Of Interest

Products that piqued our interest

Mush Foods’ 50CUT: Mushroom and Mushroom Root Blends

An editor friend invited me to sample meatballs at Fieldtrip, a fast-casual restaurant in Rock Center serving rice bowls with veggies and ethically sourced proteins. Those jerk meatballs were my introduction to Mush Foods 50CUT, a line of mushroom and mushroom root blends. They contain no artificial preservatives or additives. Afterward, their publicist offered samples to work with at home. I started cooking with Mush Food 50CUT  products made from various mushrooms. These blended solutions reduce—rather than eliminate—meat. If you replace half the ground meat in dishes, you instantly reduce environmental impact. These products are made with mushrooms such as oyster, trumpet, shiitake, and lion’s mane grown in upstate New [...]

By |2024-11-15T08:41:01-05:00December 8th, 2024|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Fiesta Dinnerware Pitcher

Fiesta Dinnerware has always been known for its fun mix-and-match bright colors. The colors were born from a desire during the Great Depression to cheer up the country with red, blue, green, yellow and ivory Fiestaware. This pottery, made in West Virginia, has been lead-safe since 1986. It can be used in the microwave, dishwasher and oven. I love that it has a 5-year chip replacement warranty and that you can buy one piece or place setting at a time. This large pitcher caught my eye ($59.99). It's about 8 x 5 x 7 and holds 67 ounces of liquid. It adds a pop of color to my table and [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:20:59-04:00October 14th, 2024|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Jesse Cushman’s Papa Bubble Candies

I had forgotten that I had received an email from Jesse Cushman—my son Eric's friend from Hamden—about his new business venture. He had written that he tried the corporate life, but it wasn't for him. "I bugged my friends to invest and then franchised with a custom candy company out of Barcelona called Papabubble." Then, one day, I received a candy delivery, the blue and yellow candies with the letters BOTB. It took me a second before I realized they were the initials of Bite of the Best. PapaBubble customizes flavors, colors and candy packaging—minimum 10 pounds—for corporate events, birthdays, gifts and holidays. Pricing starts at $36/lb and decreases with [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:38:17-04:00March 28th, 2024|Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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The Greek Periyali, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC + ChefWise by Shari Bayer

We met our friend, Shari Bayer, the publicist for Periyali, at the restaurant to discuss her new book, ChefWise, and sample their fare. Our host greeted me upon arrival and welcomed me to Greece, jesting, "No passport needed." Mak, our waiter, also welcomed us, sharing that he had been with Periyali since they opened on December 21, 1987. He recalled the exact date because it is his birthday. I sampled their El Grego ($22), a blend of bourbon, Amaro Nonino liqueur, spiced honey and bitters. With my cocktail, we started nibbling their five mezze offerings, which are always yummy. These included their taramosalata (a fish roe spread with olive oil and [...]

By |2023-12-17T10:35:54-05:00December 16th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur

The press release about Mozart's four new Chocolate Liqueurs piqued my curiosity. These chocolate liqueurs hail from Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The company first macerated cocoa from West Africa with vanilla from Madagascar,  then combined three of their liqueurs with cream from the Netherlands. The dark chocolate has no cream. With an espresso martini having recently become my dessert of choice, I wondered what one would taste like if made with their newly introduced Dark Chocolate Liqueur. I had to find out. Sadly, the drink was disappointing. I then looked in their press materials to see what drink they recommended for using the dark chocolate liqueur. [...]

By |2023-11-03T10:38:20-04:00November 3rd, 2023|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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New Kitchen Gadgets Shown at the Inspired Home Housewares Show

Once a year at Chicago's McCormick Place, the International Housewares Association's (IHA) Home + Housewares Market occurs in March. The organization often has a New York preview showcasing about 50 new products the companies introduced at the show. What follows are some of the new items that I'd like to share with you. As a New Yorker with a tiny kitchen, my eyes lit up when I saw the GreenPan Ovenware that would fit in my toaster oven, which I admit is where I do most of my baking. This ovenware is pricey yet durable with its ceramic nonstick coating, heavyweight gauge and one-piece design. The 8- X 8-inch square baker [...]

