Olivia’s Crutons is a lovely family-based company that churns out some seriously delicious crutons.

I tried the Butter and Garlic flavor which is what first brought Olivia’s fame.

In the gourmet food product world, a Sofi Award of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) is the gold standard.  See that little Oscar-looking guy in the corner of the photo above?  Yeah, Oliva’s got a Sofi Award.

But back to how good these crutons are:  they’re large, buttery, fresh, and perfectly crunchy (no threat of molar chippage). They are made from organic ingredients and not many of them: pretty much just bread, butter and herbs. No preservatives.

Perfect on salads or just out of the box.  (Did I just admit that? :/ )

Thanks to Phil and Alex for arranging the sample.  Check out Olivia’s website for recipes and the touching company story.

Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis and Other Totally Green Cocktails is an awesome new collection of recipes by Paul Abercrombie, published by Harvard Common Press.

I had the pleasure of being asked to look at a copy of the book and give my take here on Smorgasbite- thanks Paul!

I enjoyed sampling several of the cocktail recipes -delicious- and I enjoyed drooling over the rest.  The photography is exquisite and the ingredients- muddled blackberries, fresh mint, crystalized ginger- are, shall we say, top shelf.  That said, not too many of the recipes can be made with ingredients just lying around the house (save you tropical island dwellers, perhaps) so it pays to plan and shop accordingly.  Meanwhile, while the book calls for organic spirits (rum, tequila, etc) – regular will do.

I’m happy to be able to share with you a recipe.

Coming in Hot!

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries, 3 of the jalapeno slivers, and the lemon juice until well mashed.  Add the tequila and agave nectar, and fill the shaker with ice cubes.  Shake vigorously, then strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with the remaining jalapeno sliver.

—

Lastly, Paul writes a great blog about all things cocktail at, you guessed it, organicshakenandstirred.com

Living Fuel makes a line of products that have a crazy amount of nutritious things in them.

Living Fuel products contain the most potent, bioavailable, and highest quality nutritional ingredients including freeze-dried organic fruits and vegetables that are rich, natural sources of antioxidants.  The harmonious blend of these active ingredients provides diverse and balanced antioxidant protection – more so than other popular antioxidants.

I had a chance to try two of them (thanks to a nice offer from Beth) and I’m feeling all of the healthier for it.

SuperBerry Ultimate is a purplish powder that can be combined with water, juice, or milk, or mixed into a smoothie.  I tried mine two ways: with water and mixed into a smoothie with banana and blueberries.  I liked it both ways (the fruit compounds make the powder relatively sweet itself) but I would say that the smoothie was my preference.

CocoChia Snack Bars are sweet bars combined mostly of coconut, chia seeds and almond butter.  I thought it was really tasty and definitely different than most other bars.  This bar reminded me of an Almond Joy candy bar.

Check out the Living Fuel website for more information on their products including ingredient lists, nutrition facts and recipe videos.

From the makers of the ever-popular Sugar in the Raw (above right) comes a new product: Stevia in the Raw.   Stevia is a sweetening agent that is not an artificial sweetener but also not sugar.  More specifically,

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is an herb in the compositae family that grows as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. The glycosides in its leaves make it incredibly sweet, a property that is unique among the nearly 300 species of stevia plants. Stevia has been used to sweeten beverages and medicines for over 400 years.

In addition to single-serving packets (above left), Stevia in the Raw is available in Cup for Cup Bakers’ Bags.  Terri was kind enough to send me a Bakers’ Bag to try.  It’s in a large, plastic bag with a resealable zip top.  Looking at it, you’d think it weighed five pounds (which is its sweetening power equivalent to sugar).  But, it only weighs 9.7 ounces.  The powder feels nearly weightless and it quite dusty.

I tried it in several different foods and drinks and it seems that experimentation according to your own likes and dislikes is key.  I did not enjoy it in hot coffee while I did enjoy it in hot tea.  I did not enjoy it in plain yogurt but I did enjoy it in baked cornbread and refrigerator pickles.  I am still planning to try the cheesecake recipe from the back of the bag which sounds promising.

Stevia in the Raw’s website has a plethora of recipes, including the cheesecake.  It also has a section of tips which, um, I should read now since it may explain why some of my experimental uses were less successful than others.

Peeled Snacks is known for dried fruit with cute names and pretty packaging – and for its real food philosophy.

Now, Peeled Snacks is partnering with American Farmland Trust, a national organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting healthy farming practices and supporting farms and farmers.

Peeled Snacks is currently featuring an American Farms Sampler: 6 pouches of dried organic apples (Apple-2-the-core) and 6 pouches of dried cherries (Cherry-go-round) for $22.99.  Both fruits are grown in North America and 10% of sales will benefit American Farmland Trust.

Thanks to Darrah, Jennifer and Jill (team effort!) I was sent a sampler and I really enjoyed both the apples and cherries.  Both were very fresh tasting- not overly dry, hard or otherwise “over the hill” like some dried fruits can taste.

How apeeling.

Longtime fans of Smorgasbite may recall a post I wrote about Tostitos Baked! SCOOPS! “Exclamation theirs, not mine” I clarified in the subtitle.

