Coffee: neat, pressed and hungry for a shot
(of Java & Co. syrup, that is). Photo ©
Elina Manninen | Fotolia.com.  

Millions of people in America walk into their favorite coffee emporium and order their java with a shot of syrup. Amaretto, caramel, hazelnut and vanilla are very popular, and it’s high season for egg nog, gingerbread and pumpkin (how did you think those pumpkin lattes are made)? Most coffee houses use Monin (which makes 113 flavors, not all meant for coffee) or Torani (78 flavors, ditto), and you can purchase bottles for home use. But if you’d like to give a gift of something special—small-batch, artisan-made syrups made from roasted coffee beans, including a “decaf”—Java & Co. has a good thing going.

The infused syrups that have so captivated coffee-drinkers are essentially flavored simple syrup (sugar syrup). They have gained visibility with the renaissance of coffee houses, but have been used for many years to make Italian sodas, as breakfast syrups and dessert syrups, and in recipes from glazes to baking. They can make almost any food taste better—but sugar has a way of doing that.

Java & Co.’s handmade and hand-bottled syrups—they’re made and shipped to order for maximum freshness—taste that much better than the mass-manufactured products from Monin and Torani. They begin with actual coffee beans, and are a delightful personal gift, corporate gift and sweet syrup for your own pantry.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/18/top-pick-of-the-week-java-co-artisan-coffee-syrups/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/12/top-pick-of-the-week-cookie-panache/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/12/top-pick-of-the-week-cookie-panache/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:31:51 +0000 Editorial Assistant http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=7694

Thank goodness the growing demand for sophisticated cookie platters gave birth to Cookie Panache, because the cookies are simply wonderful. In a world where the cost of labor and ingredients to bake one’s own butter cookies is almost as much as buying the finest, Cookie Panache is a real find. Crafting twists on favorites that add layers of flavor, these cookies and their biscotti siblings have most definitely earned their panache.

Cookie Panache answers the ever-hanging question of what to give for personal and corporate holiday gifts, hostess gifts and thank-you gifts for loving relatives who treat you to Thanksgiving, and Christmas and Chanukah memories.*

*Anyone who celebrates anything else: Add it here!

So, what are you waiting for? You know you want to dig in and find out more about the Dulce de Leche Cookie (a super sandwich), Triple Chocolate Bites (worth every calorie), Mojito Lime (a cocktail in a glass), Dutch Granny (we’ve adopted her) and the rest of the melodious cookie chorus, including impeccable biscotti.

Biscotti with panache. Photo by Evan Dempsey | THE NIBBLE.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/12/top-pick-of-the-week-cookie-panache/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/05/top-pick-of-the-week-tanteo-tequila-in-chocolate-jalapeno-tropical-fruit/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/05/top-pick-of-the-week-tanteo-tequila-in-chocolate-jalapeno-tropical-fruit/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:20:11 +0000 Editorial Assistant http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=7500

Tanteo Tequila is the first spirit to become a Top Pick Of The Week—it’s that special. We tasted the three superpremium tequilas infused with chocolate, jalapeño and tropical flavors at a show filled with foods from big-name chefs. We were dazzled by Tanteo.

Made with 100% blue agave tequila, Tanteo uses all natural ingredients to infuse the tequila, and it’s a magical marriage. These are sipping tequilas and cooking tequilas—you’ll love flavoring sauces, desserts and marinades with them (more ideas in the full review). Pair them with mains or desserts that have similar flavor profiles. In terms of mixed drinks: If the possibilities aren’t endless, they’ll keep you busy for quite some time. The company offers recipes to start you off.

Tanteo tequilas are a great addition to your bar and a gift that recipients will be talking about for a long time. They can be the hit of holiday parties.

Tantalizing tequila in three irresistible flavors. Photo courtesy of Tanteo Tequila.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/05/top-pick-of-the-week-tanteo-tequila-in-chocolate-jalapeno-tropical-fruit/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/01/product-ayala%e2%80%99s-herbal-water-adds-lemon-verbena-geranium/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/11/01/product-ayala%e2%80%99s-herbal-water-adds-lemon-verbena-geranium/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:47:04 +0000 Editorial Assistant http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=7124

There’s a new flower in the garden of Ayala’s Herbal Water. Lemon Verbena Germanium smells and tastes just like geraniums accented with lemon verbena (which some will recall as Ellen O’Hara’s—mother of Scarlett—favorite scent). Like the rest of the flavors, it’s refreshing, delightful and wonderfully different.

