Category Archives: snack foods

appetizers, brunch, Chicago food and drink, culinary news, desserts, pasta, snack foods, vegan food

Read this – whether vegan-curious or already a convert

Learning about vegan eating can be challenging. Finding excellent prepared vegan food even more challenging. I’ve got exciting news for you.  “Smash Food Lab” is here to show you the way! Acclaimed vegan chef and cookbook author Dustin Harder founded the Lab to feature a wide variety of tasty prepared vegan foods. Eat vegan hearty now – and you don’t have to know or do a thing!

Take it wherever you want in the cute Smash Food Lab carry-cooler

Right now, Smash Food Lab is offering a “Beach Bites” special. In a very cool, bright orange, zippered mini-carry-cooler you get a full selection of items packaged in recyclable containers. Each container is enough for two people – or one if you’re really hungry – everything from fruit to pasta to sandwiches.

Think about a fresh watermelon-strawberry salad – that you don’t have to clean or cut up anything for! – topped with a bit of feta cheese (vegan, of course). Or gluten-free pasta salad chock full of lovely little slices and shreds of fresh vegetables and a gently spicy flavorful dressing – I am not gluten-free and yet this was one of my favorites! Think a sandwich with barbeque-sauced tofu (looks a lot like slices of tender pork tenderloin). Or a vegan Caprese panini seasoned with pesto and topped with tomato and arugula.

The vegan potato salad had a lovely creaminess and some good fresh  veg crunch. I personally would have liked a bit more punch – maybe a touch of mustard or vinegar – but I tell you, if you were really hungry and you tried this one first, you might finish it all for yourself. So warn your companions…

The Smash Food Lab website is beautiful to behold and contains lots of good information – menus, ordering, prices and vegan recipes  Dustin gives away for free! Check out the supper club and catering services, too.

Right now the cute cooler is just for the Beach Bites* special. If you love it, tell Dustin and maybe one day he’ll offer them for sale. Then you can pick up your faves in one each time you pre-order.

And perhaps start a craze. Vegans and vegan-curious folks walkin’ down the street, recognizing each other by the bright orange mini coolers on their arms. Be sure to wave!

*There’s a dessert/snack in this package. I’m not going to tell you what it is. But if you try it, be sure to tell Dustin how you like it!

desserts, snack foods, snacks

Easter – a second chance to indulge!

We all love Halloween. A legitimate excuse to eat way more candy than any other time of the year. But, hey, Easter is our first time each year to indulge ourselves beyond our typical sugar allowances.

Take me, for example. I rarely eat chocolate – though I adore it and do keep a supply of 70% dark chocolate handy for emergencies. Still, Fannie May was kind enough to send me some samples of their Easter collection – they do seasonal confections for every holiday.

Fannie Mae Easter bunnies

Well, I was getting hungry already when I opened the lovely red-beribboned, handled white basket (Fannie Mae really knows how to package its products in beautiful bundles!). I first examined each of the three chocolate bunnies – milk, white, and dark chocolate. Ooo, what fun to give to the kids in my life.

Fannie Mae Pixie Egg

And then I saw the smaller box marked Fannie Mae Pixie Egg. I thought, well, I’ll just slice it in half – happily, they give you a clear admission as to calories for all their confections. I said, to no one in the room with me, oh, look at all that caramel. And I wasn’t disappointed when I bit into the half in my hand. I savored that creamy caramel, bite after bite, on that first half I’d cut. But honestly, the little teaser pieces of pecan embedded in the thick milk chocolate coating guaranteed I wasn’t going to stop at half.

I had to eat popcorn for dinner that night, but it was worth it.

Chicago food and drink, comfort food, desserts, snack foods, snacks

Instant no-work snack/dessert

Sweet Loren’s makes cookie dough. They sent me some to tell you about. And I’m so happy they did.

Sweet Lorens cookie dough – EAT IT RAW!

First, and most importantly, they taste delicious! Second, check this out. All clean ingredients. No raw eggs – yes, it’s safe to eat raw! and that’s half the fun of it. You open the package and in it are four rolls of stuck-together dough balls. You break off as many as you want to bake, put them on a tray and bake. OR – even more exciting – you break off a 110-calorie ball (or half a ball if you just want a taste) and eat it right out of your hand. These doughs are so tasty, you may never actually bake them.

Exciting, too, is the fact that they keep well in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks and, as long as the package is not opened, they will keep a couple of months in there. I’m guessing that’s because there’s no dairy to spoil. And according to their discussion with a dietician, “Sweet Loren’s Cookie Dough products contain whole grain within their Gluten Free Flour Blend, so you are getting some vitamins and minerals.”