In the case of popchips!, graciously sent to me by Emma, a different subtitle is in order: “Exclamation deserved!”

Within a week of receiving them in the mail, my dear friend Alison happened to be at my apartment several times.  Each time, popchips! were offered as snackage; she accepted.  Each time, additional popchips! were offered for her to take with her; she accepted.  My popchips! were gone. (!) (Exclamation deserved!)

Alison emailed me yesterday to let me know she was eating her final popchips! bag as an afternoon snack and to thank me (again.  Alison is a very generous thank-er.)

I replied, “Maybe you should write my smorgasbite post about them since you ate most of them What do you have to say about pop chips?”

She replied, “Hahaha—right. (no regrets about cleaning you out of your chips . . . ): ”

Then she got on to her review: “Crisp, savory flying saucers of delight in my mouth! Immensely satisfying in the morning, the afternoon, or at night (yes—I’m living alone without a “meal routine.”) And such cool branding/typography. The next great POP in an impressive family that already includes Pop Art, Popeye, Popples, and that term midwestern people use for soda.”

Brilliant, Alison, you are now an official Smorgasbite author! Exclamation for you! And for popchips!

Back in December I posted about a book called The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones.  As the name implies, the book explores how whole foods, not supplements, can restore and maintain bone health.  I was pretty convinced….

But not fully.  My great-grandma Delphine, who lived into her nineties as her height slipped below 5 feet, warned me and my sister about osteoporosis and how it should be avoided.  That always kind of haunts me.  Which is why I took up Bailey’s offer when she offered to send me a new product by Country Life: Bone Solid.

Not your regular calcium pill (or even your calcium-magnesium-Vitamin D pill), Bone Solid has some fancy-sounding Triple Action.

The Bone Solid trifecta:

• Increasing Utilization – by using the MCHA form of calcium that is identical to the body’s natural bone composition.
• Strengthening Bones – by providing vital bone supporting nutrients such as Boron, vitamins K1, K2 and D3, plus calcium for stronger bone structure.
• Supporting Bone Metabolism – by including nutrients such as vitamin K1, K2, and D3 that support the management of specific metabolic processes for better bone support.

So, I’ve been popping a couple of these each day.  In conjunction with the whole-food approach, I think my great-grandma Delphine would be proud.

Isn’t this tea kettle beautiful?  It’s electric, but unlike most I’ve seen it’s clear so you can see the water come to a boil.

Made by Chef’s Choice and ranked #1 of 25 by Good Housekeeping.

$79.99

Ann Clark Ltd. is one of the leading cookie cutter companies in the United States with an impressive line of cookie cutters that are made in Vermont and sold around the world.  Their charming motto is “Make More Cookies.”  Okay!

They seem to have thought of everything: from acorns and airplanes to the state of Texas and a watering can, Ann Clark probably has whatever hobby or inside joke you aim to shape your cookies into.

I tried out a few of her cutters (thanks, Elizabeth!) and found them to be high quality.  The metal is well manufactured, staying solid and level as you push it into the dough.  The edges are sharp enough to aid you but not too sharp to use with children.

Reasonably priced at about $3.99, each cutter comes nicely packaged with a recipe attached.  It makes a very nice gift for children and adults alike, for any holiday or “just because.”

The company also has a blog- check it out!

So many bars have granola in them I tend to think of them all as “granola bars.”

KIND bars, however, are non-granola bars.  They’re fruit and nut (and sometimes frosting!) bars.

Charlie was KIND enough to send me some to sample (sorry, couldn’t help it).  I’ll rank my top three flavorites (yup, sorry):

1. Passion Fruit Macadamia

Passion Fruit Macadamia has a very strong passion fruit flavor, which is tropical and a little pucker-inducing… in a good way (in my opinion at least).  This KIND bar is also enhanced with Vitamin B.

2. Fruit & Nuts in Yogurt

The yogurt is really like frosting which makes this bar dessert-like and delicious.   The nuts and fruits are in large pieces.  It’s gluten free and wheat free.

3. Walnut & Date

Anyone who loves dates and walnuts will love this bar.  Sweet in that wonderfully natural date-y way.

A lot more information (and likely better descriptions) at KINDsnacks.com.  KIND lovers can also check out the frequent-buyer Advantage program.

We’ve all (likely) heard of The Moosewood Cookbook from the people at The Moosewood Restaurant, but how about The Moosewood Recipe Deck?

Moosewood Restaurant Farm Fresh Meals Deck: 5- Delicious Recipes for Every Season is a collection of 50 recipe cards that fit into the box.  They are divided by season, so each season’s recipes use produce and other ingredients appropriate to that time of year.  There is a mixture of main courses (pastas, casseroles, sandwiches), sides (soups, salads, vegetables) and desserts (cookies, pies, and puddings) for each season so that you can plan an entire menu very easily.

Another benefit to the cards is that you can throw one or three into your bag before heading to the store without being weighed down by a whole book.

I have tried several of the recipes from this deck and found them all to really highlight seasonal flavors and not use too many ingredients (a big plus in my book deck).

Thanks to Jessica for sending me a copy to review.