Ayala’s infuses organic garden herbs, blended with spices and citrus peel, into purified water to create innovative flavor profiles. We love this line; it complements food so much better than other flavored waters. The rest of the line includes Cinnamon Orange Peel, Clove Cardamom Cinnamon, Ginger Lemon Peel, Lavender Mint Lemongrass Thyme and Lemongrass Mint Vanilla. The first three are wonderful Thanksgiving flavors, especially welcomed by guests who don’t drink.

Ayala’s Herbal Water has zero calories and is certified USDA Organic and OU kosher. It is available at HerbalWater.com and at retailers nationwide, including Central Market, Food Emporium, Giant, HEB, Raley’s, Safeway, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market and many natural food and specialty food stores.

Yet of the $18 billion spent on coffee in the U.S. last year, the tiniest fraction went to organic and Fair Trade coffee. You can make a difference while enjoying an excellent cup of java.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/10/24/top-pick-of-the-week-organic-fair-trade-coffee/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/23/top-pick-of-the-week-field-roast-grain-meat/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/23/top-pick-of-the-week-field-roast-grain-meat/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:11:21 +0000 Nibble Editors http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=6083

We have something to introduce today that may seem out-of-the-box for THE NIBBLE. Let us assure you: It’s so delicious we keep buying more and more. If you’re looking for a healthy hot dog solution, a delicious vegan dish or a way to help the planet reduce greenhouse gases (more about that in the main review), Field Roast Grain Meat is it!

If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, you may have enjoyed a few jokes about Tofurkey or Veat vegetarian meat substitutes. Even some vegetarians we know turn their noses up at “fake meat” on principle. But at THE NIBBLE, we’re only in it for food, glorious food.

We’ve tried our fair share of vegetarian meats. Some we hope will never cross our plate again. Others, like the tempeh bacon served in a “TLT” sandwich (tempeh bacon, lettuce and tomato) with Nasoya’s Nayonaise (delicious!) at a local eatery, are a delight (“I can’t believe it isn’t bacon!”). We’re not vegetarian; we’re an omnivore. We eat anything that tastes good.

This meatloaf is 100% meatless comfort food. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

So when we first tasted a variety of products from the Field Roast Grain Meat Co., we couldn’t believe it wasn’t meat. Not knowing what “grain meat” was, we thought it might be a mixture of grain and meat. Whatever it was, we loved it. When we found out it was 100% vegetarian and vegan, we knew we’d found our next favorite culinary magician.

Whether you’re vegetarian, looking to give up meat a day or two a week to help the environment or your health, or simply looking for a new and delicious food, meet this great “new meat,” Field Roast grain meat.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/23/top-pick-of-the-week-field-roast-grain-meat/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/21/top-pick-of-the-week-golden-star-sparkling-tea/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/21/top-pick-of-the-week-golden-star-sparkling-tea/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:46 +0000 Nibble Editors http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=6012

Golden Star is terrific gift for anyone, and
especially for those who are abstaining
from alcohol. Photo courtesy of Golden Star.  

Oops—we forgot to post last week’s Top Pick, Golden Star Sparkling Tea. It’s such a wonderful product, we don’t want anyone to miss out on it.

If you’re a non-drinker, designated driver, or otherwise avoiding alcohol—but yearning for something as sophisticated and flavorful—Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea was created for you. It looks like a glass of Champagne, but has the sweetness of Sauternes. You’ll like it so much that you may not notice (or care) that it’s non-alcoholic. It’s a real find for non-drinkers and drinkers alike: Anyone who seeks something new and exciting will love it.

In addition to sipping as a cocktail, Golden Star Sparkling Tea pairs well with fish (including sushi), cheese, salads and fruit desserts.

Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea is totally different from artificially carbonated tea soft drinks, be they herbal, green tea or other. The tea is fermented like grapes in wine fermentation tanks. While management is mum on the process, they describe it as a marriage of the artisanal crafts of wine making and brewing. The result is complex, sophisticated and as worthy of your attention as a good glass of wine. And, the ingredients are organic. This sparkling tea is intoxicating—although no one will get intoxicated.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/21/top-pick-of-the-week-golden-star-sparkling-tea/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/10/top-pick-of-the-week-olympic-granola-bars/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/10/top-pick-of-the-week-olympic-granola-bars/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:00:17 +0000 Nibble Editors http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=5802

They may look like other granola bars, but
Olympic Granola Bars taste like dense nut
tortes. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky |
THE NIBBLE.  

