at a local farm market, but the overarching brand, Mitica, has a website at forevercheese.com, which offers a multitude of products.

Rating:

-Elizabeth

Stonewall Kitchen Pineapple Rum Raisin Sauce

I chose Stonewall Kitchen’s Pineapple Rum Raisin Sauce because I was curious about the particular combination of flavors. My taste buds were not disappointed when hit with the sweet mix although they would have been overwhelmed with too much. After reading the back of the jar, I realized that I had been using the sauce as a dip.  Stonewall recommends Pineapple Rum Raisin as a complement to certain meats, as opposed to its own dip.  That being said, the sweetness of the sauce was a good complement to the saltiness of the crackers I used, but was just too sweet to be enjoyed in any large quantity. As a dip, the Pineapple Rum Raisin was just so-so.

Price: $6.89

Where:  I found this product at a local farm market, but it can also be ordered online at www.stonewallkitchen.com.

Rating:

-Elizabeth

Lake Champlain Filled Truffle Bars

 

My chocolate mantra is pretty simple: the darker, the better. Lake Champlain Filled Truffle Bars were definitely rich enough, with the dark chocolate filled bar actually being almost too bitter, a phrase I never thought I would utter. The raspberry-filled bar, however, tasted lighter and nicely balanced out the heaviness of the outer chocolate. I appreciated the division of the large bar into 8 smaller sections that are easy to break off. For the milk chocolate lover, the bars might be a little too bitter.

Price: $3.89 each

Where: most specialty grocery stores. Refer to www.lakechamplainchocolates.com for store locations or online purchasing, as well as their other products.

Raspberry Filled:

Dark Chocolate Filled:

-Carey

Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto

I tried my best, partly due to my steadfast allegiance to Trader Joe’s. But the spread tasted so salty that even when I put the tiniest dab on my bread, it still was too much to handle. Not willing to give up so quickly, I thought I could mix the spread into a pasta/salmon/crabmeat combo that I concocted for lunch. That method was more successful since it gave the pasta a bigger kick and blended nicely with the seafood mix. So, I will perhaps use the spread for future meal additions, but never again in the form it should be used as.

Price: $3.69

Where: Trader Joe’s

Rating:

-Carey

Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese Twists

I love all things cheese—Goldfish, Cheez Its, and especially Cheetos. However, aware that daily doses of such snacks are pretty bad for you, I was excited to see Trader Joe’s much-reduced calorie/fat/all other bad things Cheese Twists. Two sticks had 90 calories and 3.5 grams of fat, which isn’t amazing, but quite the improvement over the more artificial-brand cheese snacks. Plus, they were delicious. I finished the whole box in a matter of days, and though I wanted to include them in a soup or salad, I ended up becoming too addicted and finishing them just by snacking.

Price: $2.49

Where: Trader Joe’s

Rating:

-Carey

New York Style Brand Panetini

Talk about a versatile “little bread.” These small pieces of toasted semolina bread come in four delicious varieties: plain, roasted garlic, roasted garlic parmesan, and sun dried tomato basil (my personal favorite is the roasted garlic parmesan). With their great flavor, they make a great snack right out of the bag, but can also be a great ingredient for appetizers. Use your favorite dip, marinara sauce, or chopped tomato to make bruschetta. I like to top them with eggplant caponata.

Price: about $3/bag

Where: Most major supermarkets carry the New York Style brand. Refer to their website for a store locator www.newyorkstyle.com. It can also be purchased in larger bags at stores such as Costco, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club.

Rating:

-Mike

An Ode to Pom Wonderful

Dear Pom Powers That Be,

You have probably already been getting a lot of these letters lately, especially now that Newsweek jumped on the Pom bandwagon a few weeks ago. So, I apologize for my tardiness, as I should have recognized this emerging trend much earlier. But, alas, I was too preoccupied with my standard beverages and unwilling to admit that a juice that resembled a nasty bruise I once had on my knee could be tasty. Also, I was unwilling to conform to purchase your beverage solely because of a pretty solid ad campaign. I admit it, it is clever to put a strand of pearls on a drink bottle and call it Juicy Couture. I might have even chuckled. But, I refused to be that easily manipulated. I thought I could resist your clever bottle design and promises of health benefits.

