Asparagus and Mushrooms with Teriyaki Tofu
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy fresh asparagus (although available year-round, the largest asparagus crop is harvested from late February to June). Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant with the young, thin stalks the most desirable and tasty. The thicker stems indicate the plant is older and can be tough and woody although a peeler can eliminate the rough outer skin. The tips are the most tender and flavorful so look for firm stalks with dry tips. Read more 
Raincoast Flats
Raincoast Flats are the newest creation by Canadian extraordinaire food maker Lesley Stowe Fine Foods. Well known for their Raincoast Crisps that redefined the cracker market by using dried fruits, seeds, nuts,and spices in their recipes, Lesley Stowe Fine Foods continued that same idea to come up with a flatbread that is flavorful, crunchy, and just plain delicious. Read more
The CORE Meal
Core Foods – based out of Oakland, California – was established by Corey Rennell, a self-confessed adventurer who traveled the world and learned two lessons along the way: eat mainly whole fresh fruit and vegetables, and treat others the way you want to be treated. Sounds simple, but as we all know, the day-to-day demands of life often keep us from eating healthy and forgetting about the people we interact with each and every day. Read more
Nairn’s Scottish Oatcakes
Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people. ~Samuel Johnson
The world has both changed and stayed the same since Samuel Johnson (a writer famous for publishing “A Dictionary of the English Dictionary” in 1755) graced us with his wit and talent. Although England has since embraced oats in their diet, the Scots have continued to revel the grain that is well suited to Scotland’s short, wet growing season. Read more
The Vanilla Queen’s Vanilla Extract
Flavorful. Sustainable. Simply the best. ~The Vanilla Queen
Years ago, an article in Cooks Illustrated convinced me to do a taste test between real and artificial vanilla extracts. The conclusion: always choose pure vanilla extract over artificial vanilla extract because of the flavor difference. Real vanilla extract (and there are many types – each with its own nuanced flavor) is rich and a bit creamy, smooth, slightly sweet, fruity, and cherry-like with a floral fragrance whereas the imitation lacks these qualities. Read more
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts will liven up any sandwich, wrap, or salad on your menu. Grown hydroponically indoors in a controlled, sanitary environment without the use of any pesticides, additives, or preservatives in Miami, Florida, Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts are made of three super fresh ingredients: alfalfa, clover, and radish. Read more
15 Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers
Whether you prefer chocolate bars with 56%, 70%, 80%, 82%, or even 90% cacao, there are real bean-to-bar chocolate makers who understand and strive to provide a pure chocolate experience for those of us who still love to rip open a chocolate bar when the craving hits.
A real chocolate maker produces chocolate from raw cacao beans and goes through eight (8) processes (along with many subprocesses) – selecting, roasting, winnowing, refining, milling, conching, tempering, and molding – to make a rich, earthy bar with very subtle flavors of nuts or fruits: Remember that. There’s a test at the end of this post. Read more
Andie’s Specialty Sweets
Andie’s Specialty Sweets makes some of the most picture-perfect beautiful candies including Vintage Candy Buttons, Sugar Butterflies, Hard Candy Sea Glass, Chocolate Antique Candy Keys, Chocolate Candy Winter Acorns, Chocolate Filled Candy Sea Shells, Nuts, and more. So exquisite as to take your breath away, each beautifully designed candy elicits wonder and joy in both appearance and taste. Chocolate, peppermint, vanilla, and fruit are just a few of the many flavors of these very special candies. Read more
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
We have never shied away from a challenge in order to produce a beautifully finished product. It is just part of who we are. ~Dustin Taylor and Adam Dick
How did two craft masters – Dustin Taylor and Adam Dick – specializing in furniture and wood boats come to be premier bean-to-bar crafters of chocolate? According to Taylor and Dick, the answer lies with time, care, courage and commitment. Fitting a mortice or shaping a plank is not unlike handcrafting chocolate from a cacao bean says the co-founders of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate. Both processes are challenging and must be done slowly to exacting specifications to produce a beautifully finished product. Read more
Potomac Chocolate
The Washington, DC metropolitan area is a powerhouse of intrigue with politicians, lobbyists, judges, lawyers, and government offices but today the spotlight is on a chocolate maker in our nation’s capital. Ben Rasmussen owns and operates Potomac Chocolate: a real bean-to-bar chocolate maker who handcrafts truly incredible dark chocolate bars in a suburb (Woodbridge, Virginia) of Washington, D.C. Read more
Paddock Post 