Editor's Choice: Jeff's Famous Beef Jerky

I had no idea how much I loved beef jerky until I tried Jeff's Famous Beef Jerky. We were lucky enough to sample the Old Fashioned Original, Black Pepper and Sea Salt, Sweet Teriyaki, Jalapeno, and my personal favorite, Orange A Peel.

The jerky is soft, tender, has a lovely ribbon of fat running through it, and still tastes of beef and not just the flavors the strips have been given.

When the sample came in, I opened it and tried some. "Oh, that was good" I thought to myself. I got up a few minutes later to try more of the Orange A Peel which is a lovely orangey, sweet and salty mix. Then I got up again and brought the bag, almost as if in a dream, back to my desk and ate the whole thing. That is when my new love of jerky was born.

My grandfather was a butcher, and when I shared this jerky with my mom (because I have been carrying a bag around with me in my purse since we got it, nibbling on it, trying to make it last. That's not weird. Right?) she said it was just like the fresh jerky that her dad used to make. I am told there is a butcher shop here in town that makes jerky that rivals this for taste and obviously, since they don't package and ship it, rather shave it off into butcher paper and wrap it up, for freshness. I am not convinced.

This is the kind of jerky you could put on a cheese plate next to a nice nutty cheese and a few fresh fruit slices for a treat for party guests. I think it would also be great for kids, to quiet the hunger and to keep them busy chewing (not that it is chewy, per se, but chewier than lunch meat). I am a newly devoted fan to Jeff's Famous and I have to tell you, if anyone around here stocked it, which I highly recommend, I think the city urban hipster-types would go insane for it.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Altar Herbal Martini

My usual martini recipe is, either gin or vodka (I prefer Hendrick's gin and Grey Goose vodka), a cocktail shaker, chipped ice and three olives, hopefully stuffed with a cheese of some ilk and a little of the juice of said olives drizzled in the glass. I also bow in the direction of France as did Winston Churchill, in lieu of Vermouth. One or two of these can put some spring in your step or severely cramp your style, depending on your general strength of character.

I had just gotten back from a five day trip with some friends when we received Altar - Martini mix in the mail. I was feeling a little down after five days of being grievously over-served  and this wonderful smelling concoction promised "Energy. Vigor. Awaken your senses with a rich base of organic cherries, hyssop, and Hawaiian ginger, muddled with Oregon spearmint, juniper berries and note of lemony sumac. Evoke feelings of energy and vitality with organic vert du Vietnam green tea and a powerful herbal tonic of white ginseng, astraglaus, kola nut, and watercress."

All of that sounded very good to me, and I toddled home to make myself feel better with a bit of the hair of the dog. Though Altar can be imbibed sans alcohol, the bottle clearly states, "Mix in a cocktail shaker. If you fancy, add premium gin, vodka, or rum. Shake, strain, serve and enjoy," and I am nothing if not fancy. I added a smallish shot of Sobeiski vodka. 

The drink tastes mainly and refreshingly of sweet cherries, it also has lovely and subtle hint of mint, citrus and a darker taste of tea. I had two, with vodka. Again, perhaps an overindulgence, but they were just so good and went down so well. I have to say, I did feel better in the morning than I had since I had left on my trip.

There are several flavors and I plan on over-trying each on of them.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Fire & Flavor Turkey Brine

I never knew what the big deal was with the whole brining the turkey craze. It seemed like a lot of sound and fury. When we were picking out our turkey this year, there was a lovely end cap right next to the birds full of these brining kits from Fire & Flavor. (I have used their products before with great results.) We are nothing if not adventurous chefs, so we got the kit and took it home with our enormous turkey (18 lbs!).

The brining kit comes with almost everything you need, not unlike the pickling kit. You have to add sugar and vinegar but it comes with the all important brining bag. Frankly, we don't own a plastic bag, beyond a garbage bag, that is big enough to put an 18 lb. turkey in. And the idea of putting my extremely expensive and important piece of turkey in a garbage bag is off-putting. The brining bag was great. It even zip locks!

