Food & Drinks

Bonnie: Think of Surry Farms Surryano sliced dry-cured hams as the American versions of the European prosciutto and serrano ones — produced from Six-Spotted Berkshire hogs that are pasture-raised and free of antibiotics or added hormones. That, and the fact that Surryano ham has a rich...

Bryan: Surry Farms Surryano ham, a sublimely clever play on words for “Surry” and “serrano,” is a culinary European classic. Surry Farms introduced Surryano ham a few years back. The product is a domestically produced version of Spain’s jamón serrano, literally “mountain ham.” Serrano refers to...

Eric: In 2002, I visited the Vatican. Words cannot describe the beauty of the architecture and the insignificant feeling that comes over you when you walk into the main hall. I vividly remember a statement my brother made upon first entering the main hall. He had eloquently (in his standard...

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Bonnie: Lots of people claim to find blue cheeses strong and overpowering. If you’re one of those, I suggest you try this creamy, mild buttermilk blue from Wisconsin’s Roth Käse, as I think you’ll like it.

Buttermilk blue is not only for those who enjoy veined cheese, but for those who haven’t yet developed a palate for them. Seriously, this raw milk cheese is ...

Bryan: A few weeks back, I had the chance to invite some friends over for a small dinner party. Co-authoring a food blog does have its perks, and the occasional foodie press package does make its way to my door from time to time. Hey, we really do try these products to let you know if...

Eric: In the world of cheese, blue cheese is like the antisocial kid in elementary school who sits in the corner; it has a pungent smell and a defining unique taste, is covered in mold and is disliked by a select people. With these characteristics, I’m sure you’re beginning to wonder why such a cheese...

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Bonnie: Uncured ham? I’d eaten uncured bacon, but had never handled uncured ham.

Having just started tweeting, I thought I’d ask the fellow foodies who I was following on Twitter: “Received an artisan uncured ham. How would YOU prepare it? All suggestions welcome!”

“Is it fresh pork or more like prosciutto?” asked a NY Times food writer who...

Bryan: Vande Rose Farms is not your average meat packer. This boutique farm has been raising award-winning Duroc hogs on its family farms for more than 100 years.

A growing number of Americans are finding out that our system of food has become overly industrialized. The facts are: Most store-bought pork doesn’t even bother to display the breed of the pig, let alone the land, environment or feed the animal was reared on. We, as a society, have become...

Eric: I think I’ve written it in an earlier posting, but to quote Homer Simpson, the pig is a “wonderful, magical animal.” Although it yields a variety of particular and delicious cuts, this week the focus is on smoked artisan ham, more specifically, the brined and smoked hind leg of the Duroc pig.

“What’s so particular about this ham?” was the first question out of my mouth when opening the ...

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Bonnie: Simmer sauces are the new convenience food. Keeping a jar in your pantry allows you to make a meal with a foreign flare almost immediately as the sauces instantly capture various regional flavors that would require a mixture of many spices not traditionally found in the American cupboard.

When I first tested Seeds of Change Madras Simmer Sauce, I had no meat or fish on hand, but I did ...

Bryan: All of the attempts to reproduce my favorite Indian cuisines in my home kitchen have resulted in flops. There, I’ve admitted that aloud. I feel better. It’s not that my homemade chicken tikka masala was inedible, it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be. Over and over again. Though I hate to admit it, Indian food has been a definite shortcoming in my culinary development.

I’ve spent a good amount of time in kitchens (my own and those of many restaurants). Having been able to make...

Eric: As unlikely as it is, especially to readers of this blog, if you’ve never tried a curry sauce, Seeds of Change is a great company to start with. Aside from producing a variety of Indian-style heat-and-serve simmer sauces, Seeds of Change is a heavy promoter of the organic and sustainably grown-food lifestyle, especially with regard to all of its products. The company offers four varieties of the sauces, each unique in seasoning and level of heat. My opinion for the sauces, as...

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Bonnie: I’ve always been a Häagen-Dazs ice cream fan, with chocolate chocolate chip and mint chip my two favorite flavors. But with 300 calories and about 20 grams of total fat (of which 12 is saturated) in a 1/2-cup serving, I just don’t indulge very often. READ: less than once a year.

Seriously, that’s what happens as you age. You can’t afford to savor a bowl of premium ice cream as often as you’d like since your activity often lessens because of bad...

Bryan: Bonnie called a little while back to let me know about a new line from Häagen-Dazs called “Five.” It is a strange occurrence that I would come across a new food product first, but I let her know that I had actually seen the line and had even tried one of the flavors to great reception. The fact is, I’m an ice cream lover, and there is rarely a trip to the grocery store that does not involve at least a stroll...

Eric: It’s amazing to me to think that all ice cream isn’t made with just five ingredients – after tasting all the varieties in the new line of Häagen-Dazs Five, I started to wonder why it is that ice cream manufacturers consult their lab technicians for ingredients rather than their local farmers. It later dawned on me—profit margins.

Like most people with a sweet tooth, I’m also an ice cream junkie and, unlike my brother, I do...