Category Archives: New Products

Unusual New Peppers from East Palo Alto’s Happy Quail Farms

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Some like it hot. Or at least tongue-tingling.

That’s what Happy Quail Farms of East Palo Alto is hoping with its two new spicy peppers. Owner David Winsberg is believed to be the only one in the United States selling the Guindilla Verde from Bilbao, Spain and the Shaerma from Bhutan.

The light green, heirloom Guindilla Verde, with its grassy flavor and moderate heat, is perfect in piperade, egg scrambles, stir-fries or simply grilled and served alongside steaks. When it turns red, taking on a sweeter note, it’s typically used in Spanish chorizo, giving the sausages their distinctive, crimson tinge.

The dark green Shaerma is practically a national treasure in Bhutan, gracing almost every meal of the day.  Similar to a New Mexico Hatch chile in spiciness and to a Pimiento de Padron in flavor, this tender pepper is fairly hot, making it ideal for dishes with cheese to tame it a tad.

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Rumba Ice Creams Cause a Delicious Rumble

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Laly Protzel may have spent a decade as an interior architecture designer.

But one taste of her new Rumba Desserts makes you realize this is one woman who knows and loves fine ice creams.

What really sets Protzel’s ice creams apart is that they are made with natural fruits grown exclusively in her native Peru.

I had a chance to try a few samples recently of her preservative-free, egg-free, all natural ice creams, which are made in Sunnyvale and are available at Whole Foods, Draeger’s, Zanotto’s and Sigona’s Market. A pint sells for about $7.99.

The Maracuya (yellow passion fruit)  tastes like a tropical island. It’s a nice blend of sweet-tart.

The Banana Cinnamon tastes like bananas flambé with a nice dose of warm cinnamon.

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Mmm, Mmoon Empanadas

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The Mmoon's ham and cheese empanada.

The Mmoon is rising in downtown San Jose.

That would be the Mmoon empanada cafe to be exact.

Two brothers from Argentina — one who worked in financial services, the other in business ventures — are opening their first restaurant Sept. 13 in what was the old Emma’s taqueria on W. Santa Clara St.

Yes, more empanadas, which seem to be popping up with such regularity in the Bay Area now, that they might soon give the cupcake craze a run for its money.

Flaky, pastry-like crusts with assorted fillings.

Mike Mendez, however, got the idea for this long ago. In fact, while he was still in college, he banged out the business plan for it — on a typewriter no less. Remember those?

It seemed a good idea to him back in 1980 and even more so in today’s long suffering economy. “It’s fast and affordable,” says Mendez, 52 of Los Altos. “People need something like that.”

Nine empanadas ($1.90 to $2.35 each, depending on the variety) will be offered at this fast, casual spot, where you order at the counter. Some are based on family recipes. Others are newfangled concoctions, such as the addicting “Banapple,” a half-moon pastry dusted with powdered sugar and filled with chunks of apples and bananas, sauteed in butter, brown sugar and maple syrup.

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Garden Creamery Sorbets Taste Fresh-Picked

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Sorbet flavored not only with raspberries, but red peppers.

I love a good, fruity, virtuous sorbet. But truth be told, it’s usually not quite as swoon-satisfying as a sinful scoop of bonafide full-fat ice cream, if you know what I mean.

That is until I tried samples of Garden Creamery sorbets.

These sorbets — made with agave nectar, as well as organic fruits, veggies and herbs, and no stabilizers or emulsifiers — are something else.

They taste high-end, as if a talented pastry chef at a four-star restaurant had spent the morning churning them, using the best ingredients in winning combinations.

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A Sweet Society

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How'd you like these raspberry-white chocolate sables delivered to you? (Photo courtesy of Tell Tale Preserve Company)

Executive Pastry Chef William Werner, one of the Bay Area’s top talents, won’t officially open his new Tell Tale Preserve Company on Union Square in San Francisco until November.

But those impatient for a taste of his confections have a novel option in the meantime: Become a member of its Tell Tale Society.

For a $35 a month subscription, you get a once-a-month delivery of house-made pastries, jams, candies and breads. Now, that’s my idea of high society.

Customers can either pick up their package at a designated location or have it shipped directly to them for an extra fee.

The once-a-month delivery bag. (Photo courtesy of Tell Tale Preserve Company)

The first burlap bag shipment of goodies is set to go out on Sept. 1. It will include an almond financier, plum-litchi pate de fruit, coffee-laced milk jam, caramels with volcanic sea salt, savory tomato-semolina bread, praline marshmallows, and raspberry-white chocolate sandwich cookies.

Werner, who has worked at Quince in San Francisco and the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, is building a patisserie and delicatessen on tucked-away Maiden Lane. Tell Tale Preserve Company is a collaboration between him and the Whisk Group, a Maryland boutique hospitality group.

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