We haven’t had much success with canned wines. They’re too sugary-sweet, more like soft drinks.

But Latitude Beverage Company has introduced what they say is the first-ever premium wine collection in pull-top cans (top photo). Selecting good wines from wine regions that are well-known for the varietals, we can finally respond, “Bring on the cans!”

The three varietals are just right for lighter summer fare: with a sandwich, some cheese, a pasta salad. Lila suggests these pairings:

 
So grab a can and head for the backyard, pool or the great outdoors. Attractively “dressed” in colorful graphics, these wines are ready to join the party.

The 8.4-ounce cans come in four-packs with an MSRP of $12.99 (more at e-tailers). The four cans combined contain 33% more wine than the standard 750ml wine bottle.

We stuck them in the freezer to partially freeze. They kept cold for quite a while outside in the heat; and since each can holds two servings, when it was time for the second, the wine was nicely chilled.
 
ZERO WATER: HOME & PORTABLE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

Zero Water* turns your tap water into purified water—more pure, the company says, than the leading brand (Brita).

Even if your municipality could clean your tap water to remove almost all the total dissolved solids (TDS), the water can pick up chemicals on its way from the treatment plant to your faucet.

Zero Water’s unique filter removes 99.63% of all TDS. The filtered water tastes crisp and refreshing. Pitchers are available in 6, 8, 10 and 12 cup sizes; in a 23-cup countertop model; and in a 26-ounce travel tumblers. The 10-cup model shown in the photo is $32.99.

You can see the entire line at ZeroWater.com.

[1] Lila premium wines in 8.4-ounce cans (photo courtesy Latitude Beverage Company). [2] [3] Zero Water, with a patented filter that removes virtually all dissolved solids from your tap water, is available in home units and portable tumblers (photos courtesy Zero Water).

DEFINE WATER BOTTLE: BEST FOR FRUIT INFUSION

We love “spa water”: plain water infused with fresh fruit. We’ve tried half a dozen water bottles with fruit-infusing options, and the Define Bottle Sport Flip Top is our favorite.

The superior freezing mechanism, the detachable lower canister, gives you options:

 
Remember that water expands when frozen, so leave a half inch of space at the top.

The bottle is made from Tritan, the standard in quality plastic food and beverage containers. The total capacity is 16 ounces. The bottle disassembles for easy† cleaning and the cylinders are dishwasher safe.

There are other bottle designs and colors. See them all at DefineBottle.com. You can purchase this bottle on Amazon.
 
__________________
†We noted some complaints online about the difficulty of cleaning the strainer and gaskets. We keep a toothbrush with a rubber tip along with the scrub brushes at our kitchen sink. It, along with our faucet sprayer, did the trick.

We’ve discovered a world of variations over the years, greatly aided by the greatest recipe book of all time, the internet. Each summer weekend, we try to make a different one.

This week, we received three international-themed recipes from the Idaho Potato Commission, a resource with dozens and dozens of potato salad recipes. We’ve included some of them at the end.

After you’ve perused the recipes, check out the different types of potatoes in our Potato Glossary.
 
 
RECIPE #1: MASSAMAN CURRY POTATO SALAD

First up, Faith Gorsky of An Edible Mosaic used Thai spices—Thai red curry paste and crushed red pepper flakes—to create Massaman Curry Potato Salad (photo #1). It can be made up to two days in advance.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COVER the potatoes with 2 to 3 inches of cold water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook with the lid ajar until the potatoes are fork-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and cool for a few minutes.

2. WHISK together the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl: mayonnaise, vinegar, red curry paste, coconut sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Gently add the potatoes and all but 1 tablespoon each of the peanuts and the scallions. Stir gently to combine. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 2 days.

3. TRANSFER to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the reserved tablespoons of peanuts and scallions and more chili flakes as desired. Serve chilled.
 
 
RECIPE #2: PERUVIAN POTATO SALAD

Potatoes originated in Peru, so it’s about time someone created an homage potato salad.