A little bit about brining from the Fire & Flavor website, if you, like me, don't get what the fuss is about:

Brining is a process that greatly improves the moisture and flavor of lean meats. Brining actually 'unwinds' meat proteins using salt while marinades tenderize the meat by breaking down meat fibers with an acid. Marinades only add flavor to the meat it penetrates, which is typically just the surface and can often times be high in sugar. Brines, however, trap moisture and flavor in the entire protein, leaving you with tender, juicy and full-flavored end results, without significantly raising the sodium level.

So we carefully followed the instructions and brined the bird overnight. The next day we popped it out of the bag and following Alton Brown's turkey recipe, put it into the oven. It cooked fast! We were done early, but I am not sure if that was the brine or not. But the flavor! Wow, that was a flavorful turkey! Enormous as it was, every bit of it was tasty with rosemary and goodness. Our guests clambered for take home bags and we were able to oblige. The next day, it made amazing turkey tacos and Sunday was turkey salad on pumpernickel.

If you are not sure about brining, try it on a smaller, less important piece of meat with Fire & Flavor's Swine Brine or Chicken Brine. You will not be sorry.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Suan's Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly

I don't really like peppers. Not hot things, but the taste of peppers. Green, red, yellow, orange, jalapeno or anything else: not for me. But when we got Suan's Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly, I tried to change my tune.

Ms. Suan has studied the ways of the pepper. The way she talks about peppers and their properties reminds me, in a good way, of a guy I went on a blind date with who presented me with a conspiracy theory that hot peppers were sentient beings who were trying to take over the human race by simultaneously releasing endorphins into the system while eating a hole in the stomach with peppery acids. (I only went on one date with him). Suan's theories are less out there, for sure, and she has learned how to harness the mighty power of the pepper for good, not evil. While living in Jamaica she learned how to cook with the Scotch Bonnet Pepper, grown in every kitchen garden on the island and widely used throughout the Caribbean. The Scotch Bonnet is one of the hottest members of the habanera family, so I was skeptical.

I tried the recipe for Suan's Favorite Meatloaf, because if it can make good meatloaf, it can do anything. The recipe:
1 lb. lean ground beef,
¾ cup Old Fashion Rolled Oats,
1 medium onion chopped,
2-3 cloves garlic crushed,
1 egg,
½ cup milk,
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese,
healthy dash of Worcestershire Sauce,
½ teaspoon salt,
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Mix all ingredients well, form into a loaf and place in baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, drain off grease and begin glazing with Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly Glaze every 15 minutes until meatloaf is done. Serve remaining sauce on side.

It was marvelous, adding taste and vest without too much heat. I highly recommend pepper jelly and I am looking forward to trying more of the recipes out!

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Sixth Course Chocolates

I do not claim to have a trained or sophisticated palate. I can only tell when things are really good, or really bad. Everything in the middle just kinda registers as not bad. Sixth Course has reinforced to me what really good tastes like.

When we received the lovely package of chocolates in the mail, I was first impressed by the variety of flavor combinations held within. Caramels with Rosemary, smoked salt, Ceylon, Chai tea, passion fruit and sage and brown butter were delightful to the eye as well as the taste buds.  They fairly exploded with exotic yet familiar flavors and melted on the tongue.

As is my wont, I went back for more. And there they were! Malt Chocolate Crunch, Cayenne Caramel, Hazelnut Praline, Honey and Fennel Pollen, Earl Grey and Coconut Rum chocolates in a box labeled "Chef's Choice." Again, the familiar with the exotic was enticing and intoxicating, but sadly, I had finally reached the end of the new flavors to try.

