Edible Gifts

In Defense of Fruitcake

by Sean Elder, Posted Dec 9th 2009 @ 1:00PM

Generous Fruitcake. Photo: Beekman 1802.

The first of many seasonal catalogues from Saks Fifth Avenue just arrived at my house. There are only three words of text on the cover: Better Than Fruitcake.

And so it begins, the ritual insults of the gift that time forgot, the humble yet seemingly inedible confection called fruitcake.

There are gag fruitcakes like this inflatable one ("The fruitcake they'll actually want to get!") and corny fruitcake jokes -- there's even a Society for the Preservation and Protection of Fruitcake.

But when did fruitcake become the punch line to a hundred jokes (and not Borscht Belt stuff either: a Jewish friend of mine assures me that fruitcake is strictly for the goyim)?

Food historians suggest that fruitcake -- any cake in which dried fruits and nuts do battle with the batter -- is older than Moses. Ancient Egyptians entombed fruitcake, while Romans carried it into battle, probably for the same reason: Fruitcake is built to last, and did, well into medieval times.

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Holidays, Food History

Alabama Zoo Collects Fruit Loops and Pudding Pops for Animals

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by Hanna Raskin, Posted Dec 3rd 2009 @ 2:00PM

Photo: doug88888, Flickr.

Bucking standard zoo practice, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is urging its visitors to please feed the animals.

The zoo has assembled a Christmas wish list of supermarket items for its residents, who are hoping to celebrate the holiday with Fruit Loops and animal crackers. Now it's up to generous zoo-goers to provide them.

General manager Kate Raymond says the zoo launched the program in 2002 because it "didn't have extra money to do anything special for the animals."

Raymond's daughter had the idea to erect an "angel tree" hung with souvenir ornaments, each featuring a picture of an animal and a list of what it wants for Christmas. This year, the monkeys are asking for pudding pops, the bears are angling for Vienna sausages and the lions are looking for roast beef.

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Holidays

Bean Naughty or Nice? with the CoffeeMeister

COMMENTS 2

by Erin Meister, Posted Nov 24th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Vintage coffee-ad -- Santa knows where it's at.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Speaking as a coffee person, I can tell you that buying holiday presents for beanies can be difficult -- we can be very persnickety about what we like ("Oh, gee whiz, thanks for this... tub of pre-ground snicker-doodle-flavored coffee."), and many of us have everything ("Wow, thanks... another set of No. 4 cone filters.").

Read on after the jump for some suggestions to make your French-press fanatical loved ones happy this holiday season.

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Drink Recipes, Holidays

'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook' - Cookbook Spotlight

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by Alexa Weibel, Posted Oct 14th 2009 @ 2:00PM

'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook'
Recipes by Tarek Malouk and the Hummingbird Bakers
Photographs by Peter Cassidy
Rylan Peters & Small -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon

Once a journalist, London-based writer Tarek Malouk forsook his career to indulge his love of American desserts. As visions of cupcakes, pies and brownies pranced in his head, he enrolled in baking classes in New York and returned to London, eager to open a restaurant to showcase his cherished treats.

Though one might typically be hard-pressed to picture a hard-nosed journalist convert to cooking and create such a loving, warm cookbook, Malouk successfully conveys his love and appreciation for the range of American desserts in "The Hummingbird Cookbook."

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

Filed under: Cookbook Spotlight, Edible Gifts

Pears Shaped Like Baby Buddhas

COMMENTS 27

by Sara Bonisteel, Posted Sep 4th 2009 @ 11:30AM

Buddha pears. Photo: WENN.com

Shaping fruits and vegetables as they grow on the vine is nothing new. John Czeski, an Ohio farmer, was harvesting pumpkins with human faces in the 1930s. But these adorable baby Buddha pears take playing with food to a whole new level.

A Chinese farmer been tinkering with modified pears since 2003, and this year he's reportedly grown 10,000 edible Buddhas. But are they too cute to eat? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Filed under: Farming, On the Blogs, Edible Gifts, Ingredients

New Food Products - Fancy Food Show

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 4:54PM

Thousands of new food products hit grocery and specialty store shelves every year and someone's got to sample them all. We munched our way through food trade shows and local supermarket aisles in search of the most delicious snacks, candies, mixes, condiments, drinks, ingredients and ready-to-eat entrees the world has to offer.

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Fancy Food Show Favorites

3 days. 4 editors. 185,000 new food products. 8 favorites each. It's a tough job, but Kat Kinsman and Kristyn Pomranz of AOL Food, Marisa McClellan of Slashfood and Heather Tyree of Epicurious munched their way through the 54th Summer Fancy Food Show* in search of the most mouthwatering edibles on the market. Flip through to find your new craving.

*Don't let the name fool ya -- it's been around since 1955. Some of our faves are just about as "fancy" as Heinz ketchup.

