Capers and Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes
Jeff’s Naturals, a California-based company specializing in jarred Mediterranean products free of preservatives, stabilizers, artificial colors, flavors and sulfites, offers two shelf-stable pantry products – Imported Non-Pareil Capers and Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes – that most cooks find very helpful to have on hand because both products can be used in so many recipes. Read more 
Barnana
Barnana is one of the newest, most delicious super snacks on the market. Created and distributed by Wholesome Valley Foods of La Jolla, California, a Barnana has one ingredient – an organic banana – a chewy bite-sized piece of banana that has been dehydrated at 104 degrees which allows the nutritional density and natural enzymes to stay intact. Gluten-free and a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamins and minerals, Barnanas are 100% raw and unprocessed…and did I mention moist and delicious? Read more
Bragg’s Salad Dressings
Many people believe that a salad is not complete without a tasty salad dressing so the choice becomes whether to make a homemade version, which can be intimidating because there are so many decisions to make regarding the choice of ingredients (type of oil, vinegar, herbs, juices, spices) and determining the right combinations, or buy a pre-made salad dressing, which can be a huge timesaver (especially if empty salad dressing bottles are not in your kitchen inventory). Read more
The “Trader Joe” Bowl
My family calls this meal in a bowl the “Trader Joe” Bowl because the main ingredients are purchased from Trader Joe’s. Years ago, my sister-in-law told me to go to Trader Joe’s because their stores sell the best avocados and they truly do. I’ve bought avocados from grocery stores and gourmet markets and the quality has never come close to the ones sold at Trader Joe’s. Rich, creamy and delicious, the avocados are consistently excellent and so I make a twice-weekly trip to Trader Joe’s to buy 4-5 avocados at a time (we eat a lot of avocados). Although the avocados are often hard and green when I buy them, they ripen in 3-4 days. Read more
Premier Japan Teriyaki
Most cooks use teriyaki sauce to flavor food by marinading, cooking, stir-frying, or grilling with the sauce. The problem is that teriyaki sauces vary greatly which affects the flavor and nutritional value of the dish. Premier Japan makes a classic Asian teriyaki sauce that is organic, gluten-free and intensely flavorful. With no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or hydrogenated fats, Premier Japan Teriyaki Sauce tastes real, tangy and slightly sweet with just a hint of spice that comes from ginger and pepper. Read more
Yumnuts
Take the son of a cashew broker and a self-described life-long cashew nut, add two guys who used to work for a big granola company (two words: the first name is another word for “grizzly” and the other means “emperor’s clothes”), and add a brand management guy – all of whom are athletes – and what do you have? Four guys who realized the market was in dire need of a lightly seasoned, dry-roasted cashew that makes people say “yum” as in “wow, these are delicious, please give me the whole bag so I can devour them right now.” That’s exactly what I thought when I tasted Yumnuts Cashews, of which there are five varieties: Read more
José Andrés Potato Chips
If you asked me when I was 28 and in my wedding dress if I ever thought I would end up in my 40’s flipping my husband the bird over potato chips, I’d say you were crazy. Jenna McCarthy
Potato chips make people do crazy things and I am no less guilty especially if the potato chips are José Andrés Potato Chips – Spanish potatoes that are thinly sliced and then slow-fried, allowing the goodness and healthy qualities of the extra virgin olive oil to meld with the chips. The chips are then sprinkled lightly with Himalayan Pink Salt and packaged in an innovative bag designed to deliver the chip to you perfectly, as if just cooked. Read more
Sugar Hearts by Eleni’s
What’s not to love about outrageously delicious and exquisitely decorated custom-made cookies by Eleni’s New York? With Valentine’s Day near, there is no better way to celebrate than with sweets and if your favorite Valentine happens to fancy sugar cookies, there is no sweeter gift than the Sugar Hearts Cookie Tin: 48 hand-iced and decorated sugar cookies in a rainbow of colors: blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, red and green. The cookies are beautifully packaged in a signature Eleni’s rectangular gift tin and wrapped with a red bow, making it the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day or whenever you want to send your loved one some sugar. Read more
Chocolate Gifts
All you need is love. But, a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. -Charles M. Schulz
Finding the perfect chocolate gift for that special someone can be daunting with all the choices – dark, milk, or white, truffles, ganache, nuts, caramels, assortments – but zeroing in on the recipient can make the decision easier. Is the token of your affection an athlete, a baker, a Francophile, a chocolate connoisseur, a vegan, or a cookie lover? If so, consider the following possibilities: Read more
Christopher Elbow Chocolate Turtles
There is a running debate in our home over which Christopher Elbow Chocolate Turtles are better – the dark chocolate or the milk chocolate. With my preference for the dark chocolate and my husband preferring the milk chocolate turtle, there is no hope for a compromise although I keep telling him that if he eats dark chocolate, he will acquire a taste for the richness, subtle differences, and the bold flavor that dark chocolate offers.He then goes into some tirade about how women always want to change men and I realize there is an upside to him not enjoying dark chocolate turtles: I don’t have to share. Read more
Paddock Post 