THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Make Easy Food On A Stick

You can convert these plain bamboo skewers into delicious hors d’oeuvre and party food. We created the skewer in the photo below just by opening the pantry door and removing jars of artichoke hearts, olives and roasted red peppers.

Skewers typically can be found in different sizes: 4-inch skewers for single bites; 6-inch skewers for a multi-bite hors d’oeuvre or snack; and 10-inch skewers for main course “kebabs.”

Just peek into the fridge and you’ll find what you need to assemble healthy skewers. A combination of textures and colors always looks good:

 
You can turn this plain pile of skewers
into glamorous hors d’oeuvre and snacks.
Photo courtesy Charcoal Companion.
 

  • Chunks of cheese or ciliegine (bite-size mozzarella balls) marinated in olive oil, herbs and spices
  • Raw or roasted colorful vegetables such as orange, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
  • Seafood such as shrimp and/or scallops (grilled or raw)
  • Novelties such as water chestnuts
  • Skewer-friendly fruit, such as grapes and berries
  •  
    Also consider ingredients for kids: hot dog chunks, cherry tomatoes and sweet pickles, for example.

    Some people offer skewers with a dip, for example, with plain chicken; or mustard with ham-and-cheese skewers.

    If you’re grilling wood skewers, always soak them in water for 20 minutes before assembling and grilling, to avoid charring.

    Skewers can be washed and re-used.

    What are your favorite foods to “skewer?”

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Food On A Stick, Appetizers On A Pick


    Our favorite solution to “what to do with
    the skewers.” Photo by River Soma |
    THE NIBBLE.

      Food on a stick is such fun party fare, there’s a new cookbook devoted to it (called, appropriately, On A Stick).

    But what happens to all the sticks when the food is consumed?

    They typically lie like an unattractive pile of pick-up-sticks on the serving plate.

    Here’s a better idea:

  • Use a half lemon as the base for “disposing” of skewers.
  • After consuming the tidbit, the guest “skewers” the lemon. As the tray gets refilled, the lemon can be reused or replaced with a fresh half, as needed.
  •  
    This tip gracefully solved an ongoing problem for us, so we especially love it!

     

      

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    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Lightlife

    A couple of months ago, we received an invitation to two industry events on the same evening.

    One was for the Lightlife brand of vegan “meat” products. The other was to the opening of celebrity chef Todd English’s new restaurant.

    We made plans to stop by and taste Lightlife, a product line we’d never tried, and then head to Todd English’s restaurant. Here’s how the evening turned out:

    We liked the Lightlife foods so much, we stayed the entire evening, happily tasting everything. We never made it to the restaurant. Could there be a better endorsement of how good the Lightlife “vegan meat” products are?

    We are neither vegetarian nor vegan. We eat everything that’s delicious, and nothing that isn’t.

    Eating more vegan foods (products without any animal-based ingredients) supports our personal commitment to eating more sustainably. As much a we love meat, cheese and dairy foods, producing them takes a big toll on the planet.

     
    Lightlife’s vegan Chick’n Corn Chowder
    is enhanced with “bacon.” Both meats are
    made from tempeh, a soy-based protein,
    and are delicious. Photo courtesy Lightlife Foods.
     

    The line is certified vegan and kosher by OK. Read the full review. It also explains the differences between tempeh, tofu and seitan.

    If you’re looking for delicious, prepared vegan food, also see these Top Picks Of The Week:

  • Field Roast Grain Meat Company
  • Vegetarian Plus Asian Entrées

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Try Varietal Honey Types


    “Supermarket” honey is blended to achieve a
    generic sameness. This very distinctive black
    sage honey is from Savannah Bee Company.

      If you like honey as a sweetener, have you ventured beyond “generic” supermarket honey to fine varietal honeys?

    As with wine, it’s the difference between a bland jug wine and a varietal wine, which has the distinctly delightful characteristics of its particular grape.

    And as with wine, different honeys pair better with certain foods. See this comparison of nine top varietal honeys and the foods they complement.

    There are many different kinds of honey—300 varietals in the U.S. alone. While some people might make it a life’s work to try all of them, start small. In fact, start with the pairings we’ve just mentioned.

    Life’s too short to stick with generic honey.

  • Honey overview and the different types of honey.
  • The history of honey. It’s 40 million years old!
  • Honey trivia and a honey trivia quiz.
  •  

    Like flavored honey? These creme honeys in six flavors—apricot, blackberry, cranberry, lemon, raspberry and spiced—are among our favorites.

     

      

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    PRODUCT: Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownies, Cake & Frosting

    Cake lovers can be despondent if the doctor advises them to lay off the refined sugar.

    But thanks to Pillsbury, there’s no reason to go without delicious cakes and brownies.

    Delivering all of the flavor without the sugar, Pillsbury Sugar Free brownies, cakes and frostings can delight anyone. The treats include:

  • Brownies in Chocolate Fudge and Milk Chocolate
  • Cakes in Classic Yellow and Devil’s Food
  • Frosting in Chocolate Fudge and Vanilla
  •  
    We tried everything. Actually, we did more than “try”: We consumed every last crumb.

    The products taste like they’re made with sugar—but, surprise—they’re sweetened with Splenda (sucralose) and sugar alcohols (isomalt, maltitol and sorbitol).

     
    Even if you can’t have sugar, you can have
    a delicious brownie or piece of cake. Photo
    courtesy Pillsbury.
     
    These are not low-calorie or low-carb foods. Cake still has flour and fat; a serving of frosting, which is 100 calories, comprises 60 calories of fat. A brownie has 150 calories, 70 from fat. But everything is cholesterol-free.

    As a surprise, bake a batch for a friend on a sugar-free diet. Just resist the temptation to devour it yourself.

    The line is certified kosher by OU.
      

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