But, alas, your marketing masterminds have gotten the best of me. I waved the white flag. I drank your juice. And, mind you, I don’t really like fancy drinks beyond orange juice or water. I also don’t drink tea. Therefore, me trying your Pomegranate Black Tea is actually a sort of big deal.

My rating is largely contingent on the fact that you are fighting a difficult battle: trying to get a picky beverage drinker to like your drink (I also don’t like soda, ever). So, be proud of the 3 stars. I liked it. I totally bought into the healthy/antioxidant stuff and felt like I was doing something good for myself. I had just returned from the gym and I found it refreshing. If I actually enjoyed tea, I would probably have liked it even more.

Additionally, getting to keep the glass was pretty snazzy.

I’m sorry I ever doubted you. You are correct. Pom will save you. Pom will be your friend. Pom will support you in your time of need.

Congrats, Pom Wonderful. You have my utmost respect.

Regards,

Carey

Price: $3-$4

Where: most grocery stores, www.pomwonderful.com

Rating:

A Book Review (Food-Related, of course)

I have two chief passions in life: food and writing. Therefore, as I embarked on my search for the perfect beach read, “Heat” by Bill Buford, ex-fiction editor of The New Yorker, seemed like the only appropriate choice. For his mid-life crisis (I assume), rather than ditching the wife and purchasing a new red convertible, Buford attempts to learn the intricacies of cooking Italian food, via apprenticing under the potbellied, wine-drinking, foul-mouthed, dirty-minded Food Network star, Mario Batali.

Buford’s humorously detailed accounts of his failed efforts at chopping vegetables, cooking pasta, and cutting meats are entertaining, but also point to something much deeper: cooking like a real Italian is a lot more difficult than learning the difference between ravioli and tortellini (which, interestingly enough, is more complex than just the shapes of the pasta). Authentic Italian cooking involves blood (Buford manages to slice his hands on several occasions), sweat (Batali claims that customers should always be able to taste the chef’s sweat), and tears (intra-chef dynamics and hierarchies are a tricky business), literally.

The sections from within the kitchen of Batali’s upscale Manhattan restaurant, Babbo, were the most colorful and relatable: it was hard not to cringe at moments when Buford is ordered to replate the dishes he works so diligently on. But, the sections when Buford travels to Italy, immersing himself in a rich culinary tradition much deeper than what an American restaurant can offer, were the most informative. They provided a wealth of information about cooking history and technique. Additionally these sections gave a rare glimpse into a fascinating culinary culture that has been developing long before the United States even existed.

Without Buford’s kitchen misadventures or other food-related antics (at one point, he carries a full pig inside his apartment), “Heat” would be a little dry and overcooked, so to speak. However, instead, Buford succeeds at putting a smile on his reader’s face while teaching them something at the same time.

Rating:

-Carey

Refresco Goya Carbonated Beverage

Like most American twenty-somethings, I’m a Diet Coke fiend. Every now and then, however, I like to see what else the carbonated beverage industry has to offer.

The Goya Carbonated Beverages caught my eye in the ethnic foods section of my local grocery store with its colorful, fun bottles and flavors ranging from Sangria to Pineapple. I was slightly skeptical about the Sangria flavor; it reminded me of non-alcoholic beer. How good can an alcoholic beverage be without the booze?

Surprisingly, the Sangria flavor wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. It has the smell and taste of carbonated red sangria but without the after effects of actual wine and triple sec. I loved the taste of the Guava and Coconut flavors: tropical and fruity. If you don’t like either of those flavors, start with the Guava. It’s a better way to ease your taste buds into tropical flavors, especially if you’re particularly anti-coconut.

It’s a change for your taste buds, but if it is too much, you can always go back to good ol’ Diet Coke.

Price: One bottle of Goya costs under a dollar (I spent $0.59).

Where: most grocery stores

Rating:

-Melissa

Trader Joe’s Patisserie Twists

Trader Joe’s Patisserie Twists are a delicious after dinner treat. This almond flavored puff pastry twist (which also comes in cinnamon) is wonderfully flaky and melts in your mouth. With only 60 calories per twist and 4 grams of fat, you may even be able to indulge in two twists for dessert. With zero trans fats, low sodium and no cholesterol, this is one sweet snack you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying. Pair it with a cup of tea or coffee and you have a new after dinner ritual. J

Price: $2.29

Where: Exclusively at Trader Joe’s

Rating:

-Elizabeth