[2] Food fun: Drink your coconut water from a coconut (photo courtesy Melissa’s).

[3] Swerve, the new non-caloric sweetener (photo courtesy Keto Diet App).

1. BELLE CHEVRE: CHEVRE (GOAT) CREAM CHEESE

Here’s a bonus for goat cheese lovers: chevre cream cheese. Chevre (pronounced SHEV—the second syllable with the R is usually silent), is the French word for both goat and goat cheese.

Creamy Belle Chèvre goat cheese is a luxurious cream cheese, a spread for bagels, toast or the base of hors d’oeuvres.

Truth to tell, we began to eat it from the container with a spoon. Chevre has three times more protein than regular cream cheese, so think of it as low-guilt cream cheese.

It’s simply delicious, in plain plus four flavors: coffee, cinnamon, fig and honey. (All the products we’ve had from Belle Chevre are delicious: We could eat them three times a day.)

Six ounces are $6.99 at BelleChevre.com.
 
 
2. GENUINE COCONUT: ORGANIC DRINKING COCONUTS

Coconut water can be purchased in almost every supermarket: a slightly-sweet thirst quencher that’s an excellent source of electrolytes, including potassium.

This fun variation packages the juice* in Mother Nature’s container: a memorable touch for parties, party favors or special treats.

These coconuts have an easy-open pop-top and are packaged with straws. Each sits on a recyclable cardboard band, so it sits on a surface without rolling.

When you’ve finished the water, you can scoop out the coconut meat lining the shell.

The empty shells can be cut into sections and added to an outdoor grill. They burn quickly, and make a hot cooking fire. You can also refill them: If you have space to store them in the fridge or freezer for up to a week, first rinse them out.

The U.K. company sells the coconuts in the U.S. through Melissa’s, among other outlets. They are sold in packs of four, for $28. For more information, visit Melissas.com.
 
 
3. SWERVE: NON-CALORIC SWEETENER

Many people seek sweetness without sugar, and food scientists are constantly on the look for the next big thing.

The last big thing, monkfruit, was not to our liking; and the one before that, stevia, tastes O.K. only in a highly processed form. We’ve been sticking to Splenda.

The latest non-caloric sweetener is a new, all natural brand called Swerve, made from erythritol, a sugar alcohol used in sugarless candy, gum and other products.

Bonus: Unlike other sugar substitutes, Swerve caramelizes just like sugar; so cook and bake to your heart’s content.

Swerve is available in both granulated and confectioners, and in individual granulated packets.

The brand states that there is a 1:1 substitution of Swerve for regular sugar. We found it to be less sweet than sugar: We wanted a bit more (e.g., three packets in a cup of coffee).

But: no problemo; it’s still calorie-free.

For more information visit SwerveSweet.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NON-CALORIC SWEETENERS, check out our glossary of non-caloric sweeteners.

________________

*There is no real difference between coconut water and coconut juice.
  

In New York City, “the best deli,” referring to Jewish-style delicatessen, used to be a topic of debate.

Over the years, though, acclaimed delicatessens have fallen by the wayside. The Carnegie Deli and its rival The Stage Deli, both in the neighborhood of Carnegie Hall, are gone. So is Artie’s Deli on the Upper West Side.

Barney Greengrass is still there, thank goodness, but it specializes in fish.

Katz’s Deli, home to the famous scene in “When Harry Met Sally,” is O.K., but not worth the trip all the way downtown. Ditto for the Second Avenue Deli.

Our nearest deli, Fine & Schapiro, falls into that “O.K.” category, too.

We were feeling sad that our excursions to glorious deli meals were a thing of the past.

So when we received an invitation to try P.J. Bernstein’s on the Upper East Side, we headed cross-town with high hopes.

We were not disappointed.
 
A FEAST OF JEWISH CLASSICS…

All of the standards of the classic Jewish deli are there in abundance; and more important than abundance, the quality is outstanding.

Is P.J. Bernstein’s the best deli in New York? We haven’t eaten at all of them, but to us, it’s now the number-one deli of choice.

The deli all-stars are on the menu: brisket, corned beef, pastrami, tongue and the other deli meats; matzoh ball soup plain, with egg noodles, or with (be still, our beating heart) kreplach!

And the smoked fish: smoked salmon, sturgeon, whitefish, whitefish salad!

While delicatessens typically buy their meats and fish from provisioners, ready to slice and serve, the kitchen dishes we had are standouts: chopped liver, gefilte fish, stuffed cabbage.

As we write this, the little voice in our head is saying: “Only three hours to lunch…at P.J. Bernstein.”
 
…AND MODERN FAVORITES

If one of your party doesn’t want deli, there are plenty of choices, from burgers and salads to smoothies and a juice bar. P.J. Bernstein is steeped in transition, but has menu updates for modern palates.

The restaurant is open 7 days:
1215 Third Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets, New York, NY 10021
212.879.0914

[2] Chopped chicken livers: Jewish ambrosia.

[3] Matzoh ball soup with a bonus: kreplach!

If you’re a hot dog eater who has fled the fields of big brands for smaller artisan and organic products…great!

It’s much easier to introduce you to a new brand than to convince fans of big brands of the benefits of better hot dogs.

Starting with superior meat flavors, the other reasons: only grass-fed beef from small farms, a lower meat-to-fat ratio, and all natural ingredients (natural casings, no nitrates and nitrites!).

We recently received samples of the True Story Foods’ line of beef hot dogs, chicken hot dogs and chicken sausages. We liked them so much that we’re serving them on July 4th.

The flavor is meaty, not fatty; and the spicing is elegant, not overdone to cover up lesser quality meat and a higher percentage of fat.

We’re adding fun by doing a blind taste test (no brand identification) of True Story hot dogs versus Oscar Meyer.
 
TRUE STORY HOT DOGS & SAUSAGES

This brand can do no wrong: no burps, no heartburn, no reflux. Everything is delicious:

 
The company also sells deli meats and organic pork: bacon, chops, ground and loin.

The meats come from family farms, ensuring that the animals are raised humanely and without antibiotics. They are fairly traded, which means a sustainable livelihood for the farmers to come.

All animals are fed an all-vegetarian diet, never given antibiotics or growth enhancers, and live without undue stress or agitation. Happy animals make happy meat.

The line is Non-GMO Certified.
 
MORE ABOUT THE HOT DOGS

True Story’s hot dogs are packed with flavor, in a natural sheep casing. Like most hot dogs, they are fully cooked before packaging, and can be simply reheated or grilled.

The ingredients include pasture-raised beef, water, fresh onion, garlic, mustard, paprika, celery powder, vinegar, salt, sugar, extractives of paprika, natural flavors and spice extractives.

The organic hot dogs are made with 100% organic beef. The chicken hot dogs are made with sustainably farmed organic chicken.

All of the products are uncured.

[2] Look for this package, for a variety of hot dogs and sausages (photo courtesy True Story).

[3] Food fun: hot dog bites. Make a slight opening with the point of a sharp knife and insert pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks (photo courtesy True Story | Facebook).

Uncured hot dogs are all natural, made without artificial nitrates or nitrites.

Instead of these chemicals, the meat is preserved with celery juice or celery powder, which are a naturally-occurring source of nitrates.

Uncured hot dogs are prepared in the same way as cured hot dogs.
 
 
READY FOR YOUR OWN TRUE STORY?

Here’s a store locator.
 
 
>>> CHECK OUT THE HISTORY OF HOT DOGS <<<