You know shelter-in-place is getting to us when even a few chefs admit they are sick of cooking at home now.
So rev up your cooking with some new small-batch spice blends with global flavors.
Chef and world traveler Trent Blodgett was inspired to found the San Francisco company, Spice Tribe, after exploring countries from Thailand to Haiti, and marveling at the unique aromas and tastes of each place’s cuisine.
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The Blanchetti founded Peoples Old Market in downtown Los Angeles in 1929, an old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness neighborhood butcher shop.
It flourished, eventually being renamed Peoples Sausage Company to reflect its specialty. Over the years, succeeding generations of the family joined the business, adding their own new products, including an all-natural, hand-crafted beef jerky made from a 1920’s recipe that became a runaway hit.
People’s Choice Beef Jerky now offers a range of dried meat products, which I recently got a chance to sample.
Now, admittedly, I’m not one to normally chow down on beef jerky. But in the time of a pandemic, I can readily see how these meaty snacks can come in quite handy.
This is beef jerky that actually tastes of beef, not an old shoe. It’s got chew to it, so if you prefer softer, flabbier jerky, this might not be to your liking.
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Before the pandemic, Oakland’s Cream Co. Meats were available only to celebrated San Francisco chefs such as David Nayfield of Che Fico; Stuart Brioza of State Bird Provisions and The Progress; and Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s.
A distributor for sustainable and regenerative ranches across the West, Cream Co. it is one of the few USDA-certified processing facilities in Northern California.
If there’s one shining light in this COVID madness, though, it’s that this certified whole-animal butchery has pivoted to offer its top-notch products directly to everyday consumers now.
That means even if you can’t dine in at restaurants these days, you can still enjoy the premium meats they use — if you’re willing to do the cooking, yourself.
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I’ve long been a fan of Seghesio Family Vineyards’ Zinfandel wines, so elegant and concentrated in deep berry flavors with often a back note of cocoa.
In 2008, it started planting more Italian white varietals in its Russian River vineyards, including Vermentino, a grape that traditionally grows near the Ligurian Sea.
I had a chance to try a sample bottle of the 2018 release ($24), which garnered 90 points from Wine Enthusiast.
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They have the hard crackling crunch of miniature corn nuts. And a great roasty, toasty, nutty, and earthy taste.
Mighty Lil’ Lentils is a new plant-based snack made from lentils that are crisped up in safflower or sunflower oil, then salted and dusted with other flavorings.
It’s the newest product from Seapoint Farms, the California company that’s the largest importer and manufacturer in the United States of edamame.
The company is now turning its attention to lentils, the tiny legumes that are a good source of protein and fiber.
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