As a very enthusiastic tomato (and canned tomato) eater, I was thrilled when Julie from Muir Glen offered to send me a limited-edition 2009 Reserve tomato kit.

The prestige and quality of reserve wine, now available in tomato form!

Each 2009 Reserve kit includes:

1. One can each of the Muir Glen Organic Yolo Red diced and Muir Glen Organic Brigade whole peeled tomatoes.  The Yolo Red diced and the Brigade whole peeled canned tomatoes were grown specifically for Muir Glen under certified organic practices and hand-harvested in Yolo County, California. These two exclusive varieties of 2009 Reserve tomatoes were picked at the peak of ripeness and packed the same day.  Yolo Red Diced Tomatoes are sweeter than most, high in lycopene and allow you to create wonderful bruschettas, salsas and soups.   Brigade Whole Peeled Tomatoes are full and plump, have consistent bright red color and are perfect to use in your favorite lasagna, pasta sauce or stew recipes.

2. One can each of the Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted diced and Adobo Seasoned petite diced tomatoes: the classic favorites!

3. Recipe cards from award-winning chefs and The Diary of a Tomato booklet with 25 delicious tomato recipes

When I received this kit, I was blown away.  It is beautifully packaged and would make a fabulous gift.  The tomatoes are all delicious and the recipe booklet is inspiring.  And, best of all, the kit could easily sell for $30, yet it is only $7.  Even more amazing, $3 of each purchase through March 31, 2010 will be donated to worthy causes.

Here is the website to order but hurry, since Reserve 2009 will only last so long!

Salt gets a bad rap- especially in NYC now that Bloomberg announced his anti-salt campaign- but the truth is that not all salt is created equal.

Himalasalt is to white table salt as farm-fresh cream is to Crisco.

Follow me?  One is a natural earthly product, healthy in moderate quantities and capable of turning a ho-hum dish into something incredible.  The other is the highly processed factory step-child of the first, leaving little to none of the original intact.  Yet, somehow it’s become common to lump the two together under the banner of poor health and sinful hedonism.

Himalasalt is a pale pink finishing salt that was created 250 million years ago when the earth was still pristine.  In addition to many pre-crushed salts, Himalasalt also has two new products that are in larger slab- or cube- form:

• Zen Cube, pictured above, comes with a cute “zester” so that cooks (and eaters) can freshly grate the pink salt cube onto food.  Mine has lasted a very long time and stores well.
• Sushi Salt Slabs are large (think dessert plate-sized), square, 1+-inch thick slabs of pink salt for making and serving sushi.  I also used mine for serving other foods such as appetizers.

Himalasalt’s packaging is beautiful and they offer gift boxes too.  Thanks to Sue for having samples sent my way.

I had a small gathering of friends over on Friday night to watch some livestream of TED 2010 in Long Beach.

We decided on a potluck approach to the evening so, among other things, I whipped up a batch of some Honey-Oat Granola Bars from the Taste of Home Cookbook, Cooks Who Care edition (by the people who publish Taste of Home cooking magazine- free issue offer on the website).

This is a pretty new cookbook, and it’s enormous with over 1300 recipes in every category imaginable.  A person’s name and hometown is associated with each recipe, which gives me that all-fuzzy-inside feeling.  You know, if Marlys in Cincinnati loves this recipe, it must be good    I’ve noticed the ingredients tend to be budget-friendly and many of the recipes could likely be made with staples you already have in the pantry.

The Taste of Home Cookbook also features 21 heart-warming stories of people helping others through food-related efforts. The Cooks Who Care cookbook ed. celebrates the recipes and charitable acts performed by Cooks Who Care. The hope is that these stories and recipes will hopefully inspire others to make a difference in their communities.

I added a meyer lemon glaze to the top of mine to add a bit of festivity.

Honey-Oat Granola Bars with Meyer Lemon Glaze

Bars

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, peanuts, chocolate chips and sunflower kernels. Stir in the butter, honey and vanilla until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Press into a greased parchment paper-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack; cut into squares. Cool completely before removing from pan. Yield: 3 dozen.

Glaze

1. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Squeeze lemon over bowl so juice pours into bowl, being careful to catch any seeds.  Whisk until combined and smooth.

2. Pour over honey-oat granola bars.

Thanks to Anjali for sending me this cookbook!

Boar’s Head is a very popular brand of deli meats, especially in New York it seems.  Nearly every block there seems to be a sandwich shop touting its offering of Boar’s Head roast beef, turkey, etc.

Now Boar’s Head also offers a savory spread called Pepperhouse Gourmaise™.  It’s a zesty blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns that are then mixed with Boar’s Head Mayonnaise and its Deli Mustard.

The adjective “zesty” is not an understatement.  I’m the sort of person who almost always wishes for things to be more peppery, yet this was perfect as-is.  It has sizable chunks of peppercorn.

Naturally, Pepperhouse Gourmaise is wonderful on sandwiches.  It’s also a nice dip for crackers, pita bread or veggies.  Adventurous cooks could also add it to recipes wherever some creamy, peppery zest is needed.

Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise can be purchased at supermarkets and gourmet food stores for an approximate retail price of $3.99.

Thanks to Andrea and Roberta for the sample!