Not from Switzerland or even from New Zealand (home of the Southern Alps mountain range), Southern Alps is a U.K. company with an attractive line of artisan products. Selecting the finest fruits from around the world, Southern Alps makes “slow dried” fruit, fruit and nut mixes, and includes the fruits in granola and muesli. The fruits are a find for elegant grab-and-go snacking, and there is a beautiful dried fruit gift box. Muesli lovers fond of bananas and figs may find a new favorite in Muesli No.5.
As is often the case with specialty food producers, what started out as a healthy, homemade food has become a major success. Founders Andrew and Lotte Garner started making their own muesli at home, then moved on to selling it at their local farmers’ market in the U.K. That was in 2001. After a friend suffered a severe reaction to the sulphur dioxide used in dried fruit (some, not all, dried fruit products use the additive), Lotte, who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, created a warm-air fruit and vegetable dryer. Through experimentation, the Garners found that by drying high-quality fruits slowly, they retained maximum flavor and nutritional value without the need to add sugar or preservatives. The fruits were a hit and the tiny venture became a company with fans around the world.
Enjoy a cup of joe with more antioxidants
than the coffee you’re drinking now.
When we first saw Caffe Sanora’s label, claiming to be “Natural Antioxidant Coffee,” we were skeptical. Doesn’t all coffee have antioxidants? It turns out that raw coffee beans lose a lot of their antioxidants in the roasting process, so Caffe Sanora has found a way to roast coffee beans while preserving more of the natural antioxidants. With 50% to 100% more antioxidants compared to other Arabica coffees, it is well worth it to consider swapping your everyday coffee with one (or more) of Caffe Sanora’s five varieties. The Breakfast Blend will appeal to people who want a light cup of sweeter, chocolate-nuanced coffee in the morning. Those who seek intense, rich or dark flavors should opt for the Dark Roast or Signature Roast. A portion of company proceeds is donated to not-for-profit cancer prevention research.
Caffe Sanora looks, smells and tastes like normal (even great) coffee. But just like Clark Kent can fool the world into thinking he’s your average joe, Caffe Sanora coffee can easily fool coffee drinkers into believing it’s your average cup of joe. But on the molecular level, 50% to 100% more antioxidants are swirling inside every cup of Caffe Sanora when tested against other Arabica coffees (the varying percentages depend on the roasting conditions of each brand of coffee). It makes sense that the “sanora” of Caffe Sanora derives from “sano,” the Italian word for health; with Sanora in hand, you can say “sayonara” (goodbye) to other gourmet coffees and drink up those antioxidants like never before!
Here’s the winning sandwich in Peanut Butter & Co’s Bee’s Knees Sandwich Contest, introducing their new PB blended with honey. The recipe, called “Fall Harvest,“ was submitted by Lynn O’Meara. While Lynn’s recipe specifies frying in olive oil, we personally preferred the flavor of melted unsalted butter.
Ingredients For 1 Sandwich:
-2 slices of whole wheat or whole grain bread (sturdy to hold up to grilling) -2 tablespoons The Bee‘s Knee’s Peanut Butter -2 tablespoons roughly chopped walnuts -2 tablespoons dried cranberries -Olive oil or melted butter
Preparation:
1. Preheat a panini grill (or non-stick skillet). 2. Spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter on each slice of bread stopping short of the edges by about 1½ inches (peanut Butter melts so it needs a little extra room). 3. Sprinkle the walnuts and cranberries on one slice. Cover with the other slice of bread (peanut butter to peanut butter), pressing lightly to seal the peanut butter around nuts and fruit. 4. Brush the outside of the bread lightly with olive oil. Grill sandwich for 2-3 minutes until bread is golden (If using a skillet, carefully flip sandwich when first side is golden). Slice and serve warm.
Not just any mixed nuts—these have the
sizzle of real wasabi.
We never met a Real Wasabi product we didn’t like. With its new line of wasabi-flavored cocktail nuts, the company is tied with Palette Fine Foods for top honors, with most Top Picks Of The Week (three). The majority of people who eat sushi don’t realize that the wasabi served to them typically is not real wasabi (Wasabia japonica), but a far less expensive mixture of ordinary horseradish root and mustard. And, as with the finest craft brew versus a mass-market beer, there’s a big difference in taste. You can read more about real versus imitation wasabi in our review of authentic wasabi powder (you mix it with water to create the paste, just as they do at sushi bars) from Real Wasabi.
Now about those wasabi nuts. Available in six-ounce cans in Wasabi Almonds, Wasabi Cashews, Wasabi Pistachios and Wasabi Mixed Nuts, these elegantly “warm” (not fiery hot) nuts will wow with beer, cocktails or as garnishes—chopped or whole atop goat cheese canapés or tossed into a chicken salad, for example. They have just the right touch of wasabi: enough to assert itself, but not enough to cover up the excellent quality of the nuts. The cans make colorful stocking stuffers and a welcome addition to a gift basket.
We’d like to give a shout out to Doug Lambrecht, founder of Real Wasabi, for bringing real wasabi to more Americans beyond the handful who have experienced it fresh-grated in the country’s most elite sushi bars. Now do your part: Get to know all of the Real Wasabi products. See the delicious wasabi nut varieties close up in the full review. The nuts are all-natural and certified kosher by OU.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab: Since 1913, Joe’s Stone Crab has been a legendary dining institution in Miami. In 2000, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab debuted in Chicago. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is Dover Sole, which is cooked whole and filleted at tableside. Chef Gary Baca says that leaving all elements of the fish intact while cooking—head, tail and bones—intensifies its natural richness and sweetness of this mild fish. So just by adding butter, salt and pepper, you’ll have a succulent delight. He does remove the skin before cooking, which adds a crispy texture. Here’s the simple recipe, which can be prepared at home:
Ingredients:
-1 Dover sole (skinned) -1 sprinkle salt and pepper mix -1 dusting of all-purpose flour -4 ounces clarified butter -2 butter pats -Lemon -1 pinch of chopped parsley -1 pat of brown butter
Preparation:
1. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, and then dust lightly with all-purpose flour. 2. Ladle 2 ounces of clarified butter and 1 butter pat onto a griddle. Place sole in the butter and sauté until golden. 3. Flip the fish and sauté in an additional 2 ounces of clarified butter and 1 butter pat. 4. Finish in a 450°F oven for 6 – 8 minutes and plate the fish on a warm platter. Garnish with lemon, parsley and brown butter.
Learn more about Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at www.icon.com/joes.
