If you want just a bit of onion flavor, you can mince the onion and sprinkle just a bit on your bagel. Or you can substitute chives, the smallest and most delicate-flavored member of the onion family. Native to Asia, it was purportedly brought to the West by Marco Polo, and has been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages.

Chives are one of the “fines herbes” of French cuisine, which also include chervil, parsley and tarragon. Most chives have lovely lavender flowers (others are white), which are also edible.

Chives lose their flavor when cooked for an extensive period of time, so they are primarily used in quick-cooked foods (scrambled eggs, for example) or as a garnish.

In addition to eggs, chives are a popular garnish for fish, potatoes, soups and finely chopped as a plate garnish. We chop them very finely and scatter them on dinner plates as a garnish, or place a whole chive across a piece of fish or meat (if they’re in flower, so much the better!).

Instead of onion, pass a bowl of chopped
chives. Photo by Claire Freierman | THE NIBBLE.

• Check out our favorite organic bagels, from French Meadow Bakery.

What a refreshing lineup! Photo by Hannah
Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

Such is the case of R.W. Knudsen’s Sparkling Essence. Essence of what? Look at the definition of the word, below, and let us know if you have a clue.

Nevertheless, we’re addicted to these flavored, unsweetened sparkling waters made from carbonated spring water. They’re also certified USDA organic.

Sparkling Essence is flavored with blueberry, cucumber, lemon or mint. The flavors are light and refreshing; there are no calories, added sweeteners or artificial ingredients.

The Lemon flavor tastes like lemon-flavored club soda, lemon Perrier and others of the genre. It’s nice, but we’ve had it before. The revelations are the other three flavors, which we’ve never seen in sparkling form: Blueberry, Cucumber and Mint.

And anyone who has ever infused the water pitcher with fresh mint will love this grab-and-go version.

In fact, our only complaint about the product, beyond the silly name, is that it’s in 10.5-ounce cans. They’re so good, we drink two at a clip!

Look for R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Essence at fine retailers. Check the store locator on the Knudsen website.

*From the Random House Dictonary:
1. The basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features: Freedom is the very essence of our democracy.
2. A substance obtained from a plant, drug, or the like, by distillation, infusion, etc., and containing its characteristic properties in concentrated form.
3. An alcoholic solution of an essential oil; spirit.
4. A perfume; scent.
5. Philosophy. the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.
6. Something that exists, esp. a spiritual or immaterial entity.

• Meet Paula Deen on the Set of “Paula’s Best Dishes” and enjoy dinner for two at her Savannah, Georgia restaurant, The Lady & Sons. Bidding ends Friday, April 30, 2010, and dinner will take place on May 7, 2010. Proceeds will benefit the New York Women in Communications Foundation. Get more information on this auction lot.
• Lunch with Ruth Reichl: Who knows food better than the acclaimed food critic and author? She joined Gourmet Magazine as editor-in-chief in April 1999, following six years as restaurant critic of The New York Times. Lunch with Ms. Reichl at one of her favorite New York spots. Bidding ends Wednesday, May 5, 2010. Proceeds will benefit the New York Women in Communications Foundation. Get more information on this lot.

Ready for a celebrity meet-and-eat? Photo
courtesy Charitybuzz.com.

• Surf & Dine With Marc Murphy In The Hamptons. A great item for people who summer in The Hamptons: The winner and a guest will spend an afternoon surfing with Chef Murphy and a private instructor, followed by a dinner for up to 10 guests cooked by Murphy in the winner’s Hamptons home. (Hey, who’s cooking at Landmarc and Ditch Plains while he’s surfing?) Bidding ends Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Proceeds will benefit City Harvest. Get more information on this lot.
• Chef’s Six-Course Tasting Menu for 6 at Tocqueville Restaurant. Co-owners Jo-Ann Makovitzky and Chef Marco Moreira will welcome you to Tocqueville’s new home, located steps from Union Square. An elegant, luxurious room with soaring ceilings sets the perfect stage for sophisticated French-American cuisine. Bidding ends Wednesday, April 21, 2010. Proceeds will benefit Figure Skating in Harlem. Get more information on this lot. 

Use it or lose it (or freeze it!). Photo
courtesy KingArthurFlour.com.

As a rule of thumb, whole wheat flour will go rancid sooner than white enriched flour. That’s because whole grains contain the whole kernel, which in turn contains the germ. The germ contains fat (oil)—and as we all know, fat goes rancid.

So you may have some extra time with white flour, but keep an eye on the date of your whole grain flours and other whole-grain products like grits.

For longevity, you can store any type of flour in the refrigerator—or better yet, in the freezer, for up to two years. But plan ahead: Refrigerated or frozen flour must come to room temperature before it’s used.

• What are whole grain flours? See our article on whole grain cereals and the benefits of whole grain foods.

Created by a team of parents, including a physician’s assistant, Gudernoobs are made in four flavors. The small, individually wrapped chews include Awesome Apple Cider, Big Time Brownie, Outrageous Oatmeal Banana and Perfect Peanut Butter.

Billed as “the original un-candy,”* each flavor has only five or six simple, healthy ingredients, like bananas, dates, flax, oatmeal, raisins and vanilla. There is no added sugar, artificial flavors, dyes, high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives. The product is all-natural and vegan.

*NOTE to hypesters and sloganeers: What is an original un-candy, i.e., non-candy? Fruit, grain, and anything that isn’t candy is un-candy. The original “sweet” was the date, which grew in the Middle East millennia before the word “candy” was formed; along with honey. The word “candy” is derived from the Persian “qandi,“ for sugar (also note the Sanskrit “kha??aka?,” sugar candy). The first qandi were fruits and nuts rolled in honey.

The name may be wacky, but kids will love
it. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Gudernoobs are available at select retailers or online by visiting WooHooFoods.com.

More Healthy, Sweet Snacks

This product and company name reminds us of our personal favorite “healthy snack,” Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. Created by Laura Trice, M.D., the products are superb. But if she hadn’t sent them to us, we’d never have bought them off the shelf.

We don’t want to eat “junk food,” wholesome or not. (What’s wrong with “Laura’s Healthy Sweets?”) Nevertheless, we encourage you to check out these cholesterol free, vegan and (in some varieties) gluten-free snacks. The Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food line is certified kosher (although a Jewish grandmother might not approve of the name, either).