The recipe (third photo) incorporates aji amarillo paste, from the Peruvian yellow chile pepper (Capsicum baccatum). It’s a popular ingredient in Peruvian cuisine. You can find it in an international or Latin supermarket or online.

Corn originated a few countries away in Mexico.

The recipe is from Melissa Bailey of Hungry Food Love.

Ingredients

[2] Estonian Potato & Beet Salad.

[3] Peruvian Potato Salad.

[4] “Idaho potato” generally refers to the russet potato variety grown in the specific terroir of Idaho.

1. BOIL the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Let them sit until cool enough to cut into small cubes.

2. WHISK together the mayonnaise and aji amarillo paste in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. ADD the potatoes and gently combine until well coated. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
 

[5] Classic French potato salad.

[6] Provençal potato salad.

[7] German potato salad is served warm with a bacon vinaigrette.

Want something lighter? Here’s a classic French-style potato salad, re-created by Lisa Goldfinger of Panning the Globe (photo #4).

There’s no mayo here: The dressing is white wine vinegar and tangy Dijon mustard.

This recipe can be made up to two days in advance and kept covered in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

If you’re a fan of French food, also take a look at this Ratatouille Potato Salad recipe.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. FILL a large pot halfway with cold water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Peel one potato and slice it crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices, dropping the slices into the water as you go to prevent discoloration. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.

2. BRING the water to boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 3-4 minutes. Check doneness by tasting; don’t overcook.

3. SCOOP out about ¼ cup of the potato cooking water and set aside. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While the potatoes are warm, add the wine and 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Toss gently to combine and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the liquids to absorb, tossing occasionally.

4. COMBINE in a small bowl the vinegar, mustard, scallions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Each weekend we try a new cocktail recipe. Last weekend it was Fizzy Lemonade, a fresh lemonade made with club soda and sambuca. The recipe was sent to us by Molinari Sambuca Extra.
 
ANISE-FLAVORED LIQUEURS & SPIRITS

Sambuca (som-BOO-kah) is an anise-flavored liqueur from Italy, one of a family of anise-flavoured alcohol that also includes absinthe (Switzerland), anesone (Italy), anis (Spain), anisette (France) arak (the Levant*), kasra (Libya), mistra and ouzo (Greece), ojen (Spain), pastis (France) and raki (Turkey).

The base of sambuca consists of essential oils extracted from the seeds from the star anise (third photo) and other spices; some brands use anise or licorice. The blend also contains elderflowers. The oils are added to pure alcohol and sweetened with sugar.

Sambuca is served neat, on the rocks, with water, and with coffee as an after-dinner drink. When drunk after the coffee, it is known in Italy as an ammazzacaffè; added directly to coffee instead of sugar it is called a caffè corretto.
 
Sambuca Shots

The classic serving of sambuca in Italy is a shot topped with seven coffee beans, representing the seven hills of Rome (bottom photo).

A shot with just one coffee bean is called con la mosca, “with the fly.” Three coffee beans represent health, happiness and prosperity for some; the Holy Trinity for others.

The shot may be ignited to toast the coffee beans; the flame extinguished immediately before drinking.

Sambuca shots are delicious year-round; but here’s a refreshing summer samba drink:
 
RECIPE: FIZZY LEMONADE WITH SAMBUCA

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the agave and basil in mixing glass. Add the sambuca, a scoop of crushed ice and the lemon juice. Cap and shake vigorously.

2. STRAIN over crushed ice and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge and optional cucumber spear or vertical slice.
 
 
WHAT IS STAR ANISE?

Star anise (Illicium verum) is an evergreen tree native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China.

The spice star anise, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of the fruit, ia also called badiam, Chinese star anise and star anise seed. Each “arm” of the star contains one seed.

Star anise closely resembles the herb anise (native to Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia) in flavor, but they are not related botanically. However, both include the chemical compound anethole, which provides the licorice-like flavor.

