Archive for ‘Product Reviews’

Memorable Fancy Food Show Pairings

By , 19 July, 2011,

Really enjoyed the Summer 2011 Fancy Food Show,  and I just had to share a couple of fun pairings I discovered:

Effie’s Homemade Oat Cakes with Chapel’s Country Creamery cheese, available I believe at the DC Cowgirl Creamery. Who knew Maryland was such a hotbed of incredible farmstead cheeses?

Justin’s Almond Butter with Mary’s Gone Crackers Curry Sticks & Twigs. And to think they shared an aisle and may not have tried this perfect gluten-free-gone-wild snack pairing. Or did they?

And finally Sartori’s Raspberry BellaVitano cheese and a toothpick. I’d been embarrassed to love such a frufru-ish  cheese until learning it won Best New Cheese at the 2008 World Cheese Awards. Boy can I pick a winner! ;)

I could go on, but alas I have post-trip laundry to tackle, blueberries to eat, and an exciting chocolate trip report.

Oh the sofi Silver Award Winners I Have Known

By , 13 June, 2011,

I’m all a-flutter over the NASFT’s sofi Silver finalists for 2011. While I have many to discover and enjoy, I’m thrilled to be intimately familiar and a fan of others which made the cut from 1,657 entries! Here’s my rundown:

Sticky Toffee Pudding Company – Shout out to Tracy Claros with whom I recently had the pleasure of drinking some fabulous coffee in Austin. Nice to see her  decadent hand-made puddings given such recognition.

Sonoma Olive Juice – Karin explained the lengths to which Sonoma Syrup goes to get this incredible juice which has become the darling of bartenders. Can’t wait to taste it!

Lotus Forbidden Black Rice – I’ve been experimenting with a line of products based on Lotus’ rice which is “the” health food of 2011. Check out my mad experiments at http://www.nutlessprofessor.com
Finding a co-packer to help with the rice has been my challenge. Know one?

Askinosie Davao, Philippines White Chocolate Bar – Just the other day I discovered I’d been hoarding a white chocolate bar I procured a few months ago. Askinosie white chocolate is like none you’ve had before: sweet sophistication.

Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups – I’d walked into Austin’s Wheatsville Co-op at 10:00 am recently only to be greeted by a plate full of cut up Justin’s Peanut Butter cups. My favorite combo for cups is usually milk chocolate. While scrumptious, the dark chocolate perfectly offsets the creamy peanut butter. A winner. (Non-peanut eaters must try Sun Cups by Seth Ellis Chocolatier. The milk chocolate version rocks my world.)

Theo’s Chocolate - Love the chocolate. Can’t wait to try the chile caramels. Why does having “ghost” in a food product always make it sound more mysterious and alluring?

Bissinger’s Pandas – One of my favorite ways to get my fruit servings. (Or just to enjoy.)

Chuao Chocolatier – Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate – I was drinking this back before you could get Chuao in stores. It’s the perfect way to take a trip to Aztec Mexico sans time machine.

Lark Fine Foods - How exciting this small bakery’s treats are getting deserved recognition! Not one but two!

Vosges Haut-Chocolat - Black Salt Caramel Bar – “OMG” A fave liquid drip.

Lovesticks – Somewhat Seedy Garlicky Toasted Bites – Judy’s Lovesticks are my “go to” bread when I want a healthy carb fix. I haven’t tasted the bites but the fulfilling and simple Lovesticks ingredients are the recipe of a winner. Plus what a great name.

Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian – a wonderful line that brings the skills of an Indian mom to every house. Nice to see this Bay Area farmers’ market fixture a winner!

Callie’s Charleston Biscuits - Breakfast in a bag. Flaky buttery biscuit perfection.

Sullivan Harbor Farm Smokehouse – This tiny Maine smoke house won two silver awards! Last year I took the 2 minute tour and am excited to report that not only will you enjoy incredible smoked fish but you will be supporting a very small artisanal Maine business as you breakfast.

Humboldt Fog Chevre – First experienced in the late ’90s, it remains my “best cheese in the world.” Nuff said.

Nago Foods salad dressing – It seems like yesterday I saw them at the farmer’s market in Oakland and now here they are with a silver award!

Bequet Confections – Buttery chewy goodness.

Creminelli, Nueske, Ciao Bella, Sarabeth, Stonewall Kitchen…must I go on? No I must work. But this wonderful list overwhelms me.  (You know you’re looking at NASFT sofi award winners when The Lazy Dog Cookie Co’s pet Pup-Pies look good enough to eat.)

I look forward to sampling the rest at the 2011 Fancy Food Show in DC. See you there?

Food Entrepreneur Profile: The Cookie Department Requests Your Appetite

By , 24 March, 2011,

When The Cookie Department, based in Emeryville, CA, called me in to taste their new selection of grab-and-go “functional” cookies, it didn’t take much for me to show up for a meeting. That was before I knew founder and baker Akiva Resnikoff could give Don Draper a run for his money in the eyes department (see Exhibit A).

Exhibit A: The Blue Eyed Baker

I’d gone gaga over their fun, retro office-themed branding. Akiva explained: “A lot of time was put into the concept and all of our marketing is geared towards “50′s and 60′s office America”. While it hasn’t quite made the leap to the current packaging, you can see a young cookie company in motion as they figure out what works.

The product is well made too, with inventive, natural flavors – some geared more to adults and others to eaters of all ages. They’re not your decadent bakery style cookies but what you might look for as an energy-bar alternative. Here’s the skinny:

  • Peanut Power – 10 grams of protein, it made a perfect breakfast snack and tasted like homemade.
  • Awaken Baked has the equivalent caffeine as a cup of coffee, from organic coffee and big dark chocolate chunks. My friend wasn’t that into it, but I can totally see eating this on the go or as a roadtrip snack.
  • Smart Cookie (Vegan) includes sweet potato and has the pumpkin spicy flavor of a healthy cookie. (Not for the decadent minded.)
  • Sexy Cookie (Maca Chocolate Chip Cookie) – Tasters agreed: We’ll wait to see if the slightly bitter Maca root increases our vitality before getting hooked on these.
  • Gingersnaps (new flavor) – 3 out of 3 who tried ‘em loved these firm, gingery ditties.

Exhibit B: Making Healthy Cookies Fun

Entrepreneur’s Lessons Learned

After a few years testing cookies in various Bay Area cafes, Akiva had just received his packaging and had some experiences to share:

  • Printing packaging early on is expensive and perhaps too much of a commitment. Making slight changes to the design can rack up change costs. (I’ve heard this over and over. Investing in a printer yourself is often a good thing.)
  • Pick packaging based on distribution. High barrier plastic increases shelf life. It may not be sexy but when the eater bites in, they won’t care. (As you can see here, attractive labels overcome the functional aspect of the package.
  • Find a kitchen you like. Akiva found a flexible place with a pleasant ambiance that charges based on the amount of storage and refrigerator space. (It’s important to ask for those if you’ll need them!)
  • Look to family and friends. Akiva started out in his cousin’s bakery and attributes his branding to help from family: “My brother and his wife are my graphic design and marketing professionals.” Lucky him!

Verified “Good:” Look for The Cookie Department, coming soon at cafes across San Francisco and beyond.