Editor’s Pick: Phin & Phebes ice cream

As my family, friends and co-workers will tell you, ice cream is my kryptonite, my Achilles heel, my weakness. At least once a week I will treat myself to a cone or a sundae from down the street. Well, with Phin & Phebes in the freezer at the office, I will be making those trips less frequently.

Phin & Phebes was started by two friends, Crista Freeman and Jess Eddy, in Brooklyn, NY, who were dedicated to creating a quality products from start to finish. The duo attended the prestigious Ice Cream University at Penn State University. (Rest assured, if I ever go back to school, it will be for this program.)

Phin & Phebes presently makes seven flavors: Coconut Key Lime, Banana Whama (Banana Pudding Ice Cream), Ginger Cookie Snap, Vanilla Cinnamon, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Peanutty Pretzel, and Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel. After several rounds of taste testing, every flavor is a unique, creamy, burst of deliciousness but I am partial to the Dark Chocolate Salty Caramel. The salt in the rich decadent chocolate caramel opens your taste buds allowing the ice cream to literally melt in your mouth. Like all flavors, just a few bites is enough to fulfill any sweet tooth, and leave you feeling satisfied.

Phin & Phebes ice cream starts with a 14 percent butterfat base, milk, cream, pure sugar and farm fresh egg yolks. The company doesn’t use any stabilizers or syrups. All flavors include ingredients sourced by small, artisanal producers that Freeman and Eddy have discovered throughout the United States.

Now excuse me while I head to the freezer for another spoonful.

-Claire

Product Review: Chicken Soup for the Soul Vodka Pasta Sauce

I've always been a big fan of Italian food. I love pasta and I love sauces. From spaghetti, to marinara, to Alfredo, you name it, and I am a fan. I especially enjoy vodka sauce but have never mastered making it, every time I try, the sauce comes out too thick or too runny. Luckily, former Waldorf-Astoria Chef Jon Doherty and Daymon Worldwide, makers of Chicken Soup for the Soul, got it right. Their sauce is the perfect consistency. The sauce is a rich blend of imported Italian and domestic tomatoes, olive oil, onion, bacon, cream, Parmesan cheese, and a splash of vodka. It covers pasta smoothly, and one can taste the flavors with each bite. 

The new Chicken Soup for the Soul line features healthy, comfort foods and the products are designed to make things easy for the person preparing the meals. They are versatile enough to be prepared with a variety of dishes. I used the vodka sauce with whole wheat Penne pasta one night and served it over Eggplant Parmesan another night. Some of the other products featured in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul line are: 

• Soups: Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Spicy Thai Style Chicken Noodle Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Lentil and Beef Soup, Minestrone Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, Southwestern Style Black Bean Soup
  
• Broths: Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth, Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth, Thai Style Broth, BBQ Beef Style Flavored Broth, Italian Style Broth, Southwestern Style Broth
  
• Gravy:  Beef Gravy, Chicken Gravy, Turkey Gravy,
• Meal Builders: Meat Loaf Meal Builder, Sloppy Joe Meal Builder, Sesame Ginger Meal Builder, Chili Meal Builder

Happy Eating!

Claire

Editor's Choice: Almondina Toastees

Now that Halloween is over, retailers have shelf space for more healthy and delicious snacks such as Almondina Toastees.

These crisps come in four delectable flavors; Cranberry Almond, Sesame Almond, Lemon Poppy Almond and Coconut Orange Almond.

Here at the office, we tried the Sesame Almond. They are thin and crunchy, and are bite-size with the perfect consistency which keeps them from crumbling and making a mess. They can be prepared with both strong and mild cheeses. I recommend serving them with goat cheese and preserves or with creamy havarti. They would also be appetizing paired with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil and a balsamic glaze for a twist on a traditional caprice salad. Almondina Toastees can also be paired with coffee or used as a garnish for frozen yogurt.

Almondina Toastees are a lighter version of founder Yuval Zaliouk’s grandmother Dina’s Petit Gateau Sec cookie recipe. These Toastees are great by themselves as a snack or light dessert and remind me of a cross between a cracker and my own grandmother’s Norwegian Christmas cookies.

Unlike my grandmother’s Norwegian cookies, they are a lot healthier. Almondina Toastees boast no added fat or salt, don’t have preservatives and are dairy free.

Almondina Toastees make a great snack or dessert alternative to Halloween candy. I would recommend them for their versatility, easy preparation and consumption, and most importantly, their delicious flavor.

-Claire