By |2023-04-07T09:36:50-04:00March 30th, 2023|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Frutero Ice Cream: Tropical Fruit Flavors from Around the World

I prefer the flavor of fruit in gelato, not ice cream. If you like fruit ice cream, you might be interested in these new tropical fruit flavors from Frutero where — according to the company — the fruit is picked at the peak of freshness and sourced from around the globe. Their mangoes are from Colombia, coconut from Thailand and pineapple from Hawai. The seven flavors include Passion Fruit, Guava, Guanabana, Coconut, Mango, Pineapple and Tangerine. To find a store near you, click here. SRP: $5.99 per pint

By |2022-10-09T09:44:42-04:00October 9th, 2022|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Super-Premium Gin Tasting Including the Indian Crafted Jaisalmer

This has been the year of super-premium gin, at least with the samples I've received to review.  The gins include McQueen and the Violet Fog, Brockman and the most recent Jaisalmer (pronounced jess-all-mur). McQueen (SRP $40), as I had written, is a complex non-juniper forward gin with a bit of heat, spice, herbal, citrus and herbal notes. Good on the rocks.  Brockman (SRP $40), too, is light on juniper with notes of citrus peel, coriander, blueberries and blackberries. It's made in the United Kingdom. Jaisalmer, the Indian craft gin takes its name from the Golden City, located in the NorthWest of India in the state of Rajasthan (SRP $50). It [...]

By |2019-07-07T12:20:01-04:00July 7th, 2019|Food & Drinks|0 Comments
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Pressels Compared to Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps

Oddly when the person promoting these new Pressels emailed us, she knew nothing about  — nor seemed interested in learning about — the competition. Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, a company that we've written about many times, also offers crunchy and flavorful crisps strong enough for dipping that are also lower in both sodium and fat than traditional pretzels, which is a claim made by Pressels. Specifically, one ounce (about 20 quarter-sized) of the everything variety Pressel  has 120 calories, 2 grams fat (of which 1 gram is saturated) and 210 milligrams sodium compared to the everything variety of Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps (of about eleven  2-x-2 1/2-inch crisps) that have [...]

By |2019-05-13T14:08:03-04:00June 22nd, 2019|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Bialetti Mini Press, A Portable Stovetop Espresso Maker + Coffee

Walking around the 2019 Preview exhibits of The International Housewares Association I stopped by the Bialetti booth, the Italian cookware and coffee maker company, as I saw the Mini Express. This cute tiny aluminum press is a perfect espresso maker for those with teensy kitchens who don't have space for a large one, or to even take camping! Imagine fresh espresso before fly fishing. This is a 2-cup portable stovetop espresso maker with dual spouts. Meaning it makes two 2-ounce cups of espresso in 5 minutes after filling the lower chamber with water and the metal filter with a favorite espresso grind. The SRP is $34.99 but is available for [...]

By |2019-05-27T09:08:51-04:00May 24th, 2019|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Violet Fog, A Special Gin Moscow Mule

An attractively packaged and designed bottle arrived at my doorstep. Inside the thick gold-embossed black box along with the final two stanzas of the poem that inspired the McQueen and the Violet Fog name was a bottle of the eponymous gin. The press materials tout the liquor as "made with an unparalleled 21 sustainable botanicals from around the world, at least six of which are found in no other gin." This Sovereign Brands gin is a small batch one, bottled in Jundiai, Brazil. I decided to make the "Violet Fog" recipe (basically a Moscow Mule) that accompanied the bottle. I first made it with Bombay Saffire, the brand my dad [...]

By |2019-03-03T08:38:39-05:00March 3rd, 2019|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products, Recipes, Starters|0 Comments
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Moscow Mule Origin + Ayesha Curry Mug Set

In the early 1940s or late 1930 — as the story goes — John Martin then president of G.F. Heublein & Brothers — the company that brought A-1 Steak Sauce to America, purchased a small vodka distillery called Smirnoff for $ 14K. Martin lamented to his friend Jack Morgan, Sunset Strip pub owner that he couldn't move the vodka, while Morgan lamented that his ginger beer was collecting dust. A customer at the pub mentioned that she had copper mugs she no longer wanted. Hence, the birth of the Smirnoff Mule. To make a (now called) Moscow Mule,  I use Pickett's #1 All-Natural Ginger Beer Concentrate. I combine 1 ounce [...]

By |2019-01-20T09:30:50-05:00February 2nd, 2019|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|0 Comments
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Pasqua Wine Dinner at Rue 57, Midtown, NYC

Was invited to meet Alessandro and Riccardo Pasqua of the eponymous estate near Verona, Italy for dinner at Rue 57 with a few other journalists to sample and learn about their wines. The publicist mentioned that Pasqua ranks among Italy’s top 20 family-owned wineries in terms of value. After experiencing their wines, I concur. Each wine we sampled worked well with food, from the $16-bottle of Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Bianco Veneto IGT 2017  to the $100 Mai Dire Mai Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2011. The wine sampled included: Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Bianco Veneto IGT 2017 ($16) Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Rosso Veneto IGT 2016/ ($16) [...]