Mari's New York

Getty Images North America

Fancy Food Show Favorites

Mari's New York

(Kat's Pick)
DOCKSIDE KEY LIME CAKE
On my, ahem, second trip back to this booth, I heard a story that made me weep into my Key Lime Cake. A regular customer once called to make a special order for a Saturday arrival. The shop made sure he knew that the delivery service added a weekend charge, and he said it didn't matter. This cake was for his dying wife, they'd enjoyed this Florida favorite together for the past 30 years, and by gosh, he was going to get it to her. After sampling an intensely tart, moist and luscious morsel for myself, I can only imagine that she departed this earth one happy, satisfied soul.

Dockside Market

Dockside Market

(Kat's Pick)
TEXAS SASSY PICKLE SAUCE
America, meet your new favorite condiment. Maury and Brenda Smeyne's signature sauce is an artfully balanced blend of slightly sweetened bread and butter-style pickle brine with a kiss of pepper and I haven't found a single darned food on which it doesn't taste amazing. From burgers and bloody marys to cut veggies and plain ol' tortilla chips, the sweet-sour-salty Texas three-step sasses up the flavor of just about anything edible. Yeeee-haaa!

Texas Sassy

Texas Sassy

(Kat's Pick)
FIRECRACKER DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
Snap, crackle, pow! This bar is like a little chocolate powder keg packed with smoky, spicy chipotle pepper, salt and plenty of giggle-inducing popping candy. As the confection is held on the tongue or against the roof of the mouth, the chocolate melts, slowly revealing both heat and an audible, palpable explosion as the candy emerges. It's a multi-sensory extravaganza that's just begging to be shared with a fellow chocolate fiend. Bring on the fireworks!

Chuao Chocolatier

Chuao Chocolatier

(Kat's Pick)
SWEET LEAF CHERRY LIMEADE
Fresh cherry limeade is a drink of which I'm so fond, I served it at my wedding. So, as you might imagine, my bar is set pretty darned high. I was utterly gobsmacked to see Sweet Leaf sail right on over it. Their tart, tangy organic blend is the essence of summer, squeezed and saved in a bottle for enjoyment the whole year 'round. I'm not saying I'll give up making my own in peak cherry season, but it's refreshing to know where I'll be getting my fix come wintertime.

Sweet Leaf Tea

Sweet Leaf Tea

(Kat's Pick)
FAT WITCH BROWNIE MIXES
I'm sometimes hesitant to write about my favorite local perishables, 'cause I figure it's just cruel to taunt folks without easy access to them. The hex has been lifted, though, and soon everyone across the USA will be under the spell of wickedly rich, moist and naturally delicious Fat Witch Brownies, conjured up in their very own kitchen. Head witch Patricia Helding spent two years formulating brownie mixes that would allow home cooks to mimic at home what she's been whipping up to rave reviews in her Chelsea Market bakery since 1991. Though they won't be in stores until August, jump on your broomstick and sign up for advance notice at her website.

Fat Witch Bakery

Fat Witch

(Kat's Pick)
CYPRESS GROVE TRUFFLE TREMOR
Cypress Grove's Humbolt Fog and Purple Haze have long been my go-to party cheeses, but this truffle-studded addition to the herd totally got my goat. A luxurious cake of chevre is shot through with a knee-weakening allotment of earthy truffle, making for a flavor balance that's simultaneously rock solid and earth shattering. They're really not kidding around.

Cypress Grove Chevre

Cypress Grove Chevre

(Kat's Pick)
LITTLE WINGS BUFFALO WINGS CHIPS
It takes a lot for a chip to stand out from the crowd, but this snack is a superstar. From the multi-grained crunch and ear-warming Frank's Red Sauce-based spice to the intriguing creamy blue cheese drizzle, every single flavor and texture element was in perfect harmony. Consider me a groupie.

Rock-n-Roll Gourmet

Rock-n-Roll Gourmet

(Kat's Top Pick)
WHITSON'S MOIST CHILI SEASONING
Sarah Whitson Bourbon's booth was far from the fanciest looking at the food show, but once she lifted the lid from her crock pot, the heady scent of the seasoned meat within was all the décor she needed. Her grandfather developed this soulful, savory blend of spices at his Denton, Texas store in 1932, and while the company has changed hands several times, she's reclaimed and revived it, staying true to his original formulation. I realize that "chili" is in the name, and I've no doubt of their claim that it "makes unsurpassed Frito Pie," but I'm pretty sure it could make my couch, a subway platform or a sweat sock taste delicious if applied in sufficient quantities. It's that darned good.

