Spelt Flour
Flour isn’t a product most people get excited about because the threshed or hulled grains are not exactly eye candy but if looks are deceiving, flour is at the top of the list because flour is the staff of life and the key ingredient in so many of the foods we rely on every day for nourishment. Read more 
Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookie
There is a funky little coffee house about 30 miles north of Queens in Northport, New York on the Long Island Sound called Caffe Portofino. Owned by Lisa Harris, a truly passionate baker, Portofino is known for their eclectic menu – whole wheat scones, hearty oatmeal with pecans, walnuts, cranberries, granola, and fresh fruit, smoothies made with milk or soy, and the Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookie – a scrumptious blend of all natural ingredients – for the health conscious consumer. Read more
Tatte’s Fine Cookies, Cakes, Pastries and Tarts
Tatte Fine Cookies & Cakes is a Massachusetts-based bakery and cafe specializing in cookies, cakes, pastries, and tarts made with all natural and top quality ingredients including butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, chocolate, cheese, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables. With two storefronts in the Boston area – the original bakery in Brookline and the newest shop in Cambridge – an on-line mail order business and high quality gourmet shops (i.e. Dean & Deluca) carrying the bakery’s products, Tatte’s sinfully delicious creations can be enjoyed by virtually anyone. 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
CiCi’s Handmade Italian Butterhorns
When I was in high school, I would often go to my friend Amy’s house over the holidays where her extended family would celebrate the end of a meal with a table full of Italian pastries and cookies. At my house, most cookies came in a bag so the sight of a whole table piled high with every conceivable type of handmade Italian cookie was a dream come true. Amy’s Aunt Cookie was primarily responsible for that dedicated table and she was infamous among her relatives (and friends) for her homemade cookies: Italian Wedding, Wandi, Pignoli, Struffoli, and more. 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
The Philly Soft Pretzel
In the culinary world, Philadelphia is known for the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich (sliced beef and melted cheese on a soft Italian roll), Italian Ice (frozen flavored ice) and the Philly Soft Pretzel: a soft tan-colored pretzel that is usually connected to another pretzel in the baking process (to ensure the softness of the sides) . Believed to have been brought over by the Germans and re-created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, the Philly soft pretzel was popularized by the Italians in the south end of the city, where most of the pretzel bakeries are located. Made throughout the night and distributed early in the morning to street vendors, shops, and bakeries, the Philly soft pretzel is found on virtually every street corner in Philadelphia and in more recent years through on-line vendors. Read more
The Staff of Life: Poiláne
Everyone knows to visit the Louvre when in Paris, but not everyone knows to visit “Poiláne,” one of the oldest bread makers in the City of Light for a taste of what real bread should taste like. My friend, Nancy told me I needed to visit this bakery so on a beautiful sunny 70 degree day in Paris, I set off on foot for the Left Bank with plans to enjoy a bread – the French sourdough loaf – that’s been made the same way for hundreds of years. Read more
Holiday Mail Order Sweets
There are certain foods – usually sweets – that we buy or receive once a year around the holidays that lend nostalgia to the season (and a few inches to the waistline). In our home, we usually kick off the season in mid-November with the purchase of a sweet Italian cake called Pandoro that my daughter sprinkles confectionary sugar over. Read more
Paddock Post 