Category Archives: New Products

Aperture — (E)State of the Art

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The 2022 Aperture Chenin Blanc. (photo by Carolyn Jung)
The 2022 Aperture Chenin Blanc. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

At Aperture Estate in Healdsburg, discover art all around — from what’s in the bottle, to what’s adorning the walls, to where visitors sip these beautiful Bordeaux-style wines.

After all, winemaker and founder Jesse Katz is the son of famed photographer Andy Katz, whose photos have graced the album covers of the Doobie Brothers and Dan Fogelberg, and who has published 15 photo books.

Andy Katz’s work has brought him to more than 90 countries. And it was on many of those travels with his father, especially to France, that inspired Jesse Katz’s passion for wine-making.

The sleek building that houses the tasting room. (photo courtesy of Aperture Estate)
The sleek building that houses the tasting room. (Photo courtesy of Aperture Estate)

In fact, the winery takes its name from the aperture of a camera lens, which controls the amount of light that hits the camera sensor that affects the exposure of the image. In that vein, Jesse Katz likens what he does to “shedding light” on what Bordeaux varieties grown in its 120 acres of estate vineyards in cooler areas of Sonoma can be like.

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Zingerman’s Gingerbread Coffee Cake

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The ultimate gingerbread cake.
The ultimate gingerbread cake.

It may be called “Gingerbread Coffee Cake,” but it boasts no mountain of crunchy streusel on top like you might imagine.

Instead, this coffee cake actually has brewed coffee in it.

Along with a bountiful array of invigorating spices.

So much so, you won’t even miss the absence of a crumb topping.

This cake is so extraordinary that when Zingerman’s Bakery made the decision not to include it in its first cookbook, “Zingerman’s Bakehouse” (Chronicle Books, 2017), regulars were aghast.

Fortunately, the beloved 30-year-oled, Ann Arbor, MI bakery rectified that omission by featuring it in its newest cookbook, “Zingerman’s Bakehouse’s Celebrate Every Day” (Chronicle Books), of which I received a review copy.

The book is a collaborative project by the team at Zingerman’s that includes managing partner Amy Emberling, marketer Lindsay-Jean Hard, editor Lee Vedder, and marketing manager and food photographer Corynn Coscia.

The idea for this cookbook grew out of the pandemic, when people were eating out less, and desiring to cook and bake more at home. The Zingerman’s staff used that time to write down more of its best-loved recipes to share.

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Eats & Treats, Part II

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It sure looks like caviar -- but it's not.
It sure looks like caviar — but it’s not.

Caviart

They are tiny and black, boast a briny taste, and look for all the world like caviar.

But these are not sturgeon roe by any means. In fact, they are vegan and made from seaweed.

Caviart was developed by Danish Chef Jens Moller, who sources sustainable seaweed in France to make these plant-based pearls in Denmark that are free of gluten, soy, cholesterol, and fat. They have no calories, either.

I had a chance to try a sample. The pearls glisten and are more minuscule than typical caviar. They don’t necessarily have the initial crunchy pop of real caviar, but they have a delicious sea taste that’s a little earthy and a lot savory. There’s also a depth of flavor, thanks to the additions of turmeric, cayenne, leek, dill, tarragon, and laurel. So, it’s not solely salinity that you taste.

Use it any way you would the real deal.
Use it any way you would the real deal.

The mock caviar is a perfect way to dress up the holiday table because it makes any dish more festive. It’s ideal for vegetarians and vegans, and tasty enough to pass muster with gourmet carnivores.

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Eats & Treats, Part I

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50Hertz Tingly Peanuts get a real pop from green Sichuan peppers.
50Hertz Tingly Peanuts get a real pop from green Sichuan peppers.

50Hertz Tingly Foods

Nope, this company has nothing to do with rental cars, but everything to do with the famously tingly and mouth numbing Sichuan peppers.

50Hertz Tingly Foods sells an array of dried peppers, pepper oil, and pepper snacks. The company is named for the number of units of frequency per second that one experiences tingling from Sichuan pepper, according to scientists at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London.

It was founded by Yao Zhao, a former green energy specialist at the World Bank in Washington, DC, who used his own savings to do so after becoming inspired by a pepper oil he brought back after visiting his mother in China. Last year out of thousands of entries, 50Hertz was selected as one of 14 newly established food brands by Target’s Forward Founders accelerator mentorship program.

Dried green and red Sichuan peppers.
Dried green and red Sichuan peppers.

Most people are familiar with the traditional red Sichuan peppers, which are most commonly available in Asian grocery stores. But 50Hertz also sells green Sichuan peppers, which are not an immature version but an entirely different plant. 50Hertz’s web site neatly sums up the two by comparing them to red and white wine: “Flavor-wise, the green is brighter, more aromatic, and pairs better with fish, seafood and vegetables, just like white wine, while the red is more full-bodied, woodsier and pairs better with tofu, red meat, like red wine.”

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Discover Misfits Market — And the Winner of the Food Gal Contest

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My Misfits Market order included butternut squash and sweet potatoes billed as "unconventional in size.''
My Misfits Market order included butternut squash and sweet potatoes billed as “unconventional in size.”

It may be named Misfits Market, but it has nothing to do with forlorn, forgotten toys.

Instead, get to know this online subscription marketplace that aims to deliver mostly organic and non-GMO produce and other foodstuffs to your door at affordable prices — and in the process reach a wider audience and cut down on food waste.

Unlike most CSAs, you can choose what’s in your delivery box, too. Shipping is a flat rate that varies by zip code but starts at $5.99.

The company was founded in Philadelphia in 2018 by Abhi Ramesh, a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, who was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021 by Ernst & Young.

A grocery delivery service whose goal is to cut down on food waste.
A grocery delivery service whose goal is to cut down on food waste.

The company sources from farmers and producers across the country, as well as some items such as citrus and avocados from outside the United States.

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