Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
With a schedule that has me restaurant hopping four to five nights a week, I’m always looking for quick and flavorful shortcuts (that have a semi-long shelf life) when I am home. Pre-packaged sauces, although convenient, too often taste — pre-packaged and once you open the container, you better finish them up, as they won’t stay fresh long.
Not with Maison Le Grand’s line of cold-processed sauces, tapenades and pestos. Once you open the recyclable package, these sauces last up to one month. They are made with fresh, raw ingredients and use no preservatives or added sugar pleasing even the strictest raw food, vegetarian and gluten-free diets. And boring they are not — these fresh pouches are packed with unique, zesty flavors that will quickly liven up your favorite sandwich, pasta, pizza or seafood dish.
Our favorite was the Spicy Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade. We spread some of this spicy tapenade over a pizza crust, added a mixture of leftover turkey and Mediterranean vegetables, sprinkled it with some freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese and voila! a new favorite.
Maison Le Grand offers a variety of flavors — Pestos (Garden, 4 Nuts & Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato), Tapenades (Mild and Spicy Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato) and Aromatic Sauces (Lemon Confit & Pumpkin Seed, Orange & Sunflower Seed Aromatic Aromatic Sauce and Sesame and Pink Peppercorn). Available at Whole Foods and Fresh Market locations.
*Dine Magazine often receives a variety of food and wine products in the mail. Some we love, while others — not so much, but always be assured that the items we feature are some of our favorites.
Ready for your claim to fame? It’s time to create the ultimate donut with your personalized touch in this year’s Create Dunkin’s Next Donut contest. Do you think you can manage that? If so, you will go home with an extra $12,000 cash, and the runners-up will go home with $1200 cash, a year’s supply of donuts, a flip HD, and a trip to Dunkin Donuts University for the finals. Life is sweet!
Last year, it was Toffee for your Coffee that went home the winner (a ring-shaped donut made with sour cream cake, glazed and topped with chopped Heath Bar), but this year the contest begins again and you have until March 8th to submit your award-winning entry.
Here are the rules :
- Create a donut
- Name it and provide your inspiration
- Enter it in the contest (Limit 1 entry per person)
- Entry must be received by March 8, 2010
- Submissions are judged by Dunkin’ Donuts
- The finalists are announced and voting is open to the public from April 19-May 3.
- The winner is announced on June 4, National Donut Day.
See official rules on the Dunkin Donut’s website.
For this Valentine’s Day, may we recommend everything chocolate – because, really, does life get any better? And since it only comes around once a year, you have every excuse to indulge in rich, decadent chocolate treats. I feel the rush already.
Create your own chocolate bar with Chocri. This newly launched company allows you to customize your chocolate gift with your favorite ingredients. Start off with you choice of base (either white, milk or dark chocolate) and then add in your favorites — fruits, spices, nuts, confections, decor and grains. For Valentine’s Day, there are special romance themed add-ins including: Candied Rose Pedals, Mini Heart Decorations and Silver Pearls. After you have created the perfect candy bar, create the perfect name and inscribe it on the package. Minimum 3-bar purchase and the starting price is $7.90.
Have you been dreaming up the perfect ice cream combination? Now, you can create it with eCreamery – for a life less vanilla. Select your favorite base (either sorbetto, gelato or ice cream), up to two flavors (anything from a chocolate malt or tiramisu to a more exotic chipotle) and up to two mix-ins (think chocolate walnut brownie pieces or chocolate covered peanuts). Now its time to select your packaging and give your ice cream a name. Your frozen treat can be ordered by the 1/2 gallon for $49.99+shipping or the full gallon for $89.99 plus shipping.
If you want to stick to the tried and true chocolate truffles, why not try the CocoLove Chocolate Truffle Pack ($26)? This gift pack comes with 15 pieces of luscious dark chocolate fudge truffles — Rosie Posy, Planet Marz and Naked Hottie. These hand-dipped artisanal chocolate balls are rich, simple and purely divine.
