Category Archives: Fruit

Hooray for Halos, Plus A Food Gal Giveaway

Posted on by 5 comments
Say "hello'' to fun with Halos!

Fun with Halos!

 

My husband will be the first to admit he suffers from Lazy Fruit Syndrome. No matter if it’s strawberry season or peach season, he stays loyal to his penchant for bananas. Yes, because he likes them. But more so, because they require no washing and are a breeze to peel.

We’ve all been there, right? Maybe that’s why we can’t get enough of Halos, either. These cute tangerines have peels that come off just like that to reveal easily segmented, seedless flesh that bursts with sunshine-y juice. One Halo has only 50 calories and comes with a jolt of Vitamin C.

Read more

Crunching on Crunchies

Posted on by 5 comments
Beets and nothing but beets.

Beets and nothing but beets.

 

You have to love a “processed” snack food that has only one ingredient in the bag. What a rarity, right?

Crunchies is exactly that — freeze-dried fruit and veggies that have nothing added to them. They’re non-GMO verified, gluten-free certified, vegan, kosher, halal, and contain no added sugar or artificial flavoring. The produce is picked, then frozen before being freeze-dried. leaving it dry, light as air and crunchy.

And they’re pretty darn delicious, too, as I found out when I had a chance to try some samples.

Read more

Not Your Average Melon

Posted on by 4 comments
This cantaloupe hides a center of molten mozzarella. Swooning yet?

This cantaloupe hides a center of molten mozzarella. Swooning yet?

 

Melon and prosciutto.

Ho-hum. Been there, ate that.

But not like this.

Not when the cantaloupe cavity is filled with molten mozzarella before being draped with thin slices of salty-sweet prosciutto, and seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, and lush olive oil.

“Broiled Cantaloupe with Hand-Stretched Mozzarella Curds and Prosciutto” takes a familiar taste and turns it on its head.

The genius recipe is from the new cookbook, “Around the Fire: Recipes For Inspired Grilling and Seasonal Feasting From Ox Restaurant” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

AroundtheFire

It’s by husband-and-wife chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quinonez Denton, with assistance from food writer Stacy Adimando. They are the chefs of the critically acclaimed Ox in Portland, OR.

Read more

Yossy Arefi’s Soft Chocolate and Fig Cake

Posted on by 14 comments
You'll fall hard for this chocolate fig cake. I sure did.

You’ll fall hard for this chocolate fig cake. I sure did.

 

Imagine a deliriously, deep, rich chocolate-y cake that’s like the love child of a brownie and a molten lava cake.

It’s the stuff of dreams, isn’t it?

It surely is my fantasy come true, especially with its scattering of plump fresh figs on top. So much so that I can’t stop myself from digging a fork into it again and again in utter bliss.

That’s what “Soft Chocolate and Fig Cake” will do to you.

This incredible — and incredibly easy — cake is from the new cookbook, “Sweeter Off The Vine” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

SweeterOffTheVine

It’s from the super talented Yossy Arefi, a Brooklyn-based food photographer, food stylist and baker, who created the charmingly named blog, Apt. 2B Baking Co., where she chronicles her baking endeavors.

This is one of those must-have cookbooks. And I don’t say that lightly, not when my shelves are already groaning under the strain of too many cookbooks. But if you’re like me and love to bake, you will find yourself bookmarking practically every page because these are down-home treats with a personality all their own that are in no way an ordeal to make.

Read more

Shhhh, Stolen Fruit Mixers

Posted on by One comment
Stolen Fruit Mixers turn any gathering into a party.

Stolen Fruit Mixers turn any gathering into a party.

 

OK, no fruits were actually pilfered for these non-alcoholic mixers.

Stolen Fruit Mixers is just a fun name for this new Healdsburg company that makes mixers from the fresh-pressed juice of green varietal wine grapes and their skins (also known as verjus).

But unlike so many mixers that taste way too sugary or are so processed to death that they lose their vibrancy, these have real elegance and distinction.

Not surprisingly, since they were created by a chef, Peter Brown of Healdsburg, and long-time grape growers, Doug and Susan Provisor.

The company makes five flavors: Lemongrass Ginger Sauvignon Blanc, Jasmine Juniper Viognier, Hibiscus Grenache, Blood Orange Muscat, and Fig Grains of Paradise Zin.

Mix with alcohol or sparkling water.

Mix with alcohol or sparkling water.

They are concentrated, so it’s suggested you use 1 part mixer to 1 part alcohol (for a cocktail), or 1 part mixer to 2 parts sparkling water (for a mocktail).

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »