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


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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: The Best Ice Cream

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Jeni’s uses fresh, local ingredients such as ripe summer strawberries in its Strawberry Buttermilk
Ice Cream.

July is National Ice Cream Month. We began the month with Ruby et Violette’s cookie dough ice creams; we’re ending it with two more all-stars: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, Ohio and Silver Moon Desserts in Los Gatos, California (Silicon Valley, south of San Francisco). Each is very distinctive and worth the treat of having it shipped to wherever you happen to be. Jeni’s focuses on local and organic seasonal ingredients, Silver Moon on liqueur-flavored ice cream and sorbet.

If sending away for ice cream sounds unusual to you, it’s no different from mail ordering Riviera pears from Harry & David in Oregon, chocolate from Larry Burdick in New Hampshire or USDA prime beef from Allen Brothers in Chicago. Sure, you can get a decent pear, box of chocolate or steak in your town, but when you want a special treat, get it from the best source possible.

So if you adore, luxuriate in, relish, revel in and savor ice cream as we do—or know someone who would rather get a gift of ice cream than, say, that box of pears or steak—read about two very special ice cream artisans—individuals or duos whose passion for the best ice cream led them to set up shop and make it themselves.

  • Read more about Jeni’s and Silver Moon ice cream and their wonderful, creative flavors in the full review.
  • See another of our favorite artisan ice cream makers, Ciao Bella (also a Top Pick Of The Week).
  • This week’s Top Pick ice creams may come in interesting varieties, but take a look at these extreme ice cream flavors.

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TIP OF THE DAY: Ginger Beer Cheer

Ginger ale lovers who want more spice in their life should get to know ginger beer, a more intensely-flavored, spicier brew. Historically fermented, today’s ginger beers, like Reed’s Original Ginger Brew, are alcohol-free, sophisticated soft drinks that can be enjoyed straight from the bottle, or as cocktail mixers. Try a Moscow Mule, with 2 ounces of vodka, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and a bottle of ginger beer. Add the vodka and lime juice to a highball glass filled with ice. Fill with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

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RECIPE: Orange Madeleines & More

Madeleines are small buttery cakes with a distinctive shell shape. This French delight is named for Mary Magdalen (the French name for Magdalen is Madeleine). Food historians believe that the recipe originated with nuns from a convent once dedicated to her, as nuns traditionally raised money by baking and selling sweets. Many people liken the madeleine to pound cake, although it is actually a sponge cake (génoise). Madeleines are easy to bake, requiring only a special madeleine pan with shell shaped depressions.

Recipe #1
Here’s a recipe flavored with orange liqueur, courtesy of GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur. It was created by Tony Aiazzi, former Executive Chef at one of our favorite restaurants, Aureole, in New York City.

If you love madeleines but don’t have time to bake, look for Donsuemor madeleines.

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Don’t be intimidated by their shape: madeleines are easier to make than they look. Photo courtesy Donsuemor Madeleines.

Don and Susie Morris started baking madeleines in a small kitchen in Berkeley in 1976; more than 30 years later, their company is baking 15,000 madeleines an hour. Their all-natural madeleines are available in Traditional, Lemon Zest, Chocolate, Traditional Dipped and Chocolate Dipped. The cakes, which are certified kosher (by Kosher Los Angeles), are distributed nationally at leading retailers including Albertson’s, HEB, Peet’s and Whole Foods, plus specialty and natural food stores. You can see more retailers and also order them online directly from Donsuemor.

Recipe #2
We followed one of Donsuemor’s website recipe suggestions and it is now on our list of “signature” house desserts: madeleine ice cream sandwiches. Split the madeleine in half and fill with ice cream. Gild the lily by pressing chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, mini chips or other favorite garnish around the edges of the ice cream. Madeleines freeze beautifully; you can make these in advance of the party and keep them well wrapped. The biggest challenge is to keep your hands off of them until serving time.

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GOURMET GIVEAWAY: Daddy Cakes Pancake & Waffle Mix

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Make a batch of pancakes in a delicious
“new” flavor with Daddy Cakes. Photo by
Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE.

This week’s Gourmet Giveaway is a deluxe gift basket from Daddy Cakes Pancake & Waffle Mix, complete with everything needed to deck oneself out as a stylin’ pancake chef. The winner will get a:

  • Daddy Cakes chef’s toque
  • Daddy Cakes apron
  • Spatula
  • Complete set of Daddy Cakes mixes, in 9 flavors—Witty Whole Wheat, Vivacious Vanilla, Blueberry Bonanza Blast, Glamorous Gingerbread, Criminal Chocolate Chip and more.

Check out our review of this yummy line of “just add water” gourmet pancake and waffle mixes.

We’re also giving away the last of the Smucker’s healthy gift baskets.

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TIP OF THE DAY: Rosemary Shrimp

Love shrimp? Add beauty and flavor to grilled shrimp with this simple trick: Use fresh rosemary as your skewer. Look for large, woody rosemary bunches and soak the sprigs in water for 15 minutes prior to grilling, to prevent burning. Toss jumbo shrimp with olive oil; skewer 3 onto each sprig. Salt and pepper to taste. You can use a grilling pan or the outdoor grill, on medium hot. Grill until the shrimp are lightly curled, pink and opaque (approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side). Add a squeeze of fresh lime and serve. They’re so delicious, no sauce or condiment is required.

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