Hershey isn't the only one buying up candymakers this week. Jelly Belly has also bought Los Angles-based Ben Myerson Candy Co., makers of Christopher's Candy and Sunkist fruit gems. Now, when I think of Jelly Belly I think entirely of jelly beans -- though the company says that they make "over 100 different candies including chocolates, gummies, candy corn, taffy, and... jelly beans" I couldn't name another candy brand they produce. (Perhaps a down-side of having a jelly bean for their corporate logo.) This purchase, however, will provide them with some new candy types to think of when the name "Jelly Belly" comes up.Jelly Belly buys Ben Myerson Candy
Hershey isn't the only one buying up candymakers this week. Jelly Belly has also bought Los Angles-based Ben Myerson Candy Co., makers of Christopher's Candy and Sunkist fruit gems. Now, when I think of Jelly Belly I think entirely of jelly beans -- though the company says that they make "over 100 different candies including chocolates, gummies, candy corn, taffy, and... jelly beans" I couldn't name another candy brand they produce. (Perhaps a down-side of having a jelly bean for their corporate logo.) This purchase, however, will provide them with some new candy types to think of when the name "Jelly Belly" comes up.Continue reading Jelly Belly buys Ben Myerson Candy
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Picking the perfect pumpkin
I always approach unknown veggies with a bit of trepidation. There are boxes of them on on the produce stand, and everyone looks different -- so what should I be after? Pumpkin is on the grocery shelves rarely enough to qualify (at least to me) as one of these unknowns, so I thought I'd share these tips for picking out your perfect pumpkin, for those braving the fierce waters of pumpkin outside the can. For a future jack-o-lantern, of course, you're looking for a pretty pumpkin -- with a deep orange color and firm flesh. (You can still have roasted pumpkin seeds from your jack-o-lantern!) But if you do want to cook your pumpkin, you might be a bit pickier. Throughout your local produce department, you're likely to find some pumpkins specifically labeled as pie pumpkins, which are going to be the best sort for eating. You'll want to take a look at the stem -- a strong, green stem will show a pumpkin in good health. And other than that, look for the same signs of quality you would in any other produce: no blemishes or soft spots, and it should feel heavy for its size.
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The quest for fresh herbs
The nearest grocery store to my house is very convenient -- at a couple of blocks away, it wouldn't be much hassle to bike down and pick up a few things. But it's a very ordinary store as well, and doesn't always have what I might be hunting. And when it doesn't? Well, the half-hour drive downtown is usually worth it for the abundant selection of fresh fruits and veggies, but sometimes I simply don't feel up to it. So, facing up to the coming winter, I've cleared off a sunny kitchen windowsill as an ideal place to attempt to grow my own selection of herbs. And while I don't claim to have a green thumb, a couple of weeks into the experiment my little plants -- basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, and lavender (I've never cooked with this last, but it smells lovely in the kitchen) -- already seem to be growing a bit. Want to test your own green thumb?Continue reading The quest for fresh herbs
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Sugar in your favorite beverages
It's nearly a pity to find beverages that are sweetened with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup -- I can't help but give them a try, and often I find I like them. High-fructose corn syrup -- cheap and readily available -- is what you'll find in all of the mass brands of soda, and it's hard to avoid in any pre-packaged beverage product. Diet versions, of course, will not have high-fructose corn syrup, but instead Nutrasweet or Splenda, both sweeteners with their own unique taste. But there's nothing quite like the taste of sugar, which provides such a pure note of sweetness to a drink. I'm not quite old enough to remember Coca-Cola before high fructose corn syrup became the norm, but I have located a peculiar offshoot of Dr. Pepper (a favorite of mine) known as Dublin Dr. Pepper. Sold in tiny 8 ounce glass bottles, this variety offers the "original formula" of the soda, and includes pure cane sugar. But I have to warn you -- if you like it, it may be hard to go back to the old standard.Continue reading Sugar in your favorite beverages
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Are you a coffee person or a tea person?
