Matters of Taste

Mareblu Naturals vs. Mrs. May's Naturals: USA ALL THE WAY!

Normally I come out of Costco exhausted, and poor. Today, I came out jubilant.

The big-box giant is now carrying Mareblu Naturals, one of the most delicious, nutritious snacks around. Each nugget – one inch of dry roasted nuts and seeds held firmly together with a hint of evaporated cane juice, rice syrup and sea salt -- offers layers of flavor and an irresistible crunch. Some varieties also contain dried fruit bits

According to the package, they're All Natural, Gluten-Free, 100% Vegan, Kosher, Cholesterol-Free, Dairy-Free, Wheat-Free, Peanut-Free, GMO-Free, and Trans. Fat 0g.

I don’t normally get so excited over something as mundane as a packaged snack mix. But I’ve been crazy about this product ever since I discovered it several years ago at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. (Staged by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade twice a year and open only to the trade. Read my blog about what I found at the January 2009 show.)

In fact, it was Mrs. May’s Naturals that I fell in love with at that show. But a year or two later, there were two booths in S.F.’s Moscone Center, Mrs. May’s and Mareblu, offering basically the same products. In a chat with a Mareblu founder, I learned that some members of the original Mrs. May’s team had split from that company and started the new company.

Why? Because Mrs. May’s products, yummy as they are, are manufactured in China. Mareblu products are dry-roasted and made into Crunch in the USA.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I wouldn’t dream of eating food made in China. In light of the recent scares and scandals, it seems foolhardy to me to ingest something prepared in a country that doesn’t share our concern for food purity and safety. I’ve also stopped buying dog treats and toys that are made in China.

So, now, to be able to buy a whopping 20-ounce bag of the U.S. product at Costco for just $8.89 (only $5.89 right now, with the coupon from Costco’s latest newsletter), well, that’s jubilation.

Sixteen Mareblu flavors are available, including Pistachio Pumpkinseed Crunch, Cranberry Pomegranate Crunch, Cashew Crunch and Coconut Almond Crunch. At present, Costco carries just the newest flavor, Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch. It has a touch more sweetness than some of the other varieties, but it’s still savory enough to accompany cocktail hour with style. (It’s really delicious with a glass of Prosecco or an Aperol Prosecco Spritz cocktail.)

In most sores, the family size (20-ounce) costs between $10 and $14 (it’s currently on sale for $9.99 at the Mareblu Web site). Small 3-ounce snack packs are offered for about $3.50.

Breakfast with Bobby Flay

This week super-chef Bobby Flay will have Food Network devotees drooling over their remotes when he announces the Best Breakfast He Ever Ate: Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast at San Diego’s Café 222. (Café 222 is a hip and happening downtown institution. It’s super-casual and comfortable, with a menu of all-Star American comfort foods.)

The Tuesday (July 28th) episode of his new show, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” will introduce the world to this scrumptious, over-the-top, ooey-gooey creation.  I’m a big fan, too, though I, personally, would  give the edge to the Café’s slightly more sedate Peanut Butter Waffle with Fresh Bananas. Both extravaganzas are handsome, healthful and textbook examples of chazarai (and I mean that as a compliment!) 

However, much as I’ve loved the stuffed FTs that I’ve put away at  Café 222 over the years, I can’t help but think that Bobby missed the boat on this one. For my money, the really, truly best breakfast in the world is at the Dan Hotel in Eilat, Israel.

Believe me, I wasn’t easily won over to this conclusion. For starters, it’s a buffet breakfast and I hate buffets (way too much jumping up and down to get food; way too many flavors jockeying for position in my stomach).

Second, I was at the Red Sea waterfront property with my family one year in June when the temperature might have dipped to 100 sometime in the middle of the night.

This was not weather for enjoying food.  But the main dining room’s breakfast buffet was so splendid, so pure, fresh, appropriate and exciting, that I looked forward to jumping out of bed each morning.

