Hasta La Ideas

Exotically-flavored teas pack in twice the health benefits

Just when you thought herbal tea couldn’t get any healthier, The Republic of Tea’s Raw Green Bush Tea is the USA’s first unoxidized version of rooibos tea, lending an even bigger dose of vitamins and antioxidants. Keeping the plant in its raw form preserves natural enzymes, and in turn doubles the amount of antioxidants found in traditional green teas.

All low in tannins, the five caffeine-free varieties—Plantain Coconut, Orange Red Carrot, Black Currant Cardamom, Mango Chili and Natural Organic—are vegan-friendly, curiously flavorful and packed with nutritious herbs, fruits and veggies.

In addition to the salubrious selection of raw teas, the health-conscious purveyors also added Organic Turmeric Ginger tea to their roster of green teas. Known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich properties, turmeric is thought by medical experts to help fight cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The new additions to The Republic of Tea sell online or at health food stores, as either full-leaf loose tea or in unbleached tea bags. Prices begin at $10.

The near-impossible task of finding the perfect bottle belongs in the “things people don’t tell you before you have a baby” file. Initially, the nipple plays the decisive role—will your baby like it or not? Then, make sure your kid isn’t taking in too much air with the milk or formula. You don’t want a gassy baby, do you?

Many brands of bottles have extra little contraptions to help avoid colic, which involves washing and sterilizing in addition to the bottle. And these days, you have to look for BPA-free bottles too. For a mom who’s gone without sleep or showers for days, it can all feel like way too much.

Luckily Dr. Andrew Weil recently introduced a new stylish BPA-free option that does it all with three easy pieces—a nipple, a ring and bottle. Made from toxin-free Tritan, the
Weil Baby line has a special engineer-designed “one piece venting system” that so far does the trick in my house, meaning there’s less to wash and less gas.

The bottle starts as a baby bottle, but by changing the nipple and adding a handle it works as sippy cup as the child grows. We love the bright colors of the bottles too. They come in purple, green, orange, blue, and yellow, with matching metallic-like tops and handles in silver, orange, purple and green. The milk looks blueberry- or banana-flavored, even when it isn’t. How fun is that!

The bottles and/or training cups come in five- or nine-ounce sizes bottle and sell from Weil Baby, Amazon, starting at about $9 per bottle.

The spaghetti limone from Italian family-run Pastificio Setaro adds an easy kick of refined flavor to any pasta dish. Spanning three generations, Pastificio Setaro is the lone remaining producer of artisanal pasta out of the 130 that once populated the Naples area of Torre Annunciata.

The Setaro family makes their pasta from semolina (a high-protein durum wheat flour) and mineral-rich water from nearby Mount Vesuvius, pushing the dough through antiquated bronze machines that leave it with a slightly rough composition—the perfect texture for adhering to sauce or olive oil.

A great pasta for warmer months, we recently enjoyed spaghetti limone at CH HQ with a mix of Russian kale, shallots, basil, goat cheese, scallions, chili flakes and additional lemon zest.

Pasta Setaro sells online (and at NYC’s Chelsea Market) from Buonitalia for $6 per pound.

Whether trekking miles in the Grand Canyon with a six-pack or adventuring in the backyard, these coolers offer as many ways to enjoy a cool drink as there are places to sip them.

The Cool Bottle ($35), a simple frosted decanter, comes in perfect for keeping beverages chill for leisurely stretches on the veranda or stoop.

When you want food not just cold but frozen, Prepara’s Ice Cream ‘Cool Keeper’ keeps the creamy goodness cold but hands warm, and with a built-in spoon holder to boot. The Cool Keeper is $10 from Prepara. A neat alternative, we covered Zak Design’s Ice Cream Keeper in 2008, and you can buy it from the
MoMA store ($14).

Famed masters of the outdoors, R.E.I. makes toting easy with their Backpack Cooler. Pack it out for $45 or choose from a variety of other portable soft-pack models.

The old-school master, Coleman keeps its rugged name unsullied with the 54-quart Stainless Steel Belted Cooler, for $220. There’s also the more economical, but similarly classic, Steel-Belted Cooler for $139.95.

For urbanites, the Built‘s Extra Relish Lunch Tote in bright Nolita Stripe or Ski Patrol Red keeps the lunch and the look ice cold.

While a no-brainer with ice cream sundaes, the makers behind Izzybelle Chocolate Sauce intend for it to pair well with almost any type of food. Flavors like Orange, Chili Cinnamon or Raspberry perfectly enhance foods spanning nacho chips to chicken with its smooth consistency and subtly balanced taste.

Comprised of both healthier and fewer ingredients than the average chocolate syrup, the Colorado-based chocolatiers create Izzybelle in small batches, maintaining each jar’s high quality flavor.

For a full list of Izzybelle chocolate sauces and an array of toothsome recipes, see their online shop. Each jar runs $13.

Photos by Kristina Sacci