It’s probably not a surprise, but a food with a sexy name is more appealing to consumers. The right name could command a much sweeter price for farmers, as research for a new apple name has shown.

Apple names generally fall into three categories:

 
Using experimental auctions, researchers at Cornell University tested participants’ willingness to pay for five different varieties of apples, including a new, patented variety developed at Cornell. Auction participants didn’t know about the apples’ history or the Cornell connection, but they learned about each variety’s attributes, such as sweetness and crispness, and they tasted slices of each.

With the first two names, the average bid for the new apple was 12% higher than the average for four established apple varieties: Empire, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Piñata. With the “exciting” Flavor Haven name, the average bid for the apple jumped to 27% more than the other varieties.

As new, patented varieties of apples hit shelves, they will often sell for a premium—and not just because of the sexy name. They’re also more expensive to grow, as farmers have to buy licenses from the developers to grow them. There is a fairly substantial upfront fee—it could be $1,500 an acre to license—and then a royalty is paid on each box of fruit sold.

Historically, the agriculture schools of public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the public. But in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the right to retain the intellectual property rights for their research.

So the next time you look at the variation in apple prices: There’s more than meets the eye.

What can you say about an “unknown” vodka that ranks as high for quality as top brands, at one-third of the price?

You say: Forget the prestige labels and buy that vodka!

Wódka, the Polish word for vodka, is a well-priced vodka that tastes anything but generic (and we drink our vodka straight). Crisp and clean, with flavors of rye and hints of minerality, Wodka won a gold medal and 90 points from the industry authorities at the Beverage Tasting Institute.

Triple-distilled and on a par with most super-premium vodka brands, Wodka vodka is just $8.99 for a 750ml bottle. There’s no need to pay more for prestige brands: In these economic times, make price-value Wodka the new prestige.

BEVERAGE TASTING INSTITUTE RANKINGS

Learn more about Wodka vodka at WeLoveWodka.com.
  

Irresistible truffle fries. Photo courtesy Arch
Rock Fish Restaurant | Santa Barbara.

But the feast doesn’t end there: The must-haves along with this bowl of heaven include a fine craft IPA beer and a cone of truffle fries.

Ah, the truffle fries: so simple, so divine. So today’s tip is: Turn your French fries into truffle fries. All you need is some truffle oil.

The regular hand-cut fries at that restaurant are $6; with a sprinkle of truffle oil and Parmesan cheese the price almost doubles, to $11. At home: less than $1 per serving.

The following recipe is courtesy of a restaurant on the opposite coast: Arch Rock Fish in Santa Barbara, California, and its chef, Scott Leibfried.

TRUFFLE FRIES RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT potatoes lengthwise into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide. Fry the potatoes in peanut oil until golden brown (see tips below).

2. SEASON with salt and truffle oil.

3. TOSS with parsley.

We actually used our Actifry for this recipe—it requires only one tablespoon of frying oil! But for making French fries the old-fashioned way:

1. SOAK the potatoes in ice water for an hour, drain, and pat completely dry between paper towels. You can skip this step, but it makes the fries crisper.

2. PREPARE surface for draining by lining two baking sheets or large plates with paper towels.

3. SELECT a large, deep pot and attach a candy thermometer with clip (the tip of the thermometer must not touch the bottom of the pot). Fill with 3 inches of peanut oil and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 325°F.

4. FRY potatoes (in batches) for 2-3 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove to paper towels to drain. and heat the oil to 375°F.

6. RE-FRY potatoes For extra crispiness. Raise the temperature of the oil to 365°F and refry potatoes for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on fresh paper towels.

Now that you own a bottle, don’t let it languish on the shelf. Use it up while the truffle flavor and aroma are strong. But don’t heat it: Heat dissipates both flavor and aroma. Drizzle truffle oil on foods or otherwise add to:

 
ALL ABOUT TRUFFLES

Here’s everything you need to know about truffles: the types of truffles, how to buy, store and cook truffles, and much more.
 
HOW MANY TYPES OF POTATOES HAVE YOU HAD?

Check out our Potato Glossary: the history of the potato and the different types of potatoes.
  

A stack of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

Both Jim and wife Pam have MBAs and years of business experience; but Pam also had serious baking skills. So she set out to re-invent gluten-free cookies and muffins that were every bit as tasty as their fully glutenized counterparts.

Lucky Spoon Bakery has succeeded in changing the way people think about gluten-free baked goods. The products are moist, fresh and delicious.

“Gluten-free has always been code for ’taste-free’ or ‘you can eat it but you probably won’t like it,’” says Jim. But, as has been proved by other artisan bakers of gluten-free goods, if you spend enough time, money (on the best ingredients) and love, you can produce bread, cakes, cookies, muffins and other products that everybody loves to eat.

Gluten-Free Cookies

Instead of wheat flour, the cookies are made with a blend of white rice flour, potato flour and almond meal; plus sugar, butter, eggs, quality chocolate or peanut butter, vanilla and other ingredients of good cookies.

 
Gluten-Free Muffins

?White rice flour and potato flour instead of wheat flour. As with the cookies, sugar, eggs, butter and quality flavorings combine to make moist, tasty muffins:

To find Lucky Spoon products, check the store locator on the company website.
  

Today’s tip is for chocolate lovers: Make chocolate whipped cream. It takes an extra step, but the novelty—and the delectable flavor—are worth it.

Use chocolate whipped cream to garnish a cake or pie, frost a cake or cupcakes or use as a filling for cream puffs and other pastry. Top other desserts, hot chocolate or coffee.

This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. The recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups of whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE

Ingredients

1. PLACE chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.

2. COMBINE cream and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat

3. POUR boiling cream over the chocolate; stir until smooth and the chocolate is melted. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

4. TRANSFER to a large bowl. Beat until the mixture develops soft peaks, or to the desired consistency for spreading or filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
 
MORE FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM RECIPES

Try these flavored whipped cream recipes, including Bourbon Whipped Cream, Five Spice Whipped Cream, Lavender Whipped Cream, Holiday Spice Whipped Cream, Salted Caramel Whipped Cream and Savory Whipped Cream.