New Matcha Energy Drinks (And Winner of Last Week’s Contest)

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Matcha and juice combine for this new beverage.

Matcha and juice combine for this new beverage.

 

The color may be ho-hum, muddy green in the glass, but the taste sure makes it a beauty.

Leave it to TeaPigs to come up with refreshing matcha energy drinks to take along anywhere.

If green tea is full of antioxidants, then matcha is even more so. That’s because you’re not just drinking liquid that the tea leaves have steeped in. Instead, you’re ingesting entire leaves, which have been ground to a very fine powder to make the fabled ingredient traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies.

Easy to take along wherever you go. But they are best tasting when chilled.

Easy to take along wherever you go. But they are best tasting when chilled.

I had a chance to sample the new TeaPigs Matcha Super Power Green Tea Drinks made with tea grown in Nishio, Japan, blended with water, juice concentrate and citric acid.

They come in three flavors: Grapefruit, Elderflower, and Apple. All are intended to be enjoyed chilled.

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Chocolate Chunk Cookies With — Wait For It — Chicharrones

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Chocolate chunk cookies -- hiding a wealth of chicharrones.

Chocolate chunk cookies — hiding a wealth of chicharrones.

Chocolate chunk cookies studded with bacon? Yawn. Been there. Ate that.

But have your teeth ever sunk into “Dark Chocolate Chicharron Cookies”?

Nope, didn’t think so.

I know mine sure hadn’t until I spied the recipe for them in the new cookbook, “Eat Mexico: Recipes From Mexico City’s Streets, Markets & Fondas” (Kyle Books), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook is by Lesley Tellez, a New York City culinary guide and creator of the blog, The Mija Chronicles, who immersed herself in Mexican cooking when she lived in Mexico City for four years. The beautiful photos are by my former San Jose Mercury News colleague, Penny De Los Santos.

The book includes recipes for favorite Mexican street food such as “Roasted Poblano Pepper Tamales,” “Thickened Mexican Hot Chocolate,” and “Shrimp and Octopus Cocktail.” But where I think the book really shines is in the last chapter, “At Home,” in which Tellez incorporates Mexican flair into unexpected dishes such as “Oatmeal with Charred Poblano Peppers and Cheese” and “Stuffed Cactus Paddles,” which are reminiscent of loaded potato skins.

That last chapter is also where you’ll find this cookie recipe.

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Trou Normand — A Carnivore’s Delight

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The "small'' beef chop at Trou Normand.

The “small” beef chop at Trou Normand.

 

Sure, you can choose a salad or veggie sides at Trou Normand in San Francisco’s South of Market district.

But really, this restaurant is all about the meat.

Local heritage breeds, whole-animal butchery, and up to 40 different kinds of house-made charcuterie and salumi offered daily are its hallmarks.

It is the younger sister restaurant to Bar Agricole, both founded by Thad Vogler. Executive Chef Salvatore Cracco, who heads the kitchen and butchery program, was the former butcher and sous chef at Bar Agricole.

They’ve turned the historic Art Deco Pacific Telephone Building space into an airy, industrial-hip environment with an unfinished ceiling, marble tables, over-sized tufted leather banquettes, and cool cafe artwork.

The light fixtures.

The light fixtures.

The bar with its iconic artwork.

The bar with its iconic artwork.

A couple weeks ago, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant. Naturally, my husband, aka Meat Boy, tagged along. After all, this carnivore’s paradise is right up its alley.

The restaurant is named for the northern French tradition of enjoying a small glass of brandy, usually Calvados, between courses to settle the stomach and awaken the palate. Gotta love the French, right?

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I Think I Can, I Think I Can (Plus A Food Gal Giveaway)

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My former nemesis, now my sweet friend.

My former nemesis, now my sweet friend.

 

For years, I’ve suffered from a malady.

One that I’ve shamefully hidden, glossed over and tried to ignore.

You see, I am a can-o-phobe.

There, I said it.

I am one who has never canned.

Oh sure, I’ve made jam. And I’ve made pickles. But all ones that could be easily stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Petrified that I’d end up killing friends and family (or at least making them deathly ill), I’d never had the nerve to water process the jars to attempt to make them shelf-stable instead.

Until now.

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Strawberry Tabbouleh — It’s A Thing

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Tabbouleh -- with strawberries. And you will love it.

Tabbouleh — with strawberries. And you will love it.

Who put strawberries in my tabbouleh?

Food blogger Sara Forte, that’s who.

And I’m grateful that she did.

I love tabbouleh, but I don’t think I would have ever thought to substitute fresh strawberries for the usual tomatoes in it.

The recipe for “Strawberry Tabbouleh” is from her new cookbook, “The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

Forte of Southern California is the creator of the beautiful blog, Sprouted Kitchen, which features photos by her husband, Hugh Forte. Her recipes are all about healthful, wholesome and seasonal.

SproutedKitchen

As the name implies, this book spotlights recipes that are typically served in one bowl such as “Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oats,” “Herby Picnic Potato Salad,” and “Seared Scallops in Thai Broth.”

Her “Strawberry Tabbouleh” can be made with the traditional bulgur or quinoa for a gluten-free version.

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