Bonnie: These culinary parchment cups and bags brought to mind a wine dinner for the media many years ago with a neophyte hostess. I sat next to her. We were enjoying baked sole en papillote when she leaned over to me and said, “This tastes like paper.”

I responded, “That’s because it is paper!” as I giggled to myself.

Then in a whispered voice, I leaned toward her and explained about the method of cooking fish wrapped in parchment paper in a hot oven so it gently steams. I still laugh about that.

The Bite of the Best team discovered the PaperChef — a company that launched this year — at a food show. In addition to parchment cooking bags that can be used to steam fish, chicken, veggies or whatever you’d like, the company makes parchment baking cups in three sizes.  We’re letting you know about these just in time for your holiday baking.

As you may know,  parchment is nonstick. Meaning you don’t lose any of your muffins or cupcakes when peeling off the wrappers. These come right off, making for easy cleanup.

I like that, and I like that these are 100 percent biodegradable, good for our environment.

Bryan: Though I’ve not been the loudest proponent of culinary parchment in my own kitchen, I do feel it is a more-than-worthy product for our attention at Bite of the Best. Parchment has long been a staple in professional kitchens around the world, but the paper has oddly maintained a less-than-ordinary presence in most American home kitchens. Its absence is notable, as parchment is a product that can elevate simply prepared foods to an entirely new level. Maybe it’s time we all started playing with parchment paper.

Wrongly thought to be only an overly elaborate form of pompous presentation, the paper is something oft forgotten when cooking at home. Who needs presentation? I’m hungry. Think again. Culinary parchment not only adds flair, it also adds substance to preparation and final product. Parchment’s almost ancient function can add an element of traditional sophistication to any meal, maximizing flavors in ways you might not have thought imaginable. Best known for the French en papillote style, the paper has a long history of fusing meats, vegetables and herbs together to create unique flavors. Parchment creates an oven within an oven, really allowing your meal’s flavors to mingle.

Oven safe to 425 degrees, parchment not only enhances natural flavors, it also seals in nutrients while virtually eliminating the need for cooking sprays or oils (read as “added fat”). You’ll find it’s not just for the “wow” factor; cooking with parchment is a truly simple and convenient way to prepare food. And it’s not just whole fish in a bag anymore.

Eric: The Muffin Man can rest easy knowing that PaperChef culinary baking cups have made their way into the home baker’s kitchen. Parchment has always been on par with the shallot – a secret weapon for many a restaurant kitchen – and now its versatility and ease have helped take the baking of muffins to the next level. No longer will you have to lose half the muffin bottom to a paper or aluminum muffin cup. Let the days of gluttony return!