Meduri World Delights Dried Fruit
Meduri World Delights create some of the most delicious dried fruits – unsulphured and preserved naturally without artificial colors or preservatives. The company chooses the highest quality fruit from growers all over the world – Sweetglow apricots from California, apples, cranberries, blueberries, Rainier and Bing cherries from the Pacific Northwest, Morello cherries from Eastern Europe, peaches, sugar plums, raspberries and blackberries from Chile, Mandarin oranges from China, lingonberries from Scandinavia, and strawberries and grapefruit from Mexico – and prepares the fruit using the “Meduri Method” which means the fruit is placed in shallow trays and dried in small batches with a very small amount of sugar, sunflower oil, citric acid and/or ascorbic acid added to preserve the fruit naturally. Read more 
Daisy Flours
There is a difference in flours, just as there is a difference in types of milk, yogurt, apples, cheese, spices, and all ingredients. All too often, consumers think flours are the same or too similar to notice a difference but the reality is quite different. An all-purpose flour generally works well in most recipes but there are two factors about flour that are important to remember: (1) high-quality, unbleached and less processed flours taste better in recipes; and (2) flours vary greatly in protein content so the flour chosen should be based on the recipe: a low protein flour for pastry, a medium protein flour for cakes, cookies, pancakes, and most baked goods, and a high protein flour for breadsthat need to rise. Read more
Crystallized Ginger
Crystallized ginger is an ingredient most bakers are very familiar with because the flavor and texture can add so much to a recipe, especially cakes and muffins. When people speak or write of ginger, they are usually referring to the ginger root – a spicy hot and fragrant spice used predominantly in Indian and Asian cuisine. The younger roots -“baby ginger” – are milder and juicer and are often used to make crystallized ginger or candied baby ginger by simply cooking the root in sugar until it becomes soft and chewy. The sugar forms a protective coating around the ginger root thus acting as a natural preservative. Read more
Abe’s Market
Where do you go on-line to find a wide selection of healthy foods at reasonable prices and free shipping? Abe’s Market – the newest on-line resource for consumers looking for all types of healthy foods: organic, gluten-free, vegan, tree-nut free, nut-free, kosher, sugar-free, raw, and natural. Nearly 3,000 food products are currently offered with the selection growing daily. The prices are competitive and the shipping is free (and fast) on all orders of $49 or more. Read more
Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
Muirhead Pumpkin Butter is a delicious jam like spread that can be used on breads and cheeses or to make baked goods including a pumpkin pecan bread. Made by Muirhead Foods of Ringoes, New Jersey (about 20 miles north of Trenton), the pumpkin butter contains five ingredients: pumpkin, sugar, lemon juice, pecans, and spices. Despite the name “butter” in its name, there is no butter or even a trace of fat in this product which always surprises me because the taste is so rich. Read more
Decorative Chocolate for Desserts
For those who never tire of decorating baked goods or pastries with chocolate, there is a website called www.pastrychef.com that provides customers with top quality decorative chocolate toppings. Opened in 1997 as an internet website, www.pastrychef.com is based out of Boca Raton, Florida with sales limited to on-line or catalog/phone. Advertised as a baking and pastry superstore, www.pastrychef.com offers a wide variety of chocolate decorative ingredients (and other ingredients and tools) to both home and professional bakers. Read more
Freddy Guys Hazelnuts
A hazelnut is also known as a filbert nut and is most often associated with desserts or chocolate (think Nutella or praline). But the hazelnut is also delicious roasted and salted and can be used to make hazelnut butter, an alternative to peanut butter. In Europe, hazelnuts are used to make a paste for pastries or chopped and then sprinkled on the sides of cakes or tortes. Frangelico, a vodka-based liquor is flavored with hazelnuts and hazelnut oil is gaining popularity as a cooking oil. Read more
The Joy of Chocolate Sprinkles
Sprinkles – the sweet candy topping used on ice cream, frozen yogurt, cookies, cakes, donuts, and even bread – are called many different names throughout the world. In the United States and especially in the northeast, we refer to sprinkles as “jimmies.” In England, they are called “hundreds and thousands” and in Holland, sprinkles are called “hagelslag.” The French call sprinkles “decoratifs” meaning “decorations” or “nonpareils” meaning “without parallel” or “vermicelles.” Whatever you call this sweet confection, chocolate sprinkles are a delicious treat that shouldn’t be abandoned in adulthood. Read more
The King Arthur Flour Company: The 4 in 1 Baker’s Resource
There are an abundance of schools, supply stores, bakeries/cafes, and on-line resources dedicated to baking throughout the United States but there is only one place that combines all four: The King Arthur Flour Company. Located in Norwich, Vermont, a small town in central-eastern Vermont close to the New Hampshire border – the King Arthur store, bakery, cafe, and education center are easily accessible by car from the following major cities/towns: Read more
Restaurants and Gourmet Markets in La Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is filled with restaurants and there are always new ones opening up. Below is a short list of my favorite places to eat in this colonial treasure of a town: Read more
Paddock Post 