One of 5 varieties of organic Greek yogurt.
Photo courtesy Wallaby.

Wallaby Yogurt Company, a family-owned producer of organic yogurt, has launched its first line of organic Greek yogurts.

Greek yogurt—properly called Greek-style yogurt when made outside of Greece—is typically triple-strained, removing much of the water to create a very thick texture.

Wallaby, based in Napa Valley, California, is known for its creamy, pudding-like yogurts which they call Australian-style, a term we’ve not come across elsewhere. We’d call them custard-style, French-style or Swiss-style (see our Yogurt Glossary for the different types of yogurt). The founders were inspired to make the yogurt while enjoying many a yogurt in Australia.

A press release notes that “Once the founders had decided [to make Greek yogurt], they tried every brand of Greek yogurt that they could get their hands on. When they were done, they ultimately concluded that there just weren’t any organic Greek yogurts out there that tasted really great. What followed was an intense effort of repeated trial and error, to come up with what they ultimately felt would be a Greek yogurt unmatched in taste.”

While we certainly respect the effort, this is a a different style of Greek yogurt than we’re accustomed to. It’s lighter and less thick, not too removed from the company’s regular lines. Instead of a thick, sour-cream-like consistency, Wallaby’s version of Greek yogurt is silky and elegant.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But if you’re an organic yogurt eater who is fond of Oikos* Greek yogurt from Stonyfield—or delight in the Greek-style yogurts from Chobani and FAGE Total—note that Wallaby takes a different approach.

*The Oikos brand name is also licensed to Dannon, a part-owner of Stonyfield, which produces a non-organic line of Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt. Yes, it is confusing!

Wallaby Organic Greek Lowfat Yogurt is available in a variety of flavors and sizes.

 
Learn your yogurt types in our Yogurt Glossary.

Panko Crusted Salmon with Ponzu. The recipe
couldn’t be easier. Photo courtesy Kikkoman.

Ever since we discovered them at Japanese restaurants, our breadcrumb of choice has been panko, the crispy bread crumb used in tempura, tonkatsu and crunchy sushi rolls, among other recipes. They’re crunchier and more flavorful than conventional bread crumbs.

What Is Panko

Panko is actually bread “flakes” rather than breadcrumbs. The difference is that conventional bread crumbs are ground into tiny bits, while panko are small flakes.

Panko are made from specially baked, oblong, crustless loaves. The larger and lighter flakes produced coat the food without “packing” like regular bread crumbs. They allow foods to stay crispier longer.

Panko can be used with baked or fried foods. Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs are unseasoned, making them perfect for sweet recipes, too.

 
Check out the recipes on the Kikkoman website. After you see and taste the difference, you may never go back to ordinary bread crumbs.

You can find panko in the Asian products section of many supermarkets; at all Asian food markets; and online. Kikkoman panko breadcrumbs are certified kosher by OU.
 
Panko “Crunch It Up” Recipe Contest

Enter your original recipe by March 26th, 2012. It can be an appetizer, side dish, main dish or dessert, as long as it’s creative, delicious and original.

The winner in each category will receive a $1,000 prize and the winning recipes will be added to Kikkoman’s recipe database.

Here are the contest guidelines for the recipe contest.

Go forth and crunch!

Look for panko in the Asian products section of your market. Photo courtesy Kikkoman.

Three of the five flavors of GH Cretors
elegant popcorn. Photo courtesy
GH Cretors.

Flash back to Super Bowl Sunday: We consumed five bags of GH Cretors popcorn, one of each flavor. The empty bags were flattened and brought to the office, where they were added to the “to be written up” box.

Alas, due to an avalanche of other flattened bags and boxes that week, we’ve just uncovered the Cretors bags, but the happy memory lingers. As does our desire to order more.

GH Cretors helped to launch popcorn as a favorite snack of the modern age. In 1885,* Charles Cretors invented the steam-powered popcorn machine (see the photo below).

Previously, popcorn was popped in kitchens, over stove flames in large copper kettles. Cretors developed a raised steam popper that popped the kernels at the top of a large glass bin and spilled the fresh popcorn into the bin, where it could be scooped into bags (the system is still used in today’s movie theaters and elsewhere).

*It was an eventful year: Among other noteworthy happenings, the modern gasoline-fueled internal combustion automobile engine was invented, the the Statue of Liberty was delivered to New York Harbor and the Washington Monument was dedicated.

From Fresh-Popped To Store-Bought

Cretors brought the aroma and visuals of popping corn right in front of the consumer, which helped to catapult popcorn into one of the best-selling snacks of all time.

