THE NIBBLE Gourmet News & Views
Trends, Products & Items Of Note In The World Of Specialty Foods
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Archive for Kosher Nibbles
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April 18, 2008 at 3:48 pm
· Filed under Kosher Nibbles, Cheese/Yogurt/Dairy, Kids’ Food
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| Six special-edition, Spring-themed flavors of Breyers YoCrunch yogurt have replaced the core yogurt line for the season: YoCrunch with mini M&Ms candies, Oreo Cookies n’ Cream, Nestle Buncha Crunch, Butterfinger and Reese’s Pieces. The containers have a new look for springtime: themed packaging that features flowers, children at play and (aw, shucks) a baby chick with eggs. We tried the new flavors of YoCrunch recently and like them all, with the exception of the Nestle Buncha Crunch. While we enjoyed many a Crunch bar in an earlier life, the crunch nuggets that comprise Buncha Crunch taste like waxy fake food, most likely due to the confectioner’s glaze (lac resin) used to keep the nuggets crisp. Otherwise, we enjoyed mixing Butterfinger, Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms and Oreo in with our yogurt; and while this 1% milkfat line is largely vanilla-based (Buncha Crunch is made in a strawberry yogurt version as well), we’ll try it with strawberry, coffee and other flavors on our own. We like this product as a snack and dessert for kids, who want to eat candy and cookies anyway. So why not couple the junk food with a nutritious yogurt that delivers 6g of protein for the same 200 calories as a candy bar (with some live and active cultures, to boot)? The line is certified kosher OU-D. Read our full review of YoCrunch Naturals, and check out our other favorites in the Yogurt Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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 Healthy yogurt marries candy or cookie pieces to create a better snack food. |
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March 1, 2008 at 10:42 am
· Filed under Kosher Nibbles, Cookies/Cake/Pastry
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The Exceptional Brownie’s Peanutty Swirl is one of the dairy brownies. |
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The Exceptional Brownie, which produces its brownies under a kosher-dairy certification from KOF-K, is producing some of its flavors under a kosher-parve certification from the Orthodox Union. With the 15% annual growth of the kosher food market, company founder Claire Sauerhoff reports that the need existed to produce both a dairy brownie (made with butter) and a parve brownie (made with margarine). People who observe kosher dietary laws do not eat dairy products with meat products; there is a six-hour waiting period after meat has been consumed before dairy-based products can be consumed (including even a bit of milk in tea or coffee, or any dessert that contains butter, cream, cream cheese, sour cream or other dairy product). Now, with the dual choice from The Exceptional Brownie, people who love all-butter baked goods can plan their days (brownies and blondies for breakfast?), and people who want a brownie after a meat-based breakfast or lunch can munch away on the parve version. Both recipes use premium chocolate, real vanilla and other top ingredients. |
| Read our review of The Exceptional Brownie, whose dairy brownies are available in Berry Nutty, Blondie, Butterscotch Blondie, Espresso Choco-Chip, Double Chocolate, Peanutty Swirl, Raspberry Swirl and Walnut Double Chocolate. The Exceptional Brownie’s Walnut Double Chocolate Brownie was the winner in a national competition sponsored by COPIA, the American Center for Food, Wine and The Arts, founded by Julia Child and Robert Mondavi (among others) in Napa Valley. The parve brownies are available in Double Chocolate. Find more of our favorite brownies in the Cookies & Brownies Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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February 21, 2008 at 7:49 am
· Filed under Kosher Nibbles, Special Sweets, Cookies/Cake/Pastry, Tip Of The Day, Washington's Birthday
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 Addictively good cherry chocolate chip cookies. We thank George Washington for the inspiration. |
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Our tip of the day today is a tasty tip indeed: Make a cherry version of your favorite chocolate chip cookies to celebrate George Washington’s birthday—the Father of our Country was born February 22, 1732. Look for cherry baking chips in baking supply stores, or buy them online at BackToTheCountryStore.com. Then, make your recipe, dividing the chip quantity between chocolate chips (or white chocolate chips) and cherry chips. Another variation on the theme is to add an extra half cup of dried cherries to your recipe (with or without the cherry chips). You also can sprinkle the cherry chips on cupcakes, use them to decorate cakes and puddings, garnish ice cream and add them to muffin and pancake batter.- Use this recipe to make the cookies.
- Buy these delicious oatmeal cherry chunk cookies from Najla’s (frozen, ready to bake, and kosher).
- Celebrate with the heavenly cherry chocolate chip ice cream from Spotted Dog Creamery (they’ll ship it to you). |
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February 20, 2008 at 8:37 am
· Filed under Fruits & Nuts, Kosher Nibbles, Cookies/Cake/Pastry, Daily Food Holidays, Washington's Birthday
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Do you love cherry pie…but know that you would love it even more if you could get a top-quality pie filling? Wish no more: Chukar Cherries, a purveyor of the finest cherries and cherry products made from Washington State cherries, makes the best cherry pie and cobbler fillings we’ve ever seen commercially (all natural and certified kosher). Cherry Blueberry filling is made from tart Montmorency cherries plus blueberries (think of it as the high-antioxidant pie filling). Triple Cherry filling combines Bing, Rainier and Montmorency cherries. You can these high-quality toppers on muffins, ice cream, puddings and other desserts. Since George Washington’s actual birth date is February 22nd, bake a pie or cobbler in his honor*—you’ll save so much time with these cherries that you can make a homemade crust. When you order the cherry pie filling, check out the delicious preserves, toppings and barbecue sauces—and the scrumptious dried cherries, far finer than much of what is available.- Read our review of Chukar Cherries pie fillings and other baking products.