There was fruit – ripe, fragrant, colorful and juicy; creamy yogurts from different kinds of milk; a variety of honeys, each with a distinguished aroma and texture; dried fruits, dates and nuts the likes of which I had never tasted; cooked grains that put Quaker’s to shame.  The selection of breads was awesome, hearty and grainy, milky and sweet.

 The usual buffet suspects got a new look: baked fish in herby crusts; smoked/marinated salmon as good as that in any Michelin-starred eatery; exquisite egg dishes.  And more, much more.

But my favorite…and the dish I still dream about…was the Israeli salad of perfect tomatoes, cucumbers and spring onions, all precisely diced and tossed with parsley, dill and mint and a lemony vinaigrette. I topped it each morning with a luscious homemade yogurt and some nuts and seeds. The photo here is from flickr.com.

“The Best Thing I Ever Ate” is a great concept for a TV show, and a terrific catalyst to get you thinking about memorable meals. If you’ve got a “best” breakfast story, I hope you’ll share it here.

Rockin' Risotto...at Fig Santa Monica

The first sensation was butter. Sweet, creamy, luxurious, remarkably rich.
Next came the intoxicating aroma of anise…and the flavor, too, in wisps of fresh tarragon.
Then there was one perfect spring pea…a tiny carrot that tasted like it had just been pulled from the garden…a baby mushroom as smooth as, well, a baby’s cheek…two lithe asparagus spears, one green, one white.
And, finally, rice.  Each grain of Carnaroli cooked a point and imbued with all the summer flavors playing together on the plate.

The menu at Fig in Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel calls this creation, simply, Spinach Risotto.
I call it Simply Spectacular.

A funny thing happened to hotel dining in the U.S. in the last decade. It went upscale. It became, in many cases, as big a draw for a property as a great ocean view, a chichi spa or 1,000-thread-count sheets.

Fig, open just since early Spring, is an exciting example of this phenomenon. With its irresistible blend of French and American classic fare, and its stylish bistro feel, it has rapidly become a favorite of hotel guests and So Cal locals alike.

The man at the helm is Ray Garcia, a Los Angeles native who was on his way to law school when he was de-railed by food. (Garcia is pictured here in a Los Angeles Times photo.) A veteran of the kitchens at French Laundry, Cyrus and The Peninsula Beverly Hills, he’s a true devotee of the local-and-seasonal mantra. In addition to combing the famed Santa Monica Farmers Market himself, he employs a “forager” who’s charged with traveling up and down the state looking for exceptional produce and other foods.

Which brings us back to the rockin’ risotto.

It may be called Spinach Risotto, but there’s a heck of a lot more than spinach in there. I loved the weensy parsnip, the frizzy frisee, the mushrooms and the wisps of fresh herbs.

I also loved the vegetable chunks in Garcia’s Vegetable Curry, which was assertively and authentically seasoned. No one-powder-fits-all for this guy.

And I was blown away by the heavenly puree of Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes on the menu), punched up with roasted garlic and sprinkled with toasted pepita seeds, that was served in a tiny iron casserole.

Our memorable meal started off with a crackly-crisp Tarte Flambee, Alsace’s answer to the thin-crust pizza. Topped with fromage blanc, bacon lardons and nubbins of blue cheese (the pictured salmon tarte is another option), it was the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely cocktail hour.  And Fig is just the place for a leisurely cocktail hour. The bartenders are skilled and creative. (I loved my straight-up cocktail of bourbon, muddled blackberries, a hint of cassis and fresh sage.) The server didn’t answer “Say, what??” when my husband requested Aperol and soda. And, the wine list – of glasses, carafes (2 glasses) and bottles, is thoughtful and appealing.

Starters included freshly shucked oysters from Carlsbad (Calif.) that were lightly dusted with cornmeal, fried, and served with a chorizo-flecked remoulade sauce; and tender baby artichokes teamed with peppery watercress and cubes of charred haloumi cheese.