The GH Cretors brand of packaged popcorn is a relatively new one, launched by the fourth and fifth generations of Cretors descendants. While the family had continued to make popcorn at home through the generations, we’re glad that they’ve put their product on the shelf.

We’re big popcorn fans. Popcorn is a whole-grain snack; for this reason, it’s a better snack option, whether you crave sweet or salty (or a combination of the two). Whole grains are important in your diet (details).

The popcorn is crisp and deftly seasoned with just the right touch of caramel or cheese. And there are added benefits with GH Cretors Popcorn:

Cretors Today

Charles Cretors’ modern popcorn machine appeared at the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893 and moved to entertainment venues, stadiums and boardwalks everywhere. Five generations of Cretors have been following in his corn-popping footsteps, taste-testing recipes around the kitchen table.

Recently, great-great-great-granddaughter Claire and her mom Phyllis launched a retail brand called GH Cretors in favorite flavors: caramel, caramel nut, cheddar, kettle corn and the charming Chicago Mix, a combination of caramel corn and cheddar corn that really works.

The company pops their corn the old fashioned way, by hand in copper kettles.

Where To Find GH Cretors Popcorn

GH Cretors is available at fine markets nationwide (here’s a store locator) and online in 12-bag packs at Amazon.com. (Too much for you? Split an order with friends.)

An early popcorn cart. With the spread of the automobile, popcorn rolled. Photo courtesy Deusterco.com.

 
Have a popping good time!

Find more of our favorite snacks in our Gourmet Snacks Section.

Some of Ben & Jerry’s frozen yogurt flavors rank among the company’s Top 10 sellers.

But with the current consumer love* for Greek yogurt—a style that is triple-strained into a thicker form—the new product line took form. The inspiration was a staff member who ate regular Greek yogurt every day for lunch.

This week, the company introduced four new pints made from Greek yogurt:

 
Plus, plain vanilla frozen Greek yogurt will be available at Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops.

Ben & Jerry’s mascot, Woody the cow (named after the artist who drew her), decked out in a laurel wreath and Greek duds. Image courtesy Ben & Jerry’s.

Creamy and rich-tasting with a soft, lilting tang, the frozen yogurts have another bonus: fewer calories than Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (from 180 calories/serving for Strawberry Shortcake to 210 for the Peanut Butter Banana, with Blueberry Vanilla Graham and Raspberry Fudge Chunk weighing in at 200 calories).

The line is certified kosher (dairy) by KOF-K.
 
*In the $4 billion yogurt category, Greek yogurt has gone from almost nothing 10 years ago to 25% of the category.

The new fab four frozen Greek yogurts.
Photo courtesy Ben & Jerry’s.

When you’re an employee of Ben & Jerry’s, you get to take home three pints of ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt every day. (The company also has a gym on the premises, but we wouldn’t fit into our desk chair if we worked for Ben & Jerry’s.)

When you’re a food writer, you get invited to events to taste new products—and although we took home four pints, it’s a once-a-year temptation at best.

We had the time of our life trying the four new pint flavors plus two scoop shop items:

“It’s really Greekin’ good,” says Woody, the Ben & Jerry’s cow. We agree.
 
Can You Name All The Different Frozen Desserts?

Check out our Ice Cream Glossary.

Find more of our favorite ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet: products and recipes.

Our intrepid reviewer tasted her way through 49 granola and nine muesli brands to find the best—including gluten-free, kosher, organic and raw varieties. Wow, that’s a lot of fiber!

The good news: Seven granolas and four mueslis were selected as “favorites.”

In this review, you’ll discover:

 
Head for the review.

Make your own granola at home: a video
demonstration and recipe.

 
Find more of our favorite cereals.

Fiber-rich granola is a popular way to start
the day. Photo by Lynn Seeden | IST.

Who doesn’t like rich butter shortbread?
Photo courtesy Biscottea.

Enjoy your tea, coffee, cappuccino or espresso with the perfect shortbread cookie. With free shipping included!

The makers of Biscottea and Biscoffee have enhanced a classic Scottish shortbread recipe by adding organic tea or coffee to the fragrant butter cookies. (The coffee beans are also Fair Trade certified.)

The result is pure deliciousness.

Each lovely gift box contains 24 individually wrapped squares of shortbread, for $29.99 (and free shipping).

We love the “portion control” aspect. Because otherwise, these cookies are irresistible!

 
As the company says, this is “real shortbread created with real tea and coffee for real tea and coffee lovers.” We say: Why can’t we buy Biscottea and Biscoffee shortbread everyplace we stop for a cup of coffee or tea?

The cookies are certified kosher by OU.

