Otamot. Otamot. We said it several times before we realized that Otamot is tomato spelled backwards.

Otamot was created by the parent of a picky eater, who set out to create a more nutritious tomato sauce, a food his daughter would eat.

Starting with the concept of tomato sauce, he found a way to add a nutrient boost to meals, including vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The solution: a tomato-based sauce combined with ten other vegetables.

It’s full of flavor, and a great way to sneak in vegetables that the vegetable-averse will never suspect.

But you don’t have to be vegetable-averse to love this sauce: It’s delicious for everyone.

There are three varieties:

 
 
WHAT’S IN OTAMOT ESSENTIAL SAUCE

The sauces include 9 to 12 different vegetables, depending on flavor.

In order of percentage, Organic Essential Sauce contains: vine ripened tomato, carrot, red bell pepper, sweet potato, butternut squash, spinach, red beet, leek, sweet onion, garlic, grapeseed oil and portobello mushroom.

This combination adds 15 vitamins and nutrients, including lycopene and vitamins A, B3, B6, C, E and K, among others.

The sauces are gluten free, no sugar added, Non GMO, USDA Organic, high in fiber, and have 3 grams of protein per serving.

For sure, Otamot is a new way of looking at a favorite family food, tomato sauce.

We’ve been giving jars to friends, and plan to use them as party favors and stocking stuffers.
 
 
THINGS TO MAKE WITH OTAMOT ESSENTIAL SAUCE

Otamot is surprisingly versatile beyond pasta and pizza. Use the sauces in:

 
The creator, Andrew Suzuka, says his favorite use of the Spicy version is in a Bloody Mary.

We used it as a dip for shrimp in a raw bar. We also admit to eating it from the jar.

We’ll be ordering it by the case!
 
 
TREAT YOURSELF TO SOME OTAMOT NOW!

Otamot is currently available at retailers in the Northeast (store locator), but you can buy assortments on the company website, OtamotFoods.com/Shop.
 
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* Debuting at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide in June 2020.

[1] The logical choice: Otamot Essential Sauce with pasta and pizza (all photos © Otamot Foods).

[2] Tacos with Otamot Essential Sauce.

[3] Farro topped with roasted carrots and Otamot Essential Sauce.

[4] This fancy version of ratatouille is called a tian. Here’s the recipe.

[5] Otamot Essential Sauce ingredients.

[1] PB & J quesadillas (photo © U.S. Apple Association).

[2] Crunch Time, a flavor from PB & Co., is even crunchier than their regular Simply Crunchy (photo © PB & Co.)

For April 2nd, National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day, there are all sorts of peanut butters, jellies and breads to combine.

We just published a recipe for Peanut Butter & Jelly Pizza. But perhaps you’d prefer a quesadilla?

We particularly liked this PB & J quesadilla recipe.

It developed by Chef Dave Martin for the U.S. Apple Association.

Sandwich…pizza…quesadilla…waffles…Perhaps you’d like to create your own concept?

For inspiration, take a look at this this Peanut Butter & Jelly Ravioli recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY QUESADILLA

Ingredients For 8 Pieces

 
Preparation

1. ASSEMBLE on a plate or cookie sheet by spreading one tortilla with peanut butter and apple slices. Spread second tortilla with jam. Put the two tortillas together.

2. HEAT a sauté pan with oil or butter. Carefully cook the quesadilla over medium-high heat; flip gently with a large spatula. Once both sides are crisp and toasty…

3. REMOVE from the heat and cool. Slice each quesadilla into 4 pieces and serve.

April 2nd is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day.

Sure, you could have a sandwich; but how about a PB & J pizza?

Peanut butter was considered a delicacy in the early 1900s. It was only served in New York City’s finest tea room, to an elite clientele.

 
 
HOW TO MAKE A PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY PIZZA

Substitute the sandwich bread for a pizza crust, and you’re halfway there. A 12″ crust provides 4-6 servings.

You may have seen PB&J dessert pizzas on a pizza crust. If you want one here’s a recipe, but we’re sticking with the PB & J.