Express your love to your sweetie with these chocolate covered fortune cookies. Not only will they be an indulgent treat, you can add in a personalized message and be assured you will get your date’s attention. Choose a traditionally flavored cookie or a more exotic one (strawberry, graham cracker or cappuccino), dip it in chocolate — and add on sprinkles if you’d like. Whatever the case, get ready to wow your significant other. If you’d like something even more unusual, why not go for the giant fortune cookies? Oh yes, imagine a 5″ x 7″ fortune cookie that weighs over 1 lb. Available online at Fancy Fortune Cookies.
Spice up this Valentine’s Day while putting one of your favorite ingredients to work — paint, lick, lather or simply indulge on a rich, chocolate treat with the Let the Body do the Talking Gift Basket from Edible Gift Baskets ($39.99). This sexy gift basket is filled with romantic treats including rose pedals, chocolate lips with a hint of chili, chocolate body frosting, stencils and a paint brush — a perfect and risque addition to this already sensual date night.
Teavana Perfect Tea Maker
There’s something about a warm cup of tea in the morning that I love. The aroma, the soothing effect, the ritual of sharing it make it a welcome addition to my morning routine. Enter the Perfect Tea Maker by Teavana and now I have found my new morning companion. This gizmo is my favorite tea accessory to date, as it is easy to use, perfect for on the go and simple to clean up.
All that you need to do is open the lid, pour the tea leaves in, add 16 oz of hot water and let it steep. After two minutes, set it on top of your favorite mug and the liquid releases. For clean up, just throw it in the dishwasher.
Available for $17.95 at Amazon.
BUILT Oven Mitt and Pot Holder
Who said potholders and oven mitts were boring? Built NY’s lineup has brought hip and trendy back into the kitchen. They have made these kitchen accessories cool to give and to get. These products, made with an innovative design and textured material are ideal for cooking. There’s no fear of burning yourself here, as these products, made out of neoprene, are heat resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are used to how clumsy oven mitts make you feel, you are about to be surprised. Built NY’s oven mitts fit like a glove and allow for a greater freedom of movement.
Available at BuiltNY.com
Sheer Bliss
If someone wants to win me over, you can spoil me with ice cream. The creamy, rich goodness is the perfect ending to any day. The first time I tried Sheer Bliss ice cream, I knew I had found a new favorite. It’s not your typical grocery store brand, but rather a smooth, luxurious frozen treat with flavors ranging from traditional vanilla to Pomegranate with Dark Chocolate Swirls. This ultra-rich, sinful, frozen treat is in a class of its own. Available at Whole Foods, Publix and other gourmet retailers.
MicroPlane Rasp Grater
If you are looking for one kitchen tool to add to your collection, look no further than the Microplane Rasp Grater ($14.95) from Williams-Sonoma. Originally developed as a woodworking tool, the microplane has saved many knuckles and fingernails from disaster. With its long handle and unique grating holes, it gives your much more control. You will soon be zesting citrus fruits and grating cheeses with style. Available for $14.95 at Williams-Sonoma.
The Body Deli’s Blueberry Fusion Scrub
This scrub is dessert in a jar. The moment I opened it, I wanted to eat it right up, but if you can’t eat it, why not use it to smooth and refine your skin? This fusion scrub combines a blueberry puree full of antioxidants, gentle fruit acids and natural earth particles to make an incredible exfoliator that feeds your skin and leaves it rejuvenated. This luxurious scrub comes from The Body Deli, a company devoted entirely to using all-natural and organic ingredients. $32
Creamy Polenta at Scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Walk, run, do whatever you need to do, but make your way to Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau. Scott Conant has created the most amazing dish and if you haven’t had it, you’re missing out. Chef makes a creamy polenta with a fricassee of wild mushrooms. It’s sinful, but oh so creamy and a visit to Scarpetta is worth it just for this.
An invite to a holiday party means get ready for a night of laughter, sumptuous treats, oodles of wine and of course, a hunt for the perfect hostess gift. A bottle of wine seems to be my go-to gift, but I find it so generic. Why not sweeten up your gift giving by giving a gingerbread house? Ideal for kids and adults alike, a perfectly crafted gingerbread house decorated with sugar-coated candies is the perfect addition to any kitchen table.
Available at Fresh Market for $21.99.