Whitson Chile Products

Whitson Chile Products

(Kristyn's Pick)
INGLEHOFFER SWEET HOT MUSTARD
Spicy or sweet, sweet or spicy? It's the never ending conundrum faced by a society of die-hard mustard consumers. Sometimes we want the fiery burst of a solid mustard seed, other times we want the crystallized smoothness of sweet, sweet honey. Inglehoffer Sweet Hot Mustard has magically, seamlessly blended the two flavors, and the effect is flooring. The mustard is definitely hot, but the spice is sealed with a kiss of sweet, confounding the brain and delighting the tongue.

Beaverton Foods

Beaverton Foods

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Taste Test, New Products

Best Boxed Chocolates

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 4:36PM

Everyone loves chocolate for Valentine's Day. To satisfy your chocolate cravings try our top picks for heart shaped boxes.

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Best Boxed Chocolate

by Kat Kinsman
Nothing's sweeter than giving V-Day chocolate to a loved one, but don't you wonder what's gonna be under the lid? Our panel popped the tops off 22 heart-shaped boxes from $.99 drugstore counter specials to $55 chi-chi boutique bon-bons so you can help guide Cupid's arrow straight to your beloved's sweet spot. In ascending price order... (read on)

Rachel Been for AOL

Getty Images North America

Best Boxed Chocolate

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Elmer

Verdict: DEFINITELY NOT
Style: Small cardboard heart box
Contents: 4 chocolates
Weight: 2.4 oz
Price: $.99
Website:elmercandy.com
Note: Every single person spat theirs out.
Our panel said: "Bleeeaaaauuugggh!" "Awful - plastic-like." "Way, way too sugary. I could almost taste the granules."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Russell Stover

Verdict: GOOFY & SWEET
Style: Looney Toons Mini-box
Contents: 3 chocolates
Weight: 1.75 oz
Price: $1.29
Website: russellstover.com
Note: It's also available with a Bugs Bunny or the Tasmanian Devil design.
Our panel said: "Totally darling!" "I'd be so excited to get this." "Great for giving out at school."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Gillham & Grand

Verdict: CUTE & FUN
Style: Novelty tin with "kiss / hug / tickle" spinner
Contents: 3 chocolates
Weight: 1.5 oz
Price: $3
Website: hallmark.com
Note: Gillham & Grand is made by Fannie May exclusively for Hallmark Gold Crown Stores.
Our panel said: "Very cute! You could give this to anyone." "Fun!"

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Russell Stover

Verdict: WEIRD CONCEPT, DECENT CHOCOLATE
Style: XOXO Just For Him cardboard heart
Contents: 6 assorted chocolates
Weight: 3.5 oz
Price: $2.99
Website: russellstover.com
Note: More deluxe editions come in metal, tire-tread embossed tins.
Our panel said: "Why is this for men in particular? Are they beef and sweat flavored or something?""Pretty standard, but yummy."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Russell Stover

Verdict: HORRIBLE
Style: Foil-wrapped cardboard heart
Contents: 7 assorted sugar-free creams, chews and crisps
Weight: 4 oz
Price: $4.99
Website: russellstover.com
Note: A sugar-free pecan candy assortment is also available.
Our panel said: "Tastes like a tire. Rubbery." "If your sweetie is diabetic, just get them flowers or something instead."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Russell Stover

Verdict: HIT OR MISS
Style: Foil-wrapped cardboard heart
Contents: 13 assorted creams, chews and nuts
Weight: 7 oz
Price: $4.99
Website: russellstover.com
Note: This is the #2 best selling heart-shaped box assortment in the US. The 1 lb selection is #1.
Our panel said: "Seems a little old-fashioned. Not that there's anything wrong with that." "It really depends on which pieces you get. Some are great and some are kind of nasty." "Not for me, but my Mom would love this."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Reese's

Verdict: CAN'T GO WRONG
Style: Cardboard heart
Contents: 30 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups
Weight: 8 oz
Price: $4.99
Website: reeses.com
Our panel said: "You know exactly what you're getting, and it's GOOD!" "You can never go wrong with Reese's, even if the package design is cheap." "The taste is classic goodness. I'd be thrilled to get this. As muchas I'd like to be high-end, I can't escape my love for Reese's."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Hershey's

Verdict: GOOD, BUT GO WITH THE REESE'S
Style: Cardboard heart
Contents: 54 Hershey's Kisses
Weight: 8 oz
Price: $4.99
Website: hersheys.com
Our panel said: "Who doesn't love to get Kisses?" "Cute & romantic." "I love this, but it seems a little plain." "It's nice knowing just what you're getting."

Rachel Been for AOL

Producer: Godiva

Verdict: OKAY IN A PINCH
Style: Miniature heart gift box
Contents: 6 foil-wrapped milk chocolate hearts
Weight: 1.1 oz
Price: $5
Website: godiva.com
Our panel said: "Cute, but not impressive." "Good valentine for the teacher."

Rachel Been for AOL

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Taste Test, Holidays

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 4:31PM

We lopped the ears off a few dozen hippity-hoppers so you and your kids will know just what's under the wrapping.

