Poilâne Forks and Spoons

Sweet and savory edible utensils by a favorite French bakery

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Using what they call a “retro-innovation” approach to baking, French boulangerie and patisserie Poilâne combines old-world techniques with today’s thinking to make delicious bread and tarts.

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On a recent trip to Paris I was happy to discover their latest clever concept, a set of utensil-shaped crackers and cookies—perfect for hors d’œvres and desserts.

The curry-flavored forks are made from rye flour and parmesan and pair well with hummus or Indian appetizers like mint yogurt or mango chutney. For a charming way to stir espresso, as a garnish for vanilla ice cream or for any number of other creative uses, try the shortbread cookie spoons.

The edible tools come packed in charmingly simple cardboard boxes (note the ingenious use of a rubber stamp), and sell from Poilâne locations, a box of 18 for €6.30 each.


AIR METT 90

Sto sboccando…

AIR METT 90

Microchips

Paper-thin potato chips flavored with sea salt
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With tricky terrain, Iceland has a difficult time growing bountiful produce. As we saw at the recent DesignMarch festival, the country’s creative community aims to change this with a wealth of new food products made from hearty crops like rhubarb or potatoes.

A great example of Icelandic ingenuity, budding design studio Björg í Bú recently launched Microchips—a paper thin potato chip that is simply baked, dried and flavored with sea salt.

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Björg í Bú focuses on designing products with an emphasis on their unique Icelandic properties. A pure product of nature, the chips are made exclusively from Icelandic potatoes, grown in the country’s “uncontaminated and nutritious earth.”

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Microchips are a clever alternative to classic crisps with packaging to match. They come housed in a small box that unfolds into a bowl, perfect for sharing. Once all the chips are consumed, the box’s interior graphics reveal intriguing facts (in both English and Icelandic) about potatoes and their significance to the country, all playfully placed around a map of Iceland.

Recently launched, Microchips are currently only available in select stores in Iceland.


City Hydroponic

NYC’s urban gardening supply store with a mission
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Behind the many verdant closets and kitchen-corner produce installations increasingly tucked into NYC apartments, you can often find the expertise and passion of urban gardening advocate and entrepreneur Aaron Moore. Splitting his time between his two City Hydroponic supply stores in New York’s Bronx and Brooklyn boroughs, Moore not only supplies the growing green gardening movement but proactively tackles the challenges of sustainable indoor farming with a focus on low-income neighborhoods, working to increase access to fresh produce and education about healthy living

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The staff of socially-responsible gardeners and urban growers at City Hydroponic can help with any indoor or outdoor gardening needs, whether growing with soil, water or nutrient mist. Stocked with all of the equipment necessary to set up functional hydroponic (growing solely with water and no soil) or aeroponic (spraying exposed root systems with a nutrient mist) farms in any space, ranging from a studio apartment to a suburban home, the shops are fully committed to the craft, stocking the highest tech tools in the trade. They offer a full line of fluorescent, HID, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lights, full hydroponics and aeroponics systems, nutrients, fertilizers and knowledgeable employees who will gladly explain everything from potting soil to building drainage systems.

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For budding urban farmers feeling intimidated by all the lights and gadgets, City Hydroponic periodically offers month long sessions of free hour-long classes on Saturdays. The comprehensive course starts with the basic concepts of hydro and aeroponic gardening and proceeds with how to produce and maintain a functional farm.

Moore, a huge advocate of food justice, feels education is as important as access, and by delivering these free classes to the community he hopes to push the green movement forward. “We need to generate a market from a grassroots level by educating our consumers, giving them confidence so they can partake in the green movement, and help them be successful in it.” His agenda includes increasing knowledge about where your food comes from, why quality is important and how creating your own fresh produce empowers you as an individual.

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While Moore’s goal might be lofty, it’s also relatively simple. The concept was born from bearing witness to the poor dietary habits in his neighborhood and the urban landscape at large. “In the communities that we are in there is an abundance of food but there is not an abundance of quality food,” he says. Rather than attempt to reverse gravitation toward what is available—typically highly-processed foods with grave nutritional consequences—his work comes down to changing what is available by creating a DIY supply chain that’s doesn’t price residents out. “We are trying to bring quality food to the masses, to all neighborhoods, not just those that can afford it. We want to make it more affordable in general, to teach people whats good food and what’s not—and if its not readily available, show them how to grow their own!”