Because star anise is less expensive to produce but provides comparable flavor, it has begun to replace anise in some culinary uses, especially baking.

Star anise is a component of Chinese Five Spice powder. The spice blend also includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and Sichuan pepper, representing all five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and hot. The proportions vary by producer.

[1] Fizzy lemonade, with a touch of sambuca (photo courtesy Molinari). [2] Molinari Sambuca Extra. [3] Star anise: The seeds in the “petals” are distilled into essential oil (photo courtesy Farmgirl Gourmet). [4] Samba is traditionally served as an after-dinner drink with coffee, or alone with a garnish of coffee beans (photo courtesy GreatItalianFoodTrade.it).

It is grown commercially in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. It is used whole to sweeten soups and meat stews.

Ground star anise is used as a spice rub; and to flavor breads, custards, pastries, puddings and strudels.

 
We use it in fruit compote, and as a cocktail garnish.

Instead of those coffee beans, how about a sambuca shot with a star anise?
 
__________________
*The Levant is an English term first appearing in 1497. It originally referred to the “Mediterranean lands east of Italy.” The historical area comprises modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. Among other popular foods, Levantine cuisine gave birth to baklava, balafel, kebabs, mezze (including tabbouleh, hummus and baba ghanoush), pita and za’atar, among other dishes that are enjoyed in the U.S. and around the world.

[1] A yummy peach crisp (photo courtesy GoDairyFree.org). [2] Individual blueberry crisps (photo courtesy Dole). [3] An apricot-blackberry cobbler (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

While some people love pie crusts, were’re on there opposite end of the spectrum. We’re there for the filling.

We’d rather have a bowl of custard or chocolate pudding than a custard or chocolate pudding pie. We’d rather have an apple crisp than an apple pie.

We prefer the crisp, crumbly topping (the crisp is called a crumble in the U.K.) to the soggy bottom crust and dry top crust of the traditional shortcrust pie.

And we prefer the ease of sprinkling on the topping rather than rolling crusts.

Another easy option is a cobbler (third photo, recipe below): It’s the same baked fruit as a crisp but with a topping of crisp biscuits, the “cobblestones” which gave the cobbler its name. They don’t absorb moisture like pie crusts, and refrigerated biscuit dough makes the topping easy.
 
RECIPE: SUMMER FRUIT CRISP

Use the abundance of berries and stone fruits: apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and the cross-bred apriums, plumcots and pluots (olives are also a stone fruit).

You can use a single berry and stone fruit, or mix them up. We subscribe to the mix-up option; for example, peaches and plums, blueberries and raspberries. It’s more interesting.

Use sugar sparingly in order to enjoy the natural fruit sweetness.

Ingredients

 
For The Topping

Optional Garnish

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven heat to 375°F. Butter a 13×9-inch baking dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins and set aside.

2. MAKE the topping. Add the ingredients to a large bowl and use your fingers to combine, pinching the butter into the dry mix until it forms balls the size of a pea.

3. COMBINE the filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss well to combine and transfer to the prepared baking dish or ramekins. Top with the crumb topping.

4. BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired and serve.
 
FOR A COBBLER

Instead of the topping, use a tube of refrigerator biscuits. Gauge how many you need for your baking dish, and slice them in half horizontally if you prefer a thinner “cobblestone.”

1. COOK the fruit per above. Then, raise the heat to 400°F and add the biscuits.

2. BAKE at 400°F 12 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbly.

3. RESERVE any leftover biscuits for individual berry shortcakes: fresh berries and whipped cream on a split biscuit.
 
MORE RECIPES

The California company pioneered single origin ice cream in the two most popular flavors, chocolate and vanilla. The line—four single origin chocolate ice creams and four single origin vanillas—demonstrate how the flavor varies, based on the origin of the cacao and vanilla beans.

This means you can have one heck of an ice cream tasting for National Ice Cream Month (July).

It’s a memorable experience, especially for people who enjoy discerning the different flavor profiles between one origin and another in chocolate bars, olive oils, sea salts, wine grapes and so forth. The flavors of these agricultural products and others are greatly affected by their growing environment (terroir).