Whether or not you’ve ever eaten a granola bar, Olympic Granola Bars are a bar of different color…and flavor…and thrill. Although they call themselves “gourmet granola bars,” we’d go a few steps further. Put a scoop of ice cream atop these 2-1/2-inch squares and the experience is tantamount to eating a dense nut torte.

On the other hand, you can pop one of these individually-wrapped wonders into your pocket, gym bag or desk drawer and have a more-than-pleasing snack. One of the flavors approximates a very nutty chocolate brownie; there are lemon, mint and flavors to satisfy any sweet tooth. Add a cup of coffee or tea for a very filling snack: chewy, all-natural and healthy.

And surprise: This is raw food, very nutritious and good for you, with 10g of protein per bar. We love that something this delicious is also healthy sustenance with nothing refined and good fats and sweeteners. It’s everything your nutritionist would encourage you to eat and that you feel good about giving to your kids, with enough flavors to keep them interested (the line is also (wheat- and dairy-free). The only problem is, we can’t stop eating them.

What else can we say: We’re in love. In full disclosure, we’re also publishing an extensive review of every artisan granola bar in America that the writer was able to uncover. But they’re just granola bars. Olympic Granola Bars belong in a different category entirely. We suggest “happiness bars,” for what could be happier than finding something so delectable yet good for you.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/10/top-pick-of-the-week-olympic-granola-bars/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/02/top-pick-of-the-week-alo-original-aloe-drink/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/02/top-pick-of-the-week-alo-original-aloe-drink/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:41:45 +0000 Nibble Editors http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=5676

Say “allo” to Alo Original Aloe Drink.  

Most people know about aloe vera. It’s an attractive succulent plant that’s often kept on the kitchen windowsill because its sap is soothing to burns and cuts.

The same gel-like sap that has medicinal and cosmetic uses is also made into beverages and other foods, popular in Asia. They can be absolutely delicious—juicy, fruity and fun—they’re filled with chewy pieces of aloe pulp. The challenge over the years we’ve been tasting them in the U.S. has been that they’ve been limited to Asian grocery distribution.

Now, through an arrangement with Ito-en, maker of the Top Pick Teas’ Tea line of bottled teas that have wide distribution in premium food markets, you’ll be seeing more of Alo Original Alo Drink (it’s also available online). It’s a better sweet drink for kids, who will love the floating pieces of aloe pulp and the groovy colors, and it’s hip and sophisticated for adults. Alo is a juice drink, a cocktail mixer and can be frozen into popsicles.

]]> http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/09/02/top-pick-of-the-week-alo-original-aloe-drink/feed/ 0 http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/08/25/top-pick-of-the-week-stony-brook-cookie-company/ http://blog.thenibble.com/2009/08/25/top-pick-of-the-week-stony-brook-cookie-company/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:55:57 +0000 Editorial Assistant http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=5471

If you live in the vicinity of Geneva, New York, you can pop into the Stony Brook Bakery for warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookies. The rest of us have to order them by mail—slightly less warm, but sent fresh from the oven and arriving as delicious as if you’d baked them yourself (or as grandma baked them, if you’re not a whiz in the kitchen). In fact, in these days, when most of us have more good intentions than time to enact them, Stony Brook Cookie Company is our surrogate, baking home-style cookies with finesse, packing them in cocoa-colored excelsior and dark brown tissue paper, and nestling them in a dark brown or kraft paper box. It’s just homey enough to convey to the recipient that you could have baked them yourself.

All of the ingredients are fresh as can be: butter and eggs from a local dairy co-op, flour from a local artisan mill and almonds and pecans toasted in the bakery oven. The chocolate is from Callebaut. The varieties include Super Chocolate Chunk, a classic chocolate chunk cookie; Double Chocolate Pecan, made with bittersweet chocolate and cocoa; Oatmeal Cranberry & White Chocolate, a superior oatmeal cookie; and Stony Brook Jumble, with dried cherries, chocolate chunks, almonds and coconut. Read more about these charmers in the full review. And think of whose day would be brightened with a fresh-baked cookie gift.

These times require comfort food. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

One more tip: The same folks make a unique butternut squash seed oil under another umbrella, at WholeHeartedFoods.com. We’ll be writing more about it, but if you’re looking for an exciting new culinary oil, this is it.

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