As food culture in America continues to diversify and the importance of healthy living becomes more apparent the movement will push this type of localized urban agriculture to the forefront of nutrition. Moore shows how anyone is capable of creating fresh organic produce right in their home, reducing carbon waste, soil and water usage and generally promoting a sustainable, self-sufficient way to stay healthy.


Mentos Rainbow

A full fruit spectrum in candy form, without the artificial dyes
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Since bringing a roll of
Mentos
‘ new fruit-flavored candies back from Switzerland earlier this month, I’ve been searching online and in local NYC stores for them constantly. Luckily, it looks as if I don’t have to resort to ordering
a box from Amazon
as we found them in a deli today and scooped up a few for an official Cool Hunting tasting.

Packaged in order for fun and easy flavor identification (we like how even the foil keeps up the colorful code), standout flavors tend toward the less-common choices, with pineapple being the clear winner and raspberry a close second. As a whole, while these still have an artificial tang, the flavor profiles hint at a more “natural” direction, with watermelon drawing as much praise as criticism for the distinctly summery hints of green rind.

A closer look at the ingredients reveals that the natural taste isn’t just lipservice either. Rather than the usual numbers and letters, Mentos lists turmeric, beta-carotene and beetroot, among others, as colors used. Free of high fructose corn syrup too, all we can say is take warning Skittles.


The Spicy Gourmet

Sprinkle culinary cred with a Sri Lankan chef’s enticing spices
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Sri Lanka’s rich history as an important port and trading post in the ancient world has contributed to the mouth-watering cuisine—combining traditional ingredients with influences from merchants around the world—that the country is known for today.

Born in Sri Lanka, self-taught chef Dinesh Perera has vivid memories of growing up on the beautiful island and the scent of his grandmother’s cooking. After moving as a child to London, his family’s desire to eat food from their homeland inspired his father to learn how to mix spices and cook Sri Lankan food. Perera, now known as The Spicy Gourmet, continues the legacy. He searched the globe for the highest quality fair-trade spices, creating a spice box set with a custom-designed mill, sure to help even the novice home cook master a deliciously complex garam blend.

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In addition to spices for Sri Lanka dishes, the Spice Blending Collection includes 16 flavors from India and Thailand and an illustrated recipe book with step-by-step instructions for roasting, blending, and cooking up fragrant dishes including Peppers and Cauliflower with Garam Masala, Lamb Skewers with Kashmiri Masala, and Beef Curry with Ceylon Roast Blend.

We asked Perera about his quest to offer the tastiest fair-trade spices, why he developed the Spicy Gourmet spice mill, and about how he became the man who loves to teach people around the world how to make the freshest most authentic garam masala warming blends.

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What was your goal when you created this spice collection?

I just wanted to bring absolutely the best product possible to the marketplace. This package is a means to introduce something that you can really use. That was my goal, and part of that was to provide the best possible spices available. By nature I am an entrepreneur. Food and spices have been a passion of mine. This idea started as a cookbook. I wanted to incorporate a selection of spices with the book. That project evolved into this package.

The Spicy Gourmet Collection with the electric spice mill ($125), as well as several single spices for $8-13, sell online from The Spicy Gourmet. Read more of the interview with Perera after the jump.

You are a member of a collective of small organic farmers. Why is this designation by your peers important to you?

We have third-party verification. All of our spices come from small family farms, not from plantations. That is the way I wanted to build this business. We initially joined an organization called Trust. That is a group that consists of a combination of producers, suppliers, and manufactures. We all vouch for each other. The more commonly recognized organization in the United States is Fair Trade USA. We are applying to be accepted there too. That designation assures people who are looking for fair trade products that we are in fact fair trade.

Why is it important for the customer to look for fair trade?

All spices need to be processed. By that I mean, they are not fresh off of the plant. Spices have to be dried. Some of them need to be powdered like tumeric. There is a process involved. Many of these spices are sourced from tropical countries there are ways that historically these spices were preserved. Consumers don’t really know what is being sprayed on them to make sure that they do not get moldy. So to me it is important that they are organic. It is easy for spices to spoil, they get moisture and grow mold.

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Why did you decide to develop a custom spice mill?

The mill is part of my mission is allowing people to experience the freshest possible spices. When spices are ground, the flavor and taste that are based in the essential oils start to dissipate. The difference between a fresh spice blend and one that has been sitting in a bottle is remarkable. When you make your own garam masala, it makes a huge difference. Traditionally people grind spices with coffee mills. I have too in the past before we created our own. I found the coffee mill that worked best for me in terms of ease of use. Milling spices is different than milling coffee. Coffee is a consistent in shape size and density. I designed a mill that is smaller, so that you could hold and operate it with one hand. While it is operating, you can shake it like a cocktail shaker. This technique allows the spices to better come in contact with the blade in a different way that if it was just sitting on the counter, so you get a better grind.

