Category Archives: New Products

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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Haagen-Dazs’ Tempting New Flavors

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If it’s summer, it must be time for new Haagen-Dazs flavors.

And that’s a very good time, indeed.

That’s eight new flavors, four of which are limited edition ones available only through December, such as “Dark Chocolate Mint” and “Bananas Foster.”

If you’re watching your calories, you’ll be glad to know that three of the new flavors are low-fat frozen yogurts, such as “Peach” and “Raspberry.”

Recently, I had a chance to try samples of four of the newbies:

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Candy With A Beard & Winners of the Starbucks Coffees

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Usually, hairy isn’t a good thing.

As in armpits.

Or finding yourself entangled in a crazy situation.

But when it comes to Chinese candy, it can be a very good thing, indeed.

I found that out when a chef-friend brought me back a souvenir from Hong Kong: Dragon Beard Candy.

This unusual confection is also known as “noodle candy,” because the way it’s made is similar to that of hand-pulled noodles.

Malt sugar is boiled, then chilled until just the right elastic consistency. Then, it is hand-pulled and stretched, which doubles the number of strands each time.

The spun sugar is then cut into small pieces and wrapped around a filling of roasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts and shredded coconut.

The “hair” is superfine, almost like thread. When you bite into the sweet candy, the “hair” shatters immediately, giving way to a crunchy nuttiness.

According to legend — or the back of my box — an emperor in the Sung Dynasty was so fond of the candy that it became featured as an imperial treat at the palace. It was fitting, given that the dragon was the symbol of the emperor, and the thousand strands of the candy were said to resemble the emperor’s beard.

Another friend, who has lived in China, said that she remember watching vendors making the spun sugar, as passersby would gather to watch.

Which just goes to show that hairy — at least when it comes to candy — can be a definite crowd pleaser.

Contest Results: Now, for the five winners of the Starbucks Natural Fusions flavored coffees. Each person will receive a bag of each of the three different flavors (Vanilla, Caramel and Cinnamon), as well as a French press.

As you recall in my recent contest, I asked you to take your best shot at answering this question: “Without coffee in the morning, I am….”

I’m glad I’m not the only one who desperately needs that first cup in the morning to be myself. Here are the winners who had the best answers:

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