Sixth Course is the beautiful brain child of Bridget Labus and Gianina Serrano, who together have decades of experience in the Bay Area's finest kitchens and luxury five-star hotels. They use Guittard Chocolate Couverture, the freshest local dairy products and hand-selected organic herbs and wrap it all up in sustainable, recycled packaging. The result is, in their words, "the bestest, tastiest, dopest truffles you've ever tasted." I dare you not to make yummy noises. I failed miserably.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Fever Tree Tonic Water

When someone hands you a product that is designed to be paired with vodka, I dare you not to do it. If you are going to, don't do it with this product. Don't just drink it up or pair it with rum or something. Because when Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water says it is designed to be paired with vodka, it means it.

If you are used to getting a G & T or a vodka and tonic in a bar, like an airport bar, where you are lucky the glasses are clean, or that they are even glass, then you have never really had a vodka tonic. This tonic water is a beautiful symphony of taste and balance. It could bring a bad vodka to a new level. It is the perfect pairing for a great vodka.

Fever-Tree's Naturally Light Tonic Water combines fruit sugars with citrus, aromatic botanicals and soft spring water to create a delicious, crisp taste balanced by the bitterness of natural quinine. With 45 fewer calories, it is an all-natural lower calorie tonic water. Most tonic water is a little sweet, in a cloying "hey! we don't really know what we are doing! but we know you don't like club soda, so here is something else..." kind of a way. This is not sweet. It is tangy, fresh and lovely. Also because of my deep and abiding Anglophilism, I can picture the cast of Downton Abbey or Hercule Poirot sipping this out on the veranda. And that appeals to me as well. 

On top of this beauty, the company produces: Ginger beer, ginger ale, tonic water (regular), soda water and bitter lemon tonic. All that I sampled were as superb as this and I cannot wait to get my hands on some more, introduce my family and friends to it and get them all liquored up, English-style. Tally ho!

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Fire & Flavor Ice Box Dill Pickling Seasoning

I don't can. It smacks of effort and I don't have any counter space. But my best friend does. So, when I went to visit her in her lovely Arlington, MA home, I brought some canning stuff along, because what else are two girls who have been besties for 20+ years going to do? She swore to me that she had the right stuff for pickles, but it turned out the cucumbers had other ideas and grew a fuzzy green winter coat. Ah well. We rolled with it and decided to make Dilly Beans instead, with the Fire & Flavor Crispy Icebox Dill spices for canning. It was a rousing success.

This little packet of spices needs you have on hand: FRESH dill (there is dried dill included), garlic cloves (we used the cheater garlic, already diced and in the jar), vinegar, water and of course the veggies you are pickling.  Luckily my friend had all this stuff in her home because we started our canning adventure 1/2 a bottle of wine in at 11 p.m. Replacing the cucumbers with fresh green beans from the local organic farm was the wild card. We had both green beans and white green beans (stay with me here) which made for very attractive jars of canned stuff, which is not something you can count on. Home-canned vegetables can look like a science experiment at times, though they usually taste delicious. These were both attractive AND tasty.

The spice packet included is flavorful and aromatic. As soon as we opened it and put it in the hot water and vinegar, we knew this was going to go well. We made two double pints instead of the four pints the package calls for. I didn't get to taste the dilly beans, myself but the next week, my nephews consumed both jars of dilly beans in 34.59 seconds, I am told, and they asked for more. No greater endorsement than that.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Organic Valley American Cheese

Have I told you how much I love cheese? I feel like I must have mentioned it before. All cheese. I love the stinky blues that clear out the sinuses. I like a sharp sharp cheddar that bites you back. I like a creamy Port Salut. I love it all. Even American, the red-headed step child of the cheese world. But those processed cheese slices leave something to be desired. No longer must I struggle with this! Organic Valley, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, has launched a new flavor: Organic Valley American Cheese Singles—unprocessed, 100 percent real organic cheese slices, as opposed to “processed cheese food,” perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, lunches and snacks. Organic Valley is the only national brand to produce unprocessed, organic American Cheese Singles.

I am in love.