The other end of the feast was no less intriguing. We shared a sensational daily special of roasted plums, accented with lemon basil and daubed with fluffed mascarpone cheese. But, five days later, I’m still kicking myself that I passed up the FIG “Newton” with Greek yogurt ice cream and Port wine. Next time.

The final tab at Fig is surprisingly gentle for such upscale fare. Most appetizers and starters are under 10 bucks.  Entrees generally range from $17 to $26.  The steak frites offerings are more; an eight-ounce bavette is $27.  Desserts are just $7 or $8. Our bill, for a soup-to-nuts affair with cocktails and wine, was about $140.

Fig doesn’t look much like your traditional hotel dining room. Though it offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, it still manages to have an inspired sense of style. The look is California bistro, unfussy but fashionable, with iconic French bistro chairs, waffle-weave dishtowels as napkins, a high, white-washed wood ceiling, floor-to-ceiling doors to the garden terrace and a curvy pewter bar centered with two large wooden platters of gorgeous cheese.

Fig is open daily but dinner is served only Tuesday - Saturday. The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, which is an appealing mix of high-rise rooms with ocean views and the cozy garden bungalows that are so L.A., is located at 101 Wilshire Blvd., at the corner of Ocean Avenue. Call (310) 319-3111 for reservations.

"Continuing Education:" Wine Tasting with Jost Höpler

Last month, while my husband and I were visiting Vienna, we spent a glorious day with Austrian friends in Burgenland, Austria’s version of Napa and Sonoma. 

In this part of the world, just an hour by car from Vienna, rolling hills of neat, tidy vines share space with the unusual Neusiedlersee or Lake Neusiedler. This long, narrow lake, which runs from Austria into Hungary on its southernmost tip, is very shallow and ringed by thick reeds and desolate salt marches that are home to an amazing (and protected) community of birds.

We rented bikes at Radsport Waldherr in the little town of Podersdorf, and set out on a nearly-deserted road that, alternatively, hugged the lake and meandered through fields and marshes, until we found ourselves in the border town of Illmitz. Along the way we stopped to climb into some of the old, wooden “blinds” used for viewing the birds through telescopes.

In early afternoon we returned the bikes and drove to the northwestern banks of the Lake where some of Austria’s best wines are produced.

Herr Jost Höpler greeted us at his home in the town of Winden. Stepping through an ordinary front door, we found ourselves in an enchanting courtyard covered in glistening grass and surrounded on four sides by centuries-old barns and ivy-covered walls. Höpler had “set” an old wooden table for us and our friends -- with a platter of meats and cheeses, breads, waters and about a dozen of his wines to taste.

Jost Höpler is the force behind the Höpler wine label. Though the family has been involved in wine for generations, it was the affable, hard-working, well-educated (he trained in France, Australia and Italy) Jost who turned the name into a respected household word in Austria and beyond in the late ‘80s.

That was a period of great growth for Austrian wine. A huge scandal in the early ‘80s, involving the tainting of wines with a chemical similar to auto anti-freeze, had just about decimated the country’s wine industry. Höpler and others moved into the void. Today, Austria has some of the strictest government regulations in the world, and a burgeoning group of passionate, knowledgeable winemakers determined to clear their country’s name.

One of those is Christof Höpler, Jost’s 33-year-old son who today oversees the winemaking operation, leaving “Dad” to develop export opportunities and handle visiting journalists.

Christof is attempting to take the company to a new level by expanding the number of varietals produced (Höpler currently produces about 25,000 cases per year) and marketing overseas. (Many Höpler wines are available in Southern California, including at WineSellar/Brasserie in San Diego. The Web site Snooth also offers an excellent selection.)

All Höpler wines, red and white, are in the same Bordeaux-style bottle, and virtually all have the same elegant label (designed by Jost’s wife, an architect). Höpler says that the simplicity and convenience of having one shape bottle – necessitating one bottling machine, one type of carton, one size label, etc. – allows him to price the wine better for the consumer.

