Tanka Bars From Native American Natural Foods
I believe Tanka Bars are destined to become the next great energy bar/snack food. Tanka Bars are based on a traditional Native American snack called wasna, a Lakota word (pemmican to non-Lakota peoples) that refers basically to anything ground up. In this case, what is ground up is buffalo meat and cranberries. Tanka means outstanding or great, and that is an apt description of these delicious bars. At only 70 calories, they are a perfect portable snack for anyone -- adults and children -- who are on the go and need satisfying energy and protein. The high-protein, prairie-fed buffalo are blended with tart-sweet cranberries and a patent-pending secret herbal-based preservative, and then slow smoked for several hours. They are made on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by the appropriately named Native American Natural Foods. The buffalo, or bison as they are more accurately called, were central to the Indian way of life, providing food, shelter, clothing and tools to the original tribes who lived on the great plains of North America. After their near-annihilation at the hands of white European settlers and soldiers, and their ultimate banishment to various reservations around the country (typically on land that is good for little else), businesses like Native American Natural Foods help create a link back to a traditional way of life. Their mission statement says it best: "To heal the people and our Mother Earth by building a company that innovates new food products based on the traditional values of Native American respect for all living things by living in balance with mind, body and spirit." They are wise enough to know that "the vision is not to go back to a traditional way of life, but to bring the heritage of wisdom from our traditional healthy lifestyle into the 21st century and into the lives of those who share that vision." For more information, call 800-416-7212 or visit www.tankabar.com.
Wholly Wholesome Cinnamon Crumblettes
As a family of bakers, we don't normally purchase a lot of packaged baked goods, and when we do, we completely avoid the over-processed industrial name-brands, opting instead for something that tastes like it was made in someone's kitchen from all-natural ingredients, the ones that can be pronounced by someone without an advanced chemistry degree. I was recently introduced to Wholly Wholesome Cinnamon Crumblettes, the newest addition to their line of "naturally wholicious" frozen bake-at-home treats that includes pies, pie shells, cheesecakes, cookies, pound cake and more. The Crumblettes were absolutely delicious, a sentiment that was unanimous among all those who tried them (since I had a whole case of them, I reluctantly shared some). These Canadian-made treats contain no trans fats, no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or additives, no bleached or bromated flour, no conventionally refined sugar, and no hydrogenated fats or oils. What they do contain is organic cane sugar, unbleached wheat flour, eggs, canola oil and so on -- ingredients we would be likely to use in our kitchen. They come packed in threes in a case that converts to a smart grab-and-go counter display. They are most satisfying as a snack, and are great for school or work lunches, hiking and camping trips, outdoor sporting events, and, well, you get the idea. They are distributed by The Run-a-Ton Group in Chester, N.J. (800-247-6580) and you can learn more about the line at www.whollywholesome.com.
Cloer Double Waffle Maker
I first saw the Cloer Double Waffle Maker at our 20/20 Retail Conference last August and they were generous enough to send me one (actually, they gifted everyone at the conference with their choice of appliance). It'd been a long time since we'd made waffles in our house due to lack of a waffle iron. I expected it to make great waffles. After all, how hard can it be? It does make excellent waffles but I didn't expect all the added features that make this a truly innovative waffle maker. First, it's very handsome and sleek, an important attribute for an appliance that will mostly sit out on the countertop, but there is so much more. It makes two good-size waffles in a lovely pattern that can easily be separated into individual heart shapes. Because it features nonstick baking plates, less fat is required (except for the knob of butter I place atop my waffle), and they clean up effortlessly. There is a great deal of control over the amount of browning, allowing everyone to have their waffles the way they like them (I like mine nicely browned). Even though this tool will sit out most of the time, it doesn't have to take up a lot of valuable space because the design allows it to be stored upright on its handles and the cable tucks away. It has a beautiful matte stainless steel casing with black wrap-around handles. The whole thing is very elegant and efficient, and the results are delicious. This is highly recommended. For more information, call Kitchen Resource at 801-383-1920, e-mail them at sales@kitchenresource.com or go to www.kitchenresource.com.
John Kelly Truffle Fudge Bites With Exotic Sea Salt
Too often we forget that salt can enhance the flavor in all foods -- savory or sweet -- and so it should be no great surprise that the new Truffle Fudge Bites with Exotic Sea Salt are hedonistically delicious. The first two, and the ones I sampled, are Dark Chocolate with French Sel Gris Sea Salt, and Semi-Sweet Chocolate and Caramel with Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt, each one featuring their signature truffle fudge center and semi-sweet chocolate coating. The salts are very good, with the French Sel Gris harvested by hand on the Atlantic coast off Guérande, Brittany, and the Hawaiian Alaea with its reddish hue and sweet finish. The Truffle Bites are pretty to look at. The salt, in whole crystalline flakes, lies on top of the chocolates as though they had just been finished by the pastry chef in the next room. Each one is a nice size, big enough to share if you want, but also not overwhelming to be eaten alone, especially for all the chocoholics I know. John Kelly Chocolates is establishing for itself a well-deserved reputation as one of the country's premier chocolate makers. For more information, you can visit their shop in Los Angeles (near Sunset and La Brea), call them at 323-851-3269, e-mail to service@johnkellychocolates.com or go to www.johnkellychocolates.com.
Earth Balance Vegan Nut Butters
While I am not usually drawn to vegan products, these nut butters from Earth Balance are so redolent of the peanuts and almonds from which they are made that I couldn't help but include them here. Besides being delicious and healthful, one of the unique selling points of the nut butters is they are "no stir" due to the inclusion of expeller-pressed oils that work naturally to keep the nut butters from separating. I don't mind stirring my peanut butter normally, but even I was pleasantly surprised that I could scoop out the freshly opened butter without the thorough workout I usually get upon opening a new jar. Earth Balance Vegan Nut Butters also contain flax seeds for omega-3 and they are sweetened with natural agave syrup, a low glycemic sweetener. There are no artificial ingredients of any kind. My only criticism, and many will disagree, is that they are a tad sweet. Indeed, I don't see any reason ever to sweeten peanut butter, but that is my taste. Also, I recommend not storing them in the refrigerator as I am used to doing with peanut butters that would normally separate as these nut butters become hard as rocks. They are fine to store at room temperature, although I would advise a cool, dark place like a cupboard. These new nut butters join an extensive line of organic products that include buttery spreads, soy garden spreads, olive oil spreads and shortening sticks, all of which are free of GMOs, gluten, trans fat and hydrogenated oils. For more information, call 201-568-9300, e-mail sales@earthbalancenatural.com or visit www.earthbalancenatural.com.
Lucini Artisan Vinegars
I'm a nut for vinegar so naturally I was excited when I received a box full of these fabulous handcrafted, perfectly aged Italian vinegars. All three are made in Modena, ground zero for balsamic vinegar-making, and aged in centuries-old wooden casks on the very estate where the grapes are grown and harvested. The first two, Lucini Italia Dark Cherry Balsamico and Lucini Italia Savory Fig Balsamico, begin with the harvest of Trebbiano grapes from a single estate in Modena. This is the classic white grape used to make the finest and oldest balsamic vinegars. The former is infused with the juice of dark summer cherries to lend sweetness to the mix, and then aged in small chestnut barrels. The latter is combined with ripe autumn figs and aged in the same way. The third, Lucini Italia Pinot Noir Red Wine Vinegar is a beautifully crafted vinegar, made from estate-grown, freshly crushed, fully ripened grapes. The young vinegar is carefully and meticulously aged in oak barrels. It has a ruby red color, a hint of sweetness, and the full, round flavor of the pinot noir, one of the world's most beloved grape varieties. We used the Pinot Noir Vinegar mostly for vinaigrettes, on everything from simple salads to cooked vegetables. It is superb. We favored the two balsamicos as last-minute additions to sauces and as a marinade for pork tenderloin as the folks at Lucini had suggested in their literature. Either balsamic is also terrific in a vinaigrette, making for a rich, viscous dressing that is perfect for heartier kinds of greens. These three vinegars have now taken a proud place on our counter, alongside the rest of my vinegar collection. For more information, call 888-5-LUCINI or visit www.lucini.com.
Cuisinart Spice and Nut Grinder
No more using a coffee grinder for nuts and spices. I never really liked the way coffee grinders did the job. After all, they are designed for coffee beans. The new Spice and Nut Grinder from Cuisinart is a handsome little machine that works beautifully and efficiently. The bottom half is stainless steel into which a cup fits snugly. Inside the stainless steel cup is the rotor blade that does all the work, and I mean all the work, because once the spices are in the cup, operating the device is effortless -- just a mere touch of the plastic cover sets the blade in motion. There is also a plastic cap the fits tightly over the blade cup in case you want to set the ground spices and/or nuts aside or if you grind too much and want to save some. Grinding your own spices is, of course, the best way to ensure their freshness and thus make your food as flavorful as possible. As for nuts, this machine makes it so easy to incorporate nuts into everyday meals, something that we are learning is extremely beneficial to our health. We ground walnuts and almonds to coat fish fillets and pork medallions, as well as a few thrown into salads. It was easy to grind peppercorns to whatever fineness is required. I experimented with several different degrees of coarseness, even barley cracked to fine as dust. For anyone who likes to use spices in their cooking, either for exotic recipes or simply to spice up your favorite dishes, this machine is handy and nice to look at as it sits on your counter. I also like the size as it doesn't take up tons of valuable counter space in our kitchen. For more information, go to www.cuisinart.com.
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