THE NIBBLE » Bread, Crackers, Muffins

TIP OF THE DAY: Sandwich Splendor

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:55:50 +0000

Try your turkey and swiss “half and half.”
Photo courtesy Sargento.

When serving sandwiches, offer a variety of condiments and recommend that diners mix and match: one half of a roast beef, ham or turkey sandwich with chutney, one half with Roquefort Dijon mustard, for example. It’s like having two different sandwiches, and just one way in which specialty condiments transform everyday foods into gourmet treats.

We love the Dijon mustards of Laurent du Clos so much, we can eat them from the jar—especially the amazing Roquefort mustard. Other favorites include the Saffron Aïoli mayonnaise from Restaurant Lulu and the fabulous flavored mayos from The Ojai Cook—all Top Picks Of The Week.

How many types of sandwiches are there? See our Sandwich Glossary.

Visit our Gourmet Condiments Section for our favorite condiments.

PRODUCT: Bake Flatbread At Home

Editorial Assistant — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:37:40 +0000

We eat lots of Mediterranean foods, often with pita bread from the supermarket that isn’t as flavorful as we’d like it to be. So when we spotted Canterbury Naturals flatbread mix, “just add oil and water,” we eagerly set out to bake our own flatbread (not with pockets like pita, but hopefully more exciting).

We were not disappointed! Warm from the oven, we proudly served our eight handmade, individual-size flatbreads, highly seasoned with a “Mediterannean” herb mix of basil, bell pepper, chile, fennel, garlic, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley and thyme. Once they cool down they get a bit dry (like pita), but can easily be warmed in the microwave. After two days of storage in our Fresh Vac food storage containers, they still warmed up nicely.

While there are recipes aplenty to make flatbread from scratch, don’t underestimate the convenience of a packaged mix. It was easy, delicious and impressive! We mixed the package ingredients into a dough with some olive oil and water, kneaded it briefly, let it rise for 30 minutes, divided and rolled the dough into eight flat pieces, brushed the tops with olive oil and sprinkled them with the seasoning blend. The flatbreads baked for six minutes and cooled for a few minutes. Aside from the rising and cooking time, prep was no more than 10 minutes, using one bowl and one cookie sheet.

Impress your friends and family with home-baked flatbread. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

In addition to Mediterranean Savory Herb, the mix is available in Parmesan and Sundried Tomato. The attractive boxes make a nice house gift or stocking stuffer for your favorite cook. The product is certified kosher by KOF-K.

Buy Canterbury Naturals flatbread mix online.

Discover the many different types of bread in our Bread Glossary.

Try this tzatziki recipe (cucumber yogurt dip) with your flatbread.

CULINARY ACADEMY: Know Your Sandwiches

Nibble Editors — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:57:00 +0000

If you’re taking a break from your labors today, explore the wide world of sandwiches in our new Sandwich Glossary. We feature 65 different sandwiches available in the U.S., from the popular PB&J and BLT to the more exotic bánh mì and Monte Cristo. There are many more types of sandwich, of course, but see how many of our featured sandwiches you’ve tried.

Check out the Sandwich Glossary.

Learn more about your favorite foods in our other 60 food glossaries.

Like grilled cheese? Look at these mouth-watering gourmet grilled cheese sandwich recipes.

Award winning peanut butter sandwich recipes—works of art!

Eight panini recipes.

The Reuben sandwich is a specialty of New York delicatessens. Photo © J. Java | Fotolia.

RECIPES: Celebrate National Panini Month

admin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:52:55 +0000

Cheese producer Sargento has declared August National Panini Month. It’s National Sandwich Month, so why shouldn’t panini, Italian sandwiches, share the glory?

To celebrate, we’re bringing you eight delicious recipes, courtesy of Sargento and Chef Jason Denton. If you don’t have a panini maker, you can use an electric countertop grill or a gas grill. There’s everything from tuna to mozzarella, tomato and pesto (a Caprese salad on a sandwich!) to ham and Swiss with fig jam. Dig in!

Check out the 8 panini recipes.

Find more sandwich recipes in our Artisan Breads Section.

These gourmet grilled cheese recipes are a hit.

These award-winning peanut butter sandwich recipes are exercises in kitchen art.