You live in Santa Barbara and also offer a dinner experience called Friday Feast.

I love socialized enjoy good food and friends and wine. Friday Feast started as a way of promoting the product at a grassroots level and exposing people to this type of cuisine. When we first started we had about four people and for the last one more than 30 joined us. We had to turn people away. It’s a fun thing. I also offer a Spicy Gourmet Culinary Experience. In the class a small group learns to blend spices, cook some dishes and enjoy them after words. The cooking experience helps people learn how to experience traditional flavors of Sri Lanka.


Evol Bowls and Mini Burritos

Two organic Tex-Mex snacks from a frozen burrito leader
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Bucking the football-sized burrito, Evol recently introduced a new line of minis to its roster of made-from-scratch frozen burritos and wraps. The three-ounce portions are made with the same all-natural and organic ingredients that the fast-growing company has always relied on for its products, including sustainable, antibiotic-free beef sourced from Niman Ranch and cage-free chicken from Petaluma Poultry.

Available in five flavors, the pocket-sized snack options include classic shredded beef blended with Monterey jack cheese, and two chicken and bean offerings—one with rice, and one without. For vegetarians, there’s a bean and sharp cheddar combination, while vegans will appreciate the bright blend of sauteed vegetables, rice and salsa in the Veggie Fajita burrito. Usual cooking time in a microwave takes less than a minute, with 160-190 calories per burrito.

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Yielding even more healthy choices to stock your freezer with this winter, Evol (which is love spelled backwards) also launched a new series of burrito bowl entrees last month, specifically with gluten-free and low-sodium eaters in mind.

The mini burritos are available at most Whole Foods stores, while the burrito bowls can be found at grocery stores nationwide.


Patric Chocolate

“Peanut butter and jelly” chocolate handcrafted by a Midwestern bean to bar chocolatier
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Founded in 2006 by Alan “Patric” McClure, Patric chocolate has put the Midwest on the premium confection map. The brand, born from the founder’s deep love of chocolate and an influential trip to France, offers a variety of delicious craft-made bars.

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A leader in the artisanal/micro-batch chocolate community, McClure has been involved with the Craft Chocolate Makers of America since its start and is currently serving as its chairperson. Our appreciation of American craft chocolate makers—from the Mast Brothers to Rogue to fellow Missouri-based Askinosie is well documented.

Patric currently offers eight chocolate bars—both blends and single origin, with standouts like the signature 70% blend helping put the brand on the gourmand map. Last year’s introduction of the PBJ OMG—dark roasted peanut butter and cacao balanced with natural bursts of berry from the chocolate—manages to pull off the salty-fruity appeal of the classic sandwich in a melt-in-your-mouth form. Marketed for ages “1-120,” this bar truly offers something for just about every palate.

The line sells from Patric’s online store and select retailers (though the PBJ OMG only for a limited time) starting at $7.


Compartes Chocolate and Macallan Truffles

Melt more than hearts with this delicious marriage of single-origin chocolate and 18-year scotch
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For those who love chocolate and booze together but have grown beyond liqueur-filled mini chocolates, Compartes Chocolatier recently introduced a limited-edition box of scotch whisky-infused dark truffles. With our favorite The Macallan 18-year single-malt scotch enriching the deep flavor of the single-origin ganache, we’re fans. As the truffle melts in your mouth, the subtle taste of whisky comes through—sounds like a perfect Valentine’s day gift. So either pick up a 10-piece box for yourself or for a loved one for $30 from the Compartes online shop.


Julie Anne’s Granola

Handmade granola from Las Vegas hits the mark
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On a recent trip to Las Vegas we discovered locally-made Julie Anne’s granola. Frustrated that she couldn’t find granola she liked, Julie Hession decided to make her own and launched the line in 2008. Today there are five flavors available: Sweet Citrus, Decadent Raspberry Truffle, Berry Yummy PB&J, Maple Blueberry (warning: highly addictive) and Tropical Bliss.

The key to tasty granola is finding the right balance between grains, fruit and nuts, with just enough sweetness. We think Julie Anne’s hits the mark on all fronts. She makes every batch (and even packages them) herself.

Julie Anne’s Granola sells online in eight- and 16-ounce bags (for $6 and $8, respectively) and by the case, as well as at a growing list of retailers.