I found out this weekend that my nephews loathe the processed cheese that they are fed when they go to their friend's houses for lunch (along with the processed bread, fruit leather and sugar cereals. I am sure this does not endear them to the parent's of their friends but, what are you going to do? the kids know good food.) My nephew Max in particular, will point out to whatever adult is feeding him, "This isn't cheddar", or, "This is mild cheddar. I like sharp cheddar." The kid knows his cheese. I feel as though he would approve of the Organic Valley American Cheese, which is creamy and rich and tastes like a cheddar/colby mix. 

The beauty of American Cheese in general is it's gooey meltiness and how it is part of many kinds of American comfort foods. When I was a kid we put it on green beans, broccoli, Sloppy Joes, grilled cheese, burgers and hot dogs...basically anything that would stand still long enough to cover it in cheese. This is all that melty goodness without the processed flavor or bad-for-you chemicals. All the calcium and goodness with more flavor. Keep it coming, Organic Valley! Our love affair will last an eternity.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Stonewall Salt and Pepper Crackers

The truth is everything tastes better with a little salt and pepper. We put this simple and elegant combination on essentially everything savory we eat, and sometimes sweet things as well. Heck, I add it to hot milk if I am not feeling well (just the tiniest bit of pepper, mind you). So the Salt & Pepper crackers from Stonewall Kitchen are adding a little bit of something good to crackers.

For me, crackers are just a conduit for cheese or something else tasty. I don't usually think about the crackers too much. They should be crunchy, not distractingly flavored and not stale. My requirements are fairly simple. I noticed, as I downed a little Port Salut the other night, that I was eating more crackers than cheese. Preposterous! But true. That crackers are so simple, so tasty and with just the right dash of salt and nice fresh pepper that they add that little kick to everything you slather across the top of them. I tested this theory with a sweeter cheese, a dip based in dill and even just a dash of cream cheese. Delicious.

Everything tastes better with a little salt and pepper and these hand-cut beauties are the perfect delivery system for that perfect combination.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Seattle Chocolates

It might not be Christmas time, but Seattle Chocolate's Hot Buttered Rum Milk Chocolate Truffle bar is certainly getting me into the season. I love hot buttered rum (the best I have had is available seasonally at The Duke of Perth in Chicago) and this creamy, rich candy bar brings to mind the cold afternoons in front of the Duke's warm fire.

This flavor, like the hot drink, appears to also be seasonal, but it will be well worth the wait. There is a light and fluffy truffle chocolate with little pieces of caramelized candy bits in the bar that combine to melt in the mouth in a soothing, tasty way.

Seattle Chocolates has many fun flavors as well, if Hot Buttered Rum isn't your thing, including: Meltaway Mint, Rainer Chocolate Cherry and Birthday Cake Batter. I can't wait to try more of these fun flavors from Seattle Chocolates.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: GoPicnic

I am an adult woman, I like Lunchables, and I am not ashamed. Well, that is a lie. I am ashamed. Lunchables are for kids, and I frankly feel a little ridiculous eating them, let alone buying them. But what I like about them is the crackers and cheese and meat part. It is like portable appetizers. Granted, neither the cheese nor the meat...nor the crackers are what I would call gourmet, but sometimes you just want a little snack, not a whole sandwich. So, it is more the concept that I enjoy than the actual product.

The GoPicnic ready-to-eat-meals are right up my alley! Cheese? Its there! Meats? There. Crackers? Not only there, but very good! And best of all? They do not need to be refrigerated. Each meal comes in a box with the aforementioned crackers, some kind of protein, some other kind of little snack like dried fruit and an individually wrapped almond Roca. Color me happy!

The first meal I tried was while I was waiting to pick my boyfriend up from work. He was running extremely late and the possibility of me getting some kind of tasty food in my belly before 8pm was dwindling. I had stashed the GoPicnic meal in my glove box, and opened it up while waiting. I only meant to eat the cheese. Just a little protein to tide me over, but it was so tasty that I polished off the turkey pepperoni, crackers, fruit and almond Roca in short time and felt satisfied and full without being overwhelmed by either carbs or salt. There is also a Sudoku puzzle in the box so I did that while I continued to wait for my boyfriend.