I’m a huge fan of their Oatmeal Cranberry dough. My granddaughter loves the texture of the chocolate chunks in the Fudgy Brownie double-chocolate dough. Mostly we don’t want to actually bake the cookies, though they’re very good when you do. It’s so easy to pull off a hunk and enjoy that luscious shot of sweetness and rich flavor. Just delicious. This is an idea whose time has come. Find it stores at certain Whole Foods, Jewel/Osco, Target and other stores.

Thanks, Sweet Loren’s. Your doughs are now going to be always in my fridge.

beverages, Chicago food and drink, cocktails, comfort food, desserts, snack foods, spirits, whiskey

5 unique food and drink ideas – 2 snacks, 3 beverages

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We are always looking for new drinks, treats, snacks and desserts that set our tongues a-tingle and our imaginations aflame. Ran into a few such items recently and are happy to report so you can add them to your repertoire if you like.

Chocdates for snacks or dessert
Chocdates for snacks or dessert

Chocodate makes snacks that pair healthy sweets like Arabian dates, almonds and coconut together with a light, soft chocolate layer in individually wrapped little bites you can take with you anywhere. Each treat is 56 calories, and the wrapped goodies have a fairly long shelf life (about a year), which means you won’t have to throw any away if you decide to ration them for your weight’s sake. They come in coconut-chocolate-date, milk or dark or white chocolate, or in a package of assorted. SRP ~$5 for ~3.5 ounces. Tasty, not-too-sweet snack.

Donnafugata Floramundi
Donnafugata Floramundi

Donnafugata has successfully paired a delicious wine with fine art in its Floramundi 2016. It’s a refined Cerasuolo di Vittoria with a flowery soul. Complex, fresh and full-bodied, this red has intriguing aromatic depth and a fruity and flowery bouquet that is pleasantly spicy on the palate. With the 2016 harvest, Donnafugata reached its goal of launching production in Eastern Sicily in the Vittoria area – the only DOCG of Sicily. Made by blending Nero d’Avola (70%) and Frappato (30%), this lovely wine pairs beautifully with first courses and grilled meats. Or try it with red tuna steak, roasted amberjack or other fish baked in the oven, or with gourmet pizzas. The Floramundi label shows the fantastic figure of a woman giving gifts of flowers and fruits. The picture represents a dialogue between two souls: the elegant and sophisticated Floral Liberty, an art style found everywhere in Vittoria, and the tradition of Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian Puppets). SRP ~$30.

Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey
Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

Gentleman Jack, double-mellowed Tennessee whiskey, from the makers of Jack Daniels. We just missed National Whiskey Sour day (August 25), but a nicely crafted cocktail is just as delicious any other day. So, for your edification, these guys have come up with some excellent sour recipes. Incorporating items like fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and flavors like peach, cucumber, ginger beer, Chambord and more, these four recipes are sure to please any whiskey-cocktail lover. Check ’em out here.

Michelles Maccs are fabulous for Kosher holidays, too!
Michelles Maccs are fabulous for Kosher holidays, too!

Michelle’s Maccs, by FreshBakedNY. These rich, delectable confections bear little resemblance to the typical meringue-disks-with-a-filling most of us know as macaroons. Before she started the business, inventor and former chef/sous chef Michelle Goldberg had been making these for years, both at home and for friends and family in The Hamptons and Manhattan. These eggless, flourless, gluten-free versions consist of an incredibly dense filling of thickly shredded coconut, sugar and, well, who-cares-what-else, all enrobed in a thick layer of Belgian chocolate: Simple White, Simple Dark or Simple Milk chocolate were the initial versions. Then later she added some other flavors that could knock your socks off: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chocolate, Mango, Salted Caramel, Key Lime, Amarena Cherry, Orange Zest, Espresso and Banana Walnut, all available from the company website. The Pina Colada in white Belgian chocolate is hauntingly habit-forming.

P.S. Mich’s Maccs are not for dieters – each treat has 200+ calories. Delicious, and so rich you can eat just half of one and still feel like you’ve indulged. I had one for breakfast the other day and my mouth didn’t give a darn about nutrition – just love the chewiness of the tightly packed, thick shreds of coconut! These goodies come in boxes of assorted flavors or in little single-flavor tubes of four. Perfect for coffee-and or dessert. Irresistible. They’re calling my name from the refrigerator right now…

Alessandro di Camporeale “Donnata” Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC 2014. Deep, dark and delicious, this 100% Nero d’Avola wine is light-bodied with ripe cherry and sweet spice on a background of soft, silky flavors. It pairs nicely with rich tomato and cheese pasta dishes as well as with roast poultry and meats. Can’t be sure what price you’ll find it for – we saw online prices ranging from $9 to $20, so search carefully.