Look closely: sugar is added to plain salsa in
Whole Foods’ store brand. Photo by Elvira
Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

Sometimes, though, you skip the reading of panel. A jar of olives, a can of water chestnuts, a container of salsa—you know what’s in the container, right?

Not right!

This week we got taken in by a container of plain salsa from Whole Foods’ new private label line, which beckoned us from a standalone case, along with the company’s private label hummus line.

We rely on salsa as a tangy, low calorie, good-for-you snack and condiment. So we picked up a container, brought it home, popped the top and eagerly inserted a spoon….

What did we get? A mouthful of sugar!

In fruit salsa, one expects some added sugar to enhance the mango, peach or pineapple. But adding sugar to plain salsa not only tastes bizarre—like adding sugar to the olives or the water chestnuts—it is unneeded and unwanted. It’s just wrong.

Salsa didn’t become America’s number condiment, beating out sugar and HFCS†-laden ketchup, by being sweet.

Now, we’re back to reading labels—even on bottled water (we previously purchased what we thought was a bottle of lime-flavored water, to find it was loaded with an unwelcome noncaloric sweetener). With the processed food industry in need of sugaring up every product they sell, we can’t be too safe.

The good news: Whole Foods isn’t adding sugar in their private label hummus (yet). And the hummus flavors, from Greek hummus with the spice blend za’atar* to lemon hummus to tabbouleh hummus and the gamut of established flavors (jalapeño, olive, red pepper, etc.)—are great. The low price ($1.99 per eight-ounce container) is a bonus.

MORE ABOUT SALSA

 
*Curiouser and curiouser: za’atar is a Middle Eastern herb blend but is not particularly associated with Greek cuisine. It’s a blend of oregano), calamint, thyme and satureja, which can be mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac and salt. Popular Greek herbs and spices include basil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory tarragon and thyme. So, Whole Foods folks, why is this flavor with za’atar called Greek hummus?

†High fructose corn syrup.

What’s “adult Halloween?”

It’s a gathering of friends to enjoy candy-inspired cocktails. Here’s the first of our Halloween cocktails, courtesy of Hornitos Tequila.

To evoke candy corn, this cocktail has been layered with ingredients of different densities that rest atop each other, like oil and vinegar (more about layered cocktails).

With a hint of mint, this cocktail doesn’t taste like candy corn. But you can serve some on the side!

CANDY CORN COCKTAIL RECIPE

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. Chill ingredients, if desired.

2. Layer ingredients in a tall glass.

3. Drink from the bottom, through a straw.

Serve it with a side of candy corn. Photo courtesy Hornitos Tequila.

Caprese sandwich, a.k.a. Caprese salad
sandwich. Photo courtesy Hubbard Inn.

Our Seasonal Affective Disorder* kicked in last Saturday—and daylight savings time doesn’t end until November 4th!

But it’s not the diminishing daylight that has us bummed. It’s the end of summer tomato season. Those beautiful heirloom tomatoes, a high point of our culinary week, are gone.

Every Saturday, we’d hit the farmers market, bring home a few pounds of assorted heirlooms, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella, and mix and match the tomatoes in a series of Caprese salads.

As a transition to fall fare, we’ve switched to a Caprese Sandwich, such as this one from Chicago’s Hubbard Inn.

Now, cherry tomatoes substitute for thick slices of summer tomatoes. The classic green in a Caprese salad is fresh basil, but the Hubbard Inn substitutes arugula (most Americans don’t like a basil salad). We do a 75:25 blend of arugula and basil.
And Hubbard Inn customers like meat on their sandwich: The inn adds prosciuto de Parma (also called Parma ham).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Slice mozzarella, halve cherry tomatoes.

2. Sprinkle bottom bread slice with oil and vinegar.

3. Layer with ham, mozzarella, arugula, basil and tomatoes/tomato substitute (see below).

For variety, try a Caprese Pasta Salad.
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR FRESH TOMATOES

Local summer tomatoes are a joy; they’re even more precious because the season is so sort. When regular tomatoes are not at their prime, here’s what we subsitute in salads and on sandwiches:

 
Let us know your favorite variations on this idea.
 
*Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter. It is attributed to less sunshine and long winter nights.

†Cut into long, thin strips.
 
  

Got plans this weekend?

How about Butter? The latest film from The Weinstein Company opens today in the United States and Canada.

When we were first invited to a screening of the film, we knew nothing about it except the cast. We thought it would be related to food, hence the invitation.

Well, it’s not about butter, the food. It’s about butter, the sculptural medium.

If you’ve never seen butter sculpture competitions at state or county fairs, you’ll be wowed by the art showcased in the film. Some of it’s tongue in cheek, but all of it made us say “Wow!”

We’re not going to provide a proper film review: We’re food reviewers, not film reviewers.

But in one sentence: We thought the film was quite the tasty spread. We’d see it again.

Photo courtesy The Weinstein Company.

The cast, given fun characters to chew on, includes the boldface names in the movie poster (above) and a preturnaturally wise child, Yara Shahidi. Kristen Schaal also deserves a shout-out.

If the film inspires you to learn the history of butter, the different types of butter, butter storage tips or the how to bake with butter, we’ve got it covered.

And check out our compiled list of real “food films.”
  

Bites of heaven: painted chocolate shells
filled with pumpkin-spiced chocolate
ganache. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE
NIBBLE.

If you’re looking for the finest chocolates for Halloween, you can’t do better than John & Kira’s, a former NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week as well as this week’s pick.

The chocolatier’s signature silky ganaches in 62% cacao Valrhona shells are just right for a gourmet chocolate Halloween.

It’s difficult to choose among Apple Spice, Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Pumpkin bonbons; so if the budget allows, get them all!
Check out the full review, along with this week’s recipe and cooking video.