Editor’s Choice: Numi

This week I had the pleasure of tasting a savory tea, an experience that was completely unique to me. The Garden Sampler from Numi includes two tea bags each of Tomato Mint, Carrot Curry, Fennel Spice, Broccoli Cilantro, Beet Cabbage and Spinach Chive. I tried the Spinach Chive and the first thing that struck me was the magnificent aroma that came from the cup as the tea bag was steeping in the hot water. The smell was so enticing and it filled the kitchen with a warm, pleasing scent of herbs and spices that were nestled in with the vegetables.

I let the tea bag steep for about 10 minutes as directed. After my first sip I was pleasantly surprised with the full-bodied blend of the decaf tea and the rich flavor that was not quite a soup, but much more than a tea. I was able to fully discern the steamed spinach leaves flavored by hints of lime, dill (one of my favorites), coriander and garlic.

Some suggested uses for this savory blend are as a low-calorie snack to hold you over between meals, to complement a light lunch, as a brew for cooking rice or noodles, or as a companion when at your desk and need a pick-me-up for that afternoon slump. Undoubtedly there are many more uses for this category of tea. Even better, Numi’s Savory Teas have five calories or fewer, are Certified Organic and Verified Non-GMO.

Paula

Editor’s Choice: ALTAR

Last Friday was Valentine’s Day and I thought it would be a good time to sample an herbal martini from ALTAR. According to the company, ALTAR is “the world’s first premium Herbal & Botanical Mood Mixer curated to be enjoyed alone as an ‘Herbal Martini’ or paired with fine spirits as a craft cocktail mixer.” I was curious about that and found it very appealing to have a nonalcoholic cocktail choice available that additionally featured all natural and wholesome ingredients.

So my husband and I sampled Restore, which included a base of heirloom tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, Spanish lemon thyme, cucumbers, smoked sea salt and linden flower layered with white Worcestershire sauce. Additionally there is white peony tea blended with an herbal tonic of wild cherry bark, English plaintain leaves and goji berries.

The thing that immediately struck us was how fresh and flavorful it was, and how it had subtle undertones of a traditional Bloody Mary, one of my favorite beverages with alcohol. Although you can pair this with premium tequila or vodka, I say, why would you want to? This is so good on its own with the vibrant flash of flavor notes and little unexpected hints of surprising ingredients. It’s nice to have this choice for the nondrinker and I think a lot of people will appreciate that. I’m looking forward to trying the other flavors with guests when I have company; I know they will find them interesting and appealing.

The ALTAR collection consists of five flavors or moods: APHRODISIAC, BLISS, CHI, CHILL, and RESTORE. Each is curated with 13 to14 totally unique ingredients ranging from single estate teas, organic fruits and vegetables, spices, herbs and botanicals. Each ALTAR ingredient is thoughtfully sought, grown, harvested and procured in order to create the finest and purest beverage.

Paula

Editor’s Choice: Char Crust

Char Crust dry-rub seasonings do exactly what they claim: seal in the juices. And this makes for a very lovely flavor dimension that perks up an ordinary meal. In fact, I think I’m kind of addicted! I sampled the Amazin’ Cajun on some burgers and it was so easy to use. I simply dredged the hamburger patties completely and, as recommended, drizzled a little oil to prevent sticking. I then broiled them and my family and I loved and enjoyed some wonderfully kicky burgers that were both spicy and sweet. This particular blend contains cayenne pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, and what is referred to as “a mélange of other Mardi Gras flavors.” Yes, definitely! But I didn’t stop there, because this is a versatile rub. I also added it to some zucchini, onions and peppers to coat along with oil. I then baked as a side dish. This was a perfect accompaniment to our wonderful dinner that made us yearn for summer days here in the snow-covered streets of Chicago.

Char Crust makes nine other flavors of rubs that create a savory crust to seal in the juices of meats, seafood and vegetables. They include: Original Hickory Grilled, Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, Ginger Teriyaki, Hickory & Molasses, All American Barbecue, Southwest Chipotle, Sun-Dried Tomato & Garlic, Roto Roast and Java Buzz.

I look forward to trying some of these on the outdoor grill as the weather warms up!

Paula

Editor’s Choice: Earth & Vine Provisions

I really like it when a product offers unexpected combinations of ingredients giving your taste buds a happy sensation. That’s what I found when I tried Earth & Vine Provisions line of Vinaigrettes. Flavors like Raspberry Shallot, Honey Pear, Blackberry Balsamic and Tangerine Chipotle gave some pop to salads and could easily pair well with chicken, seafood and fresh vegetables. When it comes to something this good, I hate to admit it, but I can easily just eat it off the spoon!

Founders Ron and Tressa Cooper embarked on a culinary adventure with their appreciation for all-natural, whole foods, local farmers and a time-honored tradition of preserving when they began the company. They knew that this gift of great tasting food had to be shared with the rest of the world. All products are made from 100 percent natural ingredients (utilizing as much California grown ingredients as possible.) Earth & Vine Provisions offers more than 60 jams, sauces, beverage elixirs and dressings, some of which are International award winners.

Paula

Editor’s Choice: Anette’s Chocolates

I was extremely lucky to get a wonderful assortment of dessert toppings to sample from Anette’s Chocolate Factory. A family run business, it has been a local institution for over twenty years. According to Mary Stornetta, director of sales and marketing, “We have a terrific line up of dessert toppings which are made in small batches in copper kettles. Since we are located in the Napa Valley, we make a Chocolate Cabernet Wine Sauce, Chocolate Port Wine Sauce and a Merlot Fudge.  Our Chocolate Cabernet Wine Sauce came about after patrons swooned over our cabernet chocolate truffles. In addition to these sauces, we also make a Chocolate Raspberry Liqueur Sauce, Chocolate Amaretto Liqueur Sauce, Belgian Brandy Sauce and a Caramel Brandy Sauce. These dessert toppings all contain 4.8 percent alcohol. We also make two non-alcoholic sauces, Chocolate Belgian Fudge and Salted Caramel. Our dessert toppings are intended to turn the ordinary dessert into the extraordinary. Simply pour or spoon a little over ice cream, cheesecake or fresh fruit and enjoy.”

Well, that I did. I invited my sister over to help me out with a little taste test and we both agreed that this was something very special indeed. My favorite was the Chocolate Raspberry Liqueur Sauce, which was fresh, fruity, and oh so deliciously smooth and bright over plain vanilla ice cream, while hers was the Salted Caramel, which was a perfect balance of sweet and salty goodness. It was really fun to try these flavor combinations that were interesting, unexpected and absolutely mouthwatering!

Paula

Editor’s Choice: The Funny Apron Company

There were lots of laughs at my house this week when a package arrived from The Funny Apron Company bearing an apron with the slogan, “Mr. Good Lookin’ is Cookin’.” The red “flaming” letters really popped out of the black background to leave no doubt who was in charge of the barbeque. Both my husband and my son immediately sparred on who would take possession of this flashy titled cover up once the summer grilling season starts!

Ellice Lovelady, president of the Funny Apron Company, has an interesting background. She started her company in 1996 as an offshoot vanity project stemming from her primary career as a freelance creative director and copywriter in the greeting card industry, having worked for many of the top-name companies. She took away the lesson that you have to gear your products to the right demographic and this is reflected in her large and creative line of humorous aprons, with “Mr. Good Lookin’” being the number one best seller.

Not only is the apron fun to wear, but it’s one size fits all and made of a sturdy, generous cut 65/35 poly cotton twill. Many designs are available. I can’t wait for barbeque season to start to see my two handsome men try it out.

Paula

Editor’s Choice: Brianna’s Salad Dressings

Sometimes I crave the Far East flavor of my favorite restaurant, Benihana, but realistically I can’t always get there. So it was very fortunate that as I was doing my weekly grocery shopping I came across a bottle of Brianna’s Home Style Ginger Mandarin Dressing. The label said it was a balance of ginger, soy sauce and mandarin orange. Sounded like it would fit the bill! I couldn’t wait to try it out on a big green salad.

Oh my, this was right on target. The flavor was a sweet/tangy blend of seasoning that kept me coming back for more. And as the label suggested, I could definitely see this as a marinade for meats, vegetables or fish. The all-natural ingredients were evident in every bite; I felt like someone whipped this up in their kitchen especially for me. In fact, if I were blindfolded, I’m not sure I would even think this had come from a bottle.

Brianna’s makes lots of other dressings and now I’m excited to give those a try. I’m betting the Classic Buttermilk Ranch, Lively Lemon Tarragon or Chipotle Cheddar will make my boring weekly grocery trip something to look forward to in the near future.

Paula