Our favorite from-the-bag cocktail snack has got to be Japanese rice crackers, specifically the chic little rolls wrapped in seaweed. They’re called nori maki arare in Japanese: seaweed roll cracker.

While we’ve never met a rice cracker we didn’t like—they are a delightful change of pace from bowls of nuts, pretzels and chips—these look and taste different.

The super crunchy crackers are high on texture and nuances of flavor. In addition to the ocean-brininess of the seaweed, the soy sauce, used instead of salt, adds sophisticated flavor. There is a tiny hint of heat and the faintest taste of sweetness.

Consider these Japanese rice crackers a gourmet crunchy snack.

And they’re not just for cocktails. A few crackers make a tasty snack with beer, green tea or straight black tea. (We drink our tea Asian-style, without milk or sugar. For sugared tea, a cookie is a better companion).

As with any seductive salty snack, it’s easy to polish off an entire bag while enjoying one’s wine or beer.

You can also find fancy rice crackers (as opposed to the round, flat crackers) flavored with wasabi or shrimp, among other varieties. If you love this type of rice snack nugget, keep trying different types in order to discover your favorites.

If your supermarket has a Japanese products section, look for them there; you can also find them at Asian products specialty markets or online.

Find more of our favorite salty, crunchy snacks in our Gourmet Snacks Section.
  

Motzi has updated the traditional plain challah by stuffing it with delicious things: sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, pumpkin and chocolate (not all in one loaf, of course).

With the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, commencing on Wednesday, September 28th, it’s a perfect time to try these delicious stuffed challahs, or send them as gifts (just $5.00 a loaf).

When we sat down to try our order, we never dreamed that five loaves of bread would disappear so quickly.

Fortunately, the products freeze well, so on our next order, we paced ourselves.

The line is certified kosher by OU.
 
*Where were the rabbis? Long before rabbis were in charge of Jewish congregations, priests were in charge of the temples. The roots of Judaism date back to the Bronze Age (3300 to 1200 B.C.E.). Rabbinic Judaism (today’s Judaism) developed during the 3rd to 6th centuries C.E., after the codification of the Talmud (the central text of Judaism that covers customs, ethics, history, law and philosophy). “Rabbi” means “teacher of the Talmud.”

Millennia ago, potatoes grew wild in the foothills of the Andes Mountains of Peru. They were cultivated around 3,000 B.C.E. by the Incas and discovered by Europeans when the Spanish conquistadors reached the shores of Montezuma’s empire (modern-day Mexico) in 1519.

Now a staple in many national cuisines, potatoes are the third most important food crop in the world (preceded by rice and wheat). Hundreds of different varieties are grown globally.

The different varieties range from the size of a grape to the size of a grapefruit. Potatoes come in many shapes, from round to oval to twisted. While most Americans have seen only white potatoes and sweet potatoes, there are varieties in a rainbow of colors: black, blue, brown, green, orange, pink, purple, yellow and the ubiquitous white potato.

Specialty markets often carry blue and purple varieties. Check farmers markets for the more unusual potato varieties.

For National Potato Month, try different varieties.

The Potato Glossary also has cooking, nutrition and potato storage information.
  

The premium bakery wants its products to arrive in peak condition—not to languish in steamy-hot delivery trucks.

Now that things cooling down a bit, you can treat yourself or your favorite friends and family to a mixed box of eight brownies. The assortment contains two each of:

 
Geoff & Drew’s also has some of the perkiest gift boxes we’ve seen, in your choice of blue, green, pink or yellow polka dots.

Brownie happiness is just a click away.

Owners’ manuals state that coffee can sit on the warmer for up to two hours. But we say don’t let it sit for more than 30 minutes—the standard observed by good restaurants and coffee shops.

If your coffee ends up with a scorched or burned flavor, the obvious answer is to make fewer cups. The industry measures “cups” in six ounce portions, so four cups fills two large mugs.

But if you like to hedge your bets and make a larger amount of coffee, here are other options:

 
Alternative Coffee Makers

 
Find everything you want to know about coffee in our Gourmet Coffee Section.