With sharp provolone, pesto and arugula, this
panini is not your everyday turkey sandwich. Photo courtesy of Sargento.

PRODUCT: Dr. Kracker Culinary Crisps

Nibble Editors — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:59:39 +0000

The doctor is in… with some new flavors! We’ve been curing what ailed our snacking taste buds since 2005, when we first discovered Dr. Kracker’s organic crackers and flatbreads. The company has recently launched Culinary Crisps: crunchy squares of Apple Crisps, Cherry Semolina Crisps, Fire Roasted Crisps and Hummus Maximus Crisps. Diagnosis? Delicious!

Dr. Kracker starts with organic whole wheat or spelt; then adds organic flax, sunflower, sesame and/or pumpkin seeds. But because it was asked for more “foodie” flavors, the company added additional ingredients to create the new Culinary Crisps line. Each serving of bite-size crisps delivers the delectable flavors of toasted seeds, plus 21g or more whole grains per serving (of your daily 48g requirement).

The Hummus Maximus Crisps are inspired by a classic hummus recipe. They have a light chickpea flavor and just enough coriander to give our taste buds a swift, yet delicious, kick.

The Fire Roasted Crisps aren’t as spicy as their name may sound because they’re infused with just a hint of chile and black sesame seeds. The prevailing flavor is tomato with a light kick of spice.

Snack idea: Hummus Maximus Crisps with red pepper hummus. Photo by Emily Chang | THE NIBBLE.

For a sweet tooth, Apple Crisps are made with dried apples, brown sugar and a touch of vanilla. They were a favorite among some tasters.

But although we like all of the flavors, the winner is Dr. Kracker’s Cherry Semolina Crisps, with dried sour cherries that give a sweet-tart bite to balance out the golden semolina and touch of fennel.

Though the crackers add a zing to any soups, dips, or cheeses they’re paired with, they’re just as satisfying when eaten by themselves. Keep a box at work for a healthy snack. But even with all the good prognoses, there’s still a major downside to these cartons of square treasures: Something like this would never last in our desk for very long!

Read our full review of Dr. Kracker, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

PRODUCT: Spicy 3 Pepper Melba Snacks

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:31 +0000

The familiar melba toast now has lots of
spicy flavor that lingers on the palate.

“New Bold Flavor” proclaims the box of All Natural Melba Snacks. No kidding: Old London has managed to make Melba Snacks taste like a spicy chip has fused with the familiar toast. The toasts have as long an aftertaste as we’ve found in a while: The spices dance on the palate for ten minutes after the last bite.

This is not your mother’s bland, diet melba toast, but a very savory and crunchy snack, accompaniment to soups and salads (try it as a giant crouton, with or without melted cheese), base for hors d’oeuvres or dipper. The three peppers are not specified in the ingredients list (only “spices”), but the toasts include oat fiber, pinto beans, molasses, garlic, onion, distilled vinegar, natural flavor and sesame oil.

Four rounds have 50 calories and 5g whole grain. The product is cholesterol-free and certified kosher by OU.

See reviews of our favorite snack foods.

Check out our favorite crackers and breads.

By the way, melba toast is named after Dame Nellie Melba, the internationally renowned Australian opera singer (born Helen Porter Mitchell, 1861-1931). In 1897, when the singer was unwell, the toast was made for her by chef Auguste Escoffier (a fan who also created the dessert, Peach Melba) at London’s Savoy Hotel. The bread was lightly toasted and cut longitudinally instead of diagonally; the pieces were then re-toasted to crisp the bread. Dame Melba liked it so much that the preparation became a staple of her diet. The hotel manager, César Ritz, supposedly named the toast in a conversation with his chef and partner, Escoffier. The following year, Ritz left the Savoy and opened the celebrated Hôtel Ritz in the Place Vendôme in Paris, with Escoffier.

FOOD HOLIDAYS: April Is Soft Pretzel Month

Editorial Assistant — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:00:19 +0000

Don’t wait until you get to the ball park to have a big, fragrant soft pretzel. Bake them at home with this soft pretzel recipe. Feed them to the kids, or invite the adult gang over for beer and your home-baked pretzels. Find a good beer in our Beer Section.

- The kids might prefer this “Peanut Butter Monstwich” monster sandwich recipe.
- Find some of our favorite gourmet mustards to put on your soft pretzels.
- Read the history of mustard.
- Take our Pretzel Trivia Quiz.
- It may seem like a bit “duh,” but here’s a definition of “soft pretzel.”

PRODUCT: Gluten-Free, Allergen-Free & Kosher!

Editorial Assistant — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:10:01 +0000

Cornbread with corn jelly.

A NIBBLE reader has recommended the baking mixes of 1-2-3 Gluten Free, premium gluten- and allergen-free baking mixes that she says taste great and are versatile (there are more than 80 recipes for the 14 mixes). All products are produced in a dedicated gluten- and allergen-free facility and are certified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group, as well as certified kosher pareve. They have just launched two new products, Deliriously Delicious Devil’s Food Cake Mix and Micah’s Mouthwatering Cornbread Mix. Like many of 1-2-3 Gluten Free’s products, these two mixes are also free of dairy, soy, egg, peanuts and tree nuts.

Here’s more versatility: You, the baker, add the sweetener of your choice—sugar, evaporated cane juice or agave—which makes these products an ideal choice not only for celiacs, but for diabetics and other consumers with dietary concerns.

The cornbread can be made with sweetener or without. Eggs can be added by those who wish to enrich the recipe. The Devil’s Food Cake Mix can be made into a birthday cake, chocolate gingerbread cake or other recipes listed on the box and website. The Cornbread Mix includes a recipe for cranberry pecan cornmeal cake, jalapeño cheddar cornbread, pecan cornbread and cornbread stuffing. Learn more at www.123glutenfree.com.

See gluten-free foods reviewed by THE NIBBLE.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Twisted Grandma Pretzels

Editorial Assistant — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:30:34 +0000

In the cold north country of Eveleth, Minnesota lives a twisted grandma. She’s got spiked blonde hair and a tattooed toe. While the other local grandmas make cookies and casseroles, Twisted G makes some wicked pretzels. Sure, from the outside they look like normal, miniature pretzel twists. But take a bite: They taste like they’ve been dipped in garlic butter. Mmmm.

We couldn’t resist the twist. We ate the whole bag. No additional dip is needed, but for those who like to indulge, go for something with sour cream and onion or chives.

Get some Twisted Grandma Pretzels as a gift for your favorite garlic lover. Note to Twisted Grandma: With your name and look, you should start a band. TwistedGrandma.com.

- Take our pretzel trivia quiz and learn fun pretzel trivia.

- Discover more of our favorite savory snacks.

- Make your own with this soft pretzel recipe.

PRODUCT: VitaMuffin VitaTops

Editorial Assistant — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:56 +0000

People who like muffins, chocolate, muffin tops and reduced-calorie foods have discovered VitaMuffins (read our review). The 100-calorie chocolate muffin tops are so popular that VitaMuffin expanded the options from the original Deep Chocolate to Chocolate Fig, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate, Double Chocolate Dream (with white chips), Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip, and Triple Chocolate Chunk. There’s also a Sugar-Free/Low Carb Velvety Chocolate.

We recently tasted all seven chocolate varieties in one sitting and found the original Deep Chocolate to have the most satisfying chocolate flavor (it contains chocolate chips). In retrospect, that’s not much of a surprise: the semisweet chocolate flavor of the chips is taken away when white chips, PB chips, pomegranate and fig are substituted in the other flavors.

A box of 12 two-ounce individually-wrapped muffin tops is $16.00 ($18.50 for sugar-free) at VitaMuffin.com. They freeze beautifully. The all-natural VitaTops are also made in Banana Nut, BlueBran (blueberry), Golden Corn, CranBran, MultiBran and AppleBerry. The non-chocolate varieties retail at $14.45 per dozen and most have 80 calories.

Vitalicious, the manufacturer apprises us that you can walk off the 80-100 calorie VitaTops in 13-15 minutes. Share a muffin top, coffee and a stroll with a friend.

A box of chocolate VitaTops goes on our list of Valentine gifts for people you love too much to send a box of chocolate. Gift certificates are available. Read the full review at http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/nutri/breadstuffs/vitalicious-vitamuffin.asp.