The GoPicnic meal is a delightful alternative to many of the meal-in-a-box choices on the market, being free of high fructose corn syrup, added MSG, and trans fats. Indeed, these little boxed treats would be perfect for parents on the go and to throw into a kid's backpack for lunch. They also come in vegetarian-friendly, classic PB & J and a dozen other varieties. No more lunchable for me!

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Chicago Cupcakes

Brendan Bolger, owner of Chicago Cupcake graciously supplied our office with some delectable samples of his unique take on cupcakes for us to try and I assure you, it made the whole office happy. Chicago Cupcake is just a year or so old, but has made an impact on the burgeoning cupcake scene.

Bolger brought in a plethora of tasty flavors for sampling: red velvet, pumpkin, chocolate, chocolate chip, Rocky Road, Bananas Foster, turtle and red raspberry/chocolate. But there are at least a dozen others available, including the Spring special Lavender Jane. My favorite was the classic chocolate chip with white frosting, but the red raspberry ran a close second.

What makes Chicago Cupcake different is the density of the cake (it has a cheesecake-like consistency that never struggles to be moist), the crust and the frosting. All of the cupcakes have a flavor-appropriate crust, like pretzel or graham cracker, that help the dense and heavy cake stay together and adds another flavor and texture to the mix. The frosting is like nothing I have ever tried. Admittedly, I am not a frosting fan. I usually scrape it off to get to the cake. This was flavorful, light without being too fluffy, tasty without being too sweet. It really added a lot to the overall experience.

Not your average cupcake, the Chicago Cupcake is a gourmet adventure into dessert. Dense, moist, flavorful, you will need a fork to consume this treat, and it will leave you wanting another. Chicagoans, keep an eye out for the new cupcake truck that will be cruising around town this summer. You won't regret it!

- Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Better than Bouillon

Flavorful stock is the base for many recipes, from risotto to paella to soup. I used to use those little dried out squares that you had to dissolve in warm water and didn't taste like much more than salty sand. After trying Better than Bouillon from Superior Touch, I will never again use a tiny dried square to flavor savory dishes.

The Better than Bouillon comes in glass jars that need to be refrigerated, and contain a creamy colloid of reduced stock made from...chickens or beef or veggies! You just scoop out a serving and throw it into whatever you are making. It becomes part of the dish effortlessly, without needing to dissolve, and there is no need to add water, if you don't want to. Just the bouillon.

What makes them different from the chicken stock I make myself, when I can be bothered to slave over a hot chicken carcass for a few hours, is they have no fat. They are also lower in sodium with 1/3 less salt than ordinary bouillon. That lower sodium thing in a big deal in my house where everyone is watching their salt intake. This is a painless way to lower sodium intake at a base level, and we don't even miss it, because this bouillon is so flavorful.

My mom makes the best mashed potatoes in the world. One of her secrets was to throw a beef bouillon cube into the potatoes when they were boiling. Now that I have turned her onto this product, that comes in a dizzying variety of flavors (beef, chicken, au jus, vegetable, clam, turkey, mushroom, ham, fish, chili and lobster) she just puts a little Beef Bouillon in the potatoes and that's that. And they are even better and more tasty, as if that were possible. This product has kicked my cooking up to another level, and a healthier one at that.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Texas Toffee Almond Delight

I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, but generally avoid candy because of a certain...over-zealousness. Butterscotch, truffles, butter-mints and Jordan Almonds have all been eaten by me in quantities so vast as to make me sick for more than 24 hours, but without real regret. My stomach does not respond fast enough. I love these candies.

Toffee has always been a favorite of mine. If I was very well behaved in the grocery store, when I was a child, my mom would buy me a Skor or Heath bar and give me half there and half at home when I helped unloading the groceries. And then I would OD on the sugar. In hindsight, perhaps this was not the best reward and maybe set the pattern of my adult life and candy. Bygones!

