[2] Blini with quail eggs, trout roe and crème fraîche. Here’s the recipe from Martha Stewart.

[3] Quail egg stuffed mushrooms. Here’s the recipe from Bite Delite.

[4] The quail herself (photo courtesy Red Ted Art).

To some fine chefs, small is better: from miniature vegetables to more “elegant”-size portions overall.

Quail eggs fit right in.

For years, we’d only seen quail eggs at Japanese restaurants, on top of an uni (sea urchin) or tobiko (flying fish roe) gunkan-maki.

Since better supermarkets now carry them, it’s time to take a closer look at quail eggs.

Quail Eggs Are Barely Healthier than Chicken Eggs! Compared to chicken eggs, quail eggs are slightly healthier if

> For soft-boiled eggs, gently place the eggs in boiling water (with a spoon) and boil for three minutes and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
> For hard-boiled eggs, boil for 4-5 minutes. Test one after 4 minutes.

>The body temperature of quail is also higher than that of chickens: another reason why quail don’t harbor the same harmful bacteria.
>Here’s more on the health benefits of quail eggs.
 
 
HOW TO SERVE QUAIL EGGS

You can garnish a green salad, serve three boiled eggs with asparagus, make Scotch eggs, stuff mushroom caps (photo #3), garnish a mini-latke with smoked salmon and a boiled quail egg.

You can pickle quail eggs, turning the white exterior into a vivid red (from beet juice). Don’t say what they are: Let guests be surprised.

You can pop fried quail eggs onto ramen, make breakfast tartlets, top an avocado tea sandwich, serve them raw with steak tartare…whatever your palate desires.

Here are some ideas from D’Artagnan:

 
Quail eggs are pricey, so they are [for most of us] a special-occasion treat.

When you find them at a good price, get ready to pounce!
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EGGS

*Lysozyme is present to a lesser or greater extent in other animals, as well.
  

Our runners up span good-for-you foods like Pete & Jerry’s Organic Hard Boiled Eggs, Bonne Maman’s new Lemon Curd, and a new line extension from one of our favorite yogurts, Noosa Yoghurt (the Australian spelling).
 
 
SNACK FACTORY DESSERT THINS

We have long enjoyed Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, so when they announced a new line of Dessert Thins cookies, we had hope.

And we are not disappointed! lightly textured, airy biscuits in delectable dessert flavors! Made with non-GMO ingredients, Dessert Thins are available in

 
All three are fragrant, flavorful, and a calorie bargain. Use them for mini cookie sandwiches, an ice cream garnish, dippers for chocolate fondue, or an alternative to biscotti with coffee.

When you want just a bit of cookie, without fear of overdoing it, you can be satisfied with just one (the recommended serving size is 4 pieces, 120 calories).

Following America’s desire for natural, better-for-you foods, Dessert Thins are non-GMO, contain zero grams of trans-fat, no cholesterol, no artificial colors or flavors.

As for why the company calls them by the British word for cookies—biscuits—we can’t fathom. In the U.S., “biscuit” does not indicate a sweet treat. But why ask why?

We hope the new line is a success for selfish reasons: We want to keep eating them.

See more at SnackFactory.com.
 
 
BONNE MAMAN LEMON CURD

Lemon curd has been a favorite British spread for centuries. Why it isn’t more popular in the U.S., we have no idea. You have to hunt for it in specialty food stores.

Thanks to Bonne Maman’s national supermarket distribution, you may now find it in an aisle near you. Don’t pass it by!

The combination of eggs, butter, lemon juice and sugar has uses beyond toast and croissants. Use it:

 
Bright yellow, delightfully lemony, this rich spread belongs at your breakfast table…and beyond.

The line is non-GMO, Certified Gluten Free and certified kosher by OU.

Discover more at BonneMamanUS.

Bonne Maman French preserves and spreads debut a new spread flavor: Lemon Curd (photo courtesy Bonne Maman).

[3] Noosa Mates score! Four mix-in yoghurts worthy of dessert (photo curry Noosa).

NOOSA YOGURT: NOOSA MATES

Noosa, the Australian yoghurt brand made in Colorado for the U.S. market, has been a NIBBLE favorite since it first landed here.

Made with 5% milk, instead of 2% or 0%, it is sumptuous, silky, and the closest yogurt you’ll find that can pass for pudding.

The 5.5-ounce containers have a separate container that holds the mix-ins. It’s a lot of packaging, but it’s delicious to the max.

Flavors include:

 
They’re all so good, we can’t even pick a favorite—although a nod goes to Banana Chocolate Peanut. Why is there not more banana yogurt out there???

The line is certified kosher by OU. See more Noosa at NoosaYohgurt.com.

[4] These organic, grab-and-go hard-boiled eggs from Pete & Jerry’s are from free-range hens who are treated very well (photo courtesy Pete & Jerry’s).

PETE & JERRY’S ORGANIC HARD BOILED EGGS

There’s a difference in the flavor of eggs produced by faceless factory farms, and eggs produced by small farmers dedicated to treating hens like the queens they are.

We have long admired Pete & Jerry’s organic eggs, from free-range chickens who live happy lives.

How, following the trend to nutritious, grab-and-go peeled, hard-boiled eggs, Pete & Jerry’s has packaged their eggs in pouches and larger containers.

We love them as snacks, with a bit of pepper or chili flakes.

 
It’s a food you can feel good about, both in terms of nutritional and humanity.

Learn more about Pete & Jerry’s organic farming at PeteAndJerrys.com.

We thought our own ice cube tips were creative: freezing coffee, fruit, herbs, juice, lemonade, vegetables, tea, wine—even bouillon for Bloody Marys.

We don’t like melting ice cubes to dilute our drinks, so we freeze the same liquid (e.g. iced tea cubes for iced tea) or a complimentary flavor (e.g., blueberry or other fruit juice ice cubes for that lemonade).

Then we saw these clever cubes, from Sherry Chen of Personal Creations, who has kindly provided them for today’s tip.

They turn an everday beverage—water, a glass of milk, iced tea or coffee, cocktails and mocktails—into something truly special.

SHERRY CHEN’S TIPS FOR PERFECT FLAVORED ICE CUBES

Whether for a party or a refreshing day at home, a flavored ice cube will always add style, says Sherry.

Making unique flavored ice cubes is simple. Here are a few things to keep in mind when prepping.

 
 
ICE CUBE RECIPES

The subhead reminds us of the joke about the cook who was so stupid, he forgot the recipe for ice.

But these isn’t ice: They’re frozen flavor art.

Here are five of Sherry’s ice cube recipes. You can find five more here.

 
 
Garnishing The Cubes

You can add even more festivity to the ice cubes with a garnish on top of the cube.

When the cubes have frozen into a slurry state, quickly remove and shake on your choice of whatever goes with the beverage:

 
 
MORE ICE CUBE RECIPES

 
And take a gander at:

[2] Ice cream cubes melt creaminess and flavor into the drink.

[3] Smoothie ice cubes.

[4] Matcha ice cubes.

[5] Jewel ice cubes.

[6] Latte ice cubes in a glass of milk (photo courtesy Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth).