Mayo, mustard, and tapenade.
Been there, ate that.
If you’re looking to spice up your sandwiches with new flavor and flair, look no further than Laxmi’s Delights flaxseed spreads.
Made by Bay Area cookbook author Laxmi Hiremath, who wrote “The Dance of Spices” (Wiley), the three organic spreads are made with flaxseed, a plant source high in good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids.
Hiremath sent me a sample to try. There are three flavors: Lemony Flaxseed Spread with Ginger and Honey; Savory Flaxseed Spread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes; and Golden Flaxseed Spread with Dates and Orange Juice.
Hiremath created these bold-tasting spreads to smear on Indian flatbreads. But they also work well on your favorite sandwiches, as stir-fry sauces, marinades for fish, and flavorings for all manner of vegetable dishes.
The Lemony Flaxseed Spread is tangy, sweet, and spicy with the bright sunny notes of citrus. The Savory Flaxseed Spread is like Italian meets a little bit of India. Sweet, plump sun-dried tomatoes get an earthy complexity from Indian spices. The Golden Flaxseed Spread is a cross of Middle Eastern and Indian flavors. A little sweet and a little savory, this quite thick sauce has the lovely, deep, concentrated flavors of orange peel and sticky dates.
One tablespoon has 30 to 100 calories, depending on the particular spread. The sun-dried tomato spread has 10 grams of fat, while the other two have just 1 gram each.
Each 7-ounce jar is $9.99. If you’d like to try them, Hiremath has a deal for you: If you order three jars, she’ll waive the cost of shipping, if you mention you read about the spreads on FoodGal.com. Just go to the “contact” page on the Laxmi’s Delights site to order by sending her an email or calling.
Even better, one lucky Food Gal reader also will win the grand prize of three free jars of the spreads (one of each type).
How?
By spreading it on, so to speak.
As a woman, and a minority one to boot, I know first-hand how uncomfortable and uncouth it is to boast about one’s accomplishments. From a young age, so many of us are taught to downplay our skills and talents, lest we be judged conceited, shameful and boastful. I can’t tell you how utterly uncomfortable I was the first time I had to ask for a raise from a boss.
After all, my Chinese-American parents had always taught me that all you needed to do is work hard and do your best to reap the rewards deserved. But of course, you soon realize that in the real world, that’s not quite the case. It takes selling yourself. It takes bragging about yourself. It takes broadcasting your attributes and feats to kingdom come, no matter how that might turn your stomach.
So here’s your deserved chance, not only to get more comfortable doing that, but also to spread the word about something you are darn proud of about yourself.
Name one to three things you want to spread the word about yourselfĂ‚Â that you take great satisfaction in. They can be food-related or not. Go ahead — you deserve this opportunity to take a small bow just this once about the things you have mastered with head held high.
The most original or memorable response will win the three Laximi’s Delights spreads. Contest is open only to readers in the continental United States.
Deadline: Noon California time on Jan. 31.
Winner Announced: Feb. 1.
To get you started, here are the things I’m proud of that I’d like to spread the word about:
1) I don’t give up — not until I give it 100 percent.
2) My home-baked cookies can make friends smile, swoon and forget their troubles — at least for a moment.
3) In a little over a year, I lost my father, my mother and my job — but I never lost my sense of self.