Category Archives: New Products

Holidays Mean Lebkuchen

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Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.
Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.

Soft, cakey and a little chewy, they’re fragrant with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. They taste marvelously Old World, too.

Lebkuchen, German spice cookies made with honey, are especially beloved at Christmas time.

For more than 90 years, Lebkuchen-Schmidt has been baking these popular treats in Nuremberg. Now, you can enjoy them in this country, thanks to New Jersey-based European Deli, its exclusive U.S. partner.

They come packaged in various options, including an embossed blue and gold tin ($49.95) depicting scenes from that German city, of which I received a sample.

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Holiday Sips, Part I

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A holiday-ready 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
A holiday-ready 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

If you’re opting for prime rib or roast duck instead of turkey at the Thanksgiving table, a bottle of 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon would make for a splendid partner.

Family-owned for more than three decades, this winery with operations in St. Helena and Napa focuses on small-production Cabernet made from estate-grown grapes. These particular grapes come from the Oakville AVA, known for producing wines of powerful yet smooth textures.

This wine, of which I received a sample, is no exception. Deep purple garnet in the glass, it exudes notes of black cherries, currants, graphite and cedar with a touch of anise, and sage. It has firm tannins, making it a robust wine able to stand up to showy centerpiece meat dishes.

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Handcrafted Indulgent Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels

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(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry's Handmade Pennsylvania Duch Pretzels.
(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels.

When it comes to snacks, I do love a good, crunchy pretzel.

And Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels are definitely some of the best around.

Founded by Jerry Skolnick in 1988 in Lancaster, PA, it took only two years for his family-owned business to win a “Best of Philly” award, the first time that honor had ever been given to pretzels.

His youngest daughter Misty joined the fold in 2008 to help launch the company’s e-commerce sales. And lucky me was fortunate enough to receive some samples recently.

These pretzels are made with a sourdough starter. The dough is rolled and kneaded rather than extruded under pressure from huge machines, and the pretzels are hand-twisted. They are made without oil, sugar or preservatives.

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Tuna Time

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A tuna sandwich gets a turn with new Tonnino Chipolte Sauce Party Dip.
A tuna sandwich gets a turn with new Tonnino Chipolte Sauce Party Dip.

My go-to canned (jarred) tuna has long been Tonnino’s yellowfin tuna fillets in olive oil, not only because it’s easily found in most well-stocked grocery stores, but more because the tuna is meaty, rich, and flavorful, and its lush olive oil with its potent oceanic taste a delicious bonus.

So, when I had a chance samples of the new Tonnino Party Dip samples, I was intrigued.

Like all Tonnino products, each can carries a nifty lot number that you can enter into the company’s web site to find out what fishing vessel caught the tuna in your can (the Samurai, in the case of one of my cans), from what waters (Costa Rica), and by what method (hooks and lines). It may be more info than you might want if all you’re interested in is putting a sandwich together. But it’s kind of a cool feature.

Ready to use, and already flavored, tuna party dips.
Ready to use, and already flavored, tuna party dips.

The Party Dips are designed to be a ready-to-eat product, combining the yellowfin tuna with vegetable oil, veggies, and seasonings. You can dip tortilla chips into them. Spoon them into lettuce wraps. Or combine with mayo, Greek yogurt, or cream cheese to make a dip.

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Coconut Rice with Greens Made Even Better with San Francisco-Made Artisan Miso

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San Francisco's artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.
San Francisco’s artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.

When the heat is on, food deliberately goes very simple.

Because the last thing you want to do is crank up the oven, ignite all four burners, or linger one moment longer than necessary in a hot kitchen.

Still, that doesn’t mean you have to settle.

On the contrary, a dish like “Miso-Coconut Rice with Greens”may be a cinch to make in one pot on the stove or in a rice cooker, but it’s also soulfully satisfying.

The recipe is from the cookbook, “Cook Simply, Live Fully” (Harper), of which I received a review copy.

You just have to love the philosophy of that title, written by Yasmin Fahr, a New York Times recipe contributor and veteran cookbook author who spends most of her time on the Spanish island of Menorca.

The book includes 120 recipes that are wittily — and conveniently — arranged by your mood. There are recipes for “Lap Dinners” when you need nourishment but barely feel like making anything; “Coffee Table Dinners,” when you have a bit more time and energy; and “At the Dinner Table,” when you want a proper sit-down meal.

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