Regardless, I was excited when I saw the bag of Texas Toffee Almond Delight emerge from the box at the office. I don't want to say I dove on it, and consumed a whole bag before my co-workers got to try any, dreamed about it that night, came back into the office and schemed about how I could get some more...but that is totally what happened. I'm sorry, co-workers. You snooze, you lose.

Wow, is this toffee good! Buttery and almost creamy while still being satisfyingly crunchy, it fills the mouth with a lovely caramel taste, tempered by the tasty almonds, so the sweetness isn't overwhelming.  Perhaps it is the obvious freshness of this candy that makes it so good. Skor  and Heath bars are all well and good, but Texas Toffee tastes as though it has just cooled enough to be put into the bag; as though your grandma just handed you a imperfectly jagged square and said, "Careful now, I just finished this batch!". Texas Toffee touts their candy as a holiday treat, but why limit yourself? Check out Texas Toffee and their other flavors as well: Pecan, Macadamia, Peanut and Toffee Sprinkles for ice cream!

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Dizzy Pig Shakin' the Tree Rub

We can't get enough of the chicken in my house. So this week we decided to try Dizzy Pig's Shakin' the Tree Rub.

I got my fresh, whole chicken, coated it lightly in olive oil, shook on the whole sample package of Shakin' the Tree making sure to cover the outside of the chicken and get plenty of spice on the inside as well, popped one quartered onion, one quartered lemon, and one apple (my standard juicy chicken stuffing) into and around the bird and put it in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees.

Shakin' the Tree is a pretty simple rub; it is a basic lemon/pepper mix with a few other flavors thrown in. I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this mix. This is basically what  I use at home for baked chicken; lemon juice, pepper, salt, sprig of rosemary or whatever else I have in the fridge and Bob's your uncle.

Frankly, this rub was delicious. As I was cutting up the bird, I tasted a little piece of the skin (my favorite part) and I was so pleasantly surprised. It tasted familiar, not unlike the bird I usually make, but better! I kept nibbling on the skin and a little piece of juicy delicious meat as I separated wing and thigh and leg and breast from body. By the time I was done, I had nibbled so much I was almost full! My boyfriend felt the same; that this was a good bird, not so much different from what we usually sup on but like a deluxe version of it.

I can only imagine this rub and any others from Dizzy Pig would only be improved by more marinating time (which I did not give it much of) and adding it to things that are going on the grill. With 11 spices in their catalog, Dizzy Pig has something for every meat lovers palate.

-Elizabeth Dugan

Editor's Choice: Manja! Gourmet Glaze & Drizzle

The next time I get down to North Carolina, I sincerely hope to stop in at Mama Brava's family restaurant. It is described as being "in the cozy little hamlet on the Shallotte River in coastal NC." Doesn't that sound like a little slice of heaven?

After giving their Manja! Gourmet Glaze & Drizzle a try, I can well believe they make the heck out of their BBQ too. Though Mawji Foods (www.mawjifoods.com), the creator of the sauce, claims never to use corn syrup, I just don't know how they get such a sweet and spicy sauce without that key ingredient in many sauces.

We used it on roast chicken for dinner, one night. At my house, we are meat lovers. All meat, all the time (with a veggie and a salad of course). So, following the directions, we coated the whole chicken with a layer of glaze for the last 30 minutes of cooking. We coated it twice, actually. One at 15 minutes and another five minutes from the end. It seemed to be a good system, because the chicken browned beautifully and got a lovely caramelized glaze.

The chicken was tender and juicy and the glaze gave it such a sweet and peppery taste that everyone had double portions. Actually, I am not a fan of peppers usually. I don't do fajitas, chili, or stuffed poblanos, or really any pepper-heavy food. But this level and depth of pepper didn't drown out everything else (chicken and sweetness and the seasoning in the sauce), which is usually my complaint. Oh, we will be using our whole bottle of Manja! Yes, we will.

-Elizabeth Dugan