In order to have the most artistic presentation, use jelly instead of jam or preserves, and pipe it on. Before adding it to the piping bag (or plastic food storage bag), warm the jar slightly to make the jelly easier to pipe.

You can pipe it however you want. Not having the skill to make these concentric circles, we did a Jackson Pollack design, Zigzags or stripes also work.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Place the pizza dough on a cookie sheet or in a pizza pan. Pierce the dough in 10 places with a fork.

2. MICROWAVE the jar of peanut butter with the lid off for 30-45 seconds, or until the peanut butter has runny consistency.

3. POUR a small amount of peanut butter over the crust. Spread it with a knife until the dough is lightly coated.

4. WARM the preserves for for 30-45 seconds,, also with the top off, and place it the runny jelly in a piping bag or a food storage bag with a small snip off one of the bottom corners. Pipe the jelly on top of the peanut butter.

5. TOP with the banana “pepperoni” and drizzle lightly with the yogurt “mozzarella.”

6. BAKE the pizza for 8-10 minutes, keeping an eye on it. When the crust is golden brown and the jelly is bubbling, the pizza is done.

7. LET COOL until it’s easy to cut. Serve while it’s still warm.

[1] This variation is from Nicole at Heat Oven To 350. See her recipe, which is slightly different, to learn the easy way to make the jelly design (photo © Heat Oven To 350).

[2] Trish at Mom On Timeout makes her pizza with a sugar dough crust. She also piped the jelly in concentric circles. Here’s her recipe (photo © Mom On Timeout).

[3] Goober Peanut Butter & Jelly, available with grape jelly or strawberry jam (photo © Smucker’s).

[1] Chocolate mousse with a secret: blue cheese blended into it (both photos © Castello Cheese USA).

[2] Castello blue cheese.

[3] Häagen-Dazs Mango Sorbet (photo © Häagen-Dazs).

The name of this dish may sound like an April Fool’s Day joke: A mousse of chocolate and blue cheese.

We first had the chocolate-blue cheese combination 13 years ago.

It was a great moment in modern truffles when Lillie Belle Farms blended Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue blue cheese into its excellent chocolate (here’s our review).

They remain a personal favorite of ours, and you can buy them from Lillie Belle.

You can also purchase a wedge or wheel of Smokey Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery.

Now onto the recipe: a sophisticated, delicious riff on chocolate mousse.

Thanks to Castello Cheese for the recipe.

If you want to make the sorbet quenelle shown in photo #1, here’s how.

Otherwise, a mini scoop will do.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND MANGO

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. GENTLY MELT the chocolate and crumbled blue cheese in a bowl atop a double boiler.

2. BEAT the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl, to a light airy consistency, approximately 5 minutes.

3. BEAT the egg whites to a soft peak in a separate medium bowl.

4. BEAT the whipping cream to a soft peak in another separate bowl.

5. FOLD the blue cheese mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold in the whipped cream mixture, then fold in the egg whites.

6. POUR into 8 individual dessert dishes; top with the diced mango and serve with a scoop of mango sorbet if desired.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE MOUSSE <
 
 
APRIL 3rd IS NATIONAL MOUSSE DAY

We usually have a well-stocked fridge and pantry.

When we’re out of something, that something is likely to be fresh mushrooms.

Fortunately, there’s a solution for that: dried mushrooms.

While nothing beats the flavor and texture of a fresh raw mushroom in a salad, side of marinated mushrooms or sauté, dried mushrooms work very well in certain recipes.

All they need is water to reconstitute into their former selves.

Voilà: You have excellent additions to eggs, gravies, quiche, risotto, soups, sauces and more. (They work less well in a dish where the mushroom is the main focus, like salads and sautés).

To cook with dried mushrooms, first cover them with warm water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain them, change the water, and soak for another 10 to 15 minutes. Then cook per the recipe’s directions.

[1] This lovely dried mushroom mix is from Northwest Wild Foods (photo © Northwest Wild Foods).

If you can’t use it this week, stick it in the freezer.
 

[2] Top-quality dried mushrooms from Melissa’s. A box of each would make a great gift for a cook; one box is a party favor or stocking stuffer (photo © Melissa’s).