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

In the beginning—some 4,000 years ago—there was ice cream. Here’s the history of ice cream.

Fast-forward ahead a few thousand years—beyond the labor-intensive ice cream made by servants of the wealthy in pre-electricity Renaissance days, beyond the invention of the ice cream churn in 1851, beyond the soda fountains at neighborhood drug scores, which engendered the ice cream soda along with scooped ice cream to eat at the fountain or to take home.

Along with home refrigerators, supermarket brands arrived in the 1950s. Many used cheaper ingredients and whipped more air into then ice cream (known as overrun) to keep gallon prices low. This engendered a USDA classification system. “Economy,” “regular” and “premium” ice creams were defined by butterfat content and overrun.

Häagen-Daz arrived in the 1970s with even higher butterfat and lower overrun than premium ice cream, inaugurating the superpremium category. With butterfat greater than 14% (some brands have 18% and more), overrun as low as 20% and complex flavors in addition to the basic ones), there’s no rung higher to go on the classification scale—by government standards, at least.

Some companies—including Choctál—have labeled their ice cream “ultrapremium,” but this is marketing rather than an official government standard.

And now, there’s single origin ice cream.

WHAT IS “SINGLE-ORIGIN?”

The term is not currently regulated in the U.S., but single origin can refer either to a single region or at the micro level, to a single farm or estate within that region.

It is based on the agricultural concept of terroir (tur-WAH), a French term that is the basis for its the A.O.C. system (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or controlled designation of origin), created in the 1950s.

[1] A pint of Kalimantan chocolate, with beans from Borneo. [2] The four origins of chocolate and vanilla may look the same, but the tastes are noticeably different. [3] A pint of vanilla made with beans from Madagascar, the classic raised to the heights by Choctál (photos courtesy Choctál).

Each specific habitat (plot of land) has unique set of environmental factors that affect a crop’s qualities, down to nuances of aroma, flavor and texture. They include the climate and microclimate, weather (the season’s growing conditions), elevation height and slant of the land), proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type and amount of direct sunlight.

This means that the same rootstock that is grown in different locations produces different flavors.

Not only will the product taste and smell somewhat different (Sauvignon Blanc can have grass or grapefruit aroma and flavor notes—or neither—depending on their terroir), but intermediate products also create a difference.

For example, grass with more clover, wild herbs, and so forth produces a delicate difference in an animal’s milk, and thus in artisan cheese.

Note that processing will also affect the flavor. Neighboring wine makers, for example, can use different techniques to create wines that highlight their personal flavor preferences.

Choctàl pints and cones (photos courtesy Choctàl).

Choctàl Single Origin Chocolate Ice Cream

• Costa Rican cacao is distinguished by sweet notes of coffee and a hint of butterscotch.
• Ghana cacao, from the coast of West Africa, has a fudge, milk chocolate character.
• Kalimantan cacao, from the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, produces intense cacao beans with a slight hint of caramel.
• Dominican cacao, from the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, has a natural dark chocolate flavor profile with notes of clove and nutmeg.

Choctàl Single Origin Vanilla Ice Cream

• Indonesian vanilla is full-bodied, blending the creamy sweetness of classic bourbon (Madagascan) vanilla with a woody floral note.
• Madagascar vanilla, from the island off the eastern coast of Africa, has been the world standard in vanilla for centuries, smooth and buttery. In the hands of Choctal, it may be the best vanilla ice cream you’ll ever taste.
• Mexican vanilla has a natural touch of cinnamon. Choctàl adds more cinnamon. It obscures the single origin flavor, but makes a delicious cinnamon-vanilla ice cream.
• Papua New Guinea vanilla has fruity, floral notes of cherry that linger on the palate during a long, lush finish.

The line is certified kosher by OU.

While the main experience is to taste and compared the different origins to each other, they are also splendid in everything from à la mode to floats.