By |2020-02-20T14:13:53-05:00January 20th, 2019|Big Apple Life, Food & Drinks|0 Comments
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Dole Slawesome! Cole Slaw Salad Kits in Three Flavors

According to Dole's press materials, Slawesome! is the "world’s first line of seasoned coleslaw kits." I received three of the four varieties, sampling them for a book club's luncheon at my home. Everyone liked the blends ofmixed cabbages and carrots, with no consensus of which dressing was best. I preferred the slightly spicy Mango Sriracha over the Sweet Apple and Fiesta Lime varieties. These 8.6-ounce complete kits ($2.99) that makes three servings are found in the produce department.

By |2018-10-21T18:41:57-04:00November 18th, 2018|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Hilarious Hostess Gift: The Wine Condom

Looking for something that will make your hostess smile? Tuck a Wine Concom into your note that accompanies your gift. I promise a laugh. At least that was the reaction each time I've done so. Having seen an article in Drink Me that wine condoms topped $1 million in sales, we reached out to the company for info and a sample so that I could share that with you. Unlike corks or pourer caps, wine condoms — as you'd expect from their name — fit flush against the bottle, preventing spills and allowing the bottle to fit in the fridge. You can buy this on-the-go protection in packages of six for $15, [...]

By |2018-10-15T09:15:14-04:00October 15th, 2018|Just For Fun, Products|0 Comments
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Manhattan’s Only Distillery – Our/New York and Bar

I recently joined Untapped Cities, as some friends and I wanted to do one of their events. We figured for $10 a month, we'd try it out. Through them, I attended a tour and vodka tasting at Our/New York, which opened in May. This small-batch, micro-distillery Manhattan’s first since Prohibition. It is part of Pernod Ricard, the French-based wine and spirits company. Before the tour, we tried their too sweet for me Excelsior '64 cocktail made from their vodka, lavender, elderflower and sparkling wine. I was happier with the straight vodka we tried after learning how it was made. OUR/New York is not only a distillery, it's also a bar [...]

By |2018-08-13T17:52:11-04:00September 13th, 2018|City Bites, Food & Drinks|0 Comments
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Terra Chips made with Avocado Oil

Those who like Terra's real vegetable chips would be interested to know they just introduced two varieties cooked in avocado oil, a healthy fat. These new sweet potato chips come in two flavors — sweet chipotle and a sweets medley with batata (Cuban sweet potato ), sweet potato and purple sweet potato chips seasoned with Sel Gris (a French sea salt). A 5-ounce bag costs $3.49-3.79. A one-ounce serving of these two new chips contains 140 calories, 6 to 7 grams fat (of which 0.5 to 1 gram is saturated), 2 grams fiber and 105 to 140 milligrams sodium. I wouldn't buy these, as when I indulge in chips, it's because [...]

By |2019-04-26T12:56:12-04:00May 15th, 2018|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Bono Organic Blood Orange Marmalade

Returning to Sicily this month, I had a special interest in tasting Bono's organic Blood Orange Marmalade made from only fresh Sicilian blood oranges. It's not too sweet with the flavor of the eponymous citrus fruit. One tablespoon of this Sicilian blood orange marmalade with rind contains 30 calories; a 12.4-ounce jar sells for $4.99 to $5.99. To find a store near you that sells it, click here for a product locator.

By |2018-04-04T09:10:05-04:00April 6th, 2018|Food & Drinks, Products|0 Comments
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Loi Dips

My friend and fellow Dame — a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier — Chef Maria Loi has created a line of four fresh ready-to-serve dips, ones that she serves as starters at Loi Estiatorio (her NYC restaurant NYC on west 58th) and that follow the principals of her book, The Greek Diet. I put these out at a brunch recently with veggies for dipping and asked my guests to choose their favorite. The top choice was the pougi with feta, a dip made with Greek yogurt, feta, olive oil, and a little bit of spice. A 2-tablespoon serving contains 70 calories, 7 grams fat (of which 3 are saturated) and 170 mg sodium. Tied [...]

By |2018-03-14T10:45:54-04:00March 16th, 2018|Food & Drinks, Products|0 Comments
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Hutzler Cheese Saver

What should you do with leftover cheese? Wrap in plastic? Wax paper? Aluminum foil?  Cloth? I generally use waxed paper -- as it breathes a bit more than the others. The inexpensive ($10) yellow-plastic Hutzler Cheese Saver is worth a try, especially if you're a cheese lover, like me. I found that for the most part, my cheeses stayed fresh longer, as it also allows them to breathe. To use it,  place a moist paper towel beneath the perforated plastic shelf and put the cheese on it. The cheese does stay fresh longer, whether hard or soft.    

By |2017-10-11T09:47:43-04:00October 17th, 2017|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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