In a recent essay on coffee in America, essayist Julia Keller proclaimed that there is a fundamental difference between "coffee people" and "tea people." The difference between the two is a "a cultural divide that cuts across movies, and TV, and literature, and life.... Coffee is scraped knuckles and bum luck; tea is an extended pinkie and inherited wealth."As someone who's been known to drink both, I'm at a bit of a loss. (Perhaps I secretly have a split personality?) But, honestly, am I the only one who sees a similarity in the finicky preparation requirements of both beverages? A precise amount of coffee or tea needs to be added to a precise amount of water at a precise temperature for a precise amount of time. A mistake in the amount of coffee grounds or tea leaves; the amount of water or its temperature; or the amount of time it sits will all have a definite impact on flavor. Of course, the fact that most of us make our coffee in a coffee pot (which does all the temperature work on its own), may make all the difference. But do you see yourself as a particular affectionado of one hot beverage over the other?
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Glazed carrots
My favorite thing to do with carrots (well, besides just munch on them raw, of course) is to cook them with this interesting little recipe I picked up off an episode of Good Eats some years back. It's become a staple side dish for Thanksgiving dinners, but it's equally tastey for any occasion or for none at all. Ginger ale is not the first thing I'd think to glaze my carrots with, but try it -- I find it works wonderfully, providing the perfect amount of sweetness without being overbearing. The carrots turn out tasting more essentially carroty than any raw carrot, so of course I love them. It's a pretty simple recipe and certainly worth the trouble if ever you're in the mood for carrots.Continue reading Glazed carrots
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Food Porn: Strawberry and Blueberry Pancakes
I always wonder how restaurant pancakes turn out so much lovelier than my home-cooked efforts. No doubt a large griddle surface and an industrial-sized spatula is the key to making such massive pancakes, and my home cook-surface is more limited. Ah well, I can always drive fifteen minutes down the road and have a fresh stack of these lovelies from my favorite breakfast hangout, the Monument Cafe. They're thick buttermilk pancakes filled with a smattering of sliced strawberries and whole blueberries. Quite delightful!
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Homemade applesauce
I'd never actually made my own applesauce before, but I'd purchased some fresh-made from the deli at my local grocery a few weeks back, which got the idea in my head. And I had a couple of apples that I hadn't felt like eating raw, and so I decided to attempt to make some applesauce of my own. I jumped into the project with a half-remembered recipe and only what I had in my own kitchen. And the results were pretty tastey, if I may say so myself -- though I'm likely to tweak the recipe when I try it again (too much sugar -- making it a better dessert topping than a snack).
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Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!
..but not a bite to eat. With the beginning of October, the grocery stores in my area seem to be overflowing with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. However, I'm a bit confused by the numerous pumpkins that are not recommended for eating. The small pumpkins in a large display by the store entrance are marked "for display only, do not eat!" and the pumpkins in the produce section are covered with stickers that read "great for painting!" Am I the only one who heads to the produce department looking for things to eat? So, stubborn as I am, I've become set on turning these decorative objects into food -- and hopefully something more interesting than the pie that everyone seems to be so set on this time of year.Continue reading Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!
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An apple a day...
I tend to use apples for quick and preparation-free snacks, rather than any sort of cooking. And there's such endless variety of flavor amongst apple varieties, it would be difficult to tire of eating them. But when I enter any grocery store, I am assaulted by the site of numerous apple varieties -- which to try today? I'm a usual fan of the bright green Granny Smith apple which has a nice tart flavor that I enjoy. But this week at the store I went and picked up an unknown -- the Honeycrisp, a sweet-scented red and green apple that's deliciously juicy. There are more apple varieties out there than can be easiliy listed, but one thing I can recommend -- next time you find yourself wandering the grocery store in search of snacks, pick up an apple or two. Surprise yourself with and break out of the monotony of the Red Delicious standard!Continue reading An apple a day...
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Grilled cheese tips & tricks
I went through a phase in adolescence, where I wouldn't eat grilled cheese sandwiches. It was kids' food and I was a grown up -- wasn't I? But at some point these simple sandwiches became a nostalgic comfort food, and these days I've learned how to dress them up to match my most grown up tastes. Some keys I've found to making the perfect grilled cheese....- Just say NO to the microwave! Yes, I know -- it's the fastest way to make them, but it just doesn't have the same crisp a pan-fried grilled cheese does.
- You've turned away from the microwave -- now turn away from the toaster. Toasting your bread in a pan or on a griddle with a bit of oil or butter makes the perfect crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-warm-on-the-inside toast as the foundation for your perfect sandwich.
- A grilled cheese doesn't have to start with plain white bread. Pick your favorite type (I personally think sourdough makes the best grilled cheese base) and start toasting. And, yes, as soon as you turn your back on the bread, it's likely to burn.
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