For more information and to purchase, head here.

We love to bake with white chocolate chips—real white chocolate chips, that is.

Much of the “white chocolate” out there isn’t real chocolate. Check the label: If you see “vegetable oil” instead of “cocoa butter,” it’s an inferior product without delicious chocolate flavor.

White chocolate is made from sugar, milk, cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin (a natural emulsifier to smooth the chocolate, also listed as soy lecithin). That’s it.

If you care about the best ingredients, buy real white chocolate. We use the real deal from Guittard of San Francisco and Callebaut of Belgium. Otherwise, it’s analogous to using margarine instead of butter. You’ll really notice the difference in flavor.

Both of these white chocolate chip brands have a sweet, fresh cream flavor. The Guittard chips we’re currently using have nutty undertones and hints of citrus and vanilla. (Vanilla is an ingredient in white chocolate, while citrus notes come from the type of cacao beans used to make the cocoa butter.)

Buy the real deal, made with cocoa butter,
not vegetable oil. Photo courtesy Lake
Champlain Chocolate.

If there’s no cocoa butter, a product can’t be called chocolate. It can be called “imitation chocolate,” but no major brand wants that on its label! Thus:

Where To Find White Chocolate Chips

 
If you can’t find white chocolate chips, chop up a white chocolate bar. Our favorite—for eating as well—is from Green & Black’s, available at Whole Foods Markets, many other retailers and online.

FOOD TRIVIA: A bonus for the caffeine-conscious, there’s no caffeine in white chocolate.

Chocolate Lover? Find our favorite chocolate in our Gourmet Chocolate Section.

The makers of Good Karma Lactose-Free Creamers deserve good karma.

The new, all-natural line of dairy-free, lactose-free, soy-free, kosher-certified creamers is delicious. And most people won’t be able to tell the difference from conventional creamers.

Vegans and the ever-increasing community of lactose-intolerant people can rejoice. If you’re cutting down on sugar, you can rejoice, too: There’s none in the Original flavor, proving that you can create something excellent without refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Also available in French Vanilla and Hazelnut, the creamers arrive just in time for the holiday season. You can serve a flavored creamer that fits in with virtually any food regimen. (Calories/tablespoon: 20 for Original, 30 for flavors.)

A boon for vegans and the lactose-intolerant. Photo courtesy Good Karma Foods.

The creamers are available in supermarkets and in Walmart stores nationwide. The 32-ounce containers are very affordable: a MSRP of $2.64 for Original and $3.37 for the two flavors. The line is certified kosher by OU.

Learn more at GoodKarmaFoods.com. If you “like” Good Karma on Facebook, you can enter to win a nifty Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Maker, a brewer for serious coffee lovers. We tried it at Williams-Sonoma and would like to win one ourselves.

The company also supports sustainable agriculture. Good karma, indeed!

The best peppermint bark we’ve ever had.
Don’t miss it! Photo courtesy Enstrom.

We’ve tried every peppermint bark we’ve come across. And the winner:

Peppermint Bark from Enstrom Candies of Grand Junction, Colorado.

It’s a perfect blend of top-quality dark and white chocolate with crushed peppermint candy and chocolate cookie pieces. We admit to total addiction.

And we have to stock up on it, because it’s only made during the holiday season.

We promise you: Anyone you give a box to will tell you it’s the best peppermint bark they’ve ever had.

And they’ll pine for December 2012, when another box might come their way.

Enstrom Candies are certified kosher.

Get yours at The Nibble Gourmet Market—home to our very favorite treats.

Creamy mint lollypops from See’s Candies are a hit! Photo courtesy Sees.com.

Over the holidays, when people show up at the door—neighbors, letter carriers, package deliverers (lots of them!) and so on—we like to send them them off with a little something special.

In years past, we’d hand out homemade cookies, but those buttery cookies got messy, requiring napkins and plastic sandwich bags.

This year we’re streamlining and giving everyone a delicious Christmas Mint Lollypop from See’s Candies.

The white lollys in green foil wrapping are not kid food: They’re truly gourmet lollipops (both lollipop and lollypop are correct spellings).

The flavor of the heavy cream base is lightly accented with mint. And, dear to our hearts, the sugar is in perfect balance—not sugary-sweet like many lollipops.

In addition to the Christmas Mint Lollypops, there are Cinnamon Lollypops; mixed-flavor Lollypops in Butterscotch, Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla; and the same four flavors in a Hanukkah Lollypop Box.

Get a bunch for yourself, too, and extras for stocking stuffers.

See’s Candies are certified kosher by KSA.

What would you give as a mini-gift? Let us know!