THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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FOOD HOLIDAY: National Waffle Week

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The waffle evolved from its birth over
a 13th century fire to a 20th century
toaster waffle. Photo by Kelly Cline | IST.

National Waffle Week is the second week in September. That means this is your weekend to celebrate waffles. We have some suggestions, of course.

Don’t waffle: There’s still time to have a “waffle frolic” for Sunday brunch or chicken and waffles for dinner!

 

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TIP OF THE DAY: Developing Younger Palates

Even if your fledgling gourmets shrink from trying stronger cheeses, you can begin “cheese appreciation” at an early age by teaching them quality in the cheeses they do like. Buy different brands of Cheddar, Swiss and cream cheese, for example, and let the kids evaluate the differences between regular supermarket brands, organic brands and artisan brands. After they taste them, lead a discussion on how the flavors and textures differ and let them express opinions and preferences. Then share the prices and discuss price/value. If they prefer a more expensive cheese, do they prefer it enough to pay 20% or 30% more? You can do this with other foods they like—frankfurters, peanut butter and cookies. It’s never too early to develop an analytical palate.

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GOURMET GIVEAWAY: Enter To Win Amella Caramels

Love caramels? Enter to win some of the best!

This week’s gourmet prize sponsor is Amella Cocoa Butter Caramels. Available in three mouth-watering flavors, the gourmet caramels are all made with butter, cream and real fruits and vegetables. (Yes, vegetables: They made a delicious Carrot Cake caramel in addition to their equally delightful Black Forest and Passion Fruit caramels.) The addition of cocoa butter adds the silkiness to chocolate for these candies, which are all hand-cut and individually hand-dipped so no two are exactly identical.

In addition to an indulgent treat for you, indulge your guests by serving these with after-dinner coffee. They also make wonderful gifts and stocking stuffers for foodies.

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Black Forest Caramels: Chocolate, cherries,
creamy topping and shaved black chocolate—
just like Black Forest cake. Photography by
Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

 

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TIP OF THE DAY: Vitamin C Juice Jolt

If you turn to orange juice for vitamin C, you should know that tropical fruit juices like guava and mango have even more vitamin C per serving. They also have more layers of flavor. Natural food markets and chains like Whole Foods are one source to find tropical juices; international supermarkets catering to Latino, Indian and Pac Rim customers are also great sources. Don’t overlook frozen juice concentrates—they’re generally just as delicious and less expensive (many bottled juices are reconstituted from concentrate, too—read the labels). Grown in the U.S., currant juice has four times the vitamin C of O.J. and twice the antioxidants of blueberries. The best juice you can drink is Montmorency cherry juice, with the highest antioxidants of all fruits.

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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Olympic Granola Bars

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They may look like other granola bars, but
Olympic Granola Bars taste like dense nut
tortes. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky |
THE NIBBLE.

Whether or not you’ve ever eaten a granola bar, Olympic Granola Bars are a bar of different color…and flavor…and thrill. Although they call themselves “gourmet granola bars,” we’d go a few steps further. Put a scoop of ice cream atop these 2-1/2-inch squares and the experience is tantamount to eating a dense nut torte.

On the other hand, you can pop one of these individually-wrapped wonders into your pocket, gym bag or desk drawer and have a more-than-pleasing snack. One of the flavors approximates a very nutty chocolate brownie; there are lemon, mint and flavors to satisfy any sweet tooth. Add a cup of coffee or tea for a very filling snack: chewy, all-natural and healthy.

And surprise: This is raw food, very nutritious and good for you, with 10g of protein per bar. We love that something this delicious is also healthy sustenance with nothing refined and good fats and sweeteners. It’s everything your nutritionist would encourage you to eat and that you feel good about giving to your kids, with enough flavors to keep them interested (the line is also (wheat- and dairy-free). The only problem is, we can’t stop eating them.

What else can we say: We’re in love. In full disclosure, we’re also publishing an extensive review of every artisan granola bar in America that the writer was able to uncover. But they’re just granola bars. Olympic Granola Bars belong in a different category entirely. We suggest “happiness bars,” for what could be happier than finding something so delectable yet good for you.

  • Read the full review and order some. We promise, you’ll be happy.
  • Find more of our favorite snacks in THE NIBBLE’s Snacks Section.

 

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