Read our review of Chukar’s premium dried cherries.
Finish with a look at their cherry preserves and dessert toppings. |
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Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy? Anyone can bake one, easily, with Chukar Cherries gourmet pie and cobbler fillings. |
| *Historical note: George Washington did not chop down a cherry tree in his youth and then say, “Father, I cannot tell a lie.” This story and others, like throwing the silver dollar all the way across the Delaware River, were fabricated by an earlier biographer. Learn more cherry facts. |
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February 20, 2008 at 7:23 am
· Filed under Contest, Kosher Nibbles, Honey/Sugar/Syrup
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| Like honey? Then you’ll want to try these three our gourmet honey mustard dips from award-winning specialty food producer Robert Rothschild. There’s Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip, Blackberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip, Honey Chipotle Pretzel Dip and for “dessert,” a Raspberry Chocolate Pretzel Dip. Also included is a book of exciting recipes, in case you’d like to do more with your honey mustards than dip pretzels. (The dips are certified kosher.) Take the quiz and you’ll find out fun facts about honey. Take the quiz here—you don’t have to answer correctly to win. If you’re a trivia lover, all of the quizzes from our prior Gourmet Giveaways are available for your enjoyment. |
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You could this set of gourmet honey mustards/dips—correct answers not required. |
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February 19, 2008 at 8:06 pm
· Filed under Kosher Nibbles, Special Sweets, Daily Food Holidays
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We devoured our box of Chocolate Mint Brownies from Solomon’s Gourmet Cookies. They look great, taste great, and are kosher, too. |
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February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day. What is it with these government bodies that are holiday-granters? Didn’t they notice that last week, February 11th, was Peppermint Patty Day (the food, not Charlie Brown’s gal pal)? We love chocolate and peppermint…but why pile up all the wealth in the space of 8 days? Nevertheless, we’ll respond with recommendations for the best chocolate mint yummies:
- Make your own chocolate mint cocoa. Smash the stems of a few sprigs of fresh mint, and add them to the hot chocolate as it cooks. Strain before serving, and add a fresh sprig to garnish. If you don’t have fresh mint to infuse in the milk when you heat it, use a few drops of peppermint oil. You can stir your cocoa with a peppermint stick, too. |
- Try Robert Lambert’s fabulous Mojito Mint Chocolate Sauce on vanilla ice cream, pound cake, or straight from the jar on a spoon. For a stronger mint infusion, try the Mint Chocolate Sauce from The King’s Cupboard.
- Indulge yourself with the Chocolate Mint Brownies from Solomon’s Gourmet Cookies (they’re kosher, too). Or, bake up your favorite brownie recipe and add mint oil to the batter, and/or mint chips.
- Try mint chocolate chip ice cream from an artisan creamery, like Boulder Ice Cream Company or its Colorado neighbor, Spotted Dog Creamery.
- Try the indulgent, layered Mint Symphony chocolate bar from Coco’s Chocolate Dreams. That’s dark chocolate with fudge mint shortbread and mint butter cookies and…be sure to order more than one. Or, try a straight but fabulous chocolate mint chocolate bar from Divine Chocolate, and support a great Fair Trade co-op of small cacao bean farmers in Africa.
- Try the great chocolate mint cookies from Sugar Flower Bakery. You’ll never eat another Girl Scout cookie again.
- Check out our favorite chocolate peppermint barks.
- Go retro with Chocolate Mint Whoopie Pies from Wicked Whoopie Pies.
- Bake up this recipe for a Chocolate Mint Lava Cake.
- Or, bake up a ready-to-heat-and-eat Chocolate Mint Soufflé from Heavenly Soufflé, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week (it’s heavenly and kosher, too).
- Have a box of bonbons filled with handmade mint ganache, from John & Kira’s.
- Enjoy the delicious Dark Chocolate Mint Coins from Lake Champlain Chocolates (also kosher).
- Prefer your chocolate to be organic? Dagoba’s Mint 59% cacao chocolate mint bar is organic and kosher, too.
- Try our favorite Holland Mints from Marich. They’re not only pretty, they’re kosher, too.
- Another temptation is the chocolate mint fudge from our favorite fudge maker, John Kelly Fudge (a NIBBLE Top Pick OF The Week, and kosher).
- Poco Dolce’s chocolate mint toffee squares with sea salt are the bomb.
- A calorie-free option is Once Upon a Tea, the caffeine-free blend of loose tea made of rooibos tea mixed with chocolate nibs, mint and vanilla. It’s from Serendiptea.