The first wine we tasted was one of my favorites of the afternoon – a crisp, aromatic, delicious Grüner Veltliner. (Pronounced GROO-ner FEHLT-leener, it’s one of the most readily available Austrian wines in the U.S.) The Höpler version is a remarkably versatile partner….to  meats, cheese, tomatoes, seafood, or simply a seat in the sunshine. It usually costs about $12.

I also loved the Zweigelt (see my earlier blog post) we tasted. Made from a grape that’s a hybrid of Blaufränkische and St Laurent, it’s an appealing blend of the former’s fine structure and depth, and the latter’s rich ruby color, subtle flavor and elegance. In the U.S. Zweigelt prices start at about 10 bucks a bottle. (Jost Höpler is second from the left in this photo.)

We were impressed with the Pinot Noir ’05 and the multi-faceted Cab-Merlot mix. But it was the fairly new K7 that really piqued our interest and our tastebuds. Created by son Christof for what he calls a young, sophisticated, cosmopolitan audience, it’s a toothsome blend of Syrah, Blaufränkische and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s fruity and fragrant, earthy, easy to drink yet with plenty going on if you’re into analyzing and expounding. The label is unique; so’s the trendy glass “cork.”(More about glass corks in a future post.)

Our Burgenland adventure was a successful one. We enjoyed the  fresh air and exercise, saw a new part of the world, spent valuable time with old friends, and discovered a new house of wine that offers value, versatility and vibrant flavors.

Letting the Chips Fall Where They May

I discovered two new chocolate chip cookies at Whole Foods the other day.

One was a chewy, gooey, mint-spiked delight.

The other was a travesty -- a dense, gummy disc of dough that delivered no satisfaction.

Isabella’s Cookie Company won my heart with “The Paddy,” a moist, crumbly number studded with bright green (natural color, the ingredient list says) mint chocolate chips along with a blizzard of semi-sweet chips.

The mint flavor is bright and appealing; the chocolate is first-class; and the texture is that of a freshly-made homemade cookie.  The ingredient list contains all the usual suspects: flour, butter, eggs, sugar and chocolate.  “Isabella Bites” are made in Redondo Beach, Calif., making them, effectively, a “local” product for me.

A 14-ounce bag costs about $6.50 at Whole Foods. The cookies, which include a Mocha Monster, the Peanut Butter Bomb and the Muffy (dried blueberries, milk chocolate-covered blueberries and white chocolate chips) are also available on the very attractive Web site.

Then, there’s Fabe’s Bakery’s. The package says “Moist & Irresistible Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies.”

 I’ll give them the “mini.”

I found the one-inch nuggets totally lacking in flavor and unpleasantly glutinous in texture. The ingredient list includes a “white grape juice blend” (presumably for sweetness) and “grain-sweetened dark chocolate chips.”  I can see the appeal for folks who can’t eat sugar. I guess vegans might like them, too. But anyone looking to save calories or do the holier-than-thou routine should be aware that two bites of an old-fashioned cookie will provide more satisfaction than a whole fistful of these.
A 7-ounce package costs about $5 at Whole Foods.

Chairlift to Heaven

Led Zeppelin had it wrong. It’s a chairlift that whisks you up to heaven when you’re in the Grödnertal (Gardena Valley) of Italy’s northernmost Süd Tirol (Alto Adige) region.

 A one-person chairlift.

A rickety wooden contraption with a makeshift metal “safety” bar.

A chairlift that looks, horrifyingly, to be about the same vintage as me.

That’s the chairlift that ferried us uphill for 20 minutes from a town called St. Ulrich to a magical mountain-top land of forests, meadows, meandering paths, rustic inns, 360-degree views, wild flowers and wonderful comfort food, including a scrumptious tiramisu.

We arrived at the lift at noon, after leaving our car in the St. Ulrich underground parking lot and hiking up the hillside for about five minutes. There was no line for the ride, so the operator gave each of our backpacks its own chair, then gestured for us to stand on the yellow painted feet on the concrete platform. Within 60 seconds, I was alone with Mother Nature, listening to the cacophonic symphony of the town’s church bells which peel for 15 full minutes each day at noon. When they ceased, the silence of the forest was eerie, punctuated every now and then by chirping birds, running streams and rustling trees.

