Grandma Hoerner’s Big Slice Applesauce
is the chunkiest you’ll find. Photo by
River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

Grandma Hoerner’s makes a specialty applesauce called Big Slice, because the applesauce is mostly large slices of apples, just like in a pie—but stewed to softness instead of baked.

Grandma Hoerner was raised on an apple orchard in Kansas, and began making applesauce in the late 1880s. Her grandson, Duane McCoy, began bottling and selling Grandma’s recipe in 1986. And we really like it.

The applesauce is made from all-natural, slow cooked apples. No sugar is added; the products are sweetened with fruit juice. In addition to the original All Natural Big Slice, Grandma Hoerner’s makes several varieties with added fruits or spices:

We loved Apricot and Strawberry, and look forward to trying the rest of the line. And at $5.50 for a 26-ounce jar, they’re a good value.

The products are available at GrandmaHoerners.com. They can be enjoyed as a side or dessert. Packaged in attractive Mason jars, they make inexpensive small gifts and stocking stuffers.

Thanks, Grandma Hoerner.

With all due respect to other quality products, these are the best ice cream bars we’ve had.

The company doesn’t use the term “bar,” but calls Magnum “handheld ice cream”—ice cream or ice on a stick, cones, etc.

Novelties are single-serving frozen treats that include ice cream bars, ice pops and ice cream sandwiches, among other products (remember push-up pops?). Novelties originated in the 1920s, with the creation of Eskimo Pies, Dixie Cups.

See the different types of ice cream products in our Ice Cream Glossary, as well as the history of ice cream.

The super-premium ice cream in chocolate or vanilla is excellent, and the thick coat of Belgian chocolate can’t be beat.

 
Each of the flavors is delicious, and we are equal-opportunity consumers of all six. However, three deserve a shout out for their extra layers of flavor.

 
Magnum is a brand of Unilever, which has an portfolio that includes Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Good Humor, Popsicle and noteworthy non-ice cream brands such as Bertolli, Hellmann’s, Knorr and Skippy. There’s also Slim-Fast, in case you can’t stop eating the Magnum bars.

Magnum ice cream is available in grocery retailers nationwide, including Kroger, Safeway, Target and Walmart. Three-count multipacks have a suggested retail price of $3.99; individual bars, a suggested retail price of $2.59.

Go for the boxes! There’s a store locator on the website. Head to the nearest store and indulge!

FOOD TRIVIA: The ice cream bar was invented in 1920 by Harry Burt of Youngstown, Ohio, who went on to found Good Humor.
  

Lovely leeks. Photo by Marlon Paul Bruin |
SXC.

On this past Sunday’s episode of Desperate Housewives, Susan Mayer had no idea what the long white vegetable that looked like a ginormous scallion was.

While it seems improbable that anyone who has ever strolled through a produce aisle can’t recognize a leek, it gave us this Tip Of The Day idea.

Leeks—a member of the onion species, allium—are in season now, and anyone who likes onions should cook some up.

To those Latin students who know that allium is garlic: garlic is also a member of the onion species, as are chives, shallots and ramps (wild leeks).

The edible portions of the leek are the white onion base and light green stalk. The bittersweet dark green portion at the end of the stalk is usually discarded.

Some recipes use only the white base. Save the light green portion for salads, stocks, quiche, burgers, general garnishes and so forth. Or batter and fry them as fried onion stalks, instead of onion rings.

Julia Child first introduced us to leeks in Mastering The Art Of French Cooking: leeks braised in butter (served with hot entrées, or served cold with cold meats and seafood), leeks browned with cheese and leeks in a ham quiche.

We later learned to love leeks as a soup ingredient. Scotland’s cock-a-leekie soup (chicken and leeks), leek and potato soup and vichyssoise—that delightful cold summer soup made of potatoes and leeks—are the most famous leek soups. Leeks are also the main ingredient in three-onion soup, along with onions and shallots.

Here’s a variation on that soup—a recipe for two-onion soup, made with leeks and sweet onions, also in season. Turn it into three-onion soup by adding a couple of minced shallots or garnishing it with chopped chives.

For everyone who enjoys cupcakes at a party, there’s now an official cupcake drink: Cupcake Vodka.

The vodkas are made by Cupcake Vineyards of Monterey County, California, which produces 14 affordable wine varietals in addition to four premium vodka flavors.

The vodka flavors are Original (vanilla cupcake), Chiffon (lemon cupcake), Devil’s Food and Frosting. The 750 ml bottles retail for $17.99.

The vodkas are just rolling out to retailers. There are no online sales yet so we haven’t tasted them yet, but we’re working on it! Stay tuned for a full review.

If you want to keep abreast of retail availability, sign up at CupcakeVodka.com.