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Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

We admit we're a li'l funny when it comes to chocolate bunnies. They're awfully cute in an Easter basket, but so often they collapse into shards upon the first munch. Or, even worse, they're chock full of mystery goo or taste just plain nasty. We lopped the ears off a few dozen hippity-hoppers so you and your kids will know just what's under the wrapping.

Follow our bunny trail from most to least expensive chocolate treats, or use the menu feature to hop all around.

Rachel Been, AOL

Getty Images North America

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Palmer
Bunny Buddy with Double Crisp Bunny Pop 27 oz

We're usually not so big on the hollow chocs, but this buddy comes bearing gifts! He may be empty inside, but the charming lolly fills the void.

Bun for the buck: Good, but only because of the extra treat
Contents: Hollow, with a solid, crispy chocolate lollipop
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Lake Champlain
Milk Chocolate 4 oz

It's cartoon cute, but tastefully so, and boasts some truly delicious chocolate to boot.

Bun for the buck: A very solid bet
Contents: Solid milk chocolate
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Lake Champlain
White Chocolate 4.5 oz

Not everyone's a white chocolate fan, but if you've got one on your bunny trail, this elegant, creamy cottontail is definitely the one to snare.

Bun for the buck: One really regal rabbit
Contents: Solid white chocolate
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Ferrero Rocher
Plastic Box 5.7 oz

The box isn't chocolate, but it's crammed chock full of some of our favorite little nibbles. We won't quibble.

Bun for the buck: So good, it's kinda nutty
Contents: 13 Hazelnut-filled chocolates
Price: $7.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Palmer
Diva Da' Bunny 14 oz

What's not to love about a bunny who brings her own bling? She may not be the most delicious, but she's certainly the most diva-licious.

Bun for the buck: Top of the hop, design-wise
Contents: Hollow milk chocolate with candy necklace
Price: $7.49

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Godiva
Milk chocolate 2.25 oz

If you've got a Godiva freak on your must-give list, this is your cheapest way out. It's cute (oh, that bow!) and silky-smooth, to be sure, but would it have killed 'em to make him solid?

Bun for the buck: Pricey for the size - you're mostly paying for the Godiva name
Contents: Hollow, foil-wrapped
Price: $6.50

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Frankford Impressions
Jackrabbit 5 oz

We held off from cutting into this one until the very end because it was sooooo cute, and even after, there were scuffles to see who'd take him home. Think of it as décor rather then dessert.

Bun for the buck: Not much choc for the dollar, but that's not why you're buying this one
Contents: Hollow multi-chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Belfine
Belgian Chocolate 2.65 oz

Often when design gets this fussy, the chocolate flavor suffers. Not so for this multi-colored cottontail. Bonus points for the fancy li'l bag.

Bun for the buck: Beaucoup
Contents: Hollow chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Russell Stover
Milk Chocolate 12 oz

This one's a classic for a reason. It may not be life-changing chocolate, but it'll keep 'em smiling 'til 'round about Flag Day.

Bun for the buck: Big time
Contents: Solid milk chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Taste Test, Holidays

Conan O'Brien Immortalized in Bacon, White Chocolate

COMMENTS 0

by Sara Bonisteel, Posted Aug 27th 2009 @ 12:30PM

"Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien can rest easy knowing he's really made it in show business now that he's been recreated in bacon and white chocolate.

"I've long dreamed of this, but I never thought I'd see it happen," O'Brien said Wednesday as he unveiled the 200-pound bust on his program. While he said it was a gift from the Minnesota State Fair, Slashfood has learned that isn't exactly the truth behind the tasty tribute.

The bust was actually commissioned by a meat company, No Name Premium Meats, in St. Michael, Minn., a fair official told us Thursday.

Filed under: Food News, Edible Gifts, Celebrities

Flashback to the Seventies: Bread-and-Butter Pickles

COMMENTS 6

by Bruce Watson, Posted Jul 2nd 2009 @ 11:00AM

Photo: Dvortygirl/Flickr

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When my mother, who had been raised on kosher half-sour pickles, first tried bread-and-butters, she was immediately overwhelmed. For someone who was used to the tart flavor of Northeastern dills and half-sours, the Southern sweetness of the bread-and-butters were an absolute delight.

Through a combination of compliments and guile, she managed to get hold of our friend Millie's recipe. From that year on, we had a huge picklefest every summer, when we'd spend two or three days putting up bread-and-butter pickles.

While these are extremely sweet pickles, I have kept the recipe almost exactly the way my mom made it. This is partly due to the necessities of pickling, and partially due to a sense of tradition. Mostly, though, it's due to the fact that I regularly swap these pickles out for gherkins or sweet pickle relish.

Get the recipe for bread-and-butter pickles after the jump.

Filed under: Retro cookery, Edible Gifts, Ingredients