On top, and reachable only by foot and chairlift, sits Berghaus Raschötz (berghaus translates as “mountain inn;” Raschötz or Resciesa in Italian, is the name of the surrounding natural park).  Owned and operated by Marlene Schenk and her husband Peter, the building has been a “refuge” since the 1950s but was restored and enlarged a few years ago to include a half-dozen supremely comfortable, balconied rooms.

(There is a sketchy dirt road linking the building to the town below but only the innkeepers in the area have access. In the summer, Oban, the Schenks’ affable golden retriever rides up to the inn in the family SUV. In winter, which is the inn’s busiest season, he rides in the chairlift, all 80 pounds of him firmly planted in Peter’s lap.)

We spent two nights in Berghaus Raschötz, hiking during the day, playing Bananagrams (available at Amazon.com) over beers in the late afternoon, eating fabulous Süd Tirol food prepared by India-born Ram Khanna, and sleeping like babies under fluffy down comforters. Each morning, we awoke to a “bell chorus” courtesy of the local cows, and slid into the comfy wooden booths of the breakfast room for a spread of cheeses, meats, yogurt, fruits and great coffee.

Frau Schenk shared with us her recipe for tiramisu, a remarkably simple creation that I was able to prepare in my own kitchen in less than 30 minutes. My version wasn’t as good as that of Berghaus Raschötz, perhaps because they use fresh, local mascarpone, while I used a product imported from Italy probably a couple of months ago.

But the final product was light and creamy, and a delicious reminder of two idyllic days spent in heaven.

(I’ll have more about the hikes we made and the lunches we enjoyed during those hikes in coming posts.)

Here’s Frau Schenk’s recipe. Her instructions are pretty casual. Feel free to improvise the amounts.

BERGHAUS RASCHÖTZ TIRAMISU
Serves 8

1 pound mascarpone
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
4 large eggs, separated
Rum to taste (I used about ¼ cup)
Savoiardi biscuits (I used Vicenzovo)
Cold coffee (espresso is better than brewed coffee)
Cocoa, to taste

Whip the mascarpone, sugar, egg yolks, and rum together.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into mascarpone mixture.
Dunk the biscuits in cold coffee quickly and crumble into bite-sized pieces. Let sit on a plate for a few minutes.
In a serving dish, place a layer of the mascarpone mixture; scatter biscuits over it; cover with another layer of mascarpone.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, place cocoa in a strainer and sift lightly over the top of the tiramisu.

Food for the Fourth

Getting food to fit a Fourth of July theme is usually a tortured and not terribly tasty mission. But I discovered a couple of terrific recipes on RecipeGirl, the popular, dependable and visually attractive Web site.

One patriotic side dish, a perfect accompaniment to steaks and burgers from the backyard grill, is RecipeGirl’s Red, White and Blue Potato Salad. Multi-hued fingerling potatoes  are in the marketplace right now (and a bargain at Costco stores). In this dish, they’re teamed with hard-boiled egg, red onion, fresh dill and chives and a  spunky Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

The site’s Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are far more sophisticated (and delicious) than the predictable layered Jello creations and cupcakes schmeared wth garish blue frosting.  These elegant bars are packed with seasonal fruits, and sturdy enough to pack up and bring to a picnic or potluck. Here's the recipe. Check out the Web site for lots more holiday fare.

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
1½ packages (12 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lowfat milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 large eggs
1 cup fresh raspberries (more or less, as desired)
¾ cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, mix crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. In a food processor (or with an electric mixer) blend cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest just until smooth. Do not overbeat.

4. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumb crust. Scatter raspberries and blueberries on top.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until touch to center feels slightly firm and set.

6. Cool completely before cutting. Use foil to lift cheesecake out of pan and onto a cutting board. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut into clean-looking bars (wiping blade clean with a paper towel between cuts). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Servings: 16