- End with a no-calorie treat, the Chocolate Mint lip balm from Ganache For Lips—made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
Hmm, maybe it’s not so bad having these back-to-back chocolate mint celebrations. We think we’ll celebrate with a Chocolate Mint Martini. |
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February 6, 2008 at 12:08 pm
· Filed under Beverages, Kosher Nibbles, NutriNibbles
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| The pomegranate is an ancient fruit, originating in Persia. It has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for several thousand years. Remains dating back to 1000 B.C.E. have been found in Armenia. Yet, five years ago, the pom was an oddity in the U.S. It was an exotic fruit enjoyed largely by immigrants and Americans who learned to enjoy them abroad—until the debut of POM Wonderful juice, and the subsequent announcement of high antioxidant values and potential anti-carcinogenic properties. Suddenly, everyone wanted pomegranate, and the flavor has appeared in everything from ice cream to salad dressing. In juice, brand after brand has proliferated to meet America’s desire for healthy, high-antioxidant food. Our intrepid taster drank all she could get her hands on—more than 50 juices, although only the top 19 have been recommended to NIBBLE readers. They include 100% pure pom juices plus blends with other juices (blueberry, cranberry, etc.), as well as brands that are certified kosher or organic. Read the full review and get juiced in the Juices & Ades Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
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Pretty in purple: 100% pure pomegranate juice. While pom juices are wonderful blended with the right quality companions, watch out for juices “flavored” with pomegranate that are largely composed of less expensive apple or grape juice. |
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January 14, 2008 at 10:07 am
· Filed under Contest, Kosher Nibbles, NutriNibbles, Coffee & Tea
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A tea connoisseur’s delight.
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Do you like fine tea? Enter this week’s Gourmet Giveaway on THENIBBLE.com. Answer four fun trivia questions about tea. Whether you answer right or wrong, you’ll be entered into the prize drawing. The lucky winner will receive this Rishi Gift Set, featuring exquisite green and jasmine teas from China and Japan, selected for their superior quality. Any tea connoisseur would love to receive Snow Sprout, Precious Pearl and Hojicha, specially-selected teas that are delicate, fragrant, and complex. The set includes natural, unbleached tea filters for brewing tea in a cup, mug or pot. Retail value: $35.99. Rishi teas are USDA certified organic and certified kosher by Kosher Supervisors of Wisconsin. This set and other tea gift sets are available at DelightfulDeliveries.com. |
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January 5, 2008 at 9:41 am
· Filed under Vegetables, Salts/Seasonings, Diet Nibbles, Kosher Nibbles
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 Delicious Birds Eye Steamfresh veggies steam fast, with no pots to clean. |
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Most people we know want to eat healthier and lose weight. Everyone wants to fight childhood obesity. Yet, when you suggest eating lots of healthy, low-calorie, steamed vegetables, there are more excuses than Brussels sprouts. Major food companies have listened, and have provided convenient, flavorful solutions for better steamed vegetables, plus fish and other proteins. You now can have delicious, low-calorie veggies in as little as one and a half minutes, for meals or snacking, and entire steamed meals in five to eight minutes. So put that old-fashioned steamer away: Here are healthy foods a 10-year-old can prepare:
- Birds Eye Steamfresh, the first product in our lineup, are frozen vegetables that steam in the microwave (certified kosher).
- McCormick Veggie Steamers provide seasonings and microwaveable bag units that take the guesswork out of cooking: Just add the specified amount of vegetables or fish and your meal is ready pronto.
- Ziploc Zip ‘n Steam Bags provide just the bag: Add your own ingredients. The bags are preprinted with cooking times for standard foods. Glad makes a similar product. |
| More good news: No pots to clean. Full steam ahead! Read the full review and find more of our favorite products in the Vegetables Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. (Looking for low-calorie foods? Check out Diet Nibbles.) |
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January 2, 2008 at 10:54 am
· Filed under Top Pick Of The Week, Kosher Nibbles, NutriNibbles, Oil/Vinegar/Dressing
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| Several months ago, we wrote about the tomato sauces and soups of Lucini Italia, a company that imports top-quality, handcrafted Italian specialty foods. The products include an extra virgin olive oil and a limited-edition organic extra virgin olive oil, plus a 10-year-old balsamic vinegar and a Pinot Grigio white wine vinegar. Since January is “Healthy Food Month” at THE NIBBLE, we couldn’t wait to recommend the heart-healthy olive oils and the vibrant, yet smooth and mellow, vinegars. The rich, flavorful regular oil has been a favorite at THE NIBBLE offices for many months now. It’s a classic Tuscan blend that is delightfully fruity, bursting with a green apple freshness and sporting only the faintest hint of the pepper for which so many Tuscan oils are known (and which create that infamous back-of-the-throat cough when you try to taste them). The oils are also certified kosher. Take the money from whatever holiday gifts you returned and buy yourself the Lucini gift set—bottles of both vinegars plus the regular EVOO. When they arrive, enjoy a spoonful of each—straight—and rollick in the delectable aromas and flavors. Read the full review in THE NIBBLE online magazine, and see more of our favorites in our Oil & Vinegar Section. |
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 Lucini Italia organic olive oil (foreground) and regular olive oil are kosher-certified. |
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