Category Archives: New Products

Masterful Tea and a Food Gal Giveaway

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Who couldn't use a hot cup of "Ancient Beauty'' tea?

Enjoy a sip of some rather discriminating teas, made from just the top two leaves and bud from each plant.

You can with the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s new, limited-edition Tea Master’s single-batch tea blends.

The Southern California-based company is selling these six, loose-leaf tea blends online only: Shree Dwarika Estate Darjeeling (3.5 ounces for $9.20), Thailand Wulong Oolong (1.25 ounces for $6.20), Ah Li Shan Taiwan Oolong (4 ounce at $20.20), Bogawantalawa Estate Sri Lanka (3 ounces for 7.20), Ancient Beauty (2 ounces for $12.20), and Japanese Sencha Green (4.5 ounces for $13.20).

Large leaves impart a smooth flavor to this tea.

When I had a chance to sample a few of them, I couldn’t pass up trying Ancient Beauty. Heck, the name alone entices. These days, as I feel quite ancient at times, I need all the beauty I can get.

This oolong tea from thousand-year-old trees has a honey-earthy fragrance. Steep a cup to enjoy a clean tasting tea with smooth, subtle tannins. It would be an ideal accompaniment to dim sum.

Contest: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a tin of each of the six tea varieties. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST April 21. Winner will be announced April 23.

How to win?

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A Sweet Way to Celebrate the Giants’ Home Opener

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"Pitchersnaps" and "ShortBEARD'' cookies from Waterbar. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Sure, you can dress in your best orange and black.

You can whoop and holler, too.

But best yet, you can nosh on cookies baked in honor of your fave players as you cheer them on.

Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti wants to help you celebrate the San Francisco Giants home opener on Friday, April 13 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. She’ll be selling fresh-baked Giants-themed cookies at a pop-up outside her restaurant, Waterbar on the Embarcadero.

Choose from Pitchersnaps (a riff on gingersnaps), Pablo Sandoval’s Panda Prints (peanut butter and jam thumbprints), Buster Posey’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies, and Brian Wilson’s Chocolate Sea Salt ShortBEARDS (get it?).

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Marvelous Meatballs — With A New California Whole Wheat Pasta

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A plethora of meatballs to dig into.

“I Love Meatballs!”

That’s the fun title of the newest cookbook (Andrews McMeel) by the ever prolific New York cooking instructor, Rick Rogers, of which I recently received a review copy.

But it might also very well be a mantra we would all shout happily from the rafters.

Come on, say it with me now: I. LOVE. Meatballs.

If that doesn’t put a big smile on your face, I don’t know what will.

Rogers circles the globe with is recipes for meatballs in this book. You’ll find everything from “Beef Meatballs in Pho” to “Persian Meatballs in Pomegranate and Walnut Sauce” to “Chinese Rice-Crusted Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Dip.”

I gravitated to the “Ziti with Sausage Meatballs and Broccolini.” The meatballs are actually made from ground pork and sweet Italian sausages that have been removed from their casings. Mix in shredded onion, egg, and milk-soaked bread crumbs for added moisture.  The results are juicy, fluffy meatballs perfect for nestling in pasta.

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New Sour Licorice Twists

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A veritable rainbow of sour licorice to choose from.

If you’re a fan of Newman’s Own Organics regular licorice twists, you’ll be glad to know the company has just introduced a new variation: Sour Licorice Twists.

They come in four flavors: Sour Apple, Sour Cherry, Sour Mango, and Sour Strawberry.

I had a chance to taste samples of each recently. If you’re used to the wince of some other uber tart candies on the market, these will come off as fairly tame.

The sourness is present, but not overwhelmingly puckery.

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Malt Balls for Grown-Ups

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Can't eat just one.

If the Easter Bunny doesn’t leave you some of these babies, don’t despair.

You can get them on your own from San Francisco’s premier chocolatier, Recchiuti Confections.

Malted Dark Revolutions (how’s that for a snazzy name) have turned the classic malt ball on its head. Bite into these glossy orbs and you’ll discover a crunchy malted cookie covered